Classic Eventing Nation

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda at the Fork Horse Trials.

With just under 20 riders left to go, the three of the four US riders at Luhmühlen have already finished their dressage.  Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda had a great test, scoring 48.7, currently tied for 8th place, and she’ll likely stay in the top 20 by the end of the day.  Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight scored a 55.5, currently 15th.  Marilyn Little and Demeter just finished their test after the lunch break, good enough to score 53.5 and sit ahead of Jolie in 14th.  The final US rider, Jules Stiller and Enjoy Me will start their test at 9:05am ET.

Many more great horses are left to come (Rutherglen, Bullet Proof, Tabasco TSF, Lionheart and Mr Cruise Control) so I expect the top 15 to change a bit by the end of the day.

Last year’s runner-up, Lucinda Fredericks and Flying Finish currently hold a comfortable lead with a 36.7.  Kai Ruder and LePrince des Bois (40.8)  is second at the moment, followed by Kenki Sato and Chippieh on 41.5.

[Live Scores]

***UPDATE  9:25am***

Jules Stiller and Enjoy Me scored a 52.2 to stand 21st, right ahead of Marilyn (22nd) and Jolie (23rd).  Jennie Brannigan sits tied for 13th, with ten horses left to go.  Zara Phillips and High Kingdom had a superb test to jump into second place with a score of 39.7.  Several other horses have also moved into the top 15.

UPDATED LEADERBOARD  9:25am

RANK		RIDER		HORSE	DRESSAGE		RANK AFTER DRESSAGE
					POINTS	PERCENTAGE	SCORE	RANK
1.		Lucinda FREDERICKS		Flying Finish	680	75,56	36,70	1.
2.		Zara PHILLIPS		High Kingdom	662	73,56	39,70	2.
3.		Kai RÜDER		Leprince des Bois	655	72,78	40,80	3.
4.		Kenki SATO		Chippieh	651	72,33	41,50	4.
5.		Andrew HOY		Rutherglen	622	69,11	46,30	5.
6.		Kevin MCNAB		Clifton Pinot	¹    615	68,33	47,50	6.
7.		Nicola WILSON		Opposition Buzz	615	68,33	47,50	7.
8.		Jonathan PAGET		Bullet Proof	614	68,22	47,70	8.
9.		William FOX-PITT		Neuf des Coeurs	614	68,22	47,70	9.
10.		Andrew NICHOLSON		Rathmoyle King	612	68,00	48,00	10.
11.		Andreas DIBOWSKI		FRH Butts Avedon	610	67,78	48,30	11.
12.		Ludwig SVENNERSTÅL		King Bob	609	67,67	48,50	12.
13.		Emily LLEWELLYN		Pardon Me II	608	67,56	48,70	13.
14.		Jennie BRANNIGAN		Cambalda	608	67,56	48,70	14.
15.		Andrew NICHOLSON		Qwanza	602	66,89	49,70	15.

Emily Beshear rocking a Point Two air vest on River King at Bromont, photo by Samantha Clark

EN sponsor Point Two is at it again and would like to outfit one lucky reader with a brand new Point Two air vest! The question is: how bad do you really want it?

It’s time to pull out the duck tape, baling twine and … bubble wrap? Because Point Two would like you to make your own vest!

We welcome (and suggest) creativity, savviness, and overall skills in this competition. Make your vest and send a photo to [email protected] by midnight Wednesday, June 26 to be entered in the contest. The best vests will then be up for a reader poll where a winner will be ultimately chosen.

EN reader Denya is back with multiple reports from recent clinics taught by Clayton Fredericks with the Canadian team and Jessica Phoenix with the Canadian Young Riders. Denya submitted one of our favorite clinic reports for 2012, and we’re excited that she’s back to share more from Canadian eventing. Her first report looks at the Canadian team’s final preparation before Bromont. Take it away, Denya!

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Clayton Fredericks coaches Nicole Parkin and Lexus.

From Denya:

The Canadian team spent May 31st and June 3rd training with International Technical Advisor Clayton Fredericks, who prepped riders going to Bromont and provided on-going coaching for eventual teams over the next few years. Each rider had twi sessions with Clayton to work on what they felt most important for them to be successful. The beautiful property of Jorge and Mandy Bernhard was made available for the coaching, with excellent footing despite all the rainy weather prior to the training sessions. Not only did the Bernhards generously offer their facilities, they are that most cherished of all people: horse owners who contribute to the sport every day, day in and day out — a huge thank you!

Clayton stressed the talent among the current riders and their commitment to representing Canada successfully at the 2014 World Equestrian Games. While pleased with good results recently, the goal is to create a winning team, instilling in the riders their ability to win. Managing the horses sensibly, creating opportunities to learn and improve, and capitalizing on the talent already hard at work is key.

In these sessions, it was easy to see the rapport that Clayton has built with the riders. His comments were incorporated immediately; there were positive exchanges between riders/coach; and every instruction had a “what we’re looking for” … and let’s not forget the little jokes and laughter that softened his “tough love.” The whole environment was supportive and cheerful.

Clayton described competing as holistic — each piece has to be addressed so the puzzle works. Given his accomplishments, as both an active competitor and coach, Clayton feels he can act as a mirror for the riders, and, in his words, he is not letting any small mistakes slip by, and the riders are looking for the input and direction to be winners.

Go Bromont! Go Canada! Go Eventing!

We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? EN’s Got Talent introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].

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Andrew Palmer and Tatendrang. Photo by Aly Rattazzi of Rather Be Riding Photography.

Tatendrang, a 7-year-old Trakehner stallion owned by Anissa Cottongim and campaigned by Andrew Palmer, stepped into the limelight when he won the inaugural CHC International CIC* at Chattahoochee Hills last month. It was a gratifying outcome for the horse’s first one-star, especially when you consider how far he’s come since beginning his training under Andrew’s tutelage. “Tate” — who is sired by the elite Trakehner stallion Onassis, who is also the damsire of Seacookie TSF, William Fox-Pitt’s second-placed mount at this year’s Rolex, and out of Tanzania by Avignon II — came to Andrew with about 90 days under saddle.

“He had decided in that time that rearing was a good idea, and the trainer who had him before me called and said that he’d just started rearing, and she didn’t want to make it a big issue right before he came to me,” Andrew said. “So she just backed off of him a little bit, which was a really good idea on her part. He was 4, he was tall, and there was nothing malicious about it. When he played around, he was just very big and very playful.” Andrew quickly discovered that Tate couldn’t figure out how to rear if you turned him to the right. “It was a simple fix, luckily,” Andrew said. “Saddle fit was a bit of an issue too.”

Andrew Palmer and Tatendrang. Photo by Aly Rattazzi of Rather Be Riding Photography.

With Tate’s rearing issues behind him, Andrew began focusing on Anissa’s main goal for the horse in those early days: completing a novice event to fulfill the performance requirement for his stallion testing. “When I got him on the cross-country course, everything was so natural for him,” Andrew said. “He was this huge skeleton with not much muscle, so I was tentative about schooling him much. I would have to pick a time when I would quit because he would jump everything we put in front of him. It was hard to pace him in the beginning, but I was worried because he was still growing.”

Within six months, Tate had that first novice event under his belt, which brought along the next challenge in his training. “He had stops at the water at the first two or three events,” Andrew said. “He would go in the water, but he would have to stop and check it out. It wasn’t something I was too worried about, and it wasn’t something I wanted to push him through too hard. If you try to push too hard with a stallion, they will quit on you. So we took our time at novice. We tried to take him to multiple courses like Rocking Horse and Poplar where he had two chances to run through the water.”

A series of unfortunate events ultimately cured Tate of his water aversion. “We have automatic waterers in our barn, and one of the stallions broke his, which flooded all the stalls,” Andrew said. “We came into the barn the next morning, and Tate was standing in four inches of water. After that, he never had another refusal in water.” Tate progressed well through novice, but Andrew wanted to wait until the horse turned 5 to move him up to training. “We tried to pace him by his age, and I stayed pretty committed to that,” Andrew said. “We didn’t want to run prelim until he was 6, mostly because he was still doing a lot of growing.

Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll learn all about Tate’s progression through the levels at training and prelim, as well as break down his winning weekend at CHC International. “When I went to Chatt Hills, one of the first dressage rides on another stallion went into the lead for the majority of the class,” Andrew said. “I was glued to the live scoring. Everybody started creeping in and getting really close to that score. And right as I was about to go out and get on Tate, I saw that I had just lost the lead. That was just the motivation I needed to get on Tate and push him just a little bit more.”

Leslie Wylie’s “Bad Jumping Clinic with George Morris” continues to receive unparalleled responses of approval.  The new column on Horse Nation is the most amazing thing any of us have ever come up with, and we will all now bow to Leslie for her amazing skills.   Be sure to check Horse Nation on Tuesdays for the next one!    (Please note that this is not actually written by George Morris…seriously.)

Previous Installments:

5/14/13  Bad Jumping Clinic With George Morris: I’m getting too old for this crap.

5/21/13  Bad Jumping Clinic With George Morris: What is wrong with you people.

5/29/13  Bad Jumping Clinic With George Morris: If I have an aneurysm, it’s YOUR fault.

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Bad Jumping Clinic with George Morris

by Leslie Wylie