Classic Eventing Nation

Tuesday Video from SpectraVet: BE’s Eventing Cinema Winner

By on Oct 22, 2013 3:00 pm -

British Eventing once again hosted their “Eventing Cinema” contest, a challenge for eventing enthusiasts to create a Youtube video best capturing the spirit of eventing.  This year’s top video was just announced, and I have to say it is a deserving winner.  Enjoy!!

 

 

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Denya Massey: Horse Sale Extravaganza in Southern Ontario

By on Oct 22, 2013 1:30 pm -

 Many thanks to EN reader Denya Massey for sending us this recap from Kendal Lehari’s Horse Sale Extravaganza in Ontario, Canada.  It sounds like it was a great event for both buyers and sellers alike! 

 

From Denya:

As mentioned in EN a few weeks ago, Kendal Lehari was organizing a “Horse Sale Extravaganza” for early October where horses would be shown in a setting similar to a competition, under saddle with an order of go for jumping and dressage, complemented by a full program about each horse. On a somewhat overcast but dry day, 35 horses were shown, and prospective buyers could approach any seller to make further arrangements – this was a “show’n’tell” opportunity for the sellers and excellent window shopping for buyers.

 

Martha Griggs, who competed in the 1984 Olympics, pointed out the great advantage of this set up is sellers get to evaluate how their individual pricing compares with other horses, with all the relevant details in the program and the actual horse under tack. Often sellers don’t get to see what “the competition” looks like. For buyers, they had the opportunity to watch two or more interesting horses work side by side, and they were able to get a feel for their budget – is it realistic or not? As one generous but puzzled father asked me: Why are two horses who look the same (to him, and he’s the wallet in the group) and doing the same things, priced so differently? Good question, and I encouraged him to ask the seller that very question – which to his credit he went off to do.

The idea to organize this horse fair was sparked by an occasion last year when a buyer flew in and Kendal had arranged several horses at one venue for the buyer, so this is the first official year. Kendal was encouraged to include some dressage horses next year. Kendal created the silent auction and 50/50 draw as a fundraiser to support her efforts to ride at the 2014 WEG’s in Normandy. With great parking, friends, vendors, trainers, silent auction, and lots of sport horses, it would be a great yearly tradition – a very effective way to see eventing prospects by connecting buyers and sellers in one spot – a true Horse Fair!

 

Go Horse Fair! Go Eventing!

Logan Rawlings Holds Her Own at Mondial du Lion

By on Oct 22, 2013 12:00 pm -

Logan and S'prit Coeur Volant at the Mondial jog. Photo courtesy of Catherine Partington.

Logan Rawlings, originally from California, represented one of a handful of North American riders competing at Mondial du Lion this past weekend. Logan and  Marine Vincendeau & Anthony Molle’s S’Prit Coeur Volant had a very solid outing at this Young Event Horse Championship in the CCI**. The pair added just a handful of time penalties on cross country and a rail in show jumping to their dressage score to finish in 14th place out of a field of 47 competitive pairs.

Logan relocated to the UK in 2009 after having secured a spot working for eventing extraordinaire William Fox Pitt (how on Earth do you score that gig??) and has a had a successful career thus far competing on the British Eventing circuit. She was also completed the Olympic Test Event at Greenwich Park in 2011 at the selection of the USEF.

I did some digging on the internet and found this interview that talkinghorse.net did with Logan shortly after she relocated to the UK. Enjoy getting to know one of our fellow eventers who continues to represent the US from across the pond! Big thank you to Jessica Fredericks for the tip.

 

Beware The Mare?

By on Oct 22, 2013 10:30 am -

Me loving on my mare. Photo by Eliza Nardone Photography.

Girls tend to be tricky. A female’s agenda and feelings can, at times, be hidden. Girls play games and can be extremely difficult to read and understand. Well, the same goes for mares. Obviously not all mares are tricky, difficult or have strong opinions. Some are very easy going and almost act like geldings. Every rider has his or her own mare story. Many riders will tell people that they will never ride, own or compete a mare. Others get along swimmingly with mares and would own nothing but a mare. What’s your preference? Have you generally had good or bad experiences with mares? Do you prefer mares over geldings, or vice versa? Why or why not?

I have ridden my share of mares. I tend to get along with mares and have owned more mares than geldings. I would never say that I’m only ever going to ride mares, or I’m only ever going to ride geldings. A nice horse is a nice horse, regardless of its gender. However, I have to be perfectly honest — mares are not always a walk in the park. But if you find a really good mare that wants to play on your team, you will be one lucky competitor. I think a mare who trusts you and is willing to work with you can offer you a lot. Sometimes a gelding will offer you the same amount and might be more consistent, whereas mare can be more inconsistent, but might give you more at the end of the day, week, year or decade.

Valonia at GMHA last year.

I don’t think I have ever owned or dealt with a more dominant mare than Valonia, aka “The Beast.” Valonia thinks very highly of herself. She basically called the shots for the first four years of her life because she lived out in a herd where she was the boss and leader, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I brought this 17-hand mare to Tamarack when she was about 4 and a half years old, and I started her in the fall of 2009. I had to be very careful with her in the beginning because she demonstrated a very strong NO. NO, I don’t want to go in the wash stall. NO, I don’t want to go in the trailer. HELL NO, you are not allowed to clip me, and you can forget about trying to put shoes on me. Valonia and I have had our normal ups and downs, but the horse I have now has all been worth the roller-coaster ride along the way.

If you have a mare who you adore and believe in, then you should not give up. Mares are tricky and some personalities are stronger and more challenging than others. Some days you will wonder why a mare does such and such one day but not the next day. There might also be days where you thought you understood your mare and thought you knew her inside and out, and you realize you actually don’t. But, I guarantee, if you are matched appropriately, a mare who will play on your team is worth the wait.

Video courtesy of Thehorsepesterer

Is the P3D at the End of its Road?

By on Oct 22, 2013 9:00 am -

Untitled

The long format vs. short format discussion wore thin long ago, with most of us having accepted that fact that, like it or not, the short format is here to stay. One of the more interesting and exciting developments that has come out of the change, however, is that the long format hasn’t disappeared but rather adhered itself to a different demographic. T3D as well as fledgling novice and beginner novice three-day events are booming around the country, simultaneously offering lessons in horsemanship and providing championship-type experiences to lower-level competitors.

The P3D, on the other hand, is struggling to stay afloat. Entry numbers continue to shrink each year (see the graph above) with riders opting out in favor of FEI-sanctioned competition. When the USEA Classic Three-day Series launched in 2010, four events offered a P3D division; four years later, only one event is holding strong: the Hagyard Midsouth Three-day Event & Team H.T. And who can blame the other events for withdrawing their support? Consider this year’s sole P3D at Midsouth over the weekend: Only seven competitors started, four of whom finished. From an organizer’s perspective, hosting a three-day is a hassle compared to a horse trial. When only a handful of competitors show up to participate, it can’t seem worth the extra manpower and expense.

Is it time to admit the Classic Series isn’t working at the P3D level? That’s a tough question. On one hand, I think you’d be hard pressed to find an event rider who would argue that the P3D is a bad thing for the sport. Not only do up-and-coming riders have a lot to gain from it educationally–conditioning know-how and the run-and-jump instincts developed by steeplechase, most notably–but our green horses can benefit from it, too. The warmbloods and warmblood crosses that many us are riding now don’t have that fitness base that off-the-track thoroughbreds develop at a young age and return to more naturally throughout their competitive careers. It’s a big jump from the horse trial to the CCI distance, and the long format is a great way to develop the stamina needed for those longer runs.

Here’s the rub: You and I can espouse the virtues of the long-format until we’re blue in the face, but unless we’re putting our money where our mouth is, it’s just whining. I’m as guilty as anyone. Earlier this year I contemplated pointing my horse at the Midsouth P3D knowing it would be a great experience for him, not because he is a traditional long-format type horse but because he isn’t. He’s a Swedish Warmblood who has a tough time getting fit, and a few months of epic trot sets would go a long way toward helping him be successful and stay sound in the long run. But ultimately I decided not to for the usual terrible reasons: time, convenience and ambivalence about competing in a division that got trampled by its CCI one-star counterpart 64 to 7. These days everybody is trying to qualify for something, and participating in an event that requires extra effort without the lure of a qualifying score might seem, for many goal-driven riders, an unnecessary detour.

When the eventing world at large originally decided to scrap the long format, no one protested louder than the United States. At that point, we were victims to a decision that we had no control over. That’s no longer the case. These days, the survival of the P3D is completely within our control. If you want to resuscitate it, circle a three-day on your 2014 calendar and send in your entry. If not, maybe it’s time to finally take the P3D off life support and let it die in peace.

Thoughts?

Tuesday News & Notes from Cavalor

By on Oct 22, 2013 7:18 am -

Genius.

While the French have been busy this month preparing the grounds for this week’s four-star, the Swedes have been busy announcing winners of the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize for Physics went to a couple guys for their “theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass.” We think one should also go to the people who invented this actual hoof pick, which we believe is equally impressive. It picks hooves. It opens beers. Plus, the company’s name is Noble Equine. Hee.

Events Closing Today: CDCTA Fall H.T. (Virginia, A-2),  Poplar Place Farm November H.T. (Georgia, A-3), Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (Tyler, A-5),

News:

Don’t be recognized. Have fun. Flora Lea Farm in Medford, NJ is hosting an unrecognized starter horse trials this Saturday.  They will be offering training, novice, beginner novice and elementary divisions.  Leave your watch at home (jumping will not be timed).  Organizers say all courses will be very inviting and a true introduction at their level.  The footing’s always good due to the sandy base under the turf and the constant maintenance.  Entry fee is $90 and FLF will take entries through Weds this week.  Info and forms can be found at here  or email directly to secretary at [email protected]

Conan calls a horse race. And not a political one. The late night star will announce a race Friday at Santa Anita. Jon Stewart to announce Rolex? [abcnews.com]

Equine herpes found in Wyoming. Two cases of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus Type 1 were identified in northwestern Wyoming. The Wyoming Livestock Board reports that seven horses in Teton and Park counties have been affected. One horse was euthanized, the others are under quarantine. [AP]

Barbie gets a pony. What took so long? She had the dream home, the yacht, the corvette. In her newest flick, “Barbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale,” Barbie goes horse shopping in Europe with Andrew Nicholson and William Fox-Pitt. Just kidding (about her shopping companions). Couldn’t Barbie find a horse in America? [Entertainment Weekly]

Man vs. (police)  horse. A 30-year-old Orlando man was busted after he attacked Mr. George, an Orlando Police Department horse who was on duty performing crowd control. The man yelled an expletive at the horse and “took a fighting stance,” according to police reports. Then, he smacked Mr. George on the shoulder. Mr. George was not amused. Or hurt. [Orlando Sentinal]

SmartPak Product of the Day: Does it freak your housemates out when you put your helmet (and bits) through the dishwasher? No problem! Just spray some of this *magic*  Charles Owen Helmet Cleaner in your stinky hat, let it foam, and wipe away the grime and stink. Easy! Amazing! Enzymes break down the dirt and smell. I want to spray this stuff all over my horse. And my car…

Video of the Day: Thrills and spills – among horse-loving fans – at another world class French event.

 

 

 

Pau Social Media Round Up – The Preparation

By on Oct 21, 2013 5:52 pm -

Lynn Symansky and Hannah Sue Burnett made the trip to see the Eiffel Tower on their way to Pau. Photo from Lynn's Facebook.

Well, it’s here! Pau week is finally upon us. As an example of how little French pronunciation I know, I will admit that until recently (I don’t want to disclose how recently) I believed that Pau was pronounced “Paw.” Real midwest of me, right? Not to worry, I have since been corrected and am proudly voicing my new found French to anyone who will listen. In other, more exciting, news, our North American riders have been settling in nicely in France in preparation for the grueling week of competition that lies ahead. Most of the horses have been kept in Chantilly, France but are now in the process of moving to the show grounds.

Donner looking very French indeed. Photo from Katie Thornton's Facebook.

Both horses and riders enjoyed final fitness preps for this year’s last CCI4* event.

R-Star enjoys a jump school in France. Photo from Alison Willaby's Facebook.

Michael attempts to convert more people over to Crossfit. Photo from Lynn Symansky's Facebook.

Meanwhile, the European-based riders have also begun their migration journey to Pau.

Clark Montgomery and Universe have safely made it to Pau. Photo from Clark's Facebook page.

Pau has also been posting photos of the gorgeous grounds and the jumps that are so painstakingly placed and decorated. This venue definitely looks to be out to impress this year, as does the weather!

Photo from the Pau Facebook page.

I also found this on Twitter – it appears a horse may need a lift to its destination at Pau. I thought I’d post it on the off-chance that someone may be able to assist.

And last but certainly not least – you cannot forget to ice your horse’s legs after a good workout! It appears that France offers many natural options for this procedure!

Icing isn't just for horses! Photo from Hawley Bennett's Facebook.

Stay tuned for many more results of my inherent social media stalking disorder. Go Pau! (That rhymes – did you know that? You can thank my excellent French pronunciation for that tidbit.)

 

Monday Videos from Tredstep Ireland: Weekend CCI Wrap Up

By on Oct 21, 2013 4:27 pm -

It was a busy weekend with championship three-days at the one-star, two-star and three-star levels. Here are rides from Allie Blyskal-Sacksen and Team Tredstep rider Sharon White at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI2*, as well as Whitney Mahloch at the Hagyard Midsouth Team Challenge CCI*.

Katie Murphy: In the Red at Fair Hill

By on Oct 21, 2013 3:00 pm -

Katie Murphy and Esccord RGS won the 2012 Young Event Horse East Coast Four Year Old Championships, and came back to Fair Hill this year to take on the 5 year old class. We’ve followed Katie and “Garth” throughout the year, and it’s great to see how they finished their season. Best of luck in 2014! Thanks to Katie for writing, and thank you for reading.

Katie Murphy and Esccord RGS at Fair Hill. Photo by Jenni Autry.

From Katie:

This has been a wonderful season, and it just ended on a wonderful note. Among 31 competitors, Garth earned Reserve Champion in the 5 Year Old Young Event Horse East Coast Championships. Last year, Esccord RGS spooked as he entered the ring – a hop from the flags high on the hill behind him as we began our center line. Garth entered the massive dressage space and the surrounding schooling areas with confidence. I think he enjoyed being there, working around the large ring and having all eyes on him. Our test was lovely.

We could have shown more lengthening at the trot, something I achieve in the warm-up, but failed to prepare for as effectively in the test. He had a snarky moment at our walk-trot transition, grabbing the bit, and twisting his head. The moment past, and we carried on. He scored a 27.65, the 3rd highest score behind Phillip Dutton and Bruce Davidson Sr. Click here to view Garth’s test sheet.

 

Our conformation score was disappointing. Not only did Garth receive the lowest score of his 5 year old division, it was also the lowest score of the 4 year old division. This was disappointing and confusing, but appeared to be a trend among the warmbloods and crosses. We dropped to 4th place. Click here to view Garth’s conformation score sheet.

Garth must be psychic, or he hears the conversations I have in my head. The morning of the final jumping and galloping phase, I told Garth that the fences were not going to be very large, and he may be a bit bored. I asked him to please show a big effort over the jumps as an example of his ability, some of the playful attitude he shows at home, and to really focus on opening his stride and covering more ground when I asked him to gallop. It sounds ridiculous, but I think Garth was listening.

We hacked out to the open field for warm-up. Garth bucked, he crow-hopped, and he bolted at every potential excuse. We jumped several fences between sassy spells, finishing with a school over a cross-country fence. Garth and I were airborne for what felt like an abbreviated eternity. Then we landed and he bolted again. Bliss. He jumped around beautifully. He was catty and quick through the stadium. We rode the forward five stride line in six, giving a deep distance and good spring at take off over the oxer.

He continued over the cross-country fences bold, confident and focused. It was the first time, in fact, that he has not spooked while out on course. He sailed over the trakehner, a fence that caused issues for many horses, and worked through the water complex with ease. My proudest moment was his gallop: we scored a 9 noting “covers the ground in very good balance” – a great improvement over last year’s score of 7 and “Heavy – much knee action.”

In the last two years, I have had the honor of standing alongside two exceptional horsemen: Kim Severson (winner of the 2012 5-y.o. YEH) and Bruce Davidson, Sr. Although both instances were on a smaller scale, I recognize these as rare opportunities. That is very special.

Although we did not earn a potential top position toward the Holekamp/Turner YEH Lion d’Angers Grant, I will continue to plan our next two years with this goal in mind. If the highest scoring 5yo does not qualify or is unable to attend Le Lion d’Angers, the $17,500 grant will be awarded to the next highest scorer who is qualified, able, and willing to go.

Fair Hill Thrives Under Dutta Corp Sponsorship

By on Oct 21, 2013 1:30 pm -

Dutta Corp Fair Hill CCI2* winners Allie Blyskal-Sacksen and Sparrow's Nio tackle the Dutta Farm Yard. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It has to be a good omen that the first year in recent memory without one drop of rain at Fair Hill also happened to be the first year in which Dutta Corp signed on for the title sponsorship of the fall’s premier event. Indeed, Tim Dutta has a lot to be smiling about today, and I caught up with him this afternoon to find out how his company, which has flown horses around the world for 25 years, came to be the title sponsor of the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International Three-Day Event.

“I’ve always shipped event horses, not just for championships and major competitions, but for individuals like the Davidson family, Jennie Brannigan, Colleen Rutledge, Charlie Plumb and Will Coleman since he was a kid,” Tim said. “My philosophy has always been to give back.” So when Jim Wolf, the USEF Executive Director of Sport Programs, told Tim that Dansko was pulling out as the title sponsor of Fair Hill, he said it was a no-brainer to sign on in support of the event.

“It was a 30-second conversation,” Tim said. “Jim told me how important it was to have a title sponsorship in the cycle leading up to the Olympics, and I’m thrilled to be involved. Eventing is horsemanship at it’s finest; it doesn’t get any better.” And to sweeten the deal, Tim also provided a free roundtrip international flight to the winner of the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI3*, and he’s elated that Jan Byyny took home the prize.

“Jan has been an old client and friend of mine, and I’ve flown horses all over the world for her,” Tim said. “With her trials and tribulation and everything she has been through with her health, it’s amazing that she’s back at this level in the sport. Inmidair is a great horse, and I hope this will give them what they need to stand on the podium.”

It seems this is the beginning of a what will hopefully be a long relationship between Dutta Corp and eventing, and Tim has big plans for how he’d like to continue contributing to the sport. “I will stay on and support Fair Hill for as long as I possibly can,” Tim said. “Hopefully the venue will dream of bigger and better things, and the first priority is to substantially increase the prize money.”

In addition to more cash for the top finishers, Tim hinted that Fair Hill is really looking to the future — think adding a second four-star event to North America, developing a Grand Slam competition, and ultimately creating a venue and event that will attract the world’s top riders. “I can only say that Dutta Corp and myself are delighted to be a part of it,” Tim said. The feeling is very much mutual, Tim. Go Dutta Corp.