Classic Eventing Nation

Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By on Jan 31, 2014 12:01 am -
Here's a Friday throwback for you. Area 8 Chair Cathy Wieschhoff and Kit the Mule grace the August 1983 issue of the USCTA Magazine. Here's a Friday throwback for you. Area 8 Chair Cathy Wieschhoff and Kit the Mule grace the August 1983 issue of the USCTA Magazine.

How goes it, EN? Our lead photo today got me thinking about how cool mules really are. I mean, they’re hardy, surefooted, sane, and pretty darn cute — what’s not to love? That got me wondering how many mules have successfully jumped around a cross country course or completed a dressage test. I think it would be a pretty cool story. Do you know of an eventing mule, past or present? If so, tip me at [email protected] to share your story.

Events This Weekend:

Poplar Place February HT [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Sporting Days February HT [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Galway Downs Winter HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Friday News:

Eventing Nation has been nominated for two Equestrian Social Media Awards! Go vote for us in categories #14 and #15, Best Blog and Best Social Network. [ESMA Voting]

Do you hate static as much as I do? If so, you’ll want to check out this informative article on The Horse. Tips for reducing static on your horse are quite valuable this time of year, as there truly is nothing more unpleasant than whisking your horse’s blanket off only to fall victim to static shock. [De-static Your Horse]

Today marks the Lunar New Year, meaning the Year of the Horse has officially kicked off. With the rocky start that 2014 has gotten off to, it is my hope that the officially beginning to the Year of the Horse marks the improvement of the health and safety of our friends, both human and equine, as the year continues. [What Does the Year of the Horse Mean?]

Yes, the Super Bowl is this weekend. How is Denver Broncos mascot, Thunder, spending the days leading up to the big game? The cute Arabian and his rider will be making appearances on both the NBC Today Show and the FOX morning show today. Talk about celebrity! [Thunder Makes His Media Rounds]

Ever wondered what Olympic riders would do if they were able to edit an equine magazine? Now you can find out! This year, Olympians William Fox-Pitt, Carl Hester, and Nick Skelton will be stepping in to guest-edit an issue of Horse & Hound that focuses on their individual disciplines (eventing, dressage, show jumping, respectively). Any guesses for what William Fox-Pitt’s issue will look like? My guess is a lot of ad space dedicated to Jelly Babies. [H&H To Have Olympic Guest Editors]
If you’re in Aiken, don’t forget to RSVP for the USET Foundation Olympic Gala benefiting the US Eventing Team. Scheduled for February 14, the event will be held at Stable View Farm in Aiken. Cocktails, silent auctions, and plenty of top riders to rub shoulders with? Count me in! [USET Gala]
Will O’Wind Farm will host the cross country portion of the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. The facility is located about 30 kilometers away from the primary equestrian facility, the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Centre, which will make for some interesting commutes between phases. The cross country course will be designed by Wayne Copping and will be a CCI2* level course. [Toronto 2015 XC Venue]
Best of the Blogs:
Friday Video:
On the subject of eventing mules, I dug up some footage of some show jumping. Enjoy!

FlairBuck-Horizontal

Throwback Thursday: And the Rider Is…

By on Jan 30, 2014 6:30 pm -

Welcome to Throwback Thursday! Each Thursday, we will be bringing you some vintage eventing photos and posts. Do you want to show us your first horse or a photo of your early riding days? Email [email protected].

A star in the making! A star in the making!

How did you fare this week in our guessing game? I hope I didn’t give it away with the hint earlier. We won’t keep you waiting anymore.

The rider pictured below is…

Did you guess correctly?

Did you guess correctly?

… Selena O’Hanlon! Kelsy Flewitt kindly sent us these photos of Selena and her very first event horse, Toby. Selena fondly called him “An angel on four legs.” Congratulations to all who played along this week! Stay tuned for a very special edition of Throwback Thursday next week.

Selena O'Hanlon and Bellaney Rock. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Selena O’Hanlon and Bellaney Rock. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Thursday Video: Automated Horse Training?

By on Jan 30, 2014 4:30 pm -

Liz Hall posted this video on Facebook yesterday, and after reading the comments I had to see it for myself. This is a new contraption geared towards reducing or eliminating human interference and error by exercising horses automatically. Built like a futuristic horse-drawn carriage, this fancy machine is designed to exercise horses at the walk, trot, canter and gallop. There are even additional machines that allow for multiple horses to be exercised at once (check out the 4:00-minute marker to see this). Here are the qualms I have about this device:

1. Safety. What if a horse trips and falls or throws a tantrum? I guarantee you not all horses will be as happy to be exercised by this machine as the demo horses are in this video.

2. Money. I’m not sure I want to know how much this contraption costs. My guess is that Sheikh Mohammed would be the only one who could afford it. Or perhaps Oprah Winfrey, if she was into that sort of thing.

3. “The feel.” A huge part of training a horse is the education of the horse to accept the aids. This machine does nothing to train the horse to respond to human contact.

I could add many more things to this list, but I’ll stop there. At the end of the day, my vote stays with human riders. What do you think?

Thoroughbred Legends Presented by Cosequin: Danny

By on Jan 30, 2014 3:00 pm -

Thoroughbred racehorses that go on to second careers are unique in that they have two retirements in their lifetimes: the first from the track and the second from the show ring. Thoroughbred Legends, a new EN series presented by Cosequin, seeks to honor off-track Thoroughbreds that went on to accomplish great things as upper-level eventers and now enjoy a second retirement in their golden years. If you know of a great Thoroughbred for this series, email [email protected].

Kate at Camden Advanced. Photo by Winks Armstrong.

Kate and Danny at Camden Advanced. Photo by Winks Armstrong.

The year was 1992; the place was Queensland, Australia; and the horse was a tough little chestnut Thoroughbred gelding by Blue Sector. Bred and trained to be a country race horse, he came from scrappy beginnings. Although he was intended to race on the flat, Danny never made it to the races but instead was purchased at a young age as a pleasure horse, and brought home by Toni Cormie to become a riding horse.

One day at the Woodford Pony Club, a young Kate Chadderton was searching for her next mount and happened upon Danny, a young Thoroughbred with no official training. She loved him from the first second she saw him and only had to sit on him for a few minutes before deciding to lease him. Once this was settled, she rode him home! “The riding him home was necessary, as at that point we did not own a truck or trailer,” Kate said. “The ride was about two and a half hours at a trot with Mum following along in a car behind us.” At the age of 14, she’d found her first big-time horse.

Kate and Danny at their first 3*. Photo by Dorne Chadderton.

Kate and Danny at their first three-star. Photo by Dorne Chadderton.

Danny was generally a happy, generous and fun horse both on the ground and under saddle. Kate rode him at Pony Club and did a lot of “bush bashing,” or exploring the wilderness with him. They swam in the dam together; competed together at the local shows; and Kate continued to ride him everywhere, as she still didn’t have a truck or trailer.

 “While Dan was an absolute angel, he did have a boisterous buck and a wicked sense of humor,” Kate said. He routinely pitched fits when other horses knocked rails in the show jumping warmup and also pretended to be frightened of other horses occasionally, using this as an excuse to buck her off.

 After attending college, Kate decided she wanted to ride full time but realized that she wasn’t good enough to compete against the professionals. She packed up and took a few hundred dollars and her horse down south, near Sydney. Kate ended up working for a young, handsome, up-and-coming rider by the name of Boyd Martin. Starting her job at Training level, Kate went to her first CCI*, CCI2* and CCI3* under Boyd’s watchful eye. They were based with Heath and Rozzie Ryan, and after finishing her time with Boyd, she stayed at Heath’s barn for quite a few more years.

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Kate and Danny. Photo by Dorne Chadderton.

 “I didn’t win anything major because I made way too many mistakes for that,” Kate said, “but I learned so much with that horse.” One year at the Sydney CCI3*, Danny hit the last fence on cross country and tried valiantly to continue galloping; however, Kate popped off between that fence and the finish line, much to her chagrin. Together they both competed at Prix St. Georges in pure dressage and learned canter pirouettes, tempi changes and a real extended trot.

 When Kate decided to move to the U.S., she sold Danny to a young rider named Elise Armstrong, who competed him through Training level before allowing him to retire at her farm. “Danny really gave me the life that I live now,” Kate said. “He took me from the outback into the most prolific barn in Australia, enabling me to meet my idols, compete against them and eventually become their friend.” These days, Danny is retired happily in Australia, spending the majority of his time eating and hanging out.

Cosequin TB Legends Banner

Throwback Thursday: Guess the Rider

By on Jan 30, 2014 1:30 pm -

Welcome to Throwback Thursday! Each Thursday, we will be bringing you some vintage eventing photos and posts. Do you want to show us your first horse or a photo of your early riding days? Email [email protected].

Guess who! Guess who!

This week, we take a trip up to Canada for our Throwback Thursday rider. Did you get my hint there, EN? This rider has represented Canada at multiple events around the world, including the Olympics and the World Equestrian Games. So what do you think? Do you have the chops to guess our mystery rider this week?

Preparing for the big time.

Preparing for the big time.

Don’t forget to post your guess in the comments below. Happy guessing!

Equine Canada Announces 2014 Canadian National Eventing Team

By on Jan 30, 2014 11:52 am -
It's pretty awesome to see Kyle Carter and Madison Park on the short list! Photo by Jenni Autry. It's pretty awesome to see Kyle Carter and Madison Park on the short list! Photo by Jenni Autry.

Equine Canada just announced the names on the 2014 Canadian National Eventing Team. The short list was released back on Dec. 9, and the Canadian Eventing High Performance Committee made several changes before releasing the final list. Congrats to all the horses and riders who made the 2014 team list. Go Canada!

From Equine Canada:

Canadian Eventing Committee is pleased to announce the 2014 Canadian National Eventing Team. The Canadian Eventing High Performance Committee approved the list which recognizes performance results achieved at 2, 3 and 4 star CCI competitions and CIC 3 star competitions from January 1, 2013 to November 4, 2013.

Riders are listed in alphabetical order.

SHORT LIST

The 2014 Short List is comprised of horse/rider combinations which, have proven through their results at CCI/CCIO/CH 3 star and 4 star competitions within the time period designated under general regulations, they are successfully representing Canada in international competition as individuals and/or team members.

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LONG LIST

The 2014 Long List is comprised of horse/rider combinations which, have proven by their results at CCI/CH/CCIO 2* and/ or CIC 3* competitions within the time period designated under general regulations, with the potential to become short listed team members.

Screen Shot 2014-01-30 at 11.51.48 AM

William Micklem: Remembering Biko

By on Jan 30, 2014 10:30 am -

The eventing community continues to mourn the loss of Biko today. William Micklem, who sourced Biko as a 3-year-old in Northern Ireland, sent in this lovely tribute to the horse, who passed away peacefully yesterday at 30. Thank you to William for writing and sharing his memories of one of the greatest horses in U.S. eventing history.

Karen O'Connor and Biko. Photo courtesy of William Micklem.

Karen O’Connor and Biko. Photo by Kit Houghton courtesy of William Micklem.

From William:

He was a great horse and, with Karen, formed a truly great partnership. She deserves all the credit for fulfilling the potential of a Thoroughbred who I totally adored. My brother John first saw him in Jack Deacon’s yard in Co Wexford. Then I bought him as a rising 3-year-old and remember so well my huge excitement regarding his potential.  As a young horse, I rated Biko the highest I have done for any horse for his physical abilities, as he had the paces, jump and scope that were super special.  I therefore wanted a special name for him and called him Biko after Stephen Biko the South African who lost his life and became a hero in the struggle against apartheid — because of Biko’s big white face!

Even when I worked him as a 4- and 5 year-old, it was obvious that he had the scope and technique to be a real jumper, as well as the paces and gallop to be a top eventer. However, his brain was a different matter, as he took a long time to trust humans and move into the area of acceptance and partnership. He won the Thoroughbred 3-year-old class with me at Dublin show, and I sold a half share in him to Ronnie Duke, the father of one of my students, Sonya Duke. However, Sonya is fairly petite, and he quickly grew too big for her. Although he was 16.1 when I bought him as a 3-year-old, he grew to 16.3 by the time Karen got him two years later. Then two more years on from this, he was 17.3 hands! (This was not surprising, as his full brother was a racehorse with British Olympic event rider Tina Cook’s father Josh Gifford and was called Jumbeau because he was 17.2!)

After being with my brother John as a 3-year-old in Co.Carlow, Biko spent a year with me in Scotland as a 4-year-old at the newly opened Gleneagles Mark Phillips Equestrian Centre and won his first competitions, including a free jumping class. Actually, my wife Sarah was the first rider to jump him under saddle. He really trusted Sarah, but he did leave one or two others on the ground, including Mark Phillips! Then he went to Sonya Duke’s yard in Northern Ireland, where she did her normal terrific training job and started Training level horse trials before I took Karen to see him and told her he was “Olympic.”

I will always regret not keeping him for myself, which I would have done if I had full ownership of him, but there was no one who I would rather have Biko than my old student and great friend Karen, who I knew would have the gentleness and patience to build the right foundations before going into high level competitions — and so it proved. At the front of my book, “The Complete Horse Riding Manual,” there is a magnificent photograph of Biko and Karen going over a bank at speed. I look at it often and still get a huge thrill thinking of their great performances and awesome ability.

Forrest Nymph Thriving with Sinead Halpin

By on Jan 30, 2014 9:00 am -
Forrest Nymph kicking back at Rocking Horse. Photo from Black Dog Farm. Forrest Nymph kicking back at Rocking Horse. Photo from Black Dog Farm.

Last fall, we reported Sinead Halpin was taking over the ride on the talented pony Forrest Nymph. Affectionately known as Farrah around the barn, this red-headed pony has plenty of scope and talent to go far; with Sinead in the irons, there’s no telling what the limit is for Farrah. Most recently, Sinead had Farrah out for their first competition together at the Rocking Horse Winter I Horse Trials in Ocala. The pair scored a 30.5 in the dressage and added nothing to that score to finish in seventh overall.

Aside from competing smaller horses when she first began riding at the upper levels, Sinead has not had a lot of experience with ponies. “Maybe when I was 12!” she joked of the last time she had been on a horse as small as Farrah. Farrah’s 14.2-hand stature does not have an effect on the mare’s talent and power, though. “When you’re on her, you really forget that you’re on a pony,” Sinead said. “In fact, the first time I got on her, I thought, ‘Thank God this is only a pony,’ as she is the strongest horse in the barn.”

As is the case with many mares, Farrah thinks of herself as an alpha, and so Sinead has learned that she has to convince the redhead that everything is her idea. “You can never get mad at her,” Sinead said. “Nothing is ever her fault.” Sinead has had fun getting to know Farrah and said once she had her out jumping, she felt much more at home on the small mare. Farrah has a huge stride and an uphill build, so oftentimes Sinead even forgets she’s on a pony. “I had to jump her a few times to get used to the fact that I was looking up at the standards and rails rather than directly at them,” Sinead said.

Sinead has been impressed with Farrah’s bravery on cross country. “She’s a little like (Manoir de Carneville) in that if you don’t get her to the absolute perfect distance, she will still jump as if nothing was wrong,” Sinead said. “Sometimes if you make a mistake, you hold your breath; but in her case, she is pretty game no matter what.”

The plan is to take Farrah out at Preliminary next and then map out the rest of the year from there. Ideally, she will compete at Southern Pines and The Fork, and if this past weekend is any indication, it seems this pair is well on their way to success. Stay tuned for much more from Camp Halpin as Sinead and Farrah continue to get to know each other.

If you want to stay on top of any Farrah updates, you can follow Beth Davidson’s Pony Eventer blog and check out Sinead and Black Dog Farm‘s Facebook pages.

Go eventing ponies.

Thursday Reader from Devoucoux

By on Jan 30, 2014 12:03 am -
Why so glum, Faudree?

Why so glum, Faudree?

Well, the Snowpocalypse here in Aiken still has it’s grips on the community, with the majority of natives staying home in their houses with a stock of canned goods and the heat on high. I’ve been keeping all my taps running just in case the pipes freeze, and we’ve had to use our four wheel drive a grand total of two times. It’s pretty scary out there folks. On another but slightly related note, would it be too much to ask to want a Starbucks or similar coffee location on the way to the barn here, Aiken? Can somebody make that happen?

Events This Weekend:

Poplar Place February HT [Website] [Entry Status]

Sporting Days February HT [Website] [Entry Status]

Galway Downs Winter HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

News From Around The Globe:

Have you adopted a thoroughbred or standardbred from New Vocations? You could be in contention for their newly launched ambassador program! Riders who compete their horses actively all over the US can be selected to promote the program and their breed. The ambassadors will be responsible for promoting New Vocations at various events and shows throughout the year by handing out program literature, displaying banners, and wearing New Vocations apparel. Ambassadors will also be responsible for providing blog entries, photos, and video clips throughout the year which will be shared on the New Vocations website and social media pages. [New Vocations Ambassador Program]

Horse & Hound has a list of forty horsey things for your bucket list, how many have you done already? I have ridden in the sea, exercised race horses, cross country schooled with several elite event riders, been a fence judge, ridden flying changes, worn custom tall boots, ridden in a three day event, jumped a five foot fence, seen a foal born, ridden over jumps bareback, jumped a single barrel, and ridden with absurdly short stirrups. [Horsey Bucket List]

The eventing community is grieving the loss of Biko, who passed away yesterday at the age of 30. Do you have any photos you took of Biko over the years? We are putting together a tribute to his life and would be honored to use your photos. Send them to [email protected].

Eventing Nation has been nominated for two Equestrian Social Media Awards! Go vote for us in categories #14 and #15, Best Blog and Best Social Network. [ESMA Voting]

Did you grow up jealous of the boys that got to sleep in car beds? Well don’t worry, because now you can buy your little girl a bed that’s shaped like a show jump. With painted poles at the headboard and the footboard, and a lovely white picket fence theme, they’ll be sure to go wild over this pony bed! [Children’s Pony Beds For Sale]

Best of Blogs: If At First You Don’t Succeed

 

devoucoux

Biko Passes Away at Age 30

By on Jan 29, 2014 4:10 pm -
Karen O'Connor and Biko at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. AP Photo/John Bazemore Karen O'Connor and Biko at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. AP Photo/John Bazemore

We’ve just received word from Karen O’Connor that Biko passed away today at the O’Connor’s farm in Virginia. He was 30 years old. “It was his time,” Karen said. Owned by Dick and Vita Thompson, Karen found Biko through William Micklem as a 4-year-old in Northern Ireland. “When I saw him when we were shopping, I took one look at him and knew that I had to have that horse,” Karen said.

Her instincts proved to be absolutely right, and Biko will be remembered as one of the greatest horses in U.S. eventing history, as well as a fan favorite loved by so many people who followed the sport. “I always thought of him when I watched ‘War Horse,'” Karen said. “He was such a remarkable horse.”

Biko competed on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and helped America win the team silver medal thanks to a clear show jumping round. He also represented the U.S. at the 1994 World Equestrian Games, where he finished in 11th place individually. Biko was named the Horse of the Century by the USEA, and he also had multiple top placings at Badminton and Rolex.

“He was the only horse I ever rode that needed extra pages in his passport because of all the places I took him internationally,” Karen said. “He was part of my life for 26 years. He was an incredible horse.”

The EN team sends our condolences to Karen and the whole O’Connor team during this very sad time. Rest in peace, Biko.