Classic Eventing Nation

Indiana Eventing Association Needs Our Help to Finish New Water Jump

By on May 6, 2015 1:30 pm -
Dirt work at the new water box. Photo via IEA website. Dirt work at the new water box. Photo via IEA website.

As event riders we tend to find venues we enjoy competing at and make a point to place events at those venues within our schedule every year. While this is a wonderful thing, we find ourselves jumping the same course with the same jumps over and over again.  What most competitors do not understand when they begin to ask for new jumps is the cost involved. This cost can be very great depending on how many fences are being constructed.

One type of fence that we all enjoy, as it is a staple of running cross country, is the water jump. Almost every competitor looks forward to the question at the water, and usually the photographer stands there as well. A good water box can make or break a course, and the presence of more than one, or one that offers many options, is a welcome component for course designers and competitors.

The Indiana Eventing Association holds a wonderful event every year at the Hoosier Horse Park. IEA is an organization that has members from all over the state of Indiana and offers year-end awards, clinics and other shows along with the recognized horse trials. The IEA Horse Trials hosts Beginner Novice through Intermediate/Preliminary levels and is also one of the few events in the country to offer the Novice and Training Classic Three-Day.

Concept drawing of new water box. Drawing by Tim Foley.

Concept drawing of new water box. Drawing by Tim Foley.

Beginning in 2014, IEA began to raise money in order to construct a new water complex at the Hoosier Horse Park, which is home to the IEA Horse Trials as well as Penny Oaks Horse Trials. This new water jump, designed and constructed by course builder Jon Wells, will become a part of the course in addition to the already existing water box and will offer many more options for questions throughout the levels.

With two peninsulas, offering two- and three-stride options, as well as straightforward up/down banks and trot ins and outs, this new complex will be a very exciting addition to the courses for these two horse trials.

Unfortunately due to where the water complex is being placed, the cost for the jump ended up being greater than originally anticipated. Lee Ann Zobbe said that the area had to be excavated multiple times in order to keep vegetation from sprouting back up into the designated area for the box itself.

Between this unexpected cost and the harsh winter that affected the Hoosier Horse Park, the dirt work itself became more expensive than anticipated. IEA estimates that an additional $25,000 needs to be raised to fund the completion of this new complex.

This complex will be located near the warm-up and big Pan Am bank complex, which always offers good questions and will make it an exciting area for spectators, as they can see the start/finish along with two influential questions on the course while standing in one location. The thick trees which used to separate the warm-up from the bank complex have also been cleared to allow unobstructed viewing from the warm-up.

Concept drawing of the new water complex. Completed by Tim Foley.

Monica Foley, head of fundraising for IEA, is hopeful about finding donors and funds for this jump. She said that IEA has several exciting opportunities coming up to help with raising the remaining funds.

There will be a 50/50 raffle held during the IEA Horse Trials (May 28-31) which is still accepting entries for both the Classic Three-Day divisions and Horse Trial divisions through May 12. This horse trial will also be a wonderful opportunity for competitors to see what has been done thus far with construction and where the jump will be located.

IEA is also hosting an Event Derby at the Hoosier Horse Park on July 26 with all proceeds going towards the funding for this complex. The derby will be held by the current water box and will incorporate both cross country and show jumping obstacles.

There are also sponsorship opportunities available for those interested in making a donation. There are four packages available at different sponsorship levels; all donations are tax-deductible. With the prime location of the new water complex, this is an excellent advertising opportunity. Information about the specific packages and how to donate can be found here on the official IEA website.

Current Picture of the New Complex. Photo via IEA Website.

Current Picture of the New Complex. Photo via IEA Website.

Course builder Jon Wells said he hopes to make it back to Hoosier in June to continue constructing the new complex. If the fundraising is successful, Monica said they hope to finish the box in time for fall schooling opportunities. IEA would like for the new complex to make its official debut at the 2016 IEA Horse Trials and Classic Three-Day Event. This event will also showcase the businesses and individuals who have helped make this new complex possible.

The Hoosier Horse Park is a fantastic eventing venue in the midwest, and this addition would continue to improve the quality of courses throughout this part of the country. The Indiana Eventing Association has gone through great lengths to continue to improve the education of riders through their clinics, events and seminars at the classic series event; now let’s help them improve their courses. Click here to donate via PayPal.

Go Eventing.

IEA Links: Website, Horse Trials, Water Complex Donations

Riding in the Blockhouse Steeplechase Amateur Race + Helmet Cam

By on May 6, 2015 12:00 pm -
Whee! Go Pony, go! Whee! Go Pony, go!

My first love is and always will be eventing. Nothing gets me going like executing a harmonious dressage test, followed by a bad ass cross country ride and polished off with a graceful stadium round. However, recent budget restraints have helped me start to think out of the eventing box to get my thrills and give me goals for exercising and training my horse.

We started with hunter paces this spring; lucky for me, moving to South Carolina has opened up a great big world of paces I never even knew existed, thanks to the urging of our horsey neighbors and the Western Carolina Hunter Pace circuit.

Hunter paces are fun, casual, usually fairly bite-sized distance rides over varied terrain and trails. If you’re preparing an event horse for show seasons, I highly recommend them as an excuse to get out in the open and just ride.

Recently, I attended a pace at the FENCE showgrounds, and as part of the course, we were directed to ride on some short sections of their steeplechase track. The foxhunters riding with me were willing to go at a good clip of gallop, so we had our own little mock race between the four of us.

Tristan immediately went into racehorse mode (weird for a 15.3-hand pony cross who’s never seen a racetrack in his life) and got super competitive with our buddies. Not crazy, definitely rideable, and a whole lot of fun.

Shortly after those little escapades, I found several posts online from the Blockhouse Steeplechase that an amateur race was open to the public for horses and ponies alike.

This was just a flat race, no fences to worry about, and especially with a money purse (not required to pique my interest, but winning is extra super fun when there’s a check involved) what did we have to lose by giving it a shot? At $50 an entry, it was a lot easier to chew than a $250 show bill for an event (not counting food, hotels, travel, etc.).

Ermahgerd. Gergles.

Ermahgerd. Gergles.

We attended several rider meetings to go over the requirements of our tack (I did have to go out and buy a racing overgirth to keep my saddle firmly in place, plus jockey goggles to help protect my eyes), how to properly condition our horses and even got to walk the track with a retired steeplechase jockey to help ensure our safety.

The group we had pulled together for the race included a husband and wife barrel racing team (veterans to the amateur racing scene with five to six starts for each of them in previous years), a trail rider looking for some fun, and a fellow English show rider.

When race day arrived, a hurdle I never anticipated became quite apparent. They had told us at the rider’s meetings that we absolutely needed to have at least one person at our stalls at all times during the race day. The reason, we soon discovered, was not to keep an eye on the horses, but to keep an eye on the many, MANY spectators in attendance.

I swear we saw several hundred people visiting our stalls, wanting to pet the horses and take pictures with them. From small children to the quite elderly, a love of horses was in the air.

Many people looked like they’d never interacted with a horse so up close and personal before, while some would ask about breeds and what disciplines we rode in. If just one little kid left with a newfound love of horses and the equestrian lifestyle, I believe our work in inspiring a new generation of horsemen and women was fulfilled.

Tristan not only tolerated all the affection, he simply hammed it up between naps and peppermints to reward him for his exceptional behavior. He gently allowed the smallest children to leave him with a nice pat on the nose and inquisitively peered into the many alcoholic beverages paraded past him by the adults. I was filled with pride by his super attitude all day.

The time finally came to head to the start, so we promptly tacked up and headed to “the paddock” to be instructed when to mount, warm up and line up for the race. After waiting all day, the moment had finally arrived to see if a Connemara/Trakehner cross could be a legitimate racehorse. And they’re off!

We may not have won, we may not have come close to winning, but I learned some new things about Tristan during this fun race! Firstly, when four horses start galloping at full speed right next to us, Superpony gets downright competitive!

My original plan was to have an easy gallop on the first uphill, let him stretch out on the down, go easy around the turn at the bottom, then let it loose on the homestretch.

That plan went out the window the second the flag went down. The closest parallel I can draw is to imagine sitting on a lit rocket, with minimal steering, absolutely ZERO brakes and no seatbelt. Plus, you’re loving every second of it as soon as you get over the sheer speed you’re traveling at. I honestly didn’t know we had that gear!

It was a bit disappointing to not stay with the big kids in the race, but we came out to have fun and try something new, and that’s exactly what we accomplished.

The bottom turn came up quickly and was quite sharp, so I preferred to use the little brakes I had to ease up around the turn and come home safe, rather than run at breakneck speed and risk falling or hurting Tristan. So we gave up our fourth place position by playing it safe.

Plus we got to enjoy the last haul to the finish line with the crowd screaming, “COME ON NUMBER 3! YOU CAN DO IT NUMBER 3!” We crossed the finish line dead last, but I had a huge smile on my face, and Tristan was ready to do another lap. (I swear, if we had another two laps on the course, we would have out-enduranced the whole lot of them!)

Still fresh and perky post- race. Photo courtesy of Eric Dierks.

Still fresh and perky post- race. Photo courtesy of Eric Dierks.

An exciting event like this truly isn’t possible without the help from all the wonderful volunteers. We were graced by the presence of the divine Annie Lane-Maunder, a fellow event rider and amazing equestrienne, who helped us all tremendously throughout the day and got us all to the start in an orderly manner.

Many volunteers were posted to man the gates and keep horses, jockeys and spectators safe and facilitate a fun and action packed day at the races.

It’s very easy to stay in your box and ride in just your favorite discipline well within your comfort zone. What I love most about event horses and riders is we create an athletic partnership based upon versatility.

It’s not enough to have excellent weightlifting and body building in dressage, or to just be a daringly bold jumper in cross country and an agile show jumper. You need to cram all those talents into one horse and rider and accomplish these incredible feats back to back in a stressful, judged environment surrounded by your peers.

Thus, we are a scrappy group of athletes capable of a great many things. Step outside your comfort zone. Do a pure dressage show against the DQs. Try some distance riding to work on your endurance and your horse’s partnership with you.

Ride in a race and feel what it’s like to go at a flat out gallop. Heck, go ride western once in a while and work some cows if it suits you. Gather those experiences and apply them back to your preferred discipline.

Tristan’s going to enjoy a couple days off to munch on a good bit of pasture while I narrow down our next challenge, whatever it may be. Until next time.

The First Rule of Pony Club Is …

By on May 6, 2015 10:30 am -
Photo courtesy of The Pony Club's Facebook page. Photo courtesy of The Pony Club's Facebook page.

… never stop talking about Pony Club. Because once you’re in the Club, you’re in it for life — and you’re not alone.

Pony Club alumni are everywhere. They walk among us, disguised as humans, identifiable by their superhuman bandaging skills, freak knowledge of obscure equine trivia and legendary horse management neuroses. Not sure if you’re in the presence of an alum? Hang a water bucket in front of them with the snaps facing outward. If they start twitching, they’re in the Club.

And there’s no escape. Pony Club is like the Hotel California of the horse world. You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.

As this USPC Blog blog post puts it: “Regardless of your level or how many years you spent in the organization; once a Pony Club Member, always a Pony Club Member!”

Fortunately, along with all that OCD baggage, Pony Club is known for instilling within its membership a number of healthy, hard-won qualities: discipline, work ethic, focus, drive and myriad other character traits that contribute to a lifetime of success in the equestrian realm and beyond.

The USPC’s Pin Promise campaign makes it a little easier to give credit where credit is due. Launched in 2012, it’s an initiative encouraging members, volunteers and alumni to wear their Pony Club pins outside of USPC affiliated functions, mirroring the impact that Pony Club has had on many members’ lives.

Macy Carman, former Chair of Pony Club’s National Youth Board, wrote the pledge:

pin-pledge

Macy explains, “Back when the pledge was first written, we set our sights on increasing the number of pins seen at equestrian events, but our members have gone above and beyond, wearing their pins in a variety of settings which they believed their Pony Club experience prepared them for, including job fairs, interviews and conferences.”

Macy’s path has traversed a range of experiences, from working as an equestrian professional to pursuing a career in law. Her Pony Club background helped prepare her for both ends of the spectrum.

“I have had the privilege of being a professional groom at the upper levels of eventing and have seen firsthand how practical the skills and character attributes that the Pony Club curriculum aims to develop are to success,” Macy says.

“My own journey has taken me away from a professional equestrian path (graduate school at Columbia University and now working for the Southern Environmental Law Center) but I can attribute much of my personal character and success to qualities and skills that I developed in Pony Club, as a traditional H-A member and as a representative within the organization.”

The Pin Promise is also a tribute to the sense of camaraderie that Pony Clubbers experience, not just while they’re active members but for years, even decades, after they graduate. As a Pony Club grad myself (H-A and proud of it!) I can testify to this.

More than 10 years after graduating, my heart still leaps a little every time I meet someone with a Pony Club background. Even if we’re complete strangers, having that shared history creates an instant sense of connection and friendship — and often devolves into an exchange of inside jokes and Pony Club war stories (here’s one of my favorites).

“Those in Pony Club often talk about their ‘Pony Club family,’ the mentors, coaches, parents, and friends who become a part of their team. After being involved in Pony Club for 19 years, I can attest that this family is international and that each member has more family than they will ever have the chance to meet,” Macy says.

“In an era of team sport popularity, it is a powerful experience to be able to identify with a group in a sport that focuses on individual performance. By wearing pins, our members and alumni are proudly identifying their affiliation with Pony Club to their fellow Pony Club members in addition to the general public.”

The pins are also just great advertising for a program that is arguably more important now than ever.

“From my perspective, riding as a youth sport is changing,” Macy says. “It is no longer necessary to own your own horse, have your own barn or have parents that have any familiarity with the equestrian world. We have made Pony Club accessible to these riders, and wanted to use the absolute best advertising we have, our own competent members and alumni, to represent what Pony Club means to those who may not be familiar with us yet.”

If you noticed a bunch of Pony Club pins wondering around the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event this year, Pin Promise is to thank. Past and present Pony Club members stopped by the USPC trade fair booth in droves to pledge allegiance to the organization, signing their name to a banner and taking a pin. Their signatures filled up an entire banner each day.

Photo by Shelley Mann, USPC Marketing Director.

Photo by Shelley Mann, USPC Marketing Director.

Riders got in on the action as well. The 2015 Rolex roster boasted 41 competitors who were Pony Club alums. That’s two-thirds of the field.

Inspired by Pin Promise, several riders elected to wear their Pony Club pins throughout the weekend. Among them: Bunnie Sexton (H-A, Santa Ynez Valley PC); Colleen Rutledge (A, Frederick PC); Tim Bourke (Clew Bay PC in Ireland); Allie Sacksen (A, Brandywine Hounds PC); Maya Black (A, Whidbey Island PC); Gina Miles (A, Panache PC); William Fox-Pitt (B, West Street Branch PC in Great Britain); Allie Knowles (A, Sierra Gold PC); Julie Norman (B, Gator Bayou PC); Ellen Doughty-Hume (A, Trinity Hills II PC); Sara Kozumplik-Murphy (A, Dominion Valley PC); Erin Sylvester (C-2, North River PC); and Angela Gryzwinski (H-A, Sangre de Cristo PC).

William Fox-Pitt sporting his Pony Club at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry.

William Fox-Pitt sporting his Pony Club pin at Rolex for the second year in a row. Photo by Jenni Autry.

And, of course, the riders themselves are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Pony Club’s Rolex connections. From vets to volunteers, the organization’s roots permeate every level of the event. Erin Rose, who won the Shapley’s Groom Award for her spit-polish turnout of Nina Gardner’s Cambalda, is a C-3/H-B from Triad Pony Club in North Carolina, just to name one example.

The USPC’s Pin Promise program continues to gain recognition, with a spin-off of the pledge launched by the British Pony Club last year.

Did you know Francis Whittington Eventing was a Member of the Eridge Pony Club? Here’s Francis at the 2014 Blenheim…

Posted by The Pony Club on Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Once a Pony Clubber, always a Pony Clubber — and there’s no need to be bashful about letting the whole world know. Wear those pins with pride!

Visit the USPC website for more information on the Pin Promise and other Pony Club programs, and be sure to follow USPC on Facebook as well.

Go Pony Club, and Go Eventing.

How to Watch Badminton Live Online

By on May 6, 2015 9:00 am -
Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh at Badminton. Photo by Jenni Autry. Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh at Badminton. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It’s a stacked week for eventing with the final selection trials for the U.S. Pan American Games team at Jersey Fresh running concurrently with the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. EN will be providing live coverage of both events, so you can follow along with all the action right here.

You can also watch all phases of Badminton live online. Here’s how:

FEI TV: FEI TV is your only option for watching live in North America and outside the UK. FEI TV’s broadcast cannot be viewed in the UK due to geo-restrictions. Broadcast times are as follows:

May 7: Dressage day 1 at 3:55 a.m. EST
May 8: Dressage day 2 at 3:55 a.m. EST
May 9: Cross country at 6:25 a.m. EST
May 10: Show jumping part 1 at 6:25 a.m. EST
May 11: Show jumping top 20 at 9:40 a.m. EST

FEI TV subscriptions currently cost $14.99 per month. You can sign up here.

BBC Sport: Viewers in the UK can watch cross country and show jumping live on Red Button and the BBC Sports website. Here’s the schedule:

May 9: Cross country at 11:20 a.m. BST
May 10: Cross country highlights and show jumping finale at 2 p.m. BST

Horse & Country TV: H&C will air pre-recorded coverage on May 17 to subscribers in the UK, Australia, Ireland and the Netherlands at the following times:

Dressage: 9:30 a.m. BST and repeated 5:30 p.m. BST
Cross country: 10.30 a.m. BST and repeated 6:30 p.m. BST
Show jumping: 3:30 p.m. BST and repeated 11:30 p.m. BST

Highlights coverage: Check your local TV listings for highlights footage, which will air on a number of channels around the world after the event. Here are a few options:

U.S.: NBC Universal, HRTV
Canada: The Rural Channel
Australia: FOX Sports
New Zealand: Country TV

#MMBHT15: Website, Entries, Schedule, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, @samanthalclark

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

By on May 6, 2015 12:01 am -
From Lesley Law's FB, Liam's school work: From Lesley Law's FB, Liam's school work: "I was a bit depressed about the 60 until I saw two of the other moms were 90 and 118!"

All of a sudden, we swung into summer. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was freezing. Now I’m overheating in my helmet and drinking desparately out of the hose. I know this happens every year, but all the same, I was completely unprepared for the farmer’s tan that immediately cropped up on my arms. So much for avoiding tan lines this year. I never had much of a chance anyways. And yes, I applied sunscreen!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

King Oak Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Jersey Fresh CIC & CCI [Website] [Entry Status]

Plantation Field H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status]

WindRidge Farm H.T.  [Website]

Mill Creek Pony Club H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Galway Downs Spring H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Winona H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Congratulations to Drew and Jeanna Epping’s Lincoln — our 2015 Rolex Top Dog! Lincoln earned his parents a fancy new Mattes Gold Half-Pad courtesy of our sponsor, World Equestrian Brands. Congratulations, Lincoln! [Top Dog]

Kingfisher Park Equestrian is hosting Clayton Fredericks for a three day clinic. Located in Mooresville, NC, Kingfisher Park Equestrian will utilize their large Future Track arena alongside of their newly constructed cross country schooling area. The clinic will be held on July 31 to August second, and will consist of a day each of dressage, show jumping, and cross country. [Clayton Fredericks Eventing Camp]

Eric Bull finds the challenge of building upper level fences too strong to resist. Eric Bull is known for his jumps all over the country, including building the courses for Plantation Field and Fair Hill. He breaks down the differences in designing for upper versus lower levels, and why it’s the upper level fences that allow him to express more artistically. [The Builder’s Perspective]

Leslie Law turned the big 5-0 yesterday, and didn’t tell us. Horse and Hound fills us in on some quick highlights in the USEF U25 coach’s career. Two Olympics, and Championship, a wife and a baby make the cut. [Everything You Need To Know About Leslie Law]

Brand sponsorships or ambassadorships may be voiding your amateur status. The Legal Equestrian examines this issue in detail, going as far as to reach out to the USEF for clarification. Turns out, receiving any goods in kind for being a brand ambassador will violates the amateur role. In fact, even just representing a brand at all might endanger your status. [The Legal Equestrian]

Eventer Sean McQuillan blogs about the partnership between horse and rider. Sean tried to do the right thing by his young upper level horse while he was grounded for an injury, and sent him off to another professional to keep him going. He feels he underestimated the power of partnership, and by removing himself from the equation, actually thrust his horse into uncertainty. Luckily, they were able to rebuild their trust and continue their upper level career together.  [We Have to Recognize Horses for Their Unique Selves]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Rolex Review Continued and Badminton Preview. This week Samantha and Jess talk with Maya Black about her first Rolex experience. Next up is Niklas Bschorer, who is entered for Badminton this weekend. [Eventing Radio Show]

SmartPak Product of the Day: I bought a pair of these last fall during a sale on SmartPak brand items, and all of a sudden I’ve realized that I’m reaching for them over and over as my go-to schooling breeches. The beige pair is the perfect color for schooling or shows, and the wide waistband sits just right. When SmartPak holds one of their sales, the price makes these breeches very attractive for looking smart while schooling. [SmartPak]

Karen O’Connor recently held a clinic in Area IX at the Colorado Horse Park. In the video below, Novice competitor Emma Miller jumps around the water complex during the clinic with her OTTB.

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: Jersey Fresh Hype Video

By on May 5, 2015 4:30 pm -

Jersey Fresh International will commence tomorrow beginning with the first horse inspection for the CCI competitors. With this being the final selection trial for the Pan American Games this summer, there is a lot on the line for the competitors hoping to plant themselves on the radar for team selection.

There’s a buzz of excitement this week with both Jersey and Badminton running this weekend, and we found the perfect hype video to get us excited. Thanks to YouTube user Charmingtorri, this video showcases some of the action from last weekend’s event.

Jenni will be on the ground for EN this weekend in New Jersey, so stay tuned for the latest and greatest coverage right here on EN. Go Jersey!

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.

Congratulations to the Dubarry Rolex Nations Team Challenge Fantasy Winner!

By on May 5, 2015 3:00 pm -

It was a hard fought battle, but at the end of the day only one winner can be crowned. Over 300 teams duked it out in our first ever Rolex Fantasy League, sponsored by Dubarry, this year. With the usual team format of four members, one score was eligible to be dropped.

We ended up with a four team tie for first place with a total score of 134.9. With the tiebreaker picks in place, we were able to narrow the field down to one winner: team Rockin’ Rolex, piloted by Barbara Price Morrison!

Team Rockin' Rolex. Remember, Zara's score was dropped from the total.

Team Rockin’ Rolex. Remember, Zara’s score was dropped from the total.

Barbara is the lucky recipient of a “Toe to Head” Dubarry of Ireland winner, thanks to the generosity of our sponsor. We can’t thank Dubarry enough for sponsoring this league as well as the masterminds behind Fantasizr, who were able to create a custom league to accommodate us.

We’d like to sincerely thank each and every one of you who played in this year’s Fantasy League. We definitely plan to bring this back next year, and so we’d like to welcome your feedback on ideas for improvement the next time around. Please send your feedback to [email protected] so that we know what you’d like to see next year. We appreciate you sticking with us during some growing pains, and we’re already excited and planning ahead for 2016.

Congratulations again to our big winner, and thank you, as always, for your support. Go Eventing.

Five Riders Under ‘Stall a-Rest’ to Raise Funds for Jersey Fresh

By on May 5, 2015 1:30 pm -
It looks like some of the perpetrators are already running from the Jersey Fresh police. It looks like some of the perpetrators are already running from the Jersey Fresh police.

Five riders will be placed under “stall a-rest” at Jersey Fresh, with the bail money they raise going toward supporting both the event and the Horse Park of New Jersey’s capital campaign to refurbish the footing in the facility’s arenas. The riders who will be behind bars are:

“Bad to the Bone” Buck Davidson

“Lawless” Lauren Kieffer

“Wayward” Tik Maynard

“Hooligan” Holly Payne

“Crooked” Kristin Schmolze

The riders must each raise $1,000 by Saturday night to be bailed out of jail, a 10-by-10 chain link pen where they will be locked up during the JFI Fiesta competitor party following cross country.

A bail bondsman will be collecting donations on Saturday and again at the party that night, when the riders will make an appeal to the crowd to help them reach their quota if they fall short. Once riders hit that $1,000 mark, they will be released from jail.

A special prize will be awarded to the rider who raises the most money to take the title of “Big Dog of the Pen.”

Here’s how you can play along: Go make a donation now at this link to help your favorite rider raise $1,000 so they can be sprung from jail on Saturday night. If you’re planning to attend the event, you can also make a donation in person on Saturday at a kiosk (we’ll let you know the exact location on cross country day).

Proceeds from placing the riders under “stall a-rest” will benefit both the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event and the Horse Park of New Jersey’s Capital Campaign for Footing Refurbishment.

Click here to support your favorite rider with a donation. Who do you think will raise the most cash and take home the title of Big Dog of the Pen? Vote in the poll below, and stay tuned for much more from Jersey Fresh; EN’s live coverage begins tomorrow!

Update: We’ve been told Wayward Tik Maynard has taken a strong lead, followed by Bad to the Bone Buck Davidson. All three ladies are trailing, so go help bail them out!

[Bail Your Favorite Rider out of Jersey Fresh Jail]

Jersey Fresh Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, Tickets, VIP Packages, Tailgating

Rolex Injury Update: Mighty Nice Will Not Need Surgery

By on May 5, 2015 12:00 pm -
Mighty Nice grazes with Emma Ford. Photo via Phillip Dutton. Mighty Nice grazes with Emma Ford. Photo via Phillip Dutton.

We posted a Rolex injury update last week on Mighty Nice, who was withdrawn from the event due to soreness on his stifle following cross country. It was discovered that “Happy,” an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, had a small bone chip on his stifle.

While the horse was originally meant to undergo a routine surgical procedure yesterday to remove the chip, the vets at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center ultimately decided to skip surgery, as the chip is outside the joint and should heal on its own.

“Happy came right back home to the farm and has been upgraded to a three week period of rest. The prognosis remains extremely good,” Phillip said on his Facebook page. “We are so grateful to everyone for sending your well wishes and good thoughts to Happy. They definitely worked. He’ll be back out there doing what he loves soon.”

While the originally scheduled surgery was minor with a positive prognosis for full recovery, it’s nonetheless a relief that Happy will be able to enjoy some downtime while he recovers in preparation for a fall campaign.

We wish Happy a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back out competing this fall.

[Phillip Dutton Eventing on Facebook]

Windfall Retired in Emotional Ceremony at Rolex

By on May 5, 2015 10:30 am -
Windfall stands in the Rolex arena once again. Photo courtesy of Beth Grant. Windfall stands in the Rolex arena once again. Photo courtesy of Beth Grant.

The famous Trakehner stallion, Windfall, was retired in a special ceremony before show jumping at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Owners Tim and Cheryl Holekamp were present for the ceremony, along with dressage rider Jodi Ely, who demonstrated the 23-year-old stallion’s prowess in the dressage ring.

Windfall enjoyed an illustrious eventing career spanning six years and including three appearances at Rolex and one at the 2004 Olympic Games. Ridden as a young horse and short-listed for the German Olympic team with Ingrid Klimke, Windfall picked up many accolades in the early parts of his career, including a nod to the short list for the 2000 Olympics.

Windfall came to the Holekamps in 2000 to continue his competition career with Darren Chiacchia as well as begin breeding. He set a long-standing record at Rolex for the highest percentage achieved in the dressage (over 78%) — a talent that carried over into his post-eventing career in the dressage ring.

Windfall and Jodi Ely. Photo courtesy of Beth Grant.

Windfall and Jodi Ely. Photo courtesy of Beth Grant.

Now happily retired to the Holekamps’ New Spring Farm in Columbia, Missouri, Windfall is still the picture of health and vitality. Cheryl Holekamp has ridden him in the dressage ring in his retirement, working on the Grand Prix movements that he seems to enjoy.

When asked how the retirement ceremony felt to Tim Holekamp, he replied, “Well, mostly I spent too much time fretting about the details — posters for the USEA tent, script for the ceremony, video to put up on the big screen in the Rolex Arena, making a plan for each person in the ceremony.

“As distracted by all this as I was, when the moment came for all of us to enter the arena, Cheryl showed me her handkerchief and told me she was ready to go in. Truthfully, I did not understand her and asked what she meant, maybe to wipe off Windfall’s mouth? ‘No, you dope,’ she replied. ‘To mop up the tears.’ I laughed at her, thinking that tears were the last thing on my mind.

“But … when the crowd began to cheer as our friend Jodi Ely began to demonstrate his Grand Prix dressage movements, I looked up from the presentation site into the grandstand and could hardly choke back some sobbing of my own. In fact, I feel that way again now, thinking about that moment and that horse. Few could imagine how deeply Windfall has affected our lives.”

Windfall’s legacy will continue with the recent announcement of the new Windfall Trophy, which will be awarded to the stallion with the most USEA points each year at the Preliminary level or above.

We wish Windfall the best in his retirement — his illustrious career will not soon be forgotten.

To learn more about Windfall’s career and breeding, click here.