Classic Eventing Nation

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Sep 29, 2023 12:03 am -

Beautiful evening ride along the Zuid Willemsvaart in Belgium. Photo by Irma Vijn.

I forget how much base level fitness my horses have because of where they live. My turnout fields are large and mostly on the side of the hill, and my neighbor is an avid fox-hunter with a little over 2,000 acres of open space easement land filled with trails and coops and gates. That means that on “off” days, we regularly go exploring for miles over some pretty intense terrain, and they’re all pretty cool with it. However, my friend brought her normal horse over for a little hack this week, and three days later I think he still deeply regrets the power-walk that he started out with. Fun fact about extreme trail riding with Kate, you can’t just get tired and quit, you have to turn around and still get home!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Course Brook Farm Fall H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Volunteer]

Fleur de Leap H.T. (Folsom, LA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Jump Start H.T. (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Ocala Fall Horse Trials (Ocala, FL) [Website] [Volunteer]

Old Tavern Horse Trials (The Plains, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Spokane Sport Horse 9th Annual Fall H.T. (Spokane, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Stable View Oktoberfest 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Sundance Farm H.T. (Plymouth, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Tomora Horse Trials (Greeley, CO) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Major International Events

2023 Asian Games (Hangzhou, China) [Equestrian Schedule and Info]

News From Around the Globe:

Registration for the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention opens on Oct. 1, and USEA Members won’t want to miss this jam-packed week of social gatherings and educational activities. This year’s convention will be held on Dec. 7-10, 2023 in St. Louis, Missouri. On October 1, the registration portal will be available through the Convention webpage on the US Eventing website. The most cost-effective registration type is a full week pass which gives members access to all open meetings on Thursday through Saturday and includes one ticket to the USEA Annual Meeting of Members Luncheon. [Registration for USEA Annual Meeting Open Sunday]

The USEF has made five rule changes which will go into effect October 1, 2023. Make sure you familiarize yourself with these rule changes below to make sure you are in compliance before heading out for your next event! [New Rule Changes for 2023]

If you’ve ever dreamed of being the ultimate Eventing tourist, you have to know more about Eventing Breaks. Eventing Breaks aims to offer a hassle-free travel experience to eventing enthusiasts but with some unique add ons. Yes, they’ll organize all the basics like flights, airport transport, where to stay, or how to get tickets to a major event like Badminton, Burghley, or even the Olympics but they also provide some pretty cool add-ons. Like drinks with William Fox-Pitt at Badminton in his lakeside pavilion before a course-walk. At Burghley, the group enjoyed a post-xc drinks party at The English Pink Rose Co. Eventing Breaks wants to make the sport of eventing easier than ever to experience. [Eventing Breaks is Making Dreams Come True]

From the haunted steed of the Headless Horseman to the ghost riders in the sky, horses have always figured prominently in our favorite hair-raising tales we love to tell this time of year. Horses have the power to invoke our deepest emotions, and when you take a horse with mane and tail a-blowing in a chill October breeze as the sun dips down beneath the horizon and the air grows suddenly cool, the shadows playing tricks on your eyes, you have the perfect recipe for a ghost story for the ages. And we want to hear yours! Send in your best horsey Halloween stories to Horse Nation. [Second Annual Spooky Short Story Contest]

Feel-good story of the week goes to this tale of humanity at the highest level of sport. When 14-year-old Mathilde Candele was competing on her heart-horse, Disco, last year at the NAYC, she won her first class, but in the warmup for the second, Disco started feeling off. Her parents rushed him to the hospital, thinking it was colic, but in fact he had ruptured a major artery. Within a few hours, McLain Ward called the family and offered to give them a horse out of his barn to replace Disco for Mathilde. [Losing One Unicorn, Gaining Another]

 

 

New Executive Director Named for Kentucky Organizer Equestrian Events, Inc.

By on Sep 28, 2023 2:38 pm -

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum win Kentucky 2023. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The Board of Directors for Equestrian Events, Inc. is pleased to announce Erin Woodall as the new executive director of the organization. EEI is a non-profit, charitable organization that supports the development of equestrian sports through the staging of sporting events at the highest level including the Kentucky Three-Day Event, the Kentucky Invitational Grand Prix and the American Eventing Championships. EEI is based at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

Erin Woodall will take the helm of EEI next month. Photo courtesy of EEI.

Woodall, a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education, served with the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. for over 17 years in multiple positions, most recently as the activities and events director. Additionally, she is a partner at Grit Equine, LLC, at Bryan Station Farm. Woodall’s experience includes volunteer involvement with multiple equine associations including the Kentucky Horse Council, Midsouth Eventing and Dressage Association and the Kentucky Three-Day Event.

“We are pleased to announce Erin’s appointment,” said Laura Holoubek, president of the board. “Erin will be a great addition to help move the organization and events forward and lead the talented EEI staff.”

Since its inception in 1975, EEI has proven to be a leader in equestrian sport by providing development opportunities for riders, horses and equine organizations and by elevating the competitiveness of the United States equestrian teams internationally.

“I’m thrilled to be joining EEI,” Woodall said. “I’ve been a lifelong equestrian and have many fond memories of the Kentucky Three-Day. I look forward to building upon the great foundation laid by those who came before me.”

The board wishes to thank Mike Cooper who has been serving as the interim director since February 2022. Woodall will begin her duties on October 2.

Truth? Your Horse Doesn’t See That Jump Like You Do

By on Sep 28, 2023 12:00 pm -

In this excerpt from her book Horse Brain, Human Brain, brain scientist and horsewoman Janet Jones explains the difference between what you see on course and what your horse sees.

Illustration from the book “Horse Brain, Human Brain.”

Horses often give the impression of superb eyesight. Walking in an open field, a bird flicks a wing and they’ll raise their heads, point their ears, quiver their nostrils, and widen their eyes with what seems to be intense focus on the bird’s location. Some trainers refer to this as the look of an eagle, and it is indeed an impressive display of intelligence and sensitivity.

However, the reason for it depends less on good vision than bad vision. Horses try to improve blurry views by raising their heads and enlarging their eyes. Their ears perk up to listen because they can’t see stationary details well. Their nostrils expand to optimize an excellent sense of smell.

Equine eyes are eight times larger than human eyes, larger than those of any other land mammal. But a horse’s acuity is considerably worse than ours. Acuity refers to the ability to make tiny discriminations in detail while focusing on something in the center of the visual field. Reading is a great example for humans—right now, your eyes are picking up tiny differences in the black marks on a page. You can see the difference between an “e” and a “c,” for example. The distinction is meaningful—witness the confusion if you misread that you have “cars” on both sides of your head.

By convention, normal human acuity is 20/20. What a person with normal vision can see from a distance of 20 feet is the same as what you see from a distance of 20 feet—if you have normal vision. But normal equine acuity ranges from 20/30 to 20/60.

Let’s consider the visually gifted (20/30) horse first. Details you can see from 30 feet away, a sharp-eyed horse can only see from 20 feet away. In other words, he has to be 50 percent closer to see the same details—he has half your acuity. What if your sweetie-pie is near the low end of normal equine acuity at 20/60? Details you make out from 60 feet away, he cannot see until approaching within 20 feet. That’s a 200 percent impairment compared to human vision!

Even the 50 percent deficiency is enough for any rider to consider. Imagine what a horse sees when the two of you approach a jump. For you, it’s clear, sharp, and bright. You’d be mighty nervous if it looked fuzzy and faded. But equestrians are often startled to see photographs constructed to show what a jump looks like to a horse. Even in sunshine, the horse’s view of a jump is blurry, hazy, dim, flat, vague—all the adjectives you’d rather not deliberate as you’re galloping 30 feet per second to a big oxer that could break your neck.

Beyond the normal range from 20/30 to 20/60, horses differ in individual acuity just as people do. Twenty-three percent of horses are nearsighted (they do not see details clearly until they get much closer than equine normal to an object). Forty- three percent of horses are far-sighted (able to see more clearly only as they get farther away). It stands to reason that slightly far-sighted horses excel in disciplines like jumping because the ability to drill down on fine points from a distance fuels their athleticism.

Acuity for objects close to us worsens with age because the natural lens inside human and equine eyes hardens over time. If you’re over 50, you know what I’m talking about. The best acuity in horses occurs around age seven. Prior to that it’s not fully developed, and afterward it begins to decay. Breed makes a difference, too. Horses with long convex faces, like Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, have better acuity than horses with short concave faces, like Arabians.

This excerpt from Horse Brain, Human Brain by Janet Jones is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.HorseandRiderBooks.com).

The Trip of a Lifetime: Help Team Canada En Route to the Pan Ams (and On to Paris!)

By on Sep 28, 2023 10:28 am -

Mike Winter and El Mundo represent Team Canada in Pratoni. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

As we creep towards the end of the season, all eyes are on the Pan American Games, which will take place at the tail end of October in Santiago, Chile — and will, most crucially, provide the final two qualification routes for next year’s Paris Olympics.

Team Canada’s certainly got their end goal in site: one of those tickets to France, and a return to Olympic contention as a team. With that in mind, they’re coming in hot with fundraising for the Canadian High Performance Programme’s trip to Chile and all the requisite training, with a seriously cool auction, full of some brilliant lots that we’d quite like to get our grubby little mitts on.

Lots are currently being added, and the auction will begin on Friday, September 29 (that’s tomorrow!) and will close next Friday, October 6. Check them out as they come in here, get registered to bid, and if you want to donate directly to Canada’s eventing team, contact Emily Gilbert.

 

Thursday News & Notes Presented by Morven Park

By on Sep 28, 2023 12:03 am -

Introducing Koa Martin! Photo courtesy of Boyd.

Introducing the newest member of the feral herd Martin family: Koa Brooks Martin! The warrior princess that is Silva delivered a healthy little lad this week, adding to her collection of boys. I can only imagine what kind of hairy little pony awaits him in the near future. Tiny hairy ponies sent straight from the devil himself are a rite of passage for children born into horsey families, and with his adrenaline junkie bloodlines, I think he will be up for the challenge.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Course Brook Farm Fall H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Volunteer]

Fleur de Leap H.T. (Folsom, LA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Jump Start H.T. (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Ocala Fall Horse Trials (Ocala, FL) [Website] [Volunteer]

Old Tavern Horse Trials (The Plains, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Spokane Sport Horse 9th Annual Fall H.T. (Spokane, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Stable View Oktoberfest 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Sundance Farm H.T. (Plymouth, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Tomora Horse Trials (Greeley, CO) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Major International Events

2023 Asian Games (Hangzhou, China) [Equestrian Schedule and Info]

News From Around the Globe:

A new Fear Free veterinary curriculum shows promise for the safety and happiness of all participants in veterinary appointments. The Fear Free online curriculum aims to educate veterinary and pet professionals, animal welfare communities, and pet owners about how to correctly interact with animals to cause them the least amount of stress, anxiety and potential trauma. A Fear Free-specific appointment enables a horse owner and certified veterinarian to work together to help animals become familiar with a veterinarian and how they handle them, thereby helping increase the animal’s comfort levels and reduce their anxiety when interacting with vets. The appointments are also a time in which owners and veterinarians collaborate on ways the owner can work with their animals at home to further reduce their stress during future, hopefully safer, veterinary appointments. [Fear Free Training is Creating Happier Horses]

Sponsor Corner

Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Galloping through Autumn leaves, touring a luxurious mansion, watching Olympic-level competition from a VIP tent…the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials has a lot to offer. We get it, the Fall season is a busy time of year. But when we say you need to make space on your calendar for Morven Park, we mean it. Here’s why.

Hot on Horse Nation: Hands & Dumb Metaphors

Do you ever have a full ride just focused on the walk? Think back on your daily rides. When was the last time you spent time really working at the walk? Feeling your horse’s body, asking them to carry themselves at the walk for an extended period of time rather than just a loose rein, 5-10 minute warm up? Truth be told, depending on a horse’s schedule for the week, my schooling rides are sometimes a solid 30 minutes of walking. While that might sound boring, there’s a whole array of things you can do at the walk to really evaluate where your horse is at in their fitness. [In Defense of the Working Walk Ride]

Best of Blogs: The Joy of the ‘Happiest Show on Earth’

Plenty of eventers will be gracing the Dixon Oval with their presence this weekend, but only for fancy prancing. Dressage at Devon is a long standing tradition that we’ve only recently started to invade, so make sure you know everything about how to keep your finger on the pulse. [What You Need to Know: Dressage at Devon]

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Designing for the Stars

By on Sep 27, 2023 5:00 pm -

No matter where in the world you’re from, if you’re a certified Horse Girl™ (a term I think of as being resolutely gender non-specific, actually), you’ve got the same weird and wonderful blood in your veins that unites you with our global herd. For 13-year-old Juna, home is Slovenia — but her love for horses and equestrian sport has already taken her far. She won the FEI’s My Dream Jump art challenge when her design was chosen for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Omaha, setting into motion a seriously cool adventure that threw her into the heart of the action and the orbit of her idols. Follow along with her journey, and find out how she came up with her winning idea, in this short feature. Keep on doing great things, Juna – we’d love to see you design a cross-country fence next!

ProbioticWise® — Supports a return to normal gut function

Free fecal water syndrome (FFWS) is easily recognizable by the watery fecal matter that runs out of the horse when they poop. The majority of the manure in the bowel movement is normally formed, and the watery portion runs out either before, during, or after the movement. In the most of cases of FFWS the horse is otherwise normal, and the cause is hard to pinpoint. FFWS is different than diarrhea. When a horse has diarrhea the entire bowel movement is watery, and diarrhea is often accompanied by other symptoms of illness.

As anyone who has dealt with this syndrome knows, the watery substance makes a mess all over the horse’s hindquarters and can even cause skin irritation in severe cases. FFWS has many causes but regardless of the cause ProbioticWise can help restore normal gut function and reduce dirty butts and skin irritation. Ask your Vet if ProbioticWise is right for your horse.

The horse that matters to you matters to us®. Visit KPPVet.com to learn more.

NEW EVENTING STICKER AVAILABLE! Visit https://kppusa.com/summer23/ to grab one for your barn.

How Eventing Breaks is Making Bucket Lists More Possible

By on Sep 27, 2023 2:30 pm -

One perk of attending a major event with Eventing Breaks? Exclusive private course walks! Photo courtesy of Eventing Breaks.

I have it in the back of my mind that I’ll one day make it to every single CCI5* event there is. I’ve got quite a lot of work to do, as to date I’ve only managed to make it to the two North American events (Kentucky and Maryland).

Most recently, I had hoped to make my first trip to Burghley this year. In anticipation of this – and because I’m like any millennial girl and I like to plan trips I may or may not take and can probably not afford as a steady hobby – I started to pull up the logistical details about what a trip to England might look like.

Now, I’m a pretty seasoned traveler, but not internationally. Despite the security blanket that is EN’s UK and European editor, Tilly Berendt, I felt myself getting a bit overwhelmed at the idea of trekking to Burghley on my own.

Here’s where an idea like Eventing Breaks really fits the bill.

Let me back up just a bit. Building on the success of UK-based Racing Breaks, which has offered up all-inclusive travel packages to premier races such as Royal Ascot, The Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup to around 20,000 people each year, a subsidiary was born.

Eventing Breaks aims to offer the same type of hassle-free travel experience to eventing enthusiasts but with some unique add ons. Yes, they’ll organize all the basics like flights, airport transport, where to stay, or how to get tickets to a major event like Badminton, Burghley, or even the Olympics but they also provide some pretty cool add-ons. Like drinks with William Fox-Pitt at Badminton in his lakeside pavilion before a course-walk. At Burghley, the group enjoyed a post-xc drinks party at The English Pink Rose Co. Eventing Breaks wants to make the sport of eventing easier than ever to experience.

Back to my travel anxiety. To compare my stress levels planning a trip solo versus with the help of an Eventing Breaks experience, I did some digging into the details.

Cocktails for all at Badminton! Photo courtesy of Eventing Breaks.

While each travel package offers slightly different experiences, here’s a look at what trips Eventing Breaks is offering in 2024 (can I sign up for all of them please?):

Kentucky CCI5*
You can experience Kentucky like never before with an Eventing Breaks experience. Included in your package are everything from lodging, admission and reserved seating, a private course walk, daily transfers to and from the event, and much more. Your literal only job would be to shop as much as possible and take in the competition – sounds pretty ideal!

Badminton CCI5*
Same deal, different continent. You’ll get the high treatment as an Eventing Breaks guest at Badminton, and this is ideal for those who’ve not experienced this event before and/or who stress at the thought of international travel. They are also including a breakfast preview on Cross Country day so you can beat the traffic and get into the event early. Flights can be included so you don’t have to think about your travel plans from the moment you depart to the moment you arrive home.

Paris Olympic Games
Yes, that’s right – I said the Olympics! The hottest ticket is available through Eventing Breaks. You can secure guaranteed tickets and prime hotel lodging with the Paris 2024 package and with those in the bag you can Emily in Paris your way all the way from the Eiffel Tower to the Palace of Versailles.

Just one of the hotels on the roster for Eventing Breaks’ trips, the Francis Hotel at Badminton. Photo courtesy of Eventing Breaks.

You can also reserve spots in the trips heading to France for the WBFSH FEI World Young Horse Breeding Championships and to England for Burghley later in the year.

Eventing Breaks is always working on adding new experiences for their travelers. The idea of getting a better price than I can find myself one cost, logistics handled, and an insider’s view of a global event is appealing and makes the thought of making it to these special events feel that much more realistic.

But don’t take my word for it! Here are a few quotes from travelers who took part in the Eventing Breaks trip to Burghley at the end of August:

“Everything was great for our trip to Burghley. Our group got on really well and the dinner together on Saturday night was really fun. The grandstand tickets were very good. My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and will book other excursions in the future.”

”Walking the course with Willian Fox-Pitt was amazing. Thanks for organizing everything, it was very helpful for a first time Badminton experience coming from abroad.”

“Well done team, it was a very challenging Badminton with the rain and mud and all aspects were dealt with very professionally, will definitely book again!”

Riders such as William Fox-Pitt, who led the Eventing Breaks course walk at Badminton Burghley, agree. “Eventing has been crying out for a more immersive experience for fans,” he said. “And Eventing Breaks are providing just that through their exciting packages. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of Eventing Breaks’ guests at Badminton when hosting a course walk and hospitality at the Fox-Pitt Lakeside Pavilion. More opportunities for fans to meet the stars of the sport and to make events more accessible by providing the best value travel and accommodation options all in one place.”

Spots for 2024 experiences are booking now, so don’t wait! You can learn more about Eventing Breaks and start planning your next getaway here. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Photo courtesy of Eventing Breaks.

Level Up As a Groom with the BGA’s Pro Groom School

By on Sep 27, 2023 11:30 am -

Lucy Katan and BGA ambassador and pro groom Jackie Potts.

We’re huge fans of the British Grooms Association, which fights for representation and workers’ rights for grooms, but also provides educational opportunities to help both aspiring and career grooms gain new knowledge and sharpen their skills.

Now, with that goal in mind, they’re introducing the Pro Groom School, an exciting one-day seminar featuring some of the best in the biz and, undoubtedly, no shortage of seriously useful tips, tricks, and life advice along the way. It’s set to take place on October 23 at Stallion AI Services in Whitchurch, with programmes running from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., inclusive of lunch and refreshments.

So what can you expect from your day with the BGA? First of all, access to some of the world’s best grooms. You’ll be learning from Alan Davies, best known for his partnership with dressage superstars Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin; FEI award winner Jackie Potts, who’s been the lynchpin of William Fox-Pitt’s career, as well as grooming for Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto; and Jenny Ellis, who’s worked for a number of top showjumpers and dressage riders in her tenure as a British team stalwart.

They’ll be leading a number of talks and Q&A sessions covering a huge swathe of topics, from what to expect from life on the road as a competition groom, how to stay abreast of FEI rules, tips for top turnout, how to manage travelling horses, anti-doping best practice, and much, much more, with break-out sessions allowing you to focus on your areas of particular interest. These include, but aren’t limited to, equine massage, spotting health issues early, and more. Expect plenty of useful knowledge, but also some hilarious insights into some of the (truly mad) experiences these three powerhouses have had in their storied careers.

Here’s the timeline for the day:

9.30 Welcome to Pro Groom School
10.00 Practical demos with Alan, Jackie and Jenny
12.00 Anti-doping with FEI Vet Paul Thomason
12.30 Lunch Break
13.15 Travelling Horses Internationally
13.45 More practical demos with Alan, Jackie and Jenny
15.15 A focus on you — life as a top groom
15.45 The real truth with Jackie, Alan and Jenny

Tickets are available — though a limited number remain, so move fast! — for £70 and can be purchased here. You don’t have to be a BGA member to take part, though we do absolutely recommend joining if you’re working as a groom, and particularly as a freelancer. Their tailored insurance policies will protect you from loss of income if you’re rendered unable to work, and will provide you with coverage in case of injury. Speaking as a former freelancer myself, my BGA policy made me feel much more secure in my work — particularly with badly-behaved dressage stallions. Knowing I was protected in case one of them decided to use me as a human punching bag was a huge relief. You can find out more about the different membership options the BGA offers here — they begin at just £5 per month, so it’s a no-brainer, really.

Want to extend your Pro Grooms School experience? The BGA team is taking up residence at the Premier Inn, Shrewsbury North (Harmer Hill) Hotel on October 22, and is extending an invitation for any attendee of the PGS to join them for dinner at the hotel. It’s a great chance to pick their brains and network with fellow grooms in a friendly, low-key environment — and we reckon it’ll be a great laugh, too.

The Race to Le Lion: Gina Set to Receive 2023 Holekamp/Turner Grant

By on Sep 27, 2023 9:30 am -

Chris Talley and Gina. Photo courtesy of USEA/Meagan DeLisle.

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce that Gina, owned by Corwin Sport Horses, LLC, is the likely recipient of the 2023 Holekamp/Turner Grant and The Dutta Corp. prize. Gina (Gentleman x Ballerina) is a 7-year-old Hanoverian mare ridden by Chris Talley and was bred by Hartwig Von Holten in Germany. The pair aims to represent the U.S. at the 2023 FEI Eventing World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in the 7-year-old CCIYH3*-L Championship. The Championship will take place at La Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d’Angers, France, from Oct. 19-22, 2023.

The intention of the Holekamp/Turner Grant is to further develop an upward pathway for U.S. team horses in the sport of eventing. The grant recipients who are North American-bred are awarded the full cash grant of $17,500. If the winner is an imported horse, he/she will be awarded $8,000. Since Gina was imported, her team will be awarded $8,000USD. The team will also receive The Dutta Corp. prize which is one round-trip flight to Europe. The grant will be officially awarded after Gina passes the first horse inspection at the Championship in France.

Chris Talley runs his business in partnership with Hannah Salazar, owner of Zarazoga Acres. He describes the partnership as having a great team synergy who balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses. “It takes a village,” Talley said of the operation, and noted that Talley found Gina in partnership with Salazar, and one of Salazar’s loyal supporters and owners, Joan Allen.

“I have an unhealthy obsession of searching for horses online,” Talley admitted. “I go through sales ads night and day, and I stumbled upon Gina. She was at a barn in Germany, and we all [Salazar, Allen and Talley] watched her video of her at the walk, trot and canter, and then as soon as we saw her free jump down one line, it was enough to make us call and setup a vetting. This was during COVID at the end of 2020, so getting to Europe was hard to go try her in person, so we actually purchased her off the video.”

Allen owns Corwin Sport Horses, LLC, and Talley said the team feels like a family. “Joan Allen is incredible, and the most supportive owner that you could have. I absolutely adore her. We make all decisions with the best interest of the horse in mind, and she is always supportive of Hannah and I trying new things with the horses, whether it be shipping off to a dressage show, or trying something different. It can be long days, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”

The horse that has the highest score from the 2021 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) 5-year-old Championships that is also qualified to compete in the 7-year-old Championship receives the Holekamp/Turner Grant. This is the first year in the history of the grant that the overall Champion from the YEH Championships will be the recipient of the grant. Gina won the Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast Championships on an impressive 95.2, topping all scores from both the East and West Coast Championships.

If the highest-scoring YEH horse from the 2021 YEH Championships does not qualify or is unable to attend, the grant is then awarded to the next highest scorer who is qualified and able to go. For Talley, he has three fully qualified horses for La Mondial du Lion, and plans to bring two of them. Gina will compete under the Holekamp/Turner Grant after acceptance at the first horse inspection, and Talley also plans to compete his own Loughtown Cici ZA (CC Captain Clover x Castlelawn Diamond Clover), who placed in the top 20 nationwide at the 2021 USEA YEH Championships. As a backup, Talley has Lynn Berry’s Rappahannock (Rosenthal x Sunny Dey) prepared, who placed in the top 15 nationwide in 2021 and is also fully qualified for the 7-year-old Championship in France.

“I’ve heard [La Mondial du Lion] has a big atmosphere, but I think for these two horses I’m bringing, especially Gina, they like the atmosphere,” explained Talley. “[Gina] went with Hannah to Dressage at Devon [Devon, Pennsylvania], and rose to the occasion, and then won the 5-year-old YEH Championship at the Maryland 5 Star. I put a lot of pressure behind it, and with the addition of the atmosphere at Maryland, she shined under that pressure. I just need to keep my own nerves under wrap in France.

“We’ve been working all three of these horses since they were 4 years old with the goal of getting to this point,” he added. “You set out on these journeys to achieve something, and sometimes it doesn’t happen, but to have three in the grass ready to go, it’s just surreal,” stated Talley.

Wednesday News & Notes from Ocala Horse Properties

By on Sep 27, 2023 12:01 am -

Tilly’s been sharing Elisa Wallace’s vlogs from her Mustang Magic Makeover series with you, and I’m with her in loving following along with the journey of Dior, the mustang mare who’s the star of this year’s program. Although I’m not immune to drooling over the awesomeness of 5* event horses, I’m actually a total sucker for the gutsy little guys. It’s the best thing about having stayed the size of a small teenager – getting to ride feisty ponies who have no qualms in doing whatever the hell they want, when they want, eliciting curse words and giggles in equal measure as they’re just too damn cute to be cross with.

Whatever your choice of equine pal, go eventing!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Course Brook Farm Fall H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Volunteer]

Fleur de Leap H.T. (Folsom, LA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Jump Start H.T. (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Ocala Fall Horse Trials (Ocala, FL) [Website] [Volunteer]

Old Tavern Horse Trials (The Plains, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Spokane Sport Horse 9th Annual Fall H.T. (Spokane, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Stable View Oktoberfest 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Sundance Farm H.T. (Plymouth, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Tomora Horse Trials (Greeley, CO) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Major International Events

2023 Asian Games (Hangzhou, China) [Equestrian Schedule and Info]

Wednesday News and Reading

It’s all going on this Friday at Osberton Horse Trials in the UK. In support of Riders Minds , the bespoke online mental health and wellbeing resource for equestrians, there will be a quiz, cocktails and a Robbie Williams tribute act, so if you’re headed that way, make sure you dress the part in something purple and help raise awareness and funds for this important initiative. [A Good Cause to Party]

Social license is on the agenda at the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities next week. As well as discussing racing in an evolving society and strategies for a proactive response to public expectation, there will be an update on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority in the US, including anti-doping and medication control measures and current affairs in racing in America. Equine welfare will obviously be a hot topic, and The Jockey Club UK will share insights into effective resolution and communication. The conference takes place on October 2nd and there will be a live stream and replay available on the IFHA (International Federation of Horseracing Authorities) website. [Racing’s Agenda]

And now a happy tale of a little OTTB who’s switched out the track for the trail, with some buffalo thrown in for good measure. “Hot tamale” ‘Shorty’ struggled to find a new purpose after an injury put paid to her racing career, but then Bridget Hollern came along looking for a prospect for the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover Western disciplines and Shorty’s new life on the ranch began. [From Track to Trail]

It’s retirement for the big red wall at Washington D.C. International. The Puissance wall may have evolved in terms of safety, with clear ground lines and ultra-lightweight blocks replacing the, frankly terrifying behemoth from yesteryear, but increasingly it’s becoming redundant in the modern sport of show jumping, with few entries due to the specialist nature of the class. Although its draw as a spectator sport can’t be denied, top show jumpers like McLain Ward acknowledge that “it was a great class” but “it’s not what the challenge of the sport is today”. [It’s Farewell to a Show Jumping Spectacle]

Camels, cats, horses, donkeys, dogs, monkeys, and even a turtle or two. The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust are on call 24/7, facing unique challenges and a mountain of day-to-day responsibilities as they take care of Gambia’s equines (and other animals). [Every life matters at the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust]

And finally, dressage makes it into the mainstream. I was perusing the lifestyle pages the other morning when I spotted this list of perks of getting on a bit based on things you become better at as the years go by. And yes, randomly, mixed in with activities such as ultramarathons, chess and bedroom shenanigans, dressage has made the cut. Apparently, dressage excellence is most likely to be reached in your 50s, so if you’re still struggling with circles, and are sub-50 (in age, not dressage score), you now have a very good excuse. [Aging to (Dressage) Perfection]

Sponsor Corner

This property is all about the numbers…

🌳 27.5 acres
🚶‍♀️ 10 miles from WEC
🐴 24 stalls
🌾 6 paddocks
🏠 2 bedroom guest home
🚗 2 RV hookups

Explore 8801 NW 137th Ave, Morriston in this reel from Ocala Horse Properties!

Video Break

As we eagerly anticipate next year’s Olympics, let’s take a look at the history of horses at the venue for the equestrian events, the Château de Versailles.