Classic Eventing Nation

Emily King is Best of the Bunch on Final Dressage Day at a Complicated Thoresby

By on Apr 1, 2023 4:45 pm -

Hey! Recognise these guys? That’s Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser! You probably really like them! You also won’t read about them in this report because they withdrew so quickly after dressage that I couldn’t even tell you what place they were in at the time, let alone where they’d have been now. Anyway they scored a 27.6 if that’s information that you’re into. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

I’ve been at this game for a fair while now, but even so, eventing still finds ways to treat me — and, well, all of us — to entirely new experiences. The absolute onslaught of appalling weather that the Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park has been besieged by isn’t exactly a novel experience; we’re in England at the cusp of spring, after all, and if us Brits do one thing well, it’s rain (and whinging, also, probably). Nor is mud a new thing; nor is the debate about whether or not to run or save horses for another day. We’re used to seeing plenty of withdrawals, too; I’ve reported on events where we’ve lost half a class before cross-country because the ground is too wet, or too dry, or too something else entirely — but even I’ve never spent a morning trying to report on dressage when there’s effectively an entire judging break between every single test. That’s no exaggeration: yesterday, as the rain hammered away at us, the warm-up ring was chock-full of horses at all times and both the three- and four-star arenas were abuzz with activity all through the day, without so much as a lunch break to be had from 8.00 a.m. ’til 5.00 p.m. But today? When I arrived at just past 8, there was one lone horse pootling around the arena, and no one to be seen in the warm-up. And that’s how it continued on for hours: there’d be a long span of nothingness, then one horse would appear, warm up on its own, do its test on its own, and leave us all in silence with nothing at all to look at once again. It was a little bit like eventing after the apocalypse, which isn’t actually a totally far-fetched idea, because I’m beginning to think that those of us mad enough to love this sport really would keep doing it even if life as we know it stopped existing entirely.

Imogen Murray and Shannondale Vintage take a spin around the Open Intermediate at the tail end of a day of cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

But then you’d step outside of the walled garden in which those two dressage rings are ensconced, and things felt a little different. Both the remaining OI sections, plus the CCI3*-S, tackled showjumping (mercifully moved out of the main arena, which has now been relegated to a country fair activity area) and cross-country, and though they suffered an eye-watering number of withdrawals, too, there actually was some action going on. Not loads, mind you: at one point in the first OI section, just one horse trundled by over the course of nearly an hour, but it was happening. There may have been just ten horses left to run in one OI and thirteen in the other, but that still counts, right? And those who did run actually largely did so sans drama, albeit slowly. Despite yesterday’s drama with those deep arenas and that seriously tough footing in the showjumping, the cross-country — or at least two-thirds of it — held up remarkably well, helped along by a crisp, dreary, but almost entirely dry day. (And, actually, we did have 65 horses go cross-country in the CCI3*-S, lest I misrepresent this as a day when just a small handful of horses tested that theory.)

Not that anyone ever regrets withdrawing a horse, for what it’s worth, but for those who truly need this run — the ones who have a five-star looming; the ones who have seen every single previous intended run cancelled — it was heartening. Will anyone run quickly tomorrow? It’s hugely unlikely. Will our original start list of 148 CCI4*-S competitors be cut in half? Almost certainly — as of right now, it’s down to 78, and we’re sure to see plenty more riders who are staying simply to log a showjumping round and call it a day. But right now, the show looks like it’s actually going to go on, and frankly, kudos must go to everyone involved; the team at BEDE Events, who have been doing no less than the best they can after being a truly crap hand, of course, but also the riders, and the owners, and the grooms who have put in hours of deliberation to make the best decisions they can for their horses, whether that’s to run or to withdraw. That Thoresby has been a bit of a stressful situation so far isn’t anyone’s fault but the weather’s (and I guess, by that token, we could argue we’re all to blame for being a bit crap at recycling, for booking long haul flights, and for not burning massive corporations to the ground, but that’s another rant for another day. Hey, did you know this has been the wettest March recorded in the UK in 40 years? We all certainly do!)

In any case, while the CCI4*-S worked its way through a long final day of dressage that could have been a quick matinee performance of dressage, really, and while the three-star and Intermediates cracked on with all their bits and bobs outside, there have been plenty of changes in the works to ensure that whatever we wake up to tomorrow, we’ve got the best of it. Now that the main arena has been well and truly canned off, showjumping will relocate up near the lorry park to an untouched field that should have housed the cancelled Novice dressage tests, and continued work is being done on restoring the ground on cross-country where it’s needed, with take-offs and landings being reinforced with stone. I suspect we’ll all be glad for a duvet day of some description on Monday, but for now, we have something to crack on with. That’s something, at least — even if we do have to forfeit seeing some of the super horses we’d hoped to see as a result of all those understandable withdrawals.

Among them? A number of the horses formerly in the top ten, including yesterday’s third-placed Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, and overnight leaders Laura Collett and London 52. That means that overnight runners-up Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir now lead on their score of 25.4 as they face the tricky decision of whether or not to run in what is the horse’s last — and, actually, first — prep run ahead of Kentucky.

Emily King and Valmy Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Emily King slots into overnight second place with Valmy Biats, who she co-owns with breeder Philippe Brivois, Jacquie and Jeremy Shere, and the Event Horse Owners Syndicate group, which provides membership-based microsyndicate subscriptions to fans of the sport. They were out in force to support ‘their’ horse and rider, who were among the small handful of competitors to come forward for today’s second half of the first phase in this class — and their round of enthusiastic applause upon completion of the test was the first we’ve heard here at Thoresby. (Fortunately, they’re all very nice people, so they stuck around to cheer on the sparse few subsequent competitors, too – which certainly brightened up the eerily quiet walled garden.)

There was enough to cheer about, too: Badminton-bound Emily and Valmy earned themselves a 26.8 with a polished, professional test and no visible issues with the ground — though, as Emily explains, “he lives in the field literally the whole time, so he’s used to it!”

Even for horses who are confident on tricky ground, though, there’s the fine art of getting the warm-up right that needs to be negotiated first, and Emily’s one frustration following her ride was a niggling feeling that she’d slightly overcooked it.

“It was a fine balance, because you want them to get used to it, but it’s also tiring for them — it’s like working in sinking sand,” she explains. “But I was really pleased with him; he’s getting so much more chilled and rideable. I didn’t go for it [in the extensions] because I didn’t want to risk him losing his balance and make a mistake, so I was purposefully a bit more guarded in there than usual. Actually, he can be a bit of a hothead in his first tests of the year, so just for him to go in and be so calm was the main thing.”

Sarah Bullimore and Corouet. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sarah Bullimore‘s tiny — and rather fresh — European bronze medallist Corouet takes fourth place, just behind Emilie Chandler and Gortfadda Diamond, who remain in podium position two days after their test. Though ‘Elfie’, who Sarah bred herself from former team ride Lilly Corinne, had plenty of pep in his step before and after his test, he executed a professional, mature performance in the ring to make the best of the holding conditions and earn himself a 27.3.

Like all of the elite first-phase performers we’ve seen this week, his result doesn’t rival his very best at the level (a 19.6, for what it’s worth, earned at Burgham in 2021) — but conditions like these require slightly more conservative riding, with an aim to produce a correct, positive test, rather than one that risks a wobble or a loss of confidence in a patch of questionable ground. With that in mind, Sarah was pleased with the work her stable star produced.

“He stayed with me, though I did slightly over prepare for the second flying change, and he had a bit of a skip,” she says. “That’s normally a highlight, but actually, for him to stay with me and not try to be naughty was lovely.”

Sarah and Elfie are among those lucky few pairs to have already managed a couple of runs this season, though even this, Sarah explains, requires a bit of finely-honed balancing: “The more runs you get in, the faster he gets — but on the flip side, the more runs he has, the feistier he is,” she laughs. “But then, in order to know I have control, I have to run — so it’s all a work in progress, but he was lovely at Poplar and while he was a little feistier at Lincoln, he finished second because a lot of people got stuck in the mud.”

That’s not an issue for 15.2hh, finely-built Elfie: “You’d think being so little, he’d get stuck in the mud – but actually, it helps me ride him, so it’s probably a good thing,” she says with a smile.

Ros Canter rounds out the top five with her 2022 Badminton runner-up Lordships Graffalo, who posted a 27.4, and she also sits sixth overnight on Pencos Crown Jewel, who earned a 28.3 for her sweet test yesterday.

William Fox-Pitt and Grafennacht. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The only other new entrant to the top ten from today’s competition is William Fox-Pitt with the classy Graffenacht, who returns to FEI competition after sitting out the 2022 season.

“She’s feeling great after her unexplained sabbatical last year, which we hope time will have sorted,” says William, who currently sits seventh on 29.9 with the eleven-year-old 2021 Boekelo runner-up. This week will ostensibly be a prep run for either Kentucky or Badminton — if he decides to run. That decision will also impact which of those two entries he’ll keep, and which he’ll discard. But even getting this far, he explains, has been something of a bureaucratic process after her time off.

“She has to have a four-star run because she needs the qualification [to go five-star] — but actually, she wasn’t initially allowed to come here, to be honest,” he explains. “Under the new rules, she’d have had to have done a three-star to do a four-star to do a five-star, and there wasn’t time, so British Eventing had to write a letter to the FEI applying for an exemption to be able to run here, which they granted.”

Should he decide not to run the mare, though, there’s another option: “She could go to the four-star at Burnham Market in two weeks, but they fly to Kentucky so soon after that it would be unfair to do that — so if she has to go to Burnham Market, she’ll go on to Badminton. I don’t really have a preference, but having had a year off, Kentucky might be a fairer question. It’s just a more friendly occasion; it was bloody serious the last time I went there, but it’s also a bit more on a plate for them, whereas at Badminton, you get Eric Winter fences — you have to kind of shut your eyes and hope a bit!”

Whichever way he decides to structure the rest of the mare’s weekend, though, he’s been infused with a burst of optimism after expecting a horror show at the dressage, and finding — well, perhaps something more like ‘good hunting ground’, as Nicola Wilson later referred to it with a grin.

“To be honest, [the dressage ring] is amazing compared to what I was expecting,” William says. “I was expecting this” — he gestures towards yesterday’s warm-up ring, which resembles nothing so much as a freshly ploughed field — “but actually, although it’s muddy and mucky, it hasn’t gone pothole-y. They can work in it, and she couldn’t care less; she’s a tough old wench!”

The top ten going into the two-phase final day of Thoresby in the Grantham Cup CCI4*-S.

Piggy March retains her lead from yesterday in the CCI4*-S P section with the relatively inexperienced Brookfield Cavalier Cruise, who sits nearly two points ahead of second-placed Harry Meade and Red Kite on a score of 25.4 to Harry’s 27.3. Yesterday’s second- and third-placed competitors, Flora Harris and Monbeg Alcatraz and Edie Campbell and Fireball F, now sit third and fourth respectively. This division, which is for lower-ranked horses, is chock-full of up-and-coming, inexperienced horses and some new faces among the riders, too, so stay tuned for a full report and catch-up with the section leaders tomorrow, when we’ll be focusing our attention on their cross-country performances.

The top ten after dressage in the second CCI4*-S section.

Tomorrow’s schedule has been slightly rejigged to accommodate the mass withdrawals, and so we’ll now see the national Advanced class start the day’s proceedings with showjumping from 9.00 am local time (4.00 a.m. ET) and cross-country kicking off at 11.00 a.m. (6.00 a.m. ET). The CCI4*-S classes will run back to back, with the Grantham Cup feature class showjumping from 10.30 a.m. (5.30 a.m. ET) and going cross-country from 12.30 p.m. (7.30 a.m. ET), while the second section will showjumping from 11.50 a.m. (6.50 a.m. ET) and go cross-country from 2.00 p.m. (9.00 a.m. ET). Horse&Country TV will be live-streaming the whole day’s cross-country action, so tune in to watch it as it happens, and keep it locked on EN for a full report on the finale of Britain’s first four-star of the 2023 season. Until then: Go Eventing! I think we actually might!

The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park: [Website] [Times] [Live Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Galway Downs Day 2: Tamie Smith Stays Ahead

By on Apr 1, 2023 11:00 am -

Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

Sunshine was Friday’s first star after Thursday’s long afternoon of heavy rain. And Tamie Smith ended the day in her same starring role with the 1, 2 and 3 spots in the CCI4*-S after show jumping.

She’s first with Ruth Bley’s Danito, 2nd with Alexandra Ahearn’s Mai Baum and third with Julianne Guariglia’s Solaguayre California. They all stay on their dressage scores of 21.8, 22.2, and 31.7 respectively.

“He was a little casual,” Tamie said of the hard knocks Danito gave the first two fences in Marc Donovan’s show jumping course. “I was like, ‘What are you doing? But, actually that’s kind of normal. Danito thrives in the bigger atmospheres and the bigger tracks.” Drawing on her work with Australian show jumper Scott Keach, Tamie added an extra stride before fence three to “get him back on his hind legs. He really jumped up and around it, and he was like, ‘Oh, okay!” Then, he was in his element and he was great.”

Tamie credits Scott for giving her the tools needed to improve each of her horses’ jumping skills, in their training and in the heat of the moment like today. Danito, Mai Baum and Solaguayre California were double clear and Elliot V, owned by the Elliot V Partnership, had only a .8 time fault.

Mai Baum was “even more spectacular than normal” and California “jumped amazing once she got over being beside herself on the way to the first jump.” Compared to her more seasoned stablemates, the 12-year-old Argentine Sport Horse struggles when show jumping comes before cross-country because of sheer excess energy.

Asked which horse’s performance she was most pleased with, Tamie named Elliot, who’s in 6th place with a 34.6. “He jumped like a million bucks. As I was jumping around, I was thinking that I could really go out show jumping with this one.”

After The Rain Has Fallen

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

Uncertain schedules greeted the riders in the morning as the organizing team evaluated the arena surfaces following Thursday’s freak downpours.

The CCI2* dressage scheduled to start Friday’s action in the Grand Prix Arena was postponed in favor of letting the sun dry out the footing. As the day progressed, it was decided that only the CCI4* jumping would be staged. And that was moved to an adjacent arena, normally used as the warm-up for the showcase ring.

Even though both large rings have the same footing material and endured the same amount of rain, “every arena is different,” explained FEI Technical Delegate Andrew Temkin. “We recognized the Grand Prix arena was holding more water than was optimal. The best way to mitigate that was to postpone the 2* dressage, giving it more time to dry.”

Making the decision was an “evolving process,” Andrew added. “We evaluated every few hours, then made the decision at noon.”

While riders respected and appreciated the organizer’s caution, the uncertainty did “make for kind of a chaotic day,” said Marc Grandia, whose double clear with Campari FFF moves him up to 5th, on a 34.3. Owned by Team Rebecca LLC, the 13-year-old Holsteiner made easy work of a course Marc summed up as “fun” with an effective 79-second time allowed.

“I’m riding three other horses, so the changes meant I was shifting around other things, but mainly we just have to go with the flow,” Marc said. “I have a lot of praise for (organizer) Robert (Kellerhouse) for making the right adjustments so that we had the best ground to jump on. The footing is really drying out well and it was great today.”

New Looks Even For Those Based at Galway

Sitting 4th in the 4*, Emilee Libby is thrilled with Tosca, Natalie Valente’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. It’s the beautiful gray mare’s first Advanced level outing, and she was double clear on a 32.9. “She’s the kind of horse that needs a challenge and I think we’re here,” Emilee observed. Today’s biggest challenge for the mare was colorful, fresh-looking new fences. “There were some very big, bright, beautiful jump designs in there that she hadn’t seen before. She was a little more backed off than usual — not as in she wasn’t going to jump, but she was big-eyed and jumped with her knees up to her chest.”

Katy Robinson and her own 11-year-old Thoroughbred, Outrageous Dance, incurred 1.8 time penalties, but the crowd cared only for the spectacular riding Katy did after a stirrup fell off her saddle somewhere around fence 4, a triple bar spread. “I didn’t realize it was actually gone until I saw it lying in the ground on my way to jump 6,” Katy said. With the crowd loudly in her corner, “I think I may have ridden better because I was so focused on staying in the middle of my horse and supporting him!”

Tamie, Emilee and Katy concurred that Saturday’s cross-country will be up to 4* snuff in every way.

2* and 3* Have Double-Duty Saturday

Getting the footing right involved pushing the 2* and 3* jumping to Saturday morning. It starts at 8 a.m. with the 3* contenders, with riders heading out on cross-country starting at 8:30 a.m. It’s not ideal, especially for those riding multiple horses, but it’s another thing the riders accepted as necessary.

Jordan Linstedt is one of those riders with multiple horses. “I’m a little stressed out about the 3* jumping and cross-country both tomorrow. With eight horses going through the day, that makes it challenging!”

After Thursday’s dressage, Jordan and FE Friday are third in the 3*, behind Tamie Smith and Kynan and Karen O’Neal and Clooney 14.

Counterbalancing tomorrow’s worries for Jordan is her joy over her CCI2* dressage test with the Lovas Partnership’s Lovely Lola. The Washington-based rider and the 9-year-old Hanoverian earned a 26.9 to lead the division.

“She was a bit nervous and tense, I think because of the lighting and the late time, but she used it to her benefit in the form of expressiveness,” Jordan explained. “She’s an extraordinary horse that I’m extremely fortunate to ride.”

Friday’s test was the latest fulfillment of predictions for big potential. Lola came into Jordan’s life at the insistence of the late Jean Moyer. “Jean found her in Europe and said, ‘You just have to buy her.'” Jordan’s 5* partner RevitaVet Capato had recently been euthanized after a pasture accident. It was not an ideal time to buy a new prospect, but the Moyers, Bridget and Kevin Brewer and Klaus and Teresa Giloi came together as the Lovas Partnership to make it possible.

Jim Moyer was on the scene Friday to witness this latest stage of the special partnership his wife had envisioned. Jim is a dedicated and much-loved volunteer on the West Coast eventing scene. Galway’s organizers hope he took a break from ring-stewarding to see Jordan and Lovely Lola’s lovely ride.

Lauren Billys and her own Can Be Sweet, an 11-year-old German Sport Horse are second in the 2* on a 28.1, and Gabriella Ringer and Get Wild are 3rd on a 29.8.

Out-of-area fans can catch all the international action on Ride On Video’s livestream, featuring excellent commentary.

Galway Downs International H.T (Temecula, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring] [Live Stream]

Between the Ears with Alexa Lapp

By on Apr 1, 2023 11:00 am -

It seems like these days we look at each other’s lives through the lens of a highlight reel. We get to see the incredible trips, the best jumps, and the moments that we’re proud enough of to put on social media. What we don’t talk about is how much pressure this adds to athletes on both ends of the news feed.

Riders, whether professional or not, are made to feel like they ‘have to’ post something that makes them look cool and successful. Then, as we consume this content, we are stuck with the disillusioned perception that the sport is easy and that if you’re not succeeding, then maybe you aren’t cut out for it. I would like to take this opportunity to go ‘between the ears’ of some of the riders that make up our Eventing Nation and work to understand some of the real challenges this industry presents.

To read more from the Between the Ears series, click here.

Alexa Lapp and Cambalda. Photo by Amy Flemming-Waters / AFW Photography.

Nearly every time I open my Facebook feed, there is a “help wanted” ad looking for working students, grooms, and riders. People who stay in a program for more than six months to a year are becoming an exception, not a rule.

From the outside looking in, a combination of burnout, confidence issues, financial issues, and unrealistic expectations are plaguing the industry. For this edition of Between the Ears, I decided to catch up with Alexa Lapp, who has spent over eight years working for Jennie Saville (nee Brannigan). Alexa is currently handing over the reins of her self-produced CCI3* horse, Pasco, to Jennie and going to take some time to explore the world outside of horses; however, her hard work over the last decade is something that can’t be ignored.

What are the main reasons you stayed in one program instead of “barn hopping” like many in the industry do?

I’ve been working for Jennie full-time for eight years but I helped her on and off for the two years before that. I think the main reason I stayed is that it was a good fit, I liked Jennie’s teaching style and her horsemanship. I also do think being loyal to someone will more likely give you opportunities. You can’t expect someone to take a chance on you if they think you may up and leave in a few months. That being said, you shouldn’t stay somewhere if it’s not the right fit; I got lucky that my first trainer knew Jennie and that we got along so well right from the beginning.

Alexa is right about putting the effort in to get the opportunities out. I think so many people think they deserve to ride and compete right away, but development as an equestrian athlete is a long haul. Alexa got to run her first Advanced on Jennie’s CCI5* mount Cambalda (Ping), but that opportunity was not just given to her — it was earned through hard work, time, and dedication.

Can you tell me about a time that you lost your confidence in riding or competing?

When I went to Young Riders in 2016, I was the trailblazer for my area because I had never had a stop on my horse ever and I ended up being eliminated. Jennie gave me some really good advice to help me overcome this. She said ‘it may feel like your world is ending at the moment but in a few months, it’s not going to matter’. We went home and schooled the same thing she stopped at, went to my next show and she jumped a similar thing. It’s good to remind yourself that they are animals, and you can always school them better or train them better when you make a mistake or one of you loses confidence. There’s also no shame in stepping back down and building yourself back up.

Jennie’s advice is aligned with something commonly referred to as the 5 by 5 rule: “If something won’t matter in five years, don’t waste more than five minutes worrying about it now.” In my experience, both as an athlete and a mental performance coach, I tend to give a little bit more than five minutes to process negative emotions, but the acceptance part of this advice is so important.

So many people think goal pursuit is linear and that if you put in the work, the performance will follow. While this is true in some regards, our sport is so variable, and pursuing a goal will all your heart may lead to success, but there will also likely be rejection, illness, injury, unfairness, and failure along the way too. As long as you can stay focused on the things you value in your pursuit, you’ll be better equipped to handle the setbacks when they come.

Alexa Lapp and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Can you tell me about a time you felt most burnt out and what factors you believe contributed to those feelings?

I think I was most burnt out when we stepped Ping down from the Advanced level and I was competing with just a few young horses at the Novice level, including Pasco. Young horses have a way of making you feel incompetent. In theory, I had this amazing opportunity to ride for the Gardners and had two of my own going as well, but I got stuck in a mindset where I felt like I wasn’t doing a good enough job producing them and it was pretty tough.

I had also just spent every penny I had on Pasco so I was working any job I could to afford his bills. When you’re working long, hard hours and still barely getting by it’s hard to picture life being any different. During this time, I had to remind myself that things aren’t always going to be perfect. I went to Jennie to talk about how I was feeling and she helped adjust my schedule and gave me more lessons on the horses I felt I was struggling with. She helped me remember why I was getting the opportunities that I was, and help me focus more on the good than the bad. It’s also good to have friends that are in a similar situation. Almost anyone that has a young horse is going to feel stuck or frustrated, so I connected with my friends that could relate.

Sometimes when things are falling apart they might actually be falling into place. Steve Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” Alexa is right in that it’s hard to see a future or stay motivated when all you have are young unpredictable horses that you put a lot of work into one day and that still try to buck you off the next. Being able to embrace the growing pains and trust the future really can help with burnout.

What was one of the biggest obstacles you had to overcome on your way to one of your proudest achievements (and what were they)?

My proudest achievement was producing Pasco to the CCI3*-L level. Honestly, being able to financially support him to this level was the biggest obstacle. Besides entry fees, there are cross country schooling fees, vet bills, farrier bills, and more. I had to ask for help to make it possible, which I was lucky to get, but it’s always a little bit uncomfortable to ask people for financial help.

Can you tell me a little bit about the emotions you experienced the weekend you moved up to Advanced for the first time?

I remember not believing it was going to happen — like something silly was going to ruin it.

My dressage went really well and then Jennie had a bad fall and I wasn’t sure that I should even run. I was so emotional finishing cross country because I was happy to have completed it but sad that Jennie wasn’t there for it. I went on to finish third, which was an incredible feeling. I was so grateful and everyone was so supportive and had so many kind words. I don’t think I’ll ever forget any details of that weekend.

This was actually my first weekend working for Jennie, and I remember Alexa grappling with the idea of scratching from the show. In the midst of a lot of chaos, she was able to produce an excellent result. Sometimes distractions actually make us narrow our focus and shift into a “get it done” mindset, but it’s all about how you chose to react. If you have a reason to fail, and you give in to it, you will most likely sabotage your own chances, but if you can reappraise the situation and remain focused in spite of distractions, you may actually set yourself up for peak performance.

Alexa Lapp and Cambalda. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

What advice do you have for someone in the sport who is currently facing adversity??

Stick through the tough part — it always gets better. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or talk to someone; everyone has gone through bad times in this sport. I also really think it’s important to have something that you love outside of the horses so that when things aren’t going great it doesn’t feel like your whole world is crashing down

How did you feel when you found out Jennie was going to be able to keep Pasco and what’s next for you?

I mainly felt relief. I’ve been so concerned about making sure he was going to go to a good person I was happy he’d be staying with a person and program I know and respect so much. Obviously selling him was bittersweet but this was a best case scenario! I’m going to get a “normal” job and then I am planning a trip to Europe to spend a few months there this fall. I still hope to help Jennie at the big events and come to visit the horses! I’ve known most of the horses since they were four-year-olds or younger than that so I’ll be keeping up with them and Jennie. In a year or so I’ll reevaluate and probably get another young one to produce if I haven’t already bought one by then.

I know I can’t wait to see how far Jennie and Pasco will go, and couldn’t be happier for all parties involved. Good luck to Alexa on her next adventure, although as she said, I’m sure we’ll still be seeing her around.

A Game of Would You Rather on the TerraNova CCI4*-S Cross Country

By on Apr 1, 2023 7:00 am -

     

It’s not very often you find a reason to compare Florida to France, but walking The Event at TerraNova CCI4*S cross country course I found myself thinking “Is it just me or does this have shades of mini-Pau, with all the twists and turns?”.

Granted, the profuse amount of sweat rolling down my back kept my brain solidly anchored on the fact that we’re in Florida, but you get what I mean.

Capt. Mark Phillips has certainly left our 50+ entrants with plenty to do. With 26 numbered jumps or combinations totaling 35 jumping efforts, most of these fences are going to come up rapid-fire, giving riders a feeling that could be akin to a show jumping course.

The time also might prove influential, given the heat down here in Myakka City (the projected high temperature on Saturday is forecasted to be 90 degrees) and the fact that there aren’t very many long gallop stretches to get ahead of the optimum.

Hopefully riders are also sat on horses that are quite genuine to corners, with four here on this CCI4*-S track, including one out of the first water that will probably live eternally in my nightmares. While there isn’t much in the way of terrain, the footing is lovely, with a thoroughly watered and aerated track that feels quite nice underfoot and should make for some prime galloping.

THE SPECS:

Distance: 3421m

Optimum time: 6:00

Efforts: 35

Fence one is an immediate no from me dawg, but I’m sure these horses and riders won’t have any issue with it. In theory, it’s a reasonably sized, inviting cabin. In execution, they set the dang thing over top of a ditch. Can you see the ditch? Not really. Do I know the ditch is there? Yes indeed I do. The profile is friendly though, and the size is reasonable. You know, for a 4* horse and rider anyway.

After the first fence they’ll head straight towards stabling and the dressage/show jumping rings, giving a lot of “background noise” for potential distraction as they jump the simple and straightforward brown barn at fence two. Captain Phillips has left the first several fences friendly, to help the horses get into a good rhythm early on.

They’ll continue on a right-handed track as riders turn to travel alongside the road, jumping a big diamond brush table at fence 3. Here is where we see the first of several uses of frangible technology on this course, with this collapsible table.

This is also the first of many fences that could probably also be considered a legitimate shelter for a family of four. Giant tables… there are plenty more of those coming *shudder*.

Riders will continue galloping along the road, coming up alongside the show jumping arena to the deer feeder at fence 4. Greener horses will have to make sure to keep their eyes on their job, but otherwise there shouldn’t be any issues at this point. They do have to pass the food vendors here though, including the lovely woman with the fruity push-pops, but apparently it’s frowned upon to stop for some icy goodness whilst on course, no matter how hot it may be.

Fence 5 is where things start to get fun (for spectators anyway… riders, your mileage may vary). If I thought the first table was wide, this one is WIDE – it might accommodate a family of six – and very quickly afterwards you come up to your first combination. Riders will still be cruising to fence 5, but very soon after we’ll see them start pumping the brakes.

Here we go with our first letters on course at 6AB, a brushy rolltop down to our first corner, this one of the right-handed and brushy variety.

We ran into Will Coleman here during the course walk, and he very confidently said that it was pretty simple and you should be able to stay on an inside track on the approach to the A element. Okay Will, you go on with your bad self.

I personally would prefer the very long approach, like all the way around it to just canter right back to the barn, thank you. Still though, for the pairs in this division it shouldn’t be too complicated – Capt. Phillips is easing you into the corners to come.

Next we come to our first pass through the first water complex on course, a couple of beach-themed benches at 7AB. Just in case you forget that you’re less than 45 minutes from the coast, these fences really bring the beachy vibes. Riders will jump in over a big red bench and have a stride or two before getting their feet wet in the water.

Once they’re in the water it’s a sharp right turn out of the water, up a bit of a mound (nobody tell me Florida doesn’t have terrain – we can build a mean mound) to a matching bench, this one painted green.

Leaving the water behind for now, they’ll have a short gallop stretch into an adjoining field, popping over a MIM oxer as a bit of a “let-up” fence. It’s extremely wide and I personally would much rather limbo through it on foot than jump over it on a horse, but you know, po-tay-to po-tah-to.

Making a left hand turn towards the back of the field, they’ll come to their next combination at 9AB, a big wide blue table (also frangible) with another right-handed corner. The angle to the corner is steep, but it’s well-decorated with a very clearly defined face that makes it feel a bit more forgiving. Still, it’s very possible that we could see some drive-bys at this one.

From there they’ll continue their loop back out of this field to hop over the bridge oxer, which in theory is a relatively simple skinny-faced MIM oxer that shouldn’t cause any trouble. It does have a blue water tray along the bottom of it that I personally found spooky, but it’s possible that I need to re-up my Ulcergard.

After the oxer it’s a relatively simple pop over the TerraNova Barn fence to jump into one of the arenas – this one located next to showjumping warm up. The jump itself is relatively simple and up a small mound so it should jump well, but there’s a lot of distraction in the background with arenas and flags and tents, so riders will be looking to keep their horses focused here, especially with what’s to come [cue intense foreshadowing].

Here at 12AB they’ll make their second pass through the first water complex, first jumping over a house with a drop down into the water, then landing and making a right turn to a very skinny left-handed corner that I honestly didn’t even notice the first time because it was hiding behind a large bush.

This one is a legit question for sure, and Capt. Phillips has given the riders an option here for the B element. That option will be very costly though, time-wise, because it has them looping way back to jump over a simple hanging log on a mound then circling back again before continuing on their way. I don’t think that will be Plan A for anyone, but it may get utilized for those who run into trouble at the corner.

From the water they’ll continue on to the next field, jumping over a Trakehner in the treeline that sports a pretty massive ditch under it. Did I stand in the ditch and stretch my arms overhead to touch the log? Yes, yes I did. I was barely able to reach it with my fingers. Trust me, it’s a big ditch. By this level though, a question like this should be old hat for these combinations.

Up next they’ll have a legitimate let-up fence with a simple pheasant feeder, and theoretically there’s a bit of a stretch to gallop too. Of course, during that stretch you have to turn a couple times, so there’s probably not as much opportunity to step on the gas pedal as the riders would probably wish.

The next question is all about angles, with a couple of offset brushes. This question too should be old hat by now for these horse and rider pairs and they should be able to keep a bit of forward momentum after jumping these.

Passing through another treeline will see them meeting another big blue table, which most riders will probably be happy to see by now. I wouldn’t be, because it’s yet another one that’s eligible for family-of-6 status, but these folks will probably be yawning in the air or taking a quick siesta or something (“insanity in the middle” is right).

They might even take a quick nap as they pop over the wagon at 17, which admittedly from the front looks quite lovely doesn’t it? Trust me, it isn’t. It’s very very very wide, but should be a nice cruising fence especially after the table.

By then the break is over and they’ll be at their next combination at 18AB. The A element is up on a mound and has a very very vertical face, which is sporting a MIM clip. It’s a friendly enough fence, but certainly one that demands respect.

After jumping A they’ll land, go down the mound, and head straight to B, which is also on it’s own separate mound (told you we make a mean mound in Florida, and so many of them). The B element should also be filed into my drawer of nightmares in all of its skinny MIM log glory. Still, I feel like this one should ride pretty well (did I just jinx it? Knocking on wood ASAP).

From there they’ll hang a right and pop over another very large table at 19, this time with brush on top for extra oomph. I hope there’s a photographer at this one, I bet it’s one of those that would make for some great photos.

After the giant table of doom (that’s what I named it anyway, they’ve just got it down on the course map as “double brush” as if it’s cute or something) riders will hang another right and come to the first and only ABC combination on course. The A element is set up on top of quite a big and steep — you guessed it — mound with a MIM-clipped hanging log.

They’ll land from that and go down the mound to a left-handed brush corner at B and then a brush wedge at C. This one potentially could prove a bit tricky and should make for some good spectating. Riders are also given an option here if they’d prefer to not tackle the mound at the A element – instead they can go the long way around it to jump a similar hanging log on flat ground, but it will prove costly for time.

If they make it through that one unscathed, it stands to reason that they’ll be largely home free. That doesn’t mean they’re done though. They’ve got another gigantically massive MIM Oxer at 21, for funsies.

And then it’s over the again cutely named “log pile” at 22. This fence is also extremely wide in the family-of-six type of way.

They’ll then dip their feet into the second water jump on course, although this one is considerably more simple with only a cabin in the water. It’s a decent size fence, but not particularly tricky, and I can personally attest to the fact that the footing in the water jumps feels fantastic (will do anything to get these course walk pics, including strip off my shoes and socks and go for a wade).

Coming up toward the end is the last super butt-clenching fence of the course, with a large ditch and wall. Again, something that these horse and riders should be quite adept at by now at this level, but since it’s my own personal least favorite type of fence, it seems massive to me. I’ll find it very insulting when everyone just hops right on over as if it’s nothing.

Riders (who I have a feeling will be galloping home at a good clip by this point) will then hang a right and jump over the hayrack…

…followed relatively quickly by a massive step table. Again not complicated, but a big legitimate 4-star table.

The last jump is a quite cute (even to me) ramp with the TerraNova name on it. Which might be nice to remind the riders of where they are, if they’re feeling shades of heat stroke by the end. In all seriousness, it should be a nice positive way to cap off the course and have everyone wrapping up their 4* course feeling positive.

Cross country for the FEI divisions gets underway Saturday with the 3* first at 8:45 a.m., followed by the 4* at 12:15 p.m. and the 2* at 3:30 p.m. The full schedule and ride times can be found in the link list below.

The Event at TerraNova: [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Schedule] [EN’s Coverage]

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Apr 1, 2023 12:01 am -

Remember the dark ages when live streams were rarely a thing? First we’d simply get to enjoy only the largest events. A few years later on we’d count ourselves lucky if we got to watch maybe one live stream every other month. Now, particularly during the height of the competition season, we’re spoiled by coverage nearly every weekend it feels like! It’s amazing, considering the enormous undertaking it that running a live stream entails — just remember that whenever you’re lamenting the fact that a particular event doesn’t have one!

U.S. Weekend Action:

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Galway Downs International H.T (Temecula, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Jumping Branch Farm H.T (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Morven Park Spring H.T. (Leesburg, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

The Event at TerraNova (Myakka City, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Weekend:

Ideas for Adult Horse Camp!

In Face Of Equine Vet Shortage, Virginia Tech To Launch Emergency Services Support Team

Genes in Thoroughbreds linked to coping ability identified in study

Too Little, Too Much? Protein Balance in the Equine Diet

Hind Shoes Improve Hind Limb Movement, Might Reduce Lameness

Sponsor Corner: We know you don’t want to hear this but… the flies are coming back. The good news is that you can prepare for their return with the Equilibrium Field Relief Fly Sheet from World Equestrian Brands. This sheet is perfect for uber sensitive horses, as it features a belly wrap, neck, and stretch hood.

Morning Viewing: Not subscribed to Piggy TV? No worries this weekend! Piggy is sharing free access to her Thoresby 4*-S course walk this weekend. Find it here!

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS at the Helm of TerraNova CCI4*-S

By on Mar 31, 2023 9:00 pm -

Deja vu: Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS are in control of another stop en route to Kentucky. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We’re two phases in to competition in the CCI4*-S at The Event at TerraNova, situated south of Tampa in Myakka City. There’s plenty to catch up on, so let’s dive right in!

Click here to catch up on scores from all divisions.

DRESSAGE

While most of the CCI4* competitors at TerraNova took their turn between the white boards on Thursday, this morning’s session saw 12 more horse and rider pairs logging their first phase.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The best – or at least two of the three best – were saved for last, with Will Coleman and Hyperion Stud LLC’s Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ x Wildera, by Quinar Z) taking a commanding lead on a 19.6, and Caroline Martin slotting into the third place position on a 26.7 with Redfield King’s HX Group’s young phenom King’s Especiale (Connect x Cha Cha Cha Special, by Vittorio). Liz Halliday-Sharp remained near the top of the leaderboard from Thursday’s session, sitting in second place just .1 ahead of Caroline, laying down a score of 26.6 aboard Ocala Horse Properties’ and The Monster Partnership’s Cooley Be Cool (Fortuna x HHS Carlotta, by Cavalier Royale).

Will’s dominating dressage lead comes fresh on the heels of his stand-out performance two weeks ago, where he scored a 19.4 at Carolina CCI4*S with “Chin”, an 11-year-old Holsteiner bred in Germany by Inken Von Graefin Platen-Hallermund. The gelding is also on the entry list for the upcoming CCI5* at Kentucky at the end of April, which will be his first start at the level.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Be Cool. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Will describes Chin as a “very good horse on the flat”, noting that he has been improving year over year. “That’s sort of the idea with all these horses, that you just keep trying to strive for a little bit more, and he’s giving us really good effort.”

There’s no doubt that the horse has secured his place as one of the best dressage horses in the country at this level, with two very solid sub-20 performances back-to-back. Of today’s effort, which was just .2 off of his score at Carolina, Will says, “It’s hot here, and I would say he was a little flatter here than maybe he was at Carolina where it was quite cold and windy, but sometimes that’s not such a bad thing. He was very pleasant.”

Liz was also happy with the performance Cooley Be Cool, known in the barn as “Dave”, who is making his debut at the level after a win in the CCI3*S division two weeks ago at Carolina.

Caroline Martin and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, bred in Ireland by Marion Hughes, has seen consistently improved dressage scores as he’s become more confirmed at the level. “He was very professional in the ring,” Liz said. “He is a good mover and he’s very correct. Now that he’s sort of grown up a bit more, he doesn’t get marks taken away from him, which is good. This test should be tough for him because he doesn’t have the biggest medium trot and there’s a lot of medium trot. I was thrilled with him and I think he’s progressing all the time.”

Caroline Martin brought two of her talented 8-year-olds to TerraNova, with HSH Blake and King’s Especiale both making their debut at the CCI4*-S level. She was especially pleased with the performance of “King”, a nearly 18-hand Dutch Warmblood gelding bred in the Netherlands by C.M.L Delissen- Verstappen, saying “It’s a lot to ask for a young horse, especially given his size, but I’m very happy with how he went today.”

SHOW JUMPING

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Be Cool. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

With dressage done and dusted, competitors didn’t have to wait long for the show jumping, with 53 horse and rider pairs facing down Michel Vaillancourt’s substantial track this afternoon.

Of those 53 pairs, a whopping 11 are on the star-studded entry list for the Kentucky CCI5*, making TerraNova the most popular spring CCI4*-S prep run this year for Kentucky entrants.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Shanroe Cooley. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Will Coleman once again proved hard to catch, though, maintaining his lead with a stunning double clear. Liz Halliday-Sharp gave it her best effort, holding onto second place with a double clear round aboard Cooley Be Cool. Liz also benefitted from an unfortunate rail and 1.2 time penalties for Caroline Martin aboard King’s Especiale, which pushed them down to 10th place. Those penalties allowed Liz to slot into third position on Ocala Horse Properties’ 8-year-old Irish Sporthorse gelding Shanroe Cooley (Dallas x Shanroe Sapphire, by Condios), bred in Ireland by Anthony Smyth, on a score of 28.1, leaving her in a tie with Caroline aboard her other mount, HSH Blake (Tolan R x Doughiska Lass, by Kannan). HSH Blake is owned by Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin, and Caroline, and was bred in Ireland by Justin Burke.

No stranger to all these post-ride interviews at this point, Will said of his show jumping round with Chin, “He left the rails up, which is always the most important part. But I was pretty pleased with how he read everything, and I thought he tried really hard. He’s very careful, and that’s about all we can ask for.”

Caroline Martin and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The class was held in the late afternoon, with the light changing quite a bit from start to finish of the division. “I wouldn’t say it changed my plan or anything like that,” Will said, “but it’s just something that you kind of noticed. But I thought overall the course rode according to plan, it was a good course I thought. You know, [Michel] had rails kind of everywhere, which I think is sort of a good sign from a designer. And anyways, Michel, we all have a lot of respect for and I think it was great to see him here making today influential.”

Indeed it did prove to be an influential phase: overall there were 19 double clear rounds, or 36% of the field.

Of the 11 Kentucky-entered pairs, only four added nothing to their dressage score: Will and Chin, Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre, Zach Brandt and Direct Advance, and Meghan O’Donoghue and Palm Crescent. After show jumping Leslie, Zach, and Meghan are sitting in 15th, 16th, and 17th places respectively.

PLENTY LEFT TO DO

Dan Kreitl and Carmango. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

While Will and Chin hold a decisive lead after the first two phases, there’s still plenty left to do here in the TerraNova CCI4*S on Captain Mark Phillip’s twisty-turny cross country track tomorrow morning (stay tuned for our course preview first thing in the morning).

Much speculation has occurred over whether or not Will will choose to run Chin, something that he himself says he has yet to decide. Will he or won’t he? I guess we’ll all find out tomorrow.

When asked if he’s at least had a chance to walk the cross country yet Will said, “I did, I took a peek at it this afternoon. It’s good. It’s a long way, you know, a lot of jumps out there, and they’re working very very hard on the going here. So that is always, as a rider, something that we really like to see, and the owners and everybody involved in these horses. We always really appreciate the huge efforts made by events like this.”

If he does leave the start box Will has seven points in hand, which would give him a comfortable amount of breathing room as far as time penalties go around a course that could potentially not see too many rounds inside the time. The event did move the CCI4*S start times up several hours to start at 8:45am EST, which will help with the heat here in Florida on a day that is projected to be around 90 degrees.

Stay tuned for much more from TerraNova!

The Event at TerraNova: [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] [Schedule] [EN’s Coverage]

Seriously Soggy Thoresby CCI4*-S Rides Wave of Uncertainty on Dressage Day One (and a Half)

By on Mar 31, 2023 4:43 pm -

Tim Price (tenth overnight in section O) embodies how we all feel in his test with Maryland winner Coup de Coeur Dudevin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The British eventing season: Will it? Won’t it? And is even the first international of the season, the Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park, doomed to succumb to the weather? Certainly, it’s doing its best not to — but as the forecast continues to grumble on in really quite crap style, actually, I’m not sure any of us are equipped with much of a sense of optimism anymore.

That feeling has been compounded by scenes in the CCI2*-S today, which ran both jumping sections and offered a first glimpse at what measures may yet need to be put into place to ensure safe runs for those who want to continue on over the weekend. The showjumping in the main arena was the weather’s greatest victim: unlike the dressage, which had a slightly more desirable deep warm-up/functional competition arena ratio, the showjumping warm-up was comparatively comfortable to ride in — which took horses by surprise even more when they entered the competition arena and its deep, tricky tracks of churned up ground. Despite the organising team’s best efforts, which included moving fences onto fresh ground, we still saw nearly a quarter of the class fail to complete this phase, retiring or facing elimination in their rounds. A huge number also opted to withdraw, which meant that the 93 starters in the class became just 27 for cross-country, though all bar one of those went on to complete.

In an effort to save the ground, organisers BEDE Events announced the cancellation of further national classes this morning, leaving the two Open Intermediate sections still standing — and those sections, plus the CCI3*-S, are due to embark on their jumping phases tomorrow, with the Advanced and CCI4*-S to follow on Sunday, if the event can continue to forge on.

But feelings are mixed on the ground, and decidedly complex. No one can fault BEDE and its crack team for the efforts they’re making to ensure that those horses heading to the two swiftly approaching five-stars get runs, which is why they’ve prioritised the ‘pathway’ classes — the four-star and those OI sections — while selectively axing what they can. For many of those horses, this has ended up being their first chance at a run, because so many events this month have been forced to cancel either due to the heavy rainfall or, earlier in the month, snow. Looking ahead, we’re already seeing next weekend’s events start to drop, too, with South of England Horse Trials making the call this morning due to standing water on the course. Kentucky fast approaches, and beyond it Badminton, and Stuart Buntine’s team is desperate to provide that much-needed chance to get a run into these horses. Many riders and owners, though, are beginning to wonder if the risk is worth the reward, and many of those riders who are lucky enough not to need the run quite so urgently are making the call to withdraw. In some camps, even those who do desperately need the run are doing the same, while everyone else waits in the wings, obsessively checks the forecast, and wonders what Mother Nature will throw at us next. We’re not sure yet what’s to come, but in any case, our 148-strong field in the four-star will no doubt be significantly smaller come Sunday, and with murmurs of withdrawals from some of those at the top end of the leaderboard, our final top ten could look very different to today’s results list, too.

And so let’s shelve Sunday for now, at least until the end of this piece, mostly because after nearly twelve hours on site, I’m as bored of speculating about it as you will be reading about it. If all we get is dressage, let’s review that, hopefully someplace warm and dry.

One of the big, and very welcomed, decisions BEDE made in the run-up to Thoresby was to do away with waitlists in this class, instead opting to accept every entry so that those horses can all get runs in. That’s how we ended up with two CCI4*-S sections, rather than just one: the O section, which is the traditional Grantham Cup section and arguably the feature class here, and the P section for horses with fewer points.

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Though even the fleetest of foot couldn’t give 100% of their flashiest movement in the tricky conditions, we still saw the usual suspects rise to the top – and no one who’s paid attention to any eventing at all in the last few years will be surprised to see reigning Badminton champions Laura Collett and London 52 at the helm at this halfway point of the first phase in the Grantham Cup. Though they didn’t rival their usual circa-20 scores at this level, they delivered a polished test for a 24.3 that reflected the slightly conservative ride necessitated by boggy corners in the ring.

“He’s come out and just knuckled down and got on with the job, which is really nice — finally, at the age of 14,” laughs Laura, who also sits fifth with her other Badminton-bound ride, Dacapo, who posted a 27.2 after a professional trip around the arena. “Obviously the conditions aren’t there for superstar marks, but I’m really pleased with him — he’s in a really good place for the long run, and I was delighted with Dacapo, too. They both just came out and were so professional, and even though it’s really hard work for them in there, they both dug deep and got on with it.”

Laura Collett and Dacapo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Laura will be sleeping well tonight in the lorry park: her week at Thoresby began with some unwanted drama when her head groom, Tilly Hughes, was kicked and broke her arm — but we’re happy to report that after a successful bit of metalwork installation this morning, she’s out of hospital and on the mend with Badminton in sight. And in the meantime? Laura’s been getting stuck in and mucking out her own stables, too, though you’d never guess the increase in her workload from the broad smile on her face today.

“I’m bloody exhausted,” she laughs. “I thought I was in for four days, nice and easy, just four horses to ride — so it’s been a shock to the system relearning how to plait and do quarter markers, but I think all the tack’s in the right place, and I’ve not been eliminated yet!”

Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Reigning World Champions Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir were among the only pairs not to get sucked down into the depths of the swamp of sadness — sorry, I mean the warm-up ring — thanks in large part to how deft the French gelding’s footwork is, even in truly rubbish conditions. They sit second on a 25.4 in what is their first outing of the season.

“He’s such an athletic, elegant type, so he’s very lucky that he doesn’t struggle with conditions like this,” says Yas. “Although we’d like it to dry off a bit! We’ve had two of our pre-season runs cancelled, at Oasby and Cirencester, so hopefully we can get a run, but of course it’s just such bad luck for the organisers [to get hit by weather like this]. It’s not ideal, but hopefully the weekend can be salvaged.”

With Kentucky so close on the radar, Yas was pleased to see that Thoresby had responded to rider comments last year and duly beefed up the course to make it a suitable prep run this year.

“I think it’ll be good preparation; you need to have a good round of cross-country before you go to Kentucky, and it’s definitely pretty large out there,” she says.

Though many British eventing fans were disappointed not to see the World Champs on the Badminton line-up, for Yas, the decision to return to Kentucky — where the pair finished second last year — was a simple one.

“As much as I would have absolutely loved to have gone to Badminton this year, our goals for the next two years are a little bit different than the Badminton/Burghley path,” she says. “We’re sort of focusing on the championships for the next two years, and we just thought that Kentucky set him up so well for Pratoni last year that it would kind of be silly not to try and replicate what we did last year to try and get that kind of result again. That’s the reasoning behind that, and then I’d like to think that past next year, we’ll be able to look at Badminton — but he’s still only young, and he’s still got plenty of years left in him, so for me it’s just a case of trying to preserve him as much as possible and look after him; I know how special he is, so I want to make sure he lasts a long time and enjoys it, too.”

Returning to Kentucky as the new World Champion adds a different kind of pressure into the mix for perennially positive Yas, who remains wholly pragmatic about the challenge to come: “It’s funny, because obviously there’s a lot of pressure and expectations and things like that, but obviously, we absolutely want to go out and try and do our best this year and continue to form. And you’ve got to do that; you can’t just expect things to happen. You’ve got to really make sure you’re on form.”

Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The winter is a time for growth, for learning, and — for those riders who picked up new additions to their string mid-season — a chance to really get to know one another. That’s exactly what Tom McEwen has been focusing on with the excellent JL Dublin, who became the European Champion in 2021 with Nicola Wilson aboard. After Nicola’s accident last spring, Tom took the reins for owners Deirdre Johnston and James and Jo Lambert, debuted the horse at Little Downham CCI4*-S in October, which he ran as a combined test, and then ran the CCI4*-L at Boekelo, finishing in second place on the same score as the winners. They looked a picture together then — an accolade that Tom has firmly accredited to Nicola’s impeccable and sympathetic production — and months later, there’s a real sense that they’re taking the next step as a team.

“He was absolutely unbelievable at Boekelo, and the jumping is phenomenal, so for us, it’s just been about catching up on the flatwork and getting him back to where he was when Nic had him,” says Tom, who posted a 25.7 with the gelding to sit third overnight. “He’s phenomenal on the flat, but it’s all about making sure I know him — I’ve had years with my other ones; both Toledo and Eliza I’ve had since they were very young, so their problems are my problems. With this one, I’m just learning — like, not to over adjust, because he’s so correct in what he’s doing that you don’t want to do too much.”

It’s all looking very positive for the pair, who have put in an entry for next month’s Land Rover Kentucky CCI5* — an event that, if he makes good on his entry, will be a first-time visit for Tom.

“It’s massively exciting, but I’ve never been — I’ve just been watching videos,” he laughs.

Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Emilie Chandler made a sparkling impression in the short day one session yesterday, posting a very competitive 27 with longtime partner Gortfadda Diamond to take provisional fourth, while just two-tenths of a penalty behind Laura and Dacapo in fifth are 2021 Luhmühlen champions Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden, who danced their way to a 27.4. The question, of course, is how many of those will still remain in situ when the sun rises tomorrow, and how many of them will have had their lorries towed out of the bottomless mud in the lorry park and scurried home for a well-earned duvet day.

The top ten after the first full day of dressage in section O.

Piggy March and Brookfield Cavalier Cruise head section P after the first full day of dressage. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Section P took up the mantle through the afternoon, featuring those horses with fewer points to their name. Piggy March holds the overnight lead in this class on new-ish ride Brookfield Cavalier Cruise, with whom she’s making a four-star debut this week — though he has previously competed at the level once with Tom McEwen in the irons, finishing in the top ten at Little Downham last season. But although Piggy has never yet contested an international with the horse, who has also been campaigned by Harry Meade, she did briefly ride him in 2020, taking an Intermediate win as a souvenir. Now, she’s happy to welcome him back to her string as part of her ongoing collaboration with Brookfield Sport Horses, for whom she rides alongside Tom.

“He’s a beautiful horse, and the judges really like him,” says Piggy, who deftly piloted him to a significant lead on a score of 25.4. “The thing is, there’s still loads more to come as well, which is exciting.”

Their smart test and competitive result came despite a mistake in the second change that she happily claims as rider error — and, of course, the tricky going underfoot. But Piggy was delighted with how her inexperienced new partner coped with the challenge.

“He coped really, really well, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more from him, so I’m really pleased.  You’ve got to just get going [in conditions like this, because] it’s not always perfect — and it’s quite hard sometimes, mentally, to just keep going through those horrid patches when we’ve been training all winter on a nice surface, and try to get things going as well as you can do. But we’re all in the same boat here, so we’ve just got to get on with it!”

Edie Campbell and Fireball F. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Flora Harris sits second overnight on a 29.7 with Monbeg Alcatraz, while eventing supermodel Edie Campbell rounds out the podium on a 30.2 with stalwart partner Fireball F.

The top ten in section P.

Tomorrow takes us into another packed day of dressage, with both sections on the go throughout the day. Keep it locked onto EN for all the updates to come — and send some dry thoughts our way, if you can spare a few. Then, maybe, we might Go Eventing. Perhaps.

The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park: [Website] [Times] [Live Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

#FlashbackFriday Video from SmartPak: Ping Around Kentucky with Theodore O’Connor

By on Mar 31, 2023 3:30 pm -

Remember that time when a pony finished on the podium at Kentucky? You can watch all three phases of this Super Pony’s memorable performance above.

Most eventing fans will recognize the name Theodore O’Connor, the legendary, small but mighty partner of Karen O’Connor. Standing just 14.2 hands, “Teddy” may have been small statured, but you wouldn’t have wanted to tell him this.

Theodore O’Connor was a unique mix of Shetland, Arabian, and Thoroughbred (Witty Boy – Chelsea’s Melody, by Honestturn), bred by Wynn Norman. The story of Wynn’s breeding career is quite a good one — you can go down the rabbit hole in this Chronicle of the Horse write-up from 2008, and her program was built from the Thoroughbred she purchased off the track and a Shetland/Arabian mare.

Partnering with Karen from 2005 until his early passing due to an accident in 2008, Theodore O’Connor picked up a win in the then CIC3* at The Fork and added a Pan American games individual and team medal in 2007. He inspired a full generation of eventers, and even a Breyer Horse, and we’ll never tire of watching these archive vidoes of him at his peak.

Have you heard of the SmartPak SmartBarns service yet? SmartPak wants to make it easier for you to take great care of the horses and clients in your barn. The SmartBarn Services Team pairs you with your very own Barn Consultant, giving you access to exclusive benefits, including: Supplement advice & planning, Personalized account management, and Inside access to SmartPak Experts. Visit smartpak.com/SmartBarns to learn more.

Galway Day 1: ‘World Class’ in the Wild, Wet West

By on Mar 31, 2023 12:00 pm -

Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

“World class.” That’s what Galway Downs Spring International dressage judges Helen Brettell and Robyn Fisher said — in unison — of the two rides that put Tamie Smith in the one and two spots in the CCI4*-S after dressage.

Tamie’s 21.8 with Ruth Bley’s Danito edged out the 22.2 logged by Alexandra Ahearn’s Mai Baum. After open dressage and show jumping outings to warm-up earlier this year, today was Mai Baum’s first eventing competition since helping Team USA earn silver at the World Equestrian Games in Italy last fall.

Tamie was also 3rd with Julianne Guariglia’s Solaguayre California, with a 31.7, and 6th on a 33.8, with Elliot V, a Dutch Warmblood owned by the Elliot V Partnership. For good measure, Tamie’s daughter, the accomplished young professional, Kaylawna Smith-Cook, took the 4th spot with her own Passepartout, a 14-year-old German Sport Horse, on a 32.5. The Smiths head into Friday’s show jumping occupying the top 5 spots in the 11-horse division.

Outside of once at a Horse Trials some time ago, this was Danito’s first time topping Mai Baum, aka “Lexus.”

“Danito has been on the verge for a while,” said Tamie of the 14-year-old Hanoverian. “Every year he just keeps getting better, although so does Lexus.”

The conditions were wet after forecasts for a brief spot of rain became a few hours of heavy rain just as the international divisions began in the Grand Prix Arena. “Lexus probably had a few more percentage points in there because he would have been stronger off the ground,” Tamie reflected. “I had two mistakes because Lexus didn’t like the puddles. He put his foot down quick a few times, resulting in a couple of rhythm mistakes. He didn’t like getting splashed with mud.” The 17-year-old German Sport Horse, is “allowed to be a prima donna!” Tamie said.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

“For Danito, that was probably his best test to date. He didn’t really care about the ground at all. He’s just mowed right through it.”

The judges agreed. “Had it not been for the wet conditions, those two tests would likely have been in the teens,” Robyn said. “The horse that came out ahead never put a foot wrong. And then you have a rider like Tamie who has the experience to know when she can push and when she can’t.”

“Horses who have correct training and muscling are going to handle it,” Helen added. “Both of those horses’ tests were world class. They would be up there anywhere in the world.”

Even though she agreed the wet conditions required a conservative approach with all her rides, Tamie was “thrilled” with all four horses in the 4*. “Lexus and Danito are stronger and more confirmed in their training, and California and Elliot are greener and a weaker in their training, so I had to be more conservative with them.”

As their final prep for the Land Rover Kentucky 5* in late April, Tamie was thrilled with today’s rides and results.

Tamie Smith leads the 3*, too, with Kynan, the Dutch Warmblood owned by the Kynan Syndicate. This afternoon’s 28.8 leads a 14-horse field in this division and represents a super debut at the level for the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood.

The 3* upper rungs are more closely packed than in the 4*, as two Pacific Northwesters are in town to give the locals a run for their money. Karen O’Neal and Annika Asling’s Westphalian, Clooney 14, sit second on a 30.9, and Jordan Linstedt and Kiran D’Souza’s FE Friday are 3rd on a 31.8.

And, even after a two course errors, Erin Kellerhouse and her own Bon Vivant GWF lurk only a little behind on a 31.9.

Tamie Smith and Kynan. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

Karen O’Neal left her Washington state base to get out of the rain, only to find oodles of it in California these last several weeks. “I giggled a little bit when it started to rain just as I started my test, but after that I didn’t think about it at all.” That weather and a jaw surgery earlier in the year led to inconsistent prep before Galway Downs, but Karen was happy with their test given that “we are still trying to piece it all together and get back in the groove.”

“The footing was wet but great and he was good, but we always either nail the halt or don’t and today was a ‘don’t.’ Otherwise, I am super happy with him. He was relaxed and listening.”

Clooney’s tendency to spook didn’t emerge today, and Karen hopes that will be true tomorrow, too, over a show jump track designed by Marc Donovan. She heard it has some new looks to it in terms of fences and looks forward to seeing how Clooney will tackle it.

After FE Friday felt “full of himself” in the warm-up, and a last-minute equipment switch, Jordan Linstedt was relieved to have their test go so well. “He tried really hard in the ring and I’m still figuring out what works best for him,” she said. “He goes as a very pretty picture, but he’s not the easiest horse to ride. He’s been trying much harder lately and his lateral work at the trot, his 10m circles and his overall suppleness and thoroughness in his body are all ways that our hard work showed today.”

CCI2* dressage starts Friday morning at 8 a.m., with a field of 14 contenders.

The 2* division returns to the Grand Prix Arena, transformed for show jumping, at 3:05 Friday afternoon, with the 3*, Open Intermediate, 4* and Advanced to follow.

Out-of-area fans can catch all the international action on Ride On Video’s livestream, featuring excellent commentary.

Galway Downs International H.T (Temecula, CA): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring] [Live Stream]

Pulling Off a Live Stream: Behind the Scenes with Horse & Country

By on Mar 31, 2023 9:41 am -

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Setting an alarm to watch your favorite rider burn around a cross country in Europe, watching show jumping from the comfort of your couch, or parking yourself in front of a jumbotron to get the full view of the course while on location at an event: thanks largely to Horse & Country, these enhancements have made spectating equestrian sports more accessible, convenient and inclusive.

Eventing Nation stepped behind the scenes with the H&C crew while at the Setter’s Run Farm Carolina International to see how they bring the excitement of eventing to your screen – a process that begins long before they arrive on the show grounds.

“For an event like the Carolina International, we know it so well we don’t start communicating with the venue until 60 or 90 days out, because we have a lot of familiarity with where the course will go and where cameras will be located,” explained David Qualls, Executive Producer at H&C. “Any new event would require a good six months – the more time the better.”

Some of the logistical setup for livestream sports coverage involves navigating permanent structures, like at the Carolina Horse Park, where a 12-inch conduit pipe had to be installed under a public road in order to connect the production trailer to the dressage phase, located a half a mile away.

A look inside the production room at Carolina International. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Other changes are temporary, where the relatively small staff spends the days immediately before the event burying fiber cables beneath the ground, ensuring the safe travel of horses and humans. With at least six cameras connected by more than 10,000 feet of fiber, that’s a whole lot of trenching!

With only about a dozen staff members handling everything from set-up to commentating, there are some seriously long days and flexibility required. “Other than going home and grabbing some dinner and a bit of sleep, we’ve been flat out,” Helen Murray, H&C Content Producer, shared before she stepped back into the production trailer to direct the next segment of dressage.

Commentator Holly Hudspeth is joined by Helen Murray. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Helen had arrived at the Carolina Horse Park two days before the competition to work on the logistics before stepping into her production role, collaborating with the regular commentator, Holly Hudspeth, and special guests to produce the live stream.

Holly, an accomplished upper level event rider, finds her job with H&C a welcome change from the intensity of competing. “I really enjoy just being able to take a step back to watch people, and really get to know the horses and riders,” she reflected, “because when I was competing myself I didn’t get that opportunity.”

Holly uses her knowledge about the sport coupled with some heavy- hitting guest commentators to provide the livestream audience with a unique perspective of the event. Notable names like Ian Stark and Bettina Hoy have shared the mic for H&C, providing insight to the competition happening on screen, while musing about their own past experiences (like Murphy Himself bouncing a one stride with Ian).

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

During a Thursday afternoon dressage section, Holly was joined by CCI5* rider, Meghan O’Donoghue. Meghan has been behind the mic a few times for H&C and finds it a great opportunity to help promote the sport of eventing.

“I think it’s a good challenge as a commentator to try to bring some added excitement and value to what these horses and riders are trying to do,” said Meghan.

For the Carolina International CCI4*-S division, the competition results came down to the wire, with winner Will Coleman, racing the clock to win by just 1.5 points. Once the last horse crossed the finish line, the H&C crew began the packing process, carefully collecting the miles of cable, cameras and computers and preparing to do it all again at their next live streamed competition.

If you’d like to support H&C as well as enjoy more live streams year-round as well as educational and entertainment content, we’ve brought back our discount code for 15% off an annual subscription. You can save 15% off an annual subscription here using code EVENTINGNATION15 – the code is case-sensitive.

Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International: [Website] [Final Scores] [On-Demand Replay] [EN’s Coverage]