Elisa Wallace is traveling back home after this year’s Mustang Magic competition with a handful of awards, a huge smile, and a little mare whom she was successfully able to adopt at the conclusion of competition.
Going into the final day of competition, Elisa and Hwin were placed seventh overall on a total score of 139.5. For the final round, each finalist was required to complete a freestyle showcasing the horses’ newly learned talents. Although Hwin was a bit keyed up, Elisa shed her tack and showed off the bond the two have created in just a few short months, to the delight of the crowd.
After the freestyle competition, the judges marked Elisa and Hwin down for a 18/30 and a 17.5/30 for horsemanship, and these scores helped Elisa take home a fourth place ribbon as well as the award for Fan Favorite.
Following the finals was an auction for the mustangs competing, in which Elisa was successfully able to purchase Hwin at the second highest price of the weekend, $2,100. Now we’ll get to see much more from this adorable mare as she continues her career with Elisa.
Many congratulations are in order for Elisa, Hwin, and all of their supporters. The Mustang Magic competition is a special one that showcases a breed that has proven to be hardy, versatile, and talented. For more updates and photos from the weekend, visit Wallace Eventing’s website or Facebook page. Go Mustangs!
Hawley's back at Dragonfire for the weekend! Photo from Sophia Zeier
You know it’s January when Hawley Bennett comes to visit Team DF! Even though I’m not riding in the clinic this month, it’s always nice to see good friends. Watching and learning is an added bonus. I have to admit that I’m always impressed with Hawley as a clinician. She comes with a clear plan and is always able to modify high-level concepts and exercises for each group so that they are level appropriate.
The USEA’s “Evaluation of the Young Event Horse Prospect” Symposium is FREE for USEA members. Taking place in Ocala, Florida February 16-18, this educational event is ideal for anyone interested in breeding, handling, buying, riding and evaluating young event horses. A full schedule will be available the week before the seminar to those who pre-register. [Schedule of Topics] [Panelists] [Sign Up]
The reviewer is a gamer, so prepare for some salty language, but apparently, Eventing is composed of Dressage (where you lead the horse), Calf Cutting, and Barrel Racing (where you go around barrels and occasionally jump them). The things you learn on the internet!
Omega Alpha natural supplements. Photo by Kate Samuels.
You are certainly acquainted with the company Omega Alpha, as you probably see their banner flying high at events every weekend. Top level riders like Hannah Sue Burnett, Jessica Phoenix, Lauren Kieffer and many more are devoted to their product line, and for good reason. I was lucky enough to get my hands on seven of their products and give them a trial with my own horses.
Before we get into each individual product, it’s worth learning about the ideas behind the company, and what sets Omega Alpha apart from other supplement providers. It was created more than 20 years ago by Dr. Gordon Chang, who is a biomedical engineer, a physiologist and a pharmacologist. With his guidance, Omega Alpha has become a unique company that offers products to improve horse’s health through a strong foundation in science combined with botanical ingredients.
Most of the Omega Alpha supplements are purely herbal, and the company has strict quality control standards and practices when it comes to their herbs. All of the herbs supplied to Omega Alpha are in a whole and uncut form so that the verification of medicinal herbs can be performed. This process ensures that there are no adulterations or substitutions for the ingredients.
When it comes to our competition horses, we all know that we have supplements that we swear by and can’t live without. No matter the level at which you compete, eventing horses have a tough job both physically and mentally, and it’s important that we support them through nutrition and supplements to ensure that they can give us all that they have.
The policy of Omega Alpha is to begin with making the gut and digestive tract of the horse healthy and then proceed from that point. This makes a lot of sense to me, as you really can’t have much success without a horse that is internally healthy, processing all his food correctly and feeling settled in his gut. I was able to try three of these products: Biotic 8, Gastra-FX and Gastra-FX Ultra.
While my two big guys are thankfully without stomach problems, I do have several rescues and OTTBs in work who have various problems with their gut flora, due mostly to their unsympathetic pasts. Biotic 8 is one of the most all-inclusive supplements for a healthy, fully functioning stomach that you can find. It is the best-selling product that Omega Alpha offers, and for good reason!
Biotic 8 is an eight-strain probiotic with a carrier system that helps healthy bacteria survive in the stomach acid. It also offers three digestive enzymes to assist in better digestion and absorption of all the food that your horse eats. On Biotic 8, horses tend to just blossom, and you can see it in their coats as well as their attitudes, as they go from cranky to happy and willing.
Gastra-FX and Gastra-FX Ultra are more aimed at the type of horse that tends to get ulcers or stress related stomach acidity. They are used as a maintenance supplement towards overall gastric health, but also for a little extra oomph at shows. The Ultra is in a tube for your convenience at competitions. The best part of these three stomach supplements is that they are extremely palatable. This is important because horses that already have stomach issues are regularly picky eaters, and it can be difficult to get them to consume extra supplements in their feed.
Omega Alpha natural supplements. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Eventing is really demanding on the muscles, ligaments and joints of our horses, which is why we are all gurus in supplements that help support those systems. I got to try Sinew-X, which is unique in that it has a dedicated D-form of glucosamine sulfate, as well as three anti-inflammatory herbs to help with recovery and comfort for horses during times of physical stress.
Glucosamine sulfate is a chemical compound found in the fluid around joints and has been proven to work as well as some pain medications in reducing joint pain and inflammation. When we ask our horses to do intense dressage work, gallop and jump on varied terrain, and then collect and jump show jumps, we invariably need something to help them keep their joints and soft tissue healthy throughout their careers.
Another common supplement that we eventers are fond of are tubes of calm! It’s notably difficult to get a fit cross country horse to decide to concentrate on the tiny white arena, and as many of our eventing horses are full Thoroughbred, we are all familiar with the horse that gets a little too much show anxiety.
Chill Ultra is Omega Alpha’s solution to that, along with their daily supplement, Chill. These two products can be used together, or you can just take the tube to shows, as it’s much easier to pack and transport. They contain herbs that are well known for reducing stress, anxiety and even depression. I used a Chill Ultra tube on a young horse for her first public outing, knowing that she tended to get hot, and while she did show signs of unrest, I was pleased to see that she never lost her mental capacities fully.
One supplement that I think is particularly interesting to eventers is the Equisel-BCAA. This comes in tube form and is intended to be used after strenuous exercise like cross country to replenish minerals and electrolytes lost in sweat. It also contains branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) which are critical in reducing protein and muscle breakdown during exercise. The best way to use this tube is 10 minutes to one hour after exercise while the horse’s body is in the cooling phase.
And, finally, I also tried the Omega Alpha brand of liniment, Tetda. We all use liniment at some point or another, either for your horse’s legs after a hard workout or for a full body massage and bath to get them feeling extra good the next day. Many eventers have gone away from the old habit of using poultice after cross country and are now relying fully on liniment to keep their horses fresh for the final day of competition. Tetda has a complete collection of various herbs designed specifically to help with muscle recovery and relief from stiffness, and is also great to use for packing hooves to help with sore feet.
We are all invested in offering our horses the best of the best, and Omega Alpha is unique in their scientific yet botanical approach to supplements towards equine health. They also offer monthly seminars towards continued education on topics related to the well-being of your best friend and sporting partner. Click here to learn more about Omega Alpha’s full line of supplements.
The Intermediate divisions at Rocking Horse I wrapped up yesterday, and we’re all breathing a collective sigh of relief that there are new scores to stalk, more horses and riders to cheer on, and more videos from The Horse Pesterer. Welcome back, eventing!
The Horse Pesterer was indeed wandering around Rocking Horse this weekend, and he uploaded his playlist to his YouTube channel this morning. Here’s a look at a few of the Intermediate rides:
Elisa Wallace and Hwin share a momemt. Photo via Wallace Eventing.
The preliminary rounds at this year’s Mustang Magic competition in Fort Worth, Texas wrapped up last night, and Elisa Wallace and Hwin were selected to move on as finalists in tonight’s freestyle performance.
On Thursday and Friday, Elisa and Hwin competed in the preliminary divisions, including Handling and Conditioning, Trail, and Compulsory Maneuvers. Elisa’s husband, Timothy Harfield, has been keeping up behind the scenes of the action and reported that Hwin was a bit nervous on the first day but that she settled in well on day two.
Elisa and Hwin scored a 44 in the compulsory class, which put them into collective seventh place going into the trail class. Riders anxiously awaited the scores to come out this morning from the trail class, which would determine the finalists moving on to tonight’s freestyle competition.
Combined scores going into the trail class. Photo via Wallace Eventing.
Shortly after 9 am this morning, Elisa announced on her Facebook that she and Hwin had made it to finals, one of 10 pairs to do so.
Now, Elisa and Hwin will put the finishing touches on their freestyle performance in preparation for the final round, which begins at 6 pm this evening.
The winners will be announced following the completion of the freestyles tonight, and the event will conclude with an auction for which all horses are available. We’ll be watching social media for the latest updates on Elisa and Hwin. In the meantime, you can follow along on the Wallace Eventing blog and Facebook page, as well as watch the videos below for a recap of the action so far.
The eventers are coming to Wellington! Aaron Glanzberg/Creative Commons photo.
Eventing is coming to Wellington thanks to the invitational $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Jan. 30 and 31. Sponsored by Asheville Regional Airport, the event will dole out a nice chunk of prize money as an exhibition event.
A lot of the information floating around online has billed it as a CIC3*, but that’s not the case. The event isn’t sanctioned by the FEI, but the USEF has authorized the competition. Here’s the deal: Horses and riders will perform USEF/USEA Advanced Test B for dressage on Friday in the International Ring of the The Stadium at PBIEC, with the first horse going out at 9:30 a.m.
Riders will then tackle Richard Jeffrey’s show jumping course, also in the International Ring at The Stadium at PBIEC, at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning, with the fences set at Advanced height. Then cross country will be held starting at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon over a 2,000-meter Advanced level course designed by Capt. Mark Phillips.
The course, which has 16 obstacles with 20 jumping efforts, has been built on the grass derby field at The Stadium, as well as on the adjacent polo field, with jumps from Eric Bull of ETB Construction. He’s been posting a lot of photos of the new portables he’s made for the course over on his Facebook page.
No official entry list has been posted online, but the event very kindly sent us the most updated entry list as of Jan. 23. About 30 invitations were sent out to riders, and there are currently 29 confirmed entries. The press office has said that other entries may still be added, in which case we will update this list further:
Wellington Eventing Showcase Entry List [Updated 1/25]
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch
Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair
Jennie Brannigan and The Alchemyst
Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM
Buck Davidson and Petite Flower
Phillip Dutton and Seams Ready
Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive
Clayton Fredericks and Rendezvous With Charly
Clayton Fredericks and True Dynamite
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night
Jon Holling and Proper Timing
Lauren Kieffer and Czechmate
Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter
Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa
Boyd Martin and Trading Aces
Kurt Martin and Anna Bella
Joe Meyer and Clip Clop
Joe Meyer and Sanskrit
Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High
Selena O’Hanlon and Bellaney Rock
Michael Pollard and Cyrano
Julie Richards and Beaulieu’s Cayenne
Julie Richards and Urlanmore Beauty
Katie Ruppel and Houdini
Allison Springer and Arthur
Allison Springer and Copycat Chloe
Allison Springer and Mr. Sydney Rocks
Phillip Dutton said he thinks the showcase is a good introduction to the sport for the Wellington crowd. “It’s great they they’re not charging for entry fees or stabling,” he said. “They’re showing they really want to make it pay for itself through hospitality and sponsorship.”
Indeed, hospitality options aren’t cheap! VIP tables with seating for six are available for $1,500 in the Global Pavilion at The Stadium and include a buffet lunch and full bar with views of all three phases. VIP parking is also included. Anyone interested in purchasing VIP tickets can contact Kathleen Lamour at [email protected] or call 561-784-1106.
General admission and parking are free for the showcase. There are grandstands for spectators around the show ring for dressage and show jumping, and some seating will be available outside for cross country too, Jen Wood of Equestrian Sport Productions kindly confirmed for us.
The USEF has named the 2015 Eventing 25 riders, and we’re excited to get to know each of them with a series of profiles on EN. These young riders are the future of our sport in the U.S., so remember their names and join us in giving them the recognition they deserve. Keep checking back for new profiles. Go Eventing 25!
Calvin Ramsay and Hoodwink. Photo by Ivegotyourpicture.com.
Calvin Ramsay was surprised to find his name on the Eventing 25 list. At 17, he thought he was too young and inexperienced to be chosen. Now, he can’t wait for his first training session with Leslie Law next week in Ocala, Florida.
“I was able to train with him a bit before Young Riders in the summer,” Calvin said. “I really like his instruction. He understands the horses well. I felt like I learned a lot when I was lessoning with him. I’m pumped for that.”
Calvin has three active competition horses: Hoodwink (2*), Flintstar (2*), and MacGilly Cuddy (Prelim). He has decided to take Hoodwink, an experienced 14-year-old Thoroughbred cross that he’s been competing since 2012, to the training sessions. Calvin describes him as “extremely ADD,” and is hoping Leslie will be able to help him channel “Hoodie’s” energy a bit better, especially on the flat.
“I need help getting my dressage to look more like my warm up. It kind of falls apart, and it’s a combination of Hoodwink getting nervous when he goes away from the horses and me not exactly knowing how to deal with that.”
Hoodie may be tough on the flat, but his jumping has always made up for it. “He’s a solid jumper, loves his job and is full of life,” Calvin said. “He’s one of the funnest horses to jump that I’ve ever sat on.”
Coming Over to ‘the Dark Side’
Calvin’s parents, Court and Kylie Ramsay, founded Pharview Stables when Calvin was just a toddler. So while he’s been around horses for as long as he can remember, he didn’t always event. “My dad wanted me to start in the hunter world so I could get a good eye and learn the basics of counting strides.”
When he did eventually do his first event around age 12, he didn’t take to it right away as many of us do. “For a while I hated cross country because the pony I had was a hunter jumper queen,” Calvin laughed. “She didn’t want to go through water and logs were not okay.”
Once he paired up with a pony that had some eventing experience and showed him how fun cross country can be, Calvin gave the “hunter jumper queen” to his little sister and never looked back.
Calvin’s first big eventing win was when he was just 14. He and Landmark’s Miss Liberty, an Irish Sport Horse mare, won the Junior Novice division at the 2011 American Eventing Championships.
Please enjoy this most adorable video of his post-win interview with me:
“Liberty was a great horse. She really taught me to not commit with my shoulders because the second I did that there was no chance she would jump. She taught me a lot.”
But his best career moment so far, he said, was riding for Area III at the 2014 NAJYRC,where he won an individual silver and team gold medal in the two-star.
“That was the first time I’d ever been part of a team. I wasn’t riding for myself, so if I screwed up it was not just me that would be bummed out,” Calvin said. “At first I was so mad at myself because my dressage was horrible. Nicole Doolittle told me to chill, that we’re all in this together.”
Getting in Sync
Calvin was riding Flintstar, a horse with international team experience. Even though they were 15th after dressage, they were ultimately the only pair in the division to finish on their dressage score, vaulting them into second place and solidifying the gold for the team.
Flintstar and Calvin met during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2013. While they eventually found success at Young Riders the following summer, as Calvin recounted the time it took for them to “get in sync,” it was clear the horse made him work for it.
“Of course he’s experienced much more than I have,” Calvin said. “We had this attitude with each other: you’re not going to listen to me and I’m not going to listen to you. Over time I was able to be more quiet with my aids which really helped. The slightest movement of my hand was an aid in his book.
“Our dressage can get better of course. He loves show jumping and cross country and I do too. We do pretty good at that.”
Calvin would really like to go Advanced this summer but said it depends on the progress he makes in dressage.
“I know Hoodwink has the scope to jump Advanced. We’ve jumped Advanced before at home, but we’re working out the lead changes. That’s kind of been the big block in between Intermediate and Advanced.
“I know Flint can do it, but it is a matter of can he and I do it? Probably, if I work hard.”
Long term, Calvin doesn’t have any plans. He’s spent most of his teenage years actively competing on multiple horses. As a high school junior, it’s now time to start thinking about college. “I want to go as far as I can go before college,” he said. “The big question is if I want to buckle down and do college and get a job or if I want to juggle college with a riding career.”
Whatever route he chooses to take, we wish him the very best!
Brian Sabo with Claire Harmon at the USPC annual meeting. Photo from Claire Belletti Harmon's Facebook page.
It’s shaping up to be one of those weekends where you need a weekend to recover from it. There are early season events happening all over the place, as well as awards banquets, clinics, and the US Pony Club Annual Meeting. I have to admit, I’m getting a late start on being excited and anxious about this year. I haven’t done much of anything since Halloween but the energy has been building steadily and is getting me inspired. I figure by February 1st, there will be enough light for me to actually, seriously, really ride after work instead of just goof around. I guess I better start hitting the gym and find my full-seats. I expect that my pony might be a bit fresh when we get back to work!
The USEA’s “Evaluation of the Young Event Horse Prospect” Symposium is FREE for USEA members. Taking place in Ocala, Florida February 16-18, this educational event is ideal for anyone interested in breeding, handling, buying, riding and evaluating young event horses. A full schedule will be available the week before the seminar to those who pre-register. [Schedule of Topics] [Panelists] [Sign Up]
Ride On Video put together a great video highlighting the award winners from the Area VI award winners. Area VI gives out awards for categories such as Rider of the Year, Horse of the Year and divisional awards. There are even breed awards for the highest scoring Irish horse, Thoroughbred, pony and many more. You can check out a list of all awards given out on the Area VI website here, and keep checking back for an updated list of 2014 winners.
Congratulations to all Area VI award winners. We can’t wait to see more in 2015!
Buck Davidson and Petite Flower at Rocking Horse last year. Photo by Ivegotyourpicture.com.
The Intermediate divisions at Rocking Horse Winter I Horse Trials wrapped up earlier this afternoon, with Marilyn Little and RF Quarterman and Buck Davidson and Petite Flower winning the Open Intermediate divisions.
In Open Intermediate A, RF Quarterman, a 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Raylyn Farms, sat in second place after both dressage and show jumping and moved up to take the win on 25.6 after jumping double clear on cross country. “Fitty” placed third in the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI2* to end his season last fall.
Ballynoe Castle RM finished in second on 30.8, picking up just 3.2 time penalties on cross country to add to his dressage score. The Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Carl and Cassie Segal, is 15 this year, and Buck said in December that he and the Segals have no expectations for “Reggie” at this point in his career. They’re letting him call the shots.
Buck Davidson and Petite Flower won the Open Intermediate-B division, adding just .8 cross country time penalties to their dressage score to finish on 22.3. “Flower,” a 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare owned by Sherrie Martin, is gearing up to compete in the Wellington Eventing Showcase at the end of the month, along with her barnmate Reggie.
Leslie Law took a top finish in this division too with Tout de Suite, an 8-year-old British Sport Horse gelding owned by Beatrice Rey-Herme, picking up 2.8 time penalties on cross country to finish second on 23.5. “Colby,” who we profiled last year on EN’s Got Talent, is another horse Leslie has said he’s very excited about.
Joe Meyer and Sanskrit, a 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, round out the top three on 31.6, adding six cross country time penalties. Joe told us earlier this month that he’s aiming for Rolex with Sanskrit.
Jessica Schultz finished on her dressage score of 28.9 with Lock N’ Load, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding she owns, to win the Intermediate Rider division.
Eventing 25 rider Bailey Moran and Loughnatousa Caislean, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Small Fortune Farms, finished in second place on 36.9 in their final preparation event before their planned move up to Advanced at Rocking Horse Winter II Horse Trials on Valentine’s Day weekend.
Nicole Doolittle and Tops, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding she owns, round out the top three in the Intermediate rider division, adding 5.2 time penalties on cross to finish on a final score of 38.5.
The other divisions are still rolling along at Rocking Horse, so be sure to click here to follow along with the live scores. I think I speak for all of us when I say it’s so nice to have the season underway. Go Eventing!
Photo via Wallace Eventing.
