Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Some bittersweet news about one of the most incredible stories from the eventing space this year. You may recall the horse Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau, a horse piloted at the Paris Olympics by Frenchman Stéphane Landois. Stéphane rode in honor of Chaman Dumontceau’s former rider, Thaïs Meheust, who passed away in a cross country accident in 2019. Though Thaïs sadly never realized her own dream of competing at the Olympics, Stéphane was able to realize this dream in tribute at the Paris Olympics, where they finished 14th individually and in silver as a team for France. Now, the 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding will move to a new rider, a yet-to-be-revealed young British rider. “We felt the need to close this book that is both so painful, so strong, so extraordinary and so paradoxical. Chaman is sold to England and will continue under the saddle of a young rider,” ownership group The Thaïs Meheust Foundation said in a story on An Eventful Life. You can read more about the story and the sale here.
News & Reading
Recap the best of 2024 with the help of the USEA in their annual look-back! Take a trip down memory lane for some of the top highlights from an action-packed season here.
Also recapping their year is The Chronicle of the Horse, where horse welfare has been, deservedly, top of mind in 2024. Check out some of the most-viewed stories on COTH here.
A sweet story of how a “grinch” of an OTTB helped give his amateur rider’s dreams wings — don’t miss it here.
Want to head into 2025 in a proper head space? Don’t forget that yoga, meditation, and sound baths can be found at Stable View! For just $30 a person, you can sign up for a December 30 sound bath session and yoga class at Stable View. Sign up here.
Video Break
Some wise words from Tamie Smith from her recent webinar with Horse Illustrated, which you can watch in full here.
European Champion, Olympic Silver & Bronze medallist and WEG gold medallist Tina Cook has been appointed U25 Coach for Great Britain. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
British Eventing is thrilled to announce a significant training restructure, focusing on high-quality coaching delivered within the regions by newly appointed lead regional coaches, who will work closely with existing accredited coaches to provide the best offer and experience for our members.
This is an exciting change, directly developed further to feedback from British Eventing membership and put in place to allow members to access high quality training within their geographical location.
Head of Youth, Darrell Scaife commented: “We are thrilled to welcome our new coaches, who will, along with our existing workforce, be instrumental in realising British Eventing’s vision for the future. As we continue to emphasise horse welfare and rider wellness, these talented professionals will play a crucial role in upholding our values and delivering high-quality training to our members. By fostering a supportive, inclusive environment, we remain committed to nurturing the growth and success of riders at all levels while prioritising the well-being of both horses and athletes.”
British Eventing is pleased to welcome the following Lead Regional Coaches:
South West: Jo Rimmer Jo Rimmer is a UKCCL3 and PMP coach, former schoolteacher and 5* event rider.
North: Will Murray Will Murray is a UKCC level 3 eventing coach and has been involved with the BE youth programme within the Northern region for the last six years, firstly as an assistant co-ordinator and in recent years as a coach.
East Midlands: Phil Brown Phil Brown is a UKCC level 4 Coach with years of experience coaching both youth and adult riders through all levels of the sport. Phil has extensive competitive experience up to 5* level and is passionate about helping riders of any level achieve their goals and enjoy the sport of eventing.
East: Emily Lochore Emily Lochore has run Burnham Market International Horse Trials together with her husband Alec for 26 years, alongside competing up to 5* level. She has successfully represented GB at Junior and Young Rider level gaining invaluable experiences from the youth system.
South East: Camilla Kruger Camilla Kruger is a UKCC Level 3 Coach, South East Lead Coach and Performance Pony Chef d’equipe. Camilla is a keen hockey player and former Olympian for Team Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe’s Sports Women of the Year 2016.
Central: Tim Rogers Tim Rogers is a UKCC level 3 and BE accredited coach and has been coaching youth in the Central Region for several years. As an event rider, he has also represented GB at Pony and Junior rider level.
Wales and West Midlands: Jonquil Hemming Jonquil Hemming BHSI, UKCCL4 coach and EQ Bands registered coach, has completed Centre 10 Psychology for Coaches and is part of the BEF Youth Coaching Pathway programme. She has many years of coaching and industry experience and works with all levels of riders.
Tina Cook, 5* international event rider, European Champion, Olympic Silver & Bronze medallist and WEG gold medallist, has been appointed as National U25 Coach. After calling time on her eventing career in 2022, Tina has focussed on producing young horses and coaching.
British Eventing also announced that Sam York FBHS, UKCC level 4, MSc Professional Sports Coaching has been appointed as Lead on Social License and Horse Welfare in coaching. After being a very busy freelance coach, much of Sam’s additional consultation work involves working hard in protecting the equestrian industry from the current challenges it is seeing.
In addition, Katie Williams has been appointed Lead Coach on the International Development Experiences. Katie is a UKCC Level 4 Eventing coach and has a Master’s degree in Professional Sports Coaching. She was until now a Regional Youth Coach for Wales and Midlands, with a track record of coaching riders to success at pony, junior and young rider level.
Rosie Williams, CEO of British Eventing said: “We extend our congratulations to these coaches on their new appointments. Coaching and training are vital elements of our offering as a governing body, after all, good training results in safer, more successful combinations out competing and enjoying the sport. We hope our members take full advantage of having access to such talented and experienced coaches, and we wish our coaches the best of luck in their new roles.”
BE will have more information in the new year on the detail of the new training offer but in the meantime, you can find out more about British Eventing’s training and upcoming events here.
Remember THAT Opening Ceremony in Paris this summer? We sure do, and we know there was an absolute mountain of work that went into this history-making Olympic opener. A new film takes us behind the scenes of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, from the first concept sketches to the delivery of the entire show. You can watch the film here.
The Christmas competition at True Prospect Farm is just one of the many holiday traditions floating around social media this week. What’s your tried-and-true barn tradition around the holidays?
Time to revisit another EN Christmas favorite! Donner, Lynn Symansky’s stuff-of-legends OTTB and Team USA veteran, is the closest thing our sport has to a magic flying reindeer. We originally published this in 2014 and it’s a holiday tradition to dust it off each December 24! Here we go …
Is that Donner the Reindeer? Read on to find out!
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the farm
not an event horse was stirring in Lynn Symansky’s barn.
All the bridles were hung on their racks with care
horses wondering, “We’re getting tomorrow off, right? That only seems fair.”
Donner was nestled all snug in his stall
dreaming of four-stars and his scheme to conquer them all
and maybe, just maybe, if all goes according to plan
on an Olympic podium in Rio Tokyo his mom could stand
When out on the roof there arose such a clatter
Donner sprang up from the ground to see what was the matter.
The barn lights clicked on and Donner peered out his stall
to see a gang of reindeer marching down the hall.
“Yeah, that’s him,” said the one with the glowing red nose.
“Hey Donner!” he exclaimed, and Donner’s heart froze.
“There’s been a mistake!” Donner neighed in desperate plea.
“I’ve heard of the guy you’re looking for — it’s not me!”
But Rudolph, he wouldn’t take no for an answer
nor would Vixen, Cupid, Blitzen, Dasher or Dancer.
Donner followed them outside, his head hung low.
“Mom’s gonna kill me,” he sighed as he walked through the snow.
But then, to his surprise, what did he spot?
A familiar face among Rudolph’s flock!
“Courageous Comet, is that you, dude?” Donner neighed
to a familiar looking, confused-faced gray.
Comet said, “Yeah man, I guess they needed a sub …
a couple of the reindeer have abscesses or something, welcome to the club.”
They stood motionless as Santa hooked them onto the sled
staring up at the sky with a terrible dread.
But Santa, he knew how to make this crowd fly:
“3, 2, 1 … Have a great ride!”
They took off galloping and at the moment when Santa clucked
They gathered their courage, rocked back on their haunches and jumped.
“Hey,” Donner said, “this almost feels like a dream”
Comet snorted: “I guess you could say we made the team!”
For hours they ran and jumped with no regrets
and it made them thankful for all those long trot sets.
At the end of the night Santa dropped them back at the farm
just before the sound of Lynn and Becky’s alarms.
They dozed off, happy memories filling their heads …
saving Christmas was (almost) as fun as country country at WEG!
Looking for the perfect story for this Christmas Eve? Here’s a great one: Once Upon a Time in Eventerland, narrated by Sam Watson. The story of “Little Badminton” is perfect for eventers of all ages, so enjoy and happy holidays from all of us at EN. We’ll be on a light, primarily News & Notes schedule until January 2, 2025, and we’ll see you back in the new year!
Effective January 1, a new rule change within British Showjumping dictates that padded whips may only be used to back up a rider’s leg aid and not for punishment. Padded whips had already been in place under British Showjumping rules, replaced traditional whips five years ago. Horse & Hound reports further here.
There are many ways to help eventing thrive in the new year (and beyond), and they don’t all have to do with competing (or even riding). From volunteering, advocating for welfare, and increasing your education, the sport has many avenues of support. Learn more about what you can do here.
We sing about them, decorate our Christmas cards and ugly sweaters with them, and love to hear the sounds of a horse-drawn wagon or sleigh bedecked in bells. But why bells? Horse Nation explores here.
Did you know you can find Kentucky Performance Products supplements on SmartPak? Combine your horse essentials with two of our favorite partners, and check more off your restock list each month. Click here to shop for KPP on SmartPak.
Video Break
British Olympian Ros Canter stopped by the London International Horse Show for a demo with her retired and thriving former 5* partner, Alfies Clover:
Most of you may remember Dom and Jimmie Schramm’s Evention TV, where they shared riding exercise videos, tips about grooming, and let’s not forget the very humorous videos like “Dressage Skillz” and “The Difference Between Regular People and Horse People.”
People have been asking for Evention to come back after almost 10 years since their last video, and now Dom and Jimmie are back with a new training series: the Winter Warrior Series.
The inspiration came from the rut that a lot of riders face during the winter months after the holidays. While some flock to warmer weather, not everyone can leave their families and jobs behind. Since most trainers have gone south, riders still need help and inspiration during the short, cold days.
Jimmie and Dom spent January in Florida, and went back to Pennsylvania in February and March a few years ago. “It is dreary and sort of depressing when you’re up here, kind of on your own, so we wanted to try to build a community for people during those couple of months,” Jimmie says.
The Winter Warrior Series is for a rider– just coming off the holidays– and a horse– most likely feral and hairy– who want to get going again for the new season.
“This program is designed to take them from that horse and progressively over the course of 10 weeks into March, prepare them so that as the weather starts to warm up, they’re ready to hit the ground running,” Dom says.
What does the Winter Warrior series look like?
It’s a 10 week program, starting January 20. Each week, there are three main ways to learn and gain value from it:
Weekly Training Videos
Every Monday, a video will be released, walking you through a flat exercise which lends itself into a jumping exercise. Dom and Jimmie demonstrate the exercises from different perspectives, such as from the ground or while riding. To pull it all together, an animated overview will show you how the exercise works together with the measurements and dimensions that the session requires.
If you want to set it up ahead of time, they even have a downloadable course map. “When they go out to the barn and they want to ride the exercise, they can whip out their phone and watch the video if they need a refresher,” Dom says.
Better yet, Dom and Jimmie have made these videos easily adjustable for riders and horses no matter the level. “Throughout the video, when we’re explaining it, we talk about how to make it more simple or difficult. We show different ways to do the exercise that might lessen or increase the difficulty so that anyone can do it,” Jimmie says.
They thought about these exercises through the lens of what they could do in the winter months with limited room and jumps, making it easy to set up with what you have at home.
Dom and Jimmie will more than likely be doing the exercises right alongside you each week, since they are so adjustable from a green horse to a highly experienced one, making them perfect for their barn full of horses that range in experience.
“The exercises are very practical when it comes to rideability, building strength and muscle, and getting ready for the upcoming season,” Dom says.
Wednesday Night Webinars
Dom and Jimmie will host a different equestrian expert on a call each Wednesday, ranging from individuals like Julia Krajewski, Dr. Kevin Keane, and more.
“We’ve got all sorts of different professionals with different elements of the equestrian world doing a Zoom call each week,” Jimmie says.
These weekly calls will give you an opportunity to have unparalleled access to the best of the best. You’ll be able to pick their brains to not only learn but also be inspired!
Don’t fret if you’re unable to attend these calls, as they will be recorded and uploaded for you to watch at any time!
Barn Hours
My personal favorite part of the Winter Warrior Series is the weekly “Barn Hours” on Fridays. Dom and Jimmie will hop on a Zoom call and you can ask any questions or discuss any issues you have about your rides from the week.
“I think the biggest challenge with learning online when it comes to horses is that everybody’s horse is different. There’s an individual tailoring that’s missing if it’s just on the screen,” Dom says.
Because of this, they wanted to make it possible for them to answer your specific questions, so you get the most out of it. “At the end of the day, the goal for us is to have these people feel supported and that they can actually progress over the course of the 10 weeks,” Dom says.
There will also be private WhatsApp and Facebook groups, where riders can ask a quick question if they are unable to make it to Barn Hours.
How much will it cost?
In terms of buying the package, you have a few options. The Winter Warrior Series can be purchased up front for $480, saving 20% off the regular price of $600.
You can also buy it in two monthly payments of $270, saving you 10%.
Or, you can choose to be a weekly subscriber, paying $60 per week and it can be canceled anytime.
How does this compare to Evention TV?
While you can still expect to have some relatable and helpful dialogue from Dom and Jimmie, the increased capabilities of technology today have made for a series that people will be impressed with.
“We’ve had tons of ideas over the years on what we would do differently, and as technology has gotten better and things have changed since our Evention days, we can actually do some of the stuff that we couldn’t do before,” Dom says.
All in all, you can expect to see new, fun ways of explaining training exercises on video. These videos will also go more in depth than the ones on Evention.
“If people wanted to have Evention, but a bit deeper and getting more out of it, that’s what they can expect from the Winter Warrior Series,” he says.
As far as filming goes, Dom and Jimmie say that it was nice to be doing it again after a long break.
“We’re kind of falling back into our old ways and habits and it was basically like history repeating itself. Dom was getting his stuff in one take, and I was forgetting everything and having to repeat myself 10 times,” Jimmie says. “We’re really excited about it. I think it’s a good first project that we’ve done in a while to open up the doors to do a lot more in the future.”
While filming, the weather for them was cold, windy, rainy, you name it. “We’re dealing with the very real winter things that other people are going to be dealing with at the same time,” Jimmie says.
Overall, this series is meant to be flexible, so that riders can work it around their work or school schedules. “We want this to be useful for people. We want it to fill a gap there that has been missing for a while, so I hope it does that,” Dom says.
If you would like to look into being a Winter Warrior with Dom and Jimmie, click here. Hang in there this winter, you got this!
Many congratulations to 5* rider Gemma Stevens, who emerged victorious in the crowd-favorite Cavago Six Bar jumping class at the London International Horse Show on Saturday, besting 12 other competitors aboard Envoy Merelsnest Z through five rounds in which the jumps were raised after each. Facing off against Olympic show jumper John Whitaker and Sharid, Gemma and Envoy Merelsnest Z cleared a massive 1.95m final fence to seal the victory.
“Honestly, I am amazed – he was absolutely brilliant,” Gemma told British Showjumping. “I’ve always known he can jump a big vertical, but putting it all together is the real challenge. I genuinely can’t believe we won today. The atmosphere here at London International is incredible, and like usual he gave his all, trying so hard to clear every jump.”
Enjoy some highlights below or watch the full replay with your H&C+ membership here.
US Equestrian has issued an alert regarding the dangers of the screwworm, a devastating and potentially deadly pest, as it spreads around Mexico. “Screwworm has expanded uncontrollably in the last several months from South America and now into Mexico,” USEF said in a press release. “If not controlled the screwworm flies will continue to move north into the United States. There is the additional risk illegal horse entry into the United States could bring in screwworm. You can read more about this warning here.
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? During the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, held Dec. 12-15 in Seattle, Washington, USEA CEO Rob Burk was joined by a panel of individuals deeply involved in the USEA Foundation including USEA Foundation Chair Hilary Miskoe, multi-time Foundation grant recipient Sharon White, Beth Lendrum of the Broussard Charitable Trust Foundation, and USEA Foundation Development Officer Katherine Cooper. Together, these five individuals shared their top tips for those interested in applying for USEA Foundation grant funding in the future to help make sure your application stands out in the most positive way. Read their advice here.
Thinking of attending the USEA ECP Symposium at Galway Downs in January? There are a lot of benefits to furthering your education as a coach or prospective coach, and this seminar is one way to do it! Read up on what you could take away from attending a Symposium here.
You may have heard of TMJ disease in humans, but until fairly recently it wasn’t known that horses could get it as well. TMJ pain can be caused by trauma, arthritis, infection, inflammation or just wear-and-tear and can manifest as a number of symptoms including head tossing, head sensitivity, trouble eating, uneven wear on the teeth, and difficulty with bits and flexing at the poll. Read more about how TMJ can affect your horse here.
Have you checked out the new-and-improved Sport Horse Nation lately? EN’s longtime classifieds sister site recently received a big makeover to help make it the best eventers-only matchmaking service in the land. Almost 250 listings are now live … check it out today!
Where are our Canadian event horses for sale at? At Sport Horse Nation, that’s what we want to know. We currently only have a four listings for horses located in Canada on the site, and we want more.
As such, through the end of December we are offering a promo code — enter CAN1224 at checkout — for FREE unlimited listings.
In the meantime, feast your eyes upon these two pretties. Wouldn’t you like to find one of these under your tree?
“Ellie is the complete package! Sire Ampere, Dam lines Riverman/Thoroughbred. She scores in the low 20s in dressage, is brave and fast cross country and a careful and honest show jumper. Ellie is excellent on the ground for all things, farrier, vet and clipping. Ellie would make a wonderful young rider mount for an ambitious junior wanting to be competitive at NAYRC and beyond. She has competed at the CCI2* level and has the scope and drive for MUCH more. Ellie is very sound and has required no maintenance.” Learn more …
“Tugce is a stunning 12yo German Sport Horse that has top placings through to the 4* level. She has also successfully show jumped through to 1.35m. Tugce has been ridden by a professional, young rider and adult amateur. She would be an ideal candidate for a young rider or adult amateur looking to win! Tugce is extremely well schooled on the flat and over fences and is competitive in all phases. She has three beautiful gates and an impressive gallop.”
“Louis Song is probably one of the most beautiful and athletic Thoroughbreds out there. He is by Bellamy Road out of Song Cat by Unbridled’s Song. He is unraced and started later in life in an eventing program (through no fault of his own). Louis is an impressive mover and very scopey jumper. With all that talent, he requires an experienced rider. He is sensitive and a bit quirky. Needs to be in a regular program. I can see this horse putting a young professional on the map or suiting a talented rider wanting to outshine all the warmbloods, on a TB budget. Sound, up to date on everything, no vices.” Read more…
“Check out the best Christmas present EVER! Takes The Cake is ready to take his new partner up the eventing levels. Cake is a barn favourite with the sweetest disposition. Over the past three years he has gone through Starter to Training (EV100) level with his current partner finishing 6th at the Alhambra Summer event in Red Deer, Alberta. He has the potential to go to Prelim! Cake has many Pre-Training (EV90) ribbons and has travelled and competed in Spokane, California and Arizona. Seasoned show horse who loves to perform and easy to handle. Currently lives inside but is great outside with his pasture mates too. He goes in a snaffle, is schooling Second Level dressage, has auto lead changes, very adjustable, clips, bathes and is an easy keeper with no maintenance required. Would be perfectly suited for an ambitious amateur or junior.” Read more…
Not necessarily the collab we all had on our bingo cards for 2024, but a cool one nonetheless! British Olympic gold medalist Tom McEwen stopped by to cut the ribbon to open the new Aldi store in Bristol, England this week. Next up, an Aldi sponsorship perhaps? We wouldn’t say no to some cool snacks and horse show meals! Put a good word in, will you Tom?
