Classic Eventing Nation

Win Tickets to the Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge at The Royal!

By on Oct 31, 2023 3:20 pm -

Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (November 3-12) is one of our favorite shows, and we’ve teamed up with the new title sponsor of opening weekend’s Indoor Eventing, Mad Barn, to give away a fabulous ticket package which includes two tickets to both Friday and Saturday night’s horse show performances Nov. 3 and 4 (that’s both rounds of the Mad Barn Indoor Eventing challenge, as well as the Canadian Show Jumping Championships.)

To enter, follow the instructions on the Facebook post below (click here if the embedded post does not display in your browser):

📣 🇨🇦 Mad Barn has just given us some tickets to give away for #MadBarn Indoor Eventing Challenge Friday & Saturday…

Posted by Eventing Nation on Tuesday, October 31, 2023


Please note this contest includes tickets for the Friday & Saturday evening horse show performances (which include general admission to the Fair) and does not include transportation, accommodation or any other associated costs.

You must be able to pick up your tickets in person at The Royal in Toronto with photo ID in order to redeem your prize. This contest is not in any way affiliated with or endorsed by Meta, its subsidiaries or associates. Contest closes Nov. 1 at noon EST.

Winner will be drawn at random and announced on tomorrow, Wednesday Nov. 1.

What’s On Tap: The Eventing Championships at Galway Downs

By on Oct 31, 2023 12:30 pm -

The grand entrance into the main arena at Galway Downs, which also plays host to international show jumping and dressage competition. There’s also a full Thoroughbred training track in operation here. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

We aren’t quite done yet! Two major events remain on the U.S. calendar before we get an ever-so-brief break from competition. They’re two exciting ones, too, and located in some of the more enviable locations for horse events, if you ask me.

First up this weekend is the Eventing Championships at Galway Downs, which begins tomorrow with First Horse Inspections and pre-event activities. You can view the full schedule for the action-packed weekend here.

Galway Downs is hosting a full roster of fall championships: the 2023 USEF CCI2*-L and USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championships and the 2023 USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships, presented by USEA. The event will also host USEA Area VI Championships, as well as the popular Challenge divisions for all National divisions. Prize money for the event totals $100,000, with $50k up for grabs in the Defender CCI4*-L division.

2021 Galway Downs International CCI4*-L winner Alexandra MacLeod & Newmarket Jack (PC: Tina Fitch Photography)

The 4*-L features a 12-combination entry list:

  • Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio II
  • Sophie Click and Tarantino 54 + Quidproquo
  • Dana Cooke and FE Quattro
  • Ariel Grald and Diara
  • Tommy Greengard and Joshuay MBF
  • Liz Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker + Shanroe Cooley
  • Emilee Libby and Toska
  • Tamie Smith and Cooley By Design + Kynan + Elliot V

You can check out the full entry list for all divisions here. 

And yes, you’ll be able to watch live, for free! Bookmark the Ride On Video live streams here and here — I’ll update this post with the schedule once it’s available.

Want to get in on the action and earn some great karma while you’re at it? There are still several openings for volunteers — click here to sign up for a shift!

Stay tuned for much more from Galway right here on EN!

The Eventing Championships at Galway Downs: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Live Stream] [Volunteer]

Rachel Lawson: Thoroughbred Champion, Through Thick & Thin

By on Oct 31, 2023 9:30 am -

Rachel Lawson Dunning and High Tide. Photo courtesy of Equestly.

As the owner of an opinionated off-the-track Thoroughbred mare, I’ve always been fascinated by eventing’s love affair with the Thoroughbred. Though purebred Thoroughbreds have now gone out of fashion, many top riders, if not all, still choose their five-star mounts based on how much “blood” they have. No, not blood in their veins, but how much Thoroughbred breeding they have in their pedigree. Through four-star eventer Rachel Lawson’s relationship with her OTTB High Tide, you can come to understand why eventing and Thoroughbreds have always gone hand-in-hand, why they’ve drifted apart, and if the breed has a future in the sport.

Rachel Lawson’s name is synonymous with Thoroughbreds. She has built a career off of restarting off-the-track Thoroughbreds for both herself and her clients. She’s still competing the horse that inspired her love of the breed, and for ex-racehorses in particular: High Tide, a 13 year-old OTTB, owned by the rider. Despite their rocky, and sometimes scary, start together, Rachel says she wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Tell me about High Tide. What’s he like “behind the stall door?”

High Tide, barn name Kai, was my first off the track and he could not have been more difficult. He was just absolutely wild. Very anxious. He would have these just blind rage kind of anxiety attacks. So I spent about almost two months really just working with him doing natural horsemanship and just rope halter work and forming that bond and communicating with him and speaking with him in his own language. People literally joke that he was basically going to end up in the slaughterhouse, and they’ll say either ‘Thank god he ended up with you’ or ‘He’s gonna kill you one day.’

I just started to really learn that a lot of his antics were because he wanted to do the right job so bad that if he didn’t feel like he was doing his job 100 percent correct, he was almost like a little kid who was hitting his head against a wall saying, ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid.’ He wants to give you 500 percent and if he thinks he’s giving you 499 percent, he just can’t handle it. And I am very similar to him, so it was very easy for me to understand him.

I remember going around our first intermediate together and half way through I had this really emotional moment of thinking to myself, like, ‘Wow, this horse is gonna go all the way. All of my dreams are gonna come true on this horse.’

Since then, we’re constantly learning and it’s never ending and the journey is always continuing. We’re always striving to do better and improve. But he is in a place now where the pieces are in a row and he’s so confident in himself and in what he’s doing.

He’s my buddy and I love him and we just have such a great partnership. We have that great partnership because I just listened to him from day one. And I listened to all the things he was telling me, I understood him, and I took my time.

What was your mindset like when you were training High Tide, particularly through his younger, wilder years?

With High Tide, less is more. So I really kind of had to work on myself, as well as finding my own kind of zen place and peace. I am the same way as High Tide. I am an overthinker and I’m a worrier. With the whole anxiety thing– It was really all about learning how to positively influence him, essentially by removing myself from the equation in some ways, if that makes sense.

Despite all the difficult moments, has Kai inspired you to specialize in retraining ex-racehorses for your clients? Why did you fall in love with this breed?

Oh, absolutely. I mean, my barn is pretty much all Thoroughbreds. I just really love these horses. I think that it’s so incredible that they are purpose-bred to do this one thing, but they end up doing so much more. I mean, you see them in all disciplines across the board and you don’t see other breeds doing that, you know, and they’re just incredible.

They’re so smart and they have the biggest hearts. I will say maybe not all of them, but for the most part, they want to go to work and they want to please and they try so hard to learn all these new things and do the right thing. I think a lot of that is hardwired into their DNA, but also they’re put to work at such an early age and they thrive off of doing something and having a job, especially when they have a good relationship and partnership with their person.

And not all of them are like High Tide. I went to go see one and I looked in the stall and watched them pull him out. He was quiet as can be. No chain in sight. I watched him jog and I picked him up the next day. I typically don’t go for three-year-olds, but I had the space to turn him out for a while. So he got thrown out in the field for about six months and I pulled him back in when he was four and got on him. I mean, he just hacked out on the buckle and you could tell he was just such a good old soul. And he ended up being one of those horses that I would say you could give them off six months and you could go get them in the field bareback and ride them off and you know he would always be the same horse.

So they’re all so different. The brain to me is so so important. But you know, there’s all kinds of Thoroughbreds.

Rachel Lawson Dunning and High Tide. Photo by Nicole Binneman.

How does track work translate to eventing? What education do the horses bring with them after getting off the track?

I galloped racehorses and I broke the babies, I did that for years. You definitely get a much greater understanding of the start to their life before they end up in a second career doing that.

So when it comes to the leg, one of two things can happen: they don’t respond to your leg because it doesn’t mean anything to them, or they’re very explosive to your leg. So Kai was very, very, very reactive to the leg. On top of that, you have to be so still and quiet with your hands and your body because on the track, when you move your hand that means go faster.

It’s really just taking everything that they know and how they’ve been started in life and their purpose in life and basically telling them, ‘Okay, clean slate, forget all that. I’m going to teach you a whole other game, a whole other world, a whole other life.’ Some of them have really great brains where they figure it out quickly and some of them are just a lot trickier.

With High Tide, you just always had to really reassure him and make a big deal and make it very clear like yes, like that’s what you’re supposed to do, even if it’s just the thought of what he’s supposed to do for a brief second. But those brief seconds build up and then one day you have 10 seconds and then one day you have five steps and so on and so forth. Once he really figured out what leg meant, moving off the leg when you’re seeing that he’s very sensitive to what you’re seeing guys. Then you get it was the same thing with the groundwork. Then you get to a point where he’s a cool, calm, free dressage horse.

How do you work with OTTBs before getting on them for the first time?

My mom loves natural horsemanship, and that was a huge part of my education growing up. She loved John Lyons and Monty Roberts. So that was kind of already a little bit in my repertoire, which carried over to when I first got Kai, Handling him on the ground, he was wild. He was rude. He was pushy. He had no personal space. Anything would make him nervous. I mean, like lights are on but nobody was home kind of just blacked out about things.

When he came to me he had been let down for about 10 days. And so we just started, you know, trying to do all the rope halter, just groundwork, I mean, the kind of the basic Parelli routine, getting him to ring back to work on a circle, change directions off your body language, and it was a nightmare. He was just so bad and so awful, he ripped away from me so many times and went galivanting around the property.

That’s where you could really start to read if he wasn’t sure of what he was supposed to do, his go to move was just a mental breakdown. That took a really long time to just kind of get through to him. Some days we’re about two hours of just trying to get him to turn the light on on the rounds, or just to take one step backwards. So it took a lot of patience, and it’s just about being very clear. Ask a very clear question and make a big deal about it when they give you even the slightest hint of the correct answer. And, you know, those that answer eventually it gets clearer and clearer and then you have this really, you know, well oiled second language that both you and the horse understand and that translates massively under saddle.

Where do you think the stereotype that Thoroughbreds are crazy comes from?

There’s a lot of people who want a horse. Thoroughbreds in the US are a dime a dozen off the track. They don’t have a big price tag on them. They get scooped up by maybe not the right homes, or the most educated homes, so they kind of end up getting a bad or a false reputation.

The last thing you should do when you get a Thoroughbred is just put pressure on them. You cannot pressurize them. It’s like sealing a tarp on a volcano. It’s gonna blow and that’s where it goes downhill. They’re a completely different animal than any other horse.

I think you see them shine when they’re in the right homes and then it doesn’t matter what discipline you ride. I’ve seen Thoroughbreds barrel race and in the show hunters. They can do so many different things. It just depends on if they end up with somebody who’s willing to listen and guide them, and let them shine in their own way and at their own pace. Educate them, listen to them, don’t put the pressure on them.

You go back to slowing things down a lot. Can you dive into that a little more? What does that mean in the context of training OTTBs?

So just taking the time and slowly trotting things is one of the best things you can do with any young horse, but especially the off the track ones. Their go-to answer for any question you ask them is speed. That’s all they know. It’s very hard for some of them to learn how to process things by slowing it down, slowing their brain down.

High Tide’s brain, for example, always wants to run a million miles an hour. And he had a really hard time trying to process things and slowing down. You can take him to events and he would want to run at the fences and seems so bold and brave and dragging you too much to the fence. But, if you came back around and just tried to slowly walk up to it or trot it, he would have a mental breakdown and he would spin and he would run backwards and not understand it at all.

I spent a lot of time walking cross country fences, which was the most intimidating thing I’ve ever done. In his younger years, I spent more time halting in front of jumps than I actually did jumping them, just to get him to understand ‘Hey, you have to half-halt here.’

So it was a very long process, teaching him that he can do things without speed took a long time, really well into his career I was still working with that. In the jumping phases, more so in the show jumping. I think that’s because when you go out on cross country you can allow them to have a little bit more of a gallop. But, as I said, even around his first beginner novice, he tried to go around it like he was running Kentucky.

Rachel Lawson Dunning and High Tide. Photo courtesy of Equestly.

Why do you think we don’t see many Thoroughbreds at the upper levels of eventing?

This sport used to be dominated by Thoroughbreds. The Thoroughbreds thrived in the long format because that was where they were in their element. I mean, it just comes down to the galloping and the fitness required. When we lost the long format, it allowed the doorway to open for the warm bloods to come in, the more show jumper and dressage-bred horses. The long format was so catered to the Thoroughbred that you wanted to be sitting on a Thoroughbred back then and that’s not necessary anymore.

And the problem is that Thoroughbreds are not for everybody. They’re very specific to the kind of ride that you’re looking for. I think if you’re a Thoroughbred person, you’re a Thoroughbred person. That’s all I want to sit on, you know? But I know people who can get on a Thoroughbred and it just doesn’t work.

Even though they can end up with a false or bad reputation, if we continue to advocate for them and believe in them, I think they’ll start to make more and more of an appearance again. The pendulum I think is kind of swinging back to that middle ground. The coolest thing about eventing though, is there’s so many different breeds. Like there’s not one stamp of a horse that’s an event horse. My first event horse was a Morgan and he was 14.3! I mean, you see Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods and Connemaras. I mean you can have a Heinz 57. There’s a place for all of them.

What advice would you give to someone who is looking at an OTTB for the first time?

Take your time, be patient, be quiet, listen to what the horse has to say. Let them tell you what they’re ready for. Don’t get greedy– I can’t stress that enough.

Because there’s so many equestrians who start off with an ex-racehorse and they’re like, ‘Okay, well, let’s go cross country schooling. Let’s go do that. Let’s go do this.’ And the horse does it because that’s what they know how to do. They know how to do what you ask them to do.

I think the best thing that you can do with an off the track Thoroughbred is just take your time and don’t get greedy, because it can be very easy to do. And I don’t think that that sets them up for success. I think that sets them up for being over faced or insecure and losing confidence.

This article was sponsored by Equestly. Check out their new app or shop their full line of equestrian gear on equestly.com. For her part, Rachel sings praises about Equestly. “I have two of the Lux 2-in-1 Jackets now and I wear them every single day, throughout the whole winter. But I think the first day that I wore my first pair of Equestly breeches, I didn’t want to take them off and that’s usually the first thing I want to do at the end of the day. But honestly, there’s not one thing that I can say is my favorite. It’s just all wonderful, great stuff. I mean I live in their stuff every single day.”

Click here to discover the full collection of Equestly products.

Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products

By on Oct 31, 2023 6:31 am -

 

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We’re delighted to be able to share the news with you that, after a frightening fall on course at Pau that necessitated a long hold, Austria’s Lea Siegl and her horse, DSP Fighting Line, are absolutely fine. Poor Lea does have a couple of broken ribs and has needed a bit of sewing back up after sustaining a wound to her face, but there’ll be no long-term damage and after a bit of healing time, she’ll be back out kicking ass and taking names as Austria’s leading superstar. We look forward to seeing you again next season, Lea — now, get those feet up and enjoy a bit of r&r!

Events Opening Today: None! We’ve reached that time of year, folks…

Events Closing Today: The Event at TerraNova, Ram Tap H.T. & Classic 3-Day

Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:

There are few better ways to end the season than a spin round a classic three-day. I love how much more prevalent these have become across the lower levels, making them an accessible goal for most riders — and one they’ll learn tonnes from, too. Meet a couple of winners from Hagyard Midsouth and find out why they wanted to focus their attentions on eventing’s “old school”.

There are some concepts that transcend disciplines — and lightness and feel are two of them. See what legendary hunter trainer and judge Geoff Teall has to say on the topic, and how he trains both horses and riders to attain both, here.

Another great way to end the season? With a win and a qualification for Badminton’s Grassroots Championship — and that’s even more exciting if you’re only thirteen years old! Meet the champ in this sweet piece from H&H.

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sponsor Corner: Les 5 Etoiles de Pau is known to have an atmosphere like no other, complete with flash mobs and patriotic parachutists. Despite the raucous atmosphere, Ros Canter and the mildly overwhelmed Izilot DHI have come home a winner. Pau coverage was brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, creator of high-quality supplements to better your horse’s quality of life.

Watch This:

Us Brits love nothing more than a Shetland race. I’m glad to see that this, from Maryland, proves that the trend is spreading. Look, we all know the tiny hairy ones will take over the world eventually — let’s not fight it.

Monday Video: Boyd and Bruno Beat the Clock at Pau

By on Oct 30, 2023 4:30 pm -

I unfortunately couldn’t watch Les 5 Etoiles de Pau cross country livestream this Saturday, but I could tell from the pinging of messages flying through the EN team Slack channel that it was an absolute doozy.

Thanks to EN team superhero Cheg Darlington running live updates, I was able to fully catch up with all the drama on course but my first real glimpse of the action has just come via this video of Boyd Martin and the Goodwin family’s Federman B‘s catty and FAST run across Pierre Michelet’s bold course.

Boyd and “Bruno” were the only pair to meet the optimum time out of all 54 pairs to leave the start box that day. While they did trigger a MIM-clip at fence 13B, their quick round still saw them climb from 16th to 9th after this phase, and then a double clear jumping round the following day would see them complete the event in 8th — that’s two for two top ten five-star finishes for Bruno now.

Enjoy their full cross country round above!

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau: [Website] [Results] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Weekend Winners: Chattahoochee, Waredaca, & YEH

By on Oct 30, 2023 12:30 pm -

We hope that you all had a Happy Halloweekend, celebrating the spooky season with your friends and family, both two legged and four. It was a productive weekend for Eventers, despite only three events running. We saw competition through the 4* level at Chattahoochee, celebrated and enjoyed the long format at Waredaca, and highlighted the upcoming talent at the YEH West Coast Championships & Last Chance Qualifier.

Congrats to all on successful outings! As always, an extra special shout out to the winner of our Unofficial Low Score Award, Mia Soules and Nirvana, who scored an impressive 21.8 in the Beginner Novice Rider division at Chattahoochee!

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website][Scores]

CCI4*S: Sara Kozumplik and Rock Phantom (41.5)
CCI3*S: Jenny Caras and Trendy Fernhill (27.9)
CCI2*S: Leslie Law and Lady Chatterley (25.7)
CCI1*S: Candace Elizabeth Bell and Fernhill Fuerst (28.0)
Advanced: Matthew Ulmer and Wellview Mister Lux (82.5)
Open Intermediate: Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic (31.2)
Open Preliminary: Ariel Grald and Kingston Van Meerzicht (26.3)
Open Modified: Chelsey Sawtell and Toto’s Weather Tamer (32.0)
Open Training A: Madison Manley and NDR’s Fez (30.1)
Open Training B: Melanie Smith and Ballynoecastle TD (28.9)
Training Rider: Brie Murray and Fernhill Ranga Tanga (28.0)
Novice Rider A: Celia White and To Infinity and Beyond DASH (31.7)
Novice Rider B: April Hays and Anteros HSH (25.6)
Open Novice A: Ariel Grald and Sunhill Cobrio (27.3)
Open Novice B: Tessa Geven and Ameristan (25.0)
Beginner Novice Rider: Mia Soules and Nirvana (21.8)
Open Beginner Novice: Margaret Stocker and Smilla’s Sense of Snow (22.7)

Waredaca Classic Three Day Event & H.T. (Laytonsville, MD) [Website][Scores]

Modified Three Day: Kate Nolfi and Wild Pioneer (36.6)
Training Three Day: Danielle Downing and Caribe PCH (28.5)
Novice Three Day: Nancy T. Read and Classic Chrome PCH (25.0)
Beginner Novice Three Day: Emma Whitaker and HSH Golden Boy (26.0)
Open Preliminary: Shannon P. Lilley and Ideal HX (31.7)
Modified Rider: Bailey Kent and Scooby Dooby Doo (38.3)
Open Modified: Martin Douzant and Caspers Run (25.5)
Open Training: Isabelle Bosley and Conner (24.7)
Training Rider: Madison Markley and Olney Uncle Sam (28.3)
Novice Rider A: Silvio Pappalardo and Pure Biz (31.1)
Novice Rider B: Emma Makovitch and Twoggeron (32.5)
Open Novice: Tracey Bienemann and After Eight (27.5)
Beginner Novice Rider A: Sophia Tews and Carson Too (29.1)
Beginner Novice Rider B: Lindsey Morris and Lucky Charm (27.5)
Open Beginner Novice: Martin Douzant and Beall Spring Chanel (26.6)

YEH West Coast Championships & Last Chance Qualifier (Paso Robles, CA) [Website][Scores]

Dutta Corp. USEA YEH 4 Y.O. West Coast Ch.: Amber Birtcil and Oxford K (83.1)
Dutta Corp. USEA YEH 5 Y.O. West Coast Ch.: Andrea Baxter and Camelot PJ (85.9)
Young Event Horse 4 year Old LCQ: Amber Birtcil and Oriental Star (88.3)
Young Event Horse 5 Year Old LCQ: Jordan Linstedt and LS Crown Royal (90.9)

Camelot PJ and Oxford K Deliver Fairytale Finishes at Young Event Horse West Coast Championships

By on Oct 30, 2023 11:30 am -

The 2023 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) West Coast Championships came down to the final rides in both the 4- and 5-year-old divisions to crown a champion. Camelot PJ and Andrea Baxter recorded the best jumping score on Saturday’s second day of competition at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to move from sixth to first to win the 5-year-old championship. Oxford K and Amber Birtcil also had the best jumping score for the 4-year-olds to break the tie Birtcil had with another of her horses in Oriental Star after dressage and conformation on day one to win the 4-year-old championship.

This year’s YEH West Coast Championships continued to raise the bar for the top eventing prospects on the West Coast. The 32 horses made up of 18 5-year-olds and 14 4-year-olds represented the largest field since the West Coast Championships were first held as a standalone event at Twin Rivers in 2020.

Baxter, who has experienced eventing success up to the five-star level, said she was particularly proud of this victory because of her passion for working with young horses and serving on the USEA’s Young Event Horse committee.

“This program has been very special to me,” Baxter said. “I remember being able to compete Indy 500 when we first hosted the YEH championships at Twin Rivers in 2011, and that was so valuable early in her journey to becoming a five-star horse. When we gave the West Coast championships their own home here starting in 2020, we decided to turn it into a real FEI event where the young horses get to be showcased in the forelight. It gives them an opportunity that hopefully prepares them for what they hopefully will become.”

Andrea Baxter and Camelot PJ. Tina Fitch Photography.

Camelot PJ’s victory with a score of 85.94 out of a possible 100 was highlighted by having the best score from championship judges Marilyn Payne from the United States and Christian Schacht from Germany among the 5-year-olds for cross-country efforts (26.4 out of 30) and for overall evaluation for rideability, between fences, and open gallop (13.75 out of 15). Camelot PJ also had the second-best score for conformation (8.9 out of 10), show-jumping efforts (12.3 out of 15), and general impression as a potential four- or five-star event horse (9.2 out of 10). The overall score represents a weighted total of each mark with 10 percent for conformation, 20 percent for dressage, and 70 percent for jumping and galloping.

“To ride him, he is just effortless,” Baxter said. “He jumps with scope for days. He lands light as a feather. He gallops. He’s a beautiful mover. He’s the smartest horse you’ll ever come across. He’s a little suspicious, a little spooky, and quirky, but just everything about it is self-awareness, and he loves the job. He just plays with the jumps, and he’s the type of horse that, if we all had horses like this, we’d be winning medals. So, in my eyes, he’s just unbeatable, and it’s cool that the judges could see that, too.”

The bay roan Hanoverian gelding (Colman x Evita) goes by the barn of “The Hustler” because of his attitude, with Baxter saying that his theme songs are “Hustlin’” by Rick Ross and “You Can Do It” by Ice Cube.

“He’s tricky, he’s quirky, but he’s very self-aware and very brave at the jumps,” Baxter said. “He loves the job and loves the game.”

Birtcil finished second the 5-year-old championship with the bay Dutch Warmblood gelding Nevada (Il Est Balou x Onile W), culminating a big weekend for her highlighted by the win in the 4 year-old championship with the bay Dutch Warmblood gelding Oxford K (Grand Slam VDL x Walzing Patty). Her Cellar Farm Corp owned six horses in the 4-year-old championship—four ridden by Birtcil and two ridden by Bec Braitling—with all six finishing in the top-seven placings.

Amber Birtcil and Nevada. Tina Fitch Photography.

“Oh, I love it,” Birtcil said. “I think it’s the best. I mean, to go in the Flag Ring and the flags get going for dressage, and they have to cope with that. But, it’s such a laidback, easygoing atmosphere that’s it’s so inviting for them. And, it’s decorated so beautifully. They really make it such a big deal here that I think it’s the perfect thing. That’s why anything that’s 4 and 5 in my barn I drag out and has to come.”

Oxford K’s sire, Grand Slam VDL, is also the sire of the 8-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding
Kuno SMH, who competed in the CCI4*-S 8/9-Year-Old class at the Blenheim Palace International in
Great Britain in September. His dam, Walzing Patty, is the dam of three show jumpers that have
competed at 1.40 meters—one based in California, one in Europe, and one in Iran.

Amber Birtcil and Oxford K. Tina Fitch Photography.

“Oxford” won with a finishing score of won with a finishing score of 83.06 and recorded the highest score among the 4-year-olds for conformation (8.4 out of 10), for general impression as a future four- or five-star eventer (9.0 out of 10), for cross-country efforts (26.1 out of 30), and for overall evaluation for rideability, between fences, and open gallop (13.0 out of 15).

“He’s super quirky,” Birtcil said. “He’s hard to get on. He’s a bit of an odd duck. Those ones tend to stay. He does suit me. He’s very comfortable. I do like his personality even though he is odd, but the easy ones are the easy ones I generally sell.”

Braitling rode the Cellar Farm Corp’s bay Dutch Warmblood mare Olalandra (Falaise De Muze x
Gilandra) to second-place in the 4-year-old championship.

“I was riding them for Amber, and I hadn’t jumped them until today with the warmup jumps,” Braitling said of her two catch rides. “I had no plan. It’s kind of almost more fun doing it that way on 4-year-olds. Basically, I think riding 4-year-olds is like having no plan anyways, so it’s perfect.”

Olalandra was the lone mare in the 4-year-old field against 13 geldings.

“It’s funny, and I think it goes in rotations,” Braitling said. “I was just in Europe, and I feel like all there were were a million mares at the top level. I think one deterrent for me if you’re importing is that it’s expensive to bring mares in. But she was phenomenal. She’s an old soul that one.”

Bec Braitling and Olalandra. Tina Fitch Photography.

Sophie Stocks and her bay Irish Sport Horse gelding Rosco (Tyson x Kah Lasina) finished third. Birtcil and the Cellar Farm Corp’s chestnut Thoroughbred gelding Smarter World (Smart Bid x Circle the World) won The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Award as the highest-placing former racehorse in seventh overall. The bay Thoroughbred gelding Check the Boxes (Box Score x Multiplyingtheheat) ridden by Tommy Greengard and co-owned by Greengard and Andrea Pfeiffer won The Go Get ’Em Award, In Memory of Don Trotter for the best gallop score with a perfect 10 for his gallop.

For the 5-year-olds, third-place went to Jordan Linstedt and her bay Hanoverian gelding LS Crown
Royal (by Comte). Ashley Horowitz and her grey Irish Sport Horse gelding Monbeg Salt Fever
(Womanizer x Eden Breeze) in fourth were the highest-finishing pair that also competed in the 2022 USEA YEH West Coast Championships, with “Salty” also finishing fourth as a 4-year-old. There were six horses from last year’s YEH 4-year-old championship, as well as the 4-year-old champion and reserve champion from last year’s USEA Future Event Horse West Coast Championships that were in this year’s YEH 5-year-old championship.

The special awards for the 5-year-old championship were The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Award won by the chestnut Thoroughbred gelding Wynnville (Lakerville x Tebowing) ridden by Ella Garcia. The Big Easy, a chestnut Irish Sport Horse gelding (Mr Lincoln B x PLS Hippo Q) ridden by Baxter, won The Safe Harbor Award given to the 5-year-old with the most graceful and rider friendly performance throughout the competition.

“The Big Easy couldn’t be a more fitting winner,” Baxter said. “Nicknamed ‘Yoda,’ he displayed his perfection by standing like a total gentleman in the middle of the ring while everyone else victory galloped around him. He’s a gentle giant with scope, talent, and mental capacity for any sport. He’s the barn favorite.”

As for her overall winner, Camelot PJ, Baxter said, “The sky is the limit.”

Links Results | Website

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

By on Oct 30, 2023 7:08 am -

 

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Without wanting to sound like a broken record: WHAT a weekend. I’ve scarcely caught my breath from the whirlwind that was Pau — you can check out my probably faintly insane coverage at the link below — and now I’m diving straight back in time to catch up on all the finer points of the Pan American Games to find out what I missed. On both sides of the pond, yesterday was definitely a day of high-stress, high-stakes jumping — and now, I reckon we’ll all be heading into the off season glad for a bit of a breather (in a dark room, for my sanity, I think).

National Holiday: It’s National Checklist Day. At this end of the season, I’m pretty sure I need a checklist to remember even the most basic things, like remembering to inhale and exhale, or wear underwear. The struggle is… well, you know.

Major International Events

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Sport Schedule] [FEI Info Hub] [Live Stream] [Results] [EN’s Coverage]

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau: [Website] [Results] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

U.S. Weekend Preview

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Results]

Waredaca Classic Three Day Event & H.T. (Laytonsville, MD) [Website] [Results]

YEH West Coast Championships & Last Chance Qualifier (Paso Robles, CA) [Website] [Results]

Your Monday Reading List:

Head behind the stall door with fluffy-eared, smoking-jacket-wearing Claus 63, the Pan Ams ride of Sharon White. The big German boy will absolutely win your heart with this one — he’s a banana-munching doofus who just loves his job and his people. Dive in here.

When it comes to preventing or treating lameness, we’ve never had more tech on our side. Sometimes, that’s a pretty overwhelming thing — what should you be putting your money into for diagnostics or treatment, and at what point to do stop feeding the money pit? This enlightening article clears up, at least, some of the options. 

Surprise, surprise — there’s another story coming out of endurance concerning doping. This time, the evasion of doping tests, which is a totally normal, absolutely sane thing to do.

Morning Viewing:

Join me in reliving the thrill of Ros Canter’s winning round at Pau — now, I reckon I can watch it without my knees shaking, which is nice.

 

Canada Books Paris Ticket + Team Gold, Caroline Pamukcu Wins Individual Gold to Conclude Pan Ams Eventing

By on Oct 29, 2023 7:39 pm -

Team Canada for the gold! Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We went to sleep last night feeling fairly secure in the U.S. team’s position ahead of show jumping at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. But, as we all know, this is sport and this is horses, and with that combination anything is always possible.

Following a dramatic conclusion to eventing competition today in the show jumping, we now see a majorly shuffled leaderboard, though one thing remained the same: Caroline Pamukcu won individual gold, earning this in her senior team debut aboard the exciting 8-year-old HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan).

In the team competition, it was Canada’s day to shine, validating the country’s hard work, improved organization and high performance leadership structure with three clear rounds to secure a come-from-behind gold medal. It’s Canada’s first team gold in eventing at the Pan Ams since 1991, and this win also stamps the country’s ticket to the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Team Canada wins gold, USA wins silver, Brazil wins bronze in Santiago. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Big Changes at the Top

Let’s go back to the start of the day. The U.S. team came into today with a cumulative score of 86.2, with 3 rails and some time in hand over silver-placed Brazil. Canada was also well in the hunt, less than a rail off of Brazil’s score.

The rails were flying early, and it took us until Brazil’s Ruy Fonseca and Ballypatrick SRS‘s (Pacino – Ballypatrick Romance, by Clover Hill) turn to see a pair leave all the fences up. One second of time would prevent a double clear. That honor would go to Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye (Goldfever – Cascade, by Contendro), who in their spare time like to jump in the grand prix ring. That practice paid off, as Colleen and “Goldie” were the sole double clear of the entire day. This effort moved Colleen up into sixth in the final standings and put the pressure on Brazil. While Brazil did produce two clear rounds, a combination of time penalties and poles down for Rafael Losano and Carlos Parro would drop the team into bronze overall.

Additional clear rounds from Mike Winter and eventual individual bronze medalist Lindsay Traisnel sealed the deal for Canada to at least earn its Olympic spot, and two rails down for Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo would not endanger their finish.

Sharon White and Claus 63. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

As the reverse starting order ticked down and the first U.S. riders entered the buzzy main stadium, there were about seven rails in play. No one expected what came next.

Sydney Elliott and Carol Stephens’ QC Diamantaire (Diarado – Lantana, by Sandro Hit) entered as the first of the U.S. to see, lowering two rails and adding 3 seconds of time. With one score to drop (the Pan Ams are run on the older Olympic system of four riders to a team, with one drop score), the pressure mounted but wasn’t quite boiling yet.

Sharon White, in individual bronze after cross country, was the next to jump with her own Claus 63 (Catoo – Tina II, by Levisto). This pair lowered a shocking four rails, including a heartbreaker at the final fence, and added one second of time, dropping out of individual contention but still leaving the team gold intact. Liz Halliday was next in with Ocala Horse Properties’ and Deborah Palmer’s Miks Master C (Mighty Magic – Qui Lumba CBF, by Quite Easy), going for individual silver. This round was also something of a shock, as Liz and “Mikki” had three rails down. And with that, the U.S.’ seven-rail padding was erased, sending Caroline Pamukcu into the arena with ten times the pressure than she’d started the day with riding on her shoulders.

That pressure may have seeped through one tiny bit, as Caroline and HSH Blake miscommunicated at an oxer off a turn, swimming through it and adding 4 penalties. Without any further rails in hand, that rail gave Canada the team win, but Caroline did have those penalties in hand to keep her individual gold. Punching the air after clearing the last, Caroline capped off a stellar senior team debut and subsequently was the last woman standing for the U.S. on the individual podium.

So with all that dust settled, we have Canada in team gold, the U.S. in silver, and Brazil in bronze. Shuffled, the individual podium was Caroline Pamukcu (HSH Blake), Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge (Castle Howard Casanova), and Canada’s Lindsay Traisnel (Bacyrouge).

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Canada Shows Up

For the Canadians, this weekend’s performance comes after a huge amount of reorganization of leadership and structure that began before the World Championships in 2022. Installing a High Performance Advisory Group tasked with laying out not just a “let’s get to this Championship” plan but a “let’s establish a multi-year pathway” plan, Canadian eventing now enjoys some fruits of its labor.

Rebecca Howard, a member of the last Olympic team Canada fielded in Rio de Janeiro (2016), is one of the newer leadership members, taking on the chef d’equipe role and immediately establishing herself as a shrewd leader with extensive experience in these high-pressure situations.

“It was unexpected, to be honest,” she said in a post-ceremony interview. “I mean, the way the guys performed wasn’t unexpected, but the actual outcome to be standing at the top of the podium was an extra bonus. Really the message of the week was really just for the guys to go and do what they do. It’s nothing extraordinary. It’s just literally doing what they’ve done all year. The way they’re performing was going to produce a good result, and that’s exactly exactly what happened. They went in there and performed the way they can, which we believed in them and knew they could do, and then also, luck fell our way. And that even added a better result than we were expecting. We’re absolutely obviously thrilled. The number one goal was was the first qualification. And we got a bonus on top of that.”

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“I hope so!” she said when asked if eventing in Canada was in its RED ERA [she wasn’t actually asked that, but had I been there, that’s how I would have phrased it]. “I mean, we’ve got a super group of people involved that really wants what’s best for Canadian eventing and I think spirits are high and momentum I hope we can continue to build on. I’m sure there’ll be, you know, peaks and valleys to come, and that’s the way these things go. But we just keep plugging away and with a super group of people and great group of riders and horses.”

[You can read more about Canada’s new structure in this article Amanda Chance wrote earlier this year.]

After missing out on the Tokyo Olympics team competition, sending individuals instead, Canada can now firmly set its sights on Paris. Two Olympic berths were to be given out at Santiago this year, meaning the two top-placed teams not already qualified would stamp their tickets.

“This is the culmination of a year and a half, two years of complete high performance restructuring,” Mike Winter, who produced a clear round with El Mundo (Numero Uno – Calvaro’s Bria Z, by Calvaro Z) as the second Canadian in the ring. “It goes so much more — we executed today, but that foundation, what we’re surrounded by is so important.”

“I think what we’ve done is we’ve tried to align training pathways culture, mentality, and competitive execution,” Mike continued. “And Rebecca Howard [is] there to enable all our training pathways, whether it be with our own individual coaches, or her as our primary coach. It’s just been a really positive environment, and it’s allowed us all to do our best and be able to perform to our best. And I think that’s so key — it’s so key. It’s not one thing that sort of magical or exceptional, that does it — it’s all the sort of small things that come together, and everybody is so dedicated to that process.”

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Debriefing the Day for Team USA

This obviously wasn’t the result the U.S. team wanted — I doubt anyone would’ve pegged Liz or Sharon to have the rails they did. Is it reason to panic? Absolutely not.

For starters, all pairs on this team are well-proven in this phase. Liz and Miks Master C have had two rails down, at one of their first FEI competitions together last year, but have otherwise had single-rail or clear rounds on their international record. The same for Sharon and Claus — they had two rails down at the 4* level during Claus’ first season at the level in 2021 and have just 5 rails in total across 12 other starts at 4*L/S.

“I think there’s probably a lot of ‘if only’s’ going on right now in our own heads,” Sharon White said. “So, so close. But you know, we fought hard to the bitter end and today was obviously a little bit disappointing, but I think all of us are so proud of Caroline, and they’ll all have learned so much. It means everyone’s already planning how we’re going to fight hard to get it done better next time.”

“I think I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit gutted right now — I think we all are,” Liz Halliday said. “It’s certainly not the result we came here to do. Sometimes that’s how things go with horses. So we have to take it on the chin and stand up and be proud of what we did achieve already. And just looking at ways that we can keep fighting hard to be better, because I believe that the USA has really strong riders and horses right now. We’re just going to keep pushing.”

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Sydney Elliott said. “I think for me, I was very proud of our weekend. Being alongside these ladies — it was a great experience.”

At the end of the day, this is sports and in that realm exist a myriad of variables and “what ifs”. Was it the pressure? Was it first timer-itis? Was it the fact that most riders agreed that yesterday’s 3*-L-spec cross country didn’t quite back their horses off enough, resulting in a lack of rideability today, or were the horses more tired than typical today? We won’t definitively know, but chef d’equipe Bobby Costello did observe what could have been more fatigue than usual from some of the horses.

“First and foremost, we’re thrilled for Caroline, and all of her owners and her support group,” Bobby said at the outset of his post interview. “She was great this weekend. So that is first and foremost.

“I think everybody was a little bit surprised that a couple of horses jumped seemingly a little bit more tired today,” he continued. “I thought the riders rode well, but the horses just weren’t their usual buoyant, you know, jumping out of their skin [selves]…we think that they’re maybe a little bit more tired. But, you know, it’s hard to, in the moment, look back — I think we all have to just think about it for a couple of days and I think with that comes a little bit of clarity what we can do going forward.”

For me, outcomes like this — especially when the final margin of loss was .1 penalty — are more of an opportunity for learning and empathy than disappointment and blame. Am I an eternal optimist? Of course — you have to be, in this sport. It’s also imperative to remember that no matter what preparation and mental fortitude one has, this is a sport involving horses, who give us what they can every day and who can’t always be predicted.

Bobby remains pragmatic.

“The last few of these competitions have been very exciting, come down to the very last, you know, tenth of a point or hundredth of a point. And sometimes you’re on the right side of that, and sometimes you’re not.

“It’s good to be disappointed with silver because that means that you just want to be better. And we’re all good friends with the Canadians and so we’re super happy, genuinely happy for those guys. They deserved it — they absolutely deserved it. And it was great to see Brazil up on the both the team and individual podium. So I think for the sport and the growth of the sport, it was a good weekend. And we’ll just have to, as a team, go away and come back even stronger.”

Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Brazil Stamps a Ticket to Paris

Brazil also earns their way to Paris with a strong team performance this weekend. They’ll also need to do some work in the show jumping phase with a total of six rails down, but now the focus moves to the next stop on the championship tour.

Ruy Fonseca, four times a medalist at the Pan American Games and a two-time Olympian, piloted Ballypatrick SRS to a smooth clear, the first clear of the day, with some time to add to his overall finishing score. Two rails from fellow Pan Ams medalist and Olympian Rafael Mamprin Losano and Withington (Wolkenderry – Unnamed mare, by Loughahoe Guy xx) as well as four down from Olympian and Pan Ams double gold medalist Carlos Parro and Safira (Spring’s Spirit – Hidden Sapphire, by Uptons Deli Circus) added some unnecessary penalties to the team score, but a healthy amount of penalties in hand and stylish clear from Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Romeo (Womanizer – K Cavalier Belle, by Cavalier Royale) secured the final result.

It’s an exciting time for Brazil, whose riders benefit from the expertise of British Olympian William Fox-Pitt. All four riders were on horses aged 12 of younger, showcasing the talent that is poised to peak and have a strong showing at the upcoming Olympics. As with many countries that lack expansive competition and training opportunities, these Brazilian riders (and a large number of other competitors from this Pan Ams field) do not live and train in their home country. They’ve relocated, primarily to the UK and Europe, with some spending time in the U.S. as well, to pursue their competitive aspirations. This type of commitment is almost required in order to gain competitive edge, and it’s a true display of drive for excellence and love of the sport that will always have our respect.

Individual medalists: Caroline Pamukcu (USA – HSH Blake), Marcio Carvalho Jorge (BRA – Castle Howard Casanova), Lindsay Traisnel (CAN – Bacyrouge). Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Individual Medalists Highlight Rising Talent

Caroline Pamukcu has been vocal about her intentions this year from the outset: she wanted a chance to represent the U.S. on a senior team. After winning silver as a team in Strzegom’s FEI Nations Cup event (June) and second as an individual, Caroline hoped she’d done enough to get some notice for the Pan American Games. HSH Blake was the most obvious choice, having strong results starting with the YEH Young Event Horse program (he won the 2020 East Coast Championships as a 5-year-old) and continuing with the receipt of the Holekamp/Turner Le Lion Grant to compete as a 6-year-old at Le Lion d’Angers. Caroline and Blake, who is owned by Caroline, her mother Sherrie, and Luann McElduff, finished 10th at Le Lion.

“I just have to say I’m really, really grateful for this opportunity,” she said. “I’m really grateful for having such great teammates, [they] take me under their wing and just support me and just again, the opportunity to come here and just show off our country and represent what the U.S. [has] and what we’re building. There’s a pipeline in our country at the moment. That’s exciting for us. There’s so many horses at home — there’s really [a lot of] depth in our string at the moment between young horses, older horses, older riders and younger riders.”

“I get a little bit eager sometimes and you know, that was definitely showing my age there!” Caroline said ruefully of her near-miss in the show jumping. “But I’m grateful for a great horse who saved me. I just saw one, and I sent it — I drank way too much Red Bull! I feel awful, if I didn’t have that silly rail, it cost us the gold. But, you know, I promise I won’t make such a silly mistake again. I can’t wait ’til I’m like 50 and I’m like, ‘do you remember that? I swung and missed so hard, I almost fell off — it was amazing!'”

Individual silver medalist Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova, owned in partnership with Arabella and Hugo Mackenzie Smith and Annabel Vere Nicoll, are another pair that frequent the show jumping circuit, competing up through the CSI4* level on this year’s Sunshine Tour in Spain to get their season started. Marcio bases in the UK full-time, and now this long journey becomes even sweeter as this medal is Marcio’s first individual podium finish. He’s a multi-Olympian and also represented Brazil at the World Championships last year.

“This is a really special horse, he’s a really good jumper and really smart as well and I hope he will be ready to be competitive in Paris next year,” Marcio said in the mixed zone after his round.

Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Lindsay Traisnel was asked repeatedly if she expected to end up on the individual podium this week. If you’ve watched her prepare Bacyrouge for this event, you wouldn’t be surprised to see this result. Lindsay flies a bit under the radar, not having a ton of horses at the top levels and also basing herself in Europe for multiple years before moving back to Canada in 2017.

“Dreamy”, as Bacyrouge is known at home, was originally put into Lindsay’s program while she was based with Lucy (Wiegersma) McCarthy, intended to be a resale project. He quickly showed that he intended to stay, was taken off the market and is now owned by Lindsay and her parents. Lindsay started competing Bacyrouge in FEI competition after moving back to North America (2017), steadily making progress though the levels until stepping up to 4* at Bromont in 2021. They’ve since finished second and third in the 4*-L at Bromont, arguably one of the toughest 4*s in the U.S. and Canada, en route to this first team selection.

“I would say it’s a little unexpected that I have an amazing horse and a great team,” Lindsay said following the medal ceremony. “So it was really just riding him well, and I knew he was dependable and would do the job.”

Individual celebrations almost seem a bit of an aferthought given the “all hands on deck” team mentality, particularly when an Olympic spot is on the line. “The focus was the team this week and I’m just so excited,” Lindsay said. “We got our Paris qualification and I’m so happy to be part of this group.”

With that, a thrilling week of eventing concludes in Santiago as the final equestrian showdown — show jumping — of the Games gets underway next. There will be plenty in play for the U.S. jumping team, as this is their final chance to qualify for the Olympics next year.

I know I, for one, had some major FOMO watching these Pan Ams from afar. The sell-out crowds in Chile showcased just how impactful this sport can be, and I truly enjoyed being a witness to a stellar week of sport. Safe travels to all on their respective journeys home, and Go Eventing.

Catch up on EN’s coverage of the Pan American Games, presented by Ocala Horse Properties, here. We also recommend following @usefeventing on Instagram and Facebook as well as @canadianeventingteam for more content from on the ground, as well as roving photographer Shannon Brinkman here. To follow along with more from the jumping competition at Pan Ams, follow @usajumping on Instagram.

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Eventing Timing & Scoring] [Final Individual Results] [Final Team Results] [Live Stream. Replays] [EN’s Coverage]

“It’s All About Belief and Trust”: Mercurial Debutant Seals Dream Pau Finale with Ros Canter

By on Oct 29, 2023 5:16 pm -

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau has always been renowned for a few things: twisty, technical cross-country courses; ringside entertainment that borders on deranged; and showjumping tracks that eclipse any other in terms of difficulty at the five-star level. This year has been no different — if anything, the cross-country was somehow even twistier and even more technical than usual; the little chaps in horse costumes were joined by a truly arrhythmic flash mob clapping on one and three and sometimes no beat at all to Freed From Desire and a troupe of very patriotic parachutists, who somehow managed to land right in the main arena; and, though just 34 competitors came to the showjumping finale today, 59 poles had already fallen by the time overnight leader Ros Canter entered the ring with Izilot DHI.

Had she entered an equivalent ring at, say, Badminton or Burghley, it would have been to a hush that hangs like a blanket over the arena, and practically vibrates with silent tension. But this is France, a country that does eventing like other countries do festivals, and so instead, she entered to raucous applause and cheers and vocal support that were only amplified as the commentator egged his audience on, listing the European Champion’s numerous accolades and encouraging ever-louder shouts — despite Ros’s desperate attempt to signal to the grandstands that her quirky ten-year-old debutant could really do with a bit less noise.

And so, as she had on Friday, when Izilot DHI spooked repeatedly at a cameraman before beginning his test, and as she had yesterday, when dealing with a hold on course and the surprise distraction of another cameraman driving alongside her horse at the start of the course, Ros simply got on with it, and trusted that the foundations she’d laid with the KWPN gelding, who she co-owns with Alex Moody, would help him overcome the many bids for his attention.

Knees to nose: Izilot DHI shows why he hasn’t had a rail since his first-ever FEI event. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

They did — and even when ‘Isaac’ had to pass a particularly spooky arena decoration, which he’d shied away from in his opening circle, en route to the oxer at fence 6, the leggy son of Zavall VDL never faltered in his stride, nor his focus on the fences. They’d been gifted a rail and time in hand, thanks to a rail down from formerly second-placed Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, but in the end, they barely needed to touch it: they crossed the finish line clear and just three seconds over the 81 second time allowed to finish on a score of 28.7 and take the win — Ros’s second at the level this season.

“It’s absolutely amazing, but I don’t think it’s really sunk in, to be honest,” laughs Ros, who began her day as the first in the ring aboard Pencos Crown Jewel, who tipped two rails to finish in 24th place. In the 32 rounds between that one and her second, winning ride, Ros was militant in keeping herself focused on the task at hand.

“I think sometimes I don’t really appreciate it until it’s over, because I am very, very careful on days like this in how I manage myself,” she explains. “I don’t let myself dream — it’s bad for me to let myself dream. It’s very easy for me to chatter to everybody else about how they’re how they’re going to ride their horses, and then when I get on I think, ‘golly, I haven’t actually focused on myself’. So I had to be really strict today. I think particularly at this event, I’ve made the mistake in the past, because there’s nowhere really like grandstand-y to sit for us — we’re all very bunched here [by the ringside]. I did my round, obviously, and went and watched a few more, had a chat to Chris [Bartle] and then took myself away. I’ve made the mistake in the past  of staying here for too long, and never really focusing on myself. So there’s such a big part of that bit for me that sometimes when I finish I’m just thinking, ‘Oh, thank goodness I didn’t mess up!'”

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Perhaps one of the main reasons the glorious reality of the thing hasn’t quite hit Ros yet is that she never actually intended to try to win Pau this week with the famously quirky debutant, who also won Blenheim’s CCI4*-L last month.

“We just wanted to come here and give him a nice experience, but he’s absolutely amazing,” she says. “I was very open-minded today; I thought yesterday was kind of the dream for me and his owners. It’s what we came here to do — to tick that box of him going around the cross country — so it wasn’t really about today. But he’s an exceptional jumper, and now I can manage the spook and relax with the spook, hopefully, even if he’s off his line, if he knows he’s jumping a jump, he’ll go for it.”

Realistically, she continues, “even six months ago, this probably would have been a step too far for him, so I’m unbelievably proud of him. I mean, when you think back to Thoresby [at the start of the season], when we did an about turn at some pink haylage bales for about 45 seconds, and then Bramham when we spooked at fence 3 on the cross country [and had 20 penalties while in the lead], it was a little bit of a shaky start to the season! But then he’s been absolutely class. It’s all about me learning to ride him and learning to believe in him and just learning to be a partnership, is definitely what it is with him. I don’t think anyone else could just hop on straightaway and ride him, because he wouldn’t let you do that. But it’s all about the belief and the trust. I’m just grateful for him. I’ve learned so much more than I’ve learned from riding any other horse.”

All smiles for Ros and Isaac after a five-star win to end the season. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ros has had the ride on mercurial Isaac since he was a five-year-old, and he’s always been a tricky character — but throughout, she explains, she never lost faith in the talent that rumbled beneath the weirdness.

“To be fair to him, he has always performed, all the way through,” she says, looking back over a career that’s already seen him pick up nine FEI wins in 20 runs, with wins at every level. “Yeah, there’s been bumps in the road for sure. But I don’t think I’ve ever thought ‘oh, he’s not going to do it.'”

Sarah Charnley, who takes leave from her full-time job to groom for Ros at major events, celebrates with Isaac. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Eventing success takes a village, and Isaac’s — and Ros’s — village is extensive, made up of myriad crucial cogs that keep the wheel in motion and help to architect the tricky days into dream-making ones.

“I’ve had a huge amount of help along the way: [dressage coach] Ian Woodhead obviously sourced him, so I think this is a very proud day for him, but he’s also been absolutely instrumental in teaching me how to ride him. [Dressage rider] Amy Woodhead, she lives down the road from me, and anytime I’ve had a wobble with him, or I’ve not understood him, or things have gone a bit wrong, she’s always been there to hop on and show me how to do it a little bit. Caroline Moore has also been a huge help; we go to Vale View a lot [to work with her]. We spend a lot of time with him, and everybody does, and Chris Bartle has been amazing as well. So a huge amount of people have been involved in this horse’s journey.”

A result like this, says the rider whose own extraordinary season has included a first five-star win, at Badminton this spring, and the European Championship title, both with Lordships Graffalo, is a reward for every single one of the people who ebb and flow in and out of the gelding’s orbit.

“It makes all the hard work at home worthwhile,” she smiles. “We have a few hairy moments at home, particularly in the winter, with him. I get a little bit nervous and I have to call upon the help of all my members of staff to help keep me on the straight and narrow. So,  I think it’s definitely a team process here, and there has been hours and hours going into this. So it’s great that he’s been able to reward us!”

And, she continues, it’s a testament to working together to build something extraordinary.

“I think it’s amazing, really. My mum is is unbelievable; she works so hard. She’s just a farmer from Louth, and I’m just her daughter. We love horses, and we’ve managed to achieve this. So a huge amount of it is down to her, particularly now I’ve had [my daughter] Ziggy. My part in this story is riding the horse, and there are many other people that do all of the other jobs for me to enable me to have my daughter and be the mum I want to be, as well as ride the horses, and it’s really working. I think it’s just an amazing journey that we’ve been on.”

Oliver Townend and Tregilder. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

That one rail down for Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, who had sat in first after dressage and second after cross-country, opened the door for Oliver Townend and Tregilder to take the runner-up position after a round free of jumping or time penalties, which finalised a climb from first-phase fifth. It also put to bed any demons from the pairs run of bad luck, which saw them tumble at the penultimate fence while up on the clock at Burghley last year, pull up at two-thirds of the way around the course this year due to a broken rein, and then fall in their CCI4*-S prep for Pau at Little Downham.

“I’m incredibly proud of my horse and my team, and I’m incredibly happy for the owners, who have been with me for nineteen years,” says Oliver. “A podium finish in a 5* is a dream for them. He’s a genuine horse; always straightforward, and always doing his best in all three tests. This performance is the fruit of the work of the whole team that looks after him, especially at the stable, which enables him to achieve results like this.”

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tom McEwen, too, put “a shitty year” to bed with a super result with the former Nicola Wilson ride JL Dublin, and though he’s probably learned to be careful what he wishes for — he’d hoped to end his bout of ‘seconditis’, but probably didn’t intend for that to result in a third place finish instead — he was delighted with the Holsteiner gelding and the progression their still-fairly-new partnership has made.

“It’s been a great weekend, and probably the time to [have a rail] is when Rozzie is about to nail a beautiful round, and not to come second again,” he laughs. “He’s been amazing — he warmed up too well to be honest; he was fantastic and I just had a relaxed pole down, which was a shame in a very nice round, but we came to do we needed to do and he’s been fantastic.”

Though Tom’s troubles this year have been spread across events and horses, rather than just woven into the fabric of his partnership with ‘Dubs’, he did have a couple of tricky, prominent competitions midway through the year that he’s chosen to use as a springboard for improvement. Notable, and first, of those was at CHIO Aachen, where, just a couple of months after taking second at Kentucky CCI5*, they had a late run-out while fighting for the top spot; later in the year, at the European Championships, Tom suffered a surprise fall from the gelding in the influential final water at the European Championships, where many horses stumbled through the day.

“Aachen is basically a 5* short on steroids: you go flat out,” says Tom. “I went for learning experience. I know I could have gone and  hidden away at Aston le Walls and done really well there, but I wanted to go and find out a bit more about him, and that’s what I’ve done. When you put them under sheer pressure at speed, speed causes problems, and if you’re okay, hacking around and doing things in your time, then actually you can get most things done and resolved but actually, speed just catches out those little things that you haven’t quite covered or haven’t understood about each other. It shows the brainwaves that you’ve together. We’d had a fantastic round up to that point at Aachen and I never expected that, so it’s just learning bits and bobs. That’s come to fruition here — he was one of the quickest horses that didn’t get stopped on course yesterday, and I think that was a massive influence. His dressage was just fantastic, and for me, it [deserved] a lot better mark than his 23. So it’s all come together really, which is very good.”

Piggy March and Coolparks Sarco. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It was a good day in the office for former rides of the 2021 European Champion Nicola Wilson, who was supporting from afar while coaching, demoing, and mentoring in the Isle of Man over the weekend, and for Jo and James Lambert, who co-own Dubs with Deirdre Johnston and own the fourth place finisher, too. That was the ride of Piggy March, the five-star first-timer Coolparks Sarco, who jumped a faultless round to move up one place from last night’s standings, and three from his first-phase placing.

“I’m thrilled, but I also feel a bit lucky — I was only a little bit in the time, even though I didn’t feel like I was hanging around!” says Piggy, who won Millstreet’s CCI4*-L with the gelding earlier this year. “He jumped really very well, but I probably was a quarter of a second in the air more than I meant to be. He was really getting up in the air and flicking his tail, which was very nearly a rider error. But god, he felt fantastic! What a lovely horse; I’m very lucky. Hopefully we did Nic-Noc proud, too, because it’s been a big weekend here for her with both Jeremy and ‘Dubs’. We’re in the same camp; it’s very good.”

Kylie Roddy and SRS Kan Do. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kylie Roddy and the Fox family’s SRS Kan Do made good on the gelding’s return to the event where he made his five-star debut — and took eleventh place — two years ago, finishing fifth with a faultless round today to complete their climb from sixteenth after dressage and add a second five-star top-ten finish to their resume.

“You work so hard year-round for days like this,” beams Kylie. “And not just for me — for the team at home; for the owners — it’s a magic day. And it’s the last event of the season, so we’ve finished the year on a high. You can’t ask for more.”

Kylie celebrates with ‘Gorgeous George’. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

For Kylie, who used to sweep up hair in her mother’s salon to make money to ride and stepped up to five-star in her forties, every great result is a beacon for riders who can relate to her – but even this ineffably positive and much-loved mainstay of the upper levels has had her darker days, wondering if the high points will come again

“Sometimes you stop believing it can happen. I think Austin [O’Connor] said that about his horse [Colorado Blue at Maryland],” she says, reflecting on her Badminton run with ‘George’ last year, where they had to pull up during a great run due to two lost shoes. “You start to think, ‘what is it that I need to change? Am I not riding well enough? Is it that my management’s not good enough?’ But sometimes you do need a bit of luck on the day, and as the horses get older, they get stronger — I’d like to think he’s coming into his prime, now. He’s always been a fabulous horse, but I really think he’s an absolute superstar.”

Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kirsty Chabert dropped from third to sixth after tipping two rails with the excellent Classic VI, who had sped home with just 0.8 time penalties yesterday, while Jonelle Price was the highest-place non-Brit in seventh with the debutant Hiarado, who climbed from first-phase 13th with a fault-free round.

Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Boyd Martin, too, added nothing to his scorecard with the Goodwin family’s Fedarman B, moving them up to a final eighth place from first-phase sixteenth, and giving the horse his second top-ten finish in as many runs at the level. Maxime Livio‘s Carouzo Bois Marotin did the same, but in his case, it’s now three for three where top ten placings and five-star runs are concerned. The top ten was rounded out by Kiwi James Avery and his smart first-timer MBF Connection, who tipped two rails but nevertheless completed their rise from an initial 30th place.

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Both Allie Knowles and Morswood and Cosby Green and the former Buck Davidson ride Copper Beach had a smattering of poles but retained top twenty places thanks to their excellent efforts across the week’s competition; Cosby took sixteenth in her debut at the level with three fences down today, while Allie took eighteenth after tipping four.

Allie Knowles and Morswood. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

And so, windswept, whiplashed, and a little bit waterlogged, we arrive, skidding, at the end of the 2023 five-star season — and the end of my season, full stop, of reporting on events. It’s been a wild ride this year, and its memorable quirks — endless rain, mostly — were crystallised so well into this emotional, turbulent final event. We’ll bring you more from behind the scenes at Pau over the coming week, but for now, with tired eyes and a heart full of horses, it’s adieu from us. Go Eventing — even when there’s no more to go to.

The final top ten at Pau 2023.

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