Sick of time going by so fast? This’ll slow it down for ya! Photo by Tally Ho Creative.
How is it already May?! This is a theme that seems to be reoccurring in conversation with ALL my clients right now. With the reduced pace from the pandemic the last three years, this year seems like it has definitely returned to the ‘new normal’. In fact, just this month I was able to visit my grandmother in her Assisted Living facility without wearing a mask — a concept that would have been unimaginable just 365 days earlier. I thought masks were the new normal for that level of health care, but now, it looks like we’re beyond that.
And on the subject of time, which seems to go so much quicker these days? The great migration north from Aiken and Florida is now complete. Land Rover Kentucky has come and gone — and we had our first USA winner on the podium in fifteen years! Bromont is now just around the corner. The ‘new normal’ of going, going, going has become routine. Text messages are late to be responded to or even go unread. Emails are piling up again. The ‘new normal’ of not having enough time is real. Do not even get me started on the bane of my existence…laundry. Who has time?
Well, you do – if you give this great exercise a try, I swear it’ll actually slow time down for you. It’s called the dying bug or the dead bug — but I prefer dying, as if said bug was dead, it wouldn’t actually move, and this one’s going to get you moving! When you set a timer for two minutes and really commit to doing this exercise, I’m sure by the end of it you’ll be praying for that timer to go off. See? Slowing down time, as if by magic! I love the dying bug, because it gets you to coordinate your diagonal pairs and can actually serve as dementia prevention, too, by requiring you to focus on your movement. It’s surprisingly challenging at first, but most people settle into a good rhythm about a minute in.
Start with both arms and legs aloft. Photo by Tally Ho Creative.
Then, lower your arms and legs in diagonal pairs, moving slowly and deliberately. Photo by Tally Ho Creative.
How to: the dying bug
Start by lying on your back
Bring your arms and legs up towards the sky
Lower your left leg and your right arm toward the ground — the goal is getting your heel about six inches away from the ground (Modify to make this exercise easier by not bringing your leg and arm so far down!)
Engage through the core and bring your arm and leg back up
Lower your right leg and your left arm toward the ground
Repeat for two minutes or until you reach a point of fatigue that you can no longer continue with good form
Watch me demonstrate it here:
In all seriousness, though, time management is really important. Whenever I feel like the clock is getting the better of me I rewatch this YouTube video. It takes a valuable hour of my life, but it helps me remember to prioritize what is really important in life — and getting enough exercise is one of those things that I have to prioritize, or the rest of my life suffers. Enough exercise for me is 20 to 30 minutes of focused exercise once or twice week in addition to riding regularly and going for walks — however, I count those as physical activity, not exercise, which is an important distinction to make.
Laura Crump Anderson is a certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and is a Registered 200 Hour Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She specializes in working with riders of all ages and disciplines through her business, Hidden Heights Fitness, and is also the author of Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science, and has evented through Training level. Read more of her EN fitness columns here.
It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours for British eventers: though many were deeply disappointed by the cancellation of this week’s Fairfax & Favor Rockingham International Horse Trials, which saw yet another CCI2*-S class pulled from the calendar, next week’s Bicton International quickly stepped up to the plate and confirmed its intentions to add a CCI2*-S class to its roster of international classes, which already include long-format two- and three-star classes and a CCI4*-S. Entries quickly began to flow in for this new class — but today, the FEI has denied approval for it to go ahead as an internationally sanctioned section.
Their decision falls in line with Article 110 of the FEI General Regulations, which states that for international events: “Draft Schedules must be received by the FEI at the latest ten (10) weeks prior to the Event [and] Definite Schedules must reach the FEI at the latest four (4) weeks prior to the Event.”
The rulebook goes on to state that “ if the Schedule is approved by the NF the Final approved Schedule must reach the FEI two (2) weeks prior to the Event. The Schedules approved and published by the FEI shall be binding as if they were incorporated within the relevant Rules and/or Regulations. The FEI will not approve any Schedules when the closing dates for Entries have already passed.”
It’s that final line that may well be the clincher; though entries had been re-opened for Bicton following the announcement of its intention to run an additional class, its closing date officially was set as May 2.
However, there is some grey area in the rulebook, which suggests that exceptional circumstances could allow for some wiggle room to these timings. The rules here are written as follows: “Any subsequent changes must be brought to the attention of, and approved by, the FEI. Changes must be notified to the NFs concerned by the quickest possible means. In exceptional circumstances, together with the Approval of the Chefs d’Equipe, host NF delegate, if any, and the Ground Jury, the OC may change the schedule in order to clarify any matters arising from an omission or due to unforeseen circumstances. Any such changes must be notified to all Athletes and Officials as soon as possible and they must be reported to the FEI by the Foreign Judge.”
Bruce Haskell, Chairman of the Event Riders Association and an upper-level event rider in his own right, has penned the following plea to the FEI, urging them to reconsider their decision.
“We wish to make a personal appeal to the executive administration of the FEI to urgently reconsider the “un-approval” to allow British Eventing, through an application made officially by the BEF to allow additional FEI classes at Bicton 25-28 May 2023,” he writes.
“The unprecedented spring weather in the UK is well documented with the outright cancellation of both BE and FEI classes. This position has left athletes and owners short of venues for vital MER’s to progress both horse and riders or begin their FEI careers.
“Due to a combination of the increased cost of transport, Brexit and weather, UK athletes have an extremely limited number of FEI alternatives remaining on the spring calendar. The inclusion of Bicton at short notice would have been a perfect [solution].
“The decision to un-approve the additional classes has been made outside of the Bicton OC, British Eventing, British Equestrian Federation and the FEI Eventing Committee. The reason for un-approval sits within the legal process of the FEI.Rule number article 110 of the FEI general regulations.
“From a governance perspective it is clear that FEI Eventing does not have control of its own programme and that under the current FEI administration, the destiny of Eventing is determined by other non-related disciplines and the issues they have created in the past.
“As athletes we again appeal to the FEI administration to see sense especially as the request for additional classes will directly impact young athletes, young horses, recreational working athletes, in other words, your future FEI customers.”
The next scheduled CCI2*-S classes in Great Britain are set to take place at Belsay in Northumberland (31 May — 4 June), followed by Nunney in Somerset (June 16 – 18). Both are currently accepting international entries.
We’re getting very close to the one-year countdown to Paris 2024, and whether you were one of the lucky few who somehow managed to get spectators tickets in the bonkers ballot process, or whether you’re planning viewing parties from home next summer, you’ve no doubt started to feel the buzz that comes hand in hand with proximity. We certainly have, and at EN HQ, when we start to feel eventing butterflies, we like to put them to work in the FEI databases. Today, they’re helping us answer an important question – who’s actually going to go to this thang?
First of all, let’s take a look at the nations that have already earned themselves tickets to Paris as a team, and where and how they managed to do so:
France. As host nation, they automatically qualify — which will no doubt be some relief after their disappointing trip to the World Championships last year, where they wouldn’t have nabbed a ticket.
Germany — qualified at the World Championships for finishing in the top seven (they won gold)
USA — qualified at the World Championships for finishing in the top seven (they won silver)
New Zealand — qualified at the World Championships for finishing in the top seven (they won bronze)
Great Britain — qualified at the World Championships for finishing in the top seven (they finished fourth)
Ireland — qualified at the World Championships for finishing in the top seven (they finished fifth)
Sweden — qualified at the World Championships for finishing in the top seven (they finished sixth)
Switzerland — qualified at the World Championships for finishing in the top seven (they finished seventh)
That puts us at eight qualified teams so far out of an eventual total of 16, which will make up 48 of the 65 available places for competitors at Paris. There will be five further opportunities for nations to gain team qualification for the Olympics (plus a bonus method, which we’ll come back to later!).
The next of these opportunities is coming up fast: this week’s CCI4*-L competition at Poland’s Baborowko International Horse Trials will serve as a qualifier for Group C nations, and the one highest-ranked team at the culmination of competition will book their ticket to France. Group C includes countries from Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, and three countries have entered teams: Poland, who secured team qualification for Tokyo and finished 13th there has six horses and riders entered, from which they’ll pull a team. These entries include Tokyo competitors Jan Kaminski and Jard and Joanna Pawlak and Fantastic Frieda. Hungary has three, and the Czech Republic also has three, including Miloslav Prihoda Jr and Ferreolus LAT, who competed at Tokyo as individuals. Bulgaria has a sole horse and rider combination entered and as such will not take part in this battle of the teams. You can follow along with this weekend’s results here, and stay tuned to EN, as we’ll cover the new addition to the Olympic roster at the end of the competition, too.
The next qualification opportunity follows swiftly after the close of Baborowko. Ireland’s Millstreet International Horse Trials will take place from June 1–4, and will host a qualifier for Groups F and G. Group F consists of Africa and the Middle East, while G covers South East Asia and Oceania. The two highest-placed, as yet unqualified teams in the CCIO3*-L competition will confirm their qualification for Paris. Australia, China, South Africa, Japan, and Thailand will come forward to battle for these qualifications, and we’ve got a pretty beefy line-up fighting for them: Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos, who took individual bronze and team silver in Tokyo, will head up the Aussie team, helped along by fellow team riders Kevin McNab and Shane Rose and Pratoni competitor Shenae Lowings, while Japan will field a seriously experienced line-up in Kazuma Tomoto — himself a fourth-place finisher at Tokyo — Yoshiaki Oiwa, whose Olympic career began in 2008, but was springboarded when he led the dressage at London 2012, and Tokyo team combinations Ryuzo Kitajima and Feroza Nieuwmoed and Toshiyuka Tanaka and Talma d’Allou. Thailand, who made history in Tokyo by debuting their first-ever eventing team, will be helmed by Weerapat Pitakanonda and his Olympic mount Carnival March, and we’ll see team rider Korntawat Samran come forward with Uster de Chanay, with whom he finished in the top 25 at Pratoni. Finally, we’ll see a new face in Supap Khaw-Ngam, who has represented his country at five Asian Games but never at this level, and who brings forward the ten-year-old Nimble van het Eksterhof.
Enjoy a quick word from our sponsor, Zoetis Equine:
China and South Africa both also present exciting fronts: China, who also had their team debut at Tokyo, will be led by the very experienced Alex Hua Tian, who pilots his Chatsworth CCI4*-S runner-up Chicko, while Tokyo partnerships Huadong Sun and Lady Chin van’t Moerven Z and Yingfeng Bao and Flandia 2 — both of whom are based with the Netherlands’ Tim Lips — also appear. We’ll also see Ruiji Liang, who was China’s travelling reserve at Tokyo, ride Kiriaantje. South Africa has a tidy team of three: Alex Peternell and Figaro des Premices, Alex Munn and The Spice Merchant, and Storm O’Connor and Barnaboy Peaches N Cream will all fly the flag in this class. New Zealand has four horses and riders entered in this class, though as an already-qualified nation, will pose no threat to the aforementioned five, and Morocco has an individual competitor in Noor Slaoui and Summer Stardust.
So that’s three more of the eventual sixteen teams accounted for, which takes us to eleven – so what of the next five slots? Well, four of these will be decided at regional championships: there’ll be two team tickets up for grabs at this summer’s FEI European Eventing Championships, held at France’s Haras du Pin from August 9–13 (over a course, incidentally, that’ll be designed by Paris course designer Pierre le Gouptil), and two to nab at the Pan-American Games, set to take place from October 26–29 in Santiago, Chile. The two highest-placed, as-yet-unqualified teams will take those places: for the former, held at CCI4*-L, we’ll see teams such as Belgium and the Netherlands fighting to gain the slots they didn’t get for Tokyo, while the latter, held at CCI3*-L, will play out as a battle between the ten teams, nine of which are unqualified, and helmed by two obvious frontrunners in Canada and Brazil.
Dutch National Champions Merel Blom and Ceda at Boekelo in 2019. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Finally, the FEI Nations Cup series will yield one team slot: this will be decided at the end of the finale at Boekelo, October 5–8, and based off the full series leaderboard, rather than the leaderboard for this event. The highest-placed as-yet-unqualified team across the series will take the ticket, and so far this year, we’ve seen several nations pulling out all the stops to earn crucial points at the two legs held thus far. At the moment, things are looking very good for Belgium: they took the win in the first leg, at Italy’s Montelibretti in March, earning themselves a cool 100 points, and their third place at Chatsworth earned them another 80, giving them a 35 point lead over Italy, who now sit on 145 after taking second at Montelibretti and sixth at Chatsworth. Spain sits on 110, while the Dutch are on 115 — so there’s plenty of ground to try to make up at the next leg of the series, which will take place at Ireland’s Millstreet Horse Trials, alongside that Group F and G qualifier. Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy will all be among the teams lining up for that competition.
And what of that bonus, extra way of earning a spot? It takes a bit of luck — both good and bad — to make that happen. Once all the team slots have been allocated, each nation will have a deadline to provide a show of competence to the FEI and IOC — basically, that means they’ll need to prove that their country has at least three horses and riders already in possession of the necessary MERs required to compete at the Olympics. Those horses and riders aren’t necessarily the ones they’ll need to send — it’s just a token way of proving that they will be able to send athletes. If they can’t secure those MERs by the deadline, and thus can’t prove themselves competent, they’ll have their team slot taken away and be given an individual slot instead, and their team slot will be reassigned to a ‘composite team‘. That’s basically a fancy way of naming the nation who has the best combined FEI score when an aggregate total is taken from its three best-ranked horses and riders in the world rankings. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s always a possibility when we look at developing eventing nations with team slots in their pockets.
Keep it locked onto EN for plenty more Paris content as we unpack the mysteries of selection, the routes for individual riders to take for qualification, the developments ongoing at Versailles, and much, much more – coming soon! Until then, Go Eventing.
EN’s pre-Paris coverage is brought to you with support from Zoetis Equine.
Wow, wow, wow: if Italian Olympian Vittoria Panizzon ever needs an extra bod to ride out with her on fitness day, sign me up. She posted these videos of gallop day up the Malvern Hills in England’s Cotswolds region, where she’s based, yesterday — and I haven’t stopped watching them since. What an extraordinary spot, but also, what a serious, serious set of hills — I’d love to stick a heart monitor on these guys for a few weeks and see how quickly, and how robustly, they get fit with terrain like that to work over. (I’d also love to see if my local Italian chain restaurant would serve me on horseback, but I suspect I know the answer to that one…)
Piggy March’s latest column for Horse&Hound reflects on a couple of weeks of five-star action. In it, you’ll discover why she thinks Ros Canter is the ultimate eventer, what she reckons about the goings-on over at Kentucky, and why we might be doing our horses more harm than good by being too precious about the footing we choose to run in. Read it here.
Area I might often feel a bit overlooked in the grand scheme of US Eventing. But it shouldn’t be: it’s where the sport began in the USA, after all, and its rich history also lends itself to some brilliant extant events these days. Get to know the lay of the land, plus what Area I denizens can look forward to, in this round-up from the USEA.
After a scary fall at Kentucky last year, Ashlynn Meuchel made the tough call to step away from upper-level eventing. Now, she and her great partner Emporium — plus a growing string of other horses — can be found in the jumper ring, aiming for the top level and those prestigious Grands Prix under the lights. The Chronicle caught up with her to find out what prompted the change, and how she’s getting on in her new career. Check it out!
We all enjoy a joke about a tricky mare – but could we be harming ourselves in the process? Equine psychologist and researcher Antonia Henderson worries that that may be the case as memes become the most popular form of currency on social media. Though we all know that the jokes are meant with fondness and a touch of irony, could the outside world perceive images of horses in distress as flippancy from the people responsible for their care? Read her food for thought here.
Didn’t get the chance to tune in for that influential cross-country day at Chatsworth over the weekend? Never fear: FEI TV is here with a free-to-view rewatch of all the action. Arguably, this is the best way to catch it all: there were so many withdrawals, and so many issues on course that the actual live stream featured an awful lot of not much going on, while this version condenses it all down into an hour of action that spans the whole shebang of the Nations Cup. Want to find out why it caused so many problems? Re-read our Nations Cup report, with its emotional victory story, and then give this a watch and cheer the French on to victory. Allez, allez!
Performance horses are susceptible to exercise-induced muscle damage. Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, limits the damage caused by everyday oxidative stress. It maintains healthy muscle and nerve functions, and supports a strong immune system in horses of all ages. Elevate was developed to provide a highly bioavailable source of natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) to horses.
Team EN has been looking pretty stylish lately: if you saw us at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Mars Equestrian, you may have noticed our matching jackets, vests, and shirts. This year, we’re showing off our Equestly gear every time we hit the road! Check out what our team has to say about their new Equestly clothes.
On the Seamless Sun Shirts
These are SLIMMING! I have always been a zip-up sun shirt gal, but I’m obsessed with these shirts. – Allie Heninger
So, I’ve always been self-conscious about the belly pooch that has seemingly attached itself to my body since I graduated college. (Thanks a lot, freshman 15 that never went away). Because of that, I try not to wear too many shirts that are form fitting. With these sun shirts, I actually feel confident and stylish in a tight shirt. I don’t know what wizardry is embedded in these, but I need more of them. – Veronica Green-Gott
As a long-armed, long-torsoed gal (my trainer, in the latter part of my teenage years, used to send me into the ring with a pat on the thigh and the enormously unencouraging “go get ‘em, Gorilla Arms”), I’ve long since given up on the idea of one of those nice thumb-holed tops working for me. A bummer, really, as I’m also, deep down, a closet emo kid, and that’s about as close as the world of My Chemical Romance albums and horse shows get to colliding.
Anyway, Equestly has really done me a solid and changed all that with their Seamless long-sleeve top, a little godsend that has become a staple in my reporting and riding wardrobe since I requested one in basically every single colour from the company. (My favourites are the black – hello, emo, duh – and the rusty orange one, which is a real nice hue, all things considered). It’s just about the only top I’ve ever had that’s actually generous in the arms (I feel like I could actually have a jump school with my thumbs through those holes, which is SAYING SOMETHING for my knuckle-dragging general outline), and although I’d love the body to have an extra inch or two of length to be perfect, I’ve found these bad boys stay put all day if I tuck them into my jeans or breeches, and that’s good enough for me. They’re crazy comfy, super cute, and they don’t hold onto armpit stank, which is an issue everyone I know — myself included — has always had with riding tops. A real win. – Tilly Berendt
I love the material of the shirts and how long the sleeves are, but I think they could be more size inclusive. I usually wear around a medium or large in most shirts, but this large was quite tight and a little short in the length. I feel like if it was slightly longer the tightness wouldn’t have been as noticeable. – Shelby Allen
On the Lux GripTEQ Breeches
Love love love the Equestly breeches and spring line of shirts! They’re cute, flattering, but more importantly keep me comfortable all day between teaching, riding, and managing the farm. Especially with this hot weather rolling in, I’ve been able to stay cool while still getting work done. The one thing I’d love to see would be more pockets!! But the flap over the one pocket is awesome to keep hay/dirt out! – Gillian Warner
The pants are crazy comfy and I love that they have belt loops, so I can try to pass them off as show breeches this summer! – Allie Heninger
These breeches combine the comfort and breathability of leggings with the look of a traditional breech. As someone whose leggings are always rolling down, I love that I can wear a belt with them. My one wish is that they came in a knee patch version! – Veronica Green-Gott
I picked up a cute green pair of breeches, and while I’ve mostly just worn those around the house so far (welcome to the lame horse club, boo), they’re going to join my gymming line-up, because they’re super comfy, super cute, and extra grippy so I won’t fall off my spin bike while I try to stay fit enough to not fall off my horse next time she’s rideable. I’ve never been a riding tights kind of girl, but these ones have swayed me. I suspect they’ll keep me stuck tight to the saddle when I really need that extra bit of help. – Tilly Berendt
I love the breeches! They’re so allowing and stretchy, but still flattering. The silicone patches are very sticky and help keep me in place. I love the big phone pocket too. – Shelby Allen
On the Lux 2-in-1 Jackets
In North Carolina, we regularly experience at least 3 seasons, sometimes 4, in one day. The versatility of the jacket paired with the long sleeve shirt allows me to be comfortable outside throughout all the changes, and look stylish at the same time! – Cassidy Oeltjen
My best experience with Equestly so far has been their Lux 2-in-1 Jacket. I ordered this in hopes of having a layer for being out in all types of weather at events. It has been SO great – I love how the inner shell zips in and out, leaving a nice light rain jacket if you just need something to shield you from the rain. With the inner shell in, it’s nice and warm. I also love the length of the jacket. Nothing makes me feel more marshmallow-esque than wearing multiple layers that don’t go past my waist. I’m also pleased to report that I stood out in a downpour at Stable View a couple weeks ago and the outer shell held up great! No leakage, and the generously sized hood also did wonders to keep me sheltered. – Sally Spickard
You know how Marie Kondo says that your clothing has to spark joy? Well, my Lux 2-in-1 Jacket is just about the joy-sparking-est thing in my closet. It’s been worn everywhere from horse shows to the barn to bougie jazz bars in Philadelphia and it made me happy every time. It kept me dry in a tornado warning/thunderstorm in the streets of Philly and kept me warm typing away in the media tent at Carolina International. The hood stays up on its own without constantly fiddling with it. Plus it’s my horse’s lucky color– yellow. – Veronica Green-Gott
I’ve worn the jacket nearly daily since getting it, because not only is it probably the only truly waterproof coat I’ve ever owned, it’s also SO handy – on warm days, I take the fleece insert out; on cold ones, I pop it back in, and that kind of versatility (plus the touch of waist-cinching) is what I’m here for. I wear my white vest less, purely because I’m a hot mess and I’m trying to keep that thing nice so I can stop looking like a homeless person who’s just snuck into the press conference, but it’s very cute and flattering. – Tilly Berendt
I’m obsessed with the jacket! It’s light enough without the liner to wear all spring but plenty toasty when you pop that liner back in. – Shelby Allen
Our one piece of advice from the entire team: size up for a perfect fit.
Equestly doesn’t just make great clothing. They’re also driven by their mission to give back to the equine community. They truly go above and beyond for their sponsored riders and for the eventing community. Learn more about their carbon neutral initiative and the founders of Equestly here.
To shop all of their great riding gear, click here.
Bicton course designer and organiser Helen West will add a CCI2*-S to this month’s international. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
There’s something to be said for the speed with which eventing folks can mobilise when the going gets tough — and the going has, quite literally, made things particularly tough this year. Just a scant few hours ago, we shared the news that the Fairfax & Favor Rockingham International Horse Trials had cancelled, giving British Eventing its tenth outright abandonment of this very wet season. That was particularly tough news for CCI2*-S competitors, who had hoped to finally get a run in after losing their divisions at both Thoresby and Chatsworth — but now, thanks to some quick thinking from two teams of organisers, two-star entrants, plus Novice and Intermediate competitors, will still get a chance to run this month.
Bicton International Horse Trials, which famously took on the ‘pop-up’ five-star to replace Burghley in 2021, will add a CCI2*-S to its roster for its event this month, set to be held from May 25–28, among a stacked schedule that sees them host a short-format CCI4*-S and long-format two- and three-star classes. The announcement was made this afternoon, and entries were immediately opened, so the Bicton team, helmed by Helen West, requests that competitors get their entries in as quickly as possible so the team can timetable accordingly. Entries can be made here.
Hampshire’s Tweseldown Horse Trials, which will be held this weekend, has added an extra day on Friday, May 19, to allow for extra Novice, ON, Intermediate, and OI sections to run. There’s a very short entry window open for these classes, bearing in mind the proximity of the event, so entries will officially close at 10.00 a.m. BST tomorrow (May 18), or when full. You can get your entries in here – or, if you’d like to volunteer, Tweseldown’s organisers are desperate for some extra helping hands to get this show on the road. You can get in touch to register your interest via any of the below email addresses:
Photo by Adam Fanthorpe/Rockingham International Horse Trials.
2023 is turning into the season-that-wasn’t for British Eventing members, as prolonged rainfall since March continues to wreak havoc on the fixtures list. The latest — and thus far most high-profile — event to pull the plug is the Fairfax & Favor Rockingham International Horse Trials, set to take place this week and host national classes from BE100 to Advanced Intermediate, including a class for seven-year-olds, and international classes at CCI2*-S and CCI3*-S.
In a statement on their social media, Rockingham’s organisers said:
“It is with great regret that due to the prolonged adverse weather all competition at the Fairfax & Favor Rockingham International Horse Trials, scheduled to run from 18-21 May, has been abandoned.
Despite a positive drying forecast the site, including the ground for all three phases, has not dried sufficiently to allow the event to proceed in a safe manner and the devastating decision has been made to abandon the event.
Information on entries and ticket refunds will follow shortly.”
“We are absolutely devasted that this call had to be made,” said Horse Trials organiser, Lizzie Saunders Watson. “But the safety of horses and riders is paramount. We were conscious that the weather was against us and had been taking every precaution we could to enable the event to run. Tracking has been installed for vehicle access and our stabling and marquee suppliers have gone above and beyond to get the infrastructure set up on extremely challenging ground.
“Despite these best efforts, the biggest test was always going to be whether the ground was going to be safe for our competitors. A full ground inspection took place this morning with FEI and British Eventing officials. This included test runs with a horse and rider in all warmup areas, all arenas and the cross county course. Following this, we were told that it would not be safe to run.
“We are working with our insurers to establish next steps in terms of refunds and will be in touch with everyone as soon as we know more. As you can imagine, this is a huge task to undertake so please bear with us.”
This is the tenth British Eventing competition to be fully abandoned so far this season, though several further events have also suffered partial abandonments — and while some of those partial abandonments have included international classes, such as Chatsworth’s CCI2*, this is the first outright cancellation of an international event in 2023.
British Eventing has also made a statement on its website, saying: “We understand that the abandonment of the FEI classes at Chatsworth International and Rockingham International is both disappointing and frustrating as it means yet another event has become a victim of the prolonged adverse weather conditions.
We also appreciate, that for many of you, these will have been key opportunities to gain MERs or educational runs for your horses and therefore British Eventing is currently looking at alternative opportunities to add International classes into the calendar. Any additions would be subject to FEI approval.
We will of course keep you updated as and when any plans have been confirmed however, in the meantime, we want to reassure you that we are doing our best to work with Organisers in replacing these valuable lost MER opportunities where possible.”
Horsemanship is something that’s been on our minds recently, with a whole host of people voicing their opinions on the matter in both in words and text. For anyone involved with horses, it absolutely should be. Whenever we’re around horses – whether they’re competitive partners or our garden buddies – horsemanship should be at the forefront of every decision we make and every action we take, something Pippa Funnell addresses in her recent Facebook post celebrating the partnership she has with 5* campaigner Majas Hope. It’s a tribute to Hope’s journey, her relationship with him, her responsibility as patron for World Horse Welfare and as a horsewoman, and the joy of a life lived with horses.
Alberta is currently under a provincial state of emergency due to multiple wildfires burning across the province. The situation poses a huge threat to humans and animals and the Alberta Equestrian Federation has set up an Emergency Help directory specifically for horse owners. If you’re able to provide help to those who need it, you can sign up here. If you need assistance, click here to view the directory of people offering help. The AEF are also collecting donations via their Equine Disaster Fund. [Alberta Wildfires Emergency Help Directory]
It’s National Numeracy Day today and what better way to do math than have it be about horses. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have designed an experiment using heart monitors and behavior observation to determine whether horses prefer pats or scratches – Horse Lover’s Math have explained the results of the research and added in some math questions based on the findings for good measure. There are ten questions covering fractions, percentages, place value and more – and if you’re inclined to check your work (or cheat), answers are included. [Horse Math is the Best Kind of Math]
Sycamore seedlings are a no-go for horses and it’s not just grazing near sycamore trees that we need to be aware of – they can get into our hay supply too. I noticed little shoots sprouting up literally everywhere this year and worried that the woodland was attempting to take over my home. Then my vet shared a post on social media explaining that the abundance of sycamore seedlings was due to, of course, the weather here in the UK. A relatively warm, wet fall saw the seeds multiplying quicker than bunnies; follow that up with winter winds so fierce my barn roof blew off and came through my bedroom ceiling, and the little helicopters had the perfect conditions for a massive flight path. The seedlings can be incredibly dangerous for horses as they sometimes contain a toxin which causes atypical myopathy, a potentially fatal muscular disease. I’ve read that there are tests available to determine whether the toxin is present in particular trees, but it’s important to note that the toxicity of the tree alters, so if you go down that route make sure you test trees annually. [Beware the Sycamore Seedling]
Social license has been on all of our lips recently with regards to high-profile international events, but we need to consider all the ways we present horse-human relationships to the world. I watch an awful lot of horse videos online – often for research, often to feed my scrolling habit. So many times I think I’ve found something interesting to include on this page, but then I watch it and, rather than a humorous take on life with horses, I see a horse displaying upsetting behaviors or in situations that, at best just aren’t funny, and at worst, are potentially dangerous. Research and Equine Psychologist Antonia J.Z. Henderson, Ph.D. considers the ever-popular moody mare memes in the context of social license. [The Bigger Picture]
In the latest installment of ‘Pressure Proof’, Daniel Stewart talks about how what’s happening upstairs affects the downstairs (ahem) – in other words, how our thoughts impact our riding. As a keen yogi, I’m not unfamiliar with the concept that different emotions manifest in different parts of our bodies – feelings of tension will show up in your hips and hands, for example. Daniel explains how a simple technique called thought-stopping can help to clear your mind of unhelpful clutter, thus freeing up your body to be the most effective it can be while you’re in the saddle. [Thinking Skills for Equestrians]
And finally, we have this guy. He’s attracting a fair bit of attention for his exploits on a horse he bought off Craigslist with the intention of riding from Austin to Seattle. Some say he’s chasing a Netflix deal, he says he’s fulfilling destiny. There has been a lot of criticism and a few altercations. I just hope his horses are OK. [A Series of Dubious Events]
Did you know that 4* eventer Sara Kozumplik bought her farm from Ocala Horse Properties? Listen in as she talks about her experience working with Matt Varney and Chris & Rob Desino.
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Joe Stockdale (son of the late Tim Stockdale) and Jack Whitaker (son of Michael Whitaker, nephew of John) have been busy show jumping at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which took place May 11th-14th (available to watch on demand with a H&C+ subscription). But it’s not all work and no play for the pair. Here’s what went down when they met The Household Cavalry.
Each year when Tilly publishes her grassroots cross country preview at Badminton, it gets me itching to compete again *just* so I could *maybe* make it to something like this once in my life. The course is one of the most incredibly decorated and laid-out, especially among lower-level tracks.
The Voltaire Design Grassroots Championship is contested at BE90 (U.S. Novice equivalent) and BE100 (U.S. Training equivalent) and is run alongside Badminton’s marquee 5* event each spring. This gives competitors a real taste of competing at a major event, while enjoying a championship-caliber show in all respects.
Emma and Abi Stuart keep up a robust YouTube presence, and their week at BE90 championships is chronicled in the vlog above. You can also take a look at Tilly’s cross country preview here.
