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One Hundred Time Faults: An Excerpt from Robert Dover’s ‘The Gates to Brilliance’

By Robert Dover on Jun 30, 2023 10:35 am -

In this excerpt from The Gates to Brilliance by Robert Dover, the six-time Olympian shares the story of a major mistake on Roads and Tracks, and his first heartbreak.

Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Square Books.

Lisa was a senior from a high school near the University of Georgia campus. I fell madly in love with her. I spent every moment with her when we were not in class or working with our horses. I loved everything about her: She was beautiful, very smart, extremely mature, and always made me feel confident, even when there was really no reason I should.

Little things made me love her even more: The way she bound her two big toes together with a rubber band to keep her feet upright when she tanned in her back yard. Her Southern twang and boisterous laugh. And her unwavering passion for animals, which we shared. Most of all, the fact that this talented, smart, and beautiful lady could love a skinny Jewish kid with a big nose and crooked teeth—basically a geek in every possible meaning of the word—was to me a miracle!

We had been dating three years and I was twenty-one when a friend of mine, Francie Dougherty, who was in vet School at UGA, said I could borrow her horse to compete in my final National Pony Club Rally, which was taking place in Lake Placid, New York. The US Pony Club was the major source of training for kids twenty-one and younger, was responsible for launching the careers of the vast majority of our equestrian Olympians.

So, competing at the highest level achievable in this organization, as an “A” Pony Clubber, was to be the highlight of my life up until then. I asked Lisa to drive up with me and Francie’s horse for moral support, and I was thrilled when she agreed. Off we set on our great adventure.

Lake Placid was gorgeous, and the stage was set for a week of top competition. Lisa helped me where possible, but the nature of the Rally was that Pony Clubbers had to be responsible for all their own grooming and care of their horses and equipment, as it was judged as the “Stable Management” part of the competition.

Written tests were also part of Rallies, and points or deductions of points from these phases, as well as the ridden competition, determined the overall champion. As for riding, we had to perform three disciplines: The first was dressage at a Second or “Medium” Level. Next was a cross-country test of technical difficulty over a course of up to thirty-four obstacles and an array of combinations and questions that demanded superior skills. Finally, the third day we rode a stadium jumping course, which, with fences at a maximum height of 3’11” (comparable to a 1.20-meter jumper class), was a test of how responsive and fit your horse was after a hard cross-country course.

I was confident that I would do a good job in dressage as I normally did. Francie’s horse was also a very good, brave, and clean jumper, so I was pretty sure we could have a fine stadium jumping day. The problem I historically had was with cross-country. It was not that I feared falling or running out at a fence. No, my problem was that I always seemed to get lost somewhere out on the course. Once I got going faster than a brisk walk, I was famous for having zero sense of direction.

I decided that there was no way I was going to get lost in this, my very last Pony Club Rally. I walked the course not one but two times. Then, I was so determined that I actually ran it as fast as I could so that I would be prepared to make decisions more quickly as to which routes and turns to take. By the end of the day, I was exhausted but absolutely confident that I knew the course inside and out.

The next morning was the dressage test, and Francie’s horse went great, winning the class and setting us up in perfect shape for our cross-country day. A crowd congratulated me afterward, and I beamed at Lisa when I saw her fleetingly. She seemed to be enjoying herself socializing with people in the spectators’ tent. When I was competing, even back then, I was totally self-absorbed. Honestly, you need to be if you want to win.

The morning of cross-country, the horse and I were ready. But I had neglected to consider the one other phase of the competition, which mirrored three-day event competitions back then: “Roads and tracks” consisted of a very simple, brisk trot around a mowed track that was a very obvious square perimeter of a ten-acre field. It was basically meant to warm and loosen up the horses before they had to gallop and jump.

Easy enough, right?

Not for Robert Dover.

Off I went on my trot, noting as always the red and white flags that riders were to stay between on their ride around the field. As I came to about the halfway point, I clearly saw a red flag hanging from a tree and a trail going off into the woods. Not having walked the track, off I went
into the trees. A few minutes later we were heading down a ravine, and I eventually stopped at a rocky creek. I could barely see the path on the other side of the water, and the creek did not look easy to cross, but I was determined to win the competition and every second over the time limit to finish roads and tracks would cost me points.

My horse was not happy about the crossing, and we only made it halfway before he reared up, whirled around, and took me back the way we came. Deciding he had more “horse sense” than I did, I trotted him back up the hill, exited the woods where we’d entered, and saw plainly that we should have just stayed on the mowed path. We broke to a canter and then a slow gallop as I wanted to make up the time we’d lost but did not want to overtire my horse before the major test ahead of us on cross-country.

A few minutes later we finally finished, and my friends asked what had happened to me. I chose not to think or talk about my mistake, and instead prepared my horse to enter the start box where the next phase would begin. As the steward counted down, adrenaline coursed through my body. I was hot and sweating, nervous but determined as never before to go clean.

Francie’s horse was wonderful, taking each jump in stride with ease, and we finished the cross-country with no faults. He also jumped perfectly the last day during the stadium jumping. Had we not gone wandering during roads and tracks, we would have been the clear winner; however, the time we took to complete that simple trot around the field cost us…ONE HUNDRED TIME FAULTS!

ONE HUNDRED TIME FAULTS!

I was embarrassed and not a lot of fun to be around the last twenty-four hours of the event. Lisa obviously knew this, but she was enjoying herself and had made friends with a lot of kids, including a very handsome, Ivy-League rider named Tad from a well-known equestrian family.

Tad was well over six feet tall and pretty much the polar opposite of me in every way. Under usual circumstances, I would have been jealous of their friendship, but I was so single-minded and exhausted from the competition that it wasn’t until we were loaded up and on our way back home that Lisa and I finally had any time to really talk. We’d always been great at talking, and we covered everything—from the competition to getting back to Athens and school.

Hours into our drive, Lisa told me she had spent a lot of time with Tad over the weekend and that he had asked her out.

“I will always care about you, Robert,” she said quietly, “but I think it is time we faced the fact that our relationship is over. I want more.”

I was absolutely crushed and cried on and off the rest of the long drive home. Lisa was also upset, but she had made up her mind; I couldn’t talk her out of breaking up with me. Arriving back in Athens, we unloaded Francie’s horse at the barn, then I dropped Lisa at home, went back to my double-wide trailer, and fell into my bed, crying myself to sleep.

This excerpt from The Gates to Brilliance by Robert Dover is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.HorseandRiderBooks.com).

Your Guide to the Teams and Competitors at CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S

By Sally Spickard on Jun 30, 2023 8:37 am -

There’s plenty of time left to get to know the field of competitors at this week’s CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S, part of the World Equestrian Festival held each summer in Germany. It’s a spectacle to put on your bucket list, if there ever was one, giving off Championship vibes and featuring competition from the best horses and riders in the world.

Eventing is just one sport featured at Aachen each year, and we’ll have full stories from the action – which for us kicks off on Friday, with dressage and show jumping, followed by Saturday’s cross country action. You can follow along live on Clip My Horse TV all weekend — click here if you missed our Live Stream Guide.

We’ve done some digging on the competitors you’ll see this week, so without further ado take a deep dive into our Form Guide. Enjoy, and Go Eventing!

EN’s Coverage of CHIO Aachen is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

AUSTRALIA
Team:

Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio II
Twelve-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Vangelis-S – Courtesan, by Handstreich). Owned by Arnell Sporthorses.
Bill Levett and Sligo Candy Cane
Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Sligo Candy Boy – Castlemly Lass, by Visa Aldatus Z). Owned by Rider and Elizabeth Murdoch.
Shenae Lowings and Bold Venture
Thirteen-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Devaraja – Royal Zam, by Zamoff). Owned by Rider, Leanne, and Mark Lowings.

[Jump & Drive]

Andrew Hoy and Cadet de Beliard – Eleven-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Eleven-year-old Selle Francais gelding), owned by Odaria and Shane Finemore

Bec Braitling and Caravaggio II. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

With Olympic qualification secured at Millstreet earlier this month, Australia can take a bit of a breath now and focus on cultivating its to-be-named squad for Paris around this time next year.

One rider who had a hand in earning that qualification berth is Shenae Lowings, who also won the Millstreet CCIO3*-L qualifier division individually with her World Championships partner Bold Venture (fun fact: Bold Venture is a former racehorse who raced under the name Hell On Wheels and who Shenae first found in a Facebook ad – as if you needed any further excuse to keep window-shopping OTTBs, you didn’t hear it from us). She’ll come in to Aachen with a strong chance to finish well individually.

Accompanying Shenae are Australian team veteran Bill Levett and the 10-year-old Sligo Candy Cane, currently in his second year of 4* competition. This pair did have some uncharacteristic trouble at Bramham this year, but will be looking to rebound nicely and make a solid bid for Australia’s first Aachen podium since 2019.

Making her Australian squad debut is California-based Rebecca “Bec” Braitling with Arnell Sporthorses’ Caravaggio II. This pair received word of their call-up on fairly short notice, but Bec is nothing short of #superwoman and together with her clan was able to get “Ernie” on a flight to Germany, basing with dressage wizard Joann Hinneman in the lead-up to this week. Word on the street is she’s also got secret weapon/good friend Tamie Smith helping her out on the flat, which would be the phase Ernie would prefer to discard if given the option.

This mix of veteran and up-and-coming experience, both on the part of horse and of rider, represents a positive-looking future for the Australians, who stand to have some depth to choose from in a year’s time.

BELGIUM

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Ducati d’Arville
Thirteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Diarado – Pricilla, by Perpignon). Owned by BG Five Star Eventers sprl u.de Liedekerke.
Jarno Verwimp and Mahalia
Eleven-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Elvis ter Putte – Cohiba, by Condrieu xx). Owned by Rider.

[Jump & Drive]

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Pumpin de la Liniere
Eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Gemini xx – Litchi de la liniere, by Filou de Muze). Owned by Joris de Brabander, Five Star Eventers SPRL, Jeroen Lissens.

Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier gives Ducati d’Arville a kiss. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Aachen is one event to pick up an MER for individual Paris qualification, and Belgium will be looking to bolster both the strength of its individual riders as well as that of its teams – it currently holds the lead in FEI Nations Cup competition, and will qualify for a team berth if they can manage to hang on to that through five more legs. Belgium sent individual riders to the last Olympics in Tokyo (2021).

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier was one representative of Belgium present at the last Olympics, and she also competed at World Championships in Italy last fall. She’s aiming for another Championship berth this year, with Europeans looming in August. This weekend, she’s got the 13-year-old Ducati d’Arville, who was 13th at Aachen last year, ready to go for an impression with another year of experience under his belt. She’s also brought her younger horse, 8-year-old Pumpkin de la Liniere, for a shot at the popular night class, the Jump & Drive.

Also looking to make a stamp for the Europeans selectors is 23-year-old Jarno Verwimp, who’s making a bid for his first Senior Europeans squad with the Belgian mare Mahalia (though you could say they just skipped over that bump en route to repping Belgium at Pratoni last year). If they can make a strong bid this week on the notoriously championship-caliber Aachen track, the result will be a nice complement to the competitive results this pair has collected so far.

FRANCE
Team:

Luc Chateau and Cocorico de L’Ebat
Eleven-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Propriano de L’ebat – Nela des Bruyeres). Owned by Rider and Caroline Queval.
Gireg le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge
Thirteen-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Quppydam des Horts – Image de la Loge, by Dollar du Murier). Owned by Augustin and Frederique Grand.
Maxime Livio and Carouzo Bois Marotin
Eleven-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Kannan – Orchidee de Mai, by Flipper d’Elle). Owned by S.C. SOIXANTE SEIZE ET COMPAGNIE, Gilles Saiagh, Celine Frontreau.
Benjamin Massie and Edition Fonroy
Nine-year-old Selle Francais mare (L’Arc de Triomphe – Starlette Fonroy, by Quick Star). Owned by Rider and Jean-Luc van Hoenacker.

Individual:

Arthur Marx and Church’lle
Eleven-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Birkhof’s Grafenstolz – Ile D’ohe, Apache d’Adriers). Owned by Philippe Marx.

Maxime Livio and Carouzo Bois Marotin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The French riders will be looking to repeat or improve on their third-place finish here at Aachen in 2022, all while sharpening their tools for the Europeans and, on the horizon, an Olympics on their home soil.

Luc Chateau, who also runs the riding school at Haras des Chateaux and breeds horses alongside his wife, Caroline, brings forward the 11-year-old Cocorico de L’ebat, who’s already shown himself to have the prowess for the Long format events and who can also be handy at these twistier Short formats.

Also appearing on the French team is Gireg le Coz and Aisprit de le Loge, who’s impressed with two top-20 finishes at Badminton. This pair didn’t have a great trip to Aachen on their last trip here in 2021, parting ways on cross country, but two more seasons of experience together will have solidified their preparedness for the task ahead.

Sixth at Kentucky, Maxime Livio and the 11-year-old Carouzo Bois Marotin have already been long-listed for Paris (along with their other teammates this weekend) and will join Benjamin Massie and the 9-year-old Edition Fonroy to round out the French team. Edition Fonroy would be the greenest on paper at the 4* level of the bunch, but has some impressive results in two 4* starts, finishing cross country clear and inside the time at both.

GREAT BRITAIN

Team:

Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI
Fourteen-year-old Anglo-European mare (Calvaro – India Summer). Owned by Carole Summers, John Johnston, Kate Ward.
Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir
Twelve-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Nouma D’Auzay – Gerboise du Cochet, by Livarot). Owned by The Sue Davies Fund.
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin
Twelve-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado – Zarinna, by Cantano). Owned by Mr & Mrs J Lambert and Mrs D Johnston.
Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley
Eleven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (CSF Mr Kroon – Castlefield Ruby, by OBOS Quality). Owned by Pru Dawes.

Individual:

Hector Payne and Dynasty
Fifteen-year-old KWPN gelding (Whitesnake – Cleopatra, by Calvados). Owned by Jeremy & Judith Skinner,David & Margie Hall.

A super-speedy Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Defending Aachen winners twice over, Great Britain fields a very experienced team well-capable of topping the podium this weekend. The Brits will also have Europeans on the mind, with three the just-named long list riders (Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir, Tom McEwen and JL Dublin) competing in Germany aiming to make the final squad.

Two of the aforementioned riders are also reigning medalists – Tom McEwen earned team gold and individual silver in Tokyo, and most will know Yasmin Ingham as the current World Champion as determined in Italy last fall. Yasmin will ride her Pratoni partner, Banzai du Loir, while Tom will pilot Kentucky runner-up, JL Dublin.

British Senior team veteran Gemma Stevens – who also just came 12th overall in the prestigious Al’Shira’aa Hickstead Derby over the last weekend, which I have to say has to be excellent prep for Aachen – will ride the 11-year-old Flash Cooley, who was second in the 4*-L at Millstreet at the start of June (and who also was formerly campaigned by U.S. rider Liz Halliday-Sharp). Rounding out the squad will be Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI, who also delivered a strong performance at Millstreet, finishing second individually in the 4*-S.

The team will be joined by individual rider Hector Payne and Dynasty, an experienced pair making their first start at Aachen.

GERMANY

Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo
Thirteen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Timolino – Windgold, by Carlos DZ). Owned by Judith and Michael Spethmann.
Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz
Fourteen-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Diamant de Semilly – Heralina, by Voltigeur le Malin). Owned by Nikolaus Prinz von Croy.
Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K
Eleven-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Quiwi Dream – Amsterdam, by San Patrignano Cassini). Owned by Bodel Ipsen.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH
Fifteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Contendro I – Havanna, by Heraldik). Owned by DOKR, Klaus and Sabine Fischer, Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff.
Christoph Mahler and Carjatan S
Fourteen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Clearway – Kajenna, by Galant Vert). Owned by Rider and Lena Thoenies.
Calvin Böckmann and Altair de la Cense
Thirteen-year-old Selle Francais mare (Jenny de la Cense – Ninja, by Harlem). Owned by Jason, Liam, and Simone Bockmann.
Rebecca-Juana Green and TSF Solara
Ten-year-old Trakehner mare (Windfall II – Sexta Z, by Birkhof’s Graefenstolz). Owned by Christof Zimmermann.
Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia 34
Thirteen-year-old Hanoverian mare (Comte – Floretta, by Fabriano). Owned by Annelie & Dr. Martin Lübbeke.
Anna Siemer and FRH Butt’s Avondale
Sixteen-year-old Hanoverian mare (Nobre xx – Heraldik’s Amelie, by Heraldik). Owned by Prof. Dr. Volker Steinkraus.

[Jump & Drive]

Calvin Böckmann and Crunchip M
Fourteen-year-old Rheinlander mare (Cassini Boy Junior – Finess M, by Feiner Stern). Owned by Liam and Simone Bockmann.
Anna Siemer and Pirate Smile
Seven-year-old Hanoverian mare (Cicero Z Van Paemel – Pialotta, by Heraldik). Owned by Detlev Elgeti.

Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K (GER). Photo by Tilly Berendt.

As host nation, the Germans receive the most slots in the CCIO4*-S SAP Cup. Germany will be eyeballing its next Senior Europeans squad, and fields several likely members or, at least, heavy contenders this week.

Notable among the German roster is 2022 Kentucky winner Michael Jung with fischerChipmunk FRH, who’s been kept quiet this season and saved for a run at the Europeans and, ultimately, Paris next year. Last year’s Aachen winners and Kentucky fourth-place finishers Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz will also represent on the team. Malin Hansen-Hotopp and the exciting 11-year-old, Carlitos Quidditch K (great name) have also been named to the squad and will look to improve on a 12th place finish at Aachen in 2021. Also on the team are podium threats Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S, coming off a 4*-S win in Poland at the beginning of May.

Germany will also send a full roster of individual riders to Aachen, including 2022 Strzegom 4*-L winners Calvin Böckmann and Altair de la Cense, Rebecca Juana-Gerken and the Windfall mare TSF Solara, Libussa Lübekke and Caramia 34, and Anna Siemer and FRH Butt’s Avondale.

IRELAND
Team:

Susie Berry and Kilcandra Capitol
Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Orestus VDL – Beavers Bugsy Malone, by Hallodri). Owned by TruckEast Limited.
Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua
Sixteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Jack of Diamonds – Highland Destiny, by Flagmount King). Owned by Frank and Margaret Kinsella.
Sarah Ennis and Action Lady M
Nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Plot Blue – Action G, by Acorado). Owned by Andrew Cox.
Joseph Murphy and Calmaro
Twelve-year-old DSP gelding (Carpalano – Elster W, by Elsurimo xx). Owned by Richard and Tanya Ames, Claire and Charlie Mayne, Annette O’Callaghan.

[Jump & Drive]

Joseph Murphy and Belline Fighting Spirit
Nine-year-old Anglo-European gelding (Freeman VDL – Zominga, by Lupicor). Owned by The Kindred Spirits Syndicate.

Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ireland will send a team of exciting horses for the future and seasoned campaigners to Aachen this week. We’ll see familiar faces such as longtime veterans Cathal Daniels and #supermare Rioghan Rua, who helped Ireland to a third-place team finish in 2021 and finished 13th here in 2022. Susie Berry will compete the 10-year-old Kilcandra Capitol, with whom she finished fifth in the Blair Castle 4*-L last year. Sarah Ennis will also compete a up-and-coming future star in the 9-year-old Action Lady M, facing a step up in intensity at Aachen but nonetheless campaigned well with some tougher tests under her belt such as a sixth place finish in the 8- and 9-year-old CCI4*-S at Blenheim last year. Joseph Murphy rounds out the Irish squad with the experienced Calmaro, third in Millstreet’s 4*-S Nations Cup leg at the start of June, fourth here at Aachen in 2022, and fifth at Kentucky earlier that year.

This is a well-balanced enough squad that will also field a drop score with four members, so you wouldn’t want to count them out as potential podium finishers in the SAP Cup team competition this weekend.

NEW ZEALAND
Team:

Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park
Thirteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Berlin – Faerie Queen, by Rock King). Owned by Rider, Jean, and Rob Johnstone.
Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier
Ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Cavalier Royale – Greenacres Touch, by Touchdown). Owned by Chris Mann.
Jonelle Price and Mcclaren
Sixteen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Clarimo – Toni I, by Landjungle). Owned by David & Katherine Thomson.
Tim Price and Falco
Fourteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Cardenio 2 – Witta, by Weinberg). Owned by Rider and Sue Benson.

Individual:

Samantha Lissington and Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ
Twelve-year-old Holsteiner/Thoroughbred gelding (Caretino – Quantum Flash, by Tristaking). Owned by Rider and Pip McCarroll.

Jonelle Price and McClaren. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The Kiwis will this weekend call up the world #1 and #3 riders, Tim and Jonelle Price, to anchor their squad on two horses that should put in competitive runs this weekend.

McClaren, former Mark Todd ride and current World Championships partner of Jonelle Price, should be ready to make a strong bid for some competitive finishes this season with another year of partnership-building gone. At 16, McClaren is quite light on mileage and joined the Price clan on a trip to Spain for some Sunshine Tour show jumping this winter, which should make him even more well-rounded as this year progresses. Stablemate Falco was third individually for the Kiwis at World Championships last fall (also contributing to the gutsy team bronze medal won by the New Zealand contingent that weekend) and has finished as good as sixth at Aachen in the past. It’s be a solid thought to think he could surpass that finish this weekend.

Olympic rider Caroline Powell also joins the Kiwi squad with the 10-year-old Greenacres Special Cavalier, who was fifth in her 5* debut at Pau last fall. Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park round out the team; this pair is coming off a fifth place finish at Millstreet earlier this month, and were also members of the bronze medal World Championships team in Italy last fall.

Competing as an individual for New Zealand will be Samantha Lissington and her recent Mallow (IRL) 4*-L winner, Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ. After starting her career in New Zealand, Samantha moved to base in the UK, and she’s built herself a nice string of upper-level horses in the intervening years. Ricker Ridge Sooty has some impressive results on both continents, and at just 12 years old could be a real consideration for the Paris squad or future World Championships.

SWEDEN

Frida Anderson and Box Leo
Thirteen-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Jaguar Mail – Box Qutie, by Quite Easy). Owned by Therese Örup.

Sweden’s Frida Andersen and Box Leo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sweden will be represented by a sole rider this weekend in Olympic rider Frida Anderson and her World Championships partner, Box Leo. It’s a pretty impressive accomplishment to take the ride over on a horse (Ludwig Svennerstal rode Box Leo up until 2021) and then take it to a World Championship little more than a year later. But that’s what Frida has done with Box Leo, and she didn’t just “get around” – she finished in the top 20 on a tough and testing weekend.

Sweden is another country that secured Olympic qualification at Pratoni, and Frida will have that goal looming in her mind if she can make a statement and a good result at the next big milestone: this summer’s European Championships.

SWITZERLAND
Team:

Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH
Fifteen-year-old Cheval Suisse gelding (Greco de Lully CH – Miola, by Apartos). Owned by Jean-Jacques Fuenfschilling.
Melody Johner and Toubleu de Rueire
Sixteen-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Mr Blue – La Guna de Rueire). Owned by Peter Thuerler and Heinz-Günter Wickenhäuser.
Nadja Minder and Tolberone
Sixteen-year-old Swiss Warmblood gelding (Yarlands Summer Song – Medelyne). Owned by Nicole Basieux.
Patrick Rüegg and Fifty Fifty
Fifteen-year-old Hanoverian mare (Fidertanz 2 – Meerfuerstin, by Friedensfuerst 1). Owned by Angela Häberli.

Melody Johner’s Toubleu de Rueire, representing Switzerland, shows the photographers what he thinks of them. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Switzerland is represented by an experienced team that includes two Olympians and World Championships experience across the board. While the Swiss wouldn’t have the largest number of up-and-coming horses and riders, those they do have are certainly capable of strong performances in this team competition.

Individual competitive performances could come from the likes of Roben Godel, whose partnership with Grandeur de Lully CH includes multiple 4*-S wins and a World Championship completion (2018). This pair also knows each other quite well, having been together since the Swiss-bred gelding was young. It’s safe to say that this zippy, technical track should suit this pair quite well on Saturday.

Also on the Swiss team this week are Tokyo Olympians and Pratoni top-10 individual finishers Melody Johner and Toubleu de Rueire, who capped off their spring season with a top-five finish in the Strzegom 4*-L at the end of April. Nadja Minder and her Junior Europeans partner Tolberone are another pair that will know each other quite well, which will come in handy during this week’s mental challenge. Patrick Rüegg and Fifty Fifty, who represented Switzerland in the 2021 Europeans, round out the Aachen team.

UNITED STATES
Team:

Will Coleman and Off the Record
Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Arkansas – Drumagoland Bay, by ARD Ohio). Owned by The Off the Record Syndicate.
Phillip Dutton and Z
Fifteen-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Asca Z – Bellabouche, by Babouche VH Gehucht Z). Owned by Evie Dutton, Ann Jones, Suzanne Lacy, Caroline Moran, Tom Tierney, David and Patricia Vos.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C
Eleven-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Mighty Magic – Qui Luma CBF, by Flying Quite Easy). Owned by Ocala Horse Properties, Deborah Palmer.
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum
Seventeen-year-old DSP gelding (Loredano 2 – Ramira, by Rike). Owned by Ellen and Alex Ahearn, Eric Markell.

Individual:

Dan Kreitl and Carmango
Ten-year-old Westphalian gelding (Chirivell – Taramanga, by Templer GL xx). Owned by Kay Dixon.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Half of the silver medal-winning U.S. team at last year’s FEI World Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro will reunite this weekend in Aachen. The pairs absent from the original Pratoni team would be Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg, who just wrapped up a trip around Luhmühlen’s CCI5* earlier in June, and Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus.

The team members are joined this time by Kentucky podium finishers Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C, owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer, who’ve been on an impressive streak this season so far. It’s certainly exciting to see the increasing amount of depth on the U.S. team, and hopes are high for a strong squad to send to both this fall’s Pan American Games as well as next year’s Olympics.

Bolstered by Kentucky winners Tamie Smith and Mai Baum as well as 2021 Aachen individual winners Will Coleman and Off the Record, as well as the experience of Phillip Dutton and Z, Team USA could be a real threat to top the podium or at least finish on it this weekend. One thing to remember is that the U.S. won’t be concerned with European Championships implications, so where some pairs may choose to save some energy for the bigger goal, the U.S. will likely be under instructions to go for the gold.

Also representing the Stars & Stripes this weekend as individuals are Dan Kreitl and Carmango, making their first overseas trip (for both of them!) thanks to the support of a Dutta. Corp flight won at the USEF National 4*-L Championships in 2022. This pair picked up the first cross country penalties of their partnership at Luhmühlen’s 4*-S earlier this month and will be looking to shake that off as learning experience as they focus now on this new challenge.

EN’s Coverage of CHIO Aachen is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By Kate Samuels on Jun 30, 2023 12:03 am -

Checking out the canals! Photo by Jessica Roberts.

Y’all, I just returned from a weeklong visit to jolly old England, and I was really looking forward to enjoying some cooler weather, maybe some rain, and I packed accordingly. Virginia was hot, smoky, and the ground was dusty concrete. So, of course, the day I left the continent, Virginia boasted a week of straight rain storms, and the Brits roasted their pale countenances in the boiling hot sun. It was so hot, I don’t think I stopped sweating once, even in my sleep. Air conditioning? Only in Tesco, which was almost a religious experience. Now I’ve returned to Virginia, and it seems the hot humid weather just follows me around personally.

CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

US Weekend Preview:

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scoring

Inavale Farm H.T. (Philomath, OR): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scoring

Summer Coconico H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times, Live Scoring

Chattahoochee Hills + Area III Championships (Fairburn, GA): Website

News & Notes from Around the World:

I mean, can you really turn down more photos from Aachen? This week of equestrian competition is 100,000% on my bucket list, hopefully soon when I still have the energy to run around from one event to the other. While we are bringing you all the eventing coverage and photos you could possibly desire, you’ll still need supplemental photos to soothe your nerves. [Scenes from Aachen]

Beezie Madden has spent so many years at the top, I can hardly remember a time without her on the US Team. She probably knows a thing or two about jumping, and I guess I’d probably take some advice from her. Read her review of this eventer and watch the video as she comments and proposes small changes for the rider to work on. [Jumping Clinic with Beezie Madden: Maintain a Light Seat]

Hot on Horse Nation: If Horse Shopping Were Like ‘The Bachelorette’

How’s Your Thigh Contact? An Excerpt from ’40 5-Minute Jumping Fixes’

By Wendy Murdoch on Jun 29, 2023 3:30 pm -

Use this “5-Minute Fix” from biomechanics expert Wendy Murdoch’s 40 5-Minute Jumping Fixes to establish good thigh contact and a solid base of support over fences.

Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Square Books.

Next time you ride, pay attention to your thighs. Are they close to the saddle, or are your knees turned out? Is there a gap between your knee and the saddle flap? Do your knees ride forward over the knee roll? Does it feel as if your thighs are being “pushed” out by the saddle or the horse? Can someone see daylight between your thighs and the saddle over fences?

First take a moment to assess how well your saddle fits you. Your saddle has a tremendous influence on the way your thighs rest on your horse. You want to feel secure over fences so that you don’t have to resort to gripping, which, of course, interferes with your horse’s ability to jump.

Sitting in full seat with your thighs flat against your saddle, your weight is distributed across your seat and along the horse’s back over the rib cage. Spreading your weight over a larger surface area like this decreases pressure on the horse’s back in any one place.

When your thigh lies flat (correctly) on the saddle, the femur becomes a structural support for your stability without you having to brace your legs. This minimizes the amount of muscular effort needed to properly adhere to the saddle—and horse. Jumping with your knees turned out places your weight largely on the stirrups. This concentrates the pressure onto the area of the stirrup bars on the horse’s back. Even if you grip with the back of your calf you are subject to the stirrup’s pendulum effect, which is very unstable.

Pinching or gripping with your knees minimizes the surface area over which your weight is distributed to just your knees, and takes a lot of muscular effort. Pinching can cause knee rubs, limit your ability to follow the horse’s motion, and restrict the horse’s breathing since you are essentially squeezing his rib cage. Can you imagine what it would be like to have someone constantly gripping your ribs? Pinching also causes your knee to act as a pivot point around which your upper body and lower leg swing forward and back. Instead of absorbing the jump with flexible hips, knees, and ankles, your upper body rotates over your knee. This causes your lower leg to flip backward no matter how much weight you try to put into your heels. (A saddle that is too small for you, or doesn’t fit well in other aspects, can also cause the lower leg to swing back.)

The three primary bones of your seat are your pelvis and two femurs (thigh bones). These three form what is known as the “fork” of the seat. In full seat all three are in contact with the saddle, with primarily the thighs in contact when jumping. A correct leg position is often referred to as “the flat of the thigh” on the horse. This position of the femur distributes your weight around the horse’s sides through the saddle. However, when the back of the thigh is in contact (and knees are turned out) the femur is not positioned to transmit your weight to the horse’s sides. You have to compensate by resorting to other less-effective solutions, such as gripping with the back of your calf.

Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Square Books.

Try This

1. To feel what good thigh support is like, make an upside-down “V” with your index and middle finger to simulate your femurs.

2. Place them over your other forearm, which simulates the horse’s barrel. Feel how the “V” shape will only go down so far supporting the weight of your hand on the sides of your forearm. This is how your thigh transmits your weight to the horse’s sides, thus alleviating pressure on his back. When you widen your fingers (i.e. turn your knees out), you eliminate that thigh support. And when you pinch your fingers (i.e. gripping with your knees), you restrict your hips and pinch yourself off the saddle.

Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Square Books.

This excerpt from 40 5-Minute Jumping Fixes by Wendy Murdoch is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com).

A Battle of the Nations: One Pair Held at CHIO Aachen First Horse Inspection

By Tilly Berendt on Jun 29, 2023 1:38 pm -

2021 Aachen champions Will Coleman and Off The Record. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

There are certain competitions that we find ourselves counting down to each year, and CHIO Aachen — northern Germany’s ‘World Equestrian Festival’ — is absolutely one of them. This brilliant, buzzy celebration of horse sport – and the people who love to watch it – feels a bit like Disneyland for the horse-obsessed, and we really can’t get enough of it, nor of the serious battle of the titans it puts on for us eventing folk.

So what’s the big deal with Aachen, anyway? Simply put, it’s the closest approximation to a major championship that we get in this sport, without actually being a major championship. There’s tonnes of atmosphere, a huge amount of buzz, and a Nations Cup-style team competition (though it’s not, crucially, a part of the FEI Nations Cup series, so any successes earned here won’t count towards the efforts being made by unqualified countries to earn a spot at Paris next year). Plus, now that the World Equestrian Games of old no longer exists, it’s also the only show in which the very best of all the FEI disciplines is showcased in one venue, which lends it a uniquely special feeling, if you’re into the idea of, say, grabbing a coffee next to Steve Guerdat or following Jessica von Bredow-Werndl into a spinny door, which we very much are. More pertinently, though, all these factors combine to create a great, pressurised litmus test for horses and riders who may go on to fight for medals at the real deal championships, and so each invited country’s selectors tend to put forward their creme-de-la-creme, and we get the chance to see, for example, the likes of fischerChipmunk go head to head with Banzai du Loir. It’s a seriously cool teaser – and performance indicator – ahead of this summer’s European Championships, and it’s also a great way to see which horses are being developed on the Paris pipeline with a year to go.

World Champions Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

This week’s ground jury is made up of Judy Hancock of Great Britain, President Christian Steiner of Austria, and Edith Schless-Störtenbecker of Germany, who’ll pick up a gamut of vital roles: most immediately, they’ll be our judges for tomorrow’s dressage, which begins at the bright and early hour of 8.30 a.m. local time (that’s 7.30 a.m. BST or – prepare yourself, folks – 2.30 a.m. EST time). Then, it’s on to showjumping in the capacious, floodlight main arena with its 40,000 seats for the showjumping tomorrow evening, starting at 17.45 local time (16.45 BST/11.45 a.m. EST) – and that’ll set us up nicely for Saturday morning’s cross-country from 10.00 (9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST), which that busy ground jury will have signed off and approved earlier in the week, and in which we’ll crown our Aachen SAP Cup Champions of 2023.

But all of that is still yet to come: today, our ground jury had another, very important matter at hand — that of the first horse inspection, in which 44 horses were presented for ten assembled nations, plus a further six for Saturday night’s Jump & Drive relay competition, which pits teams of eventers, show jumpers, and carriage drivers against one another under the lights of the main arena.

Arthur Marx and Church’Ile. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Though all the presented horses were accepted into the competition — eventually — there were two tense moments: firstly when Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier was asked to immediately re-present Ducati d’Arville, and secondly, when France’s Arthur Marx was asked the same while trotting up his Church’Ile. Though the former was then accepted into the competition, the latter was sent to the holding box; after a closer inspection by the resident vet, and a further re-presentation, he was then given the go-ahead.

The day will begin with a batch of twelve individual riders, before moving onto the eight teams. The first rider in the ring will be young German rising star Libussa Lübbeke, who rides Caramia 34, while US individuals Dan Krietl and Carmango will be seventh to go at 9.12 (8.12 a.m. BST/3.12 a.m. EST).

Ireland is first in that team draw, and their pathfinder will be a seriously reliable combo in Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua, who come down the centreline at 10.09 a.m. (9.09 a.m. BST/4.09 a.m. EST). They’ll be followed by a seriously competitive German team, and then by the on-form young Swiss team, before it’s the turn of the USA and their own pathfinders, Phillip Dutton and Z, who start at 10.30 (9.30 a.m. BST/4.30 a.m. EST). Our last pair in the ring will be Kiwi anchors Tim Price and Falco, who start at 14.19 (13.19 p.m. BST/8.19 a.m. EST). The US is seriously well-represented this week: as well as individual Dan and pathfinder Phillip, we’ve also got Liz Halliday-Sharp and Ocala Horse Properties and Debbie Palmer’s Miks Master C, who were third at Kentucky this spring; Tamie Smith and the Ahearn family’s Mai Baum, who were victorious there, and 2021 Aachen champions Will Coleman and Off The Record. Plus, there’s a more-than-honorary American on the Aussie squad: Cali girl Rebecca Braitling steps up for the team with Caravaggio. You can meet all the teams and their riders in our comprehensive form guide, and check out the full times for tomorrow here.

We’ll be bringing you full reports and galleries at the culmination of both phases tomorrow – plus lots of behind-the-scenes action and glimpses at the other world-class sport on show at this extraordinary show throughout the days to come, so keep it locked on EN to scratch all your Aachen itches. Plus, you can tune in to ClipMyHorse.TV to follow all the action – in eventing and elsewhere! – live. Go Eventing!

EN’s Coverage of CHIO Aachen is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Form Guide] [EN’s Coverage]

: World Champions Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Will Coleman and Off The Record. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Will Coleman and Off The Record. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Tim Price and Falco. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Australia’s Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Germany’s Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Rebecca-Juana Gerken and TSF Solara. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: German individuals Anna Siemer and FRH Butts Avondale. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Kevin McNab’s Miss Pepperpot. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Great British individuals Hector Payne and Dynasty. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: France’s Gireg le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: New Zealand’s Caroline Powell and Greenacre’s Special Cavalier. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Australia’s Bill Levett and Sligo Candy Cane. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: Australia’s Andrew Hoy and his Jump & Drive mount, Cadet de Beliard. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

: France’s Arthur Marx and Church’Ile. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The Buzz and the Bright Lights: CHIO Aachen Hits Social Media

By Tilly Berendt on Jun 29, 2023 10:47 am -

When it comes to a show of the size and scale of Germany’s CHIO Aachen – the World Equestrian Festival – it’s hard to know which way to look, which arena to prioritise, or which world-famous pair to follow en route to glory. That’s where social media becomes something of a godsend; while we can’t all be everywhere at once, witnessing all the incredible sporting moments as they happen, the collective horsey family is definitely not going to miss a moment, and we can all relive them together. With that in mind, here are some of the highlights from across the ‘Gram, starting with some clips from the Opening Ceremony, which took place on Tuesday night and celebrated the equestrian culture of Great Britain – this year’s chosen country – including show ponies, racing Shetlands, and the contributions of dynamos such as Princess Anne:

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A post shared by CHIO Aachen (@chio_aachen)

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A post shared by Andrew Hoy (@hoyeventing)

Competition is in full swing already, with last night’s Turkish Airlines Prize of Europe CSIO5* going the way of Brazilian Yuri Manseur in an enormously emotional coup:

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A post shared by CHIO Aachen (@chio_aachen)

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A post shared by Anja Mertens (@anjasolido)

Here are some of the other stars of horse sport, who’ve been living the dream here this week:

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A post shared by CHIO Aachen (@chio_aachen)

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A post shared by US Equestrian (@usequestrian)

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A post shared by P & O Fotografie – Tier- & Portraitfotografie (@pundofotografie)

One of the nicest moments for a horse and rider who’ve travelled from far afield to compete here? The reunion, of course. Here’s some of our favourites:

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A post shared by Liz Halliday-Sharp (@lizhallidaysharp)

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A post shared by Phillip Dutton (@duttoneventing)

Schooling is in full swing here as our athletes get ready for one of the year’s biggest competitions. Here’s how it’s going…

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A post shared by Andrew Hoy (@hoyeventing)

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A post shared by Liz Halliday-Sharp (@lizhallidaysharp)

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A post shared by Kevin & Emma McNab (@mcnabeventing)

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A post shared by HEIA (@heia.ch)

And finally, we’ll leave you with this – a seriously cool throwback from one Jonelle Price:

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A post shared by Jonelle Price (@jonelle_price)

Go Eventing, and Go Aachen!

EN’s Coverage of CHIO Aachen is brought to you with support from Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

US Equestrian: Continued Focus on Air Quality Concerns

By US Equestrian Press Release on Jun 29, 2023 9:00 am -

Embed from Getty Images

US Equestrian released the following update regarding air quality issues stemming from Canadian wildfires:

A few weeks ago, we put an alert out regarding the Air Quality Index (AQI) and concerns stemming from the Canadian wildfires on our east coast. As we look at the weather this week across the northern and midwestern portions of America, we want to once again remind everyone to be aware of the AQI in your area.

Previous Alert:

USEF believes the decision by organizers to operate, suspend, or cancel competitions due to compromised air quality is best made by each individual organizer, because venue conditions can vary and can change rapidly depending upon weather, geography, and other factors. In order to make the most informed decision, competition organizers must consult with state and local health authorities and government agencies and should frequently review the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines involving air quality at AirNow.gov to determine whether or not to operate their events. Additionally, to best protect the health and safety of both equine and human competitors, the USEF strongly recommends that, in situations where the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 151 or above, an organizer consider suspending or cancelling competition. In cases of cancellation, organizers must inform competitors about refund or credit policies.

Similarly, members must conduct their own risk assessment regarding air quality based on the situation in their area and determine whether to compete. Certainly, anyone with underlying medical conditions should individually consider not competing in situations where the AQI is in the orange zone of 101 to 150. Many resources exist to monitor the air quality including AirNow.gov, a website formed in a collaborative effort by several national agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Weather Service, the CDC, and many others. AirNow.gov reports air quality using the official, color-coded U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI).

Thursday News & Notes

By Tilly Berendt on Jun 29, 2023 6:28 am -

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CHIO Aachen (@chio_aachen)

CHIO Aachen has officially begun – and every year, one of the things that I really enjoy about it is that it picks a country as its focal point, which sets the theme for the Opening Ceremony, the branding around the site, and a number of performances through the week. This year, the country of choice is Great Britain, and so we saw a very English display, including racing Shetlands, show ponies, double decker buses, and more in the opening ceremony. It’s all a bit of beautiful chaos, and a fitting opener for all the world class sport to come. We’ll be taking you on a walking tour of the show over on our Instagram, and bringing you lots of content from the eventing competition and beyond right here on EN – so stay tuned!

US Weekend Preview:

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scoring

Inavale Farm H.T. (Philomath, OR): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scoring

Summer Coconico H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times, Live Scoring

Chattahoochee Hills + Area III Championships (Fairburn, GA): Website

News & Notes from Around the World:

I cannot tell you how much I adore the equestrian wonderland that is CHIO Aachen. Particularly now that the old WEG format has gone by the wayside, it’s the only place in equestrian sport where you can see the very best of each discipline, all in one place – and the whole thing is designed to celebrate not just the athletes and horses, but the loyal fans, too. It truly is our Mecca, and this piece from Aachen first-timer Lisa Slade of COTH sums up some of that magic beautifully.

Is AI on course to take all our jobs? Maybe – but probably not. In this op-ed from Captain Mark Phillips, he explains why the human touch is necessary for picking championship teams – and why the task of selection will, or at least should, never come down to simply pulling numbers from a database, particularly in a season such as 2023, which has seen extreme weather conditions and some external factors skew those numbers in a way that the human skill of context would be able to parse sensibly. Read it here.

Being a mother is no walk in the park. Now, new research suggests that that’s the same for horses, too, who have to deal with peaks in their stress levels while carrying, birthing, and raising their young. Check it out.

Wednesday Videos from Kentucky Performance Products: Two Trips Around Aachen with Ingrid Klimke

By Sally Spickard on Jun 28, 2023 5:51 pm -

Aachen week carries a lot of excitement, which means I’ve been fooling around on YouTube for most of my work days looking back at different views of this incredible venue. I chose two helmet cams of Ingrid Klimke’s to share today, not just because they’re cool views, but because I always love and learn a lot from Ingrid’s commentary.

While neither trip shown (2018 – SAP Hale Bob OLD, 2022 – Equistro’s Siena Just Do It) was a clear round, Ingrid walks us through her thought process and reactions even when things don’t go perfectly. As much as we all love the triumphant videos, I find these to be even more educational.

You can catch up with all of our Aachen coverage from this year here.

CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

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Who Jumped It Best: Luhmühlen’s Longines Water

By Tilly Berendt on Jun 28, 2023 4:48 pm -

The week or so after an event is always full of a special kind of chaos — the chaos that is unloading memory cards, which will have been filled to bursting throughout the competition but only skimmed each day for whichever shots are needed to illustrate that day’s reports. Those thousands of other photos, though, always deserve their chance to shine, too, and so I try to find a rare few hours of quiet time to sift through them all — especially because this year, I have an apprentice of sorts in my officially-non-horsey-but-already-addicted boyfriend, Alex, who’s decided to borrow one of my spare cameras and teach himself the fine art of lying on the ground to catch great angles of cross-country jumps. Repeat after me: one of us, one of us…

And so this is a special edition of WJIB, because it’s Alex’s first — and although I’d love to trick him into believing that part of the EN hazing rite of passage is having to wear a giant Chinch suit on showjumping day, in truth, it’s actually this: managing to nail the shot at a fence enough times that we can all sink our teeth into the greatest game of them all. I think we might keep this one around.

Anyway, on to the jump at hand. This one was part of Luhmühlen’s tough, tightly-timed CCI4*-S, which incorporated the German National Championships, and it was very near the end of the course at the final water complex, the Longines Waßer at 18ABC. The first element of the complex was a roll top with a downhill landing, which they jumped as they crossed from the bright light of an open field to the dappled shadow of the tree-covered complex; then, on landing, they cantered down into the water and over an offset boat. Finally, they cantered back out of the water and over another offset boat — and it’s this one that we’re judging today. Who do you think kept their balance and focus best at the tail end of this question — and who set their horse up best to then steam up the course’s most significant hill en route to the final fences? Take a look, and then scroll down to vote for your pick!