Classic Eventing Nation

Sunday Links from Etalon Equine Genetics

By on Oct 15, 2023 12:01 am -

We’re so sad to hear that reigning Maryland 5 Star champion Tim Price will no longer be joining us with Falco this week. After a recent colic surgery, the “super little horse” will be getting some much-needed rest and recovery before hitting the track again. We’re all sending love and support to Team Price and healing vibes to Falco, and are glad to hear that he is on the mend.

On that note, it’s Maryland week! 🎉 EN has tons of exciting coverage and content planned, and will have boots on the ground by Wednesday to start sharing all the first looks and new features this year’s 5* has to offer, so watch this space! 👀 If you’re making the trek to Fair Hill to watch in person, you’ll probably be able to catch us hanging out in the Hall of Champions barn outside Neville Bardos’ stall the entire weekend (or at the Milburn Orchards apple cider donut stand — it’ll just be a back and forth between the two). See you there, and go eventing!

Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

U.S. Weekend Action

Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials (Leesburg, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Pine Hill Fall H.T. (Bellville, TX) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Poplar Place Farm October H.T. (Hamilton, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Radnor Hunt H.T. (Malvern, PA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Redefined Equestrian H.T. (Fort Collins, CO) [Website] [Volunteer] [Entries] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Sunday:

Coming soon to your daily News & Notes: classifieds! We’re opening up a small section of each day’s News & Notes to feature some paid classified offerings, including featured horses from Sport Horse Nation, jobs in the industry, farms for rent or sale, and more! We’re now accepting placements for as low as $10 — please email [email protected] if you have something you’d like to list! Please note: we are not currently accepting ads for used or new tack.

Listen in to the Maryland 5* Preview Podcast: Major League Eventing with Jeff Newman & Joanie Morris

And if you’re headed to Maryland, make sure to pick up these cool new broadcast radio earpieces to keep up with the action all weekend long!

EN’s own Ema Klugman and Andrew McConnon are twinning at Morven Park

Arena Geometry: Where has your circle gone?

Sponsor Corner: We 💖 a good Thoroughbred at Team Eventing Nation. Etalon Dx team rider, Kathryn Currey, recently clinched victory at the $20,000 TAKE2 Hunter/Jumper Finals Thoroughbred Classic! 🏆🐴
Their unstoppable bond, coupled with powerful genetic insights, has elevated their partnership to extraordinary heights.

Morning Viewing: Paris is getting ready for the 2024 Olympics, and it’s involving much more than just landscaping. The city is working to clean up the Seine River — enough for people to safely swim in it at the conclusion of the Games!

Boyd Martin and Commando 3 Grit it Out to Hold Morven Park CCI4*-L on Soggy Day

By on Oct 14, 2023 5:51 pm -

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

The organizers and officials at Morven Park International & Fall H.T. opted to shuffle the schedule for today’s cross country due to rain in the forecast, but by this morning — as the weather gods typically like to do in typical cruel joke fashion — the forecast had flipped, meaning the bulk of the downpour started just as the first CCI4*-L pair was set to leave the box.

Truthfully, the ground here holds water quite well and due to the dry summer Virginia has experience could have used some dampening anyway. But it didn’t make the already-up-to-standard track any less challenging, and in reality the issues we saw were just as likely to happen on a dry, sunny day.

As the mud settles, it’s still Boyd Martin and Yankee Creek Ranch LLC’s Commando 3 (Connor 48 – R-Adelgunde, by Amigo xx) in, well, command of the 4*-L, gritting out the quickest ride of the day with 3.2 time penalties collected and a two-phase score of 29.4.

By the time Boyd left the start box as one of the last in the division, the 15-horse field had thinned with seven combinations ultimately failing to complete and one withdrawing. The Leaf Pit, perhaps the most imposing question on the track, would be the biggest culprit, causing refusals for four pairs, all of whom would eventually decide to retire.

And for his part, Boyd had a bit of an inauspicious start to the day, taking a tumble from Miss Lulu Herself at the second fence, a frangible table, on course (both he and Lulu were unscathed).

“Well I came back and really knew how to ride fence one!” Boyd joked of the early ending to his first run, which could have yielded useful intel on the track. Back out with Commando 3, he said Derek di Grazia’s course “rode tougher than it walked. It was a true four-star Long track. I’ve been lucky enough to ride around a number of Derek’s championship tracks this year, from Kentucky to Bromont to Burghley. Definitely the combinations with big forward distances, they’re better off with a bold ride and trying not to cheat and sneak in extra strides. The great thing with Connor is he’s got a big step and he’s a bold horse. So then, it’s well suited for him.”

“I definitely learned [a lot], as this was his biggest test to date,” Boyd said. “And what I did learn about Connor was that he digs deep and he’s got true grit and toughness when the going gets tough. He really dug deep for me and was just awesome and fighting for me all the way and had plenty of juice left at the end. He proved to me that he’s ready for some big events next year.”

Though the ground certainly didn’t suffer from the rain — the footing held well and there weren’t many, if any, spots where there was any slipping — this stiff test proved the mettle of this 10-year-old, who looked confident and bold the whole way around. It would be no surprise, if this form continues and as the horse gains even more strength and experience, to see this one right up top with Boyd’s other superstars as considerations for Paris inch closer. “Our plan this year was to really get to know him really test him a couple of times, and this is one event to sort of came off and I feel like we’ve truly proven that he’s going to be a serious horse for the future,” Boyd said, noting the support of the backers behind Yankee Creek Ranch for their belief in his system of producing potential champions.

Caroline Pamukcu and She’s the One. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Caroline Pamukcu had herself a day on the 4*-L track, showcasing two of her younger horses in a real show of talent and promise for the future. The first away, especially on a soggy day, is a fairly unenviable position, but Caroline left the start box in the zone, her goal to give her mare, She’s The One (Jaguar Mail – One to Watch, by Condios), owned by Andy and Mollie Hoff as well as Caroline and her mother, Sherrie, a good ride with her age in mind, but also to go out to compete. She accomplished both, collecting 6.8 time penalties to be good for second place overnight on a score of 38.1. It was an exclamation point of a ride, further validated by the fact that the track did not yield a large number of clear rounds.

“So I went out when on cross country with ‘Gemma’ I was like, You know what, she’s eight, I planned to just jump all the jumps first but have a good rhythm and she’s very blood to ride. I thought for the first minute I just wanted her to settle in, so about at the second minutes, I was probably like 8 or 10 seconds down on the clock and it was fine because she was so good. After the double corners, that was the first real gallop we had and I dropped the reins and she took off, like proper took off with me. It was awesome, she’s such an engine. She just flew up the hill.”

“That was exciting, because to me in my head, she’s a Burghley horse. So I’m like great, got that checked off the list as a good practice,” Caroline continued.

Caroline Pamukcu and King’s Especiale. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Caroline’s second ride in the 4*-L was King’s Especiale (Connect – Cha Cha Special, by Vittorio), who’s quite a different ride to his much more petite stablemate at nearly 18 hands.

“King” also proved his mettle today in his first 4*-L as an 8-year-old, collecting 11.2 time penalties and taking third place overnight on a score of 39.4. “So with him, I set out and I just I kept one pace the whole time because he’s only done one three-star Long, which was the Ocala one,” she said. “I wanted to make sure I gave him a good ride and just kept a nice pace and didn’t push him too much. And with him also, he pulled up and I was like, I could go around another time. So I probably should have galloped a little bit more but I’m over the moon with him. He’s a special horse — he’s gonna win something big.”

Also notable in today’s 4*-L was the performance of Andrew McConnon and Wakita 54 (Plot Blue – Werusa, by Padinus), who now has two very solid runs at the level under her belt (she was 5th in the 4*-L at Tryon earlier this spring; she also won the 4*-S at Rebecca Farm in July). This quirky mare has been with Andrew for most of her eventing career, and if her progression this season is any indicator I think we’ll see this pair stepping up to 5* as soon as 2024.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Will Coleman Heads Up CCI4*-S

Will Coleman enjoyed a good day at the office today, bringing home both Hyperion Stud’s Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ – Wildera by Quinar) as well as the Diabolo Group LLC’s Diabolo (Diarado – Roulett M, by Aljano 2) home clear with some time to sit first and third in the 4*-S division. It’s been “a year of paper cuts” for Will, who’s pulled out of Pau at the end of this month with both Chin Tonic and Off the Record. Chin Tonic, he said, had a bit of a respiratory issue over the summer as well as a small shoeing problem that set him back in preparation. At that point, he didn’t feel it was a worthwhile trip to ask the horse to compete at a 5* overseas. Off the Record will also be back in competition at some point, but he did sustain a minor strain injury after AEC that will force him to sit out the 5* plans.

“It’s a long game, and it’s a very minor disappointment, but still a disappointment,” Will noted. “But you know, there’s still some things that we can keep kind of working at and get better over here. And hopefully, there’ll be another opportunity to do something like Pau down the road.”

Will Coleman and Diabolo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Today, without a 5* to save fitness for, Will said he’d planned to let Chin Tonic HS out a little bit on cross country, if he felt the horse was taking the bit and attacking the fences. “I didn’t really go full to the boards but he just ran super. I thought he was amazing. I think it’s good for him to go out now and kind of not feel like I have the handbrake on him, just for him to just go in his natural rhythm and build his stamina. But his rideability is super and I just thought he was very professional.”

“He can be a little awkward at times,” Will continued. “Just he’s so gangly and elastic, it’s can be like riding a piece of cooked spaghetti. So I think now as he’s gotten more experience, you can sort of trust him to sort of organize himself a little bit more and I don’t feel like I have to, you know, maybe start that process as early and as I did a couple years ago. So just by nature of him becoming I think a little more self-regulating, he’s able to go a bit quicker.”

Liz Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Will overtook dressage leader Liz Halliday and The Nutcracker Syndicate’s Cooley Nutcracker with a slightly quicker turn of foot, amassing 6.8 time to lead on a score of 29.9. He won’t have anything but a wee bit of time in hand over Liz and Cooley Nutcracker in tomorrow’s show jumping.

There was one Mandatory Retirement in the 4*-S — Andre Parro and Watusi, who fell at fence 7B but were reportedly on their feet and appearing to be ok afterward.

Dana Cooke and FE Quattro. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Score Recap for CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S

The 3*-S divisions also ran cross country, getting mostly dry but cool weather to cap off the day. Canada’s Dana Cooke and the FE Quattro Syndicate’s FE Quattro blazed around with a foot-perfect round to move from second into the lead, adding two seconds of time for a score of 29.1 ahead of show jumping.

Caroline Pamukcu continued her strong run with the sole double clear of the 3*-S, moving up to lead the Young Horse division for 7-year-olds with Sherrie Martin and Luann McEduff’s HSH Connor on a score of 28.1.

Maya Clarkson leads the 2*-S, which show jumped today and will run cross country tomorrow, moving all the way up from 5th to lead the way with Shannon Lilley’s Clueso on a score of 30.9.

Tim Bourke and Barbara Cassini, Lisa Takada, and Marley Stone Bourke’s Electric Quality maintained their lead after two phases in the Young Horse 2*-S, remaining on a 27.0 following show jumping.

Full scores can be found here.

Tomorrow’s schedule will kick off with jogs for the 3* and 4* divisions beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. Show jumping will begin around 11 a.m. with the 3*, and 4* show jumping will begin after the 3* completes, most likely around 2:30 p.m. Don’t forget you’ll be able to see the action live thanks to a complimentary live feed provided by RNS Videomedia. Click here to bookmark the live feed page.

Morven Park International & Fall H.T.: [Website] [Schedule] [Competitor Info Hub] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s coverage of Morven Park International & Fall H.T. is sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products, home to 5*-caliber supplements for horses from all walks of life.

Maryland 5 Star Drawn Order Goes Live: One Previous Champ Leads the Pack, Another Withdraws

By on Oct 14, 2023 12:00 pm -

Boyd Martin and Luke 140. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

This headline shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise. As the only rider competing two horses in the CCI5*-L division at the MARS Maryland 5 Star presented by Brown Advisory this year, we knew that Boyd Martin, winner of the inaugural event here in 2021, would be both the first out of the metaphorical gate as well as the rider to close out this year’s action. The question was just which horse would serve which role.

With the drawn order for next week’s event now live, we know that Boyd will ride the Luke 140 Syndicate’s Luke 140 as pathfinder. He’ll then close out the 27 strong field aboard Club Contessa’s Contessa. Both horses made their five-star debuts this spring: Luke 140 at Luhmühlen, where he finished a spectacular fourth place overall, and Contessa at the Kentucky Three-Day Event where she surprised Boyd himself with her maiden run at the level.

We will also see a handful of our international competitors early on in the order, giving spectators plenty of reason to show up for dressage early on Thursday as well as stake out their spot on cross country on Saturday. Austin O’Connor and cross country machine Colorado Blue, who placed third at Badminton this spring, ride second in the order. New Zealand’s Monica Spencer and her little Thoroughbred Artist as well as Piggy March and Brookfield Cavalier Cruise have also been drawn early in the order.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Friday’s dressage session will certainly be exciting with the legendary William Fox-Pitt aboard Grafennacht drawn late in the order as well as FEI world number one Oliver Townend and young horse champion Cooley Rosalent as fourth last down the center line and out of the start box.

You can view the full drawn order for the 5* here as well as the drawn order for 49 competitors contesting the CCI3*-L Eventing National Championships here.

Very sadly, we will not see last year’s winner Tim Price return to Maryland to defend his title. His mount Falco recently underwent colic surgery and the veterinary team discovered a non-malignant tumor which they were able to remove. Falco will now enjoy some rest and recovery on an extended off-season holiday and we’ll look forward to seeing the gutsy gelding out and about again next year.

Click here if the embedded video above does not display in your browser.

MARS Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries, Schedule & Times] [Live Scores] [Live Stream (North America)] [Live Stream (Outside North America)] [Tickets] [5* Form Guide] [Digital Program] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s coverage of MARS Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products.

Kick On: Equestrian Sport Confirmed for LA 2028 Olympics

By on Oct 14, 2023 9:00 am -

One of the earliest bid photos for the equestrian facilities shows a temporary arena that isn’t dissimilar to Greenwich’s arena for London 2012. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles 2028.

Following a meeting of the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board, held October 12–13 in Mumbai, India, it has been confirmed that equestrian sports (dressage, showjumping, and eventing) will feature as part of the programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — a welcome, and long-awaited, bit of news to horsey folks around the world.

“We are delighted with the IOC’s announcement that the equestrian disciplines at competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be on the Los Angeles 2028 sports programme,” FEI president Ingmar De Vos says. “Equestrian has been part of the Olympics since 1912, and with such a strong heritage and enthusiasm for the sport in the US, we are looking forward to delivering successful and engaging Games, focussed on the future and the values which make it unique in the sporting landscape.

“This is only the beginning. Venue confirmation in the coming months and quotas for LA2028, which will be decided after Paris 2024, will be our next big milestones in the lead up to these Games. We are actively pursuing all avenues and making sure we have our finger on the pulse, as we look towards not only LA28 but also Paris24 which is just around the corner!”

Only Modern Pentathlon will be denied the chance to ride horses in Los Angeles; following controversy in Tokyo, the sport has been provisionally left off the LA programme, but will be reinstated, as recommended by the IOC Executive Board, if the horse riding phase is replaced by obstacle racing.

The announcement of the inclusion of equestrian sports might feel a bit like deja vu — and no, you’re not imagining that you’ve read it all before. Equestrian sports were confirmed as being among the initial proposed sports early in 2022, which was a positive first step towards inclusion in the Games themselves, but the equestrian disciplines were required to reach ‘universality, integrity and fairness, gender equality and popularity’ criteria in order to gain the final nod. This criteria fulfilment saw IOC President Thomas Bach visit last year’s FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni to evaluate the sport’s suitability.

We also reported last year on some early teasers released about potential venues in Los Angeles, all of which are currently going through the bidding and confirmation process. For now, it looks very much as though we’ll be Keeping Up With The K-equestrians in the North Valley area, so work on that vocal fry and get those salads shaken, baby.

 

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Oct 14, 2023 12:01 am -

I’ve never been to Morven Park and have yet to see the gorgeous grounds in person so I’m a little extra excited that they’re offering a live stream this year produced by RNS Videomedia! You too can watch for free right here on Morven Park’s YouTube channel. Morven is a a venue that I have heard many riders speak highly of over the years and it’s always a big year-end goal event for many as well, so what a treat to be able to enjoy the action live from afar. Cross country for 4*-L and 4*-S divisions begins at 9 a.m. EST, a change made earlier in the week due to forecasted rain. The 3*-S will follow the 4* divisions.

And if you’re in the mood for some additional live action, there’s also the Thoroughbred Makeover Finale streaming right here on the Retired Racehorse Project’s website beginning at 8:00 AM EST. Eventing is the first discipline in the order of go for the finale though, so you’ll have to tune in right at 8 sharp if you want to catch Jhett Jenkins and Smokeonthehorizon do their thing!

U.S. Weekend Action

Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials (Leesburg, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Pine Hill Fall H.T. (Bellville, TX) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Poplar Place Farm October H.T. (Hamilton, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Radnor Hunt H.T. (Malvern, PA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Redefined Equestrian Horse Trials (Fort Collins, CO) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Entries] [Scoring]

Coming up next week: Maryland 5 Star! We’ve go SO MUCH content coming your way, so eyes on EN 👀 and go eventing!

Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Links to Start Your Weekend:

Hay feeders vs. free choice: What is best for horses?

How Healthy Horse Hooves Help Arthritic Joints

Eight New Champions Rise to the Occasion at USEA Area II Championships

What You Need to Know About Your Horse’s Hunter’s Bump

Wearable Technology, Regional PET Scan Centers Among AAEP’s Recommendations For U.S. Thoroughbred Racing

Sponsor Corner: Will you be following the action at the Maryland 5* this week? Keep an eye out for World Equestrian Brands‘ rider Allison Springer and her up-and-coming mare, No May Moon. Meet the horse Allison describes as, “She’s little, she is fierce, and she’s fabulous. She’s on a roll.” Read more:

Allison Springer and No May Moon. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Morning Viewing: This video wouldn’t allow us to embed it here, but check out this local news spot about the Maryland 5 Star for a little look at the brand new complex on the cross country course! (It’s a sunken road!)

The Action Awaits: Previewing Derek di Grazia’s CCI4*-L Cross Country at Morven Park

By on Oct 13, 2023 5:00 pm -

Photo by Sally Spickard.

I’m eagerly anticipating my first Morven Park cross country day, as it’s my very first visit to this gorgeous Leesburg, VA venue and I feel I’ve been sorely missing out to this point. It’s difficult not to imagine a CCI5* happening here with the copious amounts of land and terrain available — in fact, there’s a whole field that’s gone unused for this Long format, just waiting for the powers that be to decide to give this venue a 5* (a girl can dream, right?).

I guess we’ll settle for a CCI4*-L of epic proportions, though, and the task ahead feels very fit for an end-of-season destination on the fall calendar. It’s a bit disappointing to have just 15 horses contesting the 4*-L this year, something Derek didn’t mince words on in reflecting about the numbers of horses at this level North America typically fields.

“Unfortunately, obviously it’d be nice to have more horses in the Long format,” Derek said, noting the Long formats also on the tail end of the season at Galway Downs (November 1-5) and TerraNova (November 17-19). It’s a hard truth that the North American countries have a smaller pool of going Advanced, 4* and 5* horses when compared with the UK and European hubs. Where we see multiple hundreds of entrants in 4* divisions overseas, that saturation doesn’t exist to that scale here. “I think you end up just splitting our limited pool of horses in this country. You don’t have the numbers, to me, to support all those events. I mean, I just quite honestly don’t think we do and plus you’ll have five horses to go to the Pan Ams, another five or six to go to Boekelo. So maybe, I think [it’s something] that all the powers that be need to really think about.”

Photo by Sally Spickard.

Be that as it may, those who are here this weekend will be in for a treat, a true caliber 4*-L track with a healthy amount of undulating terrain — music to Derek’s designer ears, truthfully.

The 2023 track will run similarly to the 2022 iteration, with a few changes and updates made to complexes along the way. “The track runs relatively the same direction as last year,” Derek explained. “And there were a couple of new features that were built from last year: the new coffin combinations that are on the three- and the four-star that were built for the Short formats, which are quite nice. And and then we basically just moved a lot of stuff around, and so hopefully gave it a little bit different flavor from last year.”

Photo by Sally Spickard.

The track provides plenty of opportunity for rhythm, though the time here has earned a reputation for being difficult to catch and there will be much to do to stay up on the markers. The terrain will come into play almost from the get-go, from about fence 4 on. The highest point of the track comes at 17, by the Davis Mansion, and this question has increased in technicality from 2022. Where 2022’s track had a coop as the A element, with a downhill track to a right-handed corner, now riders will need to pull uphill and then accurately navigate two narrow MIM-pinned chevrons on a sharp downhill. After this, though, horses are given a nice downhill breather to catch their second or third wind before completing the last section of the course.

Also featuring on this year’s track is the Leaf Pit, built and maintained in honor of the late Tremaine Cooper, who was the designer here for many years. Much similarity is borne to its Burghley counterpart (also now designed by Derek), the Leaf Pit is situated at fence 9 and pulls you directly into an accuracy line of skinny chevrons immediately after. You can see my feelings on this question below.

Each year, we’ll continue to see more tweaks and changes to this track as it continues to evolve and Derek makes more decisions on how to use the property. “Each year we’ve sort of made some changes. It’s a slow process. The Leaf Pit, everybody knows the Leaf Pit, and it’s a great feature here. We did a bit of work on it this year, to just sort of give it a little bit of a facelift and they just regraded it a little bit, which I think will help as we go forward in the future as well.”

You can see the course in a few different ways below, and of course you’ll also be able to see the action live from afar on the Morven Park YouTube channel. Click here to bookmark the live feed.

Course overview (click here to enlarge and view each fence’s photos):

Course walk with EN (click here if the embedded post does not display in your browser):

Fence-by-fence photos:

Morven Park International & Fall H.T.: [Website] [Schedule] [Competitor Info Hub] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s coverage of Morven Park International & Fall H.T. is sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products, home to 5*-caliber supplements for horses from all walks of life.

Boyd Martin and Commando 3 Take Charge of Morven Park CCI4*-L

By on Oct 13, 2023 4:42 pm -

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It’s an exciting time to be a part of Boyd Martin‘s team these days, with a full slate of top-quality horses steadily rising through the ranks in search of future team and 5* success. Among the top of Boyd’s ones-to-watch is the 10-year-old Commando 3 (Connor 48 – R-Adelgunde, by Amigo xx), previously produced and campaigned to the Advanced level by Swedish Olympian Louise Romeike and now owned for Boyd by Yankee Creek Ranch LLC.

Full disclosure: I’m refraining from making too many gone Commando jokes in this report, but if Boyd manages to win, it’s game on.

Back to the serious news, Commando 3 was seriously impressive today, showing the growing strength and development of partnership on the flat that comes from more time spent together. Barely a year into their partnership, Boyd says he’s excited for the future with “Connor”, who continues to show his prowess for these top levels. This is evident today in the 5.3 point differential between his first 4*-L with Boyd at Tryon earlier this year and the 26.2 he earned today.

“For for so many years I’ve always tried to take ‘average’ horses and make them better, and now it’s the opposite where he’s just a phenomenally talented animal. Now it’s more just a matter of presenting him well, and showing him off to the judges.”

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Boyd noted the flying changes as the mark to hone in on, as they’re still a bit green as the horse gains more strength for this phase. With dressage guru-in-residence Silva Martin temporarily out of the saddle ahead of welcoming the couple’s third son, Koa, Boyd jokes Connor has had to “put up with” his flying change practice. “My secret weapon Silva’s not been able to ride him at home, so poor old Connor has been stuck with me trying to figure out the changes! And, you know, the last couple events we’ve started to really get consistent there so I think next year when we take him five-star, he’ll be solid.”

Pan American Games-bound Caroline Pamukcu sits second with Redfield King’s HX Group King’s Especiale (Connect – Cha Cha Cha Special by Vittoro), sitting just behind Boyd on a score of 28.2 after the first phase of competition. The 18-hand “King”, Caroline describes, is a sensitive type who likes things *just so* — down to how you post the trot during trot sets — so it’s been a tale of getting him to feel his best, relaxed self in these atmospheres. Here, Caroline gives much credit to one of her assistant riders at home, Mason Reidy, for his help achieving this state of zen with King.

Caroline Pamukcu and King’s Especiale. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“[Mason is] a really, really good rider, and he’s helped me a lot a lot with the relaxation,” Caroline explained. “It’s just just keeping King happy; he gets so upset if he doesn’t do exactly what you want right away. So everyday when we ride him, it’s just telling him, ‘you’re doing a good job. You’re a good boy, everything’s okay. Just take a breath.'”

Caroline opted for this 4*-L with her two younger horses, She’s the One (currently inside the top 5 on a score of 31.3) and King’s Especiale, because of the quality track and designing by Derek di Grazia. For her, this is an educational run — but she’s not planning to hang about tomorrow, either. “I would say they’re here to win. I believe in them, and they’re high percentage Thoroughbred like She’s the One I think is 75% or 80%, and she did Le Lion with [French rider Gaspard Maksud], so I know she’s ready. My first goal on cross country is make sure I give them a good ride, so if I need to take a half-halt somewhere I’m going to do that, but I’m not planning on going with going out there for 30 or 40 time faults!”

Preferring to produce her horses from a young age, King is a perfect example of relationship building, having joined Caroline at the start of his eventing career as a five-year-old.

Caroline Pamukcu and King’s Especiale.

“It makes such a difference producing them since young horses,” Caroline elaborated. “I really try and make an effort to get them as four- and five-year-olds with my business partner Kelley Hutchinson. You just know them inside and out and they know you inside and out, and when I make a mistake they’re okay with it because they’ve known me since day one.”

Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo took the early lead today with a picture-perfect ride aboard Horse Scout Eventing LLC’s Dyri (Diarado – La Calera, by King Milford xx), who is contesting his first 4*-L this weekend with extensive experience at the 4*-S and Advanced level prior. Lucienne and Dyri earned a 4* personal best 28.5 and will take third place into cross country tomorrow.

Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“Overall, I was pleased with the relaxation of the test,” Lucienne reflected. “At home he’s really starting to gain the confidence in his lateral work. I’ve certainly had a lot more of the ‘wow factor’ in practice and warm-up, but for this season I really want him to learn to breathe and be rideable.”

Mission accomplished today, I’d say. Looking ahead, Lucienne describes Derek di Grazia’s cross country as “beautiful, big, and bold (dare I say British!). I will learn a lot about where his brain is by tomorrow afternoon. This is his first time at four-star Long, and my goal is to keep him confident for now and I’ll step up the pressure in 2024.”

Liz Halliday and Deniro Z. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Liz Halliday and Deniro Z (Zapatero – Zonne-Trend, by French Buffett xx), owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer, will sit fourth overnight on a score of 29.8. For Liz, there were a few points left on the board, including a bobble in the medium canter that resulted in an accidental lead change. “I was happy with how good he felt,” Liz said. “I was disappointed with the score — there was a mistake in the medium canter, so that was disappointing. But otherwise, I was pretty happy with him.”

Liz has said several times this year that she feels she has her horse back, after feeling she didn’t quite have the same horse she did a few years ago. Here she credits the use of a new product, Strydaflex from Hilltop Bio, for helping him get back into his top form. Now, she’s opted for Morven’s 4*-L to allow him to get in a good run without the additional ask of a five-star this fall. “I wanted him to do a really good four-Long again, and just feel good about himself,” she explained. “Because he’s not really been himself for two years, and I think he is feeling so much better. I just didn’t want to blast him straight to another five-star. He really doesn’t owe me anything, if I’m honest, and he’s always tried his guts out for me. And I’ve never been here [to Morven Park] before — I heard it was great track, and it is a great track. It’s a very serious four-star. So I think it’ll be a really good test.”

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Sally Spickard.

There’s also a strong CCI4*-S running this weekend, currently led after day one by Liz Halliday and The Nutcracker Syndicate’s Cooley Nutcracker, who earned a 22.6 as one of the last of the day to overtake Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS (23.1). Liz is also in third with Ocala Horse Properties’ Shanroe Cooley (26.8).

Here’s a look at the rest of the leaders from the divisions that began competition today:

CCI3*-S: Lucienne Bellissimo and Caitane Z (26.7)
CCI3*-S Young Horse: Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor (28.1)
CCI2*-S: Sherry Pound and Carnaby (26.5)
CCI2*-S Young Horse: Tim Bourke and Electric Quality (26.6)

Tomorrow, we’ll see cross country beginning with the CCI4*-L, followed by the CCI4*-S and CCI3*-S divisions. The National divisions will begin their weekend with dressage and show jumping, and the CCI2* divisions will also show jump.

The weather forecast currently calls for rain throughout the day, though there’s a chance we’ll escape the bulk of it, which is currently forecasted to hit town later in the afternoon.

I’ll be back first thing tomorrow with a cross country course preview (but you can preview the course below!), and don’t forget you’ll be able to see the action live thanks to a complimentary live feed provided by RNS Videomedia. Click here to bookmark the live feed page.

Morven Park International & Fall H.T.: [Website] [Schedule] [Competitor Info Hub] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s coverage of Morven Park International & Fall H.T. is sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products, home to 5*-caliber supplements for horses from all walks of life.

Preliminary Competition Concludes at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium

By on Oct 13, 2023 3:00 pm -


Preliminary competition in all ten offered disciplines at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, is now complete, giving us our winners who will be honored at tomorrow evening’s Awards Party as well as the top five in each discipline who will proceed now to the Finale Championships on Saturday.

Horses will compete in Saturday’s Finale on a clean slate score, with winners of each discipline eligible to be named the Thoroughbred Makeover Champion by a panel of judges from all disciplines. Friday night’s Awards Party will honor preliminary round discipline winners, as well as first place in juniors, amateurs and teams. Additionally, special awards, sponsored by various breeder and aftercare organizations as well as individuals, will be awarded based on preliminary placings.

Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) Western and Central Dressage Championships began turning over into Makeover competition spaces today, with competition in those classes continuing through Saturday.

Additional activities on Thursday included the Barrels & Brews event, sponsored by 1/ST Racing, which invited all attendees to grab a beer from West Sixth Brewery and enjoy the crowning of the T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championship winners. This afternoon’s seminar, sponsored by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, invited attendees to get hands-on with body condition scoring, featuring Dr. David Alexander of Rood & Riddle. Refreshments were sponsored by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

Let’s get to know our preliminary round winners. Full results and scores for each round can be found at TheRRP.org/makeover-results.

Barrel Racing: Dance Money and Lauren Clark (Professional)

Majestic Harbor – Cactusa, by Cactus Ridge

2018 mare bred in Indiana by Anthony Wolfe & Julie Mudman

22-2-2-1, $77,934 in earnings

Lauren Clark did not plan to compete in the Thoroughbred Makeover when she purchased Dance Money: her mother had just purchased Saint Commissaire and encouraged her to come out and take a look at a mare available. Once Clark saw Dance Money, she had to have her, and over the winter, she looked into the Thoroughbred Makeover, realized both horses were eligible, and decided to get involved, anticipating it would be a bucket list event. Clark scored in the middle of the pack in the horsemanship test, but ran two smooth, fast runs both nights to move into the lead.

“I thought I was going to end up behind, but I did my research on previous winners and their training methods,” said Clark. “I did slow work until the end of August. It felt like I was going to be rushed, but I knew I was on the right track with these horses.”


Competitive Trail: Adios Dee Dee and Haley Castleberry (Amateur)

Adios Charlie – Queen of Style, by Suave
2018 mare bred in Florida by Bob Carlson

8-1-1-0, $17,782 in earnings

Haley Castleberry’s primary discipline of choice at the Thoroughbred Makeover this year with Adios Dee Dee was show jumper (in which she finished seventh in preliminary competition). Competitive trail may have been a secondary goal, but that didn’t stop Castleberry from preparing just as hard for that discipline as for show jumper. Castleberry credits her method of preparation as well as Adios Dee Dee’s excellent mind.

“My plan was to get her out as much as I could,” said Castleberry. “I have two kids and I work, so every opportunity I had to get her out, I took it. I also made a lot of obstacles at home. Once she got something, I never had to ask again – she got everything very quickly. I work with a trainer for the show jumping, but to prep for Competitive Trail, I just looked at as many videos as I could find from past Makeovers to see what she would be faced with, and got her as ready as I could. I wanted to come as prepared as I could be, and did what I could with the time and the finances that I had.”

Dressage: Knockemdown and Alison O’Dwyer (Professional)

American Pharoah – Ancient Goddess (FR), by Iffraaj (GB)

2019 gelding bred in Kentucky by Fifth Avenue Bloodstock

Unraced

As a professional, Alison O’Dwyer tends to seek a particular type of horse for eventual resale: big, flashy horses with eye-catching movement that work well in the dressage ring. Knockemdown doesn’t check any of those boxes: she describes him as a fairly small, fairly plain bay gelding. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own unique strengths for the dressage arena.

“He’s definitely naturally uphill, but he’s not a big mover,” said O’Dwyer. His first test, the judge’s comment said ‘he needs to cover more ground,’ but if you come after him with your leg, he wants to come up and ball up. He doesn’t have the most visually impressive trot. But because he’s so short backed and small, he’s very maneuverable. You have time to prepare for movements. That what makes him really fun – you can be so accurate. That can be a huge scoring advantage.”

Eventing: Smokeonthehorizon and Jhett Jenkins (Professional)

Mizzen Mast – Jersey Tango, by Jersey Town

2019 gelding bred in Minnesota by Pam Davis

3-0-0-0, $685 in earnings

The Thoroughbred Makeover is not the only major show on Jhett Jenkins’ calendar for Smokeonthehorizon: if all goes well, this pair will be headed to the Young Event Horse Championships at Fair Hill in Maryland next weekend. Jenkins is quick to credit the horse’s progress to his easy trainability and his strong conformation.

“I rode him for the first time off the track in February,” said Jenkins. “He came to his owner Dionne Benson in October and had a bit of downtime first. Right off the bat, he’s been a really agreeable, trainable horse and I’ve really had a lot of fun with him. We went down for two weeks in Florida and got a head start to our season by doing our first event down there with just a month and a half of retraining. He’s been out quite a few times now in the area and has really taken to the eventing – lovely on the flat, and I think he’s a really neat horse.”

Field Hunter: Arklow and Gina Gans (Amateur)

Arch – Unbridled Empire, by Empire Maker

2014 gelding bred in Kentucky by John R. Penn & Frank Penn

39-9-9-2, $3,025,996 in earnings

Multiple graded stakes winner

Three-time Breeders’ Cup participant

Arklow is already one of the most accomplished horses competing at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover: he has earned over $3 million in a racing career that included multiple graded stakes wins and three runs in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Now, he’s adding another achievement to his resume: winning the Field Hunter preliminary round under amateur rider Gina Gans, after turning in three relaxed rides over two days of competition.

“He’s just so fun,” said Gans. “When we had the big gallop up the hill today [in the Mock Hunt], he really took a big hold of me… but when we got to the top of the hill, he stopped in the check and just looked around. I think that’s really hard for a lot of Thoroughbreds to be able to turn it on and switch it off – you show him something and he gets it and he’s calm and cool. The biggest difference is the brain on him. His brain being so good makes such a difference – he could do anything.”

Freestyle: Burl and Hamby’s Rockin’ H Ranch (Team)

Daaher – Happy Henrietta, by Supremo

2017 gelding bred in Illinois by Barr Three LLC, Cherrywood Racing II & Oak Rock Racing LLC

6-1-1-2, $26,530 in earnings

Hamby’s Rockin’ H Ranch team is headed by Monique Cameron, no stranger to the winner’s circle in Freestyle after winning both preliminary and Finale honors in the discipline last year with her memorable Wizard of Oz-themed routine. This year, the team has nonetheless raised the bar with a firefighting-themed routine with props including dragging weight and a smoke machine. Cameron credits some unique training opportunities with some of Burl’s success.

“He’s got 20 hours of police training – so he’s been through actual fire and smoke. He’s gotten a certification for mounted police training!” said Cameron. “He’s just a solid citizen. He’s a super horse. He also went and show in the [T.I.P.] western pleasure today and we’ll do ranch work later this week; he does trail, he jumps and he drags. Everything we did in our routine today was a practical skill – he can drag heavy things, he can carry a dog which means he can carry a calf. His owner Joe Kirby is looking forward to bringing him back as a T.I.P. horse.”

Polo: Phlox and Buck Schott (Professional)

Dolphus – Cacahuatita, by Old Fashioned

2020 filly bred in Pennsylvania by Dede McGehee

3-0-0-1, $5,150 in earnings

Buck Schott might be accustomed to polo success at the Thoroughbred Makeover, a multiple-time winner of this discipline. But this might be the filly that he’s had the most confidence in throughout his personal history with the event – despite not having as much time to dedicate to her training due to a busy traveling schedule.

“I got her last year right before we went to Florida in November,” Schott said. “I took her to Florida but then I traveled back and forth a lot, so she didn’t get a lot of riding in the winter. Summer has been super busy too, but she’s just an awesome horse with a great brain – probably up for any discipline thrown her way. She’s super relaxed when you want her to be; you can ride her in a halter and just do anything on the farm. Of all the horses I’ve entered in the Makeover, this felt like the most ready-to-win horse – she’s put together and she felt like she wouldn’t have a moment where she wouldn’t do what I wanted or needed.”

Ranch Work: Into Magarayquaza and Amber Jacobson (Professional)

Into Mischief – Boss Barney’s Babe, by Street Boss

2017 gelding bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, LLC

12-0-0-0, $2,468 in earnings

Amber Jacobson is among the furthest traveled to get to the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover: she traveled all the way from Longview, Alberta on a 36-hour drive back to the state where Into Magarayquaza was born. Jacobson’s last trip to the Makeover included winning the Ranch Work Finale Championship with her own homebred Silence Is Awesome, but this trip is especially meaningful: she’s prepared Into Magarayquaza to be a true working ranch horse, competing him in ranch rodeos, three-man doctoring events, and lots of ranch work including a 33-mile cattle drive with doctoring.

“I’ve gone from not being a ranch hand or not even showing horses myself four and a half years ago to winning with a horse that I completely trained myself in ranch work. He’s a true ranch horse and I think that is really cool. I want to thank Ashley Francese for connecting me with ‘Quinn’ and WinStar for breeding me a winner!”

Show Hunter: Mission Canyon and Chris Bennings (Professional)

Uncle Mo – Dreamy Maiden, by Meadowlake

2017 gelding bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm

3-0-2-0, $8,325 in earnings

Chris Bennings followed his usual approach with preparing his Makeover horses: light riding over the winter and scaling up in training and competing over the spring and summer to prepare for the competition. This year was a bit different, however, as Bennings felt a somewhat unusual lack of confidence until a few weeks before the Makeover.

“Up until about three weeks ago I was not very confident in anything – but then it all clicked, he got really soft, he got straight, and it all came together,” said Bennings. “I’d taken him to school a few times at local shows and he just hadn’t really been ready to show until now. He is short necked and short coupled, and he can have a big buck on him – he’s got the best personality but also has a bit of an attitude. He’s really just a real character. He loves being at the Horse Park and he thrives on the energy here.”


Show Jumper: Limonata and Claudia Dollinger (Professional)

Lemon Drop Kid – Ainda Melhor (BRZ), by Elusive Quality

2018 mare bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm, LLC

29-3-3-5, $48,407 in earnings

Claudia Dollinger wasn’t sure that the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover was in the cards for her: the two horses she was trying to bring to the event weren’t great matches nor felt that they would be ready for the ten-month retraining timeline. She connected with trainer David Boyer, who had sold her past Makeover mounts, and who suggested he come take a look at another horse he thought she would be interested in. At their first meeting, Limonata actually kicked Dollinger, but she liked what she saw and brought her home anyway.

“She was a little sore behind and needed some time off, but once I got her going, she picked up jumping so fast and she seems like she really loves it,” said Dollinger. “She is one of the sweetest, easiest horses I’ve ever had – I’ve had little kids ride her for lessons. I would love to keep her, but she is the kind of horse who could easily go on to a junior or amateur to continue.”

Thoroughbred Incentive Program Barrel Racing Championships at Thoroughbred Makeover

The Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) Barrel Racing Championships returned to the Thoroughbred Makeover, running concurrently with the Makeover Barrel Racing discipline. Makeover entrants had the option to enter the Championships and roll their times for both standings. T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships awarded fast times both Wednesday and Thursday evenings in a 4D format, crowning overall 4D average champions this evening at the conclusion of the second round.

Junior rider Rowan Hughes of Bell, FL cruised to a clear victory in the 1D average with last year’s 1D average champion and 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover graduate Whiskey Terms (Connecting Terms – My Doctor Knows, by My Friend Max). Owned by Liz Howell, Whiskey Terms made 13 starts and never broke his maiden, retiring with $6,100 in earnings. He was bred in Louisiana by Joseph Dauphine and last raced for owner Shellie Duhon under trainer Benjamin Zeno.

Hughes had been intending to compete at T.I.P. Championships with her own 2022 Makeover graduate mare, but when she needed colic surgery, Howell offered Hughes the ride on Whiskey Terms. “I was lucky enough to get to ride the champ!” said Hughes. “He pulled it out of the bag again. The past few months we’ve been doing local jackpot shows and just really trying to run as muich as we can. He knows his job but I needed to figure out his buttons and getting used to him. I’ve never run a horse as well-seasoned and well-trained as him.”

Osberton International Awarded Former Rockingham Spring Fixture

By on Oct 13, 2023 12:24 pm -

Photo by Tim Wilkinson.

It was today announced that BEDE Events have been awarded an additional International fixture, due to run 3rd – 5th May.

The fixture, formally ran at Rockingham Castle, has been awarded, subject to FEI approval, to Osberton for a period of two years.

Of the appointment of the new date, BEDE Events Director Stuart Buntine commented: “We’re so excited to have the opportunity to host another international fixture at Osberton, giving those competing at short format 2 and 3* the opportunity to compete here. The addition of this fixture also gives us extra opportunity to invest in Osberton as a venue, which will be to the benefit of competitors in both the Spring and Autumn.”

BEDE Events have successfully run the Osberton International Horse Trials, which previously hosted the British Young Horse Championships, for many years, attracting thousands of local spectators. The Autumn fixture, also plays host to the Bennington Carriages Driving Trials, bringing together two equestrian disciplines in one iconic location.

A full schedule and plan for the event will be unveiled in due course, once FEI approval has been given.

 

Virginia’s Crown Jewel: How to Watch Morven Park International, Wherever You Are

By on Oct 13, 2023 9:05 am -

 

Morven Park’s iconic house and parkland play host to one of the most exciting events of the year. Photo by Valerie Durbon Photography.

Is there anything better than wall-to-wall live event coverage? Wall-to-wall FREE live event coverage, natch — and that’s exactly what’s coming out of Morven Park International this week. They’ll be bringing you 2*, 3*, and 4* action from now until Sunday afternoon, all streamable through YouTube with no account or bank details needed.

Here’s the schedule for this year’s live-stream:

Friday:
From 8:30 am – CCI4*-L and CCI4*-S dressage

Saturday:
From 9:00 am – CCI4*-L and CCI4*-S cross-country
From 12:00 pm – CCI3*-S cross-country

Sunday:
9:00 -10:10 am – CCI2*-S cross-country
From 11:00 am – CCI3*-S showjumping
From 1:15 pm – CCI4*-S showjumping
From 2:25 pm – CCI4*-L showjumping

We’ll also be bringing you in-depth reports, packed with insights, analysis, and gorgeous photos, every day here on EN — so tune in and let’s Go Eventing at Morven Park!

Morven Park International & Fall H.T.: [Website] [Schedule] [Competitor Info Hub] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s coverage of Morven Park International & Fall H.T. is sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products, home to 5*-caliber supplements for horses from all walks of life.