Classic Eventing Nation

Tuesday News and Notes from Cavalor

By on May 19, 2015 12:05 am -
"Vroom," © 2010. Artwork by Lindsey Kahn

We’re over halfway through May, which means that flowers are blooming, foals are frolicking, clinic and show seasons are underway, and (in my case) I’m finding more and more artistic inspiration in the animals I encounter and the scenery I see everyday. In addition to teaching riding lessons, managing a business, and writing for the glorious website that is EN, I also fill my time with visual art. I’m excited and honored to have been invited to showcase my portfolio at several amazing art shows in Minnesota this year, which has made my spring suddenly much busier (and more awesome).

To see progress pics and updates on my art, please check out my Facebook page. For a ridiculous trip down memory lane, check out EN’s (in)Famous Spooking Styles. If you have some fun ideas for a new (in)Famous illustrated article, shoot me an email at [email protected]!

Events Opening Today: Kelly’s Ford Horse Trials (VA, A-2), Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (GA, A-3), Camelot Equestrian Horse Park Horse Trials (CA, A-6), South Farm H.T. (OH, A-8), Coconino Classic 3-Day Event (AZ, A-10)

Events Closing Today: GMHA June HorseTrials (VT, A-1), Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club Spring Horse Trials  (NY, A-1), Plantation Field H.T. (PA, A-2), The Middleburg H.T. (VA, A-2), River Glen June H.T. (TN, A-3), Roebke’s Run CCI & CIC2/1* & H.T. (MN, A-4), Texas Rose Horse Park Summer H.T. (TX, A-5), Copper Meadows H.T. (CA, A-6), Arrowhead H.T. (MT, A-7), Derbyshire Farms H.T. (MI, A-8)

News and Notes: 

Want to join the most eclectic team of eventing journalists around? Then you’ll want to enter our Fifth Annual EN Blogger Contest for your shot! We’re looking for our next victim talented writer to join our team, and entries are open until tonight at 8 p.m. EST. [EN Blogger Contest]

Thinking about entering the Great Meadow International CIC3*? Clarifications have been posted regarding the entry process on the Omnibus listing, and event organizer Darrin Mollett has released the following statement: “The CIC3* is open to all qualified competitors and is not an invitational.  Entries will be accepted until the maximum of 25 entries are received in the order in which they are received by postmark.  Riders are limited to two horses.  In the case of excessive entries, the entries from the top 10 athletes on the USEA Overall Leaderboard as of June 1, 2015 will receive priority over all other entries, regardless of entry postmark date.  Non-US based athletes will be chosen based on FEI horse/rider ranking as of June 1, 2015 rather than US national ranking ( i.e., non-US based compared to US based using the FEI horse/rider ranking). If you have any questions about your qualifications, please contact Steve Symansky at 540-687-6333 or [email protected].

MK’S Concord Dawn leads PFEE’s Thoroughbred Competitive Series: The Plantatian Field Equestrian Events’ Thoroughbred Competitive Series has garnered a great deal of interest as it highlights and recognizes eventing Thoroughbreds. Molly Kinnamon’s MK’s Concord Dawn (by Smart Guy out of Delta Street) is currently leading the series after winning two Novice divisions at Plantatian Field horse trials. There are currently 61 horses competing in the series, with 23 earning points toward the award. The winner of the Thoroughbred Competitive Series wins a $5,000 cash award, which is generously sponsored by Kathleen Crompton. [PFEE Press Release]

Rekindle your passion for equestrian life: The Equestrian Trailblazers Summit is a video series gathering 24 successful and innovative leaders in the equine industry, beginning on June 1st and running for 11 days! “It will be a celebration of the amazing equestrian innovations taking place around the world,” says creator June Burgess. Join experts such as Monty Roberts, Lisa Diersen (Equus Film Festival), Beth Rasin (COTH) and many more as they share the secrets behind their motivation and success. The website is open for registration for this free video summit. [Equestrian Trailblazers Summit Press Release]

“I figured if I was gonna die, I was gonna die with my horses.” In 2013, Vietnam veteran Rodger Howell was told he was dying from exposure to Agent Orange. He decided that the best way to spend his remaining time on Earth was to travel the country with his horses Sunny and Dancer and his Border collie Banjo, traveling and living out of a horse-drawn wagon. While the veteran and former police chief’s journey was originally designed to help him get away from people, Howell has found many friendly and welcoming people along the way. Read all about Howell’s ongoing cross-country journey here: [Veteran travels country by horse-drawn wagon]

Video of the Day: After getting teary-eyed while watching American Pharoah kick butt in the Preakness Stakes, I just had to go back and rewatch Secretariat’s phenomenal victory at the 1973 Belmont Stakes. I cry every time. There’s just something about watching Big Red surge ahead of the field and keep on building momentum that absolutely shatters me.

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Mustang Helmet Cam from CHC International

By on May 18, 2015 5:00 pm -

Team Tredstep rider Elisa Wallace and her magical mustang, Hwin, had a great run in the Novice Horse division at CHC International this weekend, finishing third out of 18 with just four jumping penalties in show jumping added. You can really see Hwin blossoming as she steps up to the plate as an event horse, and her confident run in this week’s helmet cam is really fun to watch.

Congratulations to Elisa and Hwin on a successful weekend! We can’t wait to see the next helmet cam! To follow along with more updates from Wallace Eventing, click here.

Omega Alpha Blogger Challenge: Conga Finds a New Solution with Sinew-X

By on May 18, 2015 3:00 pm -

We recently selected a few bloggers to try out a 30 day supply of Omega Alpha’s popular joint supplement, Sinew-X. These bloggers have received their supply and will be starting their horses on a 30 day regimen, all while blogging about their observations and results! We can’t wait to see how their horses take to the supplement, and we hope you enjoy following along! Ute Shepherd sent in her recap blog of her experiences using Sinew-X on her OTTB mare, Conga.

Photo by Ute Shepherd.

Photo by Ute Shepherd.

Conga finished her final dose of Sinew-X a little while ago now and I can’t be more pleased with the results. We have been working with her on the lunge line and under saddle again now that the weather is cooperating a little more, and she has been doing wonderfully.

As a matter of fact, she has done so well on the Omega Alpha Equine Sinew-X that I will continue her on it. Lucky for us, it is available at the tack and vet supply store that I frequent, so I don’t have to worry about trying to locate a dealer. It is very affordable and available in a 1 liter bottle as well as a 1 gallon jug.

Her movement has been fluid and she has had no issues with stiffness or soreness or inflammation.

Conga is very young and will benefit from a joint supplement due to her previous injuries from the race track. I am please how she continued to eat the supplement added to the top of her grain without any problems. That in itself is huge for me. She likes the taste and I don’t have to worry about her sifting through it and wasting it. During turnout she has been feeling good and if my horse is happy, I am happy.

It is very important to me that the Omega Alpha products are all natural and uses the best ingredients. If I had a question, a knowledgeable person would respond quickly and answer all questions. I am thankful for having been selected as one of the guest bloggers and the opportunity to try this product. I have already bragged and recommended Omega Alpha Equine’s Sinew-X to my other horse friends.

 

Weekly Training Tip from Kate Chadderton: Warm-Ups

By on May 18, 2015 1:00 pm -

Kate Chadderton is an Australian native who operates a competition and training business in Maryland. She recently began offering weekly tips and advice, and we're pleased that she's graciously allowed us to share them here on EN. Keep an eye out for a new tip each week from Kate!

Kate Chadderton and Buckharo. Photo by Jenni Autry. Kate Chadderton and Buckharo. Photo by Jenni Autry.

After weeks (years!) of training and lessons, your performance at a show largely comes down to your warm-up. My warm-ups vary from horse to horse and between the phases. For the dressage phase I start with some slow stretching in walk, trot and canter. Once my horse is relaxed I bring his/her frame up and start to work on the movements. 

Typically I’ll go straight into the ones I know will be more difficult for the horse, eg. shoulder in, half pass. Once I’m comfortable I have the horse on my aids I will finish with the easier movements which are more fun right before we go in the ring. I want my horses to be happy and confident as they head down the centreline.

For example, (VS McCuan Civil Liberty) LOVES medium and extended trot. And he’s really good at it! So I’ll finish my warmup with a couple of really big ones and I swear he feels like the biggest and greatest horse in the warmup! That’s the feeling I try to take into the ring. For the younger horses it’s the same concept but I might use canter as it’s an easy and soothing gait for a baby.

In the jumping phases I use a similar approach. It’s so important to me that each horse wants to do and enjoys his job. Of course there are particular fences that are more difficult for the individual than others, so I like to prepare them for that.

After jumping a couple of warmup fences to get them going I then start to get specific. For example, (Buckharo) doesn’t always pick up on angles right away, so I’ll jump 6 or 8 fences on an acute angle to get his eye in. Generally it’ll be three times off each rein, but sometimes a warm-up will be fenced so I can only do one way. Then I always finish by jumping something big and easy from a gallop, again so they head to the start box feeling awesome!

Megan Moore Welcomes Full Bay My Hero Sibling to the U.S.

By on May 18, 2015 11:00 am -
Megan Moore and Mooney Maguire after winning their first outing together this weekend. Photo by Howard Moore. Megan Moore and Mooney Maguire after winning their first outing together this weekend. Photo by Howard Moore.

It’s not too often we see a full sibling to a four-star winner in the U.S., but Megan Moore’s most recent acquisition, Mooney Maguire, is just that. After a recent horse shopping trip to Europe, Megan found herself enamored with an 8-year-old full sibling to 2014 Rolex Kentucky winner Bay My Hero, and now she’s welcomed this exciting new talent into her program as an upper level prospect.

“We went on a shopping trip for clients and we were very successful and were pretty much done,” Megan recalled. “On the day we were due to fly out, our friends there called and said they had one more for us to look at, and that he was showing that weekend.”

Megan went and had her first look at Mooney Maguire, a towering Irish Sport Horse standing 17 hands. “I said I would love to sit on him, and we just clicked instantly,” she said. “I had been thinking of him for a client, but unfortunately they wanted a small horse so he was just too big for them. I wasn’t really supposed to be sitting on anything for myself, but I just instantly fell in love.”

Mooney Maguire (Cult Hero – Bing Power, by Tomgar Power Crest) is one of four full siblings to Bay My Hero bred by Bryan Mcguire. Sourced by Chris and Sue Ryan, Mooney competed through Prelim in Ireland before making the trip to the U.S. Mooney Maguire is the second youngest of the four. Hip Hop Hero (2005) currently competes at the three-star level with Ruth Edge, Be My Hero (2001) at the one-star level, and Mooney Amach (2008) who is aiming for the Junior Europeans with young rider Jessica Kuehnle.

Megan had the opportunity to spend some time chatting with breeder Bryan Mcguire while in Ireland, who told her the details of horses sired by the late Cult Hero. “Bryan said that (Mooney Mcguire) needs a bigger track — he needs a 1.30m track,” she said. “He’s not the most extravagant horse over smaller fences, but I get the feeling that I would want to be cantering down to a big fence on him. I feel that often the really good horses aren’t necessarily the best at the lower levels, and he’s not enormously impressive but he gives me a great feeling.”

Megan and Mooney Maguire in their first U.S. outing together. Photo by Howard Moore.

Megan and Mooney Maguire in their first U.S. outing together. Photo by Howard Moore.

“Bryan also said Cult Heros really come into their own at age seven,” she continued. “They’re not really ones to do the young classes on because they tend to mature a bit later.”

Mooney does have a smattering of show jumping rails marring an otherwise clean record featuring no cross country jumping faults. Megan is up for the challenge, however, and she and Mooney proved how well they clicked by jumping clear in their first CT together this past weekend to earn his first U.S. blue ribbon.

“I’ve had some experience fixing (a high number of rails in show jumping), and I love working with quirky horses, which he is,” Megan said. “Cult Hero offspring are said to be a bit quirky and spooky, but I don’t like to be bored. I have very high aspirations for him.”

Megan will now spend some time cementing her new partnership before she plans to bring him out at Prelim next month. “I’m going to play it by ear. He’s settled in beautifully and we just get along like peas and carrots. I just need to get him out cross country schooling to see where we’re at. I’m really excited about him. He’s going to be one of my top horses coming along.”

Megan’s father, Howard Moore, stepped into bring Mooney Maguire to the U.S., an opportunity for which she is immensely grateful. “I’ll be selling some horses or putting together a syndicate to pay him back,” she said. “It was incredibly kind of him. This is the first time I’ve ever had a horse that knew anything — we’ve always broken our own or started them off the track, so this is a new experience for me. He was beautifully produced, so we just got very lucky that we happened to stumble upon him.”

We’ll be following Megan and Mooney as they progress with their partnership, but suffice it to say we’re excited to see what the future holds for this pair. Welcome to the U.S., Mooney!

Fab Freebie: Keep Your Horse Comfy with a Bucas Power Turnout Lite

By on May 18, 2015 9:00 am -
Jesse hasn't quite gotten his model pose down...but he still looks dashing in his Power Turnout! Photo by Sally Spickard. Jesse hasn't quite gotten his model pose down...but he still looks dashing in his Power Turnout! Photo by Sally Spickard.

Bucas is a brand you basically can’t go a day without seeing these days. Each day, I see a new horse sporting a sleek new Bucas cooler or sheet. Indeed, Bucas is making waves in the blanketing industry, and for good reason.

We recently reviewed the Bucas Power Turnout in its lightweight form, and we were really impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of the design. While summer may be approaching, there are still a few chilly mornings this month that have prompted me to throw a sheet on — and fall will be here before we know it, unfortunately. Unless you live in California, then this does not apply to you, which we are very envious of.

At any rate, this week we’re teaming up with the Bucas team to give away a lightweight Power Turnout, which will be a great addition to anyone’s horse wardrobe. How is it that my horse is better dressed than me? There’s something wrong with this picture.

Entries will close on Thursday, May 21 at midnight EST and we’ll announce the winner in Friday’s News & Notes. To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter below to enter up to three times. Good luck!

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian

By on May 18, 2015 12:02 am -
Father/daughter team Phillip and Olivia Dutton at Fair Hill Horse Trials this weekend. Photo via Evie Dutton's Instagram Father/daughter team Phillip and Olivia Dutton at Fair Hill Horse Trials this weekend. Photo via Evie Dutton's Instagram

Phillip Dutton may have been competing seven horses (finishing with five in the top five) at the Training, Preliminary and Intermediate levels at the Fair Hill May Horse Trials this weekend. However, he of course found time to support his daughter Olivia and her horse Santa’s Playboy, who jumped clear around their first Training together. How special it is that father and daughter share the same passion and can be there to cheer each other on!

U.S. Weekend Results:

Hitching Post Farm H.T. [Results]

Fair Hill International May H.T. [Results]

CHC International H.T. & CIC [Results]

Otter Creek Spring H.T. [Results]

Sol Events at Corona del Sol H.T. [Results]

The Event at Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Results]

Equestrians Institute H.T.  [Website]

CCC Spring Gulch H.T.  [Website]

Monday News and Notes:

Want to join the most eclectic team of eventing journalists around? Then you’ll want to enter our Fifth Annual EN Blogger Contest for your shot! We’re looking for our next victim talented writer to join our team, and entries are open until Tuesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. EST. [EN Blogger Contest]

One penalty point separated the top two at Chatsworth horse trials in England this weekend. Despite 18 time penalties on cross country, Pippa Funnell managed to retain her lead with Sandman 7 to earn her third Chatsworth trophy. Sarah Ennis on Horseware Stellor Rebound were second while Britain’s Emily King took third place on Brookleigh, with mom Mary on grounds for support. [Pippa Funnell re-writes the record books at Chatsworth]

Inspired by the bedtime stories she told her son, Lottie Prentice has published a children’s book chronicling her horse of a lifetime Ted’s great adventures as a cheeky, mischievous character. The four-star horse was a well-known celebrity on the eventing circuit in his prime. Bold, beautiful and a bit naughty, Ted was particularly popular amongst his pint-sized fans. [A cheeky horse called Ted]

The fate of Andrew Nicholson’s and ESNZ’s relationship is expected to be decided at an Equestrian Sports New Zealand board meeting later this month. With New Zealand not yet qualified for Rio, the decision is a weighty one, but it seems clear both parties are ready to resolve the conflict one way or another. [Rider wants clarity on his Olympic role]

Eventing ingrains in us certain qualities and skills that we often subconsciously apply to other areas of life. Things like managing nerves, making the most of mistakes and inherent adaptability are just a few of the tools we take from the ring to the real world. [5 ways eventing makes you better at reaching your goals]

Monday Video: Buzzterbrown was unable to make it to Rolex this year, but he did video the Intermediate class at the Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Horse Trials at Morven Park that weekend. The description on this video said the event was well organized, though his horse was slightly surprised by the sunken road on the Novice course!

Stefanie Brand Recovering from Broken Collarbone After Rotational Fall at CHC International

By on May 17, 2015 7:18 pm -
Stefanie Brand and Claudius. Photo via Stefanie on Facebook. Stefanie Brand and Claudius. Photo via Stefanie on Facebook.

Guatemalan rider Stefanie Brand is awaiting surgery to repair a broken collarbone after suffering a rotational fall on course at CHC International yesterday. Stefanie and her 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Claudius, got tangled up at fence 7, a corner combination on the Intermediate course.

Barry Tomason, who was grooming for Stefanie this weekend, has been in touch with Stefanie’s parents, who are waiting with her at an Atlanta area hospital for surgery. “They are all very thankful for the emergency response,” he said. “Everything was handled correctly and quickly. She was wearing an air vest, and the medical staff are certain it kept things from being much worse.”

Claudius was uninjured in the fall, which coach Peter Gray says looked as if the pair misjudged their line. Stefanie has only been in the U.S. for a couple of weeks, working with Peter as she prepares for the Pan American Games. Representing Guatemala, Stefanie and Claudius were the individual gold medalists at the Central American Games in 2014.

Stefanie had her sights set on Bromont as her final prep for Pan Ams in Toronto, and her plan was to only run a portion of the cross country at CHC International as a refresher to get acclimated to U.S. eventing. For now, her plans for the Pan Ams are on hold. “She wants to be Boyd Martin and be tough and suck it up,” Barry said. “And we all hope she will make it back in time, but that’s all on hold right now.”

We wish Stefanie a speedy recovery and are thankful that Claudius is resting comfortably as he awaits the return of his rider. We’ll provide more updates on this story as they become available.

This Week in Horse Health News Presented by Absorbine

By on May 17, 2015 5:00 pm -
How well do you know your horse trailer? Photo from TheHorse.com and Photos.com How well do you know your horse trailer? Photo from TheHorse.com and Photos.com

When I hop in my car each morning, I put the key in the ignition, fire up the engine, and away I go. I don’t really stop to think too much about auto maintenance, other then keeping up with my regular oil changes, tire rotations, and monitor the air pressure in my tires. Ok, so maybe I pay a little more attention then I thought.

My horse trailer does not see the same level of maintenance as my car or truck. I certainly do some safety checks each time I hook it up, and before I load one of my horses up. Because I feel like making sure that all of my lights and signals are working, and that the electronic braking system is functioning properly are both very (very) important.

But what about the rest of the trailer? I mean it does get inspected each year, but shouldn’t there be more to maintaining a horse trailer to keep safety standards high for hauling around precious cargo? Head over to The Horse to check out an article on why you should take the time to get to know your trailer better. You’ll also find detailed check points to consider on your trailer, starting from the ground up. You can find the article here.

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

Getting Your Horse to Drink…While Travelling: Do you have a horse who is just plain fussy about drinking water while they are away from their home barn? Check out this article that includes helpful tips on how to make water more appealing to your horse in order to keep them drinking (and hydrated!) while travelling. [Horse Canada]

Fear in Horses: Have you ever ridden a horse that hasn’t spooked at some point? Fear is something that is pretty much a given when dealing with horses. Check out this helpful research based fact sheet that talks about fear in horses, and discusses how to handle fear-based reactions. [The Horse]

Magnesium Really Can Help Make for a Calm Horse: Researchers in Australia have discovered evidence that magnesium supplements actually do help to keep horses calm. These findings will be presented when the Equine Science Society meets in Florida this month. [Horsetalk]

Equine Lyme Disease: How much do you know about equine Lyme disease? Learn more about how Lyme is transmitted to equines, what geographic areas should make sure to be extra-vigilant in monitoring for this condition, and what the clinical symptoms are that you should keep a lookout for in your own horse. [The Horse]

Zara Phillips Talks High Kingdom Injury, Highs and Lows of Horses

By on May 17, 2015 1:05 pm -

Zara Phillips sat down with Land Rover at the Windsor Horse Show to chat about her recent withdrawal of High Kingdom from Rolex as well as Badminton. High Kingdom kicked out in his stall before his dressage test at Rolex, and the result was an injured joint capsule. Veterinarians performed a joint flush and now he is on the road to recovery, aiming for a fall return.

Zara mentioned Burghley as a possibility for her Olympic and WEG mount, and she takes a few moments to chat candidly about the ups and downs that are life with horses. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Zara will still make an appearance in the Rolex Stadium in the near future; in the meantime, we wish High Kingdom and speedy recovery!