Congratulations to Lisa Bohm, this week’s Fab Freebie winner! Lisa is the proud new recipient of new Troxel Liberty Schooling Helmet. Way to #mindyourmelon in style, Lisa! [Fab Freebie: Troxel]
Oliver Townend has taken over Aoife Clark’s ride on Fenya’s Elegance for the upcoming eventing season. The 11 year old mare won Blenheim CCI3* in 2013 as well as Bramham CCI3* in 2014, and made her CCI4* debut at the WEG, finishing in 21st place overall. Oliver is well known for taking on horses that are more than a little tricky to ride, and after Aoife decided not to continue riding the mare, she was sent to his barn. He says that she’s “clearly not straightforward”. [Oliver Townend Rides Fenya’s Elegance]
Mary King posted an explanation of why she withdrew Kings Temptress from Badminton after dressage last week. “Gosh, bad timing. After all the excitement of getting to Badminton and doing the dressage phase, dear Tess went lame behind so I had to withdraw her just before the cross-country”. However, the issue seems to be minor, and manageable through veterinary and farrier maintenance, as Mary is aiming her at Bramham CCI3* in June. [Mary King on Kings Temptress]
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]
Congratulations to Frankie Thieriot, the winner of this spring’s OCD Rehab Story Challenge! Frankie’s article on her horse, Fric, achieved the highest number of views, and she will receive a prize pack from OCD. If you have a rehab story you’d like to submit, keep an eye out for round two of our OCD contest! [Fric Frac Berence’s Rehab Story]
If you’re a boot and wrap collector aficionado like myself, you’ll have to get a pair of these Eskadron Climatex Training Wraps. I was recently introduced to these, and while I initially thought they were just another pair of polos, I was wrong. These wraps keep the legs cooler than polos, and provide quite a bit more cushion and protection than your regular pair of polos. They also look super professional and nice, and seem to hold up well. [SmartPak Product of the Day]
We hope you’ve got your shopping pants on this week, EN! We caught a glimpse of a few show stopping OTTBs this week, and we couldn’t wait to share some of our favorites with you today. If you spot one you’re interested, act fast!
Photo courtesy of CANTER PA.
First up is a lovely gelding named Royal Ignition who just screams sport horse. Royal Ignition (Jump Start – Royal Illusion, by Louis Quartorze) is a 2006, 16.2hh model who raced 48 times, earning just under $64,000 in his career. Royal Ignition has been with the same trainer for seven years, so you’ll be getting him from someone who knows him inside and out — always a plus!
Royal Ignition is advertised on CANTER PA, and we know he’ll be happily headed to his new home soon! Check out more information on this guy here.
Photo via CANTER Mid Atlantic.
Our second horse is just as striking as our first! Meet Automatic Jax, who is currently available through CANTER Mid Atlantic at Mountaineer Park. Automatic Jax (Broken Vow – Nite in Rome, by Harlan’s Holiday) is a 2011 gelding standing 16hh. He did come in with a slight hitch in his gait, and the vets determined that he may have a slight case of stringhalt, but he’s been deemed sound to continue on to a second career.
Automatic Jax raced 22 times, hitting the board nine times. He’s currently enjoying 24/7 turnout and is ready to move into his new home. To find out more, click here.
Photo courtesy of New Vocations.
Last but most certainly not least is this lovely mare, Shooting Star, who is available through New Vocations in Marysville, Oh. Shooting Star (Iron Deputy – Sweetgeorgiabrown, by Mazel Trick) is a special mare who is looking for someone to really form a bond of trust with her. She’s got striking looks and is well built for just about anything, but she will need someone who will draw out her “fun side” and personality.
Shooting Star only raced four times, so she’s fresh and ready to continue on to her next career. Will it be with you? Find out more here.
Leslie Law and Tout de Suite. Photo courtesy of Randy Traynor.
Chattahoochee Hills has worked hard to make their CIC3* and Advanced horse trials a banner event, but their spot on the calendar isn’t making it easy. With Jersey Fresh holding a CIC3* alongside their CCI3* the weekend before, the majority of pairs headed to Bromont are choosing to compete there, particularly if they also have a CCI horse competing. Still, Chatt Hills is drawing a decently sized CIC3* field, with many of the more southern based eventers waiting for Bromont, or even Rebecca Farm’s inaugural CCI3*.
There are eleven pairs in the CIC3* this weekend and four in the Advanced, including two re-routes from Rolex after early trouble on course. A few of the horses are greener, including three who are stepping up to the level for the first time, while at least one is headed overseas in June for Luhmühlen.
The Advanced is performing 2014 USEF A-B while the CIC3* runs 2015 FEI 3*-A. The cross country course designer is Hugh Lochore and the show jumping course designer is Marc Donovan.
TOP FIVE: CIC3*
1. Leslie Law and Tout de Suite: This horse has only two starts at the level thus far, but Leslie has brought him out with a bang, winning Poplar Place from wire to wire after laying down a fantastic dressage score. If he scores even in the same ballpark, these two will find themselves leading from the front again.
Leslie and this horse did this particular test at Poplar with great success to the tune of a 39.1, but even equaling their overall average of 45.3 will give them the lead after the first phase. They’ve had one rail in two show jumping rounds, but a more recent clear in a CIC3* means I’m calling for them to go clear with one time penalty over Marc Donovan’s course.
This will be the first time this horse sees a Hugh Lochore course, but has so far run clear with an average of 8.4 time penalties. Leslie should see himself on top again, with a final score in the high forties
Buck Davidson and D.A. Adirmo. Photo by Jenni Autry.
2. Buck Davidson and D.A. Adirmo: D.A. Adirmo is making a return to Buck’s string this year, having last competed at Advanced and CIC3* in 2013. While this horse was not the most consistent at this level then, he’s had two years to mature and well, it’s Buck.
While D.A. Adirmo hasn’t yet had a chance to perform a 2015 test, he does average 47.9 penalties on the flat, which would be good enough for top two. An average of two rails in the stadium phase will drop these two down a bit after show jumping. In the one Hugh Lochore course this horse has seen, he ran clear with only 9.6 time penalties. Buck should finish third here, with a score in the mid-sixties.
3. Elinor MacPhail and RF Eloquence: Elinor and RF Eloquence parted ways quite early on the Rolex course, and have re-routed here in hopes of a confidence building run. These two dominated the southern circuit last fall and are returning to their home turf this weekend.
RF Eloquence is lovely on the flat, but averages a 50.3 on this test, slightly above his typical average. This pair averages one rail over Marc Donovan courses, but should maintain their placing after the second phase. An overall time penalty average of 12.4 across the country will help land Elinor and this horse in third, with a score just over mid-sixty.
4. Jon Holling and Proper Timing: Jon is just coming back from a well-publicized broken leg, and will be running this level for the first time since February. This pair is quite solid in the dressage and cross country, which will help them place inside the top five this weekend.
These two haven’t seen either of the new 2015 dressage tests yet, but average a 52.8 on the flat. Proper Timing struggles a bit in the stadium phase, and will likely add three rails and three time to his score over Marc Donovan’s course. A clear cross country with an average of 11.2 time penalties over Hugh’s courses will make up the difference, leaving them in fifth with a score in the high seventies.
5. Avery Klunick and In It to Win It: Avery and her partner In It to Win It were well-traveled in 2014, contending Advanced and 3* events on both sides of the country last year. They became well known after the missing bridle incident in the show jumping at the AECs. This will be their first outing this year at this level.
Another pair who haven’t seen the new 2015 tests yet, Avery and In It to Win It average a 61.9 in this phase. In It to Win It does average two rails in the two times he has seen a Marc Donovan course. Although Avery and this gelding haven’t run over one of Hugh’s courses yet, they tend to run clear with an average of 15.2 time penalties for the level. These two should round out the top five with a score in the mid-eighties.
THE SLEEPER
Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino: Jacob formed a partnership with this gray gelding while he spent last year overseas in England. Since then, they’ve become steady and consistent on the flat, with scores that are starting to break into the high forties. In five show jumping rounds, they’ve had a grand total of one rail, at Blair Castle CIC3*.
Where they have slightly struggled is in the cross country phase. Although they’ve completed several events at this level including a CCI3* at Ballindenisk, they’ve had a single 20 on each round. Sooner or later, this young pair will fully sort out the cross country phase, and when they do, expect them to be quite competitive week in and week out.
WINNER: ADVANCED
Zach Brandt and Cavallino Cocktail. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Zach Brandt and Cavallino Cocktail: After an unfortunate fall at The Fork derailed Zach’s plans to compete at his first Rolex, they’ve routed here instead, with the ultimate goal being the CCI3* at Bromont. A solid pair in all three phases, Zach and his mare will certainly make this a competitive weekend.
Zach and Cavallino Cocktail average a score of 37.3 on this particular test, which will possibly land them in the top two after the first phase. They average one rail over Marc Donovan’s courses, but should maintain their placing despite that. These two haven’t seen a Hugh Lochore course yet, but a speedy average of only 5.6 time penalties across the country will help them climb the ranks.
They’ll finish in first with a score in the mid-forties, but you should also keep an eye on Elissa Wallace and Corteo, who will be contesting the horse’s first Advanced.
"All is well in New Jersey! Rocking the side braid heading out of the ICU tonight!!! Thanks so much for all the love and support." Photo via Phoenix Equestrian Team on Facebook.
We’re pleased to report that Jessica Phoenix is still on the mend and making great progress as she recovers from injuries sustained in a fall at Jersey Fresh last weekend. We last reported that Jessica had progressed enough to be moved out of the ICU at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ.
Now, it appears that plans are being made to transport her to a hospital back in Toronto, which will allow her to be closer to home.
“We are working on getting her back to (a) hospital in Toronto, but not sure when that will happen,” Jessica’s husband, Joel, told us. “We hope today or tomorrow, but no confirmation yet! She is feeling better and starting to move slowly; she’s making very good progress.”
Jessica broke three ribs and her sacrum, the triangular bone at the base of the spine, in the fall; she also sustained damage to her liver, which was repaired Saturday afternoon in surgery. She was wearing an air vest during the fall.
We’ll continue to bring you up to date information on Jessica’s recovery. In the meantime, please continue to send well wishes to Jessica as she continues her #superwoman battle back to the saddle.
#teamjessica
We made it home!! So great to be back in canada :)))
[UPDATE 5/15, 11:40 a.m. EST]: The Phoenix Equestrian Team just posted on their Facebook page that Jessica has safely been transported to a hospital in Canada. After a bed opened up, Jessica was flown via air ambulance and will now finish her recovery much closer to home.
Debbie Rosen and The Alchemyst at the 2014 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Photo by Jenni Autry.
After the Nutrena American Eventing Championships last fall, Debbie Rosen bid farewell to her longtime partner, The Alchemyst, as he headed back East in Laine Ashker’s trailer. Debbie had decided to retire her Canadian Sport Horse gelding from upper level competition, and she was entrusting longtime friend Jennie Brannigan to find him a new partner in crime.
Debbie and “Al”, who is 15 this year, enjoyed a long partnership at the Advanced and above levels, and Debbie looked forward to handing the reins to someone for Al to assume the role of teacher.
After testing several possibilities for a sale, a new prospective opportunity surfaced when Jennie and Laine sat down to dinner one evening. “Both Jennie and Laine have previous experience with the horse,” Debbie said. “Together, they hatched an idea for Laine’s working student, Lauren Sherrill, to lease Al.”
The situation couldn’t have worked out any better if the ladies had tried. Lauren was looking for a horse on which she could gain more experience at the Prelim level.
“When we brought Al home with us from AECs, I got to hack him and watched Laine jump him around,” Lauren recalled. “He was just so much fun. I had been looking for something to gain some mileage on, and we’d tried a few others but hadn’t really found anything yet. I wanted something that I could make the ‘green’ mistakes on without killing their confidence.”
While Debbie had had several offers for lease homes or sales, she couldn’t quite fill the niche she sought. “I didn’t necessarily want him to go and be a Pan American Games horse for someone, and he was good for some of the lower level people but I just didn’t feel he was ready for that yet.”
Debbie had added the option to lease the horse should the right situation present itself. “I never really knew leasing was such a big thing for eventers,” Debbie said. “It’s a great way for juniors and amateurs to get experience, it just hadn’t been something I’d thought of at first.”
The Alchemyst surveys his new home in Virginia. Photo via Lauren Sherrill on Facebook.
As luck would have it, The Alchemyst soon found himself on his way to join Lauren in Virginia with the signing of a year’s lease agreement. “We just thought it was perfect,” Lauren said. “I really wanted something to give me confidence, especially in the jumping phases — a cross country machine. And that’s really what (Al) is.”
Lauren and Laine picked Al up from Jennie last week, and they’ve already set out to begin their partnership. While Lauren doesn’t have any immediate plans to compete him, she’s hoping to eventually step out to the one-star level in the coming months.
“I want to get really confident at Prelim and maybe do a one-star,” Lauren said. “I want to do as much as I can and learn everything he has to teach me.”
As Al settles into his home for at least the next year, Debbie couldn’t be more thrilled with how everything worked out. “He really loves it on the East Coast,” she said. “He settled in right away; I couldn’t offer him the big pastures and the hacking space here in Los Angeles, so it’s the best thing for him.”
Debbie is fully supportive of whatever the future may hold for Lauren and Al. “I think longer term (for the lease) is a definite possibility,” she said. “The horse goes around Prelim like it’s Novice. It just depends on what (Lauren) wants to do. If she wants to step up to Intermediate, I think he could absolutely do it.”
Both Lauren and Debbie are thankful for Jennie and Laine’s involvement in finding the perfect match for the big gelding. “(Jennie) always only wants what is best for the horse,” Debbie said. “Al is going to someone who I trust immensely, and with Jennie’s obvious stamp of approval. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better way for this to work out.”
Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Lauren Kieffer has been quietly building a string of upper-level prospects for the past five years, and just about all of the horses — from full brothers Landmark’s Monte Carlo and Landmark’s Monaco to this year’s Jersey Fresh CCI3* runner-up Meadowbrook’s Scarlett and Red Hills CIC3* winner Czechmate — seem to be peaking at just the right time.
This is all made even more impressive by the fact that Lauren has produced these horses from the very beginning of their careers, a journey she started in 2010 after completing her first four-star at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event with Snooze Alarm.
“Aside from Veronica, almost all of my horses I’ve had since they were 4 or 5. After Kentucky in 2010, I didn’t go above Training level for a year, and then it was three years before I went Advanced again until I got Veronica,” Lauren said. “It was probably the best thing that’s every happened to me because I was able to produce these horses, and all of a sudden I’ve got this big depth.”
Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.
That didn’t happen by accident, and Lauren said she is indebted to the generosity of owners like Court and Kylie Ramsay and those who take on the dual breeder-ownership role like Jacqueline Mars, Shannon O’Roark and Marie le Menestrel — we’ll talk more about her in a minute.
“It took those few years of producing the first set and now they’ve showed up, and the goal is to keep them rolling. The American breeding program is a big part of it. With the young ones, whatever baggage they have, you gave them. You produce them the way you like, and they know you and you know them inside and out. And sometimes the ones that might not be the most flashy or talented end up doing a spectacular job because you have that partnership.”
Lauren and Scarlett at Bromont in 2014, where they won the CCI2*.
Exhibit A: Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner mare owned and bred by Marie le Menestrel who has been making waves in her first season of Advanced and stands a very good chance of being named to the U.S. Pan American Games team (if the chinchillas have anything to say about it — more on EN’s picks for the team coming your way shortly).
So what is it about Scarlett that makes her almost unbeatable? We talked to Lauren to get the scoop. Here are five things you need to know about Meadowbrook’s Scarlett.
1. Scarlett was born in the USA.
Scarlett (by All in Black out of Bliss) was bred in Virgina by Marie le Menestrel, whose Meadowbrook Farm is a private breeding facility in the central part of the state. While Marie primarily breeds hunters and dressage horses, sometimes the babies show a natural talent for eventing, and that’s what happened in Scarlett’s case. Marie sent the mare to Lauren as a 4-year-old. Fun fact: Marie was a nanny to William Fox-Pitt when he was a boy, when he had a rather large collection of hamsters. Stay tuned for much more on Marie.
2. Scarlett has never had a cross country jump penalty.
Ever — in 37 career starts, including four events at the Advanced and three-star level. She’s also only ever had five show jumping rails in her entire career. Scarlett means business, ya’ll.
Scarlett loving on barnmate Ron Reagan. Photo courtesy of Lauren Kieffer.
3. Scarlett is like Mary Poppins — practically perfect in every way.
She is the complete opposite of what you’d expect an upper-level mare to be. While her stablemate Veronica lives up to her barn name of “Troll,” Scarlett has “always been super sweet and easy,” Lauren said. “She’s really loving. She bats her eyes at anyone who walks into the barn and snuggles and hugs them.”
4. Scarlett has a drinking problem.
Her groom Shannon Kinsley likes to say that the mare has a drinking problem, as she “drinks water like a fish” and is excellent on the road. “She takes care of herself at shows; she eats all her meals and drains her bucket,” Lauren said. Whether she’s at home or at a show, Scarlett is a cool customer.
5. Scarlett is one of the only horses Jacqueline Brooks has ever jumped.
Popular dressage rider and trainer Jacqueline Brooks coaches a number of event riders, including Lauren, and Scarlett is the only horse she Jacqueline has ever jumped. Scarlett is also the mount of choice for Lauren’s mom, Jo (better known as Mama Kiefs), when she visits for Christmas.
Dom Schramm knows how 2 ride horses, 4 realz. Photo courtesy of Dom.
Yesterday I had the joy of starting my new once-a-week job as instructor at a local barn, wherein I give group lessons to a variety of adorable children on lesson ponies. I never got the chance to experience these saintly animals as a child, because I rode at home with my mother and my own ponies….who were probably still saints, but significantly more naughty as I remember. Ponies are the best thing ever because they always know exactly just how much they can get away with, and where to draw the line. My favorite is when the pony is absolutely not going to canter unless you are super determined to make it happen, and they begrudgingly give the kid a few strides before lapsing back into a trot. God bless ponies.
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]
Sadly, an inquest into the death of eventer Jordan McDonald revealed that his body protector did not meet British Eventing standards. Jordan was fatally injured in a rotational fall at Nunney Horse Trials last year in England, and a recent inquest proves that the cross country vest he was wearing at the time was substandard. Amongst other injuries, his fall caused a lung laceration, which could have been prevented with a better vest, and possibly increased chances of resuscitation. BE is now reevaluating rules for approval of cross country vests in competition. [Substandard Cross Country Vest]
As we well know, William Fox Pitt claimed his second Badminton title last weekend on Chilli Morning. This makes him the first stallion ever (Chilli, not William) to win the event! William last won the event eleven years ago on the incomparable Tamarillo, who William has confessed as his favorite horse ever. Click to watch the interview where he talks a bit more about Chilli and Tam and how they are similar and different! [WFP Wins Badminton]
It’s not every day you see a paint thoroughbred racehorse. Koda Chrome, already famous at the age of three, made his racing debut last week at Beltarra Track in Ohio. He finished third, and his owners have big hopes for him to beat the pants off more plain clothed thoroughbreds in the future. [Overo TB Third in Maiden]
EN reader Cornelia Dorr sent us this great video from a recent school project that she produced. “I was assigned as my final project for English class to present my passion to my grade. That was easy! Within two seconds I knew that I was going to do,” she said. “I made a video which you can see here. It is clips of my horse Hugo and I (aka Sir Patico MH) competing. My goal was to show my class what it takes to be an event rider and how much time and energy it requires. Not many of them are familiar with horse let alone our sport.”
Cornelia competes at Prelim on the East Coast with her horse, Sir Patico MH. Many thanks to Cornelia for sending in this great video — we think the accompanying speech makes for a truly relatable video. Go Eventing!
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Badminton 2015 winner William Fox-Pitt: Business as usual. Photo by Samantha Clark.
So begins five jam-packed days of competition at Aston Le Walls in Northamptonshire, the purpose-built eventing base of Nigel and Ann Taylor, and it almost seemed like pretty much everyone who competed at Badminton over the weekend was there as well as everyone else in the eventing world, and except for a number of people congratulating William Fox-Pitt as he went about his business you could almost be forgiven for thinking Badminton never happened — it’s definitely back to business as usual. All scores/times are here.
Blyth Tait and Darius finish 3rd. Photo by Samantha Clark.
One major difference though was the weather; the sun shone for most of the day and the footing was fairly firm in places despite some spiking and I saw extra dirt laid down on some landings. Not to worry too much as the forecast tomorrow is for “ground-soaking” rain all day. Oh Joy! The water complex, a skinny log with brush behind in, up a bank with a long on top, and then down to another skinny log out probably caused the most trouble whilst I was there but on the whole the course seemed fairly straight-forward.
Austin O’Connor and Raphael IV (by Limerick). Photo By Samantha Clark.
Today was the Intermediate and Open Intermediate Divisions and Harry Meade was back in the saddle and an absolute pleasure to watch after being equally so to listen to all weekend in Gloucestershire. Ditto Blyth Tait looking very good and making it all look rather easy, especially on Darius.
I couldn’t stay all day but was there long enough to see Andrew Nicholson back on form and top two sections, and to be impressed by Tom McEwen on a couple of very nice horses. Lots of very nice younger horses in the straight Intermediate divisions, and some more experienced combinations in the OI getting runs in before the big three days still to come.
Aston Le Walls is a great event to spectate at when the weather is good — it’s well-organised, the viewing is great and the divisions are stuffed with the who’s who of international eventing.
Andrew Nicholson and Perfect Stranger. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Emily King walks the cross country. She later ended up winning the OIU21 Section, and also assured me that Kings Temptress is fine after withdrawing from Badminton before cross country, and will probably be re-routed to Bramham. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Harry Meade show jumps. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Izzy Taylor and Briarlands Birdsong. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Riddle Master relaxes after his cross country. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Yes please! Tom McEwen. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Lucinda Murray and Brittanias Mail, a stallion by Jaguar Mail. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Fernhill Tabasco and Emma Dougall. Photo by Samantha Clark.
2013 Bridge the Gap Scholarship Winner Franky Reid-Warrilow walks the course. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Wendy Schaeffer and Sunlover. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Photo by Samantha Clark.
Photo by Samantha Clark.
Photo by Samantha Clark.
Hadi Al-Marri and Drum Mousse. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Kylie Roddy and Guzzi Photo by Samantha Clark
Tim Rusbridge and Mise Flight Photo By Samantha Clark
Rosie Thomas and Doru Photo by Samantha Clark
Stephanie D’Andrimont and Ulano De Slozen Photo By Samantha Clark
Matthew Heath and Lismore Lad Photo by Samantha Clark
Andrew Nicholson & Liberto Photo by Samantha Clark
Gubby Leech and Zebedee
Sanne De Jong and Ba As B Photo By Samantha Clark
Sarah Stretton Photo by Samantha Clark
Hard at work jump judging! Photo by Samantha Clark.
Marion Watt and The Minstrel Photo by Samantha Clark
I was most happy to catch up with Canadian rider Rebecca Howard who cruised around on her experienced campaigner Riddle Master as part of his prep for the CIC3* at Tattersalls and then the CCI4* in Luhmühlen.
Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master romp around the OI. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Rebecca now has her own separate stable block within Tim and Jonelle Price’s yard where she is still based near Marlborough. She has seven horses of her own, and rides 20 a week for Tim and Jonelle, and gets a lot of her help from Jonelle too.
Many, many thanks to Rebecca for chatting and wishing her and Rupert the very, very best of luck this Spring. Go Canada and Go Eventing!
Justine Dutton — the “other Dutton” — completed her first CCI3* with Jollybo, an 11-year-old British Sport Horse mare owned by Sport Ponies UK , this past weekend at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event. She kindly wrote a blog for EN reflecting on the experience.
Justine Dutton and Jollybo at Jersey Fresh. Photo by Tori Hain.
I’m pretty honoured (perplexed) that EN wanted me to write a second part to my blog; I initially wanted to name part two “How to Play Pick Up Sticks Like a Boss” but they nixed that pretty quickly! After 48 hours to beat myself up, tear apart and analyze every intricate detail of my performance, I am actually ready to be subjective and share my thoughts and feelings.
Don’t get me wrong, completing my first three-star was a massive achievement for both me and Jollybo and one which I am thrilled and proud of. However, as an athlete (and someone that wants to be perfect as you learned in my last blog), I find myself quite disappointed in parts of my performance and just completing wasn’t good enough for me.
I want to be great, not just good enough — I remember last year at some point my Buck Davidson said to me something along the lines of “seventh is fine, but aren’t you tired of coming seventh?” That stuck with me. I am not a person that will settle for a sub-par performance. I want to be able to execute in the ring as I have at home — OK, perhaps a little unrealistic, but I know it’s possible.
I spoke to my good friend and one of my biggest supporters, Jill Henneberg, after this weekend, and she told me she was glad I wasn’t satisfied with it being “good enough” and that riders will only get better by expecting more of themselves and not being OK with just being “OK.”
With that being said, I took away so many positives from my week at Jersey, and 48 hours later I am able to not let my poor show jumping performance over shadow all that I got out of it.
Dressage was alright — I know it could have been better, and I know my nerves and tension contributed to the tension my horse carried. I had a 5 p.m. dressage time and rode Jollybo in the morning, where she was quite excellent. I have never ridden her earlier in the day before my test, but I have also never had a 5 p.m. ride time either, so this was a new thing.
In hindsight, I think I got my better work during my first ride and had a little bit of a less responsive horse because of it. Jollybo isn’t typically a hot horse, and she doesn’t really get distracted, so in retrospect perhaps next time I would just hack her instead of school her earlier on. However, I hit my goal of a 55 or less (well 55.3 about did it) so was fairly satisfied. I know we can be better though, and I will be working very hard for the rest of the year in this phase.
Cross country was, quite frankly, huge and formidable. Technically there wasn’t anything on there we couldn’t do, but seeing it all together on a 10-minute long course was definitely intimidating; when the course builder agrees with you and says, “Yep, that’s a $%#@ big ditch and wall, don’t miss!” you know you’d better get it right.
Justine Dutton and Jollybo through the combination in the main arena. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The combination in the arena was definitely of some concern, and the water was a bit complicated amongst many other combinations, so I had plenty to be worried about. The day of cross country, I was my normal, freaked-out self. When the time came to leave the start box, Jolly was VERY ready to go. I took a breath and just told myself to ride like I know how and do everything that Buck ever told me.
My little pony jumped around like a seasoned pro! I don’t think I had one bad jump, and she was honest, straight and quite frankly impressive (to me at least) through every single combination. As you know, I’ve struggled with her being a bit strong on me and was pleasantly surprised when she became really rideable about halfway through the course, and I could actually kick her and let her gallop.
However, about a quarter from the end, she got her second wind and literally grabbed the bit and ran off with me down the hill heading towards a combination coming out of the woods. After that, I didn’t feel I could let her gallop as much as I would have wanted knowing there was a big combination at the second to last fence that had caused some trouble.
We came home clear with some time, which I was thrilled about. I learned that I have a very honest, reliable and game little cross country horse who will do anything for me, but I also learned that I need to gain a better understanding of maintaining a consistent pace and also to trust her and to not set up quite as far out — I think this will come in time.
Show jumping day she jogged up very sound and happy. I actually enjoy show jumping and typically Jollybo is a good show jumper and has never pulled more than one rail since moving up to Advanced. I definitely did not have the show jumping round I had planned — we took down more rails than I have in my entire career!
After much analyzing and replaying each second in my mind, I think the contributing factors were that I have never show jumped her after a 10-minute cross country course, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I struggled to find and maintain a rhythm but tried to ride all the correct numbers down the lines (I am an obsessive counter), which actually in hindsight I should not have done. Instead, I should have ridden the canter I had and gotten to the fences how I needed to and not in the numbers that weren’t there in that canter.
I think I may have used up my jumps in the warm up … maybe I am making excuses, but for me, I need to know what went wrong and how to fix it. When Jolly comes back off of vacation, I will for sure be working very hard on our show jumping and taking it to the next level that it needs to be.
Someone asked me if I was upset that this would not count as a qualifying ride. Honestly, at first I thought “qualifying for what?” until I realized she meant Rolex, which is a far away thought on the horizon right now. My immediate reaction, however, was that no, I wasn’t upset at all because the only reason I would even consider Rolex would be with an amazing qualifying ride at Fair Hill this fall.
If that didn’t happen and I had gotten a qualifying ride at Jersey, then I definitely wouldn’t be considering it because to me, I obviously wouldn’t be ready if I didn’t make the qualifying criteria at Fair Hill even if I were qualified from Jersey. I don’t want to do something just because I have managed to scrape through the qualifiers — I would want to be a thousand percent ready.
Even though the show jumping marred my weekend performance, I am still absolutely thrilled to have finished my first three-star on a little 15.2-hand mare that was doing her first Intermediate a year ago and was deemed to be “no more than a one-star horse” by a prior rider.
The support and encouragement of other riders and pros has been astounding and incredible and humbling; I can’t even count how many of them took a moment to congratulate me and offer words of advice, encouragement and praise. Such is the sport of eventing — everyone is competing against themselves and everyone wants everyone else to succeed — how many other sports can you say that about?
Moving forward, Jollybo is already hating her vacation, and I am dreading the first day of getting back on her, which will be no doubt far more exciting/death-defying than the three-star cross country course we just completed. I am excited for two (maybe even three!) new English ponies to arrive from the homeland in the next week and am even more excited that Finn is well on his way to being back to full work.
My horses and I are also taking part in a fashion shoot for a designer clothing line for a national magazine which will be shot at our farm in a couple of weeks — I can’t wait to play princess and be a model for the day!
Signing off now, if you have made it this far through my waffling (English phrase — look it up) then I applaud you!
