Classic Eventing Nation

Oh, Canada! Mike Winter Wins British Eventing Five-Year-Old Championship

By on Sep 9, 2023 6:10 pm -

Mike Winter and Happy Time at Cornbury. Photo by Peter Nixon.

Gloucestershire-based Canadian Olympic rider Michael Winter won the British Eventing Five-Year-Old Championship – sponsored by The Howden Way – on Happy Time today at Cornbury House Horse Trials.

Michael finished on the same score – 26.1 – as second-placed Gemma Gurvidi (Nistel O), but Michael was closer to the optimum time of 4min 48sec on the cross-country and therefore took top spot.

Michael and his wife Emma own the Dibadu L-sired Happy Time with Hazel Thompson and her son Josh. The Winters usually produce horses to sell, but after the Thompsons – long-time owners with Michael and Emma – bought a half-share, they plan to keep this exciting youngster, whom they bought from Belgium during Covid after seeing a video of him.

“He was super,” said Michael. “I thought he would back off a little at the more decorated fences, but he’s really brave – he’s really, really good.”

Only a fraction behind Michael and Gemma in third on a score of 26.8  was Max Warburton, riding Norway Van De Haar, owned by Miranda Lucey, Hazel Livesey and Sue Ruddock.

The Howden Way Young Horse Championships for six- and seven-year-olds conclude tomorrow (Sunday, 10 September). World champion Yasmin Ingham is in the lead in the seven-year-old class on Gypsie Du Loir, owned by Janette Chinn and the Sue Davies Fund. The pair added a few cross-country time faults to their dressage mark of 21.9, but their overnight score of 26.7 keeps them at the top of the leaderboard.

Yasmin said: “I think the cross-country track was super-educational. Young horses are learning all the time and they need to have a positive experience, which is the most important thing. I was especially pleased with Gypsie Du Loir – this was quite a decent step up for her. I didn’t really know how she was going to cope with it, but she took it all on and fought like a lion the whole way round. There were times where she got a little bit too keen, but it was so nice – she felt like she was attacking everything and building in confidence the whole way round.”

The mare, by Herald, has come from the same stud in France (Elevage du Loir) as Yasmin’s world champion Banzai Du Loir – as does Goliath Du Loir, who is in 13th place currently with Yasmin.

Kitty King and Kantango are in first place after cross-country in the six-year-old final. The pair stormed round David Evans’ track to stay on their dressage mark of 22.7.

Kitty, who won team gold and individual silver at the European Championships last month on her top horse Vendredi Biats, bought the Tangelo gelding last winter from Harry Horgan. He is now owned by Penelope Holley, Joanna Jones, Kitty’s mother Jane Boggis and Jane Tolley.

“He’s quite cocky – his dam is by Winningmood, who is Vendredi Biats’ sire, and they do have a certain amount of cheekiness and cockiness about them!” she said. “He’s always naturally a very jolly, happy chap; he got a bit feisty today across country and was very full of himself.”

Tomorrow (Sunday) is the final day of Cornbury 2023. All the cross-country action will be livestreamed for free on the event website and on Horse & Country TV.

Tickets for Cornbury House Horse Trials, which features far more than “just” the international horse sport, can be bought online via the website or on the gate. “Field Food” celebrates a wide variety of delicious, locally-produced food and drink, including from the Cornbury estate, while at the weekend “Wildings” is a shaded, interactive area full of children’s activities.

Visit www.cornburyhousehorsetrials to buy tickets, watch the livestream and for more information.

 

SF Vancouver II Makes Double-Clear Comeback at the Eventing Academy

By on Sep 9, 2023 12:28 pm -

Jane Jennings and SF Vancouver II at Stable View Eventing Academy. Photo by Kate Antrim/Sparky Photography.

8 months ago, Jane Jennings was desperately researching why SF Vancouver II had started demonstrating symptoms similar to head shaking. The beautiful bay warmblood, nicknamed “Teddy,” was only eight years old. Despite the odds, on July 23rd, 2023, Jane and Teddy finished on their dressage score to win the Novice division at the Eventing Academy at Stable View.

Head shaking is a frustrating condition that is still not well understood and is difficult to diagnose. It can have a serious impact on the horse’s quality of life. Teddy wasn’t just head shaking under saddle, he was also shaking his head while in his stall and paddock. According to the UC Davis Center for Equine Health, “Research performed at UC Davis confirmed the involvement of the trigeminal nerve, a large nerve that runs across the face. In affected horses, this nerve has a very low threshold for activation, meaning that it fires spontaneously or with minimum stimulus. This causes the horse to experience tingling, itching, or burning sensations.”

As a dedicated horse mom, Jane started researching how she could help Teddy.

“Head shaking can be a very debilitating situation. It was clear there was something wrong and it was getting progressively worse. So, I tried a nose net and different bits, bridles even riding at different times of day and weather conditions trying to figure out if his hyper-sensitivity was related to light/shadows or even insects. My equine dentist performed a thorough exam, but we couldn’t find any answers. I went through the whole gamut researching online constantly, trying to figure out what could be causing this,” Jane said. “My equine acupuncturist, Shelly Onderdonk, suggested that it was time to pull out the big guns. So, I made the decision to bring him to Tryon Equine Hospital.”

After a full workup with Dr. Emilie Setlakwie at Tryon, the team made the decision to bring Teddy to Dr. Amy Johnson at the New Bolton center to get a robotic CT scan. Getting a CT scan of a horse is no small feat; only a few top veterinary centers in the country have the equipment necessary for the procedure. It requires general anesthesia and comes at great cost to the owner. Still, Jane was unperturbed. Her willingness to go the extra mile for Teddy paid off. After four months of trying, he was diagnosed with a deep inner ear infection called Otitis Interna. While a very rare condition for horses, symptoms can include head shaking, head tilting, and a lack of balance to name a few. Drs. Johnson and Setlakwie put Teddy on a four-month course of strong antibiotics.

“Slowly but surely, his whole personality changed,” Jane said. “He’s now affectionate. He’s still a little cautious, but he wants to be loved now. He’s more engaging and he’s such a sweet horse.”

Jane Jennings and SF Vancouver II at the Stable View Eventing Academy. Photo by Kate Antrim/Sparky Photography

Once Teddy was back at the top of his game, he and Jane tackled the Novice division at the Eventing Academy. Jane says that it was the perfect event to get her and Teddy back in the swing of things. The Eventing Academy follows a unique format that allows horses and riders to school the cross country course on Friday, school stadium or dressage on Saturday, and then compete on Sunday. The format is perfect for green horses and riders and allows competitors to get their horses used to the atmospheric venue before the pressure of competition day. For Teddy, it was the perfect way to re-introduce him to competition after eight months off and a four-month course of life-changing antibiotics.

“Teddy schooled the cross country course on Friday, and on Saturday I did the stadium round. And then on Sunday he did the actual event,” Jane recounted. “So it was fun. It was a good outing. It was a good test to see where he was at, if he was ready for the level. It’s just nice to get out and practice and see where the horses are at. It’s a really nice format for horses that are coming back from a little bit of a rest.”

Competing at Stable View’s Eventing Academy wasn’t just about bringing Teddy back into work. Jane says that she also goes to the Eventing Academy to support increasing accessibility to the sport for new riders. “It’s less expensive than a traditional recognized event and whenever people can save a little bit of money, it absolutely helps introduce new riders to the sport,” Jane said.

The Eventing Academy doesn’t feel like an unrecognized or starter event, in either appearance or difficulty. “The courses are decorated really nicely,” Jane said. “It’s very well-maintained and manicured. And the courses are definitely up to level. So if you’re out there schooling at training, the training level course really feels like a true training level course.”

Despite the beautiful decorations, true-to-level divisions, and atmospheric venue, Jane says that she still feels the Eventing Academy is extremely welcoming to all levels of horse and rider. On cross country schooling day, you can expect to see some riders with trainers clustered around specific fences, while others will be riding the full course and calling out fences as they go. While it sounds chaotic, Jane says it really doesn’t feel frenetic.

“You definitely see all levels, and you have to remember that it’s training level and below. You’ll have your very inexperienced green horse and rider combinations there with their coaches on the ground,” Jane said. “This is a great way for people to learn about the rules of eventing. So, as experienced riders, we all support the lower level riders.”

Jane Jennings and SF Vancouver II at the Stable View Eventing Academy. Photo by Kate Antrim/Sparky Photography.

Jane bought her farm in Aiken in 2016, but has been coming to the area since 2007 and has been actively involved in the local eventing community. She runs a boutique equine sales business and also offers training and boarding at her facility. As a long-time competitor at Stable View, the venue plays a large role in her competition season. “I can’t imagine this eventing community without Stable View,” Jane said. “Barry has done such a great job promoting the sport and offering a world class facility for horses and riders.”

Jane and the resilient Teddy have big plans for the future. “I’m very happy and thrilled with Teddy’s recovery and subsequent win at Stable View,” Jane said. “So the Eventing Academy was a good little test and then if things continue to go well, then we’ll move back up to training level. I’ll just keep continuing up the levels as long as Teddy’s game. He’s very talented.”

Keep an eye out for Jane and Teddy at Stable View’s Oktoberfest at the end of September.

EN is proud to work alongside Stable View throughout each year and enjoys highlighting the many offerings this unique venue and its dedicated team provide. Stay tuned for more Stable View Stories all season long!

An Unequivocal Love for the Job: Celebrating Eventing with Bradeley Law

By on Sep 9, 2023 10:06 am -

“He’s the first face you see on the yard and everyone’s magnetized towards him – he’s got a special aura.” Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Great event horses aren’t limited to those whose names are inscribed on trophies. The nature of our sport — bringing together inextricably linked, yet seemingly disparate and discrete phases —allows ability to shine in diverse ways, so you’d think pinning down the attributes of an exceptional eventing talent would be difficult. Sure, they need to be bold and brave, scopey and genuine, but what makes a truly great event horse? More than anything, an unequivocal love for their job.

One horse who exhibits that love unmistakeably across his distinctive face is Bradeley Law (Mill Law – Scarlet Lady), a horse who’s been such a stalwart top-level campaigner that he’s almost synonymous with the two British CCI5* offerings. His game approach to competition and his desire to gallop across the country, jumping the biggest fences in the sport, were abundantly clear from the off. At his first 5* — Badminton in 2016 — he unseated his rider, Michael Owen, at the Vicarage Vee. Not to be deterred, he turned for home and cleared a number of jumps by himself: “It’s unheard of!” Michael laughs. “That, to me, just shows that he loves it that much he wants to jump them without me even there. He goes down in history as the best loose-jumping horse ever!”

A horse who’s happiest when he’s flying between the flags. Photo by Emily Beckett, courtesy of Michael Owen.

A Special Aura

Named after the man next door who delivered him, ‘Crocky’, it turns out, was an apt epithet for the characterful gelding: “He does like to have a snap at people now and again – not in a bad way, but when he’s fit and got a little bit of attitude about him,” Michael reveals. But you’d forgive that face anything, and getting his way on the yard is as effortless for him as clearing the Cottesmore Leap: “He’s always got his ears pricked over the door wanting treats; he knows he’s number one. He’s the first face you see on the yard and everyone’s magnetized towards him — he’s got a special aura.”

Over the years, Crocky has garnered an entourage of enchanted eventing fans. Michael puts it down to his big white face, and “with his little ears pricked at everything, he just puts a smile on everyone’s face when they see him.” He’s just as popular at home as he is on the eventing circuit. Michael says, “It’s so funny; when I get any new members of staff, the first time they hack out and I say, ‘You’re riding Crocky,’ and their faces — they almost can’t believe you’ve just said it.”

Crocky clearly brings joy to all those who cross his path, and Michael is happy to share this special horse with his adoring fans: “It’s nice to see other people enjoying him; he’s not mine — it’s nice that everyone on the team can share him, and be able to ride him and enjoy the feel of him. I just love seeing the smile on everyone’s faces when they sit on him.” And he’s not just a cute face, he’s heralded by Michael as a horse that’s easy to do in every way: “He’s just a lovely horse to have around.”

The whole team is grateful then, that, although nineteen-year-old Crocky is retiring from top-level competition, his owners, the Jenning’s Syndicate, have decided to keep him at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre in Cheshire, where Michael is based.

A Spare Stable

Originally produced by Mary Lofthouse to Intermediate level, Crocky’s been with Michael for the past decade, after Mary had found him to be a “bit of a handful”. Michael remembers, “She phoned me one day and said, ‘I’ve been struggling a bit with Crocky,’ and asked if I would take him to try him out and see what he was like.” Circumstances were favorable, for Crocky and his new extended family: “Luckily, I had a spare stable!” Michael remarks.

In the early days, however, it wasn’t the partnership that it became.

“I took him straight to Intermediate. I think we came second at our first event, but he didn’t give me a great feel; he felt quite green — he felt very average,” Michael recollects — a far cry from the feeling he’ll miss so much now that Crocky’s top-level career has come to an end.

The solution was reasonably simple, though. He explains, “As the events went on, I found that he didn’t need much in his mouth. He’d had a big bridle on him, but I just put a Dr. Bristol snaffle on him and from then on, he just grabbed the bit and took me to everything – the rest is history, he just took off after that.”

Once Michael found the key to Crocky’s style and preferences — and bitted accordingly — “he was able to express himself a lot more; I was happy for him to run and jump and to feel like he was in control — I think that’s where he gets his flamboyant way of going, not being too over-controlled so that he can’t express himself.”

Crocky’s full self-expression: flamboyant and fun. Photo by Adam Whitehead, courtesy of Michael Owen.

Horse First

Tuning into his needs has been an important aspect of managing Crocky’s career from the start. There were doubts over his durability and Michael was told the horse was unlikely to withstand the demands of a three-day event. But Crocky had high aspirations for himself, which he undisputedly demonstrated on the cross country course.

“The second year that I had him, he moved up to Advanced and he just ate up the tracks very easily,” Michael notes. Crocky’s endurance was first truly put to the test around the hilly cross country at Blair Castle in the 4*-L; he finished on his dressage, in seventh place. The following season he took on the notoriously taxing Bramham track and was half a minute inside the optimum time. Crocky had begun to reveal the true 5* campaigner he would become, but it was a fine balance to keep him sound for the job he so obviously loved.

“He’s been particularly difficult — you wouldn’t overtrain him because he would have probably just broken. So it was about managing his one-day events, not running him too fast, just saving him for the big three-days,” Michael explains. And it’s not just his competition diary that needs careful planning and forethought; his work at home is the foundation of Crocky’s management, and has been approached by Michael in much the same way as his tack choices and entries: horse first. “He doesn’t spend too much time in the arena: he goes hacking, he goes ‘round fields, he goes to the gallops, and he goes in the school once a week — just to vary his work; and on different ground: grass, and arenas, and on the roads. That seems to condition his legs well enough to keep him sound for the three-day events.”

The variety in Crocky’s work extends beyond exercise routine and footing; Michael believes that the gelding enjoys having a range of riders, schooling him just twice a week himself whilst his staff take on the hacking and trips to the gallops, again showing the deliberate approach he’s taken to the horse’s experience of working life. “He’s never actually fed up of me; it’s kept him fresh,” he says.

Michael Owen and Bradeley Law. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A Personal Best and A Blessing in Disguise

Like all great event horses, “when he gets to a show, he knows it’s party time.” Burghley was to be his last 5*, and although the team set off with no expectations as Crocky had nothing more to prove — just gratitude for and pride in the horse — he delivered the best dressage test of his career, leaving Michael “thrilled” and earning Crocky a big kiss on the neck as the pair left the Main Arena for the final time.

But the following day, Michael didn’t get the feel from Crocky that he was so used to: “The day of cross country, it was just one of those things where it was a warm day, and I’d warmed him up and there was just something — I couldn’t put my finger on it, but he just didn’t feel his old self. Warming up, he jumped everything fine, but he just felt a bit flat — just not him — that X-factor that he gives me, that feeling wasn’t really there. Even walking round the start box, he was so relaxed, he was almost too relaxed, and I was thinking, I hope you wake up. He did wake up as he came out of the box and he jumped well. Then we came off the Leaf Pit and I went on a bit of a long one to that brush like a lot of people did, and he just had to overstretch. I think the old Crocky would have stretched forward and locked on and jumped it; a couple of years ago, he would have got onto that distance. We’re so ‘as one’ normally, and it was just a split second delay to go for it.”

That momentary lapse was enough to cause a glance off at the angled brush coming out, which Michael believes was probably “a blessing in disguise”.

“Things happen for a reason. I’m just so proud of him and what he’s done over the years. That’s the top of the sport — it doesn’t always go to plan — and he can hold his head up high. I’m just glad he went there and got the accolade of retiring and people seeing him for the last time. You can’t always have the fairytale ending, can you?”

And anyway, Crocky thinks he won Burghley, I couldn’t help interjecting. “Exactly!” Michael laughs. “He’s had a lovely time, he’s told all his friends when he’s come home”.

The Party Continues

And now that Crocky’s 5* adventures have come to an end, how will his retirement play out? For a horse who’s so in love with galloping around top-level tracks, it’s another case of prudent and mindful management on Michael’s part.

“He’s not one who can be just turned out and left. He’s going to have a little eight week break, and then he’ll come in and do his normal road work and conditioning work.”

Crocky may be nineteen, but his love of competition hasn’t waned, and Michael’s clear in his attitude to keeping the old guy happy and healthy: “I think it’s ‘use it or lose it’; I think he’d only seize up and go downhill quick if he was just left. It’s like, as humans get older, they still need to stay mobile and active in their mind to stay youthful.” To this effect, Michael’s wife, Ashleigh, plans to do some low-level competing with Crocky, and they see no reason why he won’t be “popping ‘round some small events in his twenties.”

“He’s such a good looking horse. You just can’t put your finger on what it actually is, but he’s just got something special about him.” Photo courtesy of Michael Owen.

Michael’s got a decade’s worth of memories of his partnership with Crocky, and it’s the feel he’s given him and all the 5* clears the horse has achieved that he’ll treasure most. He acknowledges, “It’s so difficult to jump round five-stars numerous times clear — even good, good horses and riders can have a blip. You never forget jumping your Vicarage Vees and your Cottesmore Leaps, and for him to do it so easily and regularly, he’s a very, very special horse. I’ll never, ever forget any of that, ever. Over the last ten years, I’ve had an absolute blast with him”.

While Crocky’s out partying at competitions with Ashleigh, Michael has some exciting prospects in the pipeline, with four horses he’s produced from scratch stepping up to Advanced. He hopes to be back on the 5* circuit next season with Treworder, a “very flashy, and very, very good on the flat, good galloping and jumping horse,” and feels his string is the strongest it’s ever been.

Of course, that’s — at least in part — thanks to Crocky, taking center stage in the field, waxing lyrical to the next generation about all those times he’s delivered at the top of his sport, and that one time he jumped round Badminton all by himself.

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Sep 9, 2023 12:01 am -

Yesterday morning I started my day off at the barn, did some chores, and then rode my horse who has been rehabbing from an annular ligament tear that happened in February of this year. She’s far along enough now in her rehab that we’re doing some trot work and yesterday morning she simply felt fantastic and we had a great ride. That post-great-ride-feeling fueled me for the rest of my day long after I sat down at my desk to slog away at my non-horsey day job. I may not have run Burghley last week, but even small achievements can feel like really big wins sometimes.

U.S. Weekend Action

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [YEH Ride Times] [Mini Event Ride Times]

CDCTA Fall H.T. (Berryville, VA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Ride Times] [Scores]

Five Points H.T. (Raeford, NC) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Flora Lea Fall H.T. (Medford, NJ) [Website] [Entries][Ride Times]

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Weekend:

Amateur Showcase: AEC Winner Kelly Beaver Has The Dream Home Team Behind Her

Tim Price rues costly show jumping at Defender Burghley Horse Trials

From The Brink Of Death, Former Neglect Case Shines En Route To Thoroughbred Makeover

Forged Cancer Treatment Documents Cast Doubt On Lamaze’s Health Status

Webinar to explore communication with horses

Sponsor Corner: From reining to Prix St. George at the World Equestrian Center – Rachel Ory and her determined quarter horse, Veronica, are proving that good horsemanship isn’t discipline specific. Check out what Rachel learned from eventers Sharon White and Bettina Hoy. Sponsored by World Equestrian Brands.

Rachel Ory and Veronica with Bettina Hoy, Sharon White and Tom Pierson at Mardanza Farms. Photo Credit: Kelly Mastine

Morning Viewing: Meet Katie Reilly the youngest competitors at the FEI Para Dressage European Championship 2023!

Friday Video: USC Aiken’s Eventing Team Makes the Mainstream

By on Sep 8, 2023 5:57 pm -

Over here in the world of niche equestrian media, we’re always looking for ways to bust out and infiltrate the mainstream — whether it’s with stories of derring-do at the top levels or inspirational moments achieved by horsey folks that can connect with even the, well, unhorsiest of folks. And so we’re delighted to see the ladies of the USC Aiken Eventing Team giving our sport a big tick in that box, when they made the news with their historic win at the Intercollegiate Championships. Catch up with the riders in this segment and found out how they did it.

Alexa Thompson’s Commitment to Learning Has Brought Her to France: Allez, Allez, Allez!

By on Sep 8, 2023 2:00 pm -

Alexa with Maxime at a recent jumping competition.

It’s a question almost all young horse professionals come to face as they make the jump from the young rider ranks to the professional world: how to improve their own riding while also running a business.

Alexa Thompson, an Advanced event rider who I met back in our Pony Club days, recently took a leap to focus on herself, and she’s still managing to keep her business running as well. She moved from her farm in Lexington, Kentucky all the way to Dénezé-sous-Doué (near Saumur), France to base with French team rider and five-star winner Maxime Livio. She brought three horses with her: her three-star horse called Just to be Clear, and two homebreds named Parlez Clear and Clear Candidate.

It hadn’t been on Alexa’s radar to go to France, but when Maxime came over to America to compete at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in April of this year, Alexa hosted him for a clinic at her farm and really enjoyed his help.

Alexa explains that she has always had a ton of responsibility at home, which has made it hard to focus on herself. Thus, she has always thought that leaving and going abroad would be beneficial because she could separate herself from her business, and really hone in on her own skills and riding. After jokingly making a comment to Maxime about whether he took people to come train with him, she then asked more seriously about it after Kentucky (where Maxime finished 6th). He got back to her with a yes, and then it was up to Alexa to figure out how to hatch a plan to actually make it all work.

The yard at home in France.

The Big Move

“Well, I don’t speak French!” Alexa admits in addressing the challenges of the trip — but that didn’t stop her from making the move. Alexa sold her grey 3* horse, Curraghgraigue Clear Future, in the spring to help fund the trip. She had developed that horse from the beginning of his career, but ultimately decided to sell him.

“It was like giving myself a grant to go overseas,” Alexa explains, noting that she also tragically lost one of her young horses in January, which made her rethink where she wanted to invest her time and money. After putting together all of the numbers in a spreadsheet, thinking about the ideal amount of time for her horses and herself to spend in French bootcamp, Alexa headed over to France for a four-month stint to do one thing: get better at the sport.

“I’ve been good, but I’ve felt very average,” Alexa admits. She was competitive as a young rider, but has felt that she was hitting a ceiling when attempting to develop proper FEI horses. She knows that she can take a young horse from scratch up to the mid-levels of eventing quite successfully. What she wanted was the education, and the system, to get her seven to nine   year old horses up to the top of the sport.

Alexa and her horses arrived in France at the end of July, and so far, it’s been all she hoped for. She cannot speak highly enough of the program.

“There’s no one else that I’ve ridden with that has made my horses better every ride—especially because I have three very different horses!” Alexa describes the team as genuinely caring about each person in the program.

The Training System

“The system matches the theory, and the results match as well,” says Alexa of Maxime’s training style. Even in her first lessons with Maxime, she felt her horses really improve.

“The flatwork theory translates directly to the jumping,” she explains, describing the way her horses are jumping as “mind-blowingly different.”

If you look closely, you can see that the diagrams in this chalkboard next to Maxime’s arena depict school figures and the shape of a horse’s body.

So, what is this system? I was curious to know more about it. Alexa relayed that these riders have a deep understanding of the biomechanics of the horses. They are always riding from back to front, they are tactful about applying pressure to the horses, and they are adamant about truly finding correct bend through the whole body and finding straightness. In her experience, Alexa found that “in America we’re so stuck on the picture and the end result, and the frame, so we tend to not ride the horses through enough.” The French are known for their forward cross-country riding, and Alexa explained that the jumping philosophy is all about the canter and the turn, and maintaining connection and impulsion.

The training philosophy extends outside the arena too. Alexa described some people’s trot sets as “just mindless trotting,” whereas the trot sets that she has learned to do in France are much more thoughtful about working and training the horses. She described the focus on balance as they trot up and down giant hills in two-point, and the connection between flatwork in the ring and all work outside of the ring.

Maxime has a facility split across a road, with his students’ horses on one side of the road and his own horses on the other side. Alongside having individual students to teach, Maxime is also the coach for the Thai eventing team. He has several other professionals at the facility who back him up—for example, his partner, Mathilde Montginoux, is a Grand Prix show jumping rider, and there are several other coaches and riders who compete at the 4* level. This kind of atmosphere brings everyone to a higher level and breed collaboration in training.

Maxime’s system is also “exceptionally well-organized,” Alexa says. Each night, all riders and staff get an Excel document for the next day listing which horses are doing what and with which coach. Every “t” is crossed and every “i” dotted. Alexa’s description of the command of detail that Maxime has over his horses and the whole program reminded me of an interview I watched with McLain Ward once in which he described his ability to win as being directly related to his superior way of staying extremely organized.

Alexa’s education is not just riding lessons. She notes that getting to watch Maxime produce his own horses is hugely educational. For example, watching how he is bringing along a horse aimed at the Paris Olympics next year. The other benefit of being based in France is that riders can travel to different places in Europe to compete.

“Different countries have different styles of events, so we can really tailor our schedule of events to the horses,” Alexa explains. Alexa recently competed in her first event abroad, and she jumped clear in both XC and SJ at Arville 3*S with Just To Be Clear. She also competed her younger horses at a subsequent event: her eight year olds finished 4th (25.5) and 7th (28.3) out of 84 in the 2*L at Salieu last weekend. Needless to say, it seems that the training process is already translating into excellent results.

The Future

At a recent dressage show, Alexa describes coming out of the ring after a test that did not go entirely to plan. She walked over to her coaches: Maxime was talking to the Ecurie Livio dressage coach, Serge Balbin, in French. Alexa said “you aren’t allowed to talk about me in French!” Maxime explained: “okay, we were just saying that we had our work cut out for us with you!” They laughed. That’s why Alexa is there: to focus on herself and her horses and to get better.

Alexa’s plan is to compete at Strzegom in October at the 3* and  4* level. Her longtime groom and manager, Hannah Warner, will fly over to France for that event.  Montelibretti and Le Pouget are part of the plan for November. After that, Alexa plans to fly back home with her horses at the end of November.

Alexa admits that she has struggled with feeling guilty for leaving her clients, but she is still managing it from afar, including doing Pivo lessons. Of course, Hannah is on the ground at home keeping everything running smoothly as well. Hannah knows the barn inside and out and has been working for Alexa for four years.

The most exciting part is that Maxime will come back to do clinics and also teach Alexa remotely once she is back in the States. Alexa underscores just how grateful she is for the support she has, and for the wonderful opportunity this is. Allez, allez, allez, Alexa — we are so excited to see what your career has in store for you.

Cornbury Horse Trials Launches £50,000 Ex-Racehorse Series

By on Sep 8, 2023 12:44 pm -

Piggy March and the ex-racehorse Our Old Fella. Photo courtesy of Cornbury Horse Trials.

Just a few days after the announcement of the Howden Way’s new Thoroughbred Aftercare Programme, which will provide support and education to owners and riders of off-the-track Thoroughbreds, Jayne McGivern and Cornbury House Horse Trials today announce an exciting new class for ex-racehorses that will be run at Cornbury House Horse Trials in 2025, worth a phenomenal £50,000.

The introduction of this new ex-racehorse class is the initiative of Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud and owner of top event horses, with the support of David Howden, Group CEO and Founder of Howden and Founder and President of the Cornbury House Horse Trials.

The initiative has been in McGivern’s thoughts for a long time, wanting to make training ex-racehorses financially viable for riders. Her aim is to also raise the profile of the adaptable nature of thoroughbreds, especially in terms of their suitability for eventing.

McGivern is generously donating £50,000 in prize money, making it one of the largest prize funds within the eventing calendar, and the class will be run alongside the other classes at Cornbury House Horse Trials.

The class will showcase thoroughbreds and their abilities, aiming to encourage riders to take on and retrain ex-racehorses and incentivise riders to work towards the 2025 class. It will also provide an additional opportunity for ex-racehorses, building on the existing resource and guidance provided by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR).

Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud said: “I am thrilled to be able to launch a new ex-racehorse class that will run in 2025, and thank David Howden for his support in allowing my idea to come to fruition. Racing and Eventing are both my passions and through this class we will be able to showcase the talent that thoroughbreds have in their second careers.”

The class will begin at CCI2*/Novice level, with further details around the class to be announced in due course.

 

Loch Moy Farm to Host Bred to Event Classic, September 28-October 1

By on Sep 8, 2023 9:15 am -

Loch Moy Farm shows off its photogenic nature. Photo by Alison Green for Erin Gilmore Photography.

With a dedicated effort to bolster breeding programs in the U.S., Loch Moy Farm has established itself as a hotspot for a glimpse at future event horses as they learn their craft. The latest addition to the Loch Moy Farm calendar is the Bred to Event Classic, to be held September 28 – October 1 in collaboration with the Maryland International Equestrian Foundation.

The Bred to Event Classic is a standalone competition dedicated to the breeding of event-bred horses, providing an opportunity for breeders and owners alike to showcase their decision-making and horsemanship with the young horses they show.

“With the news that the Future Event Horse program is no longer facilitated by USEA, Bred to Event Classic will further support the dedicated breeders and competitors that Loch Moy Farm has hosted at East Coast Future Event Horse Championships for 10 years,” the event press release describes.

The Bred to Event Classic will feature qualifiers and championships for horses aged one through five. A panel of judges that includes Robin Walker, Chris Ryan, Cathy Tucker-Slaterbeck, and Ian Stark will assess the horses’ suitability for eventing.

Special awards will be presented to Maryland-bred horses, Thoroughbreds, and U.S.-bred horses, with prize money distributed between breeders, owners, and riders.
There will be special awards for Maryland Bred horses, TB horses, US bred horses, and prize money will be split between Breeders/Owners, and Riders. As an additional incentive that also bolsters the venue itself, winners of the yearling through 3-year-old competition will be invited back with a free entry to the 2024 Bred to Event Classic. Winning horses of the 4- and 5-year-old competition will be given an annual entry for three years into the Maryland Horse Trials recognized events.

You can view much more, including guidelines for entering, rules, and other important information, on the Bred to Event Classic website here.

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Sep 8, 2023 12:03 am -

Between the ears in Colorado. Photo by Amanda Wilder.

Ok, for real, everybody stop what you’re doing right now and do a rain dance for Virginia. All year we had such nice weather, with regular rain to keep everything super lush. I was even complaining about mowing the grass too frequently! Well, that’ll teach me, because in just one month of no rain, everything has turned into crispy, sad, brown stuff, and there is so much dust in the air I think I’m turning into dust every day. Please, please, please, whatever power above that may or may not exist, or just like, clouds and winds, PLEASE bring rain to Virginia. I’m literally begging you, and all my horses will also be appreciative.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [YEH Ride Times] [Mini Event Ride Times]

CDCTA Fall H.T. (Berryville, VA) [Website] [Volunteer]

Five Points H.T. (Raeford, NC) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Flora Lea Fall H.T. (Medford, NJ) [Website] [Entries][Ride Times]

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

In a twist I don’t think anybody ever saw coming, former top Canadian show jumper Eric Lamaze has been proven in an Ontario court to have lied about a brain tumor for many years. Former Canadian top rider Eric Lamaze has been exposed in an Ontario court as a fraudster who falsified medical documents to lead the world, and judges, into believing that he had a brain tumor that needed to be treated through surgery and chemotherapy. During a lawsuit involving the sale of three horses, it became clear that the documents presented by Lamaze that he listed as supporting evidence were all forged (and there is not a single evidence so far that there is any truth) for the very serious brain tumor that Lamaze has claimed to have for years. If that’s not enough, he’s currently being sued by several former clients for incredibly messy horse sales deals gone wrong. [Eric Lamaze Fakes a Brain Tumor]

Ever wondered about donating a horse for continued education at college? College equestrian programs provide students with opportunities to compete in equestrian events as their primary sport and can also introduce newcomers to the horse world with the opportunity to hone their skills. Most college programs thrive on donated horses — they may not have the budget to purchase animals. If you may be considering donating your horse to a college equestrian program, here are some things to consider. [Donating Your Horse to a College Program]

Dressage judging is always a tricky job, but one researcher is saying there are ways to make it more reliable. Inga Wolframm has identified inadvertent potential biases in the scoring of high-level dressage judges which she says create a cascade effect benefiting a specific group of riders. She says a clear evidence-based set of judging guidelines should be developed for the discipline to assist judges in providing objective, transparent scores. This, she said, would prevent judges from having to resort to cognitive shortcuts. That way, the complexity of judging is reduced, making scores more objective, transparent and fair. [Improve Dressage Judging and Remove Bias]

If anybody knows how to stay cool under pressure, it’s Carl Hester’s groom and Alan Davies’ replacement, Lucy Scudamore. The well-beloved Alan Davies stepped back from the position of head traveling groom at the beginning of 2023, and Lucy has stepped up to plate. Grooming for the best riders in the world is no mean feat, but Lucy, 26, has learnt from the best in Alan, and was thrown in the deep end when she travelled to her first championship, which was none other than the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where “everything was magnified”. [Grooming for the Stars]

“A Pain in the Arse 362 Days of the Year”: Looking Back on Vanir Kamira’s Career on Her Retirement

By on Sep 7, 2023 2:18 pm -

Goodbye, Tillybean! Photo by Libby Law.

One of the most poignant moments of last week’s proceedings at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials didn’t come about as part of the competition — rather, it was one of the bookends of Sunday’s finale.

Though Piggy March‘s two-time five-star winner Vanir Kamira had ostensibly retired from top-level competition at the start of the season, she’s continued to run for fun here and there, including nabbing a second-place finish in the CCI4*-S at Burnham Market this spring. But over the weekend, the eighteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Camiro de Haar Z x Fair Caledonian, by Dixi) officially bowed out of an extraordinary career.

“A special moment today with Vanir Kamira retiring from competition at her favourite event – Burghley,” Piggy writes of ‘Tilly’ on her social media channels. “She felt like she really enjoyed herself and was so relaxed in all the atmosphere, which was fantastic. She has been such a superstar for me and I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved together. I really wanted her to finish whilst she was still at the top of her game and delighted she retires sound, fit and well and still loving her job. Thank you everyone for your appreciation and thank you Tilly for all the amazing days you has given us all. One in a million.”

‘Tilly’ has given us all so many happy memories over the years – join us as we look back on some of our highlights.

BADMINTON 2019

Piggy March and Vanir Kamira win Badminton in 2019. Photo by Nico Morgan.

By the time Piggy and Tilly headed to Badminton in 2019, they already had a glittering resume together: they’d come together at the start of the 2017 season, after the mare had spent time under the saddles of both Izzy Taylor and Paul Tapner, and although the mare had had a reasonably unremarkable record at five-star before their union, they finished second at Badminton that year. In 2018, they racked up top ten finishes in CCI4*-S classes at Belton and Hartpury, and put a tumble at Badminton behind them with a fifth-place finish at Burghley.

And then there was Badminton. They began their week in fourth place on a very good score of 26, and then moved up to second place after cross-country with just 0.8 time penalties — but by the time they faced showjumping, their weakest phase, they were a seemingly insurmountable 5.3 penalties behind two-phase leaders Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class.

When Piggy and Tilly jumped a classy clear round, Piggy galloped around the arena as though she’d won the whole thing, such was her joy in the mare’s achievement — and moments later, when Oliver dropped a mid-course rail, and then had to adjust in the middle of a combination to combat a half-stride, ultimately adding four seconds on the clock, she really had.

“It’s these little horses that make it for us,” said Piggy, whose win with Trevor Dickens’s mare came by just 0.3 penalties — less than a time penalty. “She’s a pain in the arse 362 days a year, and she’s really tricky to manage. She’s not the nicest of things to ride, you know, and she’s difficult, but she’s amazing – I say it all so fondly, because we all love her to bits. She’s a true five-star horse that comes to form at Badminton and Burghley. The rest of the time, she feels pretty ordinary, and you have to work pretty hard for what you can get. She doesn’t find any of it easy, and if I’d built that course at home and practiced it on the same side of the arena, I could do it fifty times and never have a clear round. There’s something about her, and those great little mares that just do enough when they need to. If they’re on your side, they’re just incredible.”

Piggy March and Vanir Kamira jump the biggest fence on Badminton’s track in 2019. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

And of the win?

“It’s a complete fairytale, if I’m honest,” she smiled. “It’s such a team effort, and I know everyone says it so much, but nobody has a bloody clue what you go through to get to the level, to be competitive at this level, and actually get your nose in front of the line first. It’s impossible, and you kind of get used to saying ‘well done’ to everyone else, and going home and thinking ‘oh, I had a rail; I could have been here, I could have been there.’ You go home and you work away, and you dream again, but you get way more knock-backs. It’s so hard, and it’s just having those people here when it all comes together means so much. It’s such a team effort.”

BICTON 2021

Piggy March and Vanir Kamira execute the fastest clear round of the day to move into the lead. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Vanir Kamira was one of those unlucky horses who entered her peak just as the pandemic hit — and that loss of competitions was even more disruptive to these true five-star galloping horses, who are never at their best at short-format internationals. We missed out on seeing her through all of 2020 and most of 2021, but when Bicton announced that it would hold a pop-up Burghley replacement in the late summer of that year, we were treated to seeing her do her thing on the world stage again.

Though she didn’t ultimately win — a couple of rails on the final day dropped her to third and saw Gemma Stevens take the win with Chilli Knight — she was our cross-country leader after making light work of a seriously terrain heavy Captain Mark Phillips course. Their round was the fastest of the day, and saw them cross the finish line nine seconds inside the optimum time.

“For these wonderful old horses, to miss two full seasons of their careers, and from being fourteen and running well at Badminton and Burghley… they’re not tennis rackets or footballs; you can’t put them in the cupboard and do nothing,” said Piggy. “’Tillybean’ doesn’t run very much; she doesn’t really do one-day events, so I came here just hoping her experience from previous years was going to carry us through. I knew how to get her fit, but still, in the back of your mind you think, ‘I hope she remembers!’ And, ‘I hope I remember how to ride!’”

She needn’t have worried. From the start of the course until the very end, Piggy and Tilly gave a masterclass in accuracy, confidence — and old-school event horse fitness. This had always been the mare’s best quality; she’s learned to put together a mid-20s dressage test through correct, sympathetic training, and her showjumping was always be just a tiny bit scrappy, but get her out on a mountainous eleven-minute track and she was wholly and completely in her element.

“She was like, ‘come on, mother!’ She puts her snout on the floor and truffle snuffles the whole way around like ‘come on, let’s go!’ – we don’t give anything much height, but we’re flying along,” said Piggy. “She looks for the flags and the moment I try to slow her up a bit or think ‘let’s give this a bit more time’, she’s like, ‘nope, we’re going!’ But the confidence you can have in a horse like that who knows her job, and wants to do it — she’s a gritty, hardy little mare.”

“I’ve joked before, saying she’s a pain in the arse 362 days a year, but those few days when you’ve got a big competition and really need something with guts and heart is when she just comes into her own. I’m so very proud of her and so very proud of Trevor Dickens, as well. He’s owned her all her career, and what a fabulous horse to have had. These are the moments: she’s been a Burghley horse, she’s been second there twice and fifth once, and it’s been so sad for her not to have had one event that was hers to have a go at [since 2019]. She’s made for hills, for terrain, for grit and heart, and she did it, exactly as she always does it, today.”

BADMINTON 2022

Piggy March finds another level of depth to Vanir Kamira’s extraordinary well of try in her return to Badminton. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Last year, we finally got Badminton back — and for Piggy and Tilly, it was a chance to try to defend the title they’d held for three years.

It was to be Laura Collett and London 52’s week, but it was an exceptional fourth-place finish for Piggy and Tilly, who had added just 0.4 time penalties across the country.

“It’s probably the best she’s ever jumped, even though there was a pole,” Piggy said. “I’m just over the moon; I felt like I left quite a lot out there yesterday. I was down on the clock for three minutes and I felt like I rode very hard for the majority of the course, and she left her heart out there — she gave everything. So I was just a little bit worried today, and I don’t want to expect things of her, because of what she’s done for me and her age.”

Though many riders might have been disheartened by feeling their horse flop over a small warm-up fence, which Vanir Kamira did while preparing for that showjumping round, the stumbling effort actually proved a great sharpener ahead of their performance in the ring.

“It was the best thing that she did,” said Piggy, “but then she went in there and [jumped like that]. That’s sort of been her character — just when you think there’s absolutely no way, she just has something in her that tells me to do one straightaway, and says ‘I’m here, mum, I’m here with you.’ It’s just brilliant, and it’s just so nice to come away from the week with such a special buzz.”

BURGHLEY 2022

“I can’t quite believe it”: Piggy March adds Burghley champion to her resume with Vanir Kamira. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

And then, after a win in the CCI4*-S at Hartpury as prep, what a last hurrah: at the tail end of last year, Piggy and Tilly did the double, and won Burghley. They began their week on an exceptional 22.6; then, after coming home just one second over the time, they stepped up to the lead on cross-country day. By the time they jumped, they’d been afforded two rails in hand — and they used one of them at the first part of the double at fence 4. A few more would bounce, but no further fell, and the Burghley title was theirs.

“I can’t quite believe it, really, but I’m just so relieved,” she said.”I felt like I put more pressure on myself today than I normally do; I’m usually pretty… well, relaxed might be a strong word, but I definitely understand that what will be will be. Today, though, I just felt so much that this little horse deserves it as much as any horse here does. I just didn’t want to let her down. You’ve just got to go and do your thing, but I was just so desperate for her name to be up there on the plaques at Winners’ Avenue. She’s been a Burghley horse through and through — she’s been second twice, fifth, and has now won, and she’s got a total of 4.8 time penalties across all of those runs. It’s the toughest cross-country course in the world to make the time, and she’s a very special horse for that reason.”

How did that measure up to her previous successes?

“It’s really what dreams are made of, and without a doubt, this’ll be one of the best days, if not the best day, along with Badminton for me,” said Piggy. “I’m just so proud; it’s a massive, massive achievement, and even out there taking the trophy pictures with the cars, I can look back on all the pictures of Oliver, of Pippa, of William, and everyone you see in the magazines. You think, ‘oh, that just looks amazing — will it ever be me?’ You believe it in your training, and you believe it going, but it can easily not be. We all know that, and it’s the same in every sport — but you just keep trying and keep believing and you just hope that someday, someone’s looking down and it’s your day. We all know that as sports people and horsepeople; you have your moments every now and then, and someone was looking down today to say it was the moment for me.”

Thank you, Tilly, for all you’ve given our sport: for showing the world that guts and heart are more important than anything else; for being something so extraordinary in such an outwardly ordinary package. This is what eventing is all about — and as horses go, this one has been emblematic.