Classic Eventing Nation

Great Meadow Redefines the Meaning of Severe Weather

By on Jun 20, 2015 11:30 pm -
That's not something you see every day ... Photo by Jenni Autry. That's not something you see every day ... Photo by Jenni Autry.

After seeing this afternoon’s forecast for predicted severe thunderstorms at the Land Rover Great Meadow International, I think we all agreed it was a good idea when the organizers opted to move up the start of show jumping by an hour and a half to beat the worst of the weather.

The plan worked beautifully, with the rain starting to fall just as overnight CIC3* leader Jennie Brannigan finished her interview in the press tent and the party started in the Beverly hospitality tent. What I don’t think any of us expected was just how quickly those storms would turn from bad to worse.

We have redefined the meaning of SEVERE weather here at the Land Rover Great Meadow International. A tornado warning is…

Posted by Eventing Nation on Saturday, June 20, 2015

With multiple inches of rain being dropped here in The Plains, Virginia, in less than an hour, the temporary stabling on the grounds quickly flooded, leaving some of the horses standing in water. Everyone from the riders and grooms to USEA President Diane Pitts and the entire Mexican eventing team started digging trenches to get the aisles drained as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, the strong winds shredded some of the smaller tents on the property and whipped others around in a frenzy. Once our media tent started swaying precariously and all our phones kept going off with tornado alert notifications as lightning cracked overhead, the Land Rover USA team quickly came to our rescue.

Deb Sandford, Land Rover USA’s National Communications and Events Manager who was stranded in the press tent with us, rallied a convoy of Land Rovers to rescue the journalists from the press tent (which by this point was no longer standing upright) and transport us to safety at Great Meadow’s Summer House, which houses the offices for the staff.

More video of the storm at Land Rover Great Meadow International submitted by Steve Symansky, who is running the scoring…

Posted by Eventing Nation on Saturday, June 20, 2015

The first cell of the storm passed, bringing with it a breathtaking double rainbow that appeared over the cross country course. But with weather radar showing that a second even stronger storm cell was bearing down on The Plains, the organizers made the call to evacuate everyone from the grounds.

The horses whose stalls faced the worst of the flooding were evacuated to nearby Morningside Training Farm thanks to Joanie Morris’s quick thinking, and David O’Connor confirmed that the remainder of the horses are all dry and safe in the barns thanks to  the “amazing eventing community — they all came together to make it safe for the horses.”

The entire experience was truly unbelievable, and we have to give a huge shout out to everyone who lent a helping hand in stabling and to the amazing Land Rover USA team, who also helped transport spectators to their vehicles to keep them safe in the driving wind and rain. Keep scrolling to see more photos and videos of the chaos. Go #LandRoverGMI. Go Eventing.

Great Meadow: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores, Schedule, USEF Network, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

I was scared

Posted by Tamie Smith on Saturday, June 20, 2015

Photo courtesy of Tracy Spiekermann

Photo courtesy of Tracy Spiekermann

USEA President Diane Pitts helps to drain the barns. Photo by Tamie Smith.

USEA President Diane Pitts helps to drain the barns. Photo by Tamie Smith.

Everyone pitching in to help! Photo courtesy of Ann Haller.

Justine Dutton ankle deep in stabling. Photo courtesy of Ann Haller.

Justine Dutton ankle deep in stabling. Photo courtesy of Ann Haller.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the Head of the USEF, the leader of the 3 star, a Pan Am Team Member, a groom, an owner or a…

Posted by Justine Dutton on Saturday, June 20, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-06-20 at 9.44.08 PM

Insane…. How eventers do! Posted by Jennie Brannigan on Saturday, June 20, 2015

Tornado warning? Seriously? Glad they moved our show jumping times up

Posted by Matt Cecily Brown on Saturday, June 20, 2015

Jennie Brannigan, Lauren Kieffer Lead After Dramatic Great Meadow Show Jumping

By on Jun 20, 2015 10:30 pm -
Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda jumped a double clear round over Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course this afternoon at the Land Rover Great Meadow International here in The Plains, Virginia, to hold the CIC3* lead on their dressage score of 39.8. She had to kick for it, but, as Jennie put it, “The horse goes the way he goes. That is Ping.”

“I don’t think at this point that it’s a surprise to anyone that Cambalda is a bit behind the leg. He’s the type of horse that you maybe want to have a little bit of a rub before you go into the ring,” Jennie said. “In hindsight I think I’ll change how I warm the horse up and only jump four jumps and then go. I thought by the time he got into the ring he felt like he had tried really hard, and he felt a little bit flat.”

Jennie and the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Tim and Nina Gardner will have 1 penalty point of breathing room over Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM to play with tomorrow on Mike Etherington-Smith’s new cross country course, which she said she’s honored to tackle after watching her jump jockey friends ride in the famed Virginia Gold Cup.

“Being someone that appreciates racing, this is quite an honor to be here,” Jennie said. “The course is fantastic. Mike E-S is an amazing designer, and it’s a super piece of ground. I think we’re all nervous about the rain, but at the same time, I don’t think you have better turf than this turf. This is probably the best turf in the country.”

Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jennie and Ping are in the running for the traveling reserve slot on the U.S. Pan American Games team, and she’s also been awarded a Land Rover Competition Grant to compete at the new Rebecca Farm CCI3* next month. At the same time, she’d also like to use the free overseas flight she won at last year’s Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI3* to go to Pau this fall. How does Jennie cope with that uncertainty hanging over the remainder of her season?

“The last six months have been a huge mental deal. Maybe people don’t realize the toll it takes a little bit as a younger person to not be named on a list and then get an email out of the blue. I had no clue that I was going to get vetted for the Pan Am Games. And for me to wish well on my friends and want to be a team player for my country, all of that is very important to me,” Jennie said. “It’s a little bit funny because you’re trying not to get hopeful, but then trying to care, but then trying not to care; it’s lot to think about.

Whatever tomorrow’s outcome, Jennie said she believes in Ping. “The results are there. He deserves to be in consideration for the Pan Am Games. I know I just want to do the best job I can and hopefully this is groundwork for the team believing in me in the future. Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do.”

Buck Davidson and Carl and Cassie Segal’s Ballynoe Castle RM jumped another of the 12 double clear rounds this afternoon to sit in second place on 40.8. “I thought Richard did a really good job with such a small ring of actually giving you places to go,” Buck said. “I thought last year it was maybe a little bit too twisty and turny and too tight. I thought he did a really good job of making it feel bigger than it really was.”

Lynn Symansky and Donner moved up to third place on 42.8 after jumping double clear, followed by Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz in fourth on 47.3, and Buck Davidson and Petite Flower in fifth place on 49.0. The CIC3* horses jumped first, followed by a quick ring drag and adjustments to a few of the fences for the Pan Am prep trials division.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook's Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett lead the Pan Ams division on their dressage score of 43.3 at the conclusion of show jumping, but she was the first to point out that dressage leaders Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn would almost certainly still be winning had the horse not fallen after landing from fence 8.

It truly seemed to be a freak thing, as “Cuba” was jumping beautifully before the fall. Thankfully, Phillip confirmed on his Facebook page that both he and the horse are OK, and U.S. team vet Dr. Susan Johns gave Cuba a thorough examination after the incident. We’ll continue to bring you more updates on Cuba and how this will affect the U.S. Pan Ams picture.

As for what Lauren thought about the course: “I thought it was great. It rode well. I felt like I was out there for a really long time, but it certainly all rode the way it walked,” she said. “I can’t believe what happened (to Phillip). He would clearly be winning. The horse was jumping incredible, so I think it was kind of a fluke thing.”

Lauren said it’s valuable to be able to expose the horses to an atmosphere like Great Meadow, which is far more busy and electric than what we’re used to seeing at major events in this country. “I’m thrilled to be able to get the (Pan Ams) alternate Vermiculus out here,” she said. “He certainly has never seen an atmosphere like this, and neither has Scarlett, but they are both keeping very cool heads about it all.”

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin, who is sitting in second place in the Pan Ams division on 43.9 with Pancho Villa after jumping double clear, said the atmosphere also proved beneficial for his horse: “It was good for my bloke because he can get a bit spooky, and I thought it was a good experience for him to get in a small area with lots of things to distract him. I think he stayed focused and jumped well.”

With this being the U.S. team’s final cross country run before next month’s Pan American Games, Lauren said she intends to go out and have a quick round with Scarlett: “I won’t try to make the time, but I want to have a nice forward go since it’s her last run. And with Vermiculus, I’ll play it by ear. It will certainly be the biggest track he’s ever done.”

Boyd said tonight’s rain may factor into his decision as to how he tackles the course tomorrow. “I think the ground should be good, especially in this first field,” he said. “We’ll just see what happens with the rain tonight. You never know, it might be raining in Toronto, so you just gotta get out there and take it on no matter what the conditions.”

It’s noteworthy that Boyd made those comments before the onslaught of tonight’s severe thunderstorms. The organizers wisely decided to modify the show jumping schedule based on the forecast, moving the start time up to 5 p.m. EST and sending horses into the ring at two-minute intervals. Heavy rain started falling just as Jennie Brannigan finished her interview in the press tent, and suddenly it felt like we were all in the middle of a hurricane.

Photo by Jenni Autry.

The calm before the storm. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The organizers opted to evacuate the grounds between two storm cells — as a double rainbow appeared over the cross country course, signifying the calm before the next storm. The Land Rover USA crew heroically transported spectators, patrons and even the journalists to safety in a fleet of Land Rovers as the winds brought down tents all across the property. It was truly an unbelievable sight.

Thankfully, the temporary stabling for the horses held up just fine in the strong winds, though the aisles flooded badly. Everyone from the riders and grooms to owners and volunteers pitched in to dig trenches, and David O’Connor confirmed to EN that all horses are safe following the storm: “All the horses are dry and safe. They are safe here in the tent or have moved off property. Amazing eventing community — they all came together to make it safe for the horses.”

We’ll have much more on the storm coming your way next. In the meantime, you can check out the photos and videos I posted on EN’s Facebook page. Cross country starts tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. EST, and remember that you can watch live thanks to USEF Network. Go #LandRoverGMI. Go Eventing.

Great Meadow: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores, Schedule, USEF Network, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

Ultimate Multitaskers: Riders Split Time Between Great Meadow and Surefire

By on Jun 20, 2015 7:20 pm -
Jan Byyny sets fences at Surefire Farm. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jan Byyny sets fences at Surefire Farm. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We’re fairly accustomed to our top riders competing multiple horses at one show, but it’s unusual for competitors to be entered at two sanctioned horse trials on the same weekend.

Jan Byyny and Tom Finnen’s 300-acre Surefire Farm in Purcellville, Virginia is a popular summer stop for hundreds of riders. This weekend more than 300 horses are competing from Intermediate through Beginner Novice. The divisions are huge, averaging 20 or more horses per division. The lower levels are particularly well attended, with five Training divisions, five Novice divisions and three Beginner Novice divisions.

The event of course falls on the same weekend as the Land Rover Great Meadow International presented by Adequan, and together the two competitions make up “a festival of eventing in hunt country.” With tailgating and a wine and beer garden added to the list of attractions this year, spectators in town for Great Meadow were encouraged to make the short trip to enjoy the Surefire Horse Trials, where several of the same competitors would also be competing.

Jan and her team were wonderfully accommodating for the competitors who were also riding tonight at Great Meadow, particularly when the show jumping phase was moved up an hour-and-a-half to avoid incoming inclement weather, and they deserve tons of credit for their flexibility and clever scheduling.

Screen Shot 2015-06-20 at 6.34.52 PM

The Training through Intermediate divisions completed all three phases at Surefire today, and it’s not surprising to see many of our Pan Am team riders and alternates sitting in the top placings. In the single Open Intermediate division, Buck Davidson and Michael Pollard finished in the top two.

Buck, who is riding Petite Flower and Ballynoe Castle RM in the CIC3* division at Great Meadow, led the Surefire Intermediate from the start with Sherrie Martin’s The Apprentice in the Irish gelding’s first event since Rolex. Buck also finished second with Riviera and third with Bigtime Irish in the Preliminary-A division as well as third with Carlevo in Preliminary-C.

Michael Pollard is riding Pan American Games alternate Cyrano and the talented Ballingowan Pizazz at Great Meadow. Michael and Walterstown Don, owned by Jack Pollard and Christine Turner, finished on their dressage score for second in the Surefire Farm Intermediate. Michael and Heather Gillette’s Boris O’Hara were seventh in Preliminary-A.

Phillip Dutton is riding USEF Four-Star National Champion and Fernhill Cubalawn as well as Fernhill Fugitive in the Pan Am division at Great Meadow. Both of these horses are short listed for the team; one will be a traveling alternate for the other.

At Surefire, Phillip was eighth with Peter Barry’s Mr. Candyman in Open Intermediate, eighth with Candace and David Garrett’s D.O.D. Rockefeller in Open Preliminary-A. Phillip also rode August Vettorino’s Kilcarna French Fancy in Open Training-A and Ann Jones’ The Manager in Open Training-D.

Phillip’s daughter was competing alongside her dad this Father’s Day weekend. She finished fifth and ninth in Open Training-C with Santa’s Playboy and The Dude.

Screen Shot 2015-06-20 at 6.52.53 PM

Surefire is also hosting a USEA Large “R” Course Design seminar, guided by Surefire’s cross country course designer Tremaine Cooper.

Sarah Cousins had four of her own horses competing at Surefire: Westerly finished tenth in the Open Intermediate; Rock Party and Christopher were 12th and 13th in Open Preliminary-A; Wizard was fifth in Open Preliminary-C. Sarah is competing Lance McCue’s Abecca GS in the CIC3* at Great Meadow.

Colleen Rutledge, who has both Covert Rights and Escot 6 in the Great Meadow CIC3*, rode Cynthia McNemar and Leslie Schulz’s up-and-coming star Roulette in the Open Intermediate at Surefire and finished 14th. The 7-year-old was second at the Virginia Horse Trials CCI1* just a few weeks ago.

Guillermo de Campo is a member of the Pan American Games Mexican team with Quelite. He rode Triunfo in the Open Preliminary-C at Surefire and finished 13th.

Allison Springer is not competing at Great Meadow this weekend but she’s been busy in Purcellville so we’ve got to give her a some good rides. The lovely gray mare Copycat Chloe added 1.6 time penalties on cross country to finish sixth in Open Intermediate in her second event of the year.

Allison and In The Irons Farm’s Cascani and Nancy H. Winter’s Gold Dust Moon won Open Preliminary-A and Open Training-A respectively. Mary Ann Ghadban’s Capture the Spirit was sixth in Open Training-D, and Nancy H. Winter’s Loughin’s Aragorn was tenth in the same division. Allison also has one Novice and two Beginner Novice horses to compete tomorrow.

We’ll have some photos from Surefire Farm coming up soon!

Surefire H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Sights and Sounds From Luhmühlen Cross Country

By on Jun 20, 2015 5:51 pm -

One thing I’ve learned over my past four days in Germany is that you just never know what’s going to happen next.

Some things are predictable.

This kid stuffing his face with a pretzel.

This kid stuffing his face with a giant pretzel.

Schnauzers.

Schnauzers.

xcfalconguy

Rip Van Winkle and his pet falcon.

OK, so the random falconry exhibition immediately following cross-country was a bit of a surprise. I snapped a few photos and shuffled back into the media tent, ready to chug espresso and do some writing while the weirdness died out.

A few minutes later: the “Chariots of Fire” theme song and the roar of the crowd. That falcon must be really putting on a show!

I wandered back out in time to see Andreas Dibowski thundering around the ring on a proud-looking RH Butts Leon. At 18 years old, the horse’s prolific career has taken him around the world and back, literally. His accomplishments include two clear cross-country rounds at the Olympics, two World Equestrian Games, 2nd place finishes at Badminton and Pau, and a win and a 2nd right here in the 2009 and 2011 Luhmühlen CCI4*s.

Andreas took his partner over a few final jumps in the ring and they looked as keen as ever. The crowd clapped in time with the music and waved white handkerchiefs as they galloped past. It was a deserving tribute and touching farewell to one of Team Germany’s most accomplished equine athletes.

Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Leon. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Leon (GER). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Luhmühlen sure knows how to put on a show, and it’s no surprise that this event is a destination for equestrian enthusiasts from all of Europe and beyond.

The 62-horse competition itself is, of course, Luhmühlen’s centerpiece. But the organizers seem to understand that it’s in everyone’s best interest to build out the schedule in a way that capitalizes on the excitement of the event. In addition to falconry and grandiose retirement ceremonies, there are breed inspections, pony brigades, bagpipes and karaoke at night for anyone who dares.

Jesse Campbell and Kaapachino (NZL). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Jesse Campbell and Kaapachino (NZL). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Luhmühlen is at once spectacular and user-friendly, not so crowded that you have to fight for a glimpse of the water complex but large enough to do justice to the big deal that this CCI4* actually is. The course is a work of art and the quality of horses here is astonishing.

The dog-watching is pretty exciting, too.

Mop dog, the first. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Mop dog, the first. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Mop dog, the first. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Mop dog, the second. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Also, a shout-out to the cutest outriders in the land…

Cutest outriders ever! Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Squee! Photo by Leslie Wylie.

…and to parents who pull their kids around in wagons.

xckid

Double squee! Photo by Leslie Wylie.

It’s been an exciting day and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the weekend shakes out. The CCI4* inspection begins at 9 a.m. CEST (3 a.m. ET), with show jumping from 11:15 to 12:30 CEST (5:15 to 6:30 a.m.). Until then, gute nacht!

Luhmühlen: [Website] [Entry List] [Schedule] [Leaderboard]

Apple Tree Farm Issues #EventersChallenge

By on Jun 20, 2015 4:00 pm -
The Apple Tree Farm crew offered pony rides to kids at the Nashua PAL Youth Safe Haven. Photo via Facebook.

The Apple Tree Farm crew offered pony rides to kids at the Nashua PAL Youth Safe Haven. Photo via Facebook.

Caitlin Dwyer and her trainer Alison Eastman-Lawler of Apple Tree Farm in Hollis, New Hampshire are encouraging eventers to give back to their communities through a video project they have dubbed the Eventers Challenge.

“We’re going to challenge the eventing community to take time out of your busy day to do something nice for your community,” Alison said.

The crew from Apple Tree Farm kicked things off by going to the Nashua PAL Youth Safe Haven and offered pony rides to children for their end of the school year celebration.

Most of these children had never met a horse before. Photo via Facebook.

Most of these children had never met a horse before. Photo via Facebook.

“At Apple Tree Farm we’re lucky enough to do what we love every single day,” Caitlin said. “So we decided to bring some ponies down here to the PAL Youth Safe Haven in Nashua, New Hampshire to give back to the community. So we’ve been here doing pony rides all day.”

Apple Tree Farm nominated Therese Grittner, Ryan Wood, Dani Douphinette, Jessica Halliday, Dawn Dascomb, David Wilson, Courtney Cooper, Kim Sevigny Falana, Bethany Mauchly and Megan Moore to carry on the project. They also challenged Eventing Nation to share their video and help the idea go viral – ask you shall receive!

“Do something creative, find something fun to do,” Alison said. “Take a video, tag your friends and lets get this going.”

We think this is a great way for eventers to give back to their community and to share their love of horses with others. We can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #EventersChallenge on your videos!

Today Apple Tree Farm went to the Nashua P.A.L. Youth Safe Haven to give pony rides during their end of the school year celebration. We wanted to do this as our way of giving back to our wonderful community. That being said, we want to challenge the people tagged in this post to do something nice for their community in order to complete the #EventersChallenge ! Pick something to do for your community, record a video, and tag others to complete the challenge!! (Don’t forget to hashtag #eventerschallenge ). Eventing Nation We need your help to make this thing go viral in the eventing world!!!

Posted by Alison Eastman-Lawler on Friday, June 19, 2015

Watch Chinchwürst Smash Face-first into Every Luhmühlen Cross Country Fence

By on Jun 20, 2015 2:00 pm -

You’ve seen the jumps.

You’ve watched the drone flyover.

You’ve read all about the world’s best riders making short work of it.

But never, not until this very moment, have you seen the Luhmühlen cross-country course like THIS.

A couple weekends ago at Bromont, in lieu of our usual course walk, we sent Le Chinch on a mission to tackle the entire CCI3* course himself. Being only eight inches tall, it seemed an impossible feat.

We attempted to bolster his confidence by quoting passages from the great motivational speaker R. Kelly: “We believe you can fly! We believe you can touch the sky!”

And fly/touch the sky is what he did, reaching heights never before imagined for a tiny, not-that-aerodynamic stuffed animal. You can view the complete photo gallery here.

IMG_16901

Le Chinch’s CCI3* debut was a big hit with readers, especially readers with a demented sense of humor and too much time on their hands. So when we recruited Chinchwürst, Chinch’s alcoholic German uncle, to sub in as our furry foreign correspondent at Luhmühlen, part of the deal was that he had to reenact Le Chinch’s feat.

CCI3*, CCI4,* drunk, sober… I mean, it’s really not that big a difference, right?

Wrong.

IMG_2122[1]

We apologize in advance.

OK, we lied. He didn’t smash into EVERY jump — just about 50% of the course. We felt morally obligated to cut him off after about his 10th concussion.

Go Chinchwürst. Go Eventing.

Luhmühlen: [Website] [Entry List] [Schedule] [Leaderboard]

Great Meadow International Cross Country Drone Flyover

By on Jun 20, 2015 12:20 pm -

The Land Rover Great Meadow International presented by Adequan is shaping up to be a stellar competition from every perspective – from the standard of riding to the hospitality to the pristine venue itself. We’ve already seen tomorrow’s cross country course preview via MyCourseWalk and now we can enjoy a different view of the course through this amazing drone flyover produced by Jamie Rees.

Set to a classy tune, we get a close up look at the fences as we traverse Great Meadow’s gorgeous grounds like a bird. It gives you a great sense of the quality construction of the fences, the perfect ground conditions and distractingly beautiful scenery that is a staple characteristic of Northern Virginia.

To avoid the forecast storms for this evening, the organizers have moved the show jumping time up from 6:30 to 5:00 p.m. EST. Cross country tomorrow begins at 9:30 a.m. EST. All phases are available to watch for free on the USEF Network and we’re bringing you all kinds of coverage all weekend, so keep coming back to Eventing Nation!

Great Meadow: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores, Schedule, USEF Network, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

 

Sun Shines Down on Luhmühlen Cross Country: Ingrid Leads, North Americans in Top 10

By on Jun 20, 2015 10:00 am -
Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Luhmühlen desperately needed today to be a good one — and we got our wish.

After three days of spitty rain and frigid wind, we awoke early to a day that, literally and metaphorically, just got brighter as it went on. This morning’s CCI4* cross country competition was both safe and good sport, and it went a long way toward pushing back the dark clouds that have been hovering over the event for the past couple years.

Eventing in Germany is no joke. I sat in traffic on the way to the show grounds longer than I did for a 90,000-person music festival last weekend. National pride runs deep and at today’s competition Ingrid Klimke was the headliner.

Ingrid Klimke and FRH Escada JS. Photo by Thomas Ix.

Ingrid Klimke and FRH Escada JS (GER). Photo by Thomas Ix.

Dressage leader Julien Despontin picked up 22.4 time penalties early on in the day. He later explained, “My horse lost a shoe between jumps 13 and 14 which caused us to slip a little round the corners and slowed us down a bit. Waldano was brilliant nevertheless and I truly enjoyed the round.”

Julien’s time penalties left the door wide open for Ingrid to take the lead and that she did, much to the delight of her countrymen. You could tell where she was on course just by the sound of roars rising up from crowd and the performance she laid down was admittedly pretty rock-star. Ingrid has a presence in the saddle that is matched only by her stunningly talented mare, FRH Escada JS, who made short work of Captain Mark Phillips‘ CCI4* course.

“I am so happy, she was super fit and gave me a wonderful round,” Ingrid said. “The course rode brilliantly, the ground was perfectly prepared and the audience was really supportive. However, the course was technically challenging, especially the different water complexes and the Ariat combination toward the end asked for heightened concentration.

“Escada was unbelievable though: motivated and amazing to ride. She has a big jump in her and is very clever. She can solve even difficult questions almost effortlessly.”

We noticed that Ingrid was sporting a helmet cam so hopefully we’ll all be able to take a vicarious spin on Escada soon!

A clear, fast round from New Zealand’s Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo earned them on step up the scoreboard into 2nd place.

“Today she rode like a proper four-star horse!” Jonelle said. “She was amazing, she flew round the course, she is truly exceptional. I have never had a horse like her before, she can do amazing things in all three disciplines. At home she is a little diva and her stable name is Princess, but it was worth putting in all the hard work to get her on my side.

“When I rode her in Pau she was still a little green, but she has grown a lot and her performance here has been tremendous. I really can’t ask for more. If I do my job well tomorrow, then anything is possible.”

Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo (NZL). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo (NZL). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Michael Jung had the 3rd and 4th spots claimed with fischerRocana FST and La Biosthetique Sam FBW respectively heading into today’s competition. Sam tackled the course with his signature professionalism, coming home well inside the time.

“La Biosthetique Sam is super fit and rode perfectly all the way round the course,” Michael says. “He listened to me right from the start and we had a lot of fun out there. It was a great round under perfect conditions.”

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW (GER). Photo by Thomas Ix.

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW (GER). Photo by Thomas Ix.

fischerRocana seemed to be enjoying her romp as well until the final water complex.

In an unexpected turn of events, the supermare went down to her knees on the landing from the drop in. She resurfaced with a surprised expression on her face, shaking the water from her ear bonnet and looking the part of a pony who’d had its dinner taken away. Michael called it a day and they walked back to the stables a bit soggy but no worse for the wear.

We’re thrilled to report that Team North America had a stellar day, with both Clark Montgomery and Rebecca Howard finishing in the top 10.

I saw Rebecca come through #28ABC, the Ariat Horses, a triple brush skinny followed by a left bend to a two-stride line of angled corners. Being just two fences from home and at the bottom of a downhill gallop, it was a test of both fitness and focus and caused trouble for those who didn’t get their horses back quite enough.

New Zealand’s Blyth Tait and Xanthus III were among those who collected 20 here.

Rebecca and Rupert were spot-on, their game face never wavering from start…

xcrebecca

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master (CAN). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

…to finish.

Clark and Glen looked absolutely flawless through the Ariat line as well from where I was watching near the last jump. The announcer initially said he’d finished clear and just a second over time, so when 20 jump penalties — and then an elimination — later popped up on the leaderboard beside his name we were all quite stunned.

Glen had apparently knocked the flag at the C element and there was some question about whether his shoulders were over the fence, a matter soon resolved by a series of head-on photographs taken by Shannon Brinkman. You’re an American hero, Shannon!

Even when the ruling was still up in the air Clark told me that he couldn’t have been more thrilled with his horse’s performance. The pair has buckled down on their jumping and fitness work the past few months and their effort clearly paid off today.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen (USA). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen (USA). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

“He was right on all the way around,” he said. “I was a bit conservative with really going for the time at the beginning because the concern was whether he would have enough gas to finish the course. But he just kept on wanting to gallop so I was really happy with that. And looking for the jumps — he ticked them off like it was no big deal.”

This was Clark and Glen’s first go at Luhmühlen and he says he was happy with how the course rode.

“It was a bit harder than I expected technicality wise,” he said. “I think a lot of the riders would maybe say that because it caused more issues that we thought it might.”

Issues were scattered throughout the course, resulting in nine retirements, one elimination and a stop or runout here and there. There was only one fall when Kai-Steffen Meier and Sunny Side First “submarined” into the water at 17. Everyone returned to the barn safely, however, and the riders expressed a widespread feeling that their horses had come off course more educated and confident.

“I think Mark did a good job with this course in that it did cause issues with it still being safe,” Clark said. “That’s a super finish for Luhmühlen, especially.”

CCI4* Cross Country Photo Gallery:

 

CCI4* top 25 after cross country (click here to view the full leaderboard):

xcscores

Check out video highlights from the FEI below. We’ve got plenty more Luhmühlen shenanigans up our sleeve for later today. In the meantime, go eventing!

Luhmühlen: [Website] [Entry List] [Schedule] [Leaderboard]

Hope the Wonderhorse is Extra Wonderful Six Months After Rescue

By on Jun 20, 2015 9:00 am -
Hope the Wonderhorse with Rachel Medley. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad. Hope the Wonderhorse with Rachel Medley. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad.

Six months ago we met Hope the Wonderhorse, an emaciated 2-year-old filly with a strong will to survive. She was days from death when she was rescued and her prognosis for survival was slim to none, but through round-the-clock care and the contributions of a concerned community, Hope defied the odds every day. She is now the strong, healthy, rambunctious filly she was always meant to be.

“She is one feisty son of a gun,” said Rachel Medley, co-founder of the Sandhills Horse Rescue and Hope’s primary caregiver from the start of the ordeal. “She has an opinion and is looking for someone to give it to. I think that’s what really enabled her to survive.”

Despite her ill health and shocking physical state, Hope quickly made it clear that she was not ready to give up on life. As long as she was game, her caretakers were too. She never turned down food, nickered at all her visitors and the light in her eye never faded.

Suspended

In the beginning, Hope was so weak that she couldn’t rise without assistance. As a result, she would stand for days until she reached the point of exhaustion. Then when she did lay down, she would panic and thrash, reopening healing wounds. Securing the use of a sling, which allowed her to get the rest she needed to facilitate healing, was major step forward in her recovery.

“In that deep REM sleep her body was recovering and able to heal wounds and get infection out. In a state of exhaustion all the time she couldn’t heal as quickly,” Rachel said.

The first sling – an Anderson sling – was provided by Justin and Tory McCloud of North Carolina Equine Assistance and Specialized Transport. They would drive an hour every other day to the Sandhills Horse Rescue and set up the sling so Hope could have a nap.

The Anderson sling was essential at the time, but it was not a perfect fit for Hope and Rachel knew they needed something more long term. So she set up a fundraiser to help buy a custom fit sling ideally suited to Hope’s needs.

“We raised the money we needed for the sling within four or five hours of making the post,” Rachel said. “People continued to donate, and we wound up raising over $10,000 in 24 hours. It was mindblowing. I couldn’t believe it as the numbers kept going up. My faith in humanity was restored.”

It's hard to believe these two images feature the same horse. Photos courtesy of Allie Conrad.

It’s hard to believe these two images feature the same horse. Photos courtesy of Allie Conrad.

Hope’s new custom sling was delivered within a few days, thanks to the quick work of Liftex who created the sling and FedEx who expedited the delivery.

Hope still lay down in her stall from time to time, however, and rising unassisted continued to be difficult. As she strengthened, she was soon trying to “help” her caretakers when they came to lift her to her feet.

“It got to a point where it was getting very dangerous for her and for us,” Rachel said. “We thought if she doesn’t figure out how to get up on her own in a week or so we had to figure something out. She was getting violent, stronger, heavier.”

Animals are inherently intuitive, however, and Hope must have known the time had come. Two days later, while no one was there to witness it and one couldn’t guess as to how many attempts it took, Hope stood up unassisted.

“When I came out in the morning and she had shavings all over her neck and mane, I totally lost it. It was a big day.”

That was a turning point in Hope’s recovery, Rachel said. “I always felt that when she can lay down and get up on her own is when I would breathe a sigh of relief.”

Extra Wonderful

After that, Hope seemed to get stronger – and feistier – every day. She was turned out for gradually longer amounts of time with her friend Maggie; the wounds on her face and hips rapidly healed; and she gained precious weight. Now in her 3-year-old year, she’s blossomed into a healthy, shining mare.

“When she was bad it was worse in person than in pictures. Now it’s the opposite. She looks so good in person – the pictures don’t do her justice,” Rachel said. “She has an aura or presence about her that seems to magnify whatever condition she’s in. Maybe that’s me projecting that onto her, but it seems like she exudes extra of whatever she is. If she’s wonderful, she’s extra wonderful.”

Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad.

Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad.

Even in the early days of Hope’s recovery, she was making an impact on the veterans who came to Rachel’s farm for the Old Glory Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization for soldiers and their families. Hope’s impression on the program has evolved as she is truly an embodiment of her name.

“In a lot of ways she’s a mascot not only for the rescue but for the foundation. Initially she was fighting every day to survive and now it’s ‘I’m recovered. Let me thrive and look to the future.’ Her resiliency and journey of resiliency resounded with veterans that come here,” Rachel said.

“It used to be they’d meet her and say wow, I connect because she’s gone through trauma and is fighting to move forward. Now they’ve seen her journey for six months and they’ve come to see her and participate in that journey.”

For the foundation and for the rescue, Hope has brought people together. Many elements had to combine to result in a successful recovery, and the experience has since created a community and formed friendships with Hope at the heart of them.

“It has been really the ultimate exercise in ‘it takes a village.’ If you take out any of the elements of everyone who came together, the horse wouldn’t have made it,” Rachel said. “Now there are friends I have who come to farm that have become part of the volunteer force.

“We all know we met because of Hope, but it’s become more than that now because they are coming to help with other rescues we’ve taken in.”

Before and After

A lingering wound on Hope’s withers is the only remaining sign of “before,” and she has been moved to a farm closer to Dr. Lisa Kivett so it can be closely monitored.

“Dr. Kivett is the woman behind the scenes as far as what has helped me make this happen for Hope,” Rachel said. “She kept the horse alive. She kept driving forward and put so much blood sweat and tears into this horse.”

Hope is almost to full strength. She feels good – very good – and is starting to learn about ground manners and personal space. She has been showing off her athleticism running fast laps in the field, and Rachel said there is no denying there is Thoroughbred in her ancestry somewhere.

“Her personality is such that she will be a tough nut to crack when it comes to riding!” Rachel laughed. But as they have all along, Rachel and the rest of Hope’s support team will take it one day at a time.

“In my opinion she has the right to as rich a life as possible. If her wound on her withers heals with minimum scar tissue and she can comfortably wear a saddle or harness, we will teach her anything she wants to learn and do any job she wants to do.”

The Sandhills Horse Rescue has taken in additional horses since Hope inspired its creation this January. Currently they are housing two mares who foaled within two weeks of each other, and some of the leftover money from Hope’s sling fundraiser is facilitating their care. The rescue will stay well within its funding abilities but hopes to one day be able to take on more horses at one time.

Please visit the Sandhills Horse Rescue and the Old Glory Legacy Foundation websites, and be sure to find Hope the Wonderhorse on Facebook and follow her incredible journey.

Luhmühlen CCI4* Cross Country Open Thread: Ingrid Klimke Leads Overnight

By on Jun 20, 2015 3:44 am -
Fence 28 of Capt. Mark Phillips' cross country course. Photo by Leslie Wylie. Fence 28 of Capt. Mark Phillips' cross country course. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

It’s cross country day at Luhmühlen! Capt. Mark Phillips has designed a great course for the riders, and we’ve got a brilliant group of competitors to see this morning.

The official start time will be 9:54 a.m. local time / 3:54 a.m. EST, and you can watch live on FEI TV or follow along with our open thread below.

If you’re awake with us this morning, refresh this page periodically for the latest updates. The optimum time is 11 minutes 10 seconds. We’ll see our sole U.S. pair, Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen at 6:15 a.m. EST.

Three pairs have withdrawn overnight: Andreas Dibowski and It’s Me, Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Ducati van den Overdam, and Tom McEwan and Diesel. Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam will be our first pair out. Here’s to safe, fast and clear rounds for all!

Luhmühlen: [Website] [Entry List] [Schedule] [Start Times] [Leaderboard] [FEI TV]

 

7:49 a.m. EST: Clark’s appeal goes through, as head-on photos clearly show Glen’s shoulders over the jump. USA! The scoreboard has been updated: zero jump and one time penalty will send him into 7th place.

6:46 a.m. EST: John Kyle says Clark was eliminated for not clearing the flag – this may very well be appealed so we’ll keep an eye on that. Stay tuned for the full report coming your way!

6:44 a.m. EST: That’s a wrap on the cross country! 14 were clear in the time, and while several problems were evident everyone got home safe and sound. There was just one fall on course, and not a severe one. We’ll call this a big win. Ingrid Klimke and FRH Escada will lead going into show jumping.

Screenshot (61)

6:43 a.m. EST: Oh No!! Rocana stumbled badly coming into the water of 17, both of them made an incredible save to stay on their feet. They were unable to make the B work, and they’ve retired. How heartbreaking, but Michael surely knows his mare will be back to win another day. Might as well save her legs. What a horseman. “Nothing even the great Junginator could do” – John Kyle

6:42 a.m. EST: What Michael does for fun.

michael 3

6:41 a.m. EST: Michael Jung’s a man with a plan with Rocana. The mare looks like she could do this course in her sleep. Actually, she probably could.

6:40 a.m. EST:

6:36 a.m. EST: Last to go for the day, Michael Jung and Rolex winner fischerRocana FST are on their way out of the box! They’re in third at the moment.  

6:33 a.m. EST: Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon neatly through the water at 5.

dibo

  6:27 a.m. EST: Owner of the best save ever at Badminton Nick Bschorer is on course with Tom Tom Go.

6:27 a.m. EST:

6:24 a.m. EST: The scores are now showing Clark was eliminated. Again, we did not see or hear of a problem on the feed, so we aren’t quite sure what is going on.

6:22 a.m. EST:

6:21 a.m. EST: Clark’s score is now showing a 20, a 57.4 total. We will update if this changes but it looks like he was awarded the 20 at the last combination at 28. The camera did not show what happened, we only saw him make it through.  

6:19 a.m. EST: Ingrid Klimke has taken the lead overnight with a clear inside the time! Can she win her second CCI4* tomorrow?  

6:18 a.m. EST: Correction, unsure if Clark went clear yet. The scores are showing a 20 with a question mark at 28B. Stay tuned.  

6:17 a.m. EST: Clark and Glen drift right over the B element of fence 28, one of the more troublesome combinations on course, but they’ve got it done and they are home CLEAR! Just one second over for a time of 11:11. He’ll stay in 8th or better on a 37.5. USA! USA! USA!  

6:15 a.m. EST: Ingrid had an amazing ride through the water at 17. FRH Escada is as game as ever and I now have goosebumps.  

6:12 a.m. EST: Clark is a bit down on his time but he’s looking super keen through the arena. clark 2

6:11 a.m. EST: Ingrid Klimke, in second currently, is on and clear through 6 with FRH Escada.

6:10 a.m. EST: Clark and Glen looking sharp so far. You jump those jumps, Clark.

clark

6:08 a.m. EST: Clark and Loughan Glen are away!

6:07 a.m. EST:

6:01 a.m. EST: This camera angle is weird. And it makes this fence look more intimidating than it probably is.

mark

5:57 a.m. EST:

5:56 a.m. EST: For those of you tuning in, Chinch would like to apologize for some spacing issues you’ll see below. He’s too busy in the biergarden to pay attention to my internet woes.  

5:55 a.m. EST:

5:49 a.m. EST:

5:46 a.m. EST: Joseph Murphy and Electric Cruise have retired.

5:45 a.m. EST:

5:44 a.m. EST: Andrew Nicholson picks up 20 at the same place Blyth Tait did at fence 28. He cleared on second attempt and is now home, surely just a bit over time.

andrew

5:42 a.m. EST: Just five more to go before Clark Montgomery’s start time.

5:38 a.m. EST: Joseph Murphy and the lovely Electric Cruise are away.

5:38 a.m. EST: Andrew Nicholson and Qwanza are on course and clear through 12. Qwanza is also making his return to the four-star level; his last completion was his 7th place at Rolex in 2012.

5:37 a.m. EST:

5:32 a.m. EST: Looking great, Rebecca! She’s home clear and inside the time in 11:03! She’s in fourth at the moment on 42.5.

rebecca 2

5:31 a.m. EST: Rebecca and Riddle Master dig deep and show their experience at the water a 17 after a sticky moment at the B element. She’s clear through that and back on her way.  

5:28 a.m. EST: Just now hearing that Jonelle Price’s time was 11:09 – one second under the time with the pull up at the penultimate. She will take the lead on a 32.8 at the moment.  

5:25 a.m. EST:  Blyth Tait have a refusal at the B element of fence 28 and are clear on the long route. They seemed to have a miscommunication approaching the fence. What a bummer!  

5:25 a.m. EST: Oh Canada! Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master are away!  

5:20 a.m. EST: Blyth Tait is all business. As he should be. “Let me show you how it’s done.” Fun fact, this is Blyth’s first CCI4* since Burghley in 2011, where he retired with Santos. Before that, it was 2004 and Burghley/Athens.  

5:18 a.m. EST: Germany’s Kai-Steffan Meier and Sunny Side First go for a swim at the water after 17A. Both are up on their feet and looking grumpy but otherwise healthy.

5:17 a.m. EST:

5:16 a.m. EST:

5:14 a.m. EST: Andrew Hoy has retired on course. John Kyle calls him “Hoy Boy”. Catchy, John. Catchy.  

5:12 a.m. EST: 4 clear inside the time so far, not counting Jonelle who is still pending final time due to her flag down.  

5:12 a.m. EST:

5:10 a.m. EST: Jonelle has evidently been let go and has finished. Unsure what happened there. Maybe the steward wanted to tell her how obsessed we are with Faerie Dianimo. #justsayin

jonelle 2

5:08 a.m. EST: Jonelle has been flagged down at the second to last fence. No info yet.

Screenshot (60)

5:05 a.m. EST: Look at it! Just look at it. This horse is fantastic.

Screenshot (59)

5:05 a.m. EST: Jesse Campbell and Kaapachino are bang on the optimum time!

5:02 a.m. EST:

5:00 a.m. EST:

4:53 a.m. EST: One completes, one retires. Kevin McNab and Fernhill Quality Street are the fifth combination to finish. Lizzie Brown and Henton Attorney General retire after problems at 17.

4:48 a.m. EST:

4:47 a.m. EST: Kevin and Fernhill Quality Street are having some come to Jesus moments setting up for some of these questions. The horse does not want to set up and sit back, and it’s costing them a good amount of time.  

4:43 a.m. EST: Kevin McNab and Fernhill Quality Street are looking great so far. In case you were wondering, there are 11 combinations on course. I feel like that’s a lot. Lizzie Brown and Henton Attorney General are on and clear through 5.  

4:42 a.m. EST: Claas Hermann Romeike and Cato 60 are having a REALLY good go.

Screenshot (58)

4:40 a.m. EST:

4:38 a.m. EST: Strong riding for Germany’s Claas Hermann Romeike and Cato 60.

11

4:37 a.m. EST: Another has retired: Fraser King and Nadal. The last four horses on course have retired. Fraser’s came after a loss of impulsion at 17B.

4:35 a.m. EST:

4:32 a.m. EST: Fraser King and Nadal has just picked up 20 at fence 10. Looking game everywhere else so far.

fraser

4:31 a.m. EST: And another retires, Kirsty Johnston at Opposition Detective after two refusals at 12B.

4:30 a.m. EST:

4:26 a.m. EST:

4:20 a.m. EST: Elmo Jankari and Duchess Desiree pick up a 20 at fence 9, as did Victoria Carlerback and Volt at Kallstorp.

4:19 a.m. EST: Just under a minute over time for Julien and Waldano’s second CCI4* completion. A big fist pump as he crosses the finish! 12:06 is the final time.

4:16 a.m. EST: Julien Despontin and Waldano slipped badly coming out of the arena, but they righted themselves in the #saveoftheday so far. Well sat! I would GIF it for you, but you know. Technology hates me.

4:14 a.m. EST:

4:12 a.m. EST: Julien Despontin is clear through 12.

julien d

4:12 a.m. EST:

4:05 a.m. EST: Michael and Sam are home in 10:54, well inside the time as usual. Just another day at the office. Our third starters, Annabel Wigley (NZL) and Frog Rock, have retired after two refusals at fence 5A. Overnight leaders Julien Despontin and Waldano are on course! Can they keep up their incredible weekend?

4:01 a.m. EST: Michael and Sam make quick work of the arena, basically bang on the time so far too. Michael O’Toole is clear through 11.

Screenshot (58)

3:59 a.m. EST: Michael Jung is just ridiculous. Not human. Hasn’t put even a hair wrong so far on course. He’s clear through 15.

3:58 a.m. EST: Ireland’s Michael O’Toole and Green Fort Endeavor are now on course.

3:57 a.m. EST: Sorry my GIFs are apparently not working. Working on it. #technicaldifficulty

3:54 a.m. EST: And we’re off! Michael and Sam are on their way. 2b60ee0e5476a6bc367cd9a56523c81a

3:51 a.m. EST: Michael and Sam look like they’re out for an afternoon gallop, not warming up for a four-star. No big deal.

michael

3:48 a.m. EST: Hey, someone is awake! Maybe.

3:47 a.m. EST: Here is your overnight top 10 following dressage:

Screenshot (57)