Classic Eventing Nation

Rick Wallace: Team Wallace Eventing Prepares for the AECs

By on Sep 20, 2013 2:00 pm -

 Blogger Contest finalist Rick Wallace was all set with his fall schedule leading up to Fair Hill CCI3*, and had his sights set first on the American Eventing Championships at the Texas Rose Horse Park.  However, the best laid plans always seem to change– Rick suffered an unfortunate broken wrist and will be watching from the sidelines this fall.  Many thanks to Rick for writing, and we hope he gets well soon!  Visit his blog at teamwallace.org.  

 

Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory qualifying for the AEC Advanced at the 2013 Chattahoochee Hills Country International Horse TrialsPhoto Courtesy of Aly Rattazzi, Rather Be Riding Photography

">Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory qualifying for the AEC Advanced at the 2013 Chattahoochee Hills Country International Horse Trials Photo Courtesy of Aly Rattazzi, Rather Be Riding Photography

Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory qualifying for the AEC Advanced at the 2013 Chattahoochee Hills Country International Horse TrialsPhoto Courtesy of Aly Rattazzi, Rather Be Riding Photography

 

From Rick:

 

The American Eventing Championships (AEC) have become a must do event for TeamWallace Eventing (TW).  Over the  years, we have participated in the AEC’s and have marveled at its growth and participation.  Developed to be inclusive of all the levels in Eventing, the AEC’s has established itself as the goal event of many riders throughout the country.

I decided last December that TW Eventing would be traveling to Texas to participate in the 2013 AEC’s.  It was my goal to get all my kids qualified and to get Ultimate Victory qualified to do the $40K Adequan USEA Gold Cup Advanced Championships.  The schedules where made and the work was done and TW Eventing qualified everyone on the team.

 

The planning for the AEC’s have been challenging for several reasons.  My daughter, Elisa Wallace is doing the Million Dollar Mustang Challenge in Ft. Worth, Texas the weekend before (it is going on now) and I had to figure out how to get all the horses to Texas so that I could be able to watch her in the finals should she make the top 20.  I had planned to head to Texas on September 20th and had help from our incoming USEA President, Diane Pitts on finding a private barn to keep the horses in Ft. Worth.  Special thanks to Diane for taking time to find me a place to go.

I had to coordinate with parents on the kids traveling to Texas and worked on how to minimize missing school days.  I have a busy consulting company which I had to figure out how to make sure I did not fall behind in my commitments and I have Cherry Hill Farm which I now lease and have to ensure care for the entire 40 acre facility.  All this can be daunting but the plans were made, schedules developed and all seemed to be fitting together very well.

As all plans go, we are often hit with road blocks and mine came after my run in the CIC 3 Star at Poplar.  Ultimate Victory’s training regiment was redeveloped after Bromont and he has been responding very well to the conditioning program.  He finished 4th in the OI at Chatt Hills the end of August and we heading to the CIC 3 Star well prepped.  We managed a very nice stadium round and headed out Sunday morning on the cross country course.

Ultimate Victory – Cody – was jumping nicely as we  headed down to the angled brush at the Mulberry Pound.  Knowing he drifts left, I did not make the line correction needed and as we approached the  brush and I felt the drift begin.  He boldly jumped the angled brush and made the drift left, enough left that we had no ground to land on on the backside and he landed in the ditch.  It was basically on his belly and I  was standing next to him on the other side.  I was able to undo my air vest so it did not deploy and Cody climbed out of the ditch a little bewildered at what had happened.

I was disappointed at my approach and we headed to the barn with just dirt on his underside.  Of course, now I am trying to figure out the fall season with Fair Hill being our final goal for the year.  It was then apparent that I needed to do extremely well at the AEC Advanced Championships in two weeks which would prove to me that we were both ready for Fair Hill.  We were already qualified but I wanted my green Advanced horse prepared if we were going to tackle a CCI 3 Star again.

TeamWallace riders finished up the weekend with Parker Miller and Jos Baco having a successful move up to Training and Ultimate Decision who won the dressage…again…went clean cross country but moved to 5th after having rails in his weak phase.  Briggs and Taylor had some bad luck in their first CIC 1 Star.  Briggs managed a beautiful CC round but missed fence 20 at the end of the course and Taylor’s mare did not like the soft footing in the stadium.  Always a work in progress.

The trip home from Poplar with my student Briggs Surrat was full of optimism as we talked about the AEC’s, the need to never forget a cc jump again and the excitement of competing in Texas.  As we pulled into Cherry Hill Farm, I was tired and ready to get the horses off the trailer and get some rest.  Little did I know, all my well laid plans were about to go up in smoke.

I have to say to those of you reading, many accidents happen when loading and unloading our horses.  We should never let our guard down even when we have easy horses.  My excuse is that I was just plain out stupid.  Ultimate Decision – Mark – has developed a bad habit of bolting backwards when you undo the partition. I know this and have made concessions on how to unload him.

Cody came off first and Briggs took him to the barn.  I put the butt bar back up and untied Mark.  I was thinking about the weekend and not really paying attention to what I was doing.  I reached for the release on the partition and for some reason I went to grab the extender release.  My right hand was on the partition and Mark bolted backwards slamming the partition into the tack storage wall.

What I saw happen was surreal.  My hand went all the way back to my arm and was held there while Mark push back to the butt bar.  To see you body part do something it should not do is very weird.  I do not remember any pain but when I saw my hand released from the weight of Mark, it just flapped on my arm.  All I could think was, “I just broke my wrist in two, how the hell am I going to ride next week!!!”

Mark stood patiently at the butt bar stop and I went to the trailer window and yelled for Briggs to get back to the trailer.  He came running down and all I could manage was, “I just broke my wrist.  Get Mark off and get him to his stall.”  Poor Briggs looked mortified as he say my limp wrist – ok no jokes please.  The swelling started immediately and we still had Hat Trick to unload.

(more…)

Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville Dominate at Plantation

By on Sep 20, 2013 12:45 pm -

Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville lead the CIC3* on a 37.8. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville skyrocketed into the lead in the CIC3* at Plantation Field with an impressive 37.8, placing them 8.4 penalty points ahead of Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott and Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda, who are now sitting in equal second on scores of 46.2. Sinead and Tate were absolutely on their A-game today, and they look very poised to dominate next month at the Fair Hill CCI3*. Phillip Dutton and Cave went right after Sinead and Tate, and it’s great to see them beginning to form a quality partnership. Scores have been pretty high across the board today, and I think the judges are nailing horses for any sign of tension. Pairs that are scoring well are putting in relaxed tests that allow their horses to show off a bit throughout the test.

Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries are currently sitting in fifth place on a score of 52.2. Bucky looked like he was about to boil over at several points during the test, and Erin pulled off a great save when he nearly broke during the trot work. This wasn’t as relaxed as their test at Richland, but considering how tense horses have looked today, I’d still count this as a victory for them. Ian Roberts and Faolan are sitting in eighth place on a 56.1 in the horse’s debut at this level. Ian lost the canter several times during the test, but this was a solid performance for a first attempt at CIC3* test. Emily Beshear and River King scored 56.4 to sit in equal ninth place with Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken. Riley is very good in the dressage and notoriously strong in the jumping phases, so it will be a good test this weekend to see if they can dial in equally good performances in show jumping and cross country.

Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Holly Payne and Santino were the last to go before the lunch break, and Sunny looked relaxed and happy during the test; they scored 56.7 for 11th place. We’re halfway throwing the CIC3* division now, and the leader board changed drastically in the last group. There are numerous competitive pairs still to come, including Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights, Susan Beebee and Wolf, Caitlin Silliman and Remington XXV, our very own Kate Samuels and Nyls Du Terroir, and Boyd Martin and Trading Aces. The weather is still brilliant here at Plantation Field, with sunny skies and just a light breeze blowing. Will any pair step up to challenge Sinead and Tate for the lead? Stay tuned to find out! Go Plantation Field.

[Plantation Website] [Entries] [2013 Schedule] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Disclaimer: A killer bee attacked me during Phillip’s test. Apologies for the shaky video.

Plantation Field CIC3* Scores:

Charlotte Weisberg: The Eventer’s ‘College Process’

By on Sep 20, 2013 11:45 am -

Charlotte Weisberg is an 18-year-old from New Hampshire and an avid EN fan who just made the transition to college– with her horse.  She wrote this article to spread the message to other readers in a similar position, in hopes that her experience will encourage others to consider bringing their horses along after high school.  Thanks to Charlotte for writing, and thank you for reading.

 

William grazing at our new home in Pennsylvania

 

From Charlotte:

I know this feels premature, since I’ve only been in school for a month now, but I know that the college process for most kids is starting earlier and earlier each year, and I want to get my message out while it can still make a difference.  I caught the “horse bug,” as we all know it, when I was eight years old and by the age of thirteen had convinced my parents I was ready for a horse of my own.  That’s when Sweet William came into my life and changed it in ways I never imagined. 

He was a big and bulky overweight Percheron/Quarter horse cross with a previous career at the Preliminary level under his belt, and nine months out of work.  I was about as inexperienced in eventing as you could get, although you couldn’t have paid me to admit that at the time, and my parents were just along for the ride.  We were clearly a match made in heaven.  William showed me the ropes of eventing while also showing me the ground on more occasions than I could count, and I gave him a forever home.  I could go on for days listing our wonderful times together and all that he has taught me, but everyone reading this most likely also has that one horse they believe is more special than anything else in the world and knows exactly what I’m talking about.  Plus, that’s not the point of my story.

After four years together and a countless number of memories made with William, I was beginning my senior year of high school and of course, the dreaded “college process.”  While most of my peers were stressing about how many student leadership committees they could sign up for, whether they could report that one thirty-second of Hispanic heritage on their Common App, or how to properly phrase every last sentence in their college essay, I had other things on my mind.  Sure, academics have always come first for me, but if I had to write out my list of priorities in life it would look something like this:

 

Of course choosing a school was important to me, but somehow I never felt nearly as stressed out about that as it seemed my peers were.  I fell in love with my school the moment I stepped on campus; I applied binding early decision, was luckily accepted, and never looked back.  All of this only seemed like such a breeze to me, because there were much more pressing matters on my mind throughout the whole process.  If I go off to school, what happens to my pony?  My partner in crime?  My other half?  How do I just not ride every day?  Or even not see him every day?  Is my eventing career over? While my friends envied my laid back attitude about the college selection procedure, I, for once in my life, envied their horse-free lives.  I tried reaching out to my fellow eventers and riders that had been in my situation for guidance but found little advice.  The clock was ticking though and senior year was flying by.

I finally had the conversation I needed in order to make my decision though, and that was with my high school equestrian team coach.  Although she had at the time only known William and I for less than a year, her response was simple yet firm.  When I brought up my fears and doubts about me and my horse’s future, she simply turned to me and said: “What do you mean?  There’s no question about it.  You have to bring William to school with you.” While her response shocked me, it also forced me to realize what I knew was true all along.  There was no way I could stop riding or even dream of giving up Will.  From then on, I was determined to make this happen.

I fought all summer with the University Parking Services Department against their strict “No Cars on Campus for Freshmen” rule.  My appeal letter to them looked something like this.  No car = can’t see my horse = depression = flunking classes.  After that they were convinced that horse people are indeed crazy, but that they should probably let me bring my car.  I then faced the financial hurdle of all of this.  Was it going to be even feasible to make this happen?  Well lucky for me, my parents couldn’t be more supportive of me and William, and they promised to make it happen for me.

William and I at one of our last events of the season. Photo by a dear friend.

 

Soon enough, I had picked out the perfect farm (never before this did I realize how difficult barn shopping is), permitted a car on campus, and mentally prepared myself for the move from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania.  So in typical chaotic eventer fashion, I signed William and I up for one last sanctioned event at Huntington Farm in Vermont.  We completed it with a pink ribbon and a victory gallop, packed our lives into our little two horse bumper-pull, and loaded up for Pennsylvania the next day.  With the help of some tubes of Ulcerguard and Probios we made the 7-hour journey effortlessly and William took it all like a champ.  Before I knew it, my horse was moved in to a beautiful new farm, I was moved in to my dorm room at Lehigh University, my parents and siblings were saying their goodbyes, and I had accumulated 22 likes on my Facebook photo album titled “William goes to college.”

William at a rest stop in Connecticut on our drive to PA

 

So here’s my message to pass along to all of you high school eventers, riding enthusiasts, and the amazingly supportive parents out there.  It’s not easy, but we’re eventers, so when is it easy?  But I can look at just my one month here at school and say that it was all completely worth it.  Did I have my initial freaked out phone calls to my father, because I thought William was slowly wilting away from only being ridden three times a week?  Yes, believe me that happened on multiple occasions.  Even if it is only two or maybe three times a week that I get to see my boy and spend time around horses, it’s always the highlight of my week.  More importantly, it’s given me the chance to enjoy my time with my horse more and never take him for granted.  I can safely say now, that bringing William with me was and will continue to be one of the best decisions I ever made.  Sure, it’s stressful at times, but I look around at all my peers and I can’t imagine how they make it through those rigorous exam weeks without some riding time.  I know that I am probably one of the few and extremely fortunate ones out there, but I hope that my story can make a difference to at least one person sitting in the same position I was at this time last year.  I’ve always found it to be a bit corny, but that old saying “If there’s a will, there’s a way” really rang true for me on this occasion.  So I encourage anyone out there facing these big decisions to make it happen.  Bring your horse to college no matter how crazy it seems.  Do whatever it takes, and tackle this just like you would any cross country course.  Keep kicking on and put everything you’ve got into it, until you’ve got the outcome you want.  And more importantly, the outcome that you know you truly need.  Go Eventing.

 

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda Take Early Plantation CIC3* Lead

By on Sep 20, 2013 10:16 am -

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda took the early lead. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Good morning from Plantation Field! The heavy fog that covered the grounds this morning has since dried off, and it looks to be another beautiful day here in Unionville. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda made a major statement as the third pair to ride this morning in the CIC3*, scoring 46.2 to hold a commanding lead in the division after the first group of riders this morning. Ping was his usual showman self, and Jennie remains a major contender to win this weekend since she’s likely to go for time on cross country. Lynn and Donner, another very competitive pair in the dressage, would have challenged Jennie and Ping for the lead were it not for an error in the walk work. But it’s better to get the error out of the way here as opposed to Pau, and the test was flawless aside from that bobble, with their flying changes standing out as a lovely highlight. Lynn and Donner are sitting in second on 50.4.

Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive were second to go this morning, putting in a very consistent test to score 54.6 to sit in third place provisionally. Jack is a big mover and a lot of horse to handle, and Phillip rides him very well in the dressage. Buck Davidson, who has temporarily taken over the ride on Petite Flower from Caroline Martin, worked through some tension with the mare to score 55.2, which puts them in fourth place. Flower was a bit fussy in her lead changes and not keen to accept the bit during the canter work, but the test had numerous lovely moments overall. It’s great to see Kristin Schmolze again with her lovely Ballylaffin Bracken, who’s a huge mover and not the easier horse to ride in the dressage. Rox kept his cool and relaxed beautifully, allowing Kristin to show off his lovely gaits; they scored 56.4 for fifth place. Jan Byyny and Inmidair are sitting just behind Kristin on Rox in sixth place on a score of 57. JR can be incredibly opinionated in the dressage, but Jan held him together very well.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Caitlin Silliman and Catch A Star were another pair to struggle with tension this morning, which is a shame since Hoku looked much more relaxed when I last saw her at Richland. Hoku wasn’t keen on a straight halt and salute to begin the test, but Caitlin slowly worked to coax Hoku into cooperating throughout the remaining movements, and they scored 60.6 to tie for seventh place with Sharon White and Under Suspection. This is a new horse for Sharon, and he just moved up to this level at Five Points. The horse is a lovely mover that unfortunately struggled a bit in the canter work. Sharon had a good save to hold the counter canter together, and the horse was a little naughty in his changes. But this horse definitely looks to be an exciting new partner for Sharon at this level. Jimmie Schramm and Bellamy were first to go this morning in the fog, and I thought their test looked very obedient and would have scored better than 61.5; that puts them in ninth place.

Buck Davidson and Petite Flower. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Eliza Farren and Bantry Bays Dublin round out your top 10 on a score of 62.1. This little horse looks like he has quite an attitude; kudos to Elize for convincing him to cooperate. The event is running short 16-minute breaks, so I’ll be doing my best to bring you updates on each test — hopefully without missing any. We still have a lot of exciting rides to go today, with Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville and Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott set to ride back-to-back before the lunch break. Over in the CIC2*, Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa are still holding their monster lead on a 35.6, although Callie Evans and Glendening Avis snuck in to slightly narrow the margin with a score of 43.9. I have to give a huge shoutout to the organizers for putting on such a beautiful event. The grounds are immaculate, the food is delicious and the wifi is wicked fast. What more could a girl want? Stay tuned for much more from Plantation Field!

[Plantation Website] [Entries] [2013 Schedule] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Plantation Field CIC3* Scores:

High Hopes For A Clone of Tamarillo

By on Sep 20, 2013 10:00 am -

Tomatillo (photo courtesy of Biddesden Stud)

Tamarillo, one of William Fox Pitt’s most successful mounts and certainly one of his most engaging, now has a tiny clone to call his own. “Tomatillo” was born on June 20th of this year at Replica Farms in the U.S., where other successful sport horses such as Gem Twist have beenn cloned. Tamarillo was winner of both Badminton and Burgley under WFP and also a long standing member of the British Team, so the hopes for Tomatillo are incredibly high.

The old man himself is still going strong at Biddesden Stud in Hampshire, England. Samantha Clark reported earlier this year on his life as a semi-retired 22 year old champion, and visited the breeding facility. While Tamarillo is not part of the breeding activity, as he is a gelding, part of the job of Tomatillo will be to use his genes as an improvement upon the already fascinating bloodlines at Biddesden. Owners MW & Finn Guinness have bred and owned four generations of mares on Tamarillo’s damline, and the stud has been in operation since 1939.

So, why clone this specific horse? Many exceptitonal competition horses are geldings, due to the fact that they are either more manageable from the start that way, or because they were unintentional superstars. According to the owners, there were several “special merits” that Tamarillo posessed that made him worthy of the expensive and complex process of cloning. From their website, they expressed these qualities:

1. He is a big mover.

2. He is an agile jumper–some people may remember him recovering from tripping in Huntsman’s Close and, on another occasion, finding an extra leg coming out of the Quarry at Badminton.

3. He has superb stamina as his wins in heavy rain and sodden ground at Badminton and Burghley demonstrated.

4. He seemed to find demanding Cross Country courses easy, cantering round the Four Star tracks with ears pricked.


When William Fox Pitt was asked what he thought about the creation of Tomatillo, he responded, “There will be plenty of opinions, I am sure, on whether this is a good or a bad thing. However, this is something that the Guiness’ decided to do for personal reasons, and they will be hopefully able to enjoy keeping the Tamarillo gene alive at their fantastic Biddesden stud.”

 

 

Julia Rau’s Photos from Schenefeld CIC3*

By on Sep 20, 2013 8:59 am -

Marilyn Little and RF Tabasco scored 50.1. Photo copyright Julia Rau.

 

Photographer Julia Rau generously shared some beautiful photos with us from the CIC3* at Schenefeld in Germany.  American Marilyn Little is competing two horses there, RF Demeter and her new ride RF Tabasco (formerly with Ingrid Klimke).  Demeter put in a stunning test to lie third on 37.2, just behind Andreas Ostholt and So Is Et (36.0) and Andreas Dibowski and Butts Leon (34.5).  Many thanks to Julia for the lovely pics, please check out her site for lots more: RauPhoto Gallery.

[Live Scores]

Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By on Sep 20, 2013 12:38 am -

Nyls du Terroir surveys the sandbox at Plantation Field HT. Photo from Kate Samuels' Facebook.

Good morning and welcome to Plantation Field weekend! There is plenty of action to be had this weekend at Plantation Field, and we would like to send some special EN Chinchilla Good Luck Wishes to our resident super girl Kate Samuels and Nyls du Terroir as they duke it out with the big boys this weekend. Jenni is on site this weekend and will be bringing you all of the gossip coverage you could possibly want.

Plantation Links:

[Website] [Entry Status] [2013 Schedule]

[Ride Times] [Live Scores] [CIC3* Preview]

Events This Weekend:

Twin Rivers Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times] [Live Scores]

Northwest Equestrian Fall Gala H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Otter Creek Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Marlborough H.T [Website] [Entry Status]

Stone Gate Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Stoneleigh-Burnham School Fall H.T. [Website]

Tryon Riding & Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Coconino H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Grandview Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Your Friday News:

Have you entered the awesome FLAIR contest yet? You can win $250 by winning back to back horse trials between now and October 31. Be sure to use FLAIR strips for both your cross country and stadium rounds (take photos so we can see you rocking them!), and FLAIR will give you $250 in bragging rights! [Eventers Win Big With FLAIR]

Horse & Hound did a wonderful piece on Tamarillo, William Fox-Pitt’s legendary ride. The Anglo-Arab took WFP all over the world, collecting trophies as they went. I am so fascinated by this breed that I might have to run out and get one for myself after seeing this article! [The Horse, The Myth, The Legend]

Are you headed to the AECs? Nutrena and USEA have teamed up to bring some pretty fantastic options to enjoy everything Texas Rose Horse Park has to offer. Your choices include VIP admission, a welcoming party, and a competitor’s party. [AEC Tickets]

Speaking of AECs, here is yet another reason to go and kick some you know what. The USEA announced that four AEC champions will receive will receive an original portrait of their choosing from artist Julie Lawther. I think custom portraits like this are priceless, and this is definitely a sentimental prize to receive. [Julie Lawther Portraits Among the AEC Prizes]

The Alltech National Horse Show is expanding this year. Held at the storied Kentucky Horse Park, the show will feature a “Kentucky Gathering,” which will include family friendly activities and plenty of food to sample. Say food enough times and I might just mosey on down there to check it out! [Celebrating Horses, Heritage, and Hops]

I don’t know about you, but I am notoriously terrible at applying standing wraps. So, needless to say, I found this video from Becky Rodrigues helpful. She has plenty of helpful hints on applying those pesky yet oh so helpful wraps. [How to Apply Standing Wraps]

Best of the Blogs:

Horse Racing Nation breaks down the ins and outs of steeplechasing.

Rebecca Effron writes about the Thoroughbred Revival.

Jennie Brannigan talks about getting out of your comfort zone for the Chronicle.

Your Friday Video Break:

Not getting enough Plantation Field fix? Lucky for you, one of our favorite YouTube personas, The Horse Pesterer, is on site. I’m sure there will be plenty more to come this weekend, but in the meantime, check out Hannah Sue Burnett’s rocking test on Harbour Pilot from yesterday.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot Lead Plantation Advanced

By on Sep 19, 2013 5:36 pm -

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot are leading the Advanced after dressage at Plantation Field on a 27.5. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot snuck into the lead in the Advanced division at Plantation Field with just one horse left to go, scoring 27.5 to best Allison Springer and Copycat Chloe’s score by nearly two penalty points. William looked very relaxed on an afternoon when we saw quiet a lot of tension from horses, especially in the walk work. He swapped leads right at the very end of the test before the final halt, but that little bobble didn’t deter from the test in the least. Allison and Chloe also had a fluid test, with Chloe looking so relaxed during the test that her ears were flopping, which is a real testament to just how far this pair has come since beginning their partnership together earlier this year. They looked brilliant at Richland and even better today, scoring a 29.7 for second place.

Allison Springer and Copycat Chloe. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue and William and Allison and Chloe were the only pairs to crack the 20s, although Lauren Kieffer and Veronica nearly got there with a very respectable 30. Veronica perhaps looked a little tense during certain movements, which we usually don’t see from her, but overall this test was a very solid performance. Kim Severson and Fernhill Fearless were the first to go this afternoon, setting an early benchmark with a lovely test to score 33.1. This horse can get a bit tight through his neck, but he looked more relaxed today than when I last saw him at Richland. Buck Davidson and D.A. Adirmo are sitting on the same score of 33.1 to lie in equal fourth place with Kim and Fernhill Fearless. D.A. Adirmo broke during the medium trot and was a bit vocal during the test, but I thought this was a very nice performance for them.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Holly Payne and Madeline picked up an error early in the test when she missed the half pass to the right after the rein back, but she didn’t let that affect her rhythm and recovered well. Madeline seemed a bit spooky and up throughout the test — and she took great offense when the ring steward opened the gate in the neighboring CIC2* ring — but Holly handled the mare’s tense moments well to score 33.4. That score puts Holly and Madeline in equal sixth place with Booli Selmayr and Castle Diamond. I didn’t quite appreciate how big this horse is when I saw him at Bromont, but I had a closer view of him today; he’s gigantic! The horse is a big, impressive mover, and Booli rode him very well today.

Kim Severson and Fernhill Fearless. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty were the last pair to go today and put in a solid performance for a 35.6, which ties them for eighth place with Whitney Weston and Rock On Rose. This is the first time I’ve seen this pair in person, and they rode an accurate test in a field of big names. Erin Freedman and Viola round out the top 10 with a score of 36.3. Viola is lovely to watch and was definitely excited to be showing off today, and she leapt into both flying changes. I met Erin at Bromont while walking the cross-country course, and she had a heartbreaking moment there with Viola when the mare tweaked a shoe in the show jumping, forcing her to retire on course. I’m sending them all the best this weekend!

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

I also have to send a shoutout to Allie Blyskal and Sparrow’s Nio, who are contesting their first Advanced this weekend. I fell head over heels in love with this little pocket rocket at Jersey Fresh, and he put in a really lovely test today. Over in the CIC2*, Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa have a whopping 10-point margin over second-placed Sharon White and Don Sheffield. The majority of the CIC2* division will ride dressage tomorrow, but Boyd will enjoy his comfortable lead overnight. I’ll be bringing you all the action tomorrow from the CIC3* dressage, which starts at 8 a.m. with Jimmie Schramm and Bellamy. It’s an absolutely beautiful weekend here so far; we couldn’t have asked for nicer weather. Go Plantation!

[Plantation Website] [Entries] [2013 Schedule] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JikEev501S4
Click for Hannah Sue’s test in HD courtesy of The Horse Pesterer 

 

Ask the Expert: Your #1 Source for Terrible Eventing Advice

By on Sep 19, 2013 4:30 pm -
Eventing can be a confusing sport. If I had a penny for every time I’ve been confounded by a question like “Will anyone notice if I sub in a different horse for dressage?” or “Why is the TD screaming at me again?,” I could afford to just buy myself a stupid Rolex and call it a day.

Fortunately, however, I have learned from my many, many mistakes. You might even say I’ve grown wise over the years, especially if you don’t know me that well. A while back, I started distributing that wisdom free of charge via an advice column called “Ask the Expert”–kind of like “Dear Abby” if Abby was an event rider with questionable judgment and way too much time on her hands. And now, back by unpopular demand…

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Dear EN,

I need your advice. Eventing has gotten SOOOOO expensive (breaking news, right?). I love the sport but it’s hard to afford when you’re already living on a budget. I’ve always believed in “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” but I feel like I’m at a loss here. Help?

Sincerely,

Broke-as-a-joke in Baltimore

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Dear Broke-as-a-joke in Baltimore,

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way”–You took the words right out of my mouth! If you really put your mind to it and get resourceful, you too can make even your most outrageously expensive eventing dreams come true. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Sell a kidney. It might seem like a big deal, but you only really need one, anyway. Kidneys go for… wait for it… approximately $262,000 on the black market. Think of the three-star schoolmaster that will buy you! If you’ve got some lesser debt floating around, say, a long overdue vet bill, consider selling your gallbladder–they go for around $1,219 and you won’t even miss it. Probably.

Potential Income: $$$$

2. Have someone’s baby for them. Downside: Nine months out of the saddle, plus the pain of childbirth. Upside: Surrogates can expect to earn $20,000-$30,000 a pop. If this isn’t up your alley, consider egg donation ($3,000-$5,000 per cycle). Sperm donation is less lucrative ($50-$100 per deposit), but weekly trips to the clinic will go a long way toward, say, paying the farrier.

Potential Income: $$

3. Lose the house. Do you really need a house, anyway? You’re at the barn most of the time. Downsize to a cheap, scuzzy apartment or, when expenses start piling up during event season, the backseat of your car. Invest the money you make off your house in a trailer with living quarters–problem solved!

Potential Income: $$$-$$$$

4. Rob a bank. This one can be tricky but it’s a classic for good reason. Tips for a successful bank robbery: (1) Wear a stocking over your head, (2) Threaten to shoot everyone (but don’t really, of course), (3) Enlist an understanding barn buddy to drive the getaway car.

Potential Income: $$-$$$$$

5. Marry into money. There are lots of lonely, single millionaires out there just waiting for a hot girl in tight britches to come galloping into their life. The important thing to remember here is that you can’t be picky: looks, personality, etc. are all irrelevant. All that matters is the bottom line–their bank account. Besides, if on down the road you decide it’s just not going to work, you can always divorce them, take the house, and refer back to Strategy #3.

Potential Income: $$$$$

Hope that helps. Clear eyes, full wallets, can’t lose! Good luck and GO EVENTING.

Have a question for the “expert”? We’ve got a not necessarily legal, credible or factually correct answer! Email it to [email protected].

Manoir De Carneville Goes to Devon

By on Sep 19, 2013 2:30 pm -

Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville sharpened their show jumping skills this past weekend at the Devon Fall Classic in Pennsylvania. Tate tackled the 1.20 jumpers and looks to be jumping in excellent form, as you’ll see in the video. Sinead and Tate are gearing up for the Fair Hill CCI3* next month after their plans to head to Europe this fall were curtailed when Sinead took a rough spill in July. Of course, I’m selfishly thrilled to have them at Fair Hill, which is always one of my favorite events of the fall. It will be a very exciting weekend with the French Princess on hand to do his thang. Go Tate!