Classic Eventing Nation

Tuesday Videos from SpectraVET: Twin Rivers Advanced

By on Mar 10, 2015 4:30 pm -

Ride On Video has been busy uploading footage from this past weekend’s competition at Twin Rivers. Plenty of seasoned competitors were out in the Advanced and Intermediate divisions, and we tracked down some videos from the competition. You can check out the full listing of videos on Ride On Video’s YouTube page here.

Go West Coast eventing!

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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.

In Search Of A Unicorn That Never Rolls In Mud

By on Mar 10, 2015 3:00 pm -

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Ah, spring. The weather is slowly getting warmer, the mud is visible beneath the snow, and regular riding has recommenced for those of us not participating in the snowbird tradition. Spring is also a great time to buy a horse, and many get spring shopping fever, excited by the possibility of a new horse to go with the new year and the new competition season.

There is almost nothing more thrilling than the idea of finding “the one” that will take you to new heights and fulfill all your needs and become your best friend and confidante.

I was inspired to write this semi-serious post by none other than the Australian jokester, Kate Chadderton. She posted a status to Facebook a few days ago that went something like this:

ISO: experienced young horse with definite potential to win a gold medal at the Olympics. Must have excellent movement, clean and correct jump, as well as very brave. Ground covering, light gallop is another must. Will only look at geldings. CCI 3 star winners preferred although will look at horses with a high placing. Must be between 7-9 years old. Not fussy on color, although no paints, palominos, appaloosas. If grey must be very good at staying clean. Budget: looking to stay under $5000.

I got a giggle out of that, as will most of you. It seems absurd, and very exaggerated. However, after thought, it seems only a little crazy, and not far away from some requests that I’ve gotten before. I’m completely small fish in terms of selling horses and making matches, but even I’ve heard some ridiculous things.

Let’s get real — when buying a horse, your budget dictates how picky you can be, and that’s a bottom line. If you don’t have a limit to your budget, you can write down a list of every single characteristic you desire for your dream horse, and somebody, somewhere, will find it for you. But that’s not the case for most of us!

When spending thousands of dollars on a horse, you should definitely know what you want, and what suits you. You should also know what categories are most important to you.

Is color more important than temperament? Where are you willing to compromise? There will always be a compromise, unless you are a very, very lucky person.

So in order to be reasonable about expectations within a budget, let’s consider the categories that define value for a horse, or at least the major ones.

I propose these: age, height, sex, current and future soundness, natural athletic ability & style over fences, elasticity and movement on the flat, temperament, intelligence, rideability, professional versus amateur/junior suitable, color, ease of management, number of quirks, current level of training, and potential to be successful and competitive at any given level.

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Given those categories, the Unicorn is this: a 7 year old, 16.1 hand bay gelding with a blaze and four white socks, even temperament and good work ethic, winning at Preliminary with the ability to go to Rolex, rideable by a beginner but also desired by Boyd Martin for the Olympics.

It passed a vetting two weeks ago with not a single blip on his x-rays, tight and accurate style over fences as he chooses the perfect distance himself with no assistance, scores under a 25 every time out in dressage, has beautiful ground manners and requires only a scoop of grain and a few flakes of timothy hay per day.

If I just described what you’re looking for, God bless, and good luck.

The rest of us are left to compromise on our dream horse, and figure out what we can live with, and what we can improve. Part of this is knowing yourself as a rider, and having a realistic grasp on what is a good match for you in the long run.

Before you shop, know your style! Do you like a horse that is light off the aids, or one that forgives your swinging lower leg and mis-timed pull before a fence? Do you like the idea of a Ferrari but when you get one, it’s a bit frightening? This is my personal pet peeve.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: there is no shame in riding an average horse if that is what makes you comfortable and happy! Powerful and athletic horses, while beautiful and impressive, are harder to ride and usually require more from their rider. They aren’t for everybody.

When on a tight budget, it is very tempting to get a green horse that fulfills all the other categories except for the level of training. This is also not a good idea for every rider.

I can’t say that I disagree with the idea of a green horse and a green rider, because that would be hypocritical of me, but it’s got to be a very good match.

Green horses aren’t well behaved because they #wokeuplikethis, they are good because they are ridden consistently and with intentional purpose by a trainer and not just a rider.

I decided a while ago that there are three things I don’t compromise on, and the rest I’m pretty flexible about. I need the soundness and the solid build for longevity, I need an intelligent and reasonable brain, and I need a horse with decent obvious athletic ability.

Everything else in between, I can probably deal with. I don’t care what height it is, what color it is, if it bucks, if it’s unbroke, or what sex it is. I have preferences obviously, but when it comes down to it, I know my limits.

So if you’re shopping this spring, be realistic about what makes sense for you, your budget and your goals. As a seller of horses, my goal is to make the best match possible, and I think that’s true of most sellers. However, we can’t help you much if you want a Unicorn that won’t roll in the mud!

Show Off Your Wrap Jobs to Win Absorbine Hooflex Magic Cushion!

By on Mar 10, 2015 1:30 pm -
Absorbine Hooflex Magic Cushion. Photo by Kate Samuels. Absorbine Hooflex Magic Cushion. Photo by Kate Samuels.

We know everyone is a huge fan of Absorbine’s Hooflex Magic Cushion — who said hoof packing needs to be complicated and messy? Kate recently reviewed this handy product, and if you have not tried Magic Cushion out for yourself, now is the perfect time!

Our awesome sponsor, Absorbine, is giving away a 9-lb. and a 2-lb. bucket of Magic Cushion in this week’s contest! Here’s the scoop on how to enter:

We want to see your creative hoof wrapping jobs. Break out the baby diapers and mustache duct tape — we want to see exactly how out of the box you can think! From fun patterned duct tape to non-traditional wrapping materials, we’ll be selecting the most creative and hilarious photos and putting the finalists to a reader vote.

Absorbine has sponsored a first and second place prize, to be determined by votes, so you’ve got two chances to take home your own supply of Magic Cushion. Trust us, your horse will thank you!

To enter, simply sent your photo to [email protected] no later than Friday March 13 at 5 p.m. We’ll be posting the voting poll this coming weekend.

Good luck, and go Absorbine!

The Best Coach in the World

By on Mar 10, 2015 12:00 pm -
From left, Yogi Breisner, Karen O'Connor, David O'Connor and Christopher Bartle. Photos via EN Archives and Wikipedia.

From left, Yogi Breisner, Karen O’Connor, David O’Connor and Christopher Bartle. Photos via EN Archives and Wikipedia.

Tennis is a big sport. It gets the sort of media coverage and sponsorship equestrian sports can only dream about, and since London 2012, it is once again an Olympic sport. As many of you will know, the gold medallist in London was Scotland’s Andrew Murray. The following year he went on to win the biggest tournament in the world, Wimbledon, but since then has suffered with a back injury and back operation and has slipped down the rankings.

Then last year he brought in a new coach to lead his team. Breaking all the “rules,” he hired a woman! Amelie Mauresmo, a French former World no. 1 took over as his coach when Ivan Lendl, who had guided Murray to his Olympic and Wimbledon titles, decided he could not stay on the circuit full time.

A gender issue

The general reaction from the tennis world was negative. Tony Nadal, coach and uncle of the great Raffa Nadal, publicly said what most were thinking: “A female coach has no place in the world of men’s tennis.” Murray responded by saying, “Some people will never be satisfied unless I win a Grand Slam with Amelie. People will say she is not a good coach, but I know the reality. She is a good coach.”

Then a few weeks ago, Murray was a finalist in the Australian Open and by general consensus is back in the big time. There is a noticeable new sense of joy and calm in the Murray camp, and Murray is quick to credit Mauresmo. “I see no reason why female coaches should not become the norm in men’s tennis. It is just incredible that so many find it extraordinary that one of the world’s best tennis coaches could be a woman!”

The bias against female coaches in male sport sits alongside the myth that you have to be a top performer to be a top coach. Soccer’s current crop of top managers and coaches disprove that totally, with those such as Jose Mourinho of Chelsea and Arsene Wenger of Arsenal ruling the world roost in the most competitive and best funded world sport of all, yet both only played low level soccer.

Mexico did it!

The uncomfortable fact is that the international horse world has a great deal to learn from all this, with the majority of national coaches being both male and past Olympic medallists.

If there is one sport where coaching should not be a gender issue, it is equestrian sports, as in all the main disciplines women and men compete on equal terms together. So if national associations paid less attention to the gender of applicants, more women would undoubtedly be appointed. Mexico recently ignored the prejudice against women and hired Karen O’Connor. They should be congratulated on hiring a great coach and leader.

It is so easy to just go along with the norm, the accepted fashion and in the process make decisions that are not the best. At some time in the future, the world’s best coach in eventing will probably be a woman who never won a gold medal.

The important thing is to leave the mind open for such a possibility — especially as without a doubt at the lower and intermediate levels the majority of eventing coaches are already female! This has much to do with the nature of eventing, with high levels of female participation, but it is also a good example of eventing being ahead of the game and less traditional than many suggest.

Antagonistic or complementary phases?

However, what is certain is that future top coaches will truly understand the sport of eventing and be experts in all three disciplines. They will be the heirs of Jack Le Goff, Christopher Bartle, David O’Connor and Yogi Breisner.

I was asked last month by the legendary trainer and rider, Lucinda Green, whether the three phases of eventing are in fact antagonistic rather than complementary. This gets to the fundamental requirement of eventing training. To be efficient and to be humane, the training for the three phases must be complementary. This is where a number of riders are digging themselves a big dangerous hole for themselves that one day they will fall in.

In recent years we have often been led astray by choosing to use specialist trainers, however brilliant, whose work does not suit the needs of the other two disciplines. Therefore the national coach or lead trainer must have an in-depth knowledge of the training required for eventing as a whole and only employ other trainers whose work fits into this programme and who also fully understands the training priorities of the other two disciplines.

In my opinion, this strategy also should apply at the lower levels, and making progress towards this goal would significantly improve both safety and performance achievements.

The method at fault, not the activity

Look at the truly brilliant William Fox-Pitt and Michael Jung’s riding and their very public description of their training — the training for one phase is without doubt the training for the other two. Everything should blend and then there will be synergy, and this is what the great riders and coaches achieve. This is what Bert de Némethy and Jack Le Goff did because they had a complete training themselves.

But instead, what do we so often see? Training that is antagonistic. In particular dressage training that is strong, mechanical and uncomfortable, and show jumping training designed to trap and rap. My biggest concern is the dressage training that takes the initiative and fifth leg away from the horses. But let’s be clear, it is not dressage or the level of dressage that is causing the problem. It is some of the dressage training methods themselves. But it does not have to be this way.

Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin have changed the face of competitive pure dressage training worldwide by showing true harmony and natural outlines and rejecting force. Sounds like a good recipe for cross country training to me — and also a method that more mares will like! It is true that in dressage training there is also a gender issue because there are fewer mares at elite level than in either show jumping, where there are many, or eventing, where there are an increasing number.

The bottom line

So more elite mares are a by-product of better training. And more elite female coaches, and more elite coaches who have not won gold medals, would be a by-product of more open minds that might well bring huge success. Because such a coach could be the very best in the world.

Riders Speak Out Against 21 Penalty Rule + Last Day to Provide Feedback

By on Mar 10, 2015 10:30 am -
Photo courtesy of ERA International Photo courtesy of ERA International

ERA International has asked for rider feedback and signatures regarding its movement against FEI Article 548.1 involving the 21 penalty rule. FEI riders can sign this petition to show support, and non FEI riders, owners, grooms, sponsors, etc., can sign this petition. Today is the last day to include your name and provide feedback.

PRO touched base with a variety of event riders to inquire about their opinion regarding the changes to the rule. As we’re all aware, frangible pins have become a staple on cross country courses the world over, and the changed wording of Article 548.1 has potential negative implications on many facets of the sport.

The 21 penalty rule has met with strong opposition from the interviewed riders in the PRO piece:

Clark Montgomery: “It’s my belief that we need to allow the officials to do their jobs while officiating our competitions and have them review each case independently as they have in the past. If the FEI endorses our ground juries for all of the other judgments and decisions, they should leave the frangible pin decisions in their hands too.”

Jock Paget: “I’ve seen pins break with just barely a rub, and then other times when it’s sustained a pretty heavy blow and not been activated. Unless it can be 100% guaranteed only to fall in one particular circumstance, and not at a fairly random occurrence, then I can’t see how the whole competition doesn’t run on chance, and when we’re looking at not only the Olympics, and four star competitions like Badminton, but also lower level events with sometimes hundreds of entries it’s just unacceptable.”

Allison Springer: “I am completely against the automatic, non-appealable 21 penalty rule. I fully support the International ERA’s thorough examination and findings of the very real implications that this rule change will cause. It is disconcerting that the FEI did not demonstrate the same due diligence nor did it allow acceptable time for their membership and the affected parties to weigh in on this potentially momentous change to our sport.”

A meeting with the FEI has been called today to discuss the many concerns that have been brought up with the rule change, so stay tuned for more updates on this story as they become available. In the meantime, you can use the links below to read about the rule change and the subsequent discussion of its consequences.

You can read all of the opinions of interviewed riders, such as Ian Stark, Ludwig Svennerstal, Tim Price and many more on the rule change over on the PRO blog here.

[PRO: Your Sport Needs You]

[ERA International Urges FEI Riders to Oppose 21 Penalty Rule]

[Frangible Fence Rule Changed by FEI]

[An Open Letter to Eventers on the 21 Penalty Rule]

[ERA International Welcomes Non FEI Rider Feedback]

Small But Mighty: Remembering Conahy’s Courage

By on Mar 10, 2015 9:00 am -

The eventing community continues to mourn after the loss of Conahy's Courage, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Imogen De Lavis, that was euthanized Saturday after a rotational fall at Red Hills CIC3*. Kyle Carter sent in this heartfelt tribute in memory of Courage.

Kyle Carter and Conahy's Courage. Photo by Ivegotyourpicture.com.

Kyle Carter and Conahy’s Courage at Rocking Horse. Photo by Ivegotyourpicture.com.

Horses have always been part of my life, so I am more familiar than most with the joy and heart break they can provide. Last weekend, I received a large helping of heart break. As most will now know, I had a tragic accident on cross country while riding in the CIC3* division at Red Hills. A fall resulted in our horse, Conahy’s Courage, having to be put down.

Courage had been with us for almost four years. I did his first event with the plan that I was producing him for his owner, Imogen, to ride. Not long into his career, Immy moved to England with her two other horses, and the she and her parents made me the generous offer to keep the ride on and take a half ownership in him.

At the time, I was struggling to curate a string of horses to try for the top level of the sport and hopefully compete at the Olympics in Rio. I will never forget their generosity to me; they saw the lack of options for me and offered me a way forward.

Courage fit the dream well; he had the most powerful jump, wonderful movement and was not put off by any jump. A more applicable name than Courage could not have been found. I have ridden many horses, and he was in a league of his own when it came to boldness.

Along with that came a spirt that would not be suppressed. Over the last several years we had been working to giving him the mileage and education to get to Rio next year. I only ran him fast a couple of times in his career, as I was trying to preserve him and to do my best to achieve the lofty goals that we had set out.

Due to this and the fact he had little use for dressage, his win column was small, but I always felt he would come into his own in this next year or two. This seemed to be coming to fruition, as in the last five or six outings he had become rideable and focused; the dream seemed to be coming together, and the years of patience was paying off.

I truly believed that the hard part was over. Sometimes you never get it right. The hard part is only just beginning.

All the talent in the world couldn’t match his best quality, which was how kind and sweet he was. He was a favourite in the barn and great with my kids — a joy to be around on the ground and a devil if you got on his bad side while riding him. I just wish we could have reached his potential, but more than that, I wish we had more time together.

Of course, I will keep riding and competing, but the way forward is blurry through the tears. My string is diminished; without him, my dreams are doubtful, but most of all my heart is broken.

Having just sold an Intermediate horse, we were able to pay to have him returned to our farm later today, where he will be laid to rest. In time I am sure the pain will pass, but the joy is going to be a little less.

Thank you to all those in the barn who took such great care of him; I know how you will miss him. Thank you again to Allison, Immy and John De Lavis for trying to help me when you had no reason to, but, most of all, thank you for letting me have this time with Courage. He was small but he was MIGHTY!

Tuesday News and Notes from Cavalor

By on Mar 10, 2015 12:07 am -
Photo and caption by Jenni Autry Photo and caption by Jenni Autry

Last night, I had a convoluted dream in which I was teaching lessons and had to keep telling my students’ families to stay out of the arena for their safety, only to be ignored. I lost my voice from yelling, and in my anger I drove to a nearby restaurant at which the only menu item was something called “George Morris Pie.” I think it was supposed to be a shepherd’s pie of some kind. I tried to order the George Morris Pie, but I had lost my voice, and the server informed me that George Morris didn’t serve pie to just anyone.

What does it all mean? Your guess is as good as mine. In the meantime, check out Horse Nation’s “Common Equestrian Anxiety Dreams, Interpreted.”

Events Opening Today: University of New Hampshire Spring H.T. (NH, A-1), Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring H.T. (VA, A-2), Jersey Fresh International Three-day Event (NJ, A-2), Fresno County Horse Park H.T. (CA, A-6)

Events Closing Today: Morven Park Spring Horse Trial (VA, A-2), Stable View Horse Trials (SC, A-3), Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (FL, A-3), Full Gallop Farm II H.T. (SC, A-3), Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (TX, A-5), Galway Downs International Horse Trials (CA, A-6), Twin Rivers Spring Three-Day Event (CA, A-6)

News and Notes: 

Don’t forget to enter this week’s awesome Fab Freebie from SaddleLockers! Here’s your chance to win a prize pack of swag, courtesy of SaddleLockers, Ogilvy, and Higher Standards Leather Care. Entries close Friday at midnight EST and we’ll be announcing the winner in Friday’s News & Notes. [Fab Freebie: SaddleLockers]

FEI to discuss presidential remuneration: The FEI will hold an extraordinary general assembly on April 28th in Switzerland. They will be addressing FEI President Ingmar De Vos’ argument that the presidency should be a paid position rather than a voluntary one. Weigh in, EN. How do you think that FEI presidents should be compensated? [Horsetalk]

Cavalor Feed for Thought: It’s no secret that horses’ nutritional needs can change based on the amount of work they’re in, but did you know that their nutritional needs are also largely determined by the type of work they’re in? For instance, high-speed, high-intensity activities such as jumping and barrel racing require a diet relatively high in carbohydrates; longer-duration sports such as dressage or endurance require feed that blends carbohydrates with fats, as fats help sustain long-term energy. Read about carbs, proteins, and fats and the different ways that they fuel athletes. [Feed for Thought]

2020 Olympics reveal new/old equestrian sites: The main site for equestrian events at the Tokyo Olympics will be at Baji Koen, which was the equestrian site at the 1964 Games. “The move puts the sport into the centre of the Games, and the use of an existing facility falls in line with the Olympic 2020 recommendations on cost and sustainability,” reports Horse & Hound. While Baji Koen will be the home of dressage and stadium jumping, as well as eventing dressage and stadium, the cross-country phase will be held at Umi no Mori in Tokyo Bay. [Horse & Hound]

And now, in weirder news… Walmart has issued a cease-and-desist notice to the tumblr page Walmart.horse, which essentially just contains a photo of a Walmart storefront with a picture of a horse superimposed in front of it. Why? No one knows. But Walmart claims that by using their image and trademark, Walmart.horse is weakening “the ability of the Walmart mark and domain name to identify a single source, namely Walmart.” In response, the website’s creator argues that “his site is too ridiculous to be confused with something operated by the retailer,” and offers to add “any new animals to the page that Walmart recommends.” [Consumerist]

SmartPak Product of the Day: After a long winter of temperature fluctuations, dry weather and dark, sometimes damp tack rooms, I noticed that some of my lesser-used tack has become, well, pretty gross. Some of the leather was dry and cracked in places, while other pieces were sticky and moldy. Time for a deep cleaning! Horseman’s One Step by Absorbine cleans and conditions leather with a creamy lanolin formula that penetrates leather while leaving it smooth, not greasy.

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Flatwork with Mary King

By on Mar 9, 2015 5:00 pm -

Eventing Training Online has released an excerpt from their video of Mary King’s clinic at Morven Park, hosted by Team EnGaged, last fall. This clip gives viewers some insight into Mary’s concepts for training on the flat in preparation for jumping.

Mary’s clinic received many glowing reviews for her positive approach and efficient training techniques, and after this video we can see why! To view the full video, you can visit Eventing Training Online here and find out more.

 

EN’s Got Talent: Mia Farley and Fernhill Fine Diamond

By on Mar 9, 2015 1:00 pm -

We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? EN’s Got Talent introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].

Mia Farley and Fernhill Fine Diamond. Photo courtesy of Captured Moment Photography. Mia Farley and Fernhill Fine Diamond. Photo courtesy of Captured Moment Photography.

Mia Farley had always big plans to go horse shopping in Ireland for her next upper level mount. After The Good Witch, whom she was leasing last year, retired in 2014, her plan came to fruition, and she found herself at Carol Gee’s famous farm. After trying several horses, she landed on Fernhill Fine Diamond, a coming 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare who fit the bill perfectly.

“My goal was to look for a horse that had scope for at least the one-star level,” Mia said. “(Fern) was my favorite, and I ended up trying her twice. We went out and did some cross country, and she was really straightforward. After what seemed like forever with quarantine and everything, she finally arrived home and was relaxed and happy right off the trailer.”

Fernhill Fine Diamond (Jacomar -Camacazy Diamond) at the EI100 and CNC* level under Michelle Kenny, Caroline Marwood, and Clare Lambert before coming to the Farley family, and Mia found that the mare fit her size and ambition well. Mia set to work building trust with the mare, who had a few nervous moments in the beginning but had since settled in nicely.

In their first competition together, the Novice division at Galway Downs in January, Mia and “Fern” finished on their dressage score of 33.1 to finish in fourth overall. “I was so happy with her, finishing on her dressage score,” Mia said. “We thought we’d take her out at Training the next time out, and she didn’t disappoint at all.”

Mia and Fernhill Fine Diamond. Photo courtesy of Ginnie Bryant.

Mia and Fernhill Fine Diamond. Photo courtesy of Ginnie Bryant.

Sure enough, Fern took home her first U.S. blue in the Junior Training division at Twin Rivers at the end of February, once again finishing on her dressage score. Mia’s observation is that the petite mare adores cross country, making her a pleasure to train.

“She loves to gallop,” Mia said. “In that sense, the cross country will be the biggest challenge. The jumping is easy for her, but it’s about slowing her down and having her go at the right pace.”

Coming off of a seasoned ride such as The Good Witch, Mia is enjoying the process of training up a young horse. “The Witch was well trained, and her gallop was smooth. On Fern, you can feel it a bit more — which makes it a bit more dramatic!” Mia laughed.

Mia’s got a soft spot for mares, what with their sassy personalities and willingness to commit. “Fern is a younger version of (The Good Witch)”, she said.

The goal for Fern this year is to compete in the CCI* at Galway Downs this fall. In the meantime, Mia is eyeing a Prelim move up for her new mare and plans to also take her out to some jumper shows between events. “I’d like to move her up to Prelim by July, but we’ll do a couple more Training events and make sure we’re both ready,” she said.

Training with Ginnie Bryant, Mia is a brave, ambitious rider who would love to take her career even farther than her current goals. “I’d love to go farther. For now, I’m aiming for the one-star level, but we think Fern has the scope to go higher,” she said.

Producing a young horse has its challenges, but Mia feels she’s up to the task. “My weak point is that I’m not a professional, and this is my first young horse. So we’ll be learning a lot together, but she’s so adjustable and has room for more training. I like to say she’s got room for some Mia Farley training in her yet.”

Tamie Smith Riding High Aboard Talented String

By on Mar 9, 2015 11:00 am -
Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Sally Spickard. Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The past year has been a whirlwind for Tamie Smith and her team at Next Level Eventing. Thanks to a shrewd eye for talented horses and a supportive team, Tamie’s found herself with four horses showing promise at the upper levels of the sport, and she’s still pinching herself every day.

Twizted Syster

Tamie originally took the ride in 2013 on Twizted Syster from Heather Morris after it was discovered that the mare had terrible allergies in Texas. “It got to the point where you couldn’t even ride her,” Tamie said. “So Heather asked if I’d be interested in trying to sell her on the West Coast.”

“Chloe”, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse, was a handful from the start — a challenge Tamie was more than game to take on. “I ran her at Intermediate at Galway, and I basically got run away with,” Tamie ruefully recalled. “Heather had suggested I ride her in a certain bit, and I thought I’d try something that was a bit less but of course she got out of the start box and ran away. I knew she was for sale and that Mike (Huber) would have my head if I didn’t go double clear so I just hung on for dear life and we went double clear.”

Looking back on that wild first ride, Tamie knew she was on something special, even if it was running away with her at the moment. “I knew I had to have that horse,” she said. “I agreed to keep her on the West Coast to see how she dealt with the changing seasons, and I just ended up falling in love with her.”

After campaigning the mare successfully through the CCI2* level, it was announced in October of 2014 that Tamie had officially acquired Chloe with the help of the newly formed Twizted Syster LLC Syndicate.

Tamie is grateful to have had this partnership with the talented mare, calling it the best of learning experiences. “She’s not easy, and she’s a mare,” Tamie said. “It’s been a very good learning experience for me to develop a partnership with her. I’ve had to conform a bit to her thinking process and learn to be a horseman, thinking about what suits her best in competition. She’s always going to be strong on cross country, but at four-star level that’s what I want to see.“

This year, Chloe will make the step up to Advanced at Copper Meadows before Tamie packs up and heads east for a spring campaign including the Fork and Jersey Fresh. Twizted Syster is currently aimed at the CIC3* at The Fork in April followed by the CCI3* at Jersey Fresh in May.

Tamie Smith and Sunsprite Syrius. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tamie Smith and Sunsprite Syrius. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sunsprite Syrius

Sunsprite Syrius, a coming 7-year-old Trakehner gelding, is another superbly produced young horse in Tamie’s barn who’s shown real talent when it comes to eventing. After being sold to Sunsprite Warmbloods, Gina Miles rode Syrius in his four-year-old year, competing him at the Novice level before Tamie took over the ride late in 2012.

“Gina did a fantastic job of putting education onto him,” Tamie said. “He’s a really spectacular horse in his mind, and he’s got a fantastic jump. He’s not the flashiest to look at, but once you see him go you perk up a bit and pay attention.”

Sunsprite Syrius was the second highest ranked 5-year-old Young Event Horse on the West Coast in 2013, which puts him into contention to earn a ticket to Europe to compete in the 7-year-old class at the FEI World Young Horse Championships at Le Lion d’Angers this year. The Holekamp/Turner YEH Lion d’Angers Grant, which will award its first recipients this year, will send the highest scoring 5-year-old who is qualified to compete in the CCI2* competition to Europe this fall.

Syrius will move up to the two-star level this year, having contested his first Intermediate at Twin Rivers at the end of February, where he finished third on a final score of 31.7. “He’s 100% the best minded individual,” Tamie said. “He’s got a load of scope and a huge willingness to try that I think will take him far.

Sunsprit Syrius is also aimed for The Fork and Jersey Fresh, where he will contest the CIC2* and CCI2*, respectively. “There isn’t a day where I get on and that horse doesn’t try his guts out. Even when he’s tense, he settles in and I’m able to ask as much as I can from him.”

Tamra Smith and Fleur de Lis at the Fresno County Horse Park CIC1*. Photo by Sherry Stewart.

Tamra Smith and Fleur de Lis at the Fresno County Horse Park CIC1*. Photo by Sherry Stewart.

Fleur de Lis

An 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Fleur de Lis is a testament to Tamie’s patience and work ethic as a horsewoman. Originally sourced by Matt Flynn, it was Jennie Brannigan who thought the gelding would be a good fit for Tamie.

“In 2011, after I broke my leg at Rebecca Farm, I got a call from Jennie, who told me that I needed to come out and see this horse,” Tamie recalled. “She told me he was tough, and I said ‘No, I’m not doing any more tough ones.'” Jennie insisted, and Tamie flew to Pennsylvania a week post-surgery to take a look.

“Milton” was definitely quirky, but Jennie thought that with the right partner he’d come around, and she thought Tamie was just the one to do it. “I trusted Jennie and Matt, so we did a handshake deal and I bought him,” Tamie said. Now owned by the Team Milton Syndicate, Milton is coming into his own and flourishing under Tamie’s tutelage.

“We spent a lot of time in the air at first,” she recalled. “He’d try to get me off however he could — run me intro trees, all kinds of weird things. But once he decided that I was his person, everything kind of fell into place. Even now, I’m the one who does all of the riding on him. He’s just happier that way. He’s a very kind horse, and he’s a very correct and elegant mover. But I’d say it’s taken until now to really get our partnership to where it needs to be.”

Indeed, Tamie took it slow with Milton, waiting to make his USEA debut until 2013, where patience paid off and the gelding took home a win in the Open Training at Galway Downs. From there, the pair never finished worse than eighth, most recently picking up a third place in Milton’s Intermediate debut at Twin Rivers.

“I think his brain has really come full circle, and my mind is just blown. He was very ‘troubled’, as I like to say, but now I think there’s a lot in his future. I don’t necessarily know that he’ll be a Burghley horse, but I think he will do well with a select number of four-stars and many three-stars. I hope to make a team with him; he’s just a very reliable and consistent horse. Matt did a great job of picking him out, and I really owe it to Jennie for calling me that day.”

Milton is also slated to get on the trailer heading east this spring, taking the same path as Sunsprite Syrius and aiming for the CIC2* at The Fork and the CCI2* at Jersey Fresh.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo courtesy of Sherry Stewart.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo courtesy of Sherry Stewart.

Mai Baum

Just over a year ago, Alex Ahearn came to Tamie’s barn for training, bringing with her a top-tier talent in Mai Baum, a 2006 German Warmblood gelding. At the time, Alex and “Lexus” had competed through the one-star level together but were experiencing some difficulties, which prompted Alex to search for a suitable working student position.

Sourced by Michele Pestle, Lexus exudes a showmanship and talent that is immediately recognizable in the ring. “Everyone wants to ride that horse,” Tamie said. “Michele did an excellent job with both him and Alex, and she has picked many incredible horses who have made their mark in the sport.”

Alex and Lexus campaigned at the Intermediate level in 2014, completing the AECs as well as the tough CCI2* at Fair Hill before being named to the Eventing 25 training list in 2015.

“(Alex) did a great job with that horse,” Tamie said. “I knew she was having some struggles, but my hat is off to her for completing at Fair Hill. She was having trouble making it to that next level, but I never in a million years thought she’d ask me to ride Lexus.”

When Alex and her family asked Tamie to take over the ride, she was floored. “(Alex) said she wanted to go to school, and she felt that she and Lexus were at a point in their partnership where they couldn’t teach each other anymore, and she felt they were struggling,” Tamie said. “I was so proud of her for recognizing it, but I told her that I’d ride him at HITS Thermal so she could really make her decision — it’s tough to hand the reins over to someone else. Saying it is one thing, but watching someone else ride your horse is totally different.”

Alex watched Tamie compete at HITS, and she thoroughly enjoyed her role as “horse mom”. “She had tears in her eyes, and she told me she loved seeing us together,” Tamie recalled.

Alex’s parents have told Tamie that Mai Baum is not for sale, and that they plan to support her with the horse for the foreseeable future. “Alex has done an immaculate job with him, and it’s just an amazing opportunity to get to ride such a phenomenal animal,” Tamie said.

Tamie has been working through a few quirks that Lexus carries with him, and she credits Alex with the job she’s done producing him to this point. “She’s 19, and they basically grew up together,” she said. “She’s the one who rode him and did all of the work — it’s been really impressive to see.”

Tamie’s first event with Mai Baum was the CIC2* at Fresno in February, where they picked up second place. This was followed by an Intermediate win at Twin Rivers late last month, and now Tamie plans to see how far she can go with the stunning gelding. She’ll step him up to Advanced at Copper Meadows and will also be taking him east to The Fork and Jersey Fresh.

At the end of the day, Tamie feels nothing short of blessed to be at this point in her career. While she prepares to take her East Coast trip, she’s got myriads of supporters cheering on her every move. “I have such an amazing team of supporters behind me, I feel so blessed to have them,” she said. “It’s scary to think that all of these talented horses are sitting in my barn. It’s just been really fun.”

To learn more about Tamie’s program and how you can get involved, visit her website here.