Boyd's new cross country gear? According to Glenn from Horses in the Morning, this Bauer Od1n Body Suit should do the trick.
I’ve been thinking of telling Boyd and Silva to buy a Powerball ticket, because their rash of bad luck has got to be coming to an end soon. The Martins are among the most resilient of all equestrians, and I got to thinking about exactly how much metal Boyd must have in his body at this point. I’m beginning to think that perhaps Boyd is actually a pseudonym for someone else, perhaps someone by the name of Tony Stark?
Boyd successfully underwent surgery yesterday to repair his broken tibia, acquiring his latest set of hardware as surgeons inserted a metal rod along the length of his lower right leg. Click here to see a photo of the stitched-up leg post surgery — not posting directly on the page to protect those with weak stomachs — which he posted on his personal Facebook page earlier this afternoon.
All fixed! Sort of. Photo via Boyd’s Facebook page.
Glenn the Geek, host of the Horses in the Morning radio show, called attention on this morning’s episode to the Bauer Od1n Body Suit (screenshot above taken from this article), which is designed for use by hockey players, but could also serve its purpose for cross-country riding. To me, it looks like more of an Iron Man suit than anything else. Am I right?
Boyd has ruefully called himself part of a running joke at the local hospitals he frequents, where the scene evidently turns into the theme song from Cheers, as he is easily recognized and greeted upon each new visit with a new project for the hard-working staff.
I took a quick tally of the injuries and surgeries that Boyd has been subjected to in the past year. Take a look:
Broken tibia, March 2014
Broken arm, October 2013
Torn ankle tendons and ligaments, May 2013
Boyd himself has begun to lose count of the number of times he’s been under the knife, so we may well be missing some injuries here, but you can get a good idea of what the poor man has been through of late.
All jokes aside, Boyd, we sincerely hope that your recovery — and Silva’s! — is swift and uncomplicated. While your home may currently look like a hospital ward, if anyone can come out on the other side of this victorious, it’s definitely you two!
Here’s Liz Halliday-Sharp and HHS Cooley’s dressage test from Fontainebleau CICO3*, the first leg of the FEI Nations Cup series, which kicked off this past weekend in France. I posted this video on my Across the Pond update earlier today, but it’s worth calling your attention to again here since Cooley is a pretty cool dude. Liz told me the dressage has been a challenge for this horse because he’s quite long through his back, so he’s had to overcome strength issues. But it’s slowly coming together, and Liz said on her Facebook page she was very happy with Cooley’s score of 47.6. This horse has only been eventing since he was 7, and he finished third in his first CCI3* at Galway Downs as a 9-year-old last fall, so he’s definitely going to be an exciting one to watch in the future.
Why SpectraVET?
Reliable. Effective. Affordable.
SpectraVET is committed to providing only the highest-quality products and services to our customers, and to educating the world in the science and art of laser therapy.
We design and manufacture the broadest range of clinically-proven veterinary therapeutic laser products, which are represented and supported worldwide by our network of specialist distributors and authorized service centers.
Across the Pond is our new weekly update series on what our North American riders based in Europe are up to. Have a tip on an American or Canadian competing in Europe? Send it to [email protected]. We’re also always on the lookout for photos and videos. Go USA and Canada!
Tiana and Finn at the UK Training Sessions earlier this month. Photo by Samantha Clark for PRO.
Tiana Coudray: Tiana’s fans will be thrilled to learn we might see her on home soil this year for Kentucky, as she hasn’t yet decided whether Ringwood Magister will run there or at Badminton. Seeing pictures of him from Samantha Clark’s UK training session reports on the PRO blog is almost shocking, as he’s starting to lose much of that dark steel grey color in his coat. Of course, he’s still stunning to look at! Finn had his first run of the season earlier this month at Isleham in Intermediate, where he jumped clear and had an easy trip across the country. He did the Advanced/Intermediate division this past weekend at Great Witchingham, placing ninth with a dressage score of 25.7 and adding just time penalties in both jumping phases.
As we’ve seen on the PRO blog, Tiana has an exciting new horse she’s campaigning this year in Sambuca F, another stunning grey new to her yard as of just a couple weeks ago. Tiana had the 8-year-old mare out for the first time this season at Great Witchingham this past weekend, where she ran HC at Novice. Tiana told Samantha: “She’s struggled a bit last year in the dressage. She’s a beautiful mover and she’s done some very good tests as a six year old, but last year as a seven year old the wheels were coming off the cart a little bit. I’ve just let her have it really easy so far, no pressure, I’m just trying to make friends with her before I start to ask much of her because I know she has a history.”
Liz, Blackie, Cooley and super groom Gemma Jelinska at Barroca. Photo via Liz’s Facebook page.
Liz Halliday-Sharp: Liz has been having a bang-up season so far with her upper-level mounts Fernhill By Night and HHS Cooley. She abandoned the soggy weather in England early in the year and headed to Portugal with both horses, where Fernhill By Night (Blackie) won the CIC2* at Vale Soboroso CIC2* — winning a Harley Davidson motorcycle in the process — before winning again the following week in the CIC2* at Barroca, where Cooley also finished third. Not a bad way to start the season, right?
Sadly, she had to return to chilly England soon after, but for a good reason — to ride with David O’Connor in the UK training sessions, as both Blackie and Cooley were listed following strong performances in the second half of 2013. We reported over the weekend that Liz was the sole American competing in the Nations Cup at Fontainebleau CICO3* this past weekend. Both horses had very competitive dressage tests before picking up unfortunate stops on cross country.
Liz posted the following update on Facebook: “We had an educational week in Fontainebleau with a mixture of results, but all in all I am pleased with my horses! In the CICO3*, HHS Cooley and Fernhill By Night did good dressage tests for 47, then sadly both horses had a run out at different places on the seriously strong xc track. Cooley had miscommunication in new bit early on, and Blackie just jumped too big into last water, and we made the turn too tight to next element. They both jumped really well today around a huge SJ course‚ Cooley one rail and Blackie clear. Disappointing result after xc, but still pleased with my horses around a really difficult track early season!”
Rebecca and a very keen Rupert at Aldon. Photo courtesy Uptown Eventing.
Rebecca Howard: Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master are coming off a fantastic season in 2013, in which they were named Canadian Rider and Horse of the Year, as well as landed a spot on British Eventing’s top 20 pairs list. Rupert hadn’t been out since his 12th place finish at Burghley last fall until this month, when he romped around the Open Intermediate at Aldon for his first event back. I love the photo above from Uptown Eventing — doesn’t he look so excited to be out again?
Rebecca took Rupert to Gatcombe this past weekend, where they just did the Intermediate combined test. They had a good dressage test and a rail down, but Samantha reported over on the PRO blog that the going was very tacky. “The horse has got super quality work,” Rebecca told Samantha. “He has the ability to go in and be up there with the best in the world, but he struggles with nerves in the arena and anticipation, and then he overreacts to my aids. He’s a bit of a mission for me.” Rupert heads to Belton CIC3* next as a prep run for Badminton.
Clark and Glen at Gatcombe this past weekend. Photo by Samantha Clark for PRO.
Clark Montgomery: Clark and Jess have been settled into the UK for over a year, with Loughan Glen and Universe boasting numerous impressive finishes in big classes this past season. Both horses are preparing for Badminton, and Samantha has done a wonderful job keeping us apprised of their prep over on the PRO blog. Glen and Universe were both out at Gatcombe this past weekend, where they ran the Advanced/Intermediate division. Glen scored 29.6 on the flat, with Buzz scoring 31, and they each pulled a rail in show jumping before having clear trips across the country at an easy pace.
Clark told Samantha: “The cross country felt fine actually, even being here over a year I still come here and look at all this mud and think, ‘Holy crap! I don’t want to run in it!’ but then you start going and the horses get on with it just fine. Glenn felt really good, super. He didn’t have a great run at Isleham so I was a bit worried about that but he’s been schooling a few more times and he came out like himself today, I was really pleased.”
Clark and Buzz at Gatcombe. Photo by Samantha Clark for PRO.
And about Buzz: “He was just a little monster on cross country, he loves it! He’s definitely feeling really good, if anything a little overly confident, we just need to keep him under control, but he did relax as he went around, I think he just needed to blow some energy off so I think it was really good that he got to have the run. He loves it, it’s awesome, he’s really blossomed over here and it’s just fantastic to feel.”
Samantha reports that both Glen and Buzz will head to Belton CIC3* next, where they’ll see Mark Phillip’s course, which Clark expects to be “big and galloping but technical at the same time with a few combinations.” Click over to the PRO blog to see Samantha’s Gatcombe dressage report here and show jumping and cross country reports here. Many thanks to Samantha for the video of Glen’s dressage test, as well as the lovely photos.
Jules and Chwupdiwup. Photo used with permission from Lulu Kyriacou.
Jules Stiller: Jules is another rider with some really fantastic horses she’s acquired recently that will be exciting to watch this year. Sintra BK came to Jules last summer from Andrew Nicholson, who took the now 9-year-old mare to a 14th place finish at Saumur CCI3* just before she got the ride. Jules and Sintra BK completed both Hartpury CIC3* and Blenheim Palace CCI3* last season, and Jules had her out in the Intermediate at Oabsy earlier this month as their first run of 2014.
Pandora X is another of Jules’ exciting upper-level mares who came to her following the 2012 season from Giovanni Ugolotti, who campaigned the horse from the one-star level. Jules capped the 2013 season by moving the mare up to her first CIC3* at Barbury, where they finished 24th. They retired at Blenheim in their first crack at a CCI3*, and Jules hasn’t yet had her out this season, so it will be exciting to see how she looks coming off her break.
In addition to her two upper-level mares, Jules also has a number of lovely young up-and-coming horses, including Chwupdiwup, a 7-year-old mare who did her first CCI* last fall at Ballindenisk, where she placed third. Jules had her out for the first time this season in Novice at Isleham, where they were eighth, and the mare was 10th a week later at Oabsy, also in Novice. Do we have any other mare fans out there? I’ve only ever owned mares, so I love that Jules is all about girl power too.
Other riders: I’ll also be following along with Americans Brianne Staley, Logan Rawlings, Jacob Fletcher, Mary-Francis Cargile, Katherine Coleman and Cindy Rawson, as well Canadians Shandiss and Jordan McDonald, Kathryn Robinson and Mike Winter in these regular updates, so stay tuned for much more on our North American riders based in Europe. Go USA!
Kelsey and The Gentleman Pirate after their cross country run at Paradise Farm. Photo by Jamey Price.
Kelsey Briggs and her OTTB, The Gentleman Pirate, have become one of our more popular stories of late. After Kelsey wrote in and told us the tearjerker story of her beloved Pirate’s recovery from what was sure to be a career ending, if not life threatening, injury, we couldn’t help but keep tabs on this pair as they go on a whirlwind comeback tour this spring.
I was able to catch up with Kelsey at Carolina International this past weekend, where she and Pirate were competing in the Preliminary division. Kelsey said that Pirate has been training well and is super fit to the point where he barely has to catch his breath after coming off of cross country. “He doesn’t feel like he spent the last year off with a broken neck at all,” Kelsey said. “He feels like he hasn’t missed a beat.”
Kelsey went on to have a stellar weekend at Carolina International, scoring a respectable 38 in the dressage in a large and competitive field. They added one unlucky rail in a difficult show jumping arena and went on to finish cross country clean with just a handful of time. Kelsey was thrilled with Pirate’s run this weekend and feels confident in her decision to move back up to Intermediate at The Fork next month.
Kelsey has her eyes set on doing a CIC2* by the end of the year and, if all goes according to plan, will consider moving up to Advanced sometime next year. “I want to make sure that we are really good at Intermediate before we move up to Advanced,” Kelsey said, having never run Advanced herself yet.
She plans to partake in some more training to further both her and Pirate’s education to ensure that they are as well prepared for the move as they can be. In the meantime, Kelsey is eternally grateful for the second chance she has been given to ride her horse of a lifetime again, and is simply enjoying the ride that she and Pirate are privileged enough to go on.
To keep up with Kelsey and Pirate, visit their Facebook page.
Here is Kelsey’s helmet cam from the Preliminary cross country at Carolina International this past weekend:
Bug and I in 2008 after competing in the Training level at Loch Moy. We have both changed a lot! Photo by Gary Bortner.
I have always struggled with my weight. I played sports successfully all through my elementary, middle and high school careers, and though I excelled, I was still never lean and mean. Sports came easily to me, and I didn’t need to work that hard to be good, so why take it a step higher?
As we all know, with horses, it doesn’t matter how good you are at riding; you have to ALWAYS keep working harder if you want to succeed. Not only are you competing against others, but you are your own competitor. Can I be that much better than I was yesterday? This applies to all levels of the sport. If you want to get better, you have to keep striving to work hard and improve.
Bug and I again in 2008. Photo by Gary Bortner.
When I found Bug, I was searching for where I was going to go in this sport. The fierce competitor in me wanted to shoot for the stars, but I knew that I had a lot of work to do. To cruise along at the lower levels would have been easy for me, but did I want easy? Was this the sport that would actually kick me into gear? Did I love it enough to take that step outside of my comfort zone? Turns out, finding THAT horse for me is what finally pushed me.
Bug and I in a lesson with Bonnie Mosser in 2013. Photo by Alice Van Bokkelen.
When I started riding with Kim Severson, Bug and I had done one or two Training level events. Kim recognized the talent in my horse and started pushing me to catch up. Because Bug is such an extravagant jumper, it was hard for me to stay with him in my unfit state. Finally, Kim and I had a big talk. She basically told me that if I wanted to take myself and my horse to the level that we were capable of, I needed to take a hard look at myself and make a change. She just laid it all out there for me, and it was up to me to motivate myself to make the change I needed to go where I wanted. If I was happy just getting by, I could continue on the path that I was going down. That was a life-changing moment for me, and I am very thankful to Kim for pushing me.
Bug and I at Pine Top this February. Photo by Lee Ann Zobbe.
That following January, I took the plunge. I didn’t do anything crazy or have any weight loss secrets. I just changed how I ate and decided to be more active. I lost 50 pounds that spring. Not only did I feel happier and healthier, but Bug was thrilled not to be carrying the equivalent of an extra bag of feed around with me.
I still struggle with my weight, especially in the winter, but I haven’t let myself ever get back to where I was. I am always striving to be lighter, leaner and more fit. If I am going to continue to strive to be at the top of this sport, I have to continue to up the ante in my life.
So, Eventing Nation, what do you struggle with, and how do you find the motivation?
Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville. Photo by Jenni Autry.
On this day last year, just 37 pairs had entered Rolex, so it’s exciting we already have 64 pairs on the list before today’s closing date. I’m sure I’m not the only one waiting on pins and needles to see the Badminton entry list. We normally have access to that list before Rolex entries close, so I can only imagine Badminton is dealing with a massive number of entries to sort through. With this being a WEG year, many UK-based riders hoping to qualify for the Games will likely go through Badminton, so it’s expected to be a very heavily contested event.
Just 46 pairs ultimately competed at Rolex last year. With entries already up to 64 — and many more expected to be added over the next few days now that we’re at the deadline — we should see a much stronger field this year. For the Americans, the USEF Selection Committee has made it clear Rolex is not the only way to land a spot on the team — Badminton, Jersey Fresh, Bromont and Luhmühlen will also factor into the selection process — but it’s certainly a key event for riders based in the States. And with the entire Selection Committee slated to be in attendance at Kentucky, there’s no question it’s the best chance for visibility.
Once Badminton entries go live, we’ll likely see a number of these pairs cross-listed. Last I heard, Tiana Coudray has not yet decided whether she’ll take Ringwood Magister to Rolex or Badminton. Many of the British riders — like Sarah Bullimore, Alice Dunsdon and Izzy Taylor — have likely entered Rolex as a back-up plan in case they can’t make it off the wait list at Badminton. So all that is to say we’ll have a much clearer picture of who we might see in Kentucky this year after Badminton publishes that wait list.
Since our last entry update, we have some exciting new additions to the list. As expected, Boyd Martin has entered his four horses, though his plans are very up in the air right now due to breaking his right tibia in a fall at Southern Pines on Sunday. Boyd said yesterday he’s also entered these horses at Badminton and Luhmühlen as a back-up plan, as you can’t take any chances in a WEG year. Phillip Dutton isn’t yet on the list, but he announced on Facebook yesterday that he’ll be entering Mr. Medicott and Mighty Nice.
Fan favorites Peter Atkins and HJ Hampton are now on the list. Peter and Henny’s Rolex helmet cam is always one of the most-watched videos posted on EN each year, and I know I’m not the only one anxiously awaiting to see it. Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott are also now on the list, as are Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Kate and I went into stalking mode last night when we saw “Monaco” on the list under Kyle Carter’s came. After failing to find any existence of such a horse that could compete at Rolex, we’re guessing this is just a typo, and the entry is actually Madison Park, whose sire’s name is Monaco Magic.
Daniel Clasing and Houston will return to Rolex for their second consecutive appearance, and cross-country machine Tsunami is sure to delight spectators with Sally Cousins in the irons. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville will enter at A as one of the undisputed favorites — after Tate shows off his infamous antics at the Wednesday trot up, of course — and I’m very much looking forward to watching a 2012 Burghley rematch with Andrew Nicholson and Avebury should the Silver Fox ultimately decide to bring the horse to Kentucky.
Bobby Meyerhoff and Dunlavin’s Token are also now entered in their first Rolex appearance together, and Caitlin Silliman and Catch A Star will be back for a second year in a row. Fans of the scrappy chestnut mare Expedience will be excited to see her entered along with rider Kaitlin Spurlock, who is another Rolex first-timer this year. And Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries will be back for the third consecutive year to romp across the Kentucky bluegrass. We’ll likely see many more entries come in over the next few days. Stay tuned to EN for more updates.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are one month away from Rolex! If you haven’t started counting down the days, the Rolex Kentucky website has a handy countdown clock so you can see the exact number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the event begins.
Go USA! Vote for Kira Young in Horseware’s Contest:Kira Young is the only US finalist in Horseware Ireland’s Grassroots Rider 2014 contest, and she needs your help! Kira writes, “I ask America to support me in this endeavor because I have shown dedication and passion towards my country and my horses for as long as I can remember. My story is proof to the rest of the country that dreams and commitment DO pay off. Please help me take advantage of this second chance by re-voting for me and sharing! This time round, voters will need to enter a Captcha code, then enter their email address which will need to be verified before they vote by clicking on a verification email they’ll receive as soon as they submit the email address.”
Help Alec Get to Aachen: Photographer Alec Thayer, who will be shooting photos for EN at Rolex this year, also has the opportunity to go to Aachen this summer. He’s raising money to fund the trip, and if we help him raise the cash, we’ll benefit by seeing all his lovely photos from the event on EN! [GoFundMe]
French Take the Lead at Nation’s Cup: Nicolas Touzaint, Eric Vigeanel, Maxime Livio, and Donatien Schauly made a great team for France as they set the bar at this year’s first FEI Nation’s Cup at Fontainebleau. The team finished with a score of 150.4, followed by the Netherlands in second place and Great Britain in third. The next leg of the Nation’s Cup will be held in Ireland in April. [Horsetalk]
Eventing Fans Get the Shaft at WEG: According to WEG organizers, there is “no chance” of extra tickets becoming available for Eventing Dressage. They say that logistically, it is not possible to add extra seats in the temporary dressage stadium at Haras du Pin national stud. [Horse & Hound]
Video of the Day:
Watch this horse and dog play tug of war together. You can’t get much cuter than this: [Facebook]
Collegiate eventing is growing leaps and bounds. We’ve featured quite a few colleges, including the University of South Carolina-Aiken, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Virginia, UC-Davis, and Otterbein University. The latest school joining the crowd is Transylvania University from Lexington, Kentucky. Many thanks to Ivy Johnson for writing, and thank you for reading.
Transy event team members Charlotte Pruet, Ivy Johnson, and Hannah Williams. Photo by Ivegotyourpicture.com
Hey everyone! My name is Ivy Johnson and I am a senior on the Transylvania University Eventing Team. This weekend our team (all three of us–we’re still a fledging team!) came down to the Poplar Place Horse Trials for our first official outing as the Eventing Team. I am the oldest member: I grew up in Pony Club in Lexington,KY and evented through most of high school,but stopped riding for the most part when I came to college. This past summer, I learned that Transylvania had hired a coach with an eventing background to be the Equestrian Team coach,and I was convinced to get back in the saddle (after I took the LSAT in October) and join the team.
The team consists of myself and my mare Molly Malone, freshman Charlotte Pruet and her mare Flicka, and freshman Hannah Williams and her gelding Brighton Beach. Our coach is Tanya Davis.
At Poplar, Hannah and Charlotte competed at Training Level. Charlotte finished 5th and Hannah finished 9th. I competed in the Novice division (it’s been six years since my last event-I’m still a bit rusty!) and had a blast, finishing on my dressage score with two double clear jump rounds.
The hope is that we attract as many promising young student eventers to Transylvania, and establish the team early on in the world of intercollegiate eventing. We are very lucky to have lots of support from the athletic department at Transylvania, which has made a world of difference in terms of the team’s ability to actually come to fruition.
Our next event as a team is FENCE, from April 11-13. For more information about the team, visit www.transysports.com and click “Equestrian.” You can also follow us on Twitter at @TransyUEq, and search #transyeventing on both Twitter and Instagram.
This is exactly what you DON’T want to happen when you’re jumping down a 6’6″ drop.
The year was 2006, and the Head of the Lake was particularly fearsome. The water complex-turned-swimming hole claimed several victims including defending Rolex champion Kim Severson, who had been sitting in 2nd after dressage on Royal Venture, and William Fox-Pitt, whose Coup de Coeur took a tumble on the way in.
Among the small handful of riders who successfully navigated the direct route was Stephen Bradley on Brandenburg’s Joshua, an OTTB who was making his four-star debut. But Bradley didn’t just make short work of the question — he did it blindfolded.
Gretchen Pelham captured this spectacular photo sequence and was kind enough to share:
Despite Bradley’s wardrobe malfunction, neither horse nor rider ever took their eye off the ball–metaphorically speaking, at least. So how did they fare on the rest of the course? After coming home clear with only 2.8 time penalties, the pair jumped a foot-perfect show jumping round to finish in 3rd place overall.
Many thanks to Gretchen for sharing. Go Eventing, and don’t forget to double-knot those pinnies!
Clark Montgomery and Universe. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Clark Montgomery and Canada’s Rebecca Howard are busy training on the European circuit, and the PRO Blog has had a chance to catch up with these two as they begin their season in earnest.
Clark is aiming Loughan Glen and Universe for Badminton this year, and seems pleased with their preps so far. “Undeterred by hail, wind or rain, both horses jumped well out of the mud in the arena, and went steadily but easily and clear around the cross country, and now preparation can begin in earnest for the big one in May,” Samantha Clark wrote.
You can read all about Clark’s outing at Gatcombe on the PRO Blog here.
Rebecca Howard also had Riddle Master, or Rupert, out at Gatcombe, competing in the Intermediate combined test. Rupert is also headed to Badminton this year, and Rebecca told Samantha that Rupert was always a work in progress. “The horse has got super quality work, he has the ability to go in and be up there with the best in the world but he struggles with nerves in the arena and anticipation and then he overreacts to my aids. He’s a bit of a mission for me!” she told Samantha.
Boyd's new cross country gear? According to Glenn from Horses in the Morning, this Bauer Od1n Body Suit should do the trick.
