The author and two of her heart horses on her journey to the eventing world. Photos courtesy of Mary Shelley-Snell.
I’ve spent much of my life as a ‘horse girl’ jumping in two-feet-first as a working student in hunter / jumper land. I was the kid with hay in my hair, probably soaked from bathing someone’s horse and yeah, that might be manure under my fingernails. Despite my love for horses, several years ago I started to feel disenchanted with the industry. It wasn’t until I began following a few three-day event riders on Instagram that I realized it might be time to try out a different sport within the horse world to reignite my passion for riding.
Although I had never felt brave (or maybe wild!) enough for eventing, the urge to give it a try took hold. After studying the sport further, I realized that eventing isn’t just about bravery; it’s about becoming a more well-rounded horse person within a vibrant and supportive community.
So here I am, having spent a year taking dressage lessons and now daydreaming of my first event. There’s so much to learn, and knowing where to start can be overwhelming. We’re lucky to have so much information at the tips of our fingers! Here are a few of the resources I have found helpful:
Now that I’m preparing for my first event, I’ve started searching for clinics, schooling shows, and opportunities to gain off-the-farm experience. My go-to for finding riding opportunities is Blue Horse Entries. It can be a hassle to sign up for shows and clinics – especially when you are new to the sport.
Blue Horse Entries makes it easy to search by location, discipline, and other filters to find affordable, local options that fit your goals. The platform walks you through the entry process online to ensure all your information and payments are correct. Once you’ve added horse and rider information to your account, it autofills the entry information and displays notifications for expired documents, saving time and providing peace of mind.
One of my favorite aspects of Blue Horse Entries is the ability to save clinics and shows I’m interested in. I’ve started adding upcoming clinics and competitions to my profile so I won’t miss a deadline — I’m already planning a trip to Kentucky for a schooling show thanks to Blue Horse (shh, don’t tell my husband)!
Our journeys as equestrians are rarely linear, so whether you are new to the sport, or looking to reignite your love for riding, I hope you’ll find these tools helpful and encouraging. And if you see this ex-hunter princess in the warm-up ring, come say hi. Maybe you can help me learn what a stock tie is and how to meet optimum time for cross-country without falling off!
CCI3*L leaders Caroline Powell and Legally Grey. Photo courtesy of Athalens.
Ros Canter’s fabulous run of form continues; she has three horses in the CCI4*S and at the close of the dressage phase lies in first, second and fifth. Her final ride, Izilot DHI, has a commanding lead after scoring 24.8, while Rehy Royal Diamond sits on 29.3 and MHS Seventeen 30.3.
“Izilot DHI is possibly the most talented horse I have ever sat on, but also the quirkiest. He’s taught me a huge amount, with some fabulous results but also a few little blips. He’s hugely exciting to ride and a pleasure when he is in the mood he is in today. It’s always a case of keeping his mind in the right place and keeping him happy and onside,” Ros explained.
Storm Straker on Fever Pitch and Aaron Millar riding Count Onyx have prevented a clean sweep by Ros.
New Zealand’s Caroline Powell has deposed the overnight leader, George Bartlett, in the CCI3*L. George and Conpierre now lie in second but Caroline’s ride, Legally Grey, has almost a four penalty advantage, sitting on a score of 24.3.
“The horse was bought for Fiona Lambert for her birthday, and when presented with his passport someone said, ‘oh, it’s a bay filly’ – that’s where the name came from, he’s a grey gelding! I was very pleased with him today. I’ve been away and everyone has worked hard to get the horses ready to come up here. They’ve done a great job.”
Wills Oakden’s Keep It Cooley was the only other horse to post a sub-30 mark, completing the current top three.
In the CCI2*L, Emma Carmichael has dropped to third place with Rio Hall’s Georgie Girl topping the table on 24.6. Originally produced by Emily King, Rio bought the mare ahead of the 2020 season and the pair has posted some good results, including winning a CCI2*S at Kelsall Hill last year.
“I’m so, so chuffed. That was by far the best test she has ever done, she was with me the whole way,” said Rio, who is based with Sam Ecroyd whose mother bred the mare for Sam, but she didn’t grow enough. “She’s very sensitive but with the heart of a lion – although she does like things her way. We love coming to Blair, it’s the most stunning venue – and all to play for tomorrow!”
Amelia England and Eluna are currently in the runner up spot, on the same overall score as Emma Carmichael. Eluna has Blair experience, completing the CCI2*L here two years ago with Arianne Finlay in the saddle. Amelia took over the ride last year, winning Blair’s CCI1*.
The two CCI1* sections are headed by Robyn Gray on Jazz Time and Annabel Walsh with DHI Funnyman. Robyn was offered the ride on Jazz Time, a homebred of owner Margaret Francis, at the beginning of the season, and describes her as, “so much fun!”
Ireland’s Kitty Cullen and Coppenagh Spring Sparrow lead the Pony CCI2*S class, with Chloe Chan and Blennerville Rua hard on her heels as each class heads into its jumping phases today.
Travels with horses can often be exciting and take us to some awe-inspiring destinations, but all too often the process getting to the fantastic destination is less than scenic. I think we’ve all pulled into one too many highway rest stops with questionable-looking grass (if any at all), an out of order restroom, and a vending machine with expired Cheetos for our own likings.
English-based Italian rider Vittoria Panizzon was thoughtful and lucky enough to avoid at least one derelict rest stop on her way to the FEI Nations Cup at Arville, Belgium last week. When looking for a spot to let DHI Jackpot out of the trailer to stretch his legs, she discovered Dover Beach right by the customs office on her route. Now that’s not too shabby of a pit stop at all!
Burghley starts NEXT WEEK! Keep it locked onto EN – we have some awesome content headed your way.
Eventing is dishing up an equally exciting week in the US, with the American Eventing Championships happening in Lexington, Kentucky. EN is beavering away on both sides of the Pond to bring you all you need to know from the AEC too – so go nowhere, and go eventing!
Sponsor Corner: 50% off Vespucci Legacy bridles is still going on at World Equestrian Brands! If you’ve been waiting for the best prices before buying a new bridle, now’s your chance!
Morning Viewing: Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit have been putting in that Burghley prep work while they base with Team Price at Chedington Estate prior to next week’s big event.
A view down the Grand Canal from the front of the Chateau de Versailles. The arena will be situated at the very back end of the estate, abutting the end of the Canal. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s a bright, sunny day at Versailles, the palatial former seat of Louis XIV, France’s Sun King – so sunny, that at 9 a.m., the heat is beating its way through the thick avenues of historic oak and chestnut trees and the gilding, visible in the distance adorning so much of the chateau and its countless fountains, is shining bright enough that you could probably use it to signal passing planes over Paris.
It’s an extraordinary spot to find yourself on any given day. As the largest and most opulent of Paris’s royal residences (a memento of a monarchy that ended, mostly, in guillotines, though whether they’ll work that bit of history into a jump at next year’s Olympics remains very much to be seen), the Chateau de Versailles isn’t just one of the most beautiful, capacious estates in the world, it’s also among the most popular. With 15,000,000 estimated annual visitors, it’s a must-visit destination — and for horse folks, its status has been raised indelibly over the course of the current Olympic cycle.
Though a number of impressive venues, including Chantilly and Fontainebleau, were put forward as potential hosts for the equestrian disciplines at next year’s Paris Olympics, due to begin July 26, 2024, Versailles was ultimately chosen as the most emblematic of a crucial juncture in the country’s rich cultural history. And that, of course, has always been as important to the Games as sport itself – even if, in the case of Versailles, it’s come at a cost of roughly €27,000,000.
But that not at all insignificant sum of money has done a few things. First of all, it’s allowed the Paris 2024 organising committee to plot out a truly horse-friendly Games — more details on this to follow, so keep reading — and, too, it’s ensured that the UNESCO World Heritage site, and its abundance of deeply historic and important flora, can be preserved, without limiting access to those tourists and locals who make such cherished use of the site all year ’round.
And on this sunny summer’s morning? We’re here ourselves, by invitation of the Paris 2024 organising committee and the FEI, to see firsthand exactly what work is being undertaken — and to get the first glimpses of horses in action in the park, too, as the operational test event gets underway.
Welcome to the ‘backstage’ area of Versailles’ cross-country course – and turf that is being protected from harm a year out from the Games themselves. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Our day begins, not at the chateau end of the estate, but over two kilometres across from it, at the ‘Grille Royale’, a quiet entryway at the far end of the enormously long Grand Canal. Down here, you’d never know you were in one of the busiest tourist attractions in the world; there’s a small, scarcely-used road leading in, a single, unmarked gate, and then just trees, greenery, and, in the distance, the view of Versailles that we all know so well.
But while all’s quiet on the western front right now, in twelve months’ time, this’ll be a hive of hustle and bustle. We’re standing on the site of the ‘back of house’ area, where athletes, grooms, horses, and support teams will conduct all their business except the competition itself. While it’s a greenfield site at the moment, there’s already an extensive amount of work that’s been done to ensure the major build, which will begin next month, goes smoothly.
Lorick Joseph, general manager of the site for Paris 2024, takes us on a visual tour of what’s to come – starting with a hotel for grooms and vets, being constructed alongside the airy stabling along a quiet avenue along the treeline. Here, too, he explains, is where the day-to-day working areas will be — the schooling arena, the lunging pens, and, further along and in a specially set and maintained stretch of terrain, a 600 to 800m gallop track. One priority for the site’s team, he explains, is proximity: even the lorries will be parked very close by, ensuring that all support staff have everything they need as close to hand as possible to allow the whole competition to run smoothly — and to allow the quick, easy, and safe transfer in and out of horses, who will vacate the premises at the close of each competition before the next discipline’s batch of competitors moves in, so as to minimise biosecurity risks.
Along another avenue, or allee, in this back of house area is another batch of working facilities, which will no doubt include drug testing areas, spaces for bodywork, and so on, but will also house lounges and hospitality areas for support staff and riders to make use of.
As we get closer to the site of the main arena, which is set to house 20,000 spectators, we come to the end of the primary back-of-house area and move into the media back-of-house. The arena will be flanked on three sides by seating, leaving the front end open to include the view down the Canal to the Chateau, and behind the middle of these grandstands are the media centres and broadcast hubs, where coverage of the Games will be produced without necessitating an hour-plus journey to the main Games media centre in Paris proper.
Here’s a composite image showing the full set-up as it’s planned:
The ‘back of house’ area, with the Grille Royale to the right hand side, the stabling and working areas on the ‘allee’ in the upper right-hand corner, and a view of the arena and main water jump at the tail end of the canal. Photo courtesy of Paris 2024.
And another, from an angle that shows how all this relates to the location of the Chateau itself.
A different angle of the ‘back of house’, showing the view down towards the canal. Photo courtesy of Paris 2024.
One of the things that you might find most striking about these images is how thickly bunched the trees on the estate are. With its protected status, you’d also be right in thinking that these trees absolutely cannot be removed or damaged in the process of putting on the Olympics. Similarly protected? The ground itself. Those two things tie into one another intrinsically; while any good course designer can mastermind the slalom-style passages and creative turning exercises needed to wend a course through areas of parkland and woodland, incorporating plenty of straightaways through established pathways, it’s often another thing entirely to ensure any consistency at all to the footing when doing so.
But Paris’s organising team has done their research here. They know that one of the major risk factors for equine injury while on a cross-country course is a change in going, and so one of the earliest tasks they undertook with course designer Pierre le Goupil was to plot out the route the 5.3km cross-country course would cover. Then, they installed metal gates and ropes to keep the public off these tracks, before undertaking an extensive stripping, draining, and reseeding job to ensure that the entirety of the course is covered with a denser-than-average, robust species of grass that’ll hold up to wear and tear and guarantee a greater degree of consistency.
Here’s a closer look at the planned route through the estate, which will allow 40,000 spectators to enjoy cross-country day on July 28, 2024:
The map of the cross-country track that’s been extensively prepped for 2024, with the chateau on the right-hand side and the back of house area on the left.
If you rewind to the 2012 Olympics in London, you might remember that the equestrian sports, similarly, were held on a piece of protected parkland – Greenwich Park, to be precise, with its Royal Observatory and residence and National Maritime Museum framing proceedings. To get around damaging the turf there, the organisers built the arena on a raised platform — but while that approach was considered for Versailles, the organisers here have ultimately gone with a different tactic. In late September, they’ll cut the top layer of turf — about 20cm deep — from the area upon which the arena and grandstands will be built, allowing for a temporary, stable foundation to be set into the space, and taking out of the equation any sloping ground. Then, the turf itself will be preserved and recorded, using GPS and extensive photographs to ensure it’s very clear which sections came from which areas, so that after the Games wraps, it can be relaid and restored.
It’s a major undertaking, and one that speaks to a real labour of love surrounding the preservation of the estate of Versailles and its 2,000 acres of space. It’s also one of the primary reasons a huge portion of the ‘big build’ will be undertaken this year, because there’s simply quite a lot to do. We can expect to see the grandstands actually grand and standing by March, a quarter of a year before the Games actually begin.
But that’s not all the organising committee has arranged with Versailles’ advocates. They’ve also done extensive archaeological mapping of the areas they propose to build on, because with an estate this old – its history as a royal residence and hunting lodge alone goes back to the 1600s — there’s always a significant chance of uncovering something of major interest. Doing so mid-build could damage the find, but also put a spanner into the works of what’s being built, and so in-depth prep work has been done to avoid any such issues.
They’ve also worked together to create an artificial mound on the course, which is otherwise pretty much entirely flat. We caught a glimpse of it from a distance – it’s certainly ripe with potential for no end of interesting questions to be posed by the man who created such a clever, tough track at this month’s European Championships.
The reinforced mound that’ll afford further possibilities for interesting questions on cross-country.
There are also several water jumps being built on the site, because using the canal itself as a water complex is out of the question — the depth can’t be managed safely, the footing isn’t designed for safe sport, and the potential both for damage and injury is too high. But one of these water jumps is particularly exciting: it sits at the open end of the main arena, right at the tail end of the canal, and will no doubt provide the images we think of as emblematic of Paris 2024 for decades to come. Here’s how that’s looking:
The ‘main’ water complex begins to take shape.
With all this useful information in mind, it’s time for the day to really begin. We’re used to seeing full test events held a year or so prior to the Olympics, ordinarily at a level below, which allow the facilities — often purpose-built just for the Games — to be put into action with enough time to action any changes needed. But this year, Paris has opted out, partly because of budgeting, but also, in part, because running a full event at Versailles a year out would be to intrusive to be doable. Instead, much of the operational logistics have been put to the test at Fontainebleau – but this week, a full delegation of global chefs d’equipe, Pierre le Goupil, the Paris organising committee, the FEI, and our small group of media representatives bore witness to the sole round of testing happening on the site itself.
Four riders — young riders Justine Bonnet, Camille Collet Vidal, and Sophie Souvestre and Republican Guard Fabrice Lucas — gathered on site with a simple task. They’d pick up a hand-gallop in a small warm-up area, cross the Canal via a pontoon, travel up along one of the fully-prepared areas of turf alongside the canal, pop two jumps, turn, and return to where they began via the pontoon. This was a simple test, and one that didn’t take long, but it was crucially important for a number of reasons.
Firstly, while not all the terrain and tracks of the course have reached their final preparation stages, the ground covered is, in effect, totally ready, and so running horses at speed along it allowed the organising team to check how the new grass responded to the trauma of hooves, and it gave them a chance to check the ‘give’ of the footing, too. It also let them test how they’ll go about affixing fences safely, without undue damage. And, finally — and arguably most importantly — it gave them a chance to really see if the pontoon situation was going to work.
Kai Steffen Meier, chef d’equipe for newly-qualified Belgium, watches on as the terrain test unfolds. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Much has been made of Paris’s pontoons in pre-Games press material, and in person, they’re impressive. They’ve been hired from a company that specialises in these kinds of river crossings, but even for them, it’s a new ask – the Paris committee is certain that at 63m, they are the longest temporary bridges ever used in equestrian sport. In testing this one, they weren’t just testing the stability of them (very, very important, and also, happily, very sound — Sam Griffiths observed that “you can’t even see the water ripple when a horse crosses over”), they were also testing the efficiency with which they could be installed and then dismantled. Plus, of course, the surface on top — what to use, how to lay it, how much should be installed. It’s all the fine details that add up to a happy end result.
Horses and riders cross the pontoon after finishing their test rides. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The result, on the day, certainly was a happy one. Two pontoon crossings will be used in the Games proper, allowing for access to more of the parkland (and a jolly nice view for riders as they cross, too). Interestingly, though, it wasn’t just the basic functionality of the pontoon itself that was put to the test; as we arrived at the Canal’s four-way junction, we spotted a number of emergency services in the water itself, looking, at first, as though they were dredging it.
What they were actually doing, though, was a repetition: they’ve been practicing how they’ll deal with the very unlikely situation of a horse falling in the canal, whether that’s by somehow getting over the high pontoon railing or slipping over the edge while cantering alongside it. It’s a multi-person operation that’ll involve swimming in to rescue the rider and reroute the horse to one of several sturdy temporary ramps that have been installed simply for this purpose — and though they hope that the time and money spent will never actually be needed, it’s reassuring to know they appear to have a plan for every eventuality.
Part of the operational test: repetitions of rescue routines.
Étienne Thobois, Director General of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, was delighted with the outcome of the day.
“It’s important for us to have this test session with the delegations who are here today to look at the quality of the course on a technical level, because it’s fundamental in the context of cross-country. We imagine 40,000 people in the park to cheer on the athletes will be an extraordinary moment.”
So, too, was Catherine Pégard, Versailles’s (democratic, these days) head honcho, who enthused that she was “amazed by what we saw this morning; we are amazed by what the horses will offer as a spectacle in this iconic setting of the Palace of Versailles. And then we are very proud of the teams of the Château de Versailles who have worked hard to make these Olympic Games in Versailles possible. We are very proud to see what was a dream come true for many and what I believe will be among the great memories, one of the great images of these Olympic Games.”
The view from the bridge: looking at the Chateau de Versailles from the middle of the pontoon. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Finally, Tim Hadaway, the FEI’s own Olympic Director, says, “I think the very fact that it’s got to be a temporary venue, everything that will be built here next year for the Games will, of course, have to be taken away afterwards. So it’s a massive logistical exercise of putting all of that in place, and crucially, to do that in a way that a) doesn’t impact the environment, this very special environment, in the long term, but also in a way that respects the everyday users of this park. And it’s a living, breathing park that enjoys hundreds, thousands, of visitors every day from around the world, to walk, to cycle, and to use the boats on the lake. And the important thing is not to compromise that any more than is necessary; to keep that period of disruption as short as possible. The teams here working on this are respecting these challenges and working to come up with the solutions to ensure that the impact both from the environment perspective, and the user’s perspective is kept to an absolute minimum.”
Roll on Paris, we say.
The entrance point onto the pontoon crossing.
Test riders putting the turf into action during the test event.
Here’s where it’ll all happen: delegations gather on the site of the back of house area at Paris 2024.
What dreams are made of! Welcome to Versailles.
EN’s pre-Paris coverage is brought to you with support from Zoetis Equine.
Brookfield Inocent takes the Grantham Cup with Piggy March in 2022, giving his connections plenty to celebrate ahead of his Badminton debut. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Reigning Defender Burghley Horse Trials champion Piggy March, who won the event’s 2022 renewal on Vanir Kamira, has announced she will not return to fight for her crown next week as intended with her Hartpury winner Brookfield Inocent, after the 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Inocent 3 x Shalies Pet, by Kings Servant) picked up a ‘minor bone injury’ in his preparation.
“Very sadly we have had to withdraw Brookfield Inocent from Burghley this year,” she writes in a statement on her social media channels. “He has come back to top level competition in flying form but has sadly incurred a minor bone injury which requires a short period of rest. Thankfully it isn’t serious and our dream of him getting to the big B’s can still live on! Gutting for all concerned especially his owners John & Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn as we all long for him to have his chance at this amazing venue but it’s just not meant to be this year. Best of luck to everyone going there — it’s such a great event and looking forward to an exciting week’s sport.”
Brookfield Inocent won his final prep run, the tough CCI4*-S at Hartpury earlier this month, and was second in his comeback international, a CCI3*-S at Aston-le-Walls in July, which followed over a year out of action. He’d been one of British eventing’s ‘ones to watch’ prior to ‘a very small injury’ that saw him withdrawn from Badminton contention last spring, after having won the CCI4*-S season opener at Thoresby. The previous year, he was individual silver medalist and team gold medalist at the European Championships at Avenches, and in 2020, he finished second in his five-star debut at Pau. In his 19 FEI runs with Piggy aboard, he’s finished on the podium 13 times.
Brookfield Inocent was statistically the favourite to win this year’s competition; according to data company EquiRatings’s Prediction Centre computer model, he led the field on a win chance of 19% and a top ten chance of 62%. The withdrawal moves Oliver Townend up to the top spot in their predictions with Swallow Springs, followed by Ballaghmor Class, another of his four entered ride options.
Burghley begins on Wednesday, August 30, and will conclude on Sunday, September 3. Keep it locked on EN for all the news and updates in the lead-up, and during the week of, the event.
Kim Walnes with Skyeler Icke Voss and the beautiful Argyle. Photo by Shanyn Fiske.
I’m so so excited about the making of the documentary The Grey, all about Kim Walnes and her incredible partnership with a beautiful grey horse, not only because my bestie Skyeler (!!!) has been chosen with her horse Argyle to be the main rider, but because we FINALLY will be getting a horse movie made by knowledgeable horse people! No more whinnying every time the camera pans to a horse, no more fantasy anthropomorphic moments, and accurately fitted tack with a more than competent rider. You and I know how long we have waited for such a movie, and tolerated all the others. Keep it tuned to their Facebook page to see all the updates!
Burghley starts NEXT WEEK! Keep it locked onto EN – we have some awesome content headed your way.
Eventing is dishing up an equally exciting week in the US, with the American Eventing Championships happening in Lexington, Kentucky. EN is beavering away on both sides of the Pond to bring you all you need to know from the AEC too – so go nowhere, and go eventing!
Which equestrian inspired you the most this year? Horse & Hound’s 2023 Awards return for the eighth year and they need your vote to pick nominate and pick the most worthy winner. They seek to recognize both the big names who have made 2023 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at whatever level. Last year’s winner was Nicola Wilson, who suffered life-changing injuries in a fall at Badminton Horse Trials in May 2022. Nicola spent more than four months in hospital undergoing intensive rehab and physio work as she relearnt basic life skills, before returning home where she has since been offering mentorship and coaching to other talented riders. [Inspirational Equestrians of 2023]
Shane Rose…what can’t he do? His gelding Virgil already has an impressive resume, including an Olympic Silver Medal, two world championship appearances, Event Rider Masters and CCI5 star winner. Now, he can add World Cup Showjumper to his list of achievements. Virgil and Shane took part in the Waratah Showjumping World Cup class last weekend. A tough ask to tackle their first World Cup indoors, it was a tough track that only produced three clear rounds. While Shane and Virgil did not jump clear they produced a solid round with Virgil not looking out of place amongst some of the country’s best showjumpers. Shane loved the challenge and said he learnt a great deal and is looking forward to tackling another World Cup class in the near future. [Shane Rose World Cup Showjumper]
Correct contact with your horse is a goal we almost never stop chasing. As riders and trainers, we are always striving for a more true connection, and an elastic contact is an excellent guide for that. As USEF judge Gail Hoff-Carmona describes it, “Correct contact is difficult to define because it is an ever-changing feeling. When a horse is well balanced and in self-carriage, contact with the mouth is so light it is nearly nothing. It is almost like having just a thread connecting your hand to the horse’s mouth. On the other hand, if a horse loses balance and falls on the forehand, the contact may become quite heavy until the horse is rebalanced and once again in self-carriage.”. [How To Develop Correct Contact]
Planning on running a classic format competition this fall? Success at a Classic Three-Day Event requires attention to detail and careful management of many things. Everyone knows how much attention they need to put into conditioning, but often everyday tasks get lost in the excitement of going to a Classic Three-Day Event. A horse’s shoeing should be part of the competitor’s regular schedule, but will it coincide with their Classic Three-Day Event plans? It can be easy to forget and suddenly a competitor is right on top of what might be the most demanding competition them and their horse have attempted. [Shoeing Tips for Classic Three-Day Events]
It might not be riding quite as we know it, but there’s no denying that Noura Al-Jabr, a mounted archer and trainer, has an extraordinary set of skills — and one of the most independent and capable seats I’ve seen in a long time. But beyond her ability to ride, and ride seriously well, is the cultural significance of what she’s doing. She’s from Saudi Arabia, a country in which being a woman isn’t quite the experience it is in the Western world, and being a woman in a position of some authority, as she is in her capacity as a trainer and sportswoman, is nearly unheard of. She’s not letting that stop her, though – and through her example, young woman across the country will, she hopes, be inspired to take up the male-dominated sport, too. Go get ’em, Noura.
Overnight CCI4*S leaders Ros Canter with Rehy Royal Diamond. Photo by Iain Campbell.
With the first day of dressage complete at Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials, Italy’s Roberto Scalisi sits at the top of the CCI4*L leaderboard with Alamein. Half a penalty behind is Max Warburton with Monbeg Exclusive while Japan’s Ryuzo Kitajima and Feroza Niewmoed complete the top three.
A delighted Roberto said: “I can’t believe it. He did a 29 in our first four-star and you go off and have dressage lessons to try to improve that but I’ve been stuck in the low 30s ever since – which is fab, but I’ve not been able to break the 30s barrier again.
“He felt really good in there and deserved his score. This is his sixth year eventing – he’s an ex-racehorse who raced 25 times. I bought him for £700 to produce and sell over the winter – five years later he’s still here. The more I trained him, the better he got and he’s taken me round several four-stars, giving me experience at this level.”
It’s a first visit to Blair for Roberto, who is very excited to be here. “I can’t wait to get out on those hills. It can rain more as far as I’m concerned, I’m on a thoroughbred!”
George Bartlett and Conpierre lead the CCI3*L with a comparatively comfortable four point lead over Ireland’s Amelia Leeming on Overis Cavalier. Fellow Irish rider Susie Berry lies in third place on Irene Leva. Conpierre was produced to four-star by Sarah Bullimore before being bought by John Peace for George to ride.
“I knew he had a performance like that in him,” said George, who did the CCI2*L with him last year. “He’s a little dude; a dobbin to lead around but he can be spooky and sharp to ride. He doesn’t try to drop you, but he likes to have a good time. Having got him super-fit I was a bit worried about the dressage but we managed to just about hold it together.”
It’s a case of girl-power in the CCI2*L, the top three all posting sub-30 scores. Emma Carmichael and the aptly named Faerlie Flighty have the advantage, over Selina Milnes on Calling Cooley and German’s Josephine Schnaufer-Volkel with Cinnamon Red.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Emma confessed. “He’s just six and very low mileage. He’s always struggled with the dressage – he’s still a bit weak and has a lot of building up to do. He also lives up to his name and is a bit flighty – he’s been quite excited to be here. I just wanted to keep a lid on him in the arena and I was so chuffed with him. That was the best he could have done at this stage, a personal best – Fiona Bell, his owner, was in tears!”
The two CCI1*L sections are currently led by Sarah Clark on Secret Affaer VII and Anna Gilchrist riding Kilimazing Topaz. Scores are tight at the top, and this isn’t going to be a dressage competition.
Three-, two-, and one-star dressage continues tomorrow, at 9am.
Ten of the CCI4*S combinations have performed their tests, with Ros Canter and Rehy Royal Diamond well out in front. The remaining competitors take to the arena from 12.30pm tomorrow.
Bubby Upton and Magic Roundabout IV. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
While most of the eyes that have been fixed on Burghley over the last few days will have found plenty to occupy them, with the reveal of the 2023 course and the release of the drawn order of go both popping up in that span of time, those with an eagle eye on the entry list will have spotted something else of significance. That was the withdrawal of 24-year-old Bubby Upton, who had two entries inCola, with whom she finished fourteenth at the event last year, and Magic Roundabout IV, her Bramham under-25s CCI4*-L winner of this year.
“Five days ago I sadly had an accident riding on the flat leading to a complete burst fracture of L3 and a horizontal fracture of L2, which required [six hours of] surgery to stabilise the spine, decompress the vertebrae and fuse L3,” writes Bubby in a statement on her social media profiles. I simply cannot thank my surgeon and the whole NHS team enough for working absolute wonders.”
“I think it goes without saying that I am totally distraught for my team, owners, horses and sponsors about missing Burghley 5* when both Cola and Magic were on such flying form. But to be quite honest, considering the severity of the break I am just feeling unbelievably lucky that someone above was looking out for me, as the outcome could have been very different. There is now a very long road to recovery ahead of me, but I will give it my all to get fighting fit again.”
Bubby, who has previously held the British under-18, under-21, and under-25 national titles, is no stranger to sensible rehabilitation: two years ago, she had a fall while cross-country schooling with a young horse, which ultimately resulted in eight fractured vertebrae and a broken collarbone. She teamed up with the Injured Jockeys Fund therapy centre in Newmarket, close to her home base in Suffolk, to undertake an extensive rehab plan that involved hydrotherapy.
A burst fracture, which Bubby sustained on her L3 vertebrae, is a complete and complex break: it’s a full crushing of the vertebrae from all directions, and as a result, is a high-risk break if not immediately stabilised because of the probability of bone interference with the spinal cord. When such a break occurs in the lumbar spine — the lower half of the back — as Bubby’s did, it can have major ramifications on lower-limb mobility.
Bubby, it would appear, is a very lucky lady indeed – and we already knew she was a particularly determined one, balancing, as she did, her university studies with professional eventing over the last number of years. We have no doubt she’ll take her rehabilitation to come every bit as seriously, and we look forward to seeing her return to the saddle (and, hopefully, she’ll get a dryer and rather more fun season when she does return!). From EN to you, Bubby – we wish you a speedy, straightforward recovery.
Germany’s Aachen has placed the only bid to run a full World Equestrian Games-style World Championship in 2026, as they did in 2006. Photo courtesy of CHIO Aachen/Andreas Steindl.
The FEI has today confirmed the shortlisted bidders for the FEI World Championships 2026. The shortlist comprises five Organising Committees who have applied to host events in various disciplines, as follows:
The FEI Board will allocate the FEI World Championships 2026 at its in-person Board Meeting on 18 November 2023 in Mexico City (MEX), following a thorough review by the FEI Evaluation Commission and taking into account recommendations by the Technical Committees.
Following three decades of a unique host formula for senior World Championships under the FEI World Equestrian Games™ format, in 2022 the FEI returned to a more flexible approach accepting single and multiple World Championship bids with a focus on catering to the needs and specificities of each discipline. Herning (DEN) hosted hugely successful events in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, and Vaulting whereas Eventing and Driving Four-in-Hand competitions took place at Pratoni Del Vivaro (ITA), venue of the 1960 Olympic equestrian events. The FEI Endurance World Championships 2022 were held at Butheeb (UAE) last February.
“We are very pleased with the variety of bids we have received,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “Following the outstanding FEI World Championships 2022 organised in Denmark, Italy and the UAE, we are confident this flexible approach with single and multiple bids serves not only the sport, but also the fans and the development of equestrian around the world, allowing different nations and venues to bid to host a major FEI event.”
The FEI World Championships 2026 in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, and Eventing will be the first qualifying events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The FEI World Championships have a long history. Dressage is the FEI discipline with the longest tradition of Championships. A Grand Prix de Dressage, organised in Lucerne (SUI) as early as 1927, had hosted 12 riders representing five nations. Official FEI Dressage Championships were organised on all non-Olympic years between 1930 and 1939 in Switzerland, France, Austria, Hungary, Germany, and Great Britain. The last such event took place in August 1939, only days before the outbreak of World War II.
The FEI tried to revive the event after the war with limited success. Participation gradually improved and European Championships were organised in 1963, which led to the first FEI Dressage World Championship held in Bern (SUI) three years later.
The first Para Dressage Championship, which took place under the leadership of the FEI, was held in July 2007 only a year after Para Equestrian came under the FEI umbrella. The event enjoyed a truly international representation gathering 133 athletes from 35 nations. Since 2010, FEI Dressage and Para Dressage Championships are being held concurrently.
The first FEI Jumping World Championship was organised in June 1953 at the Parc des Princes stadium in the south west of Paris (FRA). The event was drastically different from its modern equivalent as only 19 athletes from 11 countries, including Yugoslavia, Cambodia and the USA, competed. No women took part since female riders would not be able to enter Jumping competitions until 1956.
The first FEI Eventing World Championship was organised in 1966, the same year as the first FEI Dressage World Championship, at the beautiful estate of Lord Burghley in Lincolnshire, Great Britain. The Championship gathered 39 athletes representing five nations: Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, USA, and USSR.
The previous year the FEI had established the configuration according to which World Championships in the Olympic discipline of Jumping were held every four years in the non-Olympic even years and continental championships were organised in the odd years. This pattern is still in use today for all the FEI Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
The first edition of the FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hand was held in 1972 in Münster (GER) two years after Driving had become an FEI discipline. Since then, the event continues to be organised every two years.
Endurance became an FEI discipline in 1982, one year before Vaulting. The championship histories of these two non-Olympic disciplines have run in parallel from the start with World Championships organised every other year on even years.
FEI Endurance European Championships had been held in 1984 and 1985 until the first FEI Endurance World Championship was organised in September 1986 at Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA).
In 1983, one year after Driving, Vaulting also joined the FEI. In 1984 the first FEI Vaulting European Championship was organised and was followed by another European edition in 1985. This second European edition was open to the rest of the world. A strong showing from the USA convinced the FEI the time had come for a World Championship. The first FEI Vaulting World Championship took place in in the small Swiss town of Bulle from 18 to 20 July 1986.
The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were held in the Swedish capital Stockholm with the 1912 Olympic stadium as the main venue. On the initiative of the then-FEI President HRH Prince Philip, the World Championships in all the FEI discipline were held in the same city from 14 July to 5 August 1990. Given the smooth organisation and success of these Games, what should have been a one-off event, was extended and seven more editions took place in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez de la Frontera (ESP) in 2002, Aachen (GER) in 2006, Lexington, KY (USA) in 2010, Normandy (FRA) in 2014, and Tryon, NC (USA) in 2018.
