Classic Eventing Nation

This Week in Horse Health News Presented by Absorbine

Many of us dream of raising our own eventing superstar. Photo by Stuart Webster/Creative Commons. Many of us dream of raising our own eventing superstar. Photo by Stuart Webster/Creative Commons.

Raising a young horse of my own was a dream of mine for many, many years. In my mind’s eye, I often romanticized the concept. What experience could be more amazing than picking out your next lifelong equine partner from the time that he or she is just a pint-sized weanling?

Flash forward to watching them grow, all the while working to build a relationship with your youngster before they even start under saddle. And after working with a professional to get started, there are still many enjoyable years of riding and competing to look forward to on a horse that has been truly yours almost right from the get go.

After acquiring not one but two young horses as foals, I can say firsthand that the experience isn’t easy. A lot of management, planning and training need to go into a young horse right from the start in order to give them the best possible foundation for the future.

While they do (many) stupid things, and sometimes it seems like forever until it’s time for babies to go under saddle,I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Even on their days of being extra stupid. Head over and visit The Horse.com to check out an article that provides some pointers on helping to give your youngster a strong start. You can find it here.

And then check out some of the other headlines from this week in Horse Health News, presented by Absorbine:

Sore Withers: While I look right at my horse’s withers every time I sit a saddle on his back, I often don’t give them much thought. But withers play a very important part in how your horse moves, and even a small problem can cause issues with performance. How well do you know your horse’s withers? Gain some additional insight into this important part of your horse and learn some of the trouble signs that you should be on the lookout for. [Practical Horseman Magazine]

Signs of Stress in Horses: Does anyone else have a horse that always seems to be stressed out about something? Anybody … anybody? Well head on over to The Horse.com and check out this infographic that shows a number of signs of stress that a horse can display, as well as ways to identify the factors that may be contributing to the stressed out behavior. [The Horse]

Are Your Horse Blankets Ready for Winter? Looking ahead to the cold winter months looming ahead, it’s a good idea to consider pulling out winter blankets now to check them over and make sure that they are in good and usable condition. Another point to consider is checking to ensure blankets still fit your horse. [Equus Magazine]

Pain Management in Horses: How familiar are you with recognizing signs of pain in your horse? And are you familiar with all of the therapy options when it comes to the topic of pain management? Check out this video by Dr. Anthony Bilkslager, which offers information on how to recognize signs of pain in horses and also discusses options for drug-related therapy. [The Horse]

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: The Tail-Flag Incident

Uh, excuse me, but you have something in your tail …

Surrey-based eventer Georgie Wood posted this video of Liz Maybury’s Sjapo Le Sursaut catching a flag in his tail while running the Intermediate at Pontispool two weekends ago. While her mum gets worried about the flag (please excuse the language from the worried mum!), Georgie and “Coco” completed the course without incident to finish 14th in their section.

Good boy, Coco!

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Contest Alert: Win Dubarry Swag for Your Dog!

Dubarry just unveiled this video to launch the company’s fall/winter collection, and it stars some adorable dogs. In honor of our dogs and Dubarry’s new styles, we’ve giving away a prize pack valued at $179 from the Dubarry Dog collection!

The prize pack includes three items: a Glenbrook Dubarry Leather Dog Collar, a Dunmanway Dubarry Leather Dog Lead and a Dubarry Bellingham Tweed Dog Neckerchief.

To win this new fall/winter wardrobe for your dog, enter using the Rafflecopter widget below, and then comment on this post with the answers to the following three questions about the Dubarry video:

1. At what facility did the photo shoot take place?
2. What style of boot was the Dubarry girl wearing in the video?
3. What is the name of the new tweed pattern on the Dubarry girl’s jacket?

If you need a hint, search the boot and tweed pages on the Dubarry of Ireland website.

You must both enter through the Rafflecopter widget and comment with the correct answers to the questions in order to be eligible to win the Dubarry Dog prize pack. Entries will remain open until midnight EST on Friday, and we’ll announce the winner in Friday News & Notes.

Good luck! Go Dubarry Dogs!


Disclaimer: Information given in the Rafflecopter widget, including email addresses, may be shared with the corresponding sponsor at their request. You will also be signed up for our weekly EN eNews email newsletter, if you aren’t already. Don’t worry — you’ll just wonder what you’ve been missing out on — and you can unsubscribe if you don’t want it.

My Amazing Trip to England

Taylor McFall, 12, had the trip of a lifetime when she traveled to England to both tour the country and watch her mom, Jen, compete with High Times at the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. Taylor documents her adventures in England, including meeting her idol Pippa Funnell, in this blog powered by Athletux.

Taylor, Jen and Earl McFall on their trip to England. Photo courtesy of Dragonfire Farm. Taylor, Jen and Earl McFall on their trip to England. Photo courtesy of Dragonfire Farm.

My mom competed at the event at Blenheim Palace, and this was my first trip to England. I saw and experienced some incredible places, foods and met some amazing people.

One of the first places we visited (and my most favorite) was the Tower of London. The tower has so much history in such a small place, there was almost too much to see! The first thing that we saw was The Tower of Torture.

Inside they showed a few of the ways that they tortured people (actually I think that the beds in our hotel should be in this exhibit). But, anyway, they had models of the different tools that they used and what kind of criminals were unfortunate enough to have those tools used on them.

Then we saw the guard tower and some of the other things like jail cells and the Crown Jewels! They were just so beautiful! I saw at least two diamonds the size of a tennis ball. All the golden crowns, jewel-encrusted swords, and the glittering gowns and dresses were like candy for the eyes.

Something that also caught my attention was the Royal Armory. I saw the armor of the many kings and princes that rode into battle. What I thought was cool was that they would have models of the king’s horse and the king with their actual armor on it! They all had such elaborate patterns on them, and I just thought that they were so cool (and quite heavy).

Taylor walks the cross country course at Blenheim. Photo courtesy of Dragonfire Farm.

Taylor walks the cross country course at Blenheim. Photo courtesy of Dragonfire Farm.

But besides the Tower of London, we saw the Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge (which was built 4,000 years ago!) and explored some of the many adorable towns of England.

I also went to the event at Blenheim Palace. I saw some of the many amazing horses stabled there and watched them be ridden by their incredibly talented riders. I also walked the (extremely long) cross country course. I was not allowed on the track, just on the side lines.

Most of the jumps were rather simple looking (not much decoration, but I’m sure that they are hard), but I saw a few that caught my eye, Like the “Leap of Faith” which is a stone wall with a wide ditch underneath it. There was also one that looked like it was made out of trash cans. I’m assuming that they have a very good reason for making a jump out of trash cans. There were also some birds, dragons and some really big stone “skinnys.”

Taylor McFall meets Pippa Funnell at Blenheim. Photo courtesy of Hawley Bennett.

Taylor McFall meets Pippa Funnell and Billy the Biz at Blenheim. Photo courtesy of Hawley Bennett.

Last, but not least, I also met an extremely accomplished (and also really nice) rider by the name of Pippa Funnell! I was introduced to her by Hawley Bennett, and when I realized it was Pippa, I was at a loss for words. It was amazing. I was talking to the only person ever to win the Grand Slam, a great rider and a great person (and a good writer — I own a couple of her books).

Pippa was so nice. She asked me questions about my ponies, and we talked for awhile before she had to go (she was on one of her horses and the horse did not appreciate standing still for a long time), but I think that her just taking the time to talk to a little girl like me may have been the highlight of my amazing trip to England.

4 Numbers to Know from Blenheim and Plantation Field

It was a super busy weekend for U.S. eventing, with eight American riders competing in England at the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials and the largest field of any U.S. CIC3* this year competing at Plantation Field International Horse Trials in Unionville. Now that we’ve had some time to digest the results, here are four numbers you need to know from Blenheim and Plantation Field.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen jump into the lead Blenheim Palace CCI3* Photo by Samantha Clark.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen on their way to finishing 10 seconds inside the time on cross country at Blenheim. Photo by Samantha Clark.

3

Clark Montgomery joined an elite group on Sunday when he became the third American to win Blenheim, ending a 14-year drought since we’ve seen the stars and stripes on top of the leaderboard at this event. Kim Severson and Winsome Adante last won it in 2001, and Bruce Davidson won aboard Squelch in 1994.

Clark and Loughan Glen’s win is the best American result at the event since 2011, when Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister finished in second place on a final score of 49.4. (Clark and Glen finished in fifth place that year.) We’re thrilled for Clark and Jess, as well as Glen’s owners, Kathryn Kraft and Holly and William Becker!

It’s also notable that Clark and Glen delivered the lowest finishing score at this event since at least 2002 (which was as far back as I could find full results online). Their final score of 33.8 is easily the lowest in the past decade, and they totally dominated the competition this year to finish an impressive 8.2 faults ahead of Chris Burton and Nobilis 18.

You don’t best more than 100 horses to take the Grantham Cup CIC3* win at Belton, finish sixth at Luhmühlen on 37.5, and then win Blenheim on a 33.8 by accident. Clark has been very forthcoming in interviews that working on Glen’s fitness has been a huge priority this season, and it’s clear that strategy and all the hard work has paid off in spades.

Another thing to consider is that Clark and Glen have now delivered fantastic results at Luhmühlen and Blenheim, both of which are listed as U.S. selection trials for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. There’s still a long way to go on the #roadtorio, but good results recorded at selection trials in 2015 will definitely factor into how the team picture shakes out in 2016.

Holly Jacks-Smither and More Inspiration. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Holly Jacks-Smither and More Inspiration at Plantation Field. Photo by Jenni Autry.

27.9

Holly Jacks-Smither shaved 27.9 penalty points off her previous best CIC3* finishing score with off-track Thoroughbred More Inspiration this past weekend. Holly and “Morris” delivered a personal best dressage score of 48.7 and added just 0.8 time penalties on cross country to that score to finish in fourth place on 49.5 at Plantation Field — the best Canadian result in the CIC3*.

Those 0.8 time penalties were actually the lowest number of faults added to a dressage score by any of the 47 horse-and-rider combinations that ultimately completed the CIC3*. On a weekend when double clean show jumping rounds and clear and fast cross country trips were very hard to come by, Holly and Morris made it look easy.

But we know that riders don’t come by those type of results by luck. Holly took a huge financial risk to take Morris to Germany on her own dime for her first overseas and team competition at Aachen, arguably the most difficult CIC3* in the world and certainly one with a very prestigious field. But the risk paid off.

Completing Aachen showed Holly she could do it, as she said after cross country that day, and it’s clear she’s brought all that experience and confidence back home with her. Holly will continue working hard with her coach Jon Holling as they look ahead to the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI3* next month and ultimately Rolex next year. Go Holly go!

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum at Plantation Field. Photo by Jenni Autry.

4

Just four combinations managed final CIC3* finishing scores under 50 penalties at Plantation Field, with Tamie Smith and Mai Baum delivering the only sub-40 finishing score to win on a personal best of 39.5. “Lexus” has now won three CIC3* events in a row, improving on each of those final scores by about 7 penalty points each time.

With the Ahearn family’s super horse next aiming for his first CCI3* at Fair Hill, it’s not a bad time of the season for Lexus to be peaking and for his partnership with Tamie to be blossoming. The 9-year-old German Sport Horse gelding will definitely head to Maryland as one of the heavy favorites with all the talent to take the win.

The other three sub-50 finishing scores at Plantation Field came from Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous (second on 45.1), Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn (third on 48.3 and the only combination to make the optimum time), and Holly Jacks-Smither and More Inspiration (49.5).

Mai Baum, Fernhill Cubalawn and More Inspiration are all heading to Fair Hill CCI3* to finish out their seasons, while RF Scandalous will cross the Atlantic to take on her first CCI3* at Boekelo.

Go Icabad! Photo by Jenni Autry.

From left, Chappy Motion, Anita Motion, Olivia Dutton and Graham Motion with Phillip Dutton and Icabad Crane in the prize giving. Photo by Jenni Autry.

41.1

Icabad Crane delighted Thoroughbred fans around the world on Sunday when he won the first CIC* event of his career at Plantation Field on his dressage score of 41.1. The Preakness and Belmont Stakes runner just seems to get better and better in his new career, and Phillip Dutton has made it clear he thinks the horse’s fitness prowess and competitive drive will only suit him more as he progresses through the levels.

“America’s Horse,” as Phillip like to call Icabad, will next head to Hagyard MidSouth for his first CCI*, and he’ll also give a demonstration at the TCA Thoroughbred Makeover & Symposium that same weekend, Oct. 23-25. Click here for more information on the Thoroughbred Makeover and here to follow Icabad Crane’s progress on Facebook. Icabad also has a fan club you can join here.

[Plantation Field Final Scores]

[Blenheim Final Scores]

Tuesday News and Notes from Cavalor

Chinch is working on his own illegal live-stream. We're not associated with him. Photo by Dave Taylor. Chinch is working on his own illegal live-stream. We're not associated with him. Photo by Dave Taylor.

This weekend ended in a haze of eventing madness that has my head spinning. While being at Plantation Field this weekend, our attention was also focused on the American riders over the pond at Blenheim. As I sit here decompressing from all the amazing things that happened, I am reminded of why this sport keeps us coming back for more.

Our eventing heroes all kicked butt at their respective events both near and far: Phillip on Icabad Crane, Doug on Lyslander, Tamie on Mai Baum, and Clark on Loughan Glen. To add the cherry on top of what is a sundae of eventing goodness, I got to witness with my own eyes the first known drone flight of the lovable rodent we fondly know as Chinch.

Events Opening Today:  Texas Rose Horse Park Fall H.T. (TX, A-5),  Poplar Place Farm November H.T. (GA, A-3)

Events Closing This Week: Hagyard Midsouth Three-day Event & Team Challenge H.T. (KY, A-8),  The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm (MD, A-2),  Paradise Farm H.T. (SC, A-3),  ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. at the Horsepark (NJ, A-2), Course Brook Farm Fall Horse Trials (MA, A-1),  Middle Tennessee Pony Club Horse Trials (TN, A-3), Heritage Park H.T. (KS, A-4),  FEH Qualifier at Loch Moy Farm (MD, A-2),  Waredaca H.T. and Classic 3 Day Event (MD, A-2),  The Event at Skyline (UT, A-9),  Radnor Hunt H.T. (PA, A-2),  Las Cruces H.T. (NM, A-10),  Greenwood Farm Inc. Fall H.T. (TX, A-5),  FEH Championships at Loch Moy Farm (MD, A-2)

Tuesday News and Notes:

Numerous Australian-themed items were stolen Saturday night at the Plantation Field Sponsor Party: stuffed animals, boomerangs, flags, books, hats, rubber snakes, etc. These were items borrowed from kind volunteers, not souvenirs from the party to take home. Plantation Field is asking that all items be returned to the venue — no judgment, no questions asked. If you have any information about who might have stolen these items, please email [email protected].

William Fox-Pitt is Coming to Great Meadows You read correctly, the master himself is coming to Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia. Team Engaged Clinics is hosting a two day clinic with Mr. Fox-Pitt November 10 and 11 that will focus on all three phases. You must fill out this form if you are interested in riding in the clinic, auditors are being asked to sign up in advance, and volunteers are still needed. Stay tuned to Eventing Nation for your chance to win two auditors passes. [William Fox-Pitt Clinic Info]

Just Another Day for Boyd Martin. We can all agree that there is a certain amount of chaos when competing just one horse at an event, but 7 is all in a days work for Boyd Martin. This past weekend Boyd brought 7 horses to Plantation Field International and makes it look easy. A seamless exchange of tack and horses for each ride, as well as dealing with owners, supporters, fans, and media add up to another day at the office for Boyd. [Behind the Scenes with Boyd Martin]

If Your Barn Were a High School. At this point most are  settled back into school for the fall. Now imagine your barn aisleway is your alma mater’s hallway, and your beloved moody equine was a hormone filled teen (not quite a quantum leap is it?). Would they be the know it all, a jock, or the teachers pet? Find out where your horse would fit into the hierarchy of high school. [If Your Horse Was a High School Student]

Failing To Plan Is Planning To Fail. With some of our friends out west being forced to make decisions about what to do with their horses in an emergency, its time to look a bit closer to home. Don’t wait until an emergency is knocking on your door to make your plan. Make hay while the sun is shining and come up with your equine emergency preparedness plan now. [Are You Ready?]

Muzzle or Not to Muzzle, That is The Question. Thoughts of Hannibal Lecter and Jason from Friday the 13th come to mind when we think of muzzles, but they can be your best friend on the right horse in the right situation. Putting your horse/pony in a dry lot may not be available where you are and a muzzle may mean a better more natural lifestyle for them. It is suggested you consult your veterinarian in making the decision about muzzling your horse/pony, but here is some impartial guidance on muzzling. [Advise on Grazing Muzzles]

Tuesday Video:

I really enjoy highlighting videos from the previous weekend’s horse trials. Since this past weekend was the Best Event Ever at Plantation Field International, I give you a taste of the CIC* track. Follow along as Kelly Prather and D.A. Calimero ride early on Saturday while it is still a bit foggy out.

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Elisa Wallace’s Blenheim Helmet Cam

Tredstep Ireland rider Elisa Wallace made her overseas debut aboard Jill and David Hopcroft’s Simply Priceless at the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials CCI3* this past weekend. They scored 50.1 in dressage, jumped clear around cross country with 7.6 time penalties, and pulled one rail in show jumping to finish in 29th place.

There are several videos up on the Wallace Eventing YouTube Channel from Blenheim, including this mash-up of her helmet cam footage and actual video from her cross country round with “Johnny.” Click here to catch up on all of Samantha Clark’s wonderful coverage from Blenheim (including lots of interviews with Elisa).

Deadly Fires Wreaking Havoc for Northern California Horse Owners

Photo from SAFER Sonoma County Equine Rescue's Facebook page Photo from SAFER Sonoma County Equine Rescue's Facebook page

While those of us in Area VI love our sunny weather, there is not one Californian that wouldn’t give anything to be riding in the rain currently. Not only is our state suffering a catastrophic drought, but we are now dealing with conditions more intense than an Indian summer, and wildfires are spreading throughout the north as a result.

Ten different fires burned across northern California this weekend, and about 1,600 homes have reportedly been lost so far. The fire currently burning north of San Francisco is now the fourth worst in the state’s history. Here’s a look at the fires that are still currently burning across the state:

Fire season is a yearly occurrence in the state, but areas that are usually protected by the snowpack are suddenly acting as kindling for huge fires that are consuming homes, farms and ranches. With temperatures in the 100s this past weekend, relief seems far away. The death toll is now at five, and may continue to climb, as more areas are cleared and rubble is able to be sorted.

With the Valley Fire (north of Santa Rosa), Butte Fire (south east of Sacramento) and the Rough Fire (east of Fresno) being the three biggest, firefighters from as far away as Australia are coming to help. Local firefighters have lost their own houses while protecting other neighborhoods. Mandatory evacuations have been established in certain areas, and some families have had to leave without being able to take their pets with them.

And, once again, the horse community is coming together. We get to see pieces of it through social media — great and small acts of kindness that permeate our community in times of crisis. Many barns have opened their doors and gates to those that need temporary shelter. Volunteers with trucks and trailers are willing to go and get animals where it’s safe.

The Amador/Calaveres Fairgrounds Fire Wish List

The Amador/Calaveres Fairgrounds Fire Wish List

R Ranch Fire

Lexie Fed Horses

Fairgrounds have been converted to temporary animal shelters.

Oakdale Equine Rescue helps out at the Angels Camp Staging area for the Rough Fire. Photo from Oakdale Equine Rescue's Facebook.

Oakdale Equine Rescue helps out at the Angels Camp Staging area for the Rough Fire. Photo from Oakdale Equine Rescue’s Facebook.

At the Sonoma Horse Park, which is hosting an A-rated hunter/jumper show this week, supplies are being collected for rescues. Brenda’s Tack Warehouse, a mom and pop business located in Woodland, is selling halters, water buckets, medical supplies, leads and more at cost for donations.

One way to help out - Contact Tack Warehouse and donate supplies.

One way to help out — Contact Tack Warehouse and donate supplies.

Even when the fires are out, these areas will continue to need our support. With homes, barns, fields and businesses leveled, providing for the horses and other animals will be something that requires time and money and effort.

UC Davis has opened the doors of its medical college and is now treating victims of smoke inhalation, something that has the potential to affect even more animals outside of the fire zones. With quick winds, the Sacramento area is hazy with smoke, while those more east near the foothills of the Sierras have smoke permeating their homes.

Two large rescued pigs, Wilbur and Sophie, now being treated at UC Davis Veterinary School for smoke inhalation.

Two large rescued pigs, Wilbur and Sophie, now being treated at UC Davis Veterinary School for smoke inhalation. Photo from the UC Davis Veterinary Medical School Page.

UC Davis’ VERT on the Scene, headed by Dr. John Madigan, who is world renowned for his work on equine neonates, among other things, started the UC Davis Emergency Vet Response Team.

Loomis Basin Equine also opened its doors to two severely burned horses and one burned donkey. Rescuers are pleading with those on social media not to share graphic photos of unclaimed animals, as many people are still looking to be reunited with their pets.

Three severely burned equines arrive at Loomis Basin Equine Medical for important veterinary care.

Three severely burned equines arrive at Loomis Basin Equine Medical for important veterinary care. Photo courtesy of Loomis Basin Equine.

While the Rough fire is on its way to being contained, some of those firefighters are now moving to other parts of the state. Temperatures are expected to rise again this weekend. No one is quite sure what the coming days will bring.

If you are local to these areas in northern California and want to volunteer your time, please call ahead to see where your help can be used most. Every little bit counts — California is just behind Alaska and Hawaii in terms of cost of gas, so even going to rescue these animals and bring them to safe shelters or for acute vet care takes enormous support.

Oakdale Equine Rescue Board Member Mary Smith prepared her horses for evacuation by writing her number on their hooves and painting it on their bodies. Photo from the Oakdale Equine Rescue Facebook page.

How would you keep your horse safe? Oakdale Equine Rescue Board Member Mary Smith prepared her horses for evacuation by writing her number on their hooves and painting it on their bodies. Photo from the Oakdale Equine Rescue Facebook page.

horse with phone number (oakdale mary smith)

Preparing horses for evacuation. Oakdale Equine Rescue Facebook page.

Here’s how you can help during this crisis:

Please post a comment below if you know of any other ways the eventing community can band together to help humans, horses and other animals in need.

Bundeschampionat 2015: An Intro to Germany’s Young Horse Championships

Maren Engelhardt of Trakehners International attended this year's Bundeschampionat, the official National Championship of the German breed associations, with eight visitors from North America. She's very kindly written a detailed synopsis about the experience for EN, and we're excited to bring you this series on "BuCha" in three parts. First, we learn all about BuCha and its importance as Germany's Young Horse Championships. Many thanks to Maren for writing and to Stephan Bischoff for providing beautiful photos.

Gluecksruf at BuCha. Photo by Stephan Bischoff. Gluecksruf at BuCha. Photo by Stephan Bischoff.

I have been to the BuCha many times, but no year has been quite like this year! Eight visitors from North America made the trek to Warendorf to see the event for the first (or second) time, learn about the judging parameters, experience the thrill and just have a good time.

The idea to bring U.S. riders, breeders, judges and horse enthusiasts over to this event originates with Cheryl Holekamp, who saw the action briefly in 2014 and was dying to understand the judges’ comments, mostly in the dressage ring (we will forgive her for that).

We quickly decided that it would be a good idea to go together, abusing me as an interpreter and knowledge base on the ground, and what can I say … the group got bigger! After the 2015 USEA FEH/YEH Symposium in Ocala, at which I was a guest and showed a number of BuCha videos for analysis of cross country judging, others asked to join.

In the end we were a comfortable “first trial” group on a mission, comprised of avid breeders, eventers, judges and horsefolks, many of which agreed to be interviewed about their experience. One travel companion, Dr. Timothy Holekamp, had another agenda altogether — he is the owner of a young stallion in Germany that competed at the BuCha this year. So not only did we get to experience BuCha, we got the inside look of somebody who was biting his nails for two days hoping to make the finals!

Dr. Joe Dimmek, a former High Performance team rider for Germany and current international eventing judge, was incredibly helpful by finding us a mobile microphone and transmitter system, which allowed everybody to listen in on more or less simultaneous translations. As Cheryl had threatened before, I did spend considerable time alongside the dressage ring, but I have to say — it was worth every minute!

Joe Dimmek and his family were wonderful hosts for the weekend, and he also set up some special events for our group, like a personal tour of the DOKR (the German Olympic Committee for equestrian sports) and a meet and greet with Christoph Hess. So what is the attraction of this Bundeschampionat, an event most horse folks have heard about but very few outside of Germany have actually experienced?

Here is a detailed look at what this is all about. And before we get started, I want to thank my travel companions for a wonderful time, and their sharing of their thoughts and comments on the event, which you’ll find in the upcoming parts of this series.

Naughty Girl. Photo by Stephan Bischoff.

Naughty Girl at BuCha. Photo by Stephan Bischoff.

What is the Bundeschampionat?

The Bundeschampionat (BuCha in short) is the official National Championship of German breed associations. Only German-bred and registered horses and ponies can compete here, meaning a Hanoverian born in Denmark cannot compete, but a German-born Hanoverian with a fully approved KWPN parent can.

About 1,000 horses and ponies qualify for the BuCha each year and compete in dressage, show jumping, eventing, driving and riding horse classes (known in the U.S. as material class). Divisions are set up for 5 and 6-year-old old horses, and in the riding horse classes, 3 and 4-year-old olds compete in different divisions, further separated by gender (one class for mares and geldings, one for stallions). Repeat all of the above for ponies and you’ll get an idea of the scope of this competition: There is no other show like that on the planet.

Ingrid Klimke and FRH Escada JS. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Did you know FRH Escada JS is a BuCha graduate? Photo by Jenni Autry.

A brief history of the BuCha

The first BuCha was conducted in 1976 in Münster, and the first year that event horses took part was 1979. The very first champion ever crowned after a vigorous Intermediate level cross country run was the stallion Tümmler (a Trakehner by Heros out of Tuberose by Burnus AAH) with Martin Plewa riding.

And if there was any indication of what the BuCha would predict in terms of top quality performance horses and riders, this pair was a great first start. Tümmler sired four-star horses, Martin Plewa, a four-star rider, won team gold as the national coach of Germany at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Since then, many horses that stood at the top of their field at the Bundeschampionat have moved on to successful careers at the international stage, all the way to the World Equestrian Games and Olympics. The flip side is that the BuCha has also become a major marketing tool — just qualifying increases a horse’s value dramatically. However, not doing well can also have the opposite effect.

Often, big stallion stations or riders that make it their professional goal to develop horses specifically for this event stand in front despite maybe not having the best day of their lives. It is a show based mostly on judging and scores, not necessarily objective faults (like rails and time), so it comes with all the baggage attached.

Nevertheless, to see the current level of German horse breeding, this event is second to none and a must-see for horse lovers everywhere. Specifically in eventing, it is quite noteworthy to see that of the current 16 German High Performance team horses, no less than 11 went through the BuCha path.

That doesn’t mean that all good horses had to win here first — in fact, the current Burghley winner and multiple gold medalist La Biosthetique Sam FBW was not a horse the judges cared for much. However, he went through the program, and that is probably more of a path to success than anything else. Four-star winners fischerRocana FST, FRH Escada JS and Horseware Hale Bob are definitely great examples of young promising horses that went through BuCha and later turned out to be the real deal.

The Qualification System

Qualification events for the BuCha are held during the entire spring and early summer season in Germany beginning in late March and early April. The different disciplines require different qualification criteria. The only exceptions are all riding horse and pony classes. Here, the individual breed registries can nominate the best riding horses from their internal riding horse championships to represent the breed in Warendorf.

In eventing, 5-year-old horses have to score at least twice 80% or better at a BuCha qualifier in a Training level Young Event Horse class and score at least one 70% at a BuCha qualifier in a Preliminary Young Event Horse class. In addition, all 5-year-old horses that have their required scores from Young Event Horse classes must place in a regular open Training level event. The qualification has to be obtained at three different venues.

Six-year-old old horses have to score at least 80% or better twice at a BuCha qualifier in a Preliminary level Young Event Horse class. In addition, all 6-year-old horses that have their required scores from Young Event Horse classes must place in a regular open Preliminary level event or CIC*/CCI* with no more than 55 points from dressage, maximum 8 points from stadium and max 24 time faults cross country. Again, the qualification has to be obtained at three different venues.

The Judging System

Young Event Horse classes are cross country runs only, evaluated for jumping scope and technique, rideability (adjustability before and after jumps, approach to the jump, fluidity and rhythm of the entire run, etc.), gallop and faults (time and jump). The major focus of this system is to determine and judge whether the horses are on the right training path for a successful career as event horses, meaning the traditional training scale is just as important as a good jump or efficient gallop.

This is often overlooked by newcomers. The ideal is a fluid, harmonic and efficient cross country performance with a focus on the skill and characteristics of the horse, not the rider. Yet those cannot be seen entirely isolated from the rider’s presentation.

For rideability, jumping manner and ability to gallop, the judges use a score sheet from 10-0. From this score, the following penalties are deducted: first stop/refusal/runout is minus 0.5 points; second stop is minus 1 point. A second stop/refusal at the same jump sees 2 points deducted. Third stop automatically eliminates the pair. Every second over the optimum time is minus 0.1 points. If the rider/horse falls, the pair is eliminated. The same is true if the pair does not meet maximum time. Dangerous riding results in a deduction of 2.5 points.

Determining rideability

The horse should be presented in such a way that it can rhythmically approach all jumps. That rhythm should not be broken other than if required e.g. by changes in the terrain. It is absolutely paramount to keep the clock in focus — not making the time means not riding efficiently and is penalized not only by deducting points, but a lower overall score for rideability.

The horse needs to be easy to regulate and adjust as different efforts are cleared on the way. The maintenance of a forward momentum is important. The horse’s posture is also a focus — the nose should clearly be in front of the vertical at all times, the neck extended enough to allow for balance, and there should be a trusting, soft connection between the mouth and rider’s hands at all times.

Agility and maneuverability are also hallmark features of good rideability, meaning the rider can make adjustments to the course, the horse stays balanced and connected and is therefore efficient. This particular cross country course in Warendorf asks for a lot of the latter — it twists and turns many times, horses often cross their own path, jumps are mostly coming up very fast behind bend lines or curves, lie in shadow or are drops.

The criteria to judge jumping manner and style focus on the rhythmical, willing and efficient jumping over all obstacles with a clearly visible bascule, but no over-jumping. The jumping ability (in terms of height) is only looked at for the level the horse is competing at; in other words, nobody is predicting potential jumping ability at advanced levels in the future.

For horses, “adjustability” here is meant as the ability to help itself. It is no big deal if a couple of jumps are not ideal (too big, too close), but if a pattern of this emerges, it is penalized heavily. The right take-off point is very important. “Bascule” refers to the lengthening of the neck from the withers in combination with letting this movement develop across the entire topline and back.

The relatively low jumps in combination with the higher speed allow for some compromise in this regard. In fact, judges are deliberately not looking for the big scopey jumper that spends valuable seconds in the air at each jump. However, just as much as they like to see efficiency, a tight back or inelastic top line will be reason to lower the score.

The technique the horse displays will make sure of a secure landing and an efficient clearing of the obstacle. Hence, it is important to have good technique, especially in the front arm and shoulder.

Finally, the last big topic is gallop. Unlike in the U.S., where the Young Horse programs aim at predicting upper-level potential (including the gallop, of course), the BuCha judges are only judging what they see that day and don’t attempt to predict the future. Therefore, ground cover, balance, rhythm and economics of the gallop weigh the most.

It is important to keep in mind that speed alone is of no relevance — the time is to be made, but it is of no help to run faster than optimum time. Likewise, different anatomical characteristics like size do not necessarily define a good or bad gallop — short-strided horses can be highly effective and efficient and tire less quickly than long-strided horses.

On the flip side, the latter may be much faster than one would think just by watching their slower repetition. Light-footedness is also an important hallmark and a characteristic often pointed out by the judges; uphill tendency in the gallop would be just as well. Lastly, the judges always point out that the motor function is more important than absolute stride length.

Collnisckhen. Photo by Stephan Bischoff.

Collnisckhen at BuCha. Photo by Stephan Bischoff.

Path to the Finals in Warendorf

Those horses and riders that show up in Warendorf during the first week of September have four long, hard days ahead of them. To reach the finals on Sunday, which typically see 15 to 20 horses depending on the initial class size, all 5-year-old horses first run a Young Event Horse class at Training level, with the top 10 to 15 pairs automatically moving to the finals. Everybody else goes to consolidation rounds on Friday, at the same level, of which the top five horses move to finals.

The finalists then meet again on Saturday, for a First level dressage test and a 1.10-meter stadium round, again scored for rideability, jumping technique and scope, counting time and jump faults as regular show jumping rounds do. Qualification rounds for the 6-year-old horses are the same, but all at Preliminary level.

In the finals on Sunday, all 5-year-old horses have a clean slate cross country but bring their scores from dressage and stadium to the table. They count as single scores. The cross country finals then are at a higher level, the 5-year-old horses competing at Prelim, the 6-year-old horses at Intermediate, and cross country counts double compared to dressage and show jumping. In addition, the 6-year-olds have their dressage at Second level and jump as 1.15 to 2-meter course.

The BuCha is notorious for extreme difficulty — check out the photo gallery below to see some jumps and combinations, which easily make it into two-star competitions elsewhere. Another outstanding difficulty is the terrain — or better the lack of it. The course is short, very fast, with drops into shady areas, and with two sets of inclines containing jumps. Overall, some 25 efforts in the 6-year-old division are crammed into a tight, narrow space on a small green field.

Many of the 5-year-old finalists struggle with this added difficulty after such a harrowing week, and their lack of experience really shows here. In 2015, of the 20 horses in the finals, 10 did not finish because they had a refusal and the riders decided to try another day, retiring on course because horses were just confused.

There is always plenty of critique, especially after the 5-year-old round, and this year one of the loudest opponents was Elmar Lesch, without doubt one of Germany’s best young horse producers who knows what he is doing. After a less than ideal round with his first horse, he spared his second ride the trip altogether and withdrew before cross country.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series, which will take a detailed look at the competitors at BuCha and which horses ultimately took home the coveted top prize in the Young Event Horse 5- and 6-year-old finals.

Hannah Sue Burnett Recovering from Broken Wrist at Plantation Field

Hannah Sue Burnett and Jitter Bug watch CIC2* show jumping with Jennie Brannigan at Plantation Field on Saturday. Photo by Jenni Autry. Hannah Sue Burnett and Jitter Bug watch CIC2* show jumping with Jennie Brannigan at Plantation Field on Saturday. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett confirmed to EN that she broke the radius bone in her left wrist in her fall with Jitter Bug at fence 15, a ditch and brush, on the CIC2* cross country course at Plantation Field International Horse Trials yesterday. It seemed like the 9-year-old Rheinlander mare owned by Jacqueline Mars and Sherry Nemmers didn’t read the question quite right, and they both fell on the landing side of the fence.

Jitter Bug is totally fine and was up right away after the fall, while Hannah was transported by ambulance to nearby Christiana Hospital for treatment. Hannah was discharged from the hospital last night and is back home in Middleburg this morning, as is Jitter Bug, who is resting comfortably in her field.

Hannah is also recovering from bruised ribs, which she said are hurting a lot more this morning than the broken wrist! She has an appointment scheduled with an orthopedic surgeon early this week to determine whether she will need surgery; doctors are optimistic at this point that she will not need to undergo an operation.

Hannah wanted to thank her vet Dr. Jill Copenhagen for checking over Jitter Bug; groom Lindsey Taylor, who was by her side within minutes of the fall; her mom Sue, affectionally known as Smallzie; grooms Kristin Stammer and Sara McKenna, who are holding down the fort at home; and everyone who texted and called and visited her in the hospital.

Buck Davidson and Laine Ashker came into the ambulance with her to offer moral support, and a whole swarm of volunteers and riders — led by Sally Cousins — were with her immediately after the fall to make sure she was OK. It’s times like this that remind us how lucky we are as eventers to have such an amazing support system around us.

As to what this broken wrist means for the rest of her season, Hannah said she’s not ruling out competing at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International next month just yet. We’re wishing Hannah all the best for a speedy recovery so she can get back in the saddle soon.