Classic Eventing Nation

Everyone has ridden their share of tests that look something like this!

Hello there! I spent this past weekend thinking about all of the good news that one of our favorite Kiwi’s received after crushing the field at Burghley. Here is my comprehensive list of the things that we eventers simply love to hear (sarcasm may or may not be included).

1. That little rear/buck/scoot combination during your test was quite spectacular!

Yes, yes, thank you very much. We worked quite hard on our aerial pirouettes at home, and even brought in some growling flower boxes and horse eating dressage letters to complete the atmosphere. As long as we can bring in a score under 85, I’ll consider it a success!

2. Trainer: Your 20 meter circle actually somewhat resembled a circle! 

After realizing that my horse has a preference for octagons and triangles and basically every other shape besides a circle, these words are quite well received after successfully navigating something resembling a 20 meter circle. I pity those who have to tackle the 15 and 10 meter circles – the horror!

3. How do you keep your white breeches so clean??

I find I can usually measure my turnout success by comparing the amount of green slime and dirt that covers me to the amounts found on my peers. I’ve tried almost everything I can think of to preserve the white on dressage day. I’ve found that scrub pants work the best, although I can’t say they give me much help in the style department.

4. Your braids turned out textbook!

Why, thank you! I’ve been here since 2:30 am braiding, undoing, and re-braiding while my horse caught some more beauty shut eye. Now if you’ll excuse me while I go and apply copious amounts of under eye concealer so that I can look as bright eyed and well rested as my fine, well braided steed.

5. Jackets have been waived!

Nothing sounds less appealing on a hot summer weekend than wearing your jacket, especially considering the fact that you haven’t upgraded to one of the super cool new breathable jackets. Not that donning your Under Armour and cross country vest is much better, but at least you can sweat freely now and not hide under your jacket!

6. There are only 3 upper level riders in your Open Novice class!

Personally, if I saw a big name in my division, I would probably be too star struck to be able to ride coherently. If the likes of Lainey Ashker and Kim Severson were in my division, I might spend my warm up time harassing them for autographs and Instagram-ing photos instead of actually getting ready for my own dressage test.

7. Your cross country colors match so well!

I’ve harped on color coordination I don’t know how many times, so it only makes sense to put this little nugget on this list. Currently, I am trying to scheme up a good combination that does not primarily involve navy blue (trying to be original here) but considering everything I own is already navy it’s hard to justify buying everything again just to have different colors. Plus, what if my next horse is a chestnut? That makes color combinations that much more difficult!

8. You have qualified for AECs!

YES! That email is always a welcome one as it helps you feel better about the countless amounts of money and time you have spent competing that year. What is not welcome is trying to figure out the logistics of making the trek down to Texas. But hey, it’s all worth it because there are cowboys in Texas, right?!

9. You have 2 rails in hand going into stadium jumping.

Thank you, eventing gods! Now my crash and burn technique for stadium may actually come in handy! The last time I had rails in hand going into stadium jumping, I tripled that number. I think it’s the added pressure, or maybe I was just going for the entertainment/shock factor. I still have the video, too, and let’s just say my trainer was not buying the whole entertainment approach.

10. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Have a great ride!

Every eventer’s favorite phrase. What I love about this the most is that you can find it at every single event, even the big 4* events. It is truly the eventer’s catchphrase and it encompasses everything that we love about the sport.

The Bloodhorse.com recently published an article on Real Estate, a 2004 dark bay stallion (High Yield – Sassy Pants) who returned to the track in 2013 after a few years spent in the breeding shed.  Racing for his owner/breeder Peter Blum, Real Estate won the James B. Moseley Sprint Handicap back in 2008.  Trained by Allen Jerkens, Real Estate made his return to racing this year with mediocre results– he’s been off the board at Saratoga, but he did win $18,000 in a claiming race at Belmont earlier this summer.

On August 29, Real Estate’s first starter made his debut.  A two-year-old colt, Sharp Razor (Real Estate – Trellis) won a maiden special weight at Charles Town by two and a half lengths.  It’s rather rare for a sire and his son to run in the same era; usually a young stallion is shuttled off to stud, and only brought out of the breeding shed if he suffers fertility problems (thus, no progeny to compete against).  There probably wasn’t a huge demand for Real Estate in the breeding market, thus his return to the track…but it’s still neat to notice that father and son are both running in the same year.

Sure, this time slot was supposed to be filled with a post about some horses at some event.  But this is important.  This is real life.  Step aside Gangnam Style.  There’s a new king sitting on the viral song throne.  It’s called “The Fox” and it’s from Norway.  If you’re still reading these words, you’re insane.  Stop reading immediately and click on the video above.  At least three times.  I’m five listens in and it keeps getting better and better — EVERY TIME.  Thank me later and go eventing.

[via Gawker]

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Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen at Barbury. Photo by Samantha Clark)

As Burghley is now finished for 2013, we have about two days to recover before the excitement of the Fidelity Blenheim Palace Horse Trials, which boasts a CCI3* and a CIC3*. The U.S. has quite a few representatives at this even, as part of the new initiative to get our best riders over there experiencing the competitive atmosphere of European events. Thanks to both the Jacqueline B. Mars Competition & Training Grants and the USEF Land Rover Competition Grants, we are going to send a lot of riders this fall to compete not only at Blenheim, but also Boekelo and Pau. This marks the beginning of the fall European season for our U.S. riders.

[Blenheim Website] [Entry List]

Three riders received travel grants to compete at Blenheim CCI3*: Meghan O’Donoghue with Pirate, Clark Montgomery with Loughan Glen, and Sharon White with Wundermaske. Sharon has since withdrawn Wundermaske, as I believe the horse had a bit of an accident at Millbrook in the Advanced and she’s taking her time building his confidence back. We have several UK based riders representing the U.S. this weekend, as well as Phillip Dutton & Ben. I have included Jessica Phoenix & Pavarotti in the list because we love Canadians here at EN, and she’s always here in the U.S. smiling and kicking our butts anyway! Without further ado, the preview of North American riders at Blenheim CCI3*.

Phillip Dutton and Ben: Ben is a 12 year old bay Holsteiner gelding owned by Team Rebecca and ridden by Phillip. After taking 2012 off due to injury, Ben has returned to the top of the sport with great success this year. He consistently scores in the low 40’s at the CIC3* level and usually jumps clean cross country with time. He doesn’t seem to be the fastest horse on cross country, but he has been clean of jump penalties minus a mishap this year at Rebecca Farms where he fell at a table. He has since come back from that event and most recently placed 5th at Richland Park CIC3*. Ben has completed a CCI3* before, but not since 2011, where he was 13th overall at Fair Hill. Ben also has a tendency to be a “one rail wonder”, so I expect him to put in a lovely dressage test, but his time penalties on cross country and show jumping rail will put him out of the very top placings.

Julian Stiller and Sinatra BK: Jules will be riding Sinatra BK in only their 4th event together this weekend, as she only just recently got this lovely 8 year old mare from Andrew Nicholson. This mare did recently complete Saumur CCI3* with Andrew, finishing with only a rail to add to her dressage score of 61, which was good enough for 14th place. I think, considering the new relationship of the pair that Jules will be looking to simply finish safely between the finish flags with a good learning experience for her talented young horse.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti: Jessica and Rotti crossed the pond earlier this summer to compete in the Haras du Pin CIC3* in France in preparation for Blenheim, as well as to gain a sneak peek at World Equestrian Games course designer Pierre Michelet’s handiwork. They finished 17th at Haras du Pin in a competitive field, adding another solid placing to their 2013 record. Jessica and Rotti were second in the Bromont CIC3* in June and sat in second overnight in the CIC3* at Jersey Fresh before retiring on cross country. Rotti, Jessica’s Pan Am Games gold medal partner, is notoriously strong on cross country, and she’s been experimenting with different bits and bridles. If they can get it dialed in at Blenheim, I expect we’ll see a very good performance.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti at The Fork. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen: After spending time in England prior to the London Olympics, Clark and his wife Jessica decided that in order to really step up their game in the Eventing world, they had to permanently move across the pond. So, they packed up all their stuff, sold their horse trailers and bought a lorry. But, their leap of faith paid off, and Clark has had some of the strongest placings of any competitor all year on his small group of horses. Glen was second at Barbury CIC3* in the spring in a very competitive crowd, and was well-placed at Halperton CIC3*, only to have his rider point him at the wrong fence in stadium halfway through! Clark came back to prove that the brain fart wasn’t permanent by winning his Advanced at Wellington just a few weeks ago. I expect this pair to put in a top 10 dressage test, smoothly cruise around the cross country and jump clean in show jumping to place right up there on the leaderboard. Keep an eye on them!

Meghan O’Donoghue and Pirate: Meghan & Pirate will be thrilled to be participating in their first overseas trip for the U.S. and will be looking to get the most education possible out of the experience. They captured the heart of the nation with a beautiful performance at their first CCI4* this spring at Rolex for 12th place. Unfortunately, Meghan has had a bit of bad luck follow her this summer on her return to competition, with a TE at Millbrook (because she mistakenly jumped the wrong last jump on cross country) and fell victim to the tricky keyhole and corner combination at Richland CIC3* that caused so much trouble. However, I know Meghan has viewed both of these things as a bit of a rude wake up call to get her act together, and I don’t think she will disappoint on the international scene. Pirate’s dressage still won’t put him up with the leaders after the first day, but I think they’ll smoke the cross country and show the spirit that put them on this list in the first place.

Cindy Rawson and Mocharabuiee: Cindy Rawson is an American event rider who has been based in the UK for the past 12 years, so she’s way ahead of the rest of us on that notion! I couldn’t figure out how to pronounce her horse’s name, so I looked up her website and it turns out his stable name is “George.” George is a super jumping 12-year-old chestnut gelding who has been with Cindy for two years now, and has quite a lot of experience at the Intermediate level. He recently moved up to Advanced at Aston-Le-Walls in June, and also completed Hartpury CIC3*. I expect these two to find themselves in the middle of the pack after dressage and jump around clean with time for a good first CCI3* experience.

Julian Stiller and Pandora X: Pandora is Jules’ second lovely young ride of the day, and also a mare! This pair have been together since late 2012, and have had quite a bit more experience with one another than her previous mount. However, this will be only Pandora’s third competition at the Advanced level to date. They competed at Barbury in the CIC3* earlier this spring, and added only cross country time to their dressage score of 74, and also competed at Hartpury CIC3*, adding a rail and some time to their improved dressage score of 56.3. I think that Jules will be pleased to get this mare around her first CCI3* safely and with a confidence boosting cross country so that she has a great horse for the future.

valonia yesterday

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard Denny say the following: riding nice horses ups your game. In the beginning I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Literally every single person that either trailered in for a lesson, or was a working student, in my eyes, was an amazing rider on an amazing horse. So, I thought to myself, how can these riders UP their game, if their game is already up?

When I first came to Tamarack there were two women that consistently trailered in for lessons-almost on a weekly basis. Both individuals had competed at the Advanced level and both were and are accomplished riders. The barn manager at the time thought I was cobwebbing, or sweeping, but really I was cobwebbing or sweeping the same spot over and over again, only so I could catch a glimpse  of the lesson outside. There’s a reason why I never received the “working student of the year award.” Anyways, I would watch as these amazing riders would consistently get to the perfect distance to an enormous jump over and over again and look picturesque in the air. They were always on nice horses and they both always looked incredible. These two women were my idols. I wanted their horses and I wanted their eye, and I wanted to basically be them. You always knew when one of these riders were at the farm because the next day the jump ring looked like a Rolex show jumping course.

Again, I asked myself, how could riding nice horses up your game if you are already a great rider on a great horse? Fast forward about five years and I finally discovered the answer. Now, brace yourself, because this is going to be shocking. The question is simply in the statement. Quite literally, riding nice horses ups your game. There was and is a reason why good riders are good and that’s because they are on good, or great horses (and they worked their butts off). Great riders don’t waste their time with mediocre horses. Great riders find horses that have the ability to meet their goals.

Does this mean that everyone can magically go out and purchase the horse of their dreams?  NO! I am in a unique and special situation because I worked my butt off to get to this point. I never traded in my saddle and the thought never occurred to me. I grew up riding school horses and then there was a long period where I rode some very tough horses because I could only afford to buy difficult, or tough horses, or lease tough horses. I learned to ride on whatever anyone would let me sit on. I was never picky but now I am.

Skybreaker warming up for a jump school

Probably the best thing that ever happened to me was the first summer at Tamarack, I was desperately struggling with my mare in a jump set and I stopped and Denny asked our friend Sue Berrill what she thought of my horse and what she would do if this mare was hers. Here’s what Sue said: SELL HER. I was sort of stunned and sort of relieved simultaneously. It never crossed my mind to sell this horse because I don’t know if anyone ever told me to my face to sell her.

Getting rid of that mare and getting on progressively better horses as the years passed has helped my riding by leaps and bounds. I would be nowhere if I had ignored Denny and Sue’s advice. Right now I sort of feel on top of the world. I have two horses that I never even imagined myself to be sitting on. If someone had told me 12 years ago that I would be not only sitting on, but competing two horses like Skybreaker and Valonia I would have probably started laughing hysterically. Riding nice horses ups your game. It can take decades (and it has) to get nice horses to ride. But once you start to become a better rider and you start to ride nicer horses, there is this amazing and inevitable snowball effect. Translation: Be realistic and don’t give up even when the going gets rough. 

Many thanks to Max McManamy for forwarding this Craigslist ad on to us…we definitely got a kick out of it, and you will too!  If you have something to share with EN, send it to [email protected].  This ad also appeared yesterday on our sister site, Horse Nation…where you can find a daily dose of horse crazy!

Miserable, cantankerous horse for sale – $1400 (New Haven)

 

Meet Rotten Banana. My wife named him that before he was born 7 years ago, and for that reason I believe she is a true psychic medium.Rotten Banana’s father was a registered Paint we owned, who was a valiant sweetheart of a horse but was ugly as sin. His mother is an evil wench, but is built like a brick house and is afraid of nothing. We thought the breeding might give us a valiant sweetheart who was built like a brick house.

Instead, we got…..Rotten Banana.Banana has a lot of…..personality. He has great ground manners. He loves attention. He is probably the best horse I have ever seen about picking up his feet. My 6 year old daughter can lead him anywhere.And that’s where the good stuff ends, so….maybe stop reading here?

…

Still reading?

…

Dammit.

Rotten Banana is very broke to ride and has hundreds of trail miles. Like his mom, he is afraid of nothing. He will go through brooks, mud, trees and not miss a step.

If he wants to.If he doesn’t want to, he won’t do anything. Literally.

If you want to ride, he will just stand there. Whip and spur all you want, the best you will get is a half-hearted buck and a grunt. (The very reputable natural horsemanship trainer I paid $900 to work on this became as exasperated as i was.). If you want to put him on a trailer, and he doesn’t want to get on it, he will go backwards. Quickly. If you want to put a bridle on him, he will actually point his nose to the sky like a timberwolf. When you are not looking, he will either steal the hat off your head with his teeth, or grab your shirt and give you a tug.

In short, he is an ass.

So, if you’re looking for a project horse with lots of miles left in his- ta da! Here he is.

Someone with time could actually make a horse out of him. That person is not me.

You TOO can own this awesome shirt. Photo courtesy of Dapplebay.

This isn’t the first time we’ve touted Dapplebay and mastermind Leah Anderson here on Eventing Nation, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. We featured Dapplebay T-shirts as a holiday gift idea last Christmas, and you’ve seen Leah’s name attached to the Aspen Farms photos she sent us this past weekend. Leah is working on some very exciting projects for EN, and in the meantime you should shop Dapplebay’s fall sale, which starts today and runs through Sunday, Sept. 15. Here’s five reasons why you should show Dappebay some love:

Why, yes, this is the best shirt ever. Photo courtesy of Dapplebay.

1. Where else can you buy an eventing AND Jay-Z-themed T-shirt? WHERE? I implore you to tell me where, EN, because I have yet to find an eventing T-shirt with a better saying than “99 Problems But a Ditch Ain’t One.” It SLAYS me. [99 Problems T-Shirt] On a semi-related note, here is me drinking champs and wearing a fake mustache in a limo on the way to a Jay-Z/Justin Timberlake concert last month. Please note my farmer’s tan from riding:

2. Where else can you buy eventing-themed cell phone cases? If you’re like me, your phone spends it’s time either squished into your breeches pocket with an assortment of treats, making besties with the dirty brushes in your grooming bag or on the floor of your horse’s stall. A good case is a must, and Dapplebay has them in spades. [Phone cases]

3. When was the last time you wore a temporary tattoo? Don’t answer that. I guarantee it’s been far too long, and you NEED these Dapplebay tattoos in your life. These would make great gifts for your eventing buddies. Maybe you all wear them on cross-country day as a show of solidarity at your final event of the season? Clearly this needs to happen. [Temporary Tattoos]

4. How else will you be cool like the Dapplebay Ambassadors? So many awesome upper-level riders wear Dapplebay shirts, including EN’s own Kate Samuels, Lainey Ashker, Courtney Sendak, Jordan Linstedt and Lara Knight. If you want to roll with the big dogs, you need the right gear, yo. [DB Ambassadors]

Lainey rocks a Dapplebay T-shirt. Photo courtesy of Lainey's Facebook.

5. Support one of eventing’s own. Leah is a fellow eventer who travels around to top events so that people like us can be outfitted in awesome eventing merchandise like this. Let’s keep our dollars in the family and support the little guy. Plus, she owns an OTTB named Pie, as if you needed anymore encouragement. [About Leah]

Leah and Pie. Photo courtesy of Leah's Facebook page.

Click to shop the sale!
T-shirt closeouts, $5 off phone cases, $3 off decals, and $1 off stickers and tattoos!

Nah… I kid, I kid. I’m from Tennessee, for Pete’s sake, I have NO room to talk. Anyway, have you sent in your entry to the 2013 American Eventing Championships? If you’re qualified and still on the fence, you better “git on the stick” because closing date is upon us. The event (Sept. 26-29 at the Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler, Texas) features six brand new championship-level courses designed by Captain Mark Phillips. As of Sept. 5, the USEA had received over 410 entries from from 35 states, with folks hauling in from as far away as Washington state and Maine.

AEC links: [Omnibus] [Xentry] [Qualified Horses List] [Qualified Riders List] [Adequan Gold Cup Advanced Championships Qualifiers List] [Entry Status] [Qualification Criteria] [USEA Ride Share Program]

Events Opening Today:

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Georgia, A-3), Heritage Park H.T. (Kansas, A-4), Waredaca H.T. and Classic Training 3 Day Event (Maryland, A-2), Holly Hill Fall H.T.(Louisiana, A-5)

Events Closing Today:

University of New Hampshire H.T. (New Hampshire, A-1), Flora Lea Fall H.T. (New Jersey, A-2), The Middleburg H.T. (Virginia, A-2), Nutrena USEA AEC (Texas, A-5), Jump Start H.T. (Kentucky, A-8)

Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials in Poolesville, Maryland, is in need of volunteers, especially cross-country jump judges, for its event this coming weekend. Co-organizer Nancy Jones says, “Even if folks can only give part of one of the days, we would love them forever! Plus, volunteers get cool goodies and schooling passes that can be used at any of our three schooling days. And the weather is supposed to be fantastic!” That’s one heck of a sales pitch. Email Karen Widmayer ([email protected]) or Pam Blumberg ([email protected]) for more info. [Website]

Stone Gate Farm Horse Trials, to be held Sept. 21-22 in Hanoverton, Ohio, will be accepting entries through Friday, Sept. 13. There are openings at ALL levels,  Starter through Prelim, and on-grounds stalls are still available. It is requested that ALL late entries enter and pay via Xentry. [Website] [Omnibus]

Marilyn Little is coming off a successful weekend in the Netherlands, winning the Breda CIC2* on RF Tabasco (recently purchased from Germany’s Ingrid Klimke) and finishing second in the CIC3* on RF Demeter. Demeter seems to be in top form, finishing clean and within the time cross-country at Luhmuhlen (GER), Blair Castle (GBR) and Breda (NED). Marilyn also had top finishes in a jumper competition that was held at Breda in conjunction with the event. [Raylyn Farms]

FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips: Will you be at Blenheim this weekend? Stop by the Horses In Sport trade stand this Friday at noon for a signing opportunity with Team FLAIR’s Charlotte Agnew of Charlotte Agnew Eventing. Meet this talented equestrian, get an autographed photo, and take advantage of a b3g1f special offer from FLAIR and Horses in Sport! [FLAIR]

Jock Paget‘s big finish at Burghley got recapped around the world on Monday. If you just can’t get enough, check out these links: [Horse Talk NZ] [Telegraph] [Horse & Country] [Results] [Burghley TV]

SmartPak Product of the Day: Do your stirrups keep getting longer, and longer, and longer? Or are your legs just getting shorter? Invest in a pair of no-stretch SmartPak Line Stirrup Leathers–covered with soft leather, they require no break-in time, and you’ll never feel like the incredible shrinking human again. [SmartPak]

Amy Barrington has been on all of our hearts after suffering a serious riding accident last week. The Amy Barrington Recovery Page on Facebook has been invaluable during this difficult time, offering daily updates on Amy’s condition, sharing ways we can help, and offering an outlet for loving messages from friends. A recovery fund has been set up via You Caring to organize donations and help fundraise for Amy’s recovery–you can contribute here. Kick on, Amy!