Classic Eventing Nation

Aston Le Walls Wednesday Check-In + Rebecca Howard Interview

By on May 13, 2015 4:30 pm -
Badminton 2015 winner William Fox-Pitt: Business as Usual Photo by Samantha Clark

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

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

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.

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 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!

Lessons Learned from a CCI3* First-Timer

By on May 13, 2015 3:00 pm -

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. 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. Photo by Jenni Autry.

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!

I Am Robot: The Story Behind Rolex’s First Drone

By on May 13, 2015 12:00 pm -
The Rolex drone flies high over the stadium during show jumping. Photo by Jenni Autry. The Rolex drone flies high over the stadium during show jumping. Photo by Jenni Autry.

I spotted it chilling beside the Head of the Lake during Rolex show jumping, hovering a few feet above the ground like a flying saucer and buzzing like a swarm of bees. A few passers-by stopped to gawk: What IS that thing?

It was, in fact, a drone — the first one of its kind ever employed by the event. Its mission: to capture four-star eventing footage from a perspective we’ve never seen before.

For those of you who aren’t from the future, the sort of drone we’re talking about is, at its most basic level, a high-tech, ultra-evolved descendent of the remote-controlled model planes or RC helicopters of yesteryear. They pack GPS systems and high-definition cameras, and can fly fast enough to keep pace with a galloping horse.

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The marriage of drones and high-speed action sports is a no-brainer. From filming NFL football practices to providing a bird’s eye view of insane base-jumpers, their potential applications are limitless. Just yesterday the tech world was buzzing about the release of a new video drone prototype called “Lily” that’s more than a little mind-blowing. Whether you’re skiing down a mountain or whitewater kayaking, you just throw the thing up in the air and it will follow you around, guided by a tracking device on your wrist.

drone

Drones have already surfaced in the eventing world on a handful of occasions. There was Tremaine Cooper’s drone flyover of the Morven Park CIC3* cross-country course, and that time Laine Ashker allowed EN wunderkind Alec Thayer to chase her around a cross-country schooling field with his space-age new toy.

#gosportygoprodrone open field cross country cam! Enjoy!

Posted by Lainey Ashker on Thursday, January 15, 2015

Inviting a drone to America’s biggest three-day eventing party, however, was a bold move. Might it spook the horses? What if it crashed into the crowd?

You needn’t roam far afield on the Internet to stumble across any number of drones-gone-rogue tales. My personal favorite is the one where a drone crash-lands in a field full of horses who just can’t help but investigate the “strange UFO” that landed nearby, and the camera just keeps rolling. From $1,500 gadget to horsey chew toy … it’s pretty hilarious.

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Add sports into the mix and and it starts to sound like an accident waiting to happen. Exhibit A: “Triathlete Hit In Head By Falling Drone During Race.” Eventing is dangerous enough without an unpredictable flying object zipping around overhead; as the story warns: “The machines are revolting. Be prepared.”

USEF Director of Communications Leah Oliveto affirms that while drone use in equestrian sports is an exciting new frontier, it faces some unique challenges. “You need a drone that’s good enough to get high up and get quality footage without disrupting the horses,” she says.

Thankfully, Rolex knew someone who had just the drone for the job.

Carr-Hughes Productions, which has produced Rolex broadcasts for 14 of the past 15 years, was once again tapped for the 2015 event. Its footage was used for both the USEF Network live stream and NBC’s May 3rd wrap-up of the event.

The company has used drones to shoot aerial views of other equestrian sports like polo and show jumping, and Executive Producer Bob Hughes says he thought the drone would have be a good fit for Rolex. The sticking point: “The biggest part of getting the drone there was getting everyone to agree that it could be there.”

The resistance, once again, stems from those Internet horror stories. Bob laughingly recalls a recent YouTube video he saw of a drone that crashed a wedding, literally: ” The drone goes crazy and bonks them in the face.”

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Bob says that the drone they use, however, is way more sophisticated than anything you could purchase off the shelf. “You can go right now and buy one of dozens of types of drones that are being marketed for amateur and commercial use — it’s a whole budding market — but this is a particularly high-end piece of equipment,” he says. “It’s only been out for a month or two.”

To remotely pilot the roughly three-by-three foot aircraft, Carr-Hughes brought in a specialized professional television drone operating service. “We trust them to deliver what we want and deliver it in a safe matter,” Bob says.

What made this drone even more state-of-the-art was its capability to instantaneously relay footage to the USEF live stream. “This was a completely different ball game,” Bob says.”This was the first time in history live drone footage was used in four-star eventing.”

Even with all the pieces in place, there was no guarantee that the drone would get Rolex clearance. “If any one on the ground jury says no, it doesn’t fly,” Bob says. But a cross-country course test run on the Thursday of the event was enough to assuage everyone’s fears. “We flew it for half an hour and they loved it.”

Saturday rolled around and with it some pretty miserable weather, limiting the amount of footage the drone could collect. “It didn’t fly a whole lot that day but we snuck it up and danced it between the raindrops when we could,” Bob says.

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Many more spectators caught sight of it on Sunday, doing flyovers of the show jumping. There were mixed reviews of its presence, with some people complaining about the noise. “I don’t think it was just myself and the people around me who were highly annoyed and distracted by the drone during showjumping,” commented one Chronicle of the Horse forum user. “It was almost impossible not to look up when it came buzzing over your head even though after a while you knew what it was.”

Others lavished prais on its contribution to the live stream. Another form user commented, “I loved the drone during cross country when watching it on the computer. It really showed off the width of those tables and how quickly those horses were moving, and how big the crowd was!”

When the top-placed riders were asked about the drone at the final press conference, all said that neither they nor their horses noticed it.

Capturing the interest of everyday television viewers and upping the live stream ante without interrupting spectator experience is a juggling act, but Carr-Hughes seems to be pulling it off.

“The big news for us is that the ratings (for NBC’s May 3 broadcast) were up quite substantially, 28 percent over last year,” Bob says. “And the growth across the show’s audience size grew 33 percent from the beginning to the end of the show, which means people were staying more than they were leaving.”

Numbers carry a lot of weight when it comes to securing, maintaining and, ideally, growing support from the network and advertisers. Bob says NBC’s response to this year’s broadcast was, quote-unquote, “awesome,” which reflects well on both Rolex and equestrian sports in general.

Bob adds that while innovative production — the use of drone technology falling under that umbrella — certainly helps, any sport’s potential for mainstream visibility ultimately hinges on the narratives, personalities and plot twists that draw viewers in.

“The point we constantly emphasize is to have faith in the sport itself,” Bob says. “And the sport of eventing is a great sport, a beautiful sport, a challenging sport … we’re just here to show the fun stuff.”

Go Eventing.

Carl Hester On the Quality of Badminton Dressage

By on May 13, 2015 10:30 am -
Bill Levett and Shannondale Titan Photo by Nico Morgan

Bill Levett and Shannondale Titan. Photo by Nico Morgan.

Without a doubt one of the best things about Badminton is the radio, and without a doubt one of the best things about the radio is Carl Hester. Teaming up with Pammy Hutton yet again, he kept us all informed and entertained during two long days of dressage, and I was lucky enough to bump into him in person on Friday evening when he was kind enough to talk for a little bit longer. What does he think of the new dressage test this year, and which horse would Carl pick to take home with him? You’ll have to watch the video to find out.

Many thanks to Carl for his time; he is a genuine superstar and his reach crosses all the disciplines — everyone loves him, and we’re so lucky and grateful to be able to access all that experience, knowledge and humour for the two days he’s holed up in the booth!

Pippa Roome discusses the cross country with Rupert Bell of Lloyd-Bell productions for Badminton Radio Photo by Samantha Clark

Pippa Roome discusses the cross country with Rupert Bell of Lloyd-Bell productions for Badminton Radio. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Badminton radio earpieces are sold all over the show grounds for £9, yes you read that correctly, that’s not even $15, and for that you get expert commentary over all four days, amazing guests with all sorts of insight — course designers, past winners, post-ride interviews with all the competitors.

The earpiece comes with a spare battery and you are encouraged to keep it and use it again year after year, at no extra charge. Even if you weren’t there in person you know what I’m talking about because it is also streamed via the website FREE. What a fantastic service — huge big-up to Lloyd-Bell Productions and Radio Badminton.

Catch up on all of EN’s Badminton coverage at this link.

Officially A ‘Rolex Veteran’

By on May 13, 2015 9:00 am -

EN guest writer Laine Ashker finished 29th with Anthony Patch in her ninth career start at this year's Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. She ponders what it means to officially be a "Rolex veteran" in her latest blog ... and gives a sneak peek at where she and Al might be headed next.

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry. Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“So how does it feel to be a Rolex veteran?” I pondered this question long after my interview with a morning radio show as I made my way up highway 75 leading a caravan of other Kentucky hopefuls and fellow Cali girls Allie Knowles and Jennie Brannigan. A Rolex veteran? I guess the radio show is right. At 31 years old, I have had the honor of riding four legendary horses in nine starts of our nation’s most prestigious equestrian event starting 10 ten years ago. Gulp, now I feel old!

I think the reason why this question had me thinking hours later even after it went answered was because up until then, I never viewed myself as being old, ahem EXPERIENCED, enough to be called a “veteran.” But then again, in a sport that is halfway dependent upon the side of the stall your horse woke up on, can you chalk success up to experience alone, or does there also need to be a bit of luck added to that statement? I think we can all argue both sides of the story.

This year was Anthony Patch’s fourth Rolex start since he began his four-star career in 2010, placing 8th nationally and 14th internationally.  Ever since then I have been vehemently striving to improve on that placing, but sadly to no avail. This year, unfortunately, paralleled that of the previous ones with many “almost had it” moments.

I am proud to report however that even after attempting Rolex eight times prior to this year, I was able to experience my very first Rolex press conference following my personal best dressage test which landed my dainty little OTTB and I in second place behind the reigning world champion Michael Jung and the mare with whom he would end up winning the coveted watch come Sunday afternoon.

As I sat in the media room decorated with Rolex logos, yellow flowers and Dasani waters galore, I reminded myself to take in each and every moment as some people, no matter how many times they attempt a four-star, never get to experience a formal press conference. Needless to say, as I exited the elevator from the press conference and made my way back to the barns to check up on Al, I was walking a couple feet above ground. What a moment to behold!

And what a difference does 24 hours make! Once the sun was overtaken by looming clouds and gusty winds, which finally gave way to torrential downpours on Saturday, the casual smiles and echoing laughter that once resonated throughout the barns were replaced with somber glares and quiet chatter by the riders and their support groups. As Al and I made our way to warm up alongside my loyal mother, we were greeted with well-wishes and cheers from the crowds screaming, “Go Al go!” — another unforgettable Rolex moment of mine.

Nevertheless, the rain kept pounding away. Once Colleen Rutledge came back with news to the rest of us that the course was riding rough due to footing but was still very doable, you could see every rider making a mental note of what needed to be done to get his or her horse safely through the finish flags of the taxing course that lay ahead.

Always one to stick to a game plan, this unnerved me as quite honestly I had never ridden a four-star in conditions as wet and as sloppy as what I was about to embark upon. The closest I have been to riding in weather like this was Fair Hill CCI3* in 2009, BUT over half of the course was taken out due to poor footing and weather conditions. This would be a prime example where EXPERIENCE becomes a major advantage!

As Al and I set out on the course, I thought to myself that I had better take it easy in the beginning, as there were a lot more combinations and less gallop room on the latter half of the course, and I was worried about exhausting him in the beginning. What I didn’t take into account, however, was that although it’s one thing to ride less aggressively in between the fences, it is quite another to ride tepidly AT the fences.

The truth about my ride before the coffin was that I was not there for my horse when he needed me. Sure I was trying to slowly increase on the gas pedal as the course went on, but I still needed to step on the gas at the jumps, especially in heavy footing on a careful jumping horse. It took me until fence 8 and ultimately 9b at the brush following the coffin for me to have a stop and finally re-evaluate my prior tactics and revert back to my more aggressive, quicker cross country riding style.

As I galloped up the long hill following the coffin, my heart felt as heavy as the footing. I contemplated just stopping and walking home to save Al for another day.

Then I thought about Badminton in 2014, the World Equestrian Games in 2014, Fair Hill in 2009 and gave myself a kick in the pants. If I want to be a world champion, I have to be able to ride in ANY weather! A line from my favorite book Mind Gym quickly shot through my brain on approach to fence 10: “You have to learn to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.” With that in my mind, off Al and I went. #boom

I can wholeheartedly say that I finished that cross country course with a better horse, and that day I became an even better rider for finishing stronger than what we had started. After the stop, I learned how to ride in deep footing, hunt down to galloping fences with eyes half way open due to pelting rain and how to GET THE JOB DONE despite not feeling as if you and your horse are on your game.

And that’s just the way the cookie crumbles, folks. Not every Olympics or World Games is going to be a perfectly sunny day with temps in the mid to upper 60s with little to no humidity in almost perfect footing. I know that when the time comes and when the odds are stacked against me, I will now be able to take the skills I gained from my Rolex 2015 cross country ride to get the damn job done!

Was I demoralized that I lost my chance of Rolex grandeur with my one costly mistake? Yes. Do I believe that I was (and still am) sitting on the Rolex winner? Oh heck yes. Did I walk away from that cross country course with my tail in between my legs? You better think again. NOW I can officially call myself a Rolex veteran.

It just wouldn’t be Rolex without achieving your personal bests and your personal worsts. We all know I’ve had my fair share of both. Show jumping on Sunday was nothing short of a personal best as Al entered the ring poised and eager to jump a beautiful clear round, which happened to be the first jump fault free round of the day (I tend to conveniently omit that one time fault).

Yet another notch is in my Rolex belt, or maybe two. Maybe even a third notch being that I finished with a very sound and very happy 16-year-old partner I’ve been riding for 13 years. And who’s to say this is Al’s last year at the top level? Al certainly isn’t. I still think I am sitting on one of the world’s best horses, and I intend to prove that until he deems otherwise.

So what’s next for the little bay gelding and myself, you ask? These Rolex vets have a hankering to hop a flight across the pond … and who knows? I may get to see Ben Hobday’s selfie skills in action come late summer/early fall … perhaps a challenge is in order?  Until then folks, chins up, purse your lips and grab your closest selfie stick. I hear they take them well at Burghley …

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

By on May 13, 2015 12:01 am -
It's not everyday you get stuck behind cross country tables in traffic. Is this a Great Meadows preview? Wait until June 20 to find out! Photo courtesy of Kristin Carpenter. It's not everyday you get stuck behind cross country tables in traffic. Is this a Great Meadows preview? Wait until June 20 to find out! Photo courtesy of Kristin Carpenter.

My event season finally starts this weekend, and I’m about bouncing with excitement. Sometimes it is tough to watch all of the winter and fall competitions while snow is on the ground up north, but on the other hand, I can enjoy the event coverage with full focus and then turn my concentration to my own competition schedule after all the hoopla of Rolex has eased off.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Hitching Post Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Fair Hill International May H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

CHC International H.T. & CIC  [Website] [Entry Status]

Otter Creek Spring H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status]

Sol Events at Corona del Sol H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

The Event at Woodland Stallion Station H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Equestrians Institute H.T.  [Website]

CCC Spring Gulch H.T.  [Website] [Ride Times]

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]

Maxime Livio is appealing the length of his six months ban. Given the maximum six months ban after his horse Qalao des Mers tested positive for ACP at the WEGs, Maxime is arguing he was a victim of sabotage. However, the FEI did not buy into his argument, and awarded Maxime the maximum sentence. [Maxime Livio Appeals Six Month Ban]

The Virginia Horse Trials has unveiled their new website. Just in time for their spring horse trials, the Virginia Horse Trials has a brand new website, with all the sparkle and shine you’d expect from the long-time Area II stalwart CCI event. [Virginia Horse Trials]

It’s a three ring circus to coordinate the BBC coverage of Badminton. From coordinating the cross country fences to cutting the shot, everything about the BBC coverage is part of a well oiled machine. Horse & Hound took a look behind the scenes to bring us a better idea of what it takes to pull off such a feat. [Behind the Scenes with the BBC]

Horse & Hound continues their numbers series. Sixteen British Eventing sections (that’s divisions to us Yankees) were cancelled due to rain, there were two horses with numbers in their name at Badminton, and Jersey Fresh gets a shout-out for raising $6017. [Eventing in Numbers]

Chilli Morning has a lot of progeny running around. You know you want to take ten minutes out of your morning to view them all in a convenient photo gallery. [Chilli Morning Progeny]

Doug Payne is bringing his voice to the USEA Board of Governors. Doug will be taking the place of Jack Leary, who sadly passed away on April 25. [Doug Payne Joins USEA Board of Governers]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Jersey Fresh and Badminton Review. This week Jess and Samantha have a chat with Jacky Green and Rodney Powell  to review Badminton, while Buck Davidson pops in to talk Jersey Fresh. [Eventing Radio Show]

SmartPak Product of the Day: It’s already pretty hot out in some parts of the country, and the humidity in particular is rearing it’s ugly head up here. I’m not one of those people who can ride in any sort of long sleeves in the summer, no matter how light. Instead, I stock up on sleeveless polos and brave the awkward tan lines. [SmartPak]

Let’s all watch 60 seconds of Buck and Reggie being awesome.

 

Vote for the Winner of Our One K Caption Contest

By on May 12, 2015 4:30 pm -
Lainey Ashker and Anthony Patch after completing Rolex. Photo courtesy of Hannah Cardew. Lainey Ashker and Anthony Patch after completing Rolex. Photo courtesy of Hannah Cardew.

Last week, we asked you to caption this great shot from One K rider Lainey Ashker and Anthony Patch’s show jumping round at Rolex. Between Lainey’s elated smile and Al’s funny expression, we thought the possibilities for captions were endless.

You didn’t disappoint, as we received over 50 entries for this caption contest. The lucky winner will receive a One K Defender Bling helmet, so the competition was fierce. We’ve narrowed the field to 11 finalists, and now it’s your turn to decide the winner.

Voting will conclude on Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m. EST, and we’ll announce the winner in Sunday’s Links from One K Helmets. Good luck to all of our finalists!

1. Maura Gorman: “There was a spider on me the WHOLE TIME? Where?! Get it off!”

2. Liz Hocking: Lainey: “Sunday night and we takin’ Rolex…” Al: “Don’t believe us, just watch!” (to the tune of Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk)

3. Cathy Bittinger: “Guess what day it is! Jump daaay! Yeah! Whoop whoop!”

4. Kate Lassiter: “Oh my god is that fischerRocana? Stop mom, you’re embarrassing me.”

5. Anna Clifton: #ermahgerd #boom #dropthemic

6. Becca Willner: “Home by when? Mom, I just jumped clear at Rolex. No curfew tonight, fischerRocana and I are going out. Gettin’ lucky in Kentucky.”

7. Jill Haag: “OMG … Buck Davidson just winked at me!!”

8. Joan Mayfield: “Don’t you point that thing at me!”

9. Amy Lacy: “Al’s got bling for brains!”

10. Erica Seib: “OK Laine, you said there’d be a watch … I’m not seeing any watch … Where’s the watch … stop pointing at me … I can’t find the watch…”

11. Bethany Astorino: “Hold me back, Imma bout to spaz … FourFiveSeconds from spookin'” (to the tune of Rihanna’s FourFiveSeconds)

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: Jersey Fresh CCI3* Water Complex

By on May 12, 2015 3:00 pm -

RNS Video provides a great montage from most of the major events they cover, and Jersey Fresh International was no different. This footage from the water complex on the CCI3* course is both entertaining and educational, providing a look at how each rider approaches the question and how their horses respond.

Many thanks to RNS Video for the great videos, as always! Be sure to check out their YouTube channel for more videos as they are uploaded from Jersey Fresh.

Why SpectraVET?

Reliable. Effective. Affordable.

SpectraVET is committed to providing only the highest-quality products and services to our customers, and to educating the world in the science and art of laser therapy.

We design and manufacture the broadest range of clinically-proven veterinary therapeutic laser products, which are represented and supported worldwide by our network of specialist distributors and authorized service centers.

 

Entries Now Open for the Fifth Annual EN Blogger Contest

By on May 12, 2015 1:30 pm -

It’s that time of year, EN! The Fifth Annual Eventing Nation Blogger Contest is upon us. If you’ve followed along with the previous Blogger Contests, you know that this is your shot to join the eclectic EN team that delivers your daily eventing fix.

The past winners of our Blogger Contest have gone on to take positions with EN and its sister site, Horse Nation, after wowing us (and Chinch, who constitutes a majority vote) with their creative skills. The first ever winner, Leslie Wylie, is now the Managing Editor for Horse Nation and also is a part of the traveling event coverage team here at EN.

Jenni Autry, one of our fearless leaders, is now the the Managing Editor of EN after winning the second Blogger Contest in 2012. She’s also our head globetrotter, traipsing about the eventing world with her loyal Chinch in tow, tracking down the best Chinch photobomb opportunities and interviewing William Fox-Pitt in her spare time.

In 2013, I joined the team as a finalist in the Blogger Contest and now find myself as a part of the coverage team as well as the sponsor account manager. It’s an opportunity I never thought would be possible, until it was. This team has truly been a blessing to work for, and while I essentially live and breathe eventing, at least it’s my job to do so now.

Erin Critz and Maggie Deatrick, our 2013 and 2014 Blogger Contest winners, are also integral parts of the team. Erin is our lead weekend Links correspondent, and you know Maggie as our resident crystal ball reader, whose predictions on who will win each major event in the U.S. are eerily accurate.

The opportunities are truly endless for the right person, and we want you to show us why you would be the perfect fit to join our team.

The fine print:

Contestants should want to write part-time for Eventing Nation — at least two to three posts per week. If this already sounds like too much, don’t apply. All are eligible (including previous contestants), and no prior experience is necessary. Personal style is a must. Take risks. Laugh. Entertain. Create something only you can create.

Your Round 1 entries should include a short bio (name, age, background, character-defining qualities, embarrassing tidbits, etc.) and a 300 to 600 word sample of your best eventing-related work.

The EN team will judge by the same standards as the last three years (interesting, funny, informative, creative) and factor public opinion into our final decision. Keep in mind that you’re writing for a very large audience, and we’ll be selecting finalists based on the quality of entries — no pressure.

Entries are due one week from today, on Tuesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. EST. Email your entry to [email protected] with the subject “EN Blogger Contest Entry.” Good luck, and Go Eventing.

Ian Stark Named New Course Designer at Carolina International

By on May 12, 2015 11:54 am -
The Cloud 11 Watership Down at Carolina International. Photo by Kate Samuels. The Cloud 11 Watership Down at Carolina International. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Carolina International Horse Trials announced this morning that Ian Stark has been named the new cross country course designer for the event. Ian also currently designs the cross country courses at Galway Downs and Woodside in California, Richland in Michigan and Rebecca Farm in Montana.

“We are looking forward to seeing Ian’s vision for the Carolina International and are confident he will design a course that will prepare and challenge riders in the lead up to spring CCIs and, ultimately, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio,” Carolina International Organizer Marc Donovan said.

“We are so grateful to Hugh Lochore for his great course design in our first two years and are happy to have him continuing to design the upper level courses at the Five Points Horse Trials. Everyone at the Carolina Horse Park is looking forward to the design developments that both Ian and Hugh will bring to our outstanding cross country facility.”

Ian has also designed tracks in Europe at Bramham, Tattersalls and Blair Castle and brings a wealth of experience to the Carolina Horse Park. He will make his first site visit to Raeford, North Carolina, this summer to begin planning the new course, which will be unveiled next March.

“I am delighted to be selected as the Carolina International’s next cross country course designer and to make my first site visit to the Carolina Horse Park in the coming months,” Ian said. “I look forward to presenting a track that will test North America’s best horses and riders at the outset of the 2016 season and provide a great weekend of sport for everyone involved.”

[Cloud 11 ~ Gavilan North LLC Carolina International Welcomes Ian Stark as Cross Country Course Designer]