Classic Eventing Nation

Lauren Kieffer and Caroline Martin Jump Big at Bramham

Lauren Kieffer and Team Rebecca's Veronica en route to a lovely clear around the Equitrek Bramham CCI3* cross country. Photo by Samantha Clark Lauren Kieffer and Team Rebecca's Veronica en route to a lovely clear around the Equitrek Bramham CCI3* cross country. Photo by Samantha Clark

Lauren Kieffer and Caroline Martin represented the Stars and Stripes in fine fashion today in drizzly, damp North Yorkshire, bringing Veronica and Quantum Solace home safe and sound, and in real style.

Veronica jumped clear with 4.4 time after losing her right front shoe early on and slipping a little bit and they lie 12th overnight. Caroline rode with such maturity, just paying for a rookie mistake at the coffin with 11 penalties for breaking the frangible pin, and they finished the cross country in 14th place adding 11.6 time also. (Scores are here.)

What’s most exciting though is how solid both these performances were over a tough course, and how much they promise to come. Both horses pulled up well, cooled out quickly and looked very comfortable out on course where I managed to see them.

U.S. Team Coach David O’Connor saw much more from the CCTV in the riders’ tent and commented, “I thought it was good. I think Lauren’s horse went probably the best she’s ever gone. It was a little bit slidey in the woods there for a little while, but then she came out in the open and picked it back up and she jumped really, really well.

“I thought Caroline was actually very, very good; she just didn’t get him back enough before the coffin in order to ride it forward and so she ended up breaking that pin, but I thought the rest of that round was very, very good and such a good education for her for her first time overseas. It’s been a good day.”

Lauren Kieffer and Team Rebecca's Veronica cruise round the Equitrek Bramham CCI3* XC

Lauren Kieffer and Team Rebecca’s Veronica cruise round the Equitrek Bramham CCI3* cross country. Photo by Samantha Clark

Lauren spoke to me after her round and told me Veronica was terrific and that she almost found herself enjoying herself after she jumped the sun and moon fence, but then “gave herself a kick in the pants” as that’s what’s got her into trouble before!

“She was great, she was really on it, she felt really straight. The time was hard because I really felt I could be further up before I got to the last third because it’s so twisty and I was actually just a couple of seconds behind it. So she did pretty good to not lose much more time on that last bit because it’s so twisty and there’s so much more to do, but she really didn’t put a foot wrong. She was great, I’m really happy with her.”

Unbelievably, despite their 2nd at Rolex and 9th at Pau last year this is the first CCI3* that Veronica and Lauren have jumped clear around after a fall at Boekelo and a stop at Bromont, and Lauren said they had no sticky moments.

“She was perfect, I’m thrilled with her. The first water rode great – she’s really nimble and I think it’s more of a rider frightener; you can’t really tell in the video how steep the hill is but you gallop down to the first bit and that log just gapes out there but the horses read it great. The whole course is a rider frightener really, you certainly wouldn’t bring a ditchy horse here!”

We’ve spoken about the great energy and team spirit in the barn this week, and I asked Lauren if she thought the course would suit Caroline and what advice she’d give her before she set off, having now ridden round it herself with such success.

“Absolutely! She should rent that horse out! I wish I’d had that horse at my first international event – he is a champ and Caroline is great in her head, and it’s so fortunate that she has a chance to come over and do this at her age when there’s not as much pressure and you’re not riding on other people’s money and have to deliver. I think it’s going to definitely pay off in the long run. She’s obviously someone for the future, she’s got a great feel, she’s got the backing, she’s a hard worker and a great rider so I’m excited for her today.”

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace still have plenty in the tank as they jump the penultimate fence on the Bramham U25 CCI3* XC Photo by Samantha Clark

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace still have plenty in the tank as they jump the penultimate fence on the Bramham U25 CCI3* cross country. Photo by Samantha Clark

Caroline and Quantum Solace did indeed rock round like champs – she rode with such poise and was kicking herself at the finish for her mistake at the coffin.

“It was my fault, I just kept pulling and didn’t put my leg on to set him up properly and I thought I had him back enough, but it’s a pretty steep coffin, and when I got to the jump I put him in a pretty bad place; he knocked the rail down but then I just kicked and he was fine, but 100% rider error. My bad.”

To recover from that and regain her composure though speaks to her competitive brain as there aren’t many let-ups on this course and it would have been easy to become rattled and let everything go downhill.

“I love cross country, it’s my favorite phase. I feel most confident in that phase, and he’s a great horse to go cross country with. I really let him loose up the hill at the end and I had so much gallop it was insane, I felt like I could easily go another four or five minutes over the same type of course. He kept galloping which was pretty cool; I’ve never felt him be this fit at a three-star so that was cool. I’m just bummed at myself for making such a stupid mistake. I feel proud that we’ve done it though.”

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace gallop for home on the Bramham CCI3* U25 XC course Photo by Samantha Clark

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace gallop for home on the Bramham CCI3* U25 cross country course. Photo by Samantha Clark

We should all be very proud of both Lauren and Caroline too, and the entire support team both here in England and at home who make it all possible for them to be here. They are fantastic ambassadors for U.S. Eventing and they did a wonderful job today. Of course there is still a lot of work to be done this afternoon and tomorrow is another day, but for now Go Veronica and Quantum Solace at Bramham, and Go Eventing!

Bramham: WebsiteScheduleLive ScoresEN’s Coverage@samanthalclarkTwitterInstagram

Canada Announces Pan American Games Team

Photo via Wikimedia Commons Photo via Wikimedia Commons

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Equine Canada have publicly announced the Canadian Equestrian Team athletes who will represent Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games.

The riders were informed of their team selection earlier this week, but a gag order was enacted to keep the selections secret until the big reveal during today’s #PanAmDay.

The following horse and rider combinations will represent Canada in the eventing competition at the Pan American Games in Toronto July 17-19.

Colleen Loach and Quorry Blue d’Argouges
Quorry Blue d’Argouges is owned by Peter Barry

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti
Pavarotti is owned by Don Good
*Abbey GS, owned by Charlotte Schickedanz, is reserve to Pavarotti

Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen
Bill Owen is owned by Waylon Roberts and Kelly Plitz

Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee
Let It Be is owned by Kathryn Robinson

The names of any alternates were not included in the initial announcement. However EN has since learned of the traveling and non-traveling alternates:

Traveling Reserve:
Stuart Black and Tre’ Du Kernat

Non-traveling Alternates:
Kyle Carter and FR’s Trust Fund
Lesley Grant – Law and What Law
Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High
Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best
April Simmonds and Quebec NZPH
Michael Winter and Nothing Gained

Congratulations, competitors! Now you can really celebrate!

[Canadian Equestrian Team Nominated for Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games]

Grooming Grooms for the Future

Photo by Leslie Wylie. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Getting a horse to and through a three-day takes a village. Ask any professional rider and they’ll admit that there’s no way they could do it without their team — in particular, their groom.

Good grooms are worth their weight in gold. It takes years of experience, coupled with a genuine love of horses, to become an expert at managing equine athletes at the highest level. It’s vital to the sport that we continue “grooming grooms” to fulfill this valuable role.

A new program, the Equine Management Training Center (EMTC), is taking groom education to the next level. Based at Sandy River Equestrian Center in southwestern Virginia, EMT offers a comprehensive certification program sharing the knowledge and skills necessary to become a professional groom and manage all aspects of equestrian life.

The program’s curriculum was developed with the oversight of many professionals including Olympic riders, veterinarians, farriers, professional grooms and more.

The inaugural session, an eight-week program focusing on equine management, will be held in September and October of 2015. Following completion of the session, all students will be placed in a one-month internship at a participating barn; after completion of the internship, they will be placed in jobs as Basic Grooms. Alternately, they may elect to continue with a second session focused on stable management, scheduled for January and February 2016, to to become an Elite Groom.

Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Photo by Leslie Wylie.

EMTC has quickly gained the support of professionals across the eventing spectrum.

  • “There is no other program like this in the country. All professionals will be better off knowing that their employees have been taught by the best.” — David O’Connor
  • “What the training center for grooms could do for the professional horse industry, by providing an educated, certified, ready-to-hire equine management practitioner, cannot be understated.” — Will Coleman
  • “A good groom is the backbone to any successful program. Our job is to make sure that when that rider gets  on, all they worry about is riding.” — Max Corcoran
  • “The Professional Equine Groom School is a fantastic program and necessary for anyone aspiring to be a top groom or wanting to learn as much as possible about caring for an equine athlete.” — Lauren Kieffer

Recognizing the important role that grooms play, the Professional Riders Organization (PRO) is a big supporter and affiliate of the EMTC. They have partnered together to create an EMTC PRO Groom’s Award, given to a groom who demonstrates outstanding management and turnout throughout each PRO Tour Series competition. PRO Tour competitions at the CCI3* levels will award a $200 and CIC3*/Advanced levels will award a $100 cash prize to the winning groom.

The first EMTC PRO Groom’s Award was given at last week’s Bromont CCI Three Day Event. The recipient was Anne Marie Duarte, who grooms for Selena O’Hanlon.

Selena O'Hanlon's groom, Anne Marie Duarte, at Bromont. Photo courtesy of PRO.

Selena O’Hanlon’s groom, Anne Marie Duarte, at Bromont. Photo courtesy of PRO.

Selena O'Hanlon and her beautifully turned-out Foxwood High at the 2015 Bromont CCI3*. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Selena O’Hanlon and her beautifully turned-out Foxwood High at the 2015 Bromont CCI3*. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

“It is so nice to publicly recognize the dedication and commitment of professional grooms,” said Robert Costello, Chair of the USEF Eventing Selection Committee. “They make such a difference to the care of the horses in their charge and really make it possible for us as riders to be successful.”

For more information about EMTC, click here.

Saturday Links from Tipperary

Some people sit quietly to meditate. I prefer to stand on a bag of shavings and fiddle with my hands. Some people sit quietly to meditate. I prefer to stand on a bag of shavings and fiddle with my hands.

Ah, braids. Formerly my nemesis, now approaching meditative and financially lucrative! There’s something I’m starting to appreciate about buzzing by Starbucks at an hour when the baristas are still groggy, loading up on caffeine and heading out to the show to play hair dresser for a few friends. Last show, I realized I’m turning in to one of THOSE braiders, as I insisted on using glittery yarn on Killbary Prince for Taylor McFall and I’m off to do the same for Charlotte Greatwood on two mares, Gateway Night Light and Black Dog’s Top of the Morning at a Dressage show. Also, I’m ticking off the days until Camelot Equestrian Park’s very first USEA recognized event, simply because I’m dying to use this super cool sparkly copper yarn I found for my mare. I’m beginning to think I should get my head checked.

Bramham Links: WebsiteEntriesScheduleLive ScoresEN’s Coverage@samanthalclark

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Valinor Farm H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Larkin Hill H.T. [Website][Ride Times]

Seneca Valley PC Spring H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm June H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status]

Queeny Park H.T.  [Website] [Live Scores]

Silverwood Farm Spring H.T.  [Website] [Dressage Ride Times / XC Ride Times]

Aspen Farms CIC & H.T.  [Website] [Live Scores]

Round Top H.T.  [Omnibus]

Saturday Links:

Equine Vet Who’s Seen 6 Triple Crown Winners Meets American Pharoah

Entire Horse Skeleton Found in Archaeological Dig

World’s Fastest Harness Horse and Key Sire Cambest Dies

Horse Breaks Down, Jockey Injured at Churchill Downs

Horse That Carried Man On Cross Country Journey Dies

What You Need To Know About Horse Sale Commission

Saturday Video: Même si la vidéo est en français, la leçon est évidente! Aimez votre poney!

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Racehorse to Event Horse

Raise your hand if you’re preparing for a Retired Racehorse Project competition this year! Area IV rider Mallory Stiver is working towards the competition in Kentucky, and she’s making her debut in next weekend’s Sport Of Kings Challenge in Oklahoma.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Mallory’s 5-year-old OTTB, PF Hugo Boss, who raced at Remington Park, where the Sport of Kings Challenge will be held. Lainey Ashker, Steuart Pittman, and Robin Hessel will be the judges for the Sport of Kings Challenge, and Mallory was selected as a finalist to compete for the top honors.

Enjoy this video of Hugo Boss, aka Huey, and Mallory’s progress since he came off the track in July of 2013.

Are you competing in the RRP this year? Send us your prep blogs and look for them right here on EN! You can email us at [email protected].

Kitty King and Nana Dalton Preview Bramham CCI3* Cross Country

Fence 9a on Ian Stark's Bramham course. Photo by Samantha Clark. Fence 9a on Ian Stark's Bramham course. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Many thanks to Kitty King and Nana Dalton for letting me tag along while they walked the course on Thursday. It’s always fascinating to get a rider’s perspective, especially two riders as experienced as these, and they were kind enough to stop and explain how they intend to ride a couple of the more complicated combinations.

Bonus points to Nana for walking the course with her two year old son and her mother — I used to lose my temper with both of mine, although they never walked a course together, that might have been even worse! Nana’s mother was heaven though, tut-tutting at Ludwig Svennerstal’s knickers (see EN’s Facebook!) when he walked past us without a top on, and Nana’s son Toby slept the whole way round so I’d say he was pretty heavenly too!

Not to be outdone, Kitty brought her two dogs with her and Haggis is probably more high maintenance than the most disobedient toddler — slightly (!) deaf, maybe a bit blind, and in season!

Massive thanks to both Kitty and Nana for their help, and wishing them great rides tomorrow on the cross country.  You can follow Kitty on twitter at @kittyeventing  and she is also really good at updating her blog and diary on her website at kittyking.co.uk; Nana also has a website at nanadaltoneventrider.co.uk. Go Cross Country, Go Bramham, Go Eventing!

Bramham: WebsiteScheduleLive ScoresEN’s Coverage@samanthalclarkTwitterInstagram

Bramham CCI3* Dressage Wraps Up Under Glorious Sunshine

Pippa Funnell and Sandman. Photo by Samantha Clark. Pippa Funnell and Sandman. Photo by Samantha Clark.

At the end of the dressage phase at Bramham Pippa Funnell finds herself leading the CIC division on Billy The Biz and in equal third position in the CCI on Sandman. (All scores here). Both horses are still green at this level but Pippa hopes that if she can get the mileage into them she thinks they may well end up being two of the best horses she’s ever had in all three phases.

Billy The Biz, a ten year old homebred grey gelding by Cevin Z has only been eventing for a year and a half as he show-jumped with Pippa, and half owner Carol Toliver until he was a seven year old.

Sandman, a stunning 9 year old bay gelding by Sandro Boy Junior was bought from Germany as a six year old off a video after a former working pupil gave Pippa a heads up about him, and once Pippa and her mother realised how nice he was they decided to give Pippa’s long time mentor Ruth McMullen a share in him for her 80th birthday.

“She’s here watching this weekend which is lovely because it sort of feels like it’s come full circle. All those years I had horses of hers and she was super because she never sold them and gave me a chance to ride them, and I thought it would be nice for her to have an interest and it’s great.”

Pippa Funnell and Sandman. After buying him sight unseen as a 6 year old  on the advice of a former working pupil and having watched a youtube video of him xc schooling, Pippa admits that her one moment of doubt about Sandman was when he initially stepped off the lorry, "because he is SO narrow"

Pippa Funnell and Sandman. After buying him sight unseen as a 6 year old on the advice of a former working pupil and having watched a youtube video of him xc schooling, Pippa admits that her one moment of doubt about Sandman was when he initially stepped off the lorry, “because he is SO narrow.” Photo by Samantha Clark.

Although he recently won at Chatsworth which has put him on the radar, Pippa maintains that Bramham’s cross country will be a big ask for Sandman and as such she has no real expectations, “I’m not putting pressure on them or myself, I’m just going to go out and enjoy it; I’m going to ride them according to how they feel not necessarily according to the clock.”

One thing all the riders agree on is that the cross country track is one to be respected; you bring a horse to Bramham if you want to find out what you’ve got. CCI3* leader Flora Harris is looking forward to attacking it on Bayano after a mistake at Tattersalls a couple of weeks ago.

“I think there’s plenty to do, it definitely won’t be a dressage competition. I think it’s absolutely beautiful, I think Ian’s done a fantastic job, the ground is great, the course looks great but there’s plenty to do all the way home. He was a little bit cheeky at a corner at Tattersalls and I think in hindsight our preparation could have been slightly different the day before cross country.

“We gave him a very, very light work out and I felt like the horse was super-confident and almost a little bit fresh so we decided to re-route and today we’ve worked a little bit harder in preparation for tomorrow, and I’m feeling really confident, the horse feels amazing. We’ve done work on that type of fence obviously since then and he feels very, very good and I’m certainly feeling like we’re going to go out and give it a good go tomorrow.

With the scores tightly packed — there are just 20 penalties i.e. a stop cross country separating the top 50, and eleven penalties would about cover the top 30 — Flora has a 1.3 margin lead, and she says Bayano, a 9 year old bay gelding, can still improve more.

“It’s taken us a long time to get to this point and it’s really in the last six weeks that it feels like we’ve finally nailed it, and at this point I still feel like there are still more marks in him. My halts were my weak point today but he’s been very, very tricky up until this point so I’m thrilled that he’s buckling down. I think he has more strength to come, and I think the canter work will be better when he’s stronger but no, he was fab, very very good, I’m really pleased with him.”

William Fox-Pitt and Fernhill Pimms

William Fox-Pitt and Fernhill Pimms. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Fernhill Pimms was by no means the flashiest mover we saw today, in fact I think all three judges gave him a 7 for his paces, but his rider William Fox-Pitt didn’t give any points away. Forward and correct, smooth, flowing, accurate and secure, there was nothing to fault and thus they lie 2nd after the dressage phase — he is that good, people!

Kitty King and Persimmon Photo by Samantha Clark

Kitty King and Persimmon. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Kitty King is tied for third place on Persimmon with Pippa on Sandman, “I was really chuffed with how he went, he was really rideable and he did the best changes he’s done in a test. He can get a little bit long in his outline and try to go down but he stayed up quite well and tried to listen and stayed pretty supple throughout the test.”

Kitty shared that Persimmon can still be a little temperamental at times although he’s much improved since he was a young horse, and although she’s relieved he doesn’t lose his temper like he used to, his quirkiness can have it’s advantages on the cross-country,

“If he’s making out that he’s tired I know that one touch with the whip he’s so mentally tough and he hates to be told off so much. you can’t even touch him on the shoulder, that you’ll never get to the bottom of him, he’s such a tough nut so that’s quite good to know! It’s just about keeping him on side and listening, and not letting him get too keen cross country, sometimes his legs go a bit quicker than his brain! He’s feeling on good form though so I’m hoping he’ll give me a nice ride tomorrow.

“It was always my plan to bring him here to Bramham because it’s a tough track and the terrain is quite testing for them, and with the European Championships being at Blair which is again a track with very tough terrain, I was hoping that if we went well enough here we would stand a decent chance to get selected for Blair and then this run would be a good preparation for the hills there, and it would teach me a bit more about him and his fitness and how he deals with the hills if we’re lucky enough to go there.”

Nick Gauntlett and Crown Talisman Photo by Samantha Clark

Nick Gauntlett and Crown Talisman. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Crown Talisman looks like he’s loving the European lifestyle and Nick looks very at home on him too; I’m excited to see this partnership progress — he’s such a super horse and I still think we’ve only seen glimpses of how good he might be yet. The fact that he’s in the top ten after the dressage at a serious event again is a testament not only to his and Nick’s budding relationship, but also to Doug Payne’s solid foundation of groundwork and Tali’s lovely temperament.

I’m sure Doug is very proud and cheering him on in the US, and also he should be proud that he found the horse and several more like him that he’s bringing up just as well. It’s not easy to part with such a prospect but hopefully this makes it a little sweeter — that and the groundbreaking on the new farm!

Francis Whittington and Fernhill Highlight Photo by Samantha Clark

Francis Whittington and Fernhill Highlight. Photo by Samantha Clark.

We’ve been thoroughly spoilt by three days of gorgeous sunshine up here in Yorkshire but it wouldn’t be British not to discuss the weather endlessly so now that we’ve all compared sunburn, complained about the heat, laughed at our lack of summer fashion sense there’s rain in the forecast and we can start all over agin.

Depending on how many times you check and which website, it may or may not rain all day Saturday and Sunday, most of the day, all night, light rain, heavy rain, intermittently or constantly. One thing we can be certain of is we’ll be getting some weather these next two days, and we’ll be talking about it. In all seriousness we are supposed to get some rain, I don’t know how much.

Sarah Cohen and Treason  - a combination that should eat up the cross country at Bramham Photo by Samantha Clark

Sarah Cohen and — a combination that should eat up the cross country at Bramham. Photo by Samantha Clark.

We’ve also been thoroughly spoilt by the organisation here and the general helpfulness and friendliness of all the volunteers — many thanks to them all, especially the formula one style buggy drivers ferrying us up and down from the stables to the arenas – Liz Halliday, I don’t know why you bothered going all the way over to LeMans for race cars, you  should have come here!

A big day tomorrow: CIC Show-Jumping starts at 8:30 am GB time, CCI3* XC starts at 9:30am GB time (4:30am US eastern) Katherine Coleman is due to set off at 10:45am GB (5:45am US) and Lauren should start at 10:51am GB (5:51am US) Hopefully everything will run bang on time and Caroline Martin will start on Quantum Solace at 1:28pm GB (8:28am US).

I’ll be tweeting as much as possible and have a full report as soon as I can, wifi permitting. Wishing all the riders tomorrow the very best of luck, and safe and speedy rides. Go Bramham and Go Eventing!

Bramham: WebsiteScheduleLive ScoresEN’s Coverage@samanthalclarkTwitterInstagram

#EventerProblems, VII

All around the world, hopeless eventing addicts are taking to social media to acknowledge the fact that, yes, they have a problem. Too bad admitting it isn’t the first step to recovery. Once an addict, always an addict, but at least we’re all in this thing together, right?

Our #EventerProblems series rages on with 20 more reader-submitted troubles that only eventers will understand.

If you missed them: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI.

When you finally take your boots off after a day of showing. #eventerproblems #itwasagoodrunsocks #heelsdown A photo posted by MercatMiller (@mercatmiller) on

When your horse thinks a grass pacifier is necessary to school XC. #EventerProblems #NinerFiveOneTango

A photo posted by Haley Mac Johnson (@maclbee) on

Dear Horse Gods (and rich people),Please gift me with a truck and horse trailer (or just the trailer, I can borrow a…

Posted by Emily Francis on Friday, May 29, 2015

What’s YOUR problem? Tweet it, Instagram it or share it on Facebook with the hashtag #EventerProblems for inclusion in the next edition of this series.

Go Eventing!

FEI Approves U.S. Nations Cup Event and Other Bureau Meeting Notes

FEI President Ingmar De Vos at the 2015 FEI Sports Forum. FEI/Germain Arias-Schreiber FEI President Ingmar De Vos at the 2015 FEI Sports Forum. FEI/Germain Arias-Schreiber

The spring in-person meeting of the FEI Bureau, held at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI), took place this week. A full summary of the main decisions made during the meeting can be reviewed at this link. Let’s take a look at some key decisions that will impact eventing.

Nations Cup

The U.S. has been awarded a 2016 Nations Cup date for eventing, but the venue and date have not yet been revealed. Great Meadow confirmed to EN that they were the only venue to apply for a date, so that’s likely the venue. Now we await the date and official announcement. Hosting a Nations Cup in the U.S. will drastically improve our chances of impacting the series and securing a spot on the leaderboard.

External Audit of Eventing

The Bureau was updated about the external audit of eventing by Charles Barnett, former director of Ascot Racecourse. According to the FEI’s meeting report, “The expert is currently concentrating on statistics and is interviewing various parties.”

The report is expected to be finalized at the end of the year and will contain an analysis of horse falls related to jumping efforts on cross country, risk factors associated with falls and a review of the qualification systems. If you need a frustrating reminder of other changes proposed by Charles Barnett, including changing the name of the sport to Equestrathon, click here.

World Equestrian Games

In response to concerns about the complex logistics and high cost of staging the Games, the Bureau approved the principle to control the number of participants in each discipline at WEG. This is considered key for the future of the Games, particularly for attracting new organizers and establishing TV partnerships, which FEI President Ingmar De Vos has made clear is a priority since the start of his term.

Entry Fees

The Bureau approved a proposal that the maximum entry fees charged for FEI events do not include value-added tax or other government taxes.

Veterinary Matters

A new administrative system will be implemented for the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Programme (EADCMP) in 2016. With that, the number of horses to be tested at events will no longer be a stated requirement and testing will not only take place at 3* events or higher, but at any level of event determined by the FEI Veterinary Department.

Currently, Article 1057 in the FEI Eventing Rules for 2015 states that sampling must be carried out at CCI3*, CCI4*, CIOs, World Cup Qualifiers and Cup Finals, Championships and Games, and at events where EADCMP sampling is compulsory, 5% of Horses, or a minimum of 3, must be tested.

[FEI Bureau Meeting Summary of Main Decisions]

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace Rise to The Occasion at Bramham

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace in the Bramham U25 CCI3*. Photo by Samantha Clark. Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace in the Bramham U25 CCI3*. Photo by Samantha Clark.

It’s been a long build up to Caroline Martin’s first CCI3* on an international stage, and the Bramham arena is a pretty intimidating one in which to make your debut. That being said she coped admirably and rode a pleasant, mistake free test to score 52.9.

The changes happened but were not smooth, and perhaps if I were being picky I’d like to see the whole picture consistently a little softer, rounder, more forward but pity the poor girl who went in before her, Hannah Taylor, who endured a truly nightmare ride, and due to an error of course and misunderstanding about whether or not she’d completed her test Caroline had an extra long wait before her bell rang to go in and start, which can only have added to her nerves and she handled the pressure extremely well.

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace in the Bishop Burton College U25 CCI3* at Equitrek Bramham International Horse Trials

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace in the Bishop Burton College U25 CCI3* at Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials. Photo by Samantha Clark.

It must be an advantage that she is riding Quantum Solace, a horse to her that feels like slipping on your favourite pair of pyjama bottoms they know each other so well, and she has so much faith and confidence in him. Yes, you could tell she was slightly nervous, but as coach Buck Davidson said afterwards, it’s only to be expected, and from this she’ll learn, and grow, and improve.

“This test was better even than the test she did at Tattersalls a couple of weeks ago. She did a great job; I think always the first time going into a big ring is something you can’t practice and they took a little while to ring the bell and you could see she didn’t know quite what to do so it took her a little while to get into it, but she was very quiet, very accurate, very steady but it just wasn’t quite as big as it can be.

“I’m super proud of her, I thought she did a great job and the horse was fantastic. Everything is always building to the next thing so she should be super proud of herself at her first international competition, she held it completely together and we know we have a horse that can finish on whatever he does in the dressage, and we’re happy. She rode great, she kept her head together and now she has to keep her head together more for the next two phases.”

Caroline Martin completes the first phase on Quantum Solace at Bramham.

Caroline Martin completes the first phase on Quantum Solace at Bramham. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Caroline agreed that this is most definitely not a dressage competition, “I felt great. Buck gave me a great warm-up and he felt amazing going in and we did the best we could at the moment so I’m really happy with him. He’s an amazing horse and I don’t think this place is a dressage show, it’s definitely all three phases, it’s going to come down to that at the end of the day.”

More to come later, including pics of Veronica having a jump school, and Kitty King and Nana Dalton discussing a couple of the cross country jumps, but until then Go Caroline and Nacho, and Go Equi-Trek Bramham Eventing!

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