Doug Payne finished second at Radnor Hunt Horse Trials this past weekend in the Open Training B division with Lisnahall Imperier. Lisnahall Imperier is a fancy, flashy, 5-year-old pinto gelding, sure to be one to watch in the coming years.
EN TRENDS:
Classic Eventing Nation
Bonnes Nouvelles: Astier Nicolas Plans to Stay in England
- Astier & Ben at Bramham 2012 on the verge of winning the U25 CCI3*.
Young French eventing superstar Astier Nicolas found it hard to articulate in English exactly why he wanted to come back to the UK to train and ride, but where there’s a will there’s a way. “To start with, I couldn’t really explain why, but I really wanted to find an excuse to ride in Britain again, and so I managed to get a scholarship to go to Hartpury and combined riding with finishing my studies there. Since 2009 when I first came to England, I’ve always wanted to come back because I love the sport here and really enjoy being here.”
Astier has good reason to be inclined to return. He’s racked up some pretty impressive results so far: a win at Bramham in the U25 CCI3* in 2012 on Piaf De B’Neville (Ben), a third place in the same division this year on Quickly Du Buguet (Quicky) and a fourth in the Chatsworth CIC3* World Cup class on Jhakti Du Janlie (Jack) in 2011. Campaigning from Hartpury, he completed Luhmulen CCI4* on Jhakti Du Janlie to be the best French rider there and finished his year by coming sixth at Pau CCI4* on him too, just to pick a few. As Nick Gauntlett — at whose yard Astier has been based since March — pointed out, “It’s easy to forget how young he is. He’s a very good rider, and there’s still so much more to come.”
Upon getting his degree at Hartpury, the French selectors had seen enough to ask Astier to base himself and his horses at home to prepare for the London 2012 Olympics, and so it wasn’t until the spring of this year and by lucky accident that he found himself at Nick’s, on Badminton’s doorstep, when the yard he was supposed to move into in France in January was not ready. Although he originally arrived in Wiltshire with the intention of staying only to prep for his first Badminton attempt with Piaf De B’Neville (Ben) Astier succumbed to England’s charms, “Once again I fell in love with the eventing here, and so now I’ve decided to stay”
Astier and Ben finished in ninth place at Badminton and by all accounts enjoyed every minute. “I went to see the ground a few weeks before the event because we are so close, and I’d only ever been once before on foot. It was even better than I expected. I thought it was perfect. I think up until now my favorite event has been Bramham. It’s very friendly, it’s well organized and it’s a beautiful place. I don’t think it’s just because of the myth and the enormity, but I really think Badminton might be my favorite now. I felt amazing all week long. The organization was very good, and we were well taken care of. I felt home somehow. I had a wonderful week and forgot everything else. I just enjoyed doing my sport 150 percent.”
Piaf De B’Neville is a 10-year-old 100% Selle Francais gelding, “He shouldn’t be doing this, but he does!” Astier talent spotted him in his Pony Club and bought him off a little kid. He is positive that they have both improved on the flat since Badminton in May and would like to go back again next spring to better his ninth place. “Personally, I am not able to ride under 40 (in the dressage) easily, and that’s what you need nowadays. I’ve done it once at Pau last year, but I had a brilliant dressage horse, and Ben is quite stiff and long, so it’s not his best phase either. He’s such a hard worker though, and so trainable that you can be optimistic that he’ll soon be much better. You couldn’t have a much easier horse than Ben. He’s very good to work with, and he always tries hard for you , he’s very laid back for the most part – — he’s a completely different ride to my little mare! “
Astier gives Quickly a jump at home
Whether they end up at Badminton or not next year depends on the whim of the selectors, as Ben would be Astier’s top pick for the WEG in Normandy. “At the moment, I just keep him in very light work three or four times a week, and he spends every day in the field. It will depend on the French selectors because historically they are not fans of going to CCI4*s because they want to protect their horses. Now, though, of course we don’t have the roads and tracks or steeplechase anymore, and Badminton has such good ground because they work on it so professionally. It’s nearly always amazing, and I don’t think it will hurt him. It’s 10 minutes on good ground; it’s not too hilly. Rather than doing a bunch of CIC3*s where you can sometimes get average ground and a lot of twists and turns, I don’t think Badminton would be more than this.”
Astier’s grandparents live about 20 minutes from the WEG venue in Normandy, and far from having the Championships on home ground adding pressure, Astier thinks it will be to his advantage. “It will be a help, I prefer that, I think I ride better at competitions than at home. Too much pressure is always hard to handle, especially on the last day if you’re in the first few, but a bit of competition pressure is good for me because it makes me better.”
The French team, too, he thinks, is on the upswing. “The French team has always been up and down, but now I think we’ve touched the very bottom. The period we’ve been through recently is one of the worst we’ve had, and I don’t think we can go much lower, so now we can work our way out of it because we have quite a bit of pride.”
After his top-10 finish at Badminton, Astier took “the little mare”, a 9-year-old Anglo Arabian called Quickly Du Buguet, to Bramham to contest the Under 25 CCI3*, where they placed third. They then went to Burghley more recently this fall, where Astier blames himself for taking the wrong line at the Rolex Combination at fence 18, although he relishes his ride until then, Quickly foot perfect and making nothing of the massive track.
Astier rides Ronaldo, his Brazilian superstar.
Astier and Quickly looked none worse for the wear in a jump school the afternoon I visited. Aptly named, Quickly is “a hot little thing!” Nimble and fiery, she takes on each fence as if she’s in a jump off, ears flattened against her head. “She never smiles, but she doesn’t want to touch a rail”. Dressage will probably always be the biggest hurdle with her as relaxation is such a challenge while the jumping comes so easily to her that Astier will pick and choose his competitions with her carefully to maximise her strengths, ” There are special events that are exceptions, for example, look at Burghley this year. If I’d finished on my dressage score of 50, I would have come fourth against some of the best in the world. But if you go to Badminton or the Europeans where you have more of a championship field, then you’re far, far away on a 50.”
In the beginning when Quickly was a 5-year-old, the jumping wasn’t straightforward either. “I didn’t want her! I tried her at my farrier’s, who is both her breeder and a friend, and on the approach to a jump – maybe on the turn, maybe 50 meters away – she would stop and spin around. She just has to want it; now that she wants it she enjoys it. She goes where she wants, so I have to make her want it. I can’t tell her to do something she doesn’t want to do.”
The third horse in Astier’s sting of seven at the moment — and perhaps the most exciting — is another Anglo Arab, a 7-year-old striking dark bay by Yarland’s Summer Song. Spes Addit Or belongs to Marie-Christine Duroy, who famously competed his sire, and Astier first sat on him by chance in September 2011 when he spent a few weeks at Marie-Christine’s yard. “I loved him from the very first time I rode him; I just hacked him, but even at a walk I knew I was sitting on a superstar. The following April, Marie-Christine sent him to Astier to ride. “I call him Ronaldo because when I sat on him I thought he’d be one for Rio, he’s my Brazilian superstar, Ronaldo!”
Ronaldo just won an intermediate division at the South of England Horse Trials and next heads to Le Lion D’Angers. Not only will Marie-Christine and her husband enjoy seeing their horse compete on home soil, but from there Astier will go to Pau and then spend most of the winter at home with four horses, which will make his whole family very happy. Both his parents came to watch him at Badminton, and Astier, the youngest of five, admits they miss him but he will spend a large portion of the winter at home.
- Astier is eagerly awaiting the imminent delivery of his new Sergio Grasso boots!
Astier’s mother is responsible for encouraging all her children to ride as youngsters, but Astier is the only one of them who has kept at it. “My mother loves horses, and she’s ridden as an amateur for a long time. She made all five of us ride as children, and with me it stuck. I liked it enough to keep going. Occasionally, when the others come home now they will come and hack out sometimes and try to stay on Jack, who now that he’s retired is a bucking mule!”
There are stables converted from garden sheds at his parents’ home near Pau, and not only will Astier enjoy the shorter winter there, but economically it makes sense not to pay for stalls at Nick’s while his horses are not doing much. Like so many young riders, finances are a constant struggle. During this season, he lived in a room in Nick’s parents’ house. “So far, I’m above zero; I can eat, so I’d rather keep going like this and not be too greedy. I don’t need to have masses of money. I’m young and don’t have a family — no children or wife — so I can live with very little money for a while and wait for it to come. I probably need to sell a very good horse for a lot of money, but I’d prefer to have more horses and owners.”
Astier is supplied with beautiful kit from his main sponsor Hermes. “They are really, really good to me,” Astier said. “They work hard on tacking up my horses in the perfect way.” He is also supported by GPA helmets, Top Spec feeds and Sergio Grasso boots. He would love to put a syndicate together and secure the ride on Ronaldo, and he hopes to go horse shopping in France over the winter for some sale prospects, but is looking forward already to returning to Nick’s next spring.
“Here, it’s a profession. Every weekend you can do something that corresponds to your horse — step up a level, move down a level. You can adjust your program to every single horse in a nearly perfect way, and that’s what I love. The British Eventing organization is brilliant; it allows you to ride six a day for example, which I don’t have yet but hopefully it will come and that’s just not something you can do in France. That’s why I’ve decided to stay here; you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but my plan is to stay.”
The set up with Nick and Tiana Coudray, who’s also based there, works well. “We all work on our own but we speak, and I often ask Nick or Tiana to have a look if I feel like I need a pair of fresh eyes. Tiana is brilliant on the flat, so she’s helped me with Ben but especially with Quickly because being a girl she understands her better! She rode her before Burghley while I was at the Europeans and got on with her very well, and Nick helped me with Ben before the Europeans which was a great help. I’d rather jump alone, but for the flat it’s really good to have three pros in the same place. It helps if you’re a bit lost or if you need an idea; you have someone to ask.”
As for the nuts and bolts of training, Astier doesn’t see a huge difference between the two countries. “I would miss the uphill gallops in France, but the training would be similar. You just need a school, a gallop, a walker and some fields; I would maybe have more help in France because I would have access to all the team training and staff.” In the short term, he’s looking forward to going out for a day’s hunting with the VWH Foxhounds at the beginning of November and has already enjoyed racing at Ascot this summer. “I’m getting fully into the British life!” and he admits to already being a big fan of the English pubs. It seems he might be here to stay! Vive la France, and Go Eventing in England!
Fair Hill CCI2* Preview: Part I
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Fair Hill International this year, I’m bringing you not one, not two, but THREE preview posts of all the horse and rider combinations slated to compete this coming weekend. Fair Hill is widely considered to be the toughest CCI2* and CCI3* competition in the United States, and the entries this year are enormous. Today I’ve got the first half of the CCI2* division, as there are 79 total entrants, talk about a competitive division! Without further ado:
[Fair Hill Website] [Entries by Division]
Arianna Almeida & Drummer’s Call: This pair has been competing successfully at the Intermediate level since the beginning of 2013. Ringo is a really lovely athletic horse, and Arianna has had him for quite some time now, so she knows him and rides him well. These two were 5th at the CIC2* at Virginia in the spring, and this will be their first effort together at the CCI2* level.
Susie Beale & Isabella II: This mare is easily one of the most athletic horses I’ve ever seen, and an extremely impressive jumper. While she and Susie have been absent from the upper levels in the past years, in 2009 they competed at the Advanced level multiple times with success. They have competed at Intermediate twice this year, and might still be a little rusty, but have the experience to pull this off at Fair Hill.
Allie Blyskal & Sparrow’s Nio: Allie & Neo have been tearing it up at Advanced recently, looking better than ever. Neo is a grey Connemara gelding, by the famed Grange Finn Sparrow pony stallion. This pair is coming off a 2nd place finish in the extremely competitive Morven Park Advanced, and while dressage might not be Neo’s favorite thing, he makes up for it in the jumping phases. They have completed several CCI2*’s and will be looking for a more competitive result this time around.
Kristen Bond & I’m Sew Ready: I don’t know much about this horse, and they only have two competitions on their record so far, an Intermediate at Plantation Field, where they placed 9th and a second place in the Open Intermediate at Morven Park just recently. As a new ride for Kristen, I’m sure she’ll be looking for an educational clear round for the both of them.
Kristen Bond & Seams Ready: This horse has completed a Preliminary with Kristen, at Plantation Fields where they placed 6th and the pair just had a win at the Area II Intermediate championships. This horse seems to have all the right components of a competitive team, but it’s still a new partnership.
Lara Borson-Knight & Shooby Do: Lara and her bay gelding Shooby have been featured on EN a number of times, as they represent the power of the OTTB quite well. These two have been rocking around the Intermediate levels successfully for some time now, and even made the move up to Advanced at Poplar Place, finishing 9th. Although they were unsuccessful in their attempt at Fair Hill last year, I’m positive they will be on top of their game this year.
Allie Blyskal and Sparrow's Nio last year at Fair Hill (photo by Jenni Autry)
Diana Burnett & Diamond Cut III: Diana has not had the best year with this horse. They have not completed a competition since February at the Ocala HT, and have had multiple problems at water jumps on cross country. I’ve seen both this rider and this horse go beautifully at different times, but I fear that 2013 just isn’t their year. Diana is a great rider for the Canadian team, but just needs a little more confidence to make it around this challenging course.
Rebekah Calder & Jazz King: Jazz is one of my favorite horses out there, and one of the best jumpers you could ask for. Rebekah isn’t usually very competitive on the flat with him, but he’s more than capable of jumping double clean in both phases with his eyes shut. I saw him trot several elements of the Advanced at Millbrook, so trust me when I say that he’s got it under control.
Rebekah Calder & The Game Plan: This horse has been competing at the Intermediate level for quite some time now, but this will be his first attempt at the CCI2* level. I haven’t seen him go in person, but he has a decent amount of good results, and Rebekah will be benefiting from having two horses at the same level to give her more information about how to ride the course.
Jenny Caras & Fernhill Fortitude: Jenny and Forty moved up to the Intermediate level last fall, and have completed a few CIC2* competitions since that point, finishing well in all of them. This horse puts in nice, workmanlike dressage tests and jumps around well, and I predict that she’ll get a great education out of this weekend, and possibly be quite competitive.
Kate Chadderton & VS McCuan Civil Liberty: This pair began their Intermediate career together this spring, after a late fall move up in 2012. They’ve been quite successful, with several top placings at horse trials and a 5th place finish at Bromont in the CCI2* this summer. Kate’s got a great eye for super jumping thoroughbreds and Liberty is no different. I think he’ll flourish in the jumping phases and be able to move up quite a bit into a good spot at the end of the weekend.
Leslie Chelstrom & Cecelia: Leslie and Cecelia moved up to Advanced in 2011 and contested the CCI3* here at Fair Hill last fall, successfully finishing in 11th place. They had a great spring at Advanced, including a win at The Fork but ran into problems on the cross country at Bromont in the CCI3*, and have since then seem to have lost a little of their mojo. I heard that this pair simply missed some gallops on their way to the CCI3*, and thus have re-routed to the CCI2*, where they should be quite competitive.
Kate Chadderton & VS McCuan Civil Liberty at Pine Top (photo by Samantha Clark)
Hallie Coon & Namaste’: Hallie and this chestnut gelding have already been dipping their toes into the Advanced waters this year, with success at a few horse trials. While they aren’t always competitive in the dressage, their extra experience around some tough Advanced tracks will serve them well in the jumping phases this weekend, and a strong performance on cross country could move them up quite a bit.
Buck Davidson & Santa’s Keeper: This lovely dark TB is a real stunner, and I think as he grows up will be a really nice top level horse. This spring he was 2nd at both the Ocala CCI2* and Bromont CCI2*, so you might want to keep an eye out for this horse’s name at the top of the list on Sunday. He thrives on the 3-day format, and this weekend might not be any different.
Buck Davidson & Wiley Post: Buck’s second ride is an old campaigner who knows his job well. Max has been going really well lately, and earlier this spring won the CIC2* at Poplar, and finished 11th at Jersey Fresh in the CCI2*. Buck will be looking to improve upon his show jumping from Jersey this weekend, and finish with a nice clear, which should set them up to be pretty competitive.
Mara DePuy & Alimit: Mara always has really lovely horses underneath her, and Alan is no different. He’s new to the Intermediate level, having only moved up this summer, but he’s been quietly successful so far at each competition. This pair is coming off a 3rd place at Morven in the Intermediate Championships, and I think this is a super talented young horse for the future.
Maggie Deatrick & Divine Comedy: Maggie is another one who’s been testing out the waters at Advanced in preparation for this event, although unfortunately she was one of the victims of the Plantation water complex, so I hope all her bruises are healed for this weekend. This pair had some good results this spring, but seem to have lost their mojo this fall. However, their experience at Advanced should serve them well and they are more than capable of making it through the weekend.
Danielle Dichting & The Graduate: After selling her big horse Tops last year, Dani has a wonderful replacement for the upper levels in Benjamin, a lovely German chestnut gelding. He has all the power in the world, and is fully capable of a solid three phases. He did compete at Advanced a lot in 2012 but has spent the majority of 2013 at the Intermediate level, but is coming fresh off a 3rd place finish at Poplar CIC3*. Their joint experience over tougher courses will serve them well this weekend in the CCI2*.
Buck Davidson & Santa's Keeper in the Ocala CCI2*.(photo courtesy of Palmer Photo)
Lucy Disston & Captain Jack: Lucy and Jack have been competing at the Intermediate level for several years now, but this will be their first time contesting a CCI2*. While this pair do not relish their time in the dressage ring, I think their wealth of experience at the level should help them complete the event and finish the weekend with a smile.
Sarah Dunkerton & Matapeake: Sarah and Petey are a really competitive pair to watch for this weekend. They’re coming off a win at the Poplar CIC2*, and several top five placings at horse trials. They can put in a very nice dressage test and jump to keep that score, and they will be looking for their first completion of a CCI2*. I hope to see this pair in the victory gallop.
Callie Evans & Glendening Avis: Callie is one of my favorite Canadians and Avis is an absolutely stunning big buckskin mare that you just can’t miss. This pair are very competitive on the flat, and quite good at the jumping. Avis might have time penalties on cross country, but I expect that’s about it. They were recently 8th in the super competitive CIC2* division at Plantation Field. Look for these two tearing it up this weekend and stealing all your ribbons.
Eliza Farren & Fuscia Diamond: This horse is a nice Irish type gelding, and has just moved up to the Intermediate level with Eliza in August at GMHA, where they placed 4th. I think their inexperience will keep them from being competitive, but she’ll be happy with a nice clear cross country to teach this young horse more about the level.
Will Faudree & DHI Colour Candy: This is a lovely young horse that was actually 4th here in 2011 and competed at the Advanced level during 2012, but Will took a tumble on XC at last year’s CCI3*, and they have since then returned to the Intermediate and 2* level for 2013. They are coming off a 2nd place at the Morven Intermediate Championships. I really like this horse, and I think Will is a classy rider who can easily bring the two of them into the victory lap this weekend.
Debbie Foote & Fly Me Courageous: This pair moved up to Intermediate this spring, and have contested quite a few horse trials and CIC2*’s in preparation for this event. While the dressage is not their favorite phase, they seem to have a good handle on running fast and jumping clear over the cross country, and I think they’ll do just fine this weekend in their first attempt at a CCI2*.
Callie Evans & Glendening Avis, 8th place Plantation CIC2* (photo by Kate Samuels)
Nina Fout & Walk About: Nina and this lovely bay thoroughbred gelding moved up to the Intermediate level last fall, and have had some good placings at the horse trials and CIC2* level. They also completed the Jersey Fresh CCI2* this spring in 15th place, and just recently were 6th in a division of Intermediate at Morven Park. The dressage is not their strong phase, but I think this horse will thrive in a jumping competition, which is what Fair Hill usually turns out to be.
Heather Gilette & Boris O’Hara: Boris is a really nice Dutch Warmblood gelding, and has a lot of talent, but sometimes too many opinions! Heather has been really patient figuring out all the keys to getting Boris on the right track, and I hope it’s all in line for her this weekend. I don’t think they’ll be competitive but it will be a great education for Boris and a good move for Heather as she works to let him become her upper level mount.
Ariel Grald & LBF O’leagh’s Image: This is a super pair, and I think they’ll be nicely competitive this weekend. This grey mare can turn in a professional dressage test and she’s a super careful jumper capable of also making the time on cross country, so I expect to see these two in the top realms on Sunday. They were recently 13th in the really competitive CIC2* division at Plantation Field.
Ariel Grald & Fernhill Cove: Ariel’s second ride is a new one for her, as they just joined up earlier this year. The horse has experience at the Intermediate level, but this will be their first CC2* together, and I think they have potential. They are both capable of turning in three solid phases, which should bode well for them after a tough competition like Fair Hill.
Sara Gumbiner & Polaris: Sara and Larry have had a great move up to Intermediate early this spring, and contested their first CCI2* together at Jersey Fresh, finishing in 12th place. They might not be able to catch the low scores on the first day, but they’ll sit in a good position going into cross country, and Larry is a super jumper. I know that this pair will finish with a huge grin and clear jumping efforts.
Brynn Hamel & Cavalier Clover Boy: Brynn and her bay Irish gelding have been competing at the Intermediate level all year, with good results. They don’t always start at the top, but they are very consistent in both jumping phases, and usually good at pulling a double clear in the show jumping when most other people have rails. That kind of performance will go a long way at Fair Hill, and I think they should do well.
Sara Gumbiner & Polaris, VA CCI* 2012 (photo by Kate Samuels
Lillian Heard & FYI: FYI is a lovely jumping horse that was previously campaigned by Boyd Martin and recently transitioned to Lillian this summer. They’ve had good results, and are well prepared for the challenge this weekend. Their dressage is on the cuff of being competitive, but in a huge division like this I think she’ll stay right outside the top placings. They will easily jump around the two jumping phases.
Jodi Hemry & In Style: This pair completed the Jersey Fresh CCI2* in 2011, but were missing from action all of 2012 and have come back to the Intermediate level quietly this year. They were 10th at the CIC2* this year at Jersey, and recently 3rd in a division of Intermediate at Plantation. While they are perfectly capable of a nice test on the flat, I think they’ll be edged out by some fierce competition on that day, but they have a great jump record and should be able to climb into a competitive position in the end.
Melissa Hunsberger & Starstruck: I saw this horse at Plantation and it is a super nice jumper, and Melissa rides him very well. Jarmen is a super talented Brandenburg’s Windstar foal with a fierce personality. This pair competed here last year and will be looking to improve upon their dressage score and get around professionally for a better finishing place.
Dasha Ivandaeva & Autorytet: Dasha rides this lovely grey here this weekend, fresh off of Young Riders this summer. This pair dipped their toe into the Advanced pool at Plantation and finished, but encountered some troubles on cross country. That education will serve her well for getting around here this weekend.
Holly Jacks & More Inspiration: My other favorite Canadian competing here this weekend is Holly. We were stabled next to one another at Plantation and you couldn’t ask for a nicer girl! Holly’s horse has an extremely cool story, as he was gifted to her as a young TB by her grandfather, went on to win over $90K for Holly at the track, and now has become her first awesome upper level horse. Morris can run and jump like nobody’s business, and whatever small lead she gives away in the dressage she’ll steal right back after running double clear for the next two days. She’s coming off a super finish at Plantation, placing 10th in the very competitive CIC2* division.
Kimberly Kojima & High Time II: This pair has had an easy year, with a few Intermediate horse trials early in the spring, and a clear effort at the Ocala CCI2*, finishing in 18th place. They’ve had one Intermediate since then, finishing 4th at Poplar Place in preparation for this weekend. They won’t be able to be competitive on the flat, but they should jump around just fine.
Holly & More Inspiration, 10th Plantation CIC2* (photo by Kate Samuels)
Leah Lang-Gluscic & AP Prime: We know Leah & AP from EN’s Got Talent earlier this year, where we learned his story from the CANTER ranks to the 2* level. They’ve been competing at the Intermediate level since 2012, but this will be their first CCI2*. These two have had some really good results recently, including a 14th at the competitive Richland CIC2* and a win at Otter Creek. If all goes their way, they could be nicely competitive this weekend.
Leslie Law & Billy Wiz: Billy moved up to the Intermediate level this spring, but so far has done no worse than 4th place at any of his competitions, culminating in a recent 4th place finish at the Poplar CIC2*. With Leslie in the irons you can bet he’ll get around the course clean and I’d put money on these two being in the top 15 at least on Sunday.
Edith Lee & Prince Halory: Edith has the distinction of riding the only stallion this weekend, as this chestnut TB takes on his first CCI2*. They are new to the Intermediate level, having completed two horse trials and a CIC2*. They were 2nd at Otter Creek in August, and 15th most recently at the AEC’s. They’ll be looking for a nice round to complete their first effort at this level.
Part II debuts tomorrow, so hold onto your hats! The CCI3* preview will be on Wednesday morning, prior to the beginning of the competition.
10 Questions with Dom & Jimmie Schramm
Jimmie & Dom (photo by Rob Bowersox)
Dom and Jimmie Schramm are the masterminds behind EventionTV, and have quickly become a household name through their video education series. I had the great pleasure of meeting both of them in person when Jimmie and I were stabled across from one another at Millbrook, and shared thoughts about our Advanced competition. Since then, I’ve made a point of catching up with both of them all all subsequent events, and you’d be hard pressed to find two nicer, harder working individuals. Both Jimmie and Dom are headed to Fair Hill this weekend, for both the CCI3* and the CCI2*, so let’s learn more about them and cheer them this week!
- Tell me about your respective backgrounds: how did you grow up and get into horses?
Jimmie – Originally I am from Dallas, Tx. I started riding by copying my older sister Nicki and we rode together for quite some time. She ended up going to ballet route and I kept with the horses. I started eventing through pony club and kept riding through high school. I was lucky enough to make the Team for Young Riders and after my first real team competition, I knew I wanted to give this a real shot. My horse at the time came to college with me and the rest is sort of history.
Dom – I am Australian and am from a small outback town, Charleville in Queensland. My mother Kym was horse mad and had me sitting on a horse before I could walk. She was a very capable and successful rider in the show ring and that’s where I started too. I started with a pretty naughty pony, Piping Pedro who I had over 400 falls from in 18 months around age 7 – 9. Since then I have never been afraid of falling off. I dabbled in straight dressage on our old QH Blue but it wasn’t until we spent 12 months in England at age 11 that I was first exposed to Eventing. Upon returning to Australia, I became hooked and slowly made my way through the levels during high school. When I finished school I worked for Chris Burton for 2 years and was put on the Australian Young Rider Squad. I also rode track work 6 mornings a week, as well as breaking in horses, riding problem horses and working with young horses. I spent some time riding in both the UK and Germany before I relocated to the US in 2010 and have been pursuing my dream of getting to Badminton ever since.
- What horse (past or present) would you most like to take a spin on?
Dom – I have been lucky enough to have sat on quite a few big 4 star horses at some point or another which is always great fun but I think I would love to be able to ride a legendary dressage horse like Totilas or Valegro, just to experience how good the dressage can actually get.
Jimmie – Its funny Dom and I were just talking about this the other day. I have always loved Leslie Law’s Shear H2O, just seemed like a really cool and regal horse to me. Though lately I have been eyeing up that Clifton Promise as well, that would be another one I would love to sit on.
- What is your favorite quality in an Event horse?
Jimmie – My favorite quality in an event horse I think would be desire, desire to want and love its job. There is nothing worse then getting on a horse that clearly does not love what it is doing.
Dom – I agree with Jimmie on this one. I am also looking for a horse that screams Athlete, an animal that looks like its whole body is built to run and jump.
- How did you come up with the idea of EventionTV?
Dom – It actually started as an idea to write a book whilst I was driving to do a clinic out in the bush somewhere. I spent a good deal of time teaching kids in pretty remote areas of Australia where they develop a great feel but not always the ‘finesse’ we are looking for in the dressage or show jumping arena. I found the most effective way of teaching these kids was to keep it simple and give them ideas for what you are trying to teach them in a way they could relate to. For example if you teach a young lad about turning a turn in the jump ring using the outside rein and aids, he is going to not understand and switch off. But if you liken it to the same way the horse turns when cutting out a beast when he is mustering, he will probably understand better and stay much more enthused. That influenced the way I taught and I slowly realized that it wasn’t just kids in the bush that benefited from this kind of teaching. Then I figured being in a digital age, that being visual and online made more sense then print. The name came later and the humor really started because Matt who films it got sick of all the takes we were doing because Jimmie and I kept joking in front of the camera – so he decided to leave it in and it has become part of it now!
- What is the one thing in your barn that you can’t live without?
Dom – Our Super Woman Stephanie Simpson! She is working student/barn manager/groom/rider all rolled into one and without her and her extraordinary work ethic and sense of humor we would be lost. If you are reading this Steph…. GET BACK TO WORK!
Jimmie – This may sound ridiculous but I have a favorite black small curry comb. It is Bellamy’s favorite thing, a good curry, so I spend a lot of my time looking for it and when it’s missing I don’t stop until I find it.
(photo by Diane Pitts)
- If you could take six months off with no worries, who would you go learn from?
Jimmie – I have two people I would choose between, Michael Jung is one, he is just so good in all three phases and he is really inspiring to me. The other is Nicholas Fyffe, Nicholas is a dressage rider from Australia and is a good friend of ours. I have been riding with him for a little while now and he is amazing. Not just as a rider but as a teacher as well. He has a lot of faith in me and my horse which gives me a lot of confidence.
Dom – Like Jimmie, I think Michael is producing some amazing riders right now so he would be great but I would also love to train with Ingrid Klimke on the flat and Marcus Ehning in the Showjumping .
- What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t riding professionally?
Dom – My dream job would be to work in a feed store. Come in the morning, see the deliveries for the day, load the truck, drive around and drop stuff off and having a chat with the regulars. Just the right mix of being outside, a little physical but slightly different each day and LOW Stress. Either that or I would be a race car driver……
Jimmie– If I wasn’t riding I would either want to work at a record label or I would do something with clothes and retail. It’s unfortunate that for my job I have to wear breeches and get disgusting everyday because I actually really love fashion.
- What is your favorite aspect of training horses and/or riders?
Jimmie– My favorite aspect of training horses and people is seeing it click. When you are teaching anything to a horse or a person all you want is for them to understand what you are saying or wanting. When a horse finally understands an aid or when a person finally understands a feeling, that’s what I like most.
Dom – I am pretty competitive so I like it when hard work and good training pays off with a good performance at a big show.
- What is your worst pet peeve in life?
Dom – People trying to drive like maniacs when I am driving slowly with the horse trailer on (cough*Maryland*cough). But nothing quite irritates me as much as when my wife forgets something and we have to double back and get it. It’s ok if I do it though because there was probably a good explanation.
Jimmie – Just so we are clear, it’s not always me that actually forgets something, but it does get blamed on me. Either way my biggest pet peeve is people smoking around me and not making an effort to keep it away. I normally will make some sort of comment or horrible valley girl noise if it does happen. If I wanted emphysema then I would smoke. The other is people chewing loudly, so annoying.
- What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Jimmie – Best advice ever, I will quote my dad Jim Holotik on this one. “No tooting.” This is what he says to me every time before I go into the ring or onto cross country. He is hilarious, but on a serious note best advice I got just the other day, when training horses ” Don’t punish , only correct the horse no matter how long it takes.”
Dom – Wet saddle cloths make good horses! There is just NO substitute for hard work in both riding and in life. I think it’s easy to get focused on the struggles and comparing yourself to other people who have new trucks and expensive horses and nice shoes. But in the end if you can keep finishing on that dressage score and treat your horses and the people around you with respect, then I believe you can get to where you wanna go!
Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian
Lizzie Brown and Henton Attorney General
Congratulations to Lizzie brown and Henton Attorney General for their win at Boekelo. As predicted Show Jumping was a huge shake-up, clear rounds were handsomely rewarded with major moves up the leaderboard. Peter Thomsen and Horseware’s Barny finished second, Mark Todd and Leonidas II third. I must confess that when I sat down to check the final results yesterday afternoon, I was thrilled to see Kenki Sato and Chippieh had finished fourth. I’ve been quite fond of the pair since the London Olympics. With Boekelo a wrap, we’re on to Pau! Allonz-y!
Boekelo: [Homepage] [Results] [Boekelo TV] [SJ Footage] http://eventingnation.com/home/lizzie-brown-and-henton-attorney-general-win-boekelo.html
Weekend Results:
Greenwood Farm Inc. Fall H.T. [Results]
Colorado Horse Park Fall H.T. [Results]
Radnor Hunt H.T. [Results]
The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm [Results]
Pine Top October HT [Results]
Events Opening This Week:
Pine Top Thanksgiving H.T. (Georgia, A-3)
Monday News:
Kansas Horse Council and KSU College of Veterinary Medicine hosting their Second Annual Horse Care 101 Educational Seminar on November 9th, at KSU Veterinarian School. Registration is available online. [KHC Equine Clinic: Horse Care 101]
A horse in the Pasco area of Washington state with West Nile virus has been euthanized. The horse had not been vaccinated against WNV. This horse was Washington state’s second case this year. The previous case in Washington was in Yakima County. [Horse With WNV Euthanized]
The federal government’s shutdown has postponed the annual Chincoteague pony round-up. The ponies are rounded up twice yearly, with the focus of the fall roundup being to deworm the herd and to check for newborns. The roundup will be rescheduled, but it is unclear when that will be. [Roundup Postponed]
Bryce Newman scored the win in the CIC3* at Taupo over the weekend. This win puts Bryce in to an early lead in the ESNZ Eventing Super League aboard Bates Trademark. Dannie Lodder of Auckland finished second on Moochi. [More from Horsetalk.co.nz]
Are you a fan of Michael Jung’s Grafenstolz? I know I am! Grafenstolz has a three year old son named Future Gravitas who has just been licensed as a stallion. He carries more than 50% thoroughbred and anglo-arab blood. Plans are to have Future Gravitas available to British breeders next season. There is the possibility of him becoming available internationally as well, should there prove to be demand. [Future Gravitas Licensed by the Breeders Elite studbook]
From HorseNation – Say Cheese! 15 Horse Selfies. Everyone’s guilty of taking a selfie once in a while. A good selfie is like Dressage, hard to master and most of the time you just look ridiculous, but when it all comes together you feel like a boss. [HorseNation]
Monday Video: Lets get ready for Pau with some helmet cam action!
The Best of Craigslist: Best Horse Ever
You can find just about anything on Craigslist. From couches to horse trailers, you can find it all as long as you’re willing to sift thru the ads. Occasionally you find some real gems. He might be a little green but this could be the horse to to take you all the way. More pictures at the link.
best horse ever. doesnt eat any food or crap on your lawn. has v8 motor built into his back with headers and 4 barrel carb. custom paint turns from green to purple. gets compliments all the time. comes with christmas outfit and halloween outfit. might trade for lexus es or corolla or avalon or prius. viewed in glen ellyn at my home at 355 woodstock ave. came from lattof chevrolet in arlington heights. part of horse festival several years back. would look great in speed shop or high performance shop. call steve cell to view at [redacted]. thanks.
En Route To Pau
Mensa peeks out of his shipping crate.
While Boekelo has wrapped up, the next wave of American horses are arriving in Europe for Pau CCI4*. Mensa, Mr. Medicott, Harbor Pilot, Kilrodan Abbott, and Donner shared a flight to France. They will be staying in Chantilly until they head to the showgrounds at Pau. Joining them will be Kristi Nunnink and R-Star, Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin N Juice, as well as Clark Montgomery with Universe, and Marilyn Little with RF Demeter. [Update: Shandiss McDonald and Rockfield Grant Juan and Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee are also entered at Pau, we’re working on an update from them]
Mensa in his shipping crate.
Tack trunks waiting to be loaded.
Donner in Chantilly
Mensa in Chantilly
Top Five Halloween Costumes For Your Horse
Too. Much. Cute
Halloween is coming up, which means a number of different things. 1) it is the time of year that I am guaranteed at one point to eat so many candy corn that I feel sick 2) EVERYTHING is pumpkin flavored 3) you can’t help but imagine absurd costumes for everyone around you and 4) costume classes at local shows are mandatory. If you are of the crafty persuasion, this is your time to shine. Horse costumes are wonderful and the best way to shame your equine partner, period.
Big Mac Horse: While I wouldn’t attempt this costume with a horse who’s headshy, I do have to admire the work put into this getup. The McDonalds saddle pad? The fries on the feet? The horse already looks ashamed of his burger head.
The Attending Doctor & Patient Costume: If you want to pay homage to any recent injuries garnered while riding, here’s the way. We’ve all probably got an extra set of crutches, maybe a foot brace and a temporary cast in that back closet (oh the memories), so just pull those out and away you go! Probably best to wear some pants under your hospital gown though…
Dorothy & The Cowardly Lion: While we admit that Dorothy would be better off with a helmet in this picture (“how can you talk if you haven’t got a brain?”), we have to give props for this costume. This is obviously a very tolerant horse, as he seems to be bearing this giant lion’s mane with aplomb. He’s even got a lion tail!
We Three Kings: …of orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star! Do you have an excess of minis? Want to be the envy of all your normal sized horse friends? This costume set is your way to heaven.
Mary Had A Little Lamb: This costume made me laugh out loud for a solid five minutes. The mother of this child and pony must have put so much time into sewing puffballs on a blanket and I assume a sleezy that her fingers fell off. Matching child and pony costumes are ALWAYS the best kind of idea.
If you by any chance followed through with your yearly hankering to dress your horse up for Halloween, we want to see it! Send your pictures to me with a short blurb including your name and that of your horse at [email protected]. Happy costuming!
Lizzie Brown and Henton Attorney General Win Boekelo
Lizzie Brown and Henton Attorney General
The top of the leaderboard saw quite a shuffle this afternoon in the conclusion of show jumping at Boekelo, as numerous top horses went bowling for poles. While Lizzie Brown and Henton Attorney General’s trip started out a bit rocky, she kicked on to pull of a great clear round to clinch the win on 39.8, the only score in the 30s. I thought I’d see pigs fly before I saw Michael Jung drop more than one rail in a major competition, but the lovely little mare fischerRocana FST pulled three, which dropped them all the way down from second to finish in eighth place. Ingrid Klimke and Hale Bob 3 also ran into trouble, pulling three rails to drop them from third to ninth place. Boyd Martin and Liz Halliday-Sharp jumped earlier in the day, each pulling rails; click here and here to see those reports.
Mark Todd and Leonidas II
The show jumping definitely proved to be very influential, and I imagine the riders who enjoyed spots in the top five overnight are currently scratching their heads wondering exactly what went wrong. In contrast, pairs that delivered clear rounds were rewarded with huge jumps up the leader board. Peter Thomsen and Horseware’s Barny came into the show jumping in seventh place and ultimately finished in second place thanks to their clear round, which I caught on video. Mark Todd and Leonidas II also jumped clear, which moved them up from eighth to third place. Kenki Sato and Chippieh jumped a brilliant clear and finished in fourth place, moving up from ninth place. And Kitty King and Persimmon dropped one rail but still moved up one spot, ultimately finishing in fifth place.
Kenki Sato and Chippieh
Despite Michael and Ingrid’s less-than-stellar show jumping rounds, Germany still handily won the Nations Cup title for the sixth consecutive year on a score of 148.6. Great Britain finished in second place on a score of 171, and Ireland moved up one spot to ultimately finish in third place after their team rose to the occasion today. Even with just three riders, the U.S. finished in seventh place out of 13 teams, which I know doesn’t scream success, but I guess I’m searching for silver linings after a rough week here in Boekelo. It’s a slight consolation that so many of the top pairs also struggled in the show jumping — Ze Terminator himself pulled more rails than our two riders combined — but that doesn’t justify those rails. We just have to get better. Go Team USA.
Boekelo Links: [Homepage] [Results] [Boekelo TV] [Live Stream]
One Down for Boyd Martin and Trading Aces at Boekelo
Boyd Martin and Trading Aces
Boyd Martin and Trading Aces had a bummer of a rail in the show jumping at Boekelo, taking down the final rail of the triple. If you turn your volume up when you watch the video of his round, you’ll hear the entire U.S. contingent groan loudly as the pole falls. Oscar still jumped very well, and he finishes the weekend on a score of 72.5. There have been seven clear rounds so far, and I’m sure we’ll see more as we make our way into the top 25. I’m also pleased to report that sunshine has mercifully joined us for the remainder of show jumping here at Boekelo. I’m running back out now to bring you photos and videos from the exciting conclusion of the competition. Don’t forget to follow along on the live stream!
Boekelo Links: [Homepage] [Show Jumping Order] [Results] [Boekelo TV] [Live Stream]
