Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent. Photo by Jasmine Punter Photography.
The NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials is seemingly a happy hunting ground for Piggy March, who heads into the NAF Magic CCI4*S competition as the hot favourite with Brookfield Inocent.
On the first day of dressage, it was stablemate Brookfield Cavalier Cruise that helped raise the chances of a repeat success, with Piggy having taken this competition in 2022 with Vanir Kamira. As her second ride and entering the arena almost at the end of the first day, the imposing gelding scored 28.1 from an experienced ground jury made up of Poland’s Kasia Konarska, Italy’s Agostino Guerolsi and Great Britain’s Ann Bostock.
Going into the lunch break, Piggy led the way with her first ride of the day, Coolparks Sarco who put in a superb test in the Gloucestershire sunshine. A score of 28.9 gave the James and Jo Lambert-owned 11-year-old the advantage early on, as he heads into this competition fresh from a hat trick of wins.
Speaking shortly after her first test, Piggy explained: “He gets more and more relaxed with each test that he does, which is what you are aiming for in training. He was very chilled, and I am very pleased with him.”
A notable performance of the afternoon came from Bubby Upton with Cola III, a horse that had impressed at Badminton this spring finishing in eighth place. Here, she led the way for much of the afternoon thanks to a test score of 28.3.
As usual, a number of 5* combinations feature among the entries for this year’s 4*S. Izzy Taylor and Happy Days lie in fifth place after the first day having scored 30.4. Zara Tindall and Class Affair are hoping to continue a run of form following eye-catching performances at both Bramham and Aston-le-Walls. They scored 31.6 and lie in eighth place.
Here are your leaders after dressage at the NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials:
New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell and wife, Great Britain’s Georgie Campbell were both in action on Thursday. Jesse scored 29.0 with his Bramham ride Gambesie (who finished in third place) and lies in fourth place, while Georgie scored 31.0 with Darcy De La Rose and lies in sixth place.
Former student Saffron Creswell had two rides. Vivendi Hero scored 33.2 and is in 13th place overnight, while her other ride Funny Guy scored 34.6 and is in 18th place overnight.
In the other International Arena, the NAF Metazone CCI2*L saw 39 combinations come forward on the first day, in front of a ground jury headed up by President John Lyttle from Ireland, alongside Great Britain’s Lizzel Winter and Jane Tolley. One of the later riders in the morning session, Brazil’s Marcello Carvalho Jorge and Linkin Park K (pictured) took the lead into the lunch break with a score of 28.5. No riders managed to better his score and he held onto the lead for the rest of the day. The top three places are a very international affair with New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell and Gracie de la Rose in second place with 28.6 and British rider Chelsea Pearce riding Kilnaboy Buffet in third place with 29.2.
Riders in the NAF Superflex CCI3*L will perform their test indoors, and the welcome shade of the Hartpury Arena saw a number of combinations that have been to this venue previously. An experienced ground jury made up of France’s Xavier Le Sauce (President) alongside Great Britain’s Annabel Scrimgeour and Douglas Hibbert, cast their eyes over 39 horses on the first day.
Halfway through the morning Jason Wood and Nitor performed a polished test to score 29.8 to take the lead, which he still held onto at lunch time. The leaderboard remained largely unchanged for most of the day until local rider Tom Woodward and Jaeger Master came three from the end, scoring 29.6 and meaning Jason had to settle for second place. Things weren’t settled yet, as the final pairing of the day Millie Juleff and Viktor Krum (pictured) did a fabulous test to knock both of them into second and third place respectively, scoring 26.4 and leading after the first day of dressage.
Cross country will be streamed live on Horse & Country (subscription or one-time event pass required). You can find out more here — the action kicks off at 3 a.m. EST.
Take a look at the cross country track:
Cross country day 2023 is almost here!
Don’t forget, head to the Hartpury Equine Events website for tickets or follow…
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk establish their dominance atop a heavily British-leaning leaderboard. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s never a surprise, really, when we see Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH atop a leaderboard, particularly in this phase — and so, perhaps, what makes their decisive lead on 19.4 remarkable today is that it puts a firm stop to an almost entirely British top ten. Despite the major change in conditions today, which swapped yesterday’s balmy sunshine for a steady, ground-saturating rein, they looked every inch their consistent best — and, says Michi, felt it, too.
“My feeling is very good,” he smiles. “I’m very, very happy about fisherChipmunk. He was amazing to ride. He was super in the warm up, and in the preparation time last week; he’s given me a very good feeling.”
That ‘good feeling’ wasn’t necessarily guaranteed, though, and Michi had to revert to damage limitation tactics to ensure he was back on side before he entered the arena.
“He was very calm, but in the beginning he was a little bit tense,” he says. “But that’s the reason why I went in [the ring] so early, so that I have a bit more time. I think that was very good for him. And then when I went into the test, he felt perfect. The canter was for sure a highlight for him.”
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
But if a 19.4 sounds pretty close to perfection, Michi is quick to point out that there are always improvements to be made.
“I think the walk could be better. It was a bit long and low in the neck and the connection was not perfect. But it’s difficult to have it all 100% the way you want it in a test, and I think the very powerful canter, which is so uphill, is very nice, and in the trot work he was very soft, so I had great feelings. Maybe the walk could be better, but I think there’s always something.”
And, he points out, even if you’re part of one of the most competitive partnerships in the world, “Every test is a bit different, and the preparation sometimes is different. The competition is sometimes different. So it’s always a new game, and a new start.”
Watch Michael’s test below:
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There’s a reason you should always stay ’til the bitter end of dressage day, even when the weather makes quite literally any other option more appealing – and today, that reason was penultimate competitor and queen of nominative determinism Ros Canter and her Badminton champion, Lordships Graffalo. They danced their way to a 21.3 – the eleven-year-old gelding’s best-ever FEI score, even despite a minor bobble in the right shoulder-in — and will go into tomorrow’s cross-country in second place.
“I’m absolutely over the moon with Walter,” says Ros, who acts as British team anchor this week — arguably the most highly pressurised role, but also the one that requires the most waiting around. “It’s been a very long wait for me these last two days — I don’t think I’ve been very easy with Ian Woodhead, my trainer, yesterday and this morning! But when I got on today I felt much better that I actually had a job to do at last.”
And she got right to work as she came into the main arena, producing a test that showcased how the gelding has matured in his short but sparkling upper-level career.
“When I had so much time on my hands I was looking back at old videos from the spring when we were building up to Badminton, and I can’t believe how much he’s come on, even from then. He’s a truly amazing horse, and I’m very, very lucky to have him,” she says. With so many accolades to his name already at such a young age, including fourth in the World Championships last year, second at Badminton last year before returning to win, and six four-star top tens, it could be easy to forget that he still has so much ahead of him – but Ros explains that keeping that at the forefront of her mind is important, even while trying to ride for a competitive result.
“When you think back to last year and even the start of this year, he was a ten year old, so physically, he’s a lot weaker than the horses that are hitting their teens. And I did have to give myself a bit of a reminder yesterday not to have to higher expectations and stick to the process and remind myself actually, he’s still a horse that physically isn’t fully matured yet. I wanted to stick within the boundaries of what he was capable of. But actually, he gets stronger all the time. It’s little things, like his changes are getting better and better. His halts and his reinback were a real weakness last year, and when I started this year, and this summer, they’re just really starting to feel like they’re getting very consistent. It’s really exciting.”
Watch Ros’ test below:
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Still, she says, she’s taken away learning opportunities from the test, too.
“I definitely think his right to left change could be better. They’re not always regular yet, but it’s getting much, much better,” she says. “Everyone thought [the judges] were a bit harsh on my first centerline today, but I think I took it a little bit early, because he was ready to stop early and I got to the point where I couldn’t keep going much longer. So there’s little things I would tweak for next time but on the whole, I think our training is just just gradually going in the right direction.”
The big conversation of the day around the venue has been that of the ground – and what it might look like come tomorrow, after today’s consistent rainfall on what was already notably soft going. But for Ros, this is less of a concern: she and ‘Walter’ won Badminton this year in arguably the toughest conditions possible, and he both dealt with and recovered from the intensity of the ground there in fine style. After a particularly wet season so far, the British contingent is feeling calm and capable – because they’ve had plenty of chances to get used to conditions like these across the breadth of 2023 so far.
“I think that’s very important not just for the horse, but also for the rider and the rider’s mentality,” muses Ros. “It’s something that the Brits have had to cope with a lot this year, and so we’ve almost been able to override the talk on the ground and things like that. We’ve ridden in this going so many times that hopefully, we can stay in our own bubble and concentrate on our job. We’ve been very positive as a team so far about the course — our course walks have been extremely positive. There hasn’t been too much talk about the things we don’t like, or the ground that we don’t like, and I think that’s really good for team spirit.”
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
All six members of this week’s British squad sit in the top ten at the culmination of dressage, including both individuals — and the best placed of those is Tom McEwen and the reigning European Champion, former Nicola Wilson ride JL Dublin. Their resultant score of 22 might not be JL Dublin’s own personal best — that’s the 20.9 he got at the 2021 European Championships with Nic — but it is the new partnership’s best-ever international score together.
“He’s just simply stunning on the flat,” says Tom, who goes into cross-country in third. “He shows a real story in there. He captures the eye; he fills the eye. He swings through, and bar the tiniest few things he was absolutely excellent.”
Those things, he says, include “probably the halt before the rein back — I could hear the judges marking it, and then he moved,” says Tom. “But I’m delighted; I thought the changes were a serious highlight. And as per usual, that extended trot – if we could do five more of those, I think we’d be in the lead by tomorrow!”
While there may be some surprise to see British team stalwart Tom riding as an individual, it’s a savvy move: this will be just their sixth international cross-country start together, and while their results so far have included second at both Boekelo and Kentucky, they also had a shock 20 at Aachen while fighting for the win. There’s every chance they can — and should, arguably — end up on the individual podium, and without the additional responsibility of having to ensure a clear for the team, they’re able to follow their own plan of action – but, Tom says, it’s still not a job he takes lightly, nor one he considers unpressurised.
“It’s still it’s very much a team. It’s still part of the wider structure. Our feedback will be just as critical to for the last two riders in the team and obviously Tom [Jackson] as well,” he points out.
Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Generally, when we see an entry list that includes both fischerChipmunk and London 52, we all just sit around asking one another the same question as we work away in the media centre: which one will lead the first phase? And so it was some surprise to see the ordinarily ultra competitive ‘Dan’ and Laura Collett this far down the leaderboard, in a still very respectable fourth place with 22.4 – but, as Laura explains, they were cursed with a bit of bad luck in the form of the weather and the admirable enthusiasm of the audience, who had come prepared to fend off the rain.
“He was a little bit fragile and he absolutely hates umbrellas, and obviously it started raining and then as I went in he noticed where the umbrellas were,” says Laura, who made a great effort of trying to regain his focus while working around the outside of the arena. “So he felt like he was very aware of of that, where normally he’s 100% with me in the arena, so I had to try and coax him into remembering to listen to me and not think about where the umbrellas were. Obviously it wasn’t his best test he’s ever done, but I’m just glad it was good enough to be close enough. He’s been a really good form; it’s just about trying to keep his his mind happy, and I feel like we’ve done that. He’s never going to love umbrellas, so I don’t think I can really do anything other than just try and do the best we can in those situations. But he’s come a long way; last time there were really bad umbrellas he totally lost the plot. So we’re getting there.”
Even with that minor lack of focus, which took some of the usual sparkle out of his work, he still performed exceptionally to deliver a mistake-free test — and he certainly brought some of the errant sparkle back in the canter extension, with a big, bold, risk-taking transition into a step that ate up the long side.
“Most things are [a highlight of his]; he doesn’t really have too much of a weakness other than when I lose his mind. It was fragile, and maybe felt more fragile than it looks, but I think his extended canters and his extended trot are always his his kind of party piece, and he felt like he really showed himself off with those.”
Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The second British individual combination, Senior Championship debutant Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift, performed well beyond expectations, earning their best-ever international score of 25.7 and overnight sixth place behind day one leaders Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir with a smart, animated test in some of the worst of the afternoon’s weather. For Tom, who finished second at Burghley and fifth at a very wet Badminton with the Irish-bred gelding, the feeling of bringing it home when it counts was no small relief — particularly as his best phases are yet to come.
“I’m really happy to get that that done and dusted and out of the way,” he laughs. “And for him to be as good as he was is a testament to all the training and everything that we’ve had building up to this from the World Class Programme.”
Like Laura, though, Tom found his horse took some offence to the sea of umbrellas that went up throughout the closely-bunched crowds of spectators around the ring: “I think I found out today he’s not a massive fan of umbrellas. When we came out, he was bit uptight, which is really unlike him, because normally he’s super laidback.”
Regardless, the plucky gelding kept his attention on the task at hand, thanks, in part, to longstanding help from Tom’s trainer and mentor, Pippa Funnell.
“I think hopefully Pippa will be happy – she’s always on about the little details, and I hope I nailed most of the hopes and everything. His good change was very good, and his bad one is still a work in progress. But there was much better damage limitation on that, and I thought all his half-passes and the expression in his trot just really went up a gear in the last sort of six months or a year.”
While this is Tom’s first Senior Europeans appearance, it’s not his first time riding for Great Britain — he’s done so previously on two Young Rider and one Junior Europeans. And in the nine years since his last squad appearance, the 30-year-old has been hard at work on making sure it happens again.
“I feel like we’ve always been on a trajectory to get there, and it’s maybe taken us a bit longer than I necessarily wanted when I was an 18-year-old lad coming out of Juniors, but that makes it even more special, now that we’re here,” he says.
Having the experience of a great run in that exceptionally wet Badminton is giving Tom a particular boost as we look ahead to tomorrow’s inevitably saturated field of play, which encompasses plenty of terrain and no shortage of big, bold, technical questions.
“I’m excited; I think it’s a really good course,” he says. “I think it really suits him, and his way of going in the ground is going to be a big factor, but it’s given me a bit of confidence knowing that he dealt with that quite well at Badminton earlier in the year.”
Karin Donckers and Fletcha Van’t Verahof. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
With all those Brits crowding the top ten, there wasn’t much room for any other nations to put on a show — and that really shows when you look at the team leaderboard, which sees them head into cross-country on a score of 67.1, 9.2 penalties ahead of second-placed Germany. That one-two will come as a surprise to absolutely none of you form guide reading, stats following eventing-aholics – but what is interesting is seeing how everything below those two superpower nations is playing out, particularly as concerns the four nations – Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Austria – who are battling for the two available Olympic qualifications here.
Yesterday, we saw the Netherlands heading up that fight thanks to the efforts of Andy Heffernan and Gideon, now 15th on a score of 29. Today, though, it’s all about Belgium, who stepped up into bronze medal position on their score of 90.9. That was thanks in large part to stalwart team member Karin Donckers, who piloted the most experienced horse in the field, eighteen-year-old Fletcha van’t Verahof, to a score of 26.5 and overnight eighth, just half a penalty behind Germany’s Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice, and ahead of Kitty King and Vendredi Biats in ninth and Germany’s Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S.
“Fletcha knows his job — it’s not the first time we ride a championship, but he was really good. He was concentrating, focused, and the rain didn’t really bother him, I think, so we had a great time in the dressage,” says Karin, who is making her eighth championship start with the gelding, and her own 28th Senior championship start.
“It’s always nice to ride for your country and your team — that’s why I’m still doing this, I guess,” she laughs. “It’s great to be here with the team, to ride together, to support each other, and to help the younger ones. I’m very happy to still be a part of it.”
Helping her team qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2012 would certainly be a happy moment for the rider – and for now, they’re looking good, with the Netherlands two places, though just 2.3 penalties, behind them, and Italy and Austria sitting eighth and ninth, respectively, on 99.1 and 103.5. If that sounds tightly bunched, wait ’til you crunch the numbers on the individual leaderboard: just 20 penalties separates the top 54 competitors, and tomorrow’s course would be tough by any standards even in dry conditions. Expect to meet some new faces at the business end of proceedings, and prepare yourself for some seriously exciting sport, beginning at 12.00 p.m. local time (11.00 a.m. BST/6.00 a.m. EST), and available to stream in full on ClipMyHorse. We’ll be bringing you all you need to know about the challenge to come — so keep it locked onto EN, and Go Eventing!
The top ten at the culmination of the first phase at the 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships.
A winner is crowned! Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.
As the sun rose over the steppe on Day 9 there was a sense of expectation in the air. Lead rider Linda LHE was sitting pretty at HS27, a mere 60km from the finish and exquisitely positioned, should all go well, to claim the 2023 Derby title by mid-day. Crew were up at the crack of dawn, herders had horses organized and ready, and when the clock chimed 0700 Linda was out the door on her way to the finish.
Camped between HS26 – HS27 Judith JJA, Xavier XFE and Moazzam MHK were also well on their way first thing, looking to narrow the gap between themselves and the leader; and chaser Matthew MPE back at HS26 set out to continue his relentless push towards the finish line. With this tight of a race, it could still come down to the wire. One penalty, a slow horse, an unscheduled dismount and everything could change.
Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.
The crew watched Linda’s progress with bated breath while reports began pinging in that she had drawn a rather “measured pace” horse: in other words it was a somewhat leisurely ride to HS28 with the chasing pack baying at her heels.
Most notably Matthew MPE blasted up the field from fifth position and overtook chaser Xavier, Judith and Moazzam coming through HS28. Galloping down the home stretch was Linda on a much more lively horse (after a redraw of horses due to an unscheduled mud bath outside of HS28) with Matthrew MPE just a couple of hours behind.
Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.
The crowd was assembled at the finish line to welcome Linda as she approached shortly after noon. Head vet Anna, presiding at the finish, waited patiently while Linda cooled her horse. The riders have 30 minutes to present to the vet after checking in; any infraction of the vet check parameters results in a penalty which could have changed results immeasurably. Word came down that at the first check the horse’s heart rate was still slightly above the accepted 56 beats per minute. The crowd was silent and respectful while Linda continued to cool her horse and you would never have known that this was anything other than a routine vet check by Linda’s outward sense of calm. Finally Anna gave the crowd a thumbs up – Linda’s horse had passed the vet check and she was officially cheered as the 2023 winner of the Mongol Derby.
Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.
Coming in behind her, Matthew crossed the finish line shortly after with Xavier, Judith and Moazzam not far behind. His push to the finish on Day 9 paid off and with a clean vet check he officially earned second place. Judith followed to great applause, her stunning display of horsemanship and resilience earning her a third place finish; Xavier fourth, and Moazzam (who had ridden the last leg with a foot injury) claiming fifth place.
Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.
The action wasn’t over for the day, however, as Holly HCO our resident 2022 Gaucho Derby winner claimed a solid sixth place; and the balance of Team Pak Fahad FJA, Omer OHK and Umair UKA rode over the line to capture a joint seventh.
Some of the “horde” overnighted at HS27; a couple of dedicated campers (Chyulu CFA and Aisha AGR) camped between HS27 – HS28; and a few intrepid souls overnighted at HS28 ready to ride out on Day 10 at 7am on the dot.
Although a winner has been declared, the race is still very much not over with many thrilling tales yet to tell. Stay tuned tomorrow… and follow along here for more updates!
Florida: the land of watercolor sunsets, beach-side show jumping, and, of course, the infamous Florida Man phenomenon. It’s also the state that transformed reiner Rachel Ory’s riding career forever.
Rachel has been starting colts alongside reining trainer Tom Pierson since 2008. Together, Rachel and Tom traveled between Traverse City, MI and Scottsdale, AZ in the winter starting everything from warmbloods to quarter horses, until one day in 2015 when they had the opportunity to move to Florida. That decision had Rachel trading in her Western saddle for a dressage saddle.
Rachel Ory & Veronica riding a sliding stop. Photo by National Sports Broadcasting.
“Coming to Florida opened up a whole new world of dressage. I had done some western dressage on my own horse, but living in Ocala has allowed me to immerse myself in the art. I study and ride with top class trainers and horsemen on a regular basis. After a few years, I was able to add dressage and western dressage to what I can offer as a trainer,” Rachel said.
Western dressage isn’t as different from pure dressage as you might think. According to Rachel, the biggest difference is that the tests are set up with the Western horse in mind. “Generally if you’re riding a Western-bred horse, they’re going to tend to have a little more set to them and really be able to squat on their haunches,” Rachel said. “So, the western dressage tests are set up to showcase movements like the lope and pirouette a little earlier in the levels than what you would see in dressage.”
There are a few other unique variations in the movements themselves. “What would be your walk pirouette turns into more of a pivot for the Western dressage. It’s still with forward intention, but they are allowed to kind of plant that inside hind and pivot like your traditional Western horse would do,” said Rachel. “Western dressage can be a little more relaxed and laid back because you’re not having to hold that contact so much. We ride on light contact with a soft connection. It’s not a loose rein, but it’s a little softer connection between the hand and the horse.”
After moving to Florida, Rachel and Tom began operating out of Mardanza Farms in Marion County, a unique 600 acre property that brings together great horsemen and women from multiple different disciplines. Home to Valerie Pride of Blue Clover Eventing, Gabby Dickerson Eventing, Last Frontier Farm, as well as several other smaller trainers, Mardanza Farms is an epicenter for top trainers from a wide range of disciplines, including reining and eventing. While Sharon White operates Last Frontier Farm out of the facility, Bettina Hoy has also been flying over for the last few years.
Rachel Ory and Veronica with Bettina Hoy, Sharon White and Tom Pierson at Mardanza Farms. Photo Credit: Kelly Mastine
According to Rachel, Mardanza Farms is home to a close knit community. “We all support each other. Sometimes we ride together and once in a while we’ll all meet for dinner with the owners of the farm who are so encouraging to us all. For those of us who keep coming back year after year, we’ve become like family.”
And it’s not just the eventers who help Rachel with her training, the opposite is also true. “Tom and I have helped Sharon with some of her young horses and she has ridden some of our reiners just for fun, just to get on and see what it feels like. And it’s always fun to share ideas, since we all are open to new ways of looking at things,” said Rachel. “Bettina got on one of our reining horses too while she was here, just to try it. Why not?”
Training horses is a universal language. Photo by Sally Spickard.
As Rachel began dipping a toe in the waters of first Western dressage and then, later on, pure dressage, she enlisted help from Sharon and Bettina in transforming her nine-year-old quarter horse mare, Veronica (beautiful name, by the way), into a dressage horse. Sharon helped Rachel with grid work exercises, while Bettina focused on teaching Veronica to push forward into the bridle, which is the opposite of how most Western horses are taught to ride.
Sharon’s grids had Rachel working on her adjustability. “Working with Sharon White has been a big plus to add some variety into my program. I love learning new ways to use cavalettis and ground poles. I find it benefits my horses to present this test of their adjustability and balance in a way that creates visual interest for them,” Rachel said.
Bettina tackled the challenge of teaching Veronica to maintain connection while creating greater impulsion. She assigned Rachel exercises like riding a small circle into shoulder-in in collected trot, then lengthening across the diagonal. She encouraged them to go more actively, developing the push of the hindquarters, and creating more energy traveling over the top line to the bit. “It took a lot of effort to get the mare seeking the contact and wanting to go forward into the contact,” Rachel said. “There would be moments where I could feel Veronica get locked up or tense through her back and Bettina was just really good at seeing the little details and talking me through how to unlock her without dropping the contact.”
Working with Sharon and Bettina paid off. “Once our dressage felt really good, we were able to pursue our silver medal and do the Prix St. George at WEC with the real life dressage horses, which was a bit daunting, as there were some really big, fancy movers there. I’m glad that we did though, because you don’t see a whole lot of quarter horses in that ring. Plus, we learned a lot from the whole experience,” Rachel said. “Veronica doesn’t have the big movements like the warmbloods do, but my goodness, she tries her heart out. She’s such an amazing horse. So willing.”
Rachel Ory and Veronica in their USDF Silver Medal test at WEC. Photo by Q2 Photography.
Rachel’s biggest takeaway from her adventures in dressage, and in training with eventers, is that great horsemanship isn’t discipline-specific. “Good riding is good riding. We can learn something from everyone, especially if they are at the top of their game. Sharon and Bettina most certainly are. I have a lot of respect for what they do, and I’m so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to be able to work with them,” Rachel said.
True to her roots as a colt starter, Rachel also says that cross-training has benefits for your horse’s resume, too. “The more variety that you can add into your program, the more well-rounded your horse is going to be and the more broke they’re going to be,” said Rachel. “Everything complements each other. In 2021, Veronica and I did a freestyle reining competition at the World Equestrian Center, and our routine incorporated the dressage movements that we had been working on, along with the required stops and spins for the reining. It was magical to be able to showcase the reining maneuvers next to the dressage movements all on the same horse in the same ride. We marked a 221 and were reserve champions.”
“I’m just trying to find what’s healthy and best for the horses. Presenting them with a variety of exercises and not dwelling too much on any one thing seems best for them, even if they are specialized in one discipline,” said Rachel.
Rachel and Veronica aren’t hanging up their rowel spurs just yet. Next, the pair is going to return to the Western dressage ring to compete in the Western Dressage Association World Championship Show this fall. “It was asking a lot of her to help me secure the USDF Silver Medal. For her to now come back and do Western dressage– that will feel a little bit like a break for her in some ways,” said Rachel. “She worked so hard, and I want to respect her body so that hopefully she’ll remain happy and healthy for years to come.”
At the end of the day, Rachel and Veronica’s story is a great reminder that no matter what tack we wear, all equestrians have one thing in common: we just want to do what’s best for our horses.
This article was sponsored by World Equestrian Brands. When I asked Rachel what her favorite product was, she was hard-pressed to choose just one. “Oh my gosh, I have to pick one?” Rachel said, laughing. “The Equilibrium splint boots are so breathable and nice. And they work almost with a little bit of compression. So I use those everyday on Veronica. The Vespucci bridles are amazing. And then the Mattes sheepskin pads. Oh my gosh. I love them.”
When you put form and statistics aside, us turbo horse nerds are all united in one thing: sometimes, you just really love watching a horse because something about it lights your pony-mad brain up. We rounded up two of EN’s newest recruits, Diana Gilbertson and Cheg Darlington, to find out which horses they’re heart-eyed over at this week’s FEI European Eventing Championships – and why, if you tune in and give them a cheer, you might just be to. Take it away, girls!
Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Swirly Temptress – Giovanni Ugolotti (ITA)
I’m a sucker for a striking black horse, and one named Swirly Temptress was always going to get me going. In my opinion, we all need to be more swirly temptress on occasion. Sometimes unpredictable but often brilliant, she’s a real picture — flashy and extravagant, full of drama and power, and totally befitting of her name.
Produced from the beginning by British-based Italian rider Giovanni Ugolotti, the mare was sent to him to be broken in and stayed. Despite being dressage-bred, she has at times shown her hot side between the white boards, where she’d rather be showing off her fancy movements than standing to halt. Even when she’s standing on her hind legs she’s impressive though, and rarely posts a score over 30 in the first phase. Her best 4* test came at Boekelo at the end of last season, where she showed all her talent for 24.4 and second place as she headed out onto cross country. She was caught out by the final fence that day — as were a number of others, leading to it being removed mid-way through the competition. Up ‘til that point she’d been brilliant and the sense of ‘what if’ was tangible. Overall, her cross country record is notably clean — she’s speedy and accurate and attacks the course with the kind of flair her name suggests she might.
If everything comes together for her, there is every chance of a very impressive result this weekend and I can’t wait to see how Swirly Temptress takes to the Championships atmosphere. – CD
Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Capels Hollow Drift – Tom Jackson, GBR
I can’t remember the last time that I was this excited leading up to a championships, something that I can only attribute to the sheer amount of talent lining up in Haras du Pin this weekend. It is not just the usual suspects that have me whipped up into a frenzy; alongside Laura, Michi, Yas, et al is a whole host of young up and coming talent, too. It seems that every single one of the 14 nations being represented in France this weekend has a horse and rider to get excited about. One such combination is 30 year old Tom Jackson and his partner of 5 years, Capels Hollow Drift.
Runner up at the World Young Horse Championships at Lion d’Angers as a seven year old, 12 year old Walshy – as he is known to his pals – has impressed from the off. Georgie Campbell evented him as a young horse, before Tom took the reins in 2018. He finished 16th on his CCI5* debut at Badminton in 2022, and followed that up with a second place at Burghley later that same year, adding just 3.2 cross country time faults to their first phase score of 28.9.
Tom is full of praise for the Shannondale Sarco St Glyvan grey – ‘he makes my job easy,’ he has said of him in the past, and again commended him for just ‘getting the job done,’ in less than favourable conditions at Badminton this year, where they once again added just cross country time (and who didn’t have time faults at Badminton this year?!) to their dressage score, jumping one of just two clear rounds to finish up 5th and secure their place on the team for the Europeans.
You will have to go back as far as 2019 to find a cross country jumping fault on Walshy’s record, and his show jumping form is similarly superb – he rarely lowers more than a pole.
Bought as a foal by his co-owners Sarah Webb and Mollie Simmie (who also happen to be mother and daughter), there is a big support team heading to France to support this lovely grey gelding, and he deserves all of the superlatives – and more – that have been thrown at him of late. He is nothing other than consistent, and though his first phase score is not going to break any record books, it will still be good enough to keep them well in touch going into the jumping phases. If they deliver their usual double clear, they could easily make the top 5, if not a podium place, delivering us sentimental fools yet another fairy tale ending – and one that is very well deserved for this popular pair – DG
Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Toblerone – Nadja Minder (SUI)
I go totally googly eyed for a heart horse and Swiss rider Nadja Minder’s Toblerone is one of the sweetest on the circuit. Not only does this tasty gelding have a yummy show name, but his stable name is a real treat — I mean, who doesn’t want a little ‘Schoggeli’ (translation: chocolate) in the barn? A Young Riders to World Championships horse, Toblerone’s cross country record with Nadja is immaculate — their only penalties coming in Pratoni when Nadja took a tumble not far from home, after jumping all of the tough stuff — including that slippery slide — like a dream. Good humor is something that stands eventers in good stead, and Nadja seems to have it in bucketfuls — after their mishap she posted, “This man took off like a 🚀 didn‘t break any pins but my seatbelt broke for sure and the ejection seat got activated… 🪂🪂🪂”.
There’s nothing quite like watching a horse and rider who clearly love and trust one another, and that’s just what we get when Nadja and Toblerone take to the course. Rarely outside the top twenty, and often inside the top ten, this is a partnership which is definitely on my ‘one to watch’ list as they continue their Senior journey together. Toblerone obviously has a liking for French soil, with a third place finish in the 4*-S in Jardy last month, so I’ll be keeping a keen eye on how he finds Haras du Pin.
Nadja says Toblerone’s character “is as funny as his name” and he’s “THE rascal” in the barn – and I just love that there’s something very apt about a horse with a chocolate bar for a name having a bit of a naughtiness about him, as all the best treats do. – CD
Gaspard Maskud and Zaragoza. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Zaragoza – Gaspard Maksud, FRA
Another bright young talent to keep an eye on this weekend comes in the form of Gaspard Maksud and Equiratings Horse of the Year 2022, Zaragoza. Still only ten years old, this fabulous mare seriously impressed on her and Gaspard’s Championship debut in Pratoni last year, finishing in 6th place having added nothing to their first phase score of 27.1. A double clear in Pratoni last summer is something to be proud of in itself; let’s not forget the number of top horses that ran into trouble out there on both jumping days.
To think that such a result came from a relatively inexperienced horse – ‘Zoe’ was nine when she skipped around the Worlds – means that the home side will be pinning a lot of their hopes on this combination. Surrey-based Gaspard broke his collarbone earlier this year, so they missed their intended Bramham run, though they did then finish in second place in the CCI4*-S at Aston-le-Walls to make up for it, adding just a smidge of time to their dressage score. The mare’s phenomenal jumping record is matched by an ever improving first phase score; she improved with every international outing she has last season, and has beaten her Pratoni PB down even further, posting a 26.6 at Aston.
This Cevin Z mare is undoubtedly on her way to great things: she was in the top ten at 9 of her 13 FEI starts last season, an incredible statistic in what is just the beginning of her career. One of those top 10 finishes was 4th place on her CCI4*-L debut in Saumur and another 4th place in the Nations Cup in Haras du Pin, of all places. Could this prove to be a happy hunting ground for them again this weekend? The French supporters will certainly be hoping so, and if they produce their usual solid performance, they could contribute to a very good result for the home side this weekend.
This is a horse that has all the potential to become a star on the world stage, and one that has already started to make her mark. The European Championships could well see her challenge the status quo even further – watch this space… Zoe is only just getting started! – DG
Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo. Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński.
Timmo – Nicolai Aldinger (GER)
If you love watching cross country, then you’ll love watching Timmo tear up the track. This is a horse that, for me, epitomizes the event horse. With every single stride, you can see he’s grinning from ear to ear as he gallops and jumps for joy. And his cross country record confirms just how adept he is at his job – with 24 clears from 25 runs with Germany’s Nicolai Aldinger, Timmo’s clearly a force to be reckoned with come cross country day.
It’s fair to say Timmo doesn’t love the dressage phase — like a true eventer he’s in it for the cross country — but he’s so motivated by what’s coming on Saturday that he’s willing enough for some marks in the high-20s, although he’s more likely to be low to mid-30s, and has been as high as 39.2 this season. By no means write him off by those higher scores though, because, as I said, cross country day is Timmo’s time to totally shine.
There was a bit of a tense moment at the First Horse Inspection in Haras du Pin when he was sent to the holding box, and Nicolai must’ve had a horrible sense of deja vu after being spun at the same point at Luhmuhlen, which would’ve been Timmo’s first go at 5*. But all was good after a second trot down the jog strip, which earned a big clap from the crowd and a cheer from me, watching at home, and very much looking forward to seeing this lovely chap doing what he loves to do most of all on Saturday — run and jump. – CD
Addie French & Rockview Mr Diamond, aka Huey. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Last year, one of my oldest friends lost her heart horse of many years to a sudden and very unexpected colic. Huey was truly a unicorn; he was the kindest horse alive, the most genuine hard-worker, and he tried his little heart out for Addie at every event they went to. She has very generously decided to honor his memory with an award in his name at one of his favorite local events, Morven Park. The Rockview Mr Diamond Award will be awarded to the top placed rider in the Preliminary Rider class, and it was created to celebrate a horse and rider combination that have worked together to get to the Preliminary level. With a $250 cash prize awarded to the winner, the qualifications include a dressage score under 40, no more than 8 jumping faults and zero time penalties in show jumping, and no more than 5 time penalties on cross country. Neither horse nor rider can have competed above the preliminary level, making this an award truly for an up-and-coming pair.
This week, EN will be bringing you ALL of the Euros action, so stay tuned as we saddle up for a team battle that sure looks set to be AWESOME!
Check out Tilly’s Ultimate Guide for everything you need to know and read up on the form in the Team Guide . Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for our team picks to see what the EN camp makes of the competition – coming soon!
The race to Le Lion continues, as the 2023 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships edge closer on Oct. 19-22. The USEA continuously tracks the horses in contention for the 7-year-old championship in Le Lion d’Angers, France, and this year includes several competitive horses vying for the Holekamp/Turner Grant, which provides significant funds to one eligible horse to represent the United States in France.This year’s fully qualified horses have created a unique situation, as this is the first year in the history of the Holekamp/Turner Grant where the top three placed horses from the 2021 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse Championships are the same horses in top contention for the grant, already having earned their full qualifications. Gina topped the 2021 YEH leaderboard with an impressive 95.1, making her the leading contender for the grant, with HSH Connor on her heels with a 94.84, and Invictus on a 93.84, securing the top three overall national YEH leaderboard placings and standing as the top three contenders for this year’s grant and prize. [Eyes on the Le Lion Prize]
Do you know how to take your horse’s digital pulse? Not even exaggerating here, but learning to take a pulse was one of the best things I was taught when I was younger. Your horse is limping but you can’t see any obvious causes in the legs or body? Take the pulse. Your horse is a bit reluctant to go forward? Take the pulse. Your farrier and your vet will thank you so much. [How To Take a Digital Pulse]
Listen, I’m not from the hunter world, and I would never fit in there, but I can’t help but admire some of the higher handy rounds. Good riding is good riding, and I know how hard it is to produce a perfect round, seeing as I have never done that. Tori Colvin racked up some wins at Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show this week, and finished with a win in the $15,000 International Hunter Derby with the stallion Cardouch Z, and you can watch their 3’6 Handy round here. [Watch Why They Won]
Mark Phillips is worried about the future of British Eventing, and he’s not the only one. Between rising entry fees, constant weather cancellations and a lack of refunds, eventing in England has had a very rough time of it lately. The cost of hosting an event has risen almost 40% since 2020, meaning less events are available, and horse registrations are down, showing that more people are thinking cost effectively. Will British Eventing be okay? [Eventing Faces Dilemma]
Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir take an early lead at the 2023 FEI European Championships. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The first day of dressage is in the bag at the 2023 FEI European Championships at Haras du Pin, France – and to nobody’s surprise, the competition has kicked off with a serious show of British dominance as the nation seeks redemption from a disappointing (on a team level, at least) World Championships. But one person who certainly didn’t disappoint in Pratoni showed up again today to deliver the goods for her country: Yasmin Ingham, our reigning World Champion, came into the sandbox near the tail end of the day’s proceedings, and produced an exceptional test with Banzai du Loir to take the overnight lead on a score of 23.4, 2.6 points ahead of her nearest competitor.
“It was very atmospheric in there, but he was amazing – he didn’t put a foot wrong,” says a delighted Yas, who rides the twelve-year-old Selle Français gelding for the Sue Davies Fund. Their test came during the peak of the day’s heat – a heat that European competitors, and particularly the meteorologically maligned Brits, haven’t experienced this year. But the very blood Banzai is well-bred to cope with tricky temperatures, and Yas opted not to change any of her plans based on the weather – a choice that was proven sage by her result.
“We’ve kept everything fairly similar for the past few events now; we seem to have got a nice system that works for him, and obviously he’s not a horse that would particularly struggled the heat – he seems to not have a bottom to him,” she says. So he doesn’t really mind, and he felt really extravagant in there; just floating around the boards. He really is such a pleasure to ride in every phase, and his trot work was beautiful. He was just so floaty, and he’s very accurate into the markers, so that was great. And the extended trot at the end, he’s always got such a nice reach in his shoulder and carries himself so well and so much cadence. So hopefully the judges liked it!”
Yas and Banzai come to Haras du Pin off a win in the ultra-competitive CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S, a victory that made them the first British combination ever to win the event — and one that was a redemption song for the pair. They’d headed to Kentucky earlier this spring to try to better their second place finish there last year, but after a lengthy hold in the starting box, they had an early and uncharacteristic run-out at a skinny element within a coffin. But rather than chalk the mistake up to the bad luck of that hold – which would have been fair, and arguably understandable – she got back to work, solidifying her basics and foundations with Chris Bartle and dressage coach Richard Davidson, cantering cavalettis and simply ensuring the left, right, and straight getaways were all as smooth and equal as they could be.
That paid off then, and will hopefully do so again, but also pertinent was that Yas and Banzai rode the same dressage test – FEI CCI4* B – there that they did here.
“We rode the same test at Aachen and so I’ve been trying to get better at that four star test,” she says. “I’m pretty sure we came out with the same mark which is slightly frustrating, but I mean, I couldn’t fault him. He was brilliant. So I’m delighted with this one. It’s definitely very positive.”
Yas Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
If Yas is starting to sound like a seriously committed student of the sport, that’s because she is – and even with the confidence that comes with being the World Champion, she’s not about to get complacent for even a second.
“I’ve had some really great results leading up to this, and I think it’s really important to gain as much experience as possible,” she says. “I’m still only very young in the sport and every time I’m learning – I’ve had two really good runs on two different horses at five star and probably the best four star short in the world, so it’s definitely it’s filling me full of confidence, which is good. But I definitely won’t be taking it for granted. There’s lots to do, and I’ll definitely be working hard to have a good result here.”
And, she continues, even her big wins offer the chance to learn, and to put more tools in the toolbox.
“Actually, just today, before I did my dressage, I watched my Pratoni test, and I just tried to sort of channel the same sort of feeling that I had before that,” she explains. “It’s still amazing to look back on that and I still put just as much pressure on myself – nothing really has changed in that fact. I’m just very competitive and want to make sure I always do my best and make sure that I can ride Banzai to the best, and show him off and make everyone see how good he is.”
Now, as she looks ahead to cross-country on Saturday, she’ll be using her previous experiences to her best advantage over terrain that’s new ground for her.
“Pratoni was very very undulating and twisty. I think this track brings similar sort of vibes to that. It’s still undulating and twisty, but it’s very much very big and bold out there. There’s lots of quite big ditches and brushes and everything dimensionally is quite big, so I’m very lucky to be sat on an excellent jumping horse. That is definitely a good thing!”
Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice take second place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The last rider of the day isn’t quite a Championship debutant – he’s amassed plenty of experience at the Junior and Young Rider levels – but for Jérôme Robiné, this is a huge week: it’s his first-ever Senior Europeans call-up. While he’ll be riding as an individual this week, he’s one who’s already making a bid not to be overlooked – and, like Yas, he’s using confidence, acquired when finishing in the top ten at his five-star debut at Luhmühlen this year, to his advantage.
But even he probably didn’t quite expect to find himself in second place at the end of the first day, and in such experienced company. He laid down his personal best four-star dressage score, a 26, after delivering a test that brimmed with the self-assurance of a rider who’s truly learned to believe in himself – and learned, truly, what makes his talented horse tick.
“Actually, it’s pretty amazing,” he says with a broad grin, after having been swept up by the expansive and excited German squad at large. “Everything was a lot of hard work for a lot of people. There’s a big team around us for this moment, and so I’m more than happy that it worked the way we wanted it. He’s felt better and better from day to day here, and so I was I thought it’s going to be good when I was in the warm up. My dressage coach just said to me, ‘just enjoy it. There was a lot of pressure before and now just enjoy it.’ I think that was a good last sentence for me.”
That’s exactly what the Warendorf rider did, balancing focus with evident pleasure as he piloted the gelding, who he’s had for three seasons, around the ring.
“I felt the whole way around the test the feeling that I wanted to have, and so I was more than happy,” he says. “He’s not a type that’s perfect as a dressage horse, because he’s an eventer; he’s an Irish Sport Horse. We have to try to get him more in front of me, and even more up and I think that’s something he really learned over the years, to go for it in the test and to be up and running with me. I think the first flying change was great; the working canter, the working trot. That’s some good stuff for him. Actually, the second flying change was not that good because I went to be that bit too fast; I should do one more stride and then do a better flying change. I think that was the only mistake.”
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
Third place overnight went the way of British team pathfinders Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, who posted a 27.2 after a test that was full of things to like – except, perhaps, the numbers rewarded for the pair who have previously led at Burghley in this phase.
“That’s disappointing, and I hope the judges don’t get too generous after a nice long lunch!” she jokes, conceding that she did lose a couple of valuable marks when adding an extra step in the reinback. “He was really onside and didn’t really make any mistakes, but the rein back was a shame because he’s really good at those — there wasjust a little bit of miscommunication between us both, but otherwise, he was really super and tried the whole time, so I’m really proud of him.”
Kitty, who has been a real banker for Britain at previous championships with ‘Froggy’ – helping her country to gold at Avenches in 2021, for example, and taking seventh and best of the Brits at the 2019 Europeans – has a big job this week as the first out of the box for the Brits. But she’s pragmatic about how she’ll tackle the role, which will require her to bring valuable intel back to her teammates.
“I’ve done it once at Blair [Europeans in 2015],” says Kitty, who’s been enjoying the enormous team spirit — including team-bonding volleyball sessions — with the rest of her compatriots. “I actually didn’t think I’d enjoy pathfinding, but it’s not as bad as it seems. And a friend of mine reminded me that actually, probably my best rides have been when I haven’t sat around all day watching. So I’ve got to think about that and try and replicate Luhmühlen [five-star this summer, where they were second]. I was early there; Blair I was early. I’ve been early at Blenheim and the Luhmühlen again before and they’ve probably been some of the best rides. So hopefully it’ll be good!”
Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
For Germany’s Christoph Wahler, this phase has been something of a Jekyll and Hyde story with the uber-talented Carjatan S: on his day, he can deliver in the mid-20s, and Christoph, who runs his family’s dressage breeding stud and has a huge amount of experience in this phase, is the perfect jockey to bring it out of him. But since fine-tuning the gelding’s fitness regime during the pandemic, which has turned him into one of the country’s best, fastest, and most reliable performers in this phase, the knock-on effect has been a tendency to bubble over in the ring.
Today, it looked as though they’d found the balance, and three-quarters – actually, perhaps it’s fairer to say seventh-eighths — of the test was exactly as they’d have wanted: clear, calm, decisive, and with just the right amount of pizzazz. As they crossed the ring for the trot extension, the last movement before the final centreline, everyone dared to crack a smile: there was float, there was power, there was everything we know Carjatan can be. But then, as they neared the end of the movement, it happened: the Clearway son broke into canter. The crowd, fixated on what had been such a joyous test to watch, groaned; Christoph’s disappointment was etched into his face.
But, for what it’s all worth, here they are – still so good elsewhere that they could earn a 28.3, seeing them take fourth place overnight.
“Just to begin with, I was super pleased with the horse, because he stayed absolutely relaxed – and maybe even a little bit too relaxed in there, because he started to poo in the first half-pass, so that’s a shame,” says Christoph wryly. “But the walk was good, the canter was good; I think there were good flying changes, though we didn’t really get the marks we were looking for. And then a big mistake in the last extended, because I just lost a little bit of rhythm crossing the centerline and then he just went into canter – but overall it is what it is and we keep on going for Saturday.”
Saturday will see Christoph and Carjatan, who were part of last year’s gold medal winning German team at Pratoni, leave the startbox second of their team, over a course that the rider describes as “very demanding on the fitness side” – but in Carjatan, he doesn’t just have a run and jump machine, he has a horse whose final Pratoni prep run at Haras du Pin saw him romp home clear inside the time. We like those odds.
Great Britain is currently leading the team competition on 23.4, while Germany is second on 28.3 after the first two rider rotations – but in third place, currently, is a happy and perhaps unexpected surprise: the Netherlands sit in bronze position thanks to the excellent efforts of British-based Andy Heffernan, who stepped out of chef d’equipe duties this week to ride his exciting Gideon. And what a smart choice that was: he delivered a 29, putting himself in the hunt at this early stage but also giving the Netherlands a great start as they vie for one of the two Paris Olympic qualifications up for grabs here.
“To be fair, I was pleased with the horse, but I was slightly disappointed with the mark,” says Andy. “I thought it would be a couple of marks better, but, you know, it’s in the 20s. And I think it’s a decent track out there — I don’t think it’s a dressage competition. So you know, I hope that I’ll be close enough that I should have an influence.”
Of the marking, he says, “His trot work is always quite flash. He’s quite an eye catching horse, and so I’m bit disappointed because they went straight from the trot down to like five for his walk and he normally gets eights for his walk. And even the sort of people that helped me were a little bit perplexed by that. His canter is his most difficult gait; he can get a little bit stampy in his hind leg, so I sort of sometimes I could see that being a bit of a challenge, but I didn’t expect the walk. But anyway, it is what it is!”
The Netherlands join Italy (currently fifth), Belgium (sixth), and Austria (ninth) in fighting for those Olympic spots — and Andy hopes that positive Dutch history could repeat itself, as the nation won a bronze medal here at the World Championships in 2014, earning them a qualification for the Rio Olympics.
Tomorrow’s dressage will see the last two riders on each team take to the ring, beginning at 10.00 a.m. local time (9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST). You can check out the times here, tune in to watch the action via ClipMyHorse, and, as always, pop right on over to EN for all the news you need to know. And in the meantime? Check out our individual and team form guides to find out exactly what’s to play for, and how it might play out. Until next time: Go Eventing!
The individual top ten at the end of day one of dressage at the European Championships.
The organisers of The London International Horse Show have today announced the next instalment of the LeMieux Masterclass Series.
Taking place on Sunday December 17 in the New Horizon Plastics London Arena, world-renowned coach Richard Waygood MBE will present Grassroots to Glory starring Olympic medallist Laura Collett MBE, and YouTube personality and equestrian Megan Elphick. The masterclass will be a 360-degree review of achieving competition success, aimed at both amateurs and experienced riders alike.
The 45-minute session will feature a demonstration of top-level techniques broken down into stepping-stone exercises for the audience to take home and put into action. Waygood will guide the audience through an exploration of producing a successful competition partnership all the way from establishing the essentials and improving technique, to making those all-important steps up the levels – illuminated by a few of his own tips and tricks learnt across his long and successful career.
Currently the British Equestrian Federation’s Technical Director and Eventing Performance Manager, Waygood has a string of achievements, including riding at Badminton and Burghley Horse Trials, his long tenure as Riding Master of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, and an MBE for services to equestrianism. Waygood will be joined by Laura Collett and Megan Elphick, who will be putting into action his words of wisdom.
Photo Credit: London International Horse Show
Olympic medallist and multiple Champion, Laura Collett is no stranger to the London International. Having previously starred in the Show’s Dressage Unwrapped Masterclass in 2022, Laura returns to the venue on a high following her brilliant win at the 5* Luhmühlen Horse Trials aboard London 52. The chance to learn from Laura – one of the brightest stars of international eventing – is sure to be a real treat for the Show’s audience.
YouTuber Megan Elphick joins the Masterclass following a popular appearance in last year’s Winter Survival Guide Masterclass with Pippa Funnell. Megan, who inspires a huge number of followers by sharing her grassroots journey in her vlogs, will be helping Richard and Laura demonstrate the essentials of good foundations to a horse’s education.
Waygood said, “I’m really pleased to be bringing this LeMieux Masterclass to the London International Horse Show this year. It has been brilliant to be so closely involved with the Show’s Masterclasses in previous years, and with the introduction of the New Horizon Plastics London Arena it’s fantastic to be able to put these demos at the heart of the Show. Laura and Megan are great fun – and it’s looking to be a great line-up!”
Simon Brooks-Ward, Show Director, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming back Richard, Laura and Megan to the London International. It’s a real pleasure to be able to put top-level riders in front of our keen audience to share their knowledge. We know there is a strong appetite to learn and the LeMieux Masterclass series will deliver in spades.”
More information about The London International Horse Show, including how to buy tickets can be found here.
Boyd Martin on Asti’s Charming. Photo by Abby Powell.
Nearly 100 competitors from across seven nations are en route and arriving to the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park today, primed to compete in this weekend’s multi-level CCI-S, in the Olympic sport of three-day eventing.
General admission and parking are free to the public for dressage and show jumping on Friday, and the exciting and spectator friendly cross-country on Saturday. Thursday will see riders giving their horses the chance to become acclimatized with the competition arena, as well as taking every opportunity to walk (on foot) the extensive cross-country courses and begin making their plans for Saturday.
For some of the best riders in the world, the event is being used as a ‘prep run’ before heading overseas to compete at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials in the United Kingdom, one of the largest CCI5* events in the world.
Top horse and rider combinations currently entered include American Olympian Boyd Martin with Tsetserleg and On Cue; Canadian Olympians Jessica Phoenix with Freedom GS and Watson GS and Colleen Loach with FE Golden Eye; Australian Ryan Wood with Cooley Flight, Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo with Dari and Tremanton; Ireland’s Michael Nolan with Fernhill Galavant and Cool Macallan; Belgian Jan van Gysel with Eiffel de L’Abbaye and Spain’s Susana Tezanos-Moreno with French Kiss.
Photo by Abby Powell.
The levels of eventing offered this weekend include: CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCIU253*-S, CCI2*-S, CCIU252*-S, EV110 and EV100 as well a new Team Challenge modelled after the incredibly successful and popular MidSouth Team Challenge. The fun Team Challenge is designed to give riders an introduction to the experience of riding on and strategizing as a team, with the end goal of finishing a full team with the lowest combined score possible.
Local Olympian Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) has been a Canadian team member since 2015. She participated in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon (2018) as well as winning bronze at two Pan-American Games in both Toronto and Lima. Loach will be participating in the CCI2* and CCI4* divisions.
“Bromont is one of my favourite competitions and not just because it’s my ‘hometown’ event,” says Loach. “Bromont’s charm is its low-key, top class atmosphere in a beautiful setting. The rolling terrain makes for excellent cross-country and Derek DiGrazia is my favourite course designer which definitely adds to the appeal. We are lucky to call this event our own and a big thank you must go out to the organizing committee for keeping it alive and persevering through the turmoils of the past few years.”
Fellow Canadian Teammates Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON (5-time Pan-Am medalist and Canadian Olympian) and Selena O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON (Canadian Olympian with multiple World Championship starts and team silver medals from the 2010 WEG in Lexington, KY and the 2011 Pan-Am Games in Guadalajara, MEX) join Loach on the current list of entries.
With a venue among the best in the world and cross-country courses designed by Derek DiGrazia (USA) and Jay Hambly (CAN), the MARS Bromont CCI4*, ‘Little Bromont’ and August Bromont CCI4* offer a true test for horse and rider in the perfect ‘summer resort’ setting of beautiful Bromont, Quebec.
I finally did the thing and went to see the Barbie movie this week, which, by the way, was absolutely amazing and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Silly, funny, poignant, full of references, smart, and very PINK. This experience reminded me of a long forgotten factoid from my past. When I was three, I got my first pony, who was an extremely fat shetland mare with a big old white blaze. My parents got an old bumper-pull for me to attend all of my very important lead-line classes, and I had it custom painted. Bright. Pink. So we had an old beat-up green 1975 chevy pulling a hot pink trailer around town, and if that isn’t every little girl’s wildest dream, I don’t know what is. I grew out of pink, but now I’m thinking maybe it’s making a comeback!
This week, EN will be bringing you ALL of the Euros action, so stay tuned as we saddle up for a team battle that sure looks set to be AWESOME!
Check out Tilly’s Ultimate Guide for everything you need to know and read up on the form in the Team Guide . Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for our team picks to see what the EN camp makes of the competition – coming soon!
Being an equine vet is one of the hardest jobs imaginable, but successfully competing at a high level alongside it is downright madness. Known amongst her peers as something of a “witch” for her intuitive solutions to complicated medical problems, Jean Looman definitely has a way with animals. Her personal horse, Red Hot Chili Pepper, definitely qualifies as an underdog, and Jean’s commitment to solving the puzzle has paid off. While she initially thought he would be an eventing horse, the pair has found much more success in the Dressage world, and are currently working towards their Gold Medal. [Busy Vet Keeps Barn Her Happy Place]
I don’t believe in crystals, but I might be convinced to believe in whorlology now that we have some science behind it. If you suspect your horse’s hair whorls have something to do with his personality, you might be right. For the first time in any species, scientists have found a possible genetic link between whorls and behavior—and they found it in Quarter Horses. [Genomic Study Links Whorls & Behavior in Horses]
Trot poles and cavaletti are amongst my most favorite exercises. In this video, Canadian show jumping legend Ian Millar talks about the importance of incorporating trot rails, and raised trot rails, into your training program. For trotting them, trot rails typically are set four feet apart. Millar prefers rails that are not round as they are safer if a horse steps on one. He explains the many benefits of trotting rails for both horse and riders, including helps the horse engage his shoulders and hips, developing a steady pace and rhythm and developing the eye for both horse and human. [Trot Rail Tips with Ian Millar]
Have you really settled into a horse show if you haven’t rolled en masse while grazing??
