Classic Eventing Nation

SmartPak Top Ten Horses Of The Year: Part Two

By on Dec 30, 2013 9:00 am -
Andromaque and Will Faudree at Richland. Photo by Jenni Autry. Andromaque and Will Faudree at Richland. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Yesterday we brought you Part One of the Nutrena USEA Top Ten Horses of The Year, presented by SmartPak, and today we bring you the second half of those amazing athletes. Determined by USEA year end points, these are some of the horses that have made our year exciting and we’ve all grown to love them. So, without further ado, I present to you the second half of the Top Ten Horses of The Year.

Coming in at number six with 176 points, Andromaque is the fourth mare on the list, making this a banner year for the girls. Missie and Will started out the year with two back to back wins in Advanced horse trials with a blue at Pine Top and another at Southern Pines. The pair also won the Jersey Fresh CIC3*, leading from start to finish, which set them up nicely to travel to Saumur CCI3*, where they logged the best placing of all US riders, finishing in 5th place. After a summer break, they returned to competition, placing 3rd at the Richland CIC3*. Sadly, while preparing for Pau CCI4*, Missie sustained a small injury and had to be withdrawn, but we look forward to her presence in 2014.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica at Plantation. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica at Plantation. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Veronica had a super 2013 in her first year under new rider Lauren Kieffer, after Karen O’Connor handed over the reins in the fall of 2012. In all ten competitions that this pair completed this year, they never once placed outside the top nine, which is seriously impressive. They were 4th in the Advanced at Poplar Place in March, and went on to win the CCI2* at Ocala in April. Following that, they won the CIC2* at Jersey Fresh, and the CIC3* at Chattahoochee the next week. Traveling up to Canada, Veronica led the dressage in the CCI3* by a large margin, but sadly ran into trouble on the cross country. They still finished in 9th place. In the fall they were 9th in the Richland CIC3*, and won a division of Advanced at Plantation. Unfortunately, after traveling to Holland to contest the Boekelo CCI3*, they had a fall on cross country and were eliminated. This mare finished the year with 142 points.

Sally Cousins and Ideal Contini at Bromont. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sally Cousins and Ideal Contini at Bromont. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sally bought Ideal Contini late last year with high hopes for his future, and the athletic grey gelding has certainly proven he’s a good contender for the future. Taz was 9th in the CIC2* at Poplar, 3rd at the CIC2* at The Fork, and won a division of Advanced at Fair Hill. At Jersey Fresh, they finished 4th in the CCI2*, and went north to compete in the Bromont CIC3*, only to sadly have a tumble on cross country. Rebounding for the fall, they placed competitively at a few Intermediate competitions, and were 2nd at the Millbrook Advanced. At Plantation CIC3*, they placed 11th, and went on to Fair Hill CCI3*, but once again were victims of a fall on cross country. Not to worry, though, because Taz has been out in three more horse trials since then, and all seems well because he’s placing in the top five again. Taz finished the year with 136 total points.

Buck Davidson and D.A. Adirmo. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson and D.A. Adirmo. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Moe is Buck’s second horse on the top ten list, and they’ve had quite a good year together. In early spring, they won a division of Advanced at Rocking Horse, and were 13th at the Red Hills CIC3*. They won two divisions of Intermediate in a row, at Poplar Place and Ocala HT. Moe narrowly missed out on a win at the Jersey Fresh CCI3*, placing 2nd by only a rail. They started the fall season with another win at the Intermediate level, at Maryland HT. Sadly, they didn’t get to finish out the fall season due to a pulled groin on Buck’s part, but Moe will be back out next year competitively. He accumulated a total of 135 points.

Ellen Doughty and Sir Oberon at Richland. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Ellen Doughty and Sir Oberon at Richland. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Rounding out the top ten horses of the year is Sir Oberon and his rider Ellen Doughty. Obie started the year out with a win in the Intermediate at Feather Creek, closely followed by a 2nd place in the Advanced at Texas Rose and a 12th place at the Ocala CCI2*. In May they were 2nd at the CIC3* at Chattahoochee Hills, and then travelled to Montana for a 7th place at the CIC3* at Rebecca Farms. In Michigan, they were 14th at the Richland CIC3*, and in Texas they were 3rd at the AEC’s in the Advanced division. To finish the year out, they completed their first CCI3* together, finishing in a beautiful fashion in 6th place overall. Look for this pair at Rolex in the spring!

Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian

By on Dec 30, 2013 12:01 am -
Eventing 18 Riders with David O'Connor. Photo from USEF High Performance Eventing's Facebook page Eventing 18 Riders with David O'Connor. Photo from USEF High Performance Eventing's Facebook page

Ugh, good morning EN.  I hope you are feeling better than I am.  I have officially crossed over from “sick enough to call in to work” to “sick enough to skip going to the barn as well”.  I’m sure you all know exactly what that feels like.  I will undoubtedly watch a bunch of terrible movies on Netflix today while eyeing the weekend’s photos from the  Eventing 18 clinic on Facebook.  I might even daydream about going on a hack in a DayQuil haze.  I hope your plans are more exciting than mine!

Events Opening This Week:

Fresno County Horse Park CIC & H.T. (California, A-6) Rocking Horse Winter II H.T. (Florida, A-3) Paradise Farm H.T. (South Carolina, A-3)

Monday News and Notes: 

The family of Claire Davis and leaders of the National Western Stock Show and Complex announced that a Celebration of the Life of Claire Davis will be held on January 1, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at the National Western Events Center. In addition, the 108th National Western Stock Show in January will be honoring Claire Davis by naming a class in her honor. The popular Hunter/Jumper event known as the Gambler’s Choice will be named the Claire Davis Memorial Gambler’s Choice Horse Show for the 2014 National Western.  [More from NationalWestern.com]

The removal of a helmet has cost Brazilian rider Carlos Ribas his win in a six-bar competition.  Ribas and Pelvin Z cleared a 2.05 meter fence to clinch the win.  After clearing the fence, Ribas removed his helmet and threw it in to the air.  He then jumped two additional fences.  This is what caused the FEI to eliminate him from the final round causing him to drop to fourth place.  [More from NoelleFloyd.com]

Endurance is in the spotlight again after an Ecuadorian rider received a formal warning after the horse she was assigned to ride in an FEI-sanctioned event tested positive for bute and flunixin. Maybe I’m jaded, but it really seems like at least every other month there’s something coming out about FEI level Endurance and doping.  Does this mean that Endurance has more problems or that other disciplines are better at hiding it? [More from Horsetalk.co.nz]

Police are on the look out for whomever set fire to a riding arena in Union Township, Penn.  No animals were harmed and no structural damage occurred, but it is still scary to think of what could have happened.  [More from Eveningsun.com]

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is planning on banning NYC’s iconic carriage rides soon after taking office citing inhumane conditions.  The plan is to replace the horse drawn carriages with antique-styled electric cars.  The possibility of a ban has caused an uptick in business for the carriage drivers. [More from NYDailynews.com]

The largest known dinosaurs may have had some horse-like traits according to researchers.  Researchers suspect that the Argentinosaurus may have had stay mechanisms, a set of ligaments and tendons that are passive when the animal is at rest, similar to horses. [More from horsetalk.co.nz]

Jimmy, half-brother to brilliant Australian race horse Black Caviar, was euthanized yesterday.  Jimmy was the most expensive race horse in Australian history having been sold as a yearling for $5million AUD.  In November, Jimmy suffered a spider bite and had a serious allergic reaction to the antibiotic treatment.  As a result of the reaction he developed laminitis.  [More from Examiner.com]

Monday Video:  

A classic.

successequestrianbanner

SmartPak Top Ten Horses of The Year: Part One

By on Dec 29, 2013 4:00 pm -
RF Demeter and Marilyn Little at Pau. Photo by Jenni Autry. RF Demeter and Marilyn Little at Pau. Photo by Jenni Autry.

As 2013 comes to a close, there are lots of wonderful memories to look back on. Eventing Nation became a whole new beast this year, sending reporters to all the top competitions armed with wi-fi, cameras and capabilities for instantaneous reports. One of my favorite parts of this was the ability to follow my favorite horse and rider combinations, and see photos of them competing on the same day. And so, in honor of the top horses that made our year exciting, I give you part one of our top ten Eventing horses of 2013, as determined by the Nutrena USEA leaderboard, for SmartPak Horse Of The Year.

2013 was certainly a mare dominated year, but the lovely Oldenburg mare RF Demeter tops them all, with 259 points. Starting her year out with a 4th place at The Fork CIC3*, Demi and Marilyn sadly suffered a fall at Rolex, but rebounded with another 4th at Jersey Fresh CIC3*, and a trip to Luhmuhlen for a 7th place in the CCI4*. Staying in Europe this year, the mare then proceeded to place 5th at Blair Castle CIC3*, and 2nd at both Breda CIC3* and Schenefeld CIC3* before traveling to France to finish 18th at Pau CCI4* to cap off the year.

R Star and Kristi Nunnink at Pau. Photo by Jenni Autry.

R Star and Kristi Nunnink at Pau. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Coming in at number two is yet another amazing mare, the beautiful big Holsteiner R Star, owned and ridden by Kristi Nunnink. They were 3rd this spring in the Galway CIC3*, and moved on to Rolex where they placed 8th together. They moved right on from that to defend their title at Rebecca Farms, winning the CIC3* for the second year in a row. Traveling to Texas, Kristi and Rosie were 2nd in the AEC’s Advanced division. Sadly, they did not finish out the year the way they wanted, shipping all the way to Pau CCI4* only to run into trouble at the 6th fence on cross country. Rosie accumulated a total of 215 points this year.

Hawley Bennett-Awad & Gin & Juice at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hawley Bennett-Awad & Gin & Juice at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Rounding out the 2013 mare trifecta is the indomitable Gin & Juice, with her lovely rider Hawley Bennett-Awad. Accumulating 208 points throughout the year, Ginny started out with a winning streak, grabbing the blue ribbon at two Advanced horse trials in a row and the CIC3* at Galway in the spring. The pair went on to Rolex, finishing 7th after positively bouncing around cross country. Ginny was 8th at the AEC’s in the Advanced, and then travelled to France to compete in Pau CCI4*, where they made it look like child’s play, and finished in 16th place. I personally saw Ginny at the last water complex and a well known course designer standing next to me said, “What a little powerhouse”, which I think is probably the best descriptor for Ginny.

Lynn Symansky & Donner at Pau. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lynn Symansky & Donner at Pau. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Donner positively burst onto the international scene this year, becoming the poster child for badass OTTBs. After spending much of 2012 out of competition, Lynn brought him back out this spring with a whole new game, and it payed off. This pair won the hotly contested Fork CIC3*, and went on to Donner’s first CCI4* at Rolex, where they finished on their dressage score for a solid 5th place. They were 10th at the Richland CIC3*, 13th at the Plantation CIC3* and then shipped overseas to Pau CCI4*, where they boasted the quickest cross country time over a trick course and finished in 13th place overall. Donner finishes the year with 199 points.

Buck Davidson & Ballynoecastle RM at The Fork CIC3*. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Buck Davidson & Ballynoecastle RM at The Fork CIC3*. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Rounding out the top five this year is Buck Davidson’s stalwart competitor Ballynoecastle RM. This pair started their season early in 2013, with two wins at Rocking Horse in January and February, and a 3rd place at the Red Hills CIC3* in Florida. Buck and Reggie were also 3rd at The Fork CIC3*, and went on to Rolex Kentucky to finish in 4th place. They were slated to compete for Team USA at the Aachen CICO3* in June, but had to withdraw last minute due to a small injury. Despite a truncated competition season, Reggie finishes with 177 points.

 

 

 

Video: Hector Goes Hunting

By on Dec 29, 2013 2:00 pm -

 

From Irish RTE television, Hector O’Huckleberry travelled the countryside doing short programs on Irish traditions– this one being the sport of fox hunting. The show provides a really interesting and entertaining look into the Scarteen Hunt, and fox hunting in general, which is so important in Irish equine culture.

What Happens When You’re Not Looking

By on Dec 29, 2013 12:00 pm -

Face 1

 

When you read this title, you may have thought I’m referring to things that happen when your back is turned. That’s not quite what I mean– instead, I’m talking about those horses that walk into your life when you least expect them.

 

So far, my best horses have seemingly dropped into my lap, when I wasn’t looking for them. I’ve had friends who horse-shop for months, years even, trying to find a suitable sport horse. They search classifieds, go to sale barns, try this one and that one, go through several failed pre-purchase exams, and the whole process becomes frustrating. I get asked, “How long did you look? How hard was it to find that one?” And I feel a bit guilty, because I don’t find my good horses…they find me!

 

An ex-barrel racer

 

I wasn’t looking for my first horse– an unsuccessful barrel racer from a friend down the road, a horse who eventually took me to two CCI*s. I wasn’t looking for my next horse– a fox-hunting dropout mare (MARE!), “sale project,” whom I sold to myself…and went up to Advanced. I wasn’t seriously looking either when a jaw-dropping CANTER prospect was listed for sale at the training center next door, but I walked him through the gate and into my life a day later. He’s going training level now, and it appears the sky’s the limit for him.

 

Former foxhunter. Her talent wasn’t hidden!

 

I was happy with the horses I have; settled, content. My husband and I discussed the idea of picking up another sales project, but it was still in the “discussion” phase, I certainly wasn’t searching for one. And then a big, pretty, athletic filly popped up out of the blue…a ridiculous distance away, but she was special. My husband said, “Go get her. Now.” So, a three-year-old TB filly has joined the herd, and though it’s too early to know for sure, she’s turning out to be well worth the spontaneous decision. She will be for sale, of course….

 

Friends have praised my ability for selecting good horses, but I feel a little awkward about accepting it; they are all very nice horses, but I don’t feel like I deserve the credit for finding them– they found me. It’s not like I turned over every rock from here to Canada, sorting through hundreds of horses, hunting for a diamond in the rough with hidden talent no one else could see. It’s not that way at all…somehow I ended up with a few athletic, sound horses with ability that anybody would appreciate. And I’ve been fortunate not to mess them up (too much) along the way! I’ve been blessed that each horse has come into my life at a time when I was up to the challenge and could afford it; I’ve had to make some adjustments here and there (saying goodbye is hard), but I’ve been able to make it work. And each horse has taken me a little farther along my journey, and taught me more than I could imagine. I am so grateful for all of them.

 

For everyone out there waiting on a dream horse…be patient, it will come! You might have to search, you might have to dig, but then sometimes when you aren’t looking, the perfect horse will find its way to you and it’s just meant to be.

Bad Eventer’s Relationship Advice

By on Dec 29, 2013 10:30 am -

If you aren’t a regular reader of Bad Eventer’s blog, you should be! With the holiday season revolving around family relationships, Bad Eventer’s advice on choosing a mate and making it last is quite timely.

 

From Bad Eventer:

Well………. Perhaps………..
Let me think about that…………..
Why………..yes! Yes……… I sure do.
Horses and significant others can be a very interesting subject. If you have an SO who is making that statement….about loving the horse more than them….. it’s probably true.
In my world, the moment THAT comes out of their mouth………the death knell has been rung on the relationship.
It’s kind of funny because over the years I’ve dated 3 men who turned out to be adamantly, emphatically, opposed to my horse ownership. The “funny” part of those relationships is my first date with all 3 of them was an invitation to go horse back riding. I explained my horsey life style and life long passion RIGHT UP FRONT.

Does The Thrill Subside?

By on Dec 29, 2013 9:00 am -
Skybreaker stepping over the last fence at Huntington 2012 Skybreaker stepping over the last fence at Huntington 2012

Considering we are currently in the crux of the Holiday season, materialism, consumerism, and instant gratification come to mind. The thought of receiving and purchasing an unlimited amount of gifts, only to forget about, lose, or misplace those items twenty-four, to forty-eight hours after the 25th of December isn’t exactly conducive to bettering human kind. Rather, this gift giving extravaganza routine has become more about quantity, and maxing out your credit cards, than it is about celebrating life.

Don’t get me wrong, Christmas happens to be one of my favorite holidays, but these are the reasons why: time spent with my family; thoughtful cooking; the smell of Christmas trees; wreath making parties, music and so much more. Gifts and spending money are my least favorite things about the holidays. Perhaps this idea of instant gratification is the reason why Christmas has a brief shelf life, and is forgotten about shortly after. Once the 26th, or the 27th rolls around, people are back to their desks and life resumes. Trees are burned, or dropped off in the backyard, ornaments, and other holiday trinkets are placed into the “Christmas Box,” and stored away until the next go around. Life as you knew it continues after the brief and expensive holiday week.

This sport called eventing that we all have come to know and love, doesn’t seem to have a shelf life at all. In other words, there’s some instant gratification within this sport, but there’s also an extreme amount of waiting and pursuing, which must account for some of its appeal. Of course there’s the childhood dreams of riding and owning your own pony. There’s the avid competitors who cannot wait until the next event. There’s the work ethic, the dedication, the love, the mental and physical devotion, and more.  But there’s something to be said about the delayed gratification that corresponds with eventing.

valonia at Stoneleigh Burnham 2013

valonia at Stoneleigh Burnham 2013

I never really understood those girls I grew up with that seemed like die hard event riders. They were at the barn seven days a week. They mucked stalls, took lessons, and competed every other weekend. They seemed as addicted as I was. Time passed, and some stuck with it, while others dropped off the face of the sport. For some, I suppose the thrill subsided, or there was a lack of funding, or real life interrupted their addiction. In other words, college redirected their focus, or husbands and babies became the focal point, or they quite simply lost interest, or never had the real interest to begin with. Whatever the reasons, some girls I grew up with are not at the stables, the events, hanging out by the trailers, or walking their courses anymore.

From my perspective, I cannot imagine leaving this world behind, for anything. This is the world I know, am familiar with and have worked so hard for. I may only be going Novice and Training, but I never gave up and never stopped, mostly because this sport has a way of hooking you in, and leaving you every day wanting more. I feel as though I have so much to learn still. I feel like I have an immense amount of practicing to do and there are competitions that I cannot wait to attend. There are literally years that have been put into my two horses, and I am just now starting to reap the benefits of my training and their fitness. If this sport were solely based on instant gratification, perhaps there would be fewer followers, competitors and the entire eventing world would drastically shrink. For me, the thrill and the challenges that correlate with this sport will never subside.

 

Sunday Links from ERS-Eventing.com

By on Dec 29, 2013 12:01 am -
Happiness is having a horse who meets you at the gate... even if she won't let anyone else catch her. Happiness is having a horse who meets you at the gate... even if she won't let anyone else catch her.

Sunday Links from ERS-Eventing.com

Ah yes, the traditional holiday cold.  I was silly to think I’d managed to avoid catching it this year. Instead of being out at the barn this morning, I’m sitting here bundled up in a blanket, nursing a mug of chicken soup on the final Sunday of 2013.  I’m amazed at how fast the year has blown by.  It feels like summer was just giving way to fall a week or two ago.  I suppose it’s time to start preparing for an early start to 2014’s show-season and putting some thought to all of those New Years resolutions that I undoubtedly will fail to keep.

Sunday Links:

Priscilla Presley Seeks To Revoke Walking Horse Trophy

Hong Kong Jockey Club May Face Fines Over Contaminated Horse Feed

Maryland Horse Racing Industry Is Winning Thanks To Slots Revenue

New York City’s Strange Political Brawl Over Carriage Horses

Loose Horses In Los Angeles Area Injure 7 People

Firefighters Rescue Stranded Pony

Sunday Video: Ever need a video for your non-horsey friends to explain exactly what it is that you do?  Try this one!

ERS-Eventing

 ERS-Eventing.com provides riders with an interactive online portal that showcases product information, demonstrations, tutorials and reviews from fellow competitors and top international riders.

Brooke Schafer: A Tribute to Mighty Military

By on Dec 28, 2013 4:05 pm -

EN reader Brooke Schafer has shared several submissions with us, including her heartwarming story From Race Tracks to Galloping Lanes. Sadly, Brooke’s Thoroughbred star Mighty Military (“Ghost”) passed away over the Christmas holiday. We send our sincerest condolences to Brooke and Ghost’s friends, and thanks to Brooke for sharing a little bit of Ghost with us.

Brooke and Mighty Military. Photo by Jim Noetzel, used with permission

From Brooke:

Back in February I wrote a piece named ‘From Race Tracks to Galloping Lanes‘ highlighting my beloved gelding and all of his accomplishments as both a racehorse and an eventer. ‘Ghost’ as he was affectionately known, was battling a chronic sinus infection at the time which required multiple extensive surgeries and endless months of antibiotics and treatments. Throughout it all, his stubborn personality never faltered and he never showed any signs of pain or weakness.


The decision was made this past Thursday December 26 after the infection had unexpectedly ruptured through a new place in his cheek to lay Ghost down and say goodbye before further injury. Having consulted with several Lexington-area veterinarians we were told that his chance for recovery was bleak and dwindling. Not wanting to see my majestic grey jumper lose his health and spirit to an infection he could not conquer, I made the impossible decision to say goodbye while he was still bright and his white coat gleaming.

Having grown up the daughter of a trainer and riding instructor, I have been blessed with the opportunity to ride and show thousands of horses, many of which have been very special to me and have taken me to incredible heights. I can honestly say that none have ever touched me like my big grey OTTB who I initially found unimpressive and passed over for the first 3 years he was at our barn. I wish I had known back then what an incredible horse he would become and how much he would touch and teach me. I will never forget Sally O’Connor telling me that he was ‘really quite lovely’ and the transformation he made before my eyes in the short 2 years I rode and competed him.

Thank you Ghost for sharing your life with me and taking me to new heights I never thought possible. I am sure you are galloping away over the clouds somewhere, swapping leads as you go.

Video: Poodle Rides Mini Over Jumps, and the 2013 Shetland Grand National

By on Dec 28, 2013 2:00 pm -

Remember the short little Youtube clip of a white poodle clinging to a miniature horse as it jumped a low fence? The dynamic duo of Juliette and Classie is back with a full-length feature production including more jumps and a trail-type obstacle course.. A well-trained poodle and a well-trained mini? Definitely a pair to be reckoned with!

 

*******

 

And because little ponies are just too cute, here’s video from the 2013 Shetland Grand National at Olympia. Look at the little legs go!