If you didn’t get a chance to attend the Thoroughbreds For All event at Rolex, now you can watch a portion of the program on the Retired Racehorse Training Project’s YouTube Channel. The video shows Phillip Dutton and Dr. Kevin Keane talking about what to look for when purchasing a Thoroughbred off the track as an eventing prospect. You also get to watch Phillip evaluate the conformation of several OTTBs available for adoption through New Vocations. It’s really interesting to see what Phillip looks for and notices in these horses. Do you spot the same conformation pros and cons as Phillip? You’ll have to watch the video to find out! Go OTTBs.
Andrew Nicholson and Rathmoyle King at the trot up. Photo courtesy of Thomas Ix.
Fifty of the 51 horses that presented at the Luhmühlen CCI4* were accepted and will move on to compete in the dressage on Friday. All four pairs from the U.S. — Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda, Marilyn Little and RF Demeter, Julian Stiller and Enjoy Me, and Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight — were accepted. Three pairs were held: Aistis Vitkauskas and AK’s Galopper, Ben McClumpha and McKenzie, and Richard Jones and Highland Ford. AK’s Galopper and Highland Ford were accepted upon representaton; McKenzie was unfortunately spun. For all things Luhmühlen, be sure to check out Visionaire’s preview from this morning. Go eventing. [Entry List]
THF students having a little too much fun at a GMHA schooling jumper show 2010!
How many of you have spent the better part of your lives as working students? How many of you had life changing experiences riding for some of the best event riders in the country? How many of you spent all your money as a teenager and got nothing in return? Im guessing there are thousands of young riders, teenagers, and young adults who are currently applying for a working student position, have already spent the time as a working student, or are longing to be on some accomplished event rider’s team.
In order to become a working student, you must be ready to dedicate your time to someone else for x amount of months, or years; you must have a basic idea of what it is you want to accomplish from the experience (regardless of how extreme or minuscule your goals are); you must have some sort of funding in place to allow you to go be a slave without being compensated; and you must have an open mind. There seem to be various stages associated with this working student topic. Let’s focus on the meat of the subject matter: What to do, how to act, how NOT to act, and what to expect when you’re a working student.
What To Do? Well, this isn’t exactly brain surgery here. You should do exactly what the barn manager, or the owner of the farm tells you to do. If the barn manager or the person you are riding for wants you to sweep the shavings in each stall so that there is exactly 4.5 inches between the stall door and the inside of the stall, then that’s what you need to do. If they ask you to re-apply oil to the tack you already cleaned that morning, then get another sponge and some oil and get ready to clean. If someone has a list of To Do’s, then follow that list and try and get as much done as you can possibly get done in one day.
The purpose of being a working student is to learn everything you possibly can from accomplished and professional riders. The purpose is not to take your sweet time with each and every chore and drive off the second the clock chimes 6pm. If you find yourself counting down the seconds till a lunch break, or the end of the day, then maybe being a working student is not for you. Do what they ask you to do, and do it well.
How To Act: This is REALLY important so take notes, or make a mental note. Be friendly. Really, it’s as simple as this. Of course this can be harder for some of us than others. I know all too well that stepping out of your shell and becoming more outgoing can be a major task. But, believe me, once you start opening up and becoming a more likable person that others want to spend time with, everything starts to get easier. Even if you’re not on your way to Rolex, or on your way to the Prelim championships at Fitches Corner, and even if you’re not the most talented rider in the world, if you have a good attitude, and you want to improve AND you’re a hard worker, then everything will be okay.
How NOT To Act: Obviously the opposite of being nice and outgoing, would be someone who is shy and grumpy, or unapproachable. If you have a bad attitude, have no interest in learning, and lack a hard-working mentality, then you might benefit more from working in a private cubicle where you are by yourself all day. Other pieces of universal advice that should be noted regardless of the individual you are working for:
Don’t sit around (in fact never sit unless you’re completely off the clock).
Always look for something to do.
Always stay busy.
Don’t ask if you can leave now-work until they tell you it’s okay to leave.
Don’t walk around the barn, or farm like you’re assisting your 94 year old grandmother on a stroll around a garden, walk like you have a purpose-HUSTLE!
Don’t wait to be told to do something-take initiative.
If you happen to be setting jumps in a jump set-don’t stand there like a statue, if a rail gets knocked down, run to go put it back into place.
Don’t talk back in a lesson. Example: “My horse is being a jerk today,” or, “that’s not how my other trainer said I should do that…”. You’re a working student because you want to learn from one of the best. Even if you don’t agree, bite your tongue and try your best to do whatever he or she is asking of you. There are tons of other pointers, but really the most crucial components are being nice and working hard!
What to expect when you’re a working student: This point is fairly open-ended. What to expect when you’re a working student really revolves around your goals as a rider. Do you just want to improve your riding in general? Do you want to move up the levels with your horse? Do you want to improve your jumping, or are you more concerned about your skills as a dressage rider? Are you trying to become an upper level event rider? I think some of the best advice I can offer as far as what to expect, is maybe don’t expect the world to change in one summer. In other words, you should have your personal goals in the back of your mind, but you also ought to arrive at so and so’s barn with an open mind.
You might learn things you were never aware of. You might learn completely different skills that you were unsure of. No matter how much you love or despise your working student position, you’re going to learn something from the experience and that’s always a good thing. If the timing is right, if your attitude is right, and you’re in an ideal position, you may find that your life does completely change after being a working student for someone.
The eyes of the eventing world fall upon Germany this week, as the year’s third CCI4* is contested at Luhmuhlen. While Jenni and Samantha stay home for the weekend, the chinchillas are out enjoying bratwurst and Heineken and we have a nifty network of guest bloggers in place to bring you all the live action. Fifty-one horses and riders are entered in the CCI4*, and another 47 in the CIC3*. It’s shaping up to be a very competitive field, so let’s discuss some of the entries.
The US is represented by Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda; Marilyn Little and RF Demeter, with RF Black Pearl in CIC3*; Julian Stiller and Enjoy Me; and Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight. Jennie and Cambalda look to make their second appearance at a CCI4* — they competed at Luhmuhlen in 2011 — after their mishap before dressage at Rolex this year. Marilyn and Demeter also hope to move on from an unlucky fall at Rolex, when Demeter banked a table and Marilyn took a tumble. Jolie Wentworth had a go at Rolex last year with Good Knight; she was awarded the Broussard International Grant, and decided to use it for Luhmuhlen this weekend. Enjoy Me has had an inconsistent cross-country record, so it’s hard to predict how his weekend will go with Jules Stiller. Stay tuned here on EN for more blogs from Kate Miller, groom for Good Knight, and Jackie Imholte, Cambalda’s groom.
2012 winner Michael Jung is noticeably absent from the CCI4*, as both his best horses (Sam and Leopin) were at Badminton earlier this year. While the rest of the world would like to breathe a sigh of relief, save your breath because Big Willie and the Silver Fox are out for another four-star showdown. William Fox-Pitt brings two of his ever-experienced four-star horses: Neuf de Coeurs and Lion Heart, while Andrew Nicholson has Qwanza, Mr. Cruise Control, and Rathmoyle King.
Germans Bettina Hoy and Lanfranco TSF, Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon, and Ingrid Klimke and Tabasco TSF will all be defending their home turf with experienced horses. I’m not saying it will be a dressage show, but you’d better bring your A-game in the first phase.
A few competitors from last year are back at it again: Andrew Hoy is entered with the stunning Rutherglen, 6th in 2012, and Lucinda Fredericks with Flying Finish did even better, finishing second in 2012. British favorites Zara Phillips and High Kingdom, and Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz round out some big names at Luhmuhlen this year.
Wednesday 5:00pm local time / 11:00am ET : First Horse Inspection CCI4*
Thursday 9:30am – 5:55pm local / 3:30am-11:55am ET : CIC3* Dressage
Friday 8:30am – 5:55pm local / 2:30am – 11:55am ET : CCI4* Dressage
Saturday 9:00am – 11:25am local / 3:00am – 5:25am ET : CIC3* Cross-Country
12:45pm – 4:45pm local / 6:45am – 12:45pm ET : CCI4* Cross-Country
Sunday 8:45am local / 2:45am ET : Horse Inspection CIC3* followed by CCI4*
10:30am – 12:15pm local / 4:30am – 6:15am ET : CIC3* Show Jumping
1:45pm – 3:30pm local / 7:45am – 9:30am ET : CCI4* Show Jumping
The weather forecast looks like high-60s to low 70s, with 70% chance of rain Thursday, 20% chance of rain Friday, and clear for the jumping on Saturday and Sunday. Go Luhmuhlen!
Good morning EN! Our American riders across the Atlantic in Germany are making their final preparations for their weekend at Luhmuhlen. Marilyn Little posted the following update on her Facebook page yesterday: “Demi and Pearl have arrived safely at their layover location in Bavendorf where we met with David O’Connor today for a dressage school before the girls head over to the Luhmuhlen event grounds tomorrow. Smoke came along for the ride too, so that he can stay with me to prepare for Aachen in two weeks. Still, somehow he knows it’s his week to relax and let the girls do the work…” Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda have also made the trip, and we are looking forward to reading about their experience via Jennie’s groom Jackie Imholte. Jackie kindly agreed to send us updates and photos throughout the weekend. Read about her flight with Ping, and keep checking back for more updates and coverage. [Luhmuhlen Website] [Entries] [Schedule]
Help a team of Pony Clubbers raise money to participate in the USPC Inter-Pacific Exchange. Each rider has to raise about $4,000, and in order to reach their fundraising goal the team members have put together a silent auction that will take place at Seneca Valley HT this weekend. In addition, individuals can make tax-deductible donations through the USPC website. The team of four riders were selected by Pony Club and will be spending two weeks representing the US in Australia. Check out their team Facebook page for more information. [USPC Inter-Pacific Exchange Donations] [Team Facebook]
William Fox-Pitt set a new record last weekend, when he won the Bramham CCI3* for a record seventh time. After coming in second to Pippa Funnell after dressage, William and Chilli Morning put down a double clear cross country round that secured them the lead going into show jumping. The pair jumped double clear even though they had a rail to spare. [Horse & Country]
Mark Todd and Leonidas 2 also had a stellar weekend, coming in second behind William. Mark also put down two double clear jumping phases, but it was not enough to catch William. He finished behind by 5.2 penalties. France’s Didier Dhennin and his mount Opi de Saint Leo pulled one rail to finish in third. [3 News]
As was reported last week, Karen O’Connor’s former mount RF Amber Eyes is now enjoying a second career in the hunter ring as “Commentary.” However, her career and name change has raised some questions about USEF registration numbers. It appears that when the mare’s name was changed, she was registered under a new USEF number, which is expressly illegal under USEF rules. The Chronicle asked her new rider about the incident, and it appears that the entire incident was just a case of misunderstandings. [COTH]
The 24th Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials takes place next month, and the organizers have announced that this year there will be significant prizes in both the Intermediate and Preliminary divisions. The Intermediate division will have $7,000 in prize money, and the Preliminary $3,000. In addition, first place winners will receive Maui Jim sunglasses, Ariat breeches, and an embroidered Stuart sheet. The Irish Draught Sport Horse Award and Thoroughbred Incentive Program Award will also be offered. [USEA]
Below is a video of Obos O’Reilly’s winning CCI3* show jumping round from Bromont, courtesy of Will Coleman’s YouTube page. Thanks for reading EN, enjoy your Wednesday.
Thanks to RNS Videomedia for this video of Sharon White and Don Sheffield at Bromont competing in the CCI**. This video includes the whole event– from jog, to dressage, to cross-country, to show jumping. You may remember from Jenni’s reports that the handsome dark bay gelding won the dressage with a 49.8, but moved down the rankings after an unfortunate runout at the skinny at 13B. The pair had only one rail in show jumping, and finished the weekend in 8th place.
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I announced the eight awesome finalists in the Third Annual EN Blogger Contest yesterday. I’m back today to bring you their bios and Round 1 entries that landed them a spot in Round 2. Our finalists are currently hard at work pounding out their Round 2 entries, in which they’ll answer the following question: If you had the power to make three changes to the sport of eventing, what would they be? Without further ado, meet the Blogger Contest finalists, and be sure to leave a comment letting us know who you like the most in the early stages of the competition. Go bloggers!
Nina Bellucci: I’m a lifelong eventing addict, recently recovered from an unfortunate period of abstinence. I was “sober” for ten years while I did fun things like: get a graduate degree, live in a city, and spend money on nice things that I didn’t have to worry about getting horse slobber on. But two years ago, I got my gear out of storage and fell off the wagon. I’m working toward getting a horse of my own and have reinstated the tradition of every horse-crazy, horse-less young girl: the horse fund. Click here to read Nina’s entry.
Sarah Clark is a 30 year old mother and eventer from the middle Tennessee area (AreaIII). She is a graduate B from the USPC and her background is solely in eventing. Although she did compete a Walking Horse in her local hunter circuit for a season once (what??). She prefers cleaning stalls to changing diapers, but seems to be proficient at both. Oh and she has a My Little Pony tattoo on her arm. Click here to read Sarah’s entry.
Erin Critz is a 30-something who after a life time in Hunter/Jumper land came to her senses and took up Eventing three years ago. Erin rides with Earl and Jennifer McFall at Dragonfire in Wilton, CA. When not at the barn she is busy giving high fives to new hires at the world’s largest fruit company. Click here to read Erin’s entry.
Staci Meyer, 44, is an adult amateur from Kansas City, MO. While her full-time job is training a stubborn 14.1 h paint pony to at least contemplate the right hand bend, she actually earns money by making you want to buy stuff for your horse. She’s been riding and eventing for 20 years. And although she wouldn’t pass a vet check, on competition day she prides herself on always jogging out sound. Click here to read Staci’s entry.
Emily Przyborowski: I’m 15 and an eventer from Area Two. After working for Kate Chadderton for about a year, I’ve experienced the life of a professional rider and I can’t get enough of it! Kate has taught me a lot (mostly proper grammar and the teenage mutant ninja turtle theme song, but a lot of lessons in riding too) and all in all it’s taken me one step closer to my dreams of being a professional rider, and worsened my obsessions with bareback puissance. Click here to ready Emily’s entry.
Ella Rak, 16, is a High School student, Aspiring Lower Level Eventer, C2 Pony Clubber and Equestrian-procrastinator extraordinare. Defining Characteristics: Strong willed, Easily distracted by horses (I should be studying for final exams right now, but instead cleaned tack and wrote this article), and slightly OCD (that record book WILL be perfect). Embarrassing Tidbits: My first event had a combined score of over 200. I was so scared of going too fast we walked over the first jump… Click here to read Ella’s entry.
Sally Spickard is from St. Louis, MO and has been riding for about 13 years, with more than a couple hiatuses thrown in. If I were chosen to be the next EN Blogger, I would find a way to convince SmartPak to sponsor all EN staff; it would look good for everyone to have matching SP gear, right? I think it makes sense. Click here to read Sally’s entry.
Rick Wallace: Upper level event rider — AGAIN. After years in hibernation. Father of awesome upper level event rider Elisa Wallace and also known as Mustang Girl. Have string of super talented horses: Ultimate Victory – 3 Star horse, Ultimate Decision – Amazing new horse which is dominating in dressage and Ultimate Timing – my dressage horse now being converted to eventing. Click here to read Rick’s entry.
Episode 4 is a bumper edition in which Gavin shares some sad news, and introduces us to the newest member of his team. Braver still, he’s on location at Badminton asking the tough questions in the way only Gavin can, and with some previously unseen footage. One day I truly expect that Gavin will be whisked off in a private jet to Hollywood to live out the rest of his life in La-La Land with the beautiful people and forget all about EN, but until then we’re very happy to be able to bring you regular chronicles of his adventures….
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Thank you so much Gavin, and thank you for joining in the fun – Go (GJM) Eventing!
Kate Miller, acting head groom for Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight, is blogging on behalf of the Kismet Eventing Team, who have landed in Germany and are ready to contest the Luhmuhlen CCI4* this week. Many thanks to Kate for sending in this blog and photos about the team’s trip across the pond. Go Jolie and Ari!
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Good Knight enjoys a hack in Germany.
From Kate:
Hello from Luhmuhlen, Germany! Let me introduce you to the Kismet Team: Good Knight, aka Ari, Chief Eventing Equine and Star of the Show; Tracy Bowman, Chief Trainer and Owner; Jolie Wentworth, Chief Rider; Kate Miller, Acting Head Groom; Sherry Stewart, Real California Eventer’s Private Paparazzi; David Wentworth, Chief Man about the Barn; and last but not least, Roakie Bowman, Canine Assistant. When Jolie was honored with the Broussard International Grant, we were not quite sure how we were going to use it, except we knew we were going to go places! We decided the best way to use it would be with a trip to Germany, and we are quite excited to report on our first European CCI**** as the next week progresses.
Coming from California to Germany is quite a venture, and started Wednesday, June 5 at 5 a.m. Pacific. We drove to JetPets in LAX under sunny skies, handily arriving by 2 p.m. With the early arrival time and the excellent management of Lindley Hasenauer, owner of JetPets and manager of all things Equine, we had plenty of time to verify that the paperwork for both horse and dog was completely in order, we were only bringing over exactly what we wanted, and in short, be as ready for our flight as possible. We soon discovered that we needed all that extra time, as Roakie needed revised papers for travel. This small hiccup was no problem for the excellent staff at JetPets, and in short order Thursday saw our departure to Amsterdam.
Upon arrival, we waited for Ari and all of his stuff to clear customs, and by 2 p.m. we were on the road to the layover facility in Lastrup, Germany. We are incredibly grateful to all the staff at Guido Klatte Horse Transport for booking us in last minute to stay overnight at their layover facility, easing Ari’s travel. In the morning on the 8th, we woke up at a civilized time and departed for the show grounds of Luhmuhlen. While Ari has settled well, he was the only horse on the property for 24 hours till Jennie Brannigan and Ping showed up, and we are happy to have a bit of company. Ari has been enjoying his hacks through the woods, though we are all eager to get into the week ahead!
Ari enjoys a hack in Germany.
Ari’s container on the plane, seen through the secret door.
The truck driving to the plane. Ari was in the very first box
Ari in his shipping crate.
Jolie, Roakie and Tracy enjoying the last In & Out burger.
Jennie Brannigan posted this excerpt from a letter to competitors at Luhmühlen on Facebook–I love that they’re apologizing in advance for cutting people off at 2 a.m. Good grief! I’d love to be a fly on the wall at THAT competitor party. As Jennie put it, “Only in Europe.”
Otherwise, it sounds like all systems are go for this week’s big event. The U.S.’s four-star hopes are resting on the shoulders of Jennie/Cambalda, Marilyn Little/RF Demeter, Julian Stiller/Enjoy Me, and Jolie Wentworth/Good Night. Marilyn and Julian also have three-star horses competing, RF Black Pearl and Charlie Weld respectively. Check out the Luhmühlen website for a full entry list and timetable, and keep it tuned here throughout the week for all the latest updates!
British Eventing chronicled the “nail-biting” show jumping phase on the final day of Bramham, where William Fox-Pitt earned an impressive seventh title. [British Eventing]
The Chronicle of the Horse wrapped up its Bromont coverage with a show jumping recap and interviews with the top riders. [COTH] Equisearch was also on hand covering the event. [Equisearch]
Horse Junkies United captured some pretty great cross-country blooper photos at Bromont. I think my favorite is Melanie Rousseau on Menai Creek riding through the CCI* water combination with an inflated air vest–it looks terribly uncomfortable but she manages to scrap it out like a champ. [HJU] Speaking of “Oh Crap” moments, Horse Talk NZ has posted several slideshows of spectacular spills at Bramham. [Horse Talk NZ]
Practical Horseman is hosting a webinar this Wednesday with Phillip Dutton on how to be a successful eventer at any level. [Registration]
Surefire Horse Trials in Area II, held June 21-23, is accepting late entries until the end of the week. The horse trials offers Beginner Novice through Intermediate. See the omnibus listing and the Surefire Eventing website for more information.
In the first of a new educational series focusing on the welfare, care and maintenance of event horses, Kerry Millikin and Jim Wofford discuss the new FEI qualifications and rider categorization system introduced this year. Are these changes in the format of the sport, along with the rules and regulations now in place, leading us to ask too much of our horses? [USEA]
Have you been re-categorized after six months of the FEI’s new rider categorization system? The FEI has posted an updated list here. [FEI]
2014 Worth the Trust Educational Scholarships are now available for young adult and adult amateur event riders. The scholarships reward up-and-coming eventers by helping to fund their training—clinics, working student opportunities, private, or group instruction. The deadline for application is October 1. [USEA]
Ocala Horse Properties will be hosting Horse Shows in the Park in the Oaks at Longwood June 14-16. The prize list is posted here. [Ocala Horse Properties]
Buck Davidson has a sharp-looking new website–check it out here.
Best of the Blogs: Selena O’Hanlon posted some behind-the-scenes photos from Bromont. [Selena O’Hanlon]
Video: Alec Thayer sent us this very cool video he shot of Danielle Pagano and Two is Better than One at Plantation Field H.T. over the weekend. A big congrats to Danielle, who finished in 6th place in Junior Open Training. Check out more of Alec’s work at Facebook.com/ab3photography.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Fisher and her horse Miss MoneyPenny who were chosen as this week’s Cavalor Premium Feed & Supplement’s Share & Win contest winner in the U.S.! You will be contacted by Cavalor shortly to redeem your 6 week supply of MyCavalor.com’s suggested feeding program!
Want to win a 6 week supply of Cavalor Premium Feed & Supplements?
You are only a few clicks away! Fill in your horse’s details, click on “Design Feeding Program” and click the “Share” on Facebook button on the top right of your final personalized feeding program screen – That’s it!
CONTEST DETAILS
Cavalor will announce one lucky winner per week (every Tuesday) on the Cavalor North America Facebook page and the Cavalor corporate website: www.cavalor.com
One lucky winner per week for four weeks from June 11-July 9, 2013
Prizes: A six week supply of Cavalor Premium Feed & Supplements suggested in your personalized feeding program
