Classic Eventing Nation

12 Days of Giveaways, Day 1: Win a Pair of Full Tendon/Suspensory Wraps from Ice Horse

By on Dec 1, 2022 12:00 pm -

Because it’s the first day of our 12 Days of Giveaways we thought, what the heck! Why not add a second prize? Our next prize is a great complement to our earlier cross country boots from World Equestrian Brands: a pair of Full Tendon/Suspensory Wraps from Ice Horse to aid in that post-xc recovery!

Here’s the scoop on these bad boys:

Tired of cold therapy products that don’t stay cold? Ice Horse Wraps with Cold Capsule Inserts are scientifically proven to stay colder 3 times longer than gel wraps or buckets of ice and water. Ice Horse Wraps with patented Cold Capsule Inserts are the first choice of veterinarians, leading riders and trainers.

Suspensory Wraps provide coverage from just below the knee along the entire cannon, pastern and fetlock areas and rest on the coronary band covering the entire length of the suspensory ligament. Wrap fits both front and hind legs and is great for treating Suspensory Ligament injury and Deep Digital Flexor Tendon problems.

  • The Ice Horse Suspensory Wrap is made of heat-releasing Quadrispan™, so it doesn’t suppress heat inside like Neoprene can.
  • The compression-tight material also provides even compression along the leg and tendon for better healing.
  • Ice Horse is well tolerated by horses (no more holding a fidgety horse while trying to cold hose his legs.) And Velcro tabs make Ice Horse wraps quick and easy to apply and remove.
  • Once frozen, Cold Capsule inserts are filled with small ice crystals which look and feel like soft flakey snow, are malleable, and conform to the horse’s body for maximum coverage.
  • Cold Capsule inserts are scientifically tested and proven to provide therapeutic cooling for over two hours.

Congratulations to Halligan D. from WI, you’re our winner!

Disclosure: This form collects email addresses, which will be shared with EN as well as Ice Horse. You may receive a few emails from EN and Ice Horse, from which you’re free to unsubscribe at any time (but you’ll miss the fun!).

Go Eventing.

Prize Money Increases, An Amended Schedule, and a Ground Jury Appointment: The Latest from Badminton

By on Dec 1, 2022 11:30 am -

Laura Collett and London 52 prove their class over a tough Badminton track en route to the win in 2022. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Ring-a-ding-ding, it’s that time of year again! No, not Christmas (although hello to you, too, if you’re also spending the day drinking mulled wine, planning your Christmas tree pick-up, and ordering Nat King Cole albums on vinyl), but Badminton updates season — that heady bit of the season in which we start piecing together what next spring’s Big B might look like.

First on the agenda? An increase in prize money, which is alway a welcome notion. The winner of the 2023 Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, will take home £105,000, after an increase in the total prize pot from £360,750.00 to £380,300 and prize money increases planned all the way through to 20th place. In real world terms, this is an extra £5,000 for the winner, keeping Badminton in top spot as the biggest payout in eventing. We’ll try not to think too much about the darts competition that’s serving up several million in prize money.

“We are very keen to reflect the huge accolade of winning such a high-level five-star competition, as well as the great achievement of finishing in the top 20,” says Badminton Director Jane Tuckwell.

One of the major changes we’ll see at Badminton this year is a one-off scheduling adjustment, due to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, which is set to take place on Saturday, May 6. In order to accommodate a long break in the competition, in which spectators will be able to watch the coronation on big screens around the venue, the entire week of competition will be shifted forward by a day. This means that the first horse inspection will now take place on Thursday, May 4, with dressage on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6. Cross-country will be held on Sunday, May 7, and horsey folks will enjoy the best possible use of a Bank Holiday Monday with the thrilling showjumping finale on May 8.

“It should be a really celebratory occasion which we hope will be fun for everyone and a great atmosphere,” says Mrs Tuckwell.

Badminton has also announced its team of top-level officials for the 2023 renewal: Angela Tucker (GBR) will serve as President of the ground jury, and will be ably assisted by Andrew Bennie (NZL) and Xavier Le Sauce (FRA). The USA’s Andrew Temkin will serve as Technical Delegate, assisted by the hugely experienced Marcin Konarski from Poland.

Each year, Badminton picks a benefitting charity, which receives a chunk of the proceeds from the running of the event and is offered an exciting, productive platform upon which to promote its work. This year, that charity will be Air Ambulances UK, which is a charity close to many horsey folks’ hearts: their crucial service comes into its own in rural, hard-to-reach areas, and often, event riders’ lives have been saved by their quick assistance. Running one of these emergency flights, though, can cost several thousand pounds a go, and so constant fundraising is vital for the service to continue.

Simmy Akhtar, Air Ambulances UK CEO, says: “We are extremely proud and honoured to be chosen as the charity of the year for Badminton Horse Trials 2023 presented by Mars Equestrian. We’re excited to have the opportunity to showcase the lifesaving work of the UK air ambulance charities who work tirelessly to bring the Emergency Department to the patient no matter where they are often including unfortunate riding incidents. We look forward to welcoming and engaging visitors, participants, supporters, and suppliers to our stand during the event.”

The 2022 ticket system, which got rid of on-the-gate tickets entirely, will continue on in 2023 after it was deemed successful in easing traffic in the villages around Badminton. The box office will open in January, so keep it locked on EN for news and updates about early bird pricing and more!

12 Days of Giveaways, Day 1: Win a Set of Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact XC Boots from World Equestrian Brands

By on Dec 1, 2022 9:00 am -

It’s time to kick off the final month of 2022 with some free stuff — everyone’s favorite! This year, we’ve partnered with a whole slew of brands for these 12 (or more!) giveaways. There will be plenty you won’t want to miss out on, including today’s kickstarter: a pair of Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact XC Boots from World Equestrian Brands!

Why compromise on leg protection when you can have a boot that has it all?

There are many factors to weigh up when choosing a boot, such as breathability, flexibility, weight, and protection, BUT what if you could have all of those? Introducing the NEW Tri-Zone Impact Sports Boots – the ultimate in leg protection. We’ve taken the original Impact Sports Boot and redesigned them using the latest research and technology, added a choice of colors, plus a range of sizes, so this all round boot can be used by anyone, for anything. Superior tested protection levels make them suitable for high impact sports such as cross country, polo and racing. They are so comfortable to wear making them equally perfect for everyday riding. They are easy to wash and dry.

Check out some testing of these awesome boots:

Congratulations to Jordan P. from AR — you are our winner!

Disclosure: This form collects email addresses, which will be shared with EN as well as World Equestrian Brands. You may receive a few emails from EN and World Equestrian Brands, from which you’re free to unsubscribe at any time (but you’ll miss the fun!).

Thursday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Dec 1, 2022 12:03 am -

Tis the season to get baking! Photo courtesy of SmartPak.

Tis the season to bake tasty treats for those you love in your life….your horses of course! It’s like kismet, actually, as I was looking for a quick and easy to make for my horses and my clients horses, and our friends at SmartPak popped up on my Facebook feed with this wonderful cookie recipe. Don’t worry, you barely need any skills in the kitchen, and just a few basic ingredients. Check out this recipe for No Bake Maple Banana Oat Horse Cookies.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Rocking Horse December H.T. (Altoona, FL): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Sporting Days Farm H.T. IV (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

Peeked inside our Holiday Gift Guide yet? It’s packed full of gift ideas for all types of riders, plus more than a few shopping deals to take advantage of! Click here to view the Guide — and don’t forget to support Give Back Week through December 4.

In an ever-changing world, we must constantly reevaluate what we consider “normal.” This is particularly applicable to equine practitioners who are now routinely asked to appreciate situations previously thought to be atypical that have now become standard, usual, or expected. What is abnormal for one animal may well be acceptable in another. It is the job of vets to help muddle through the murky waters to ultimately decide if the patient in front of us is normal. Abnormal is just a term to describe something that deviates from usual, is viewed as undesirable or worrying in some way, or is simply uncharacteristic of a particular patient. [What is Normal in Today’s Sporthorse?]

Horse & Hound has announced their 2022 award winners for a variety of categories. We’re delighted to see Vanir Kamira top the horse of the year list, buoyed by Piggy March’s win on her at Burghley this fall. Laura Collett unsurprisingly wins rider of the year, and best of all, Nicola Wilson won for the Inspiration of the year. [H&H 2022 Year-End Awards]

Terry West added another accolade to her most lengthy and diversified resume when she was announced as one of the newest inductees into the Maryland Horse Show Association Hall of Fame Sunday. West, one of the first black female jockeys, was a competitor on the racetrack for more than two decades before transitioning to the hunter-jumper industry, in which she continues to compete today. She has served as a board member of the MHSA and has been active in retraining off-track Thoroughbreds for the hunter and jumper rings, competing on numerous occasions in the Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show at Pimlico Racecourse. [Terry West Inducted into MD Hall of Fame]

Equine nutritionists and veterinarians have long been preaching the importance of forage in our horses’ diets. We know ample, good-quality forage is crucial to their digestive health, but why? The horse family Equidae adapted extremely well to grassland as they evolved from browsers to grazers over millions of years. This is evident in their rich fossil record, which reveals equids’ teeth, feet, and more adapted to give them an evolutionary advantage over other herbivores. [Why Forage First?]

 

Boyd Martin Riding School is back in session!

 

#WaybackWednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: A Vintage Gold Medal Round

By on Nov 30, 2022 5:00 pm -

Hop in my Wayback Machine, little cherubs, and let’s head to 1968 — the year my mum was born, though that’s neither here nor there, really — and across the world to Mexico City, the host of that year’s Olympic Games. Then, the British team were in another one of their golden eras, and this event was no different: they took the team gold medal ahead of the US in silver and Australia in bronze, and that victory was clinched by their anchor rider, Reuben Jones, who delivered the necessary clear with The Poacher. Though they didn’t do the double — individual gold went to France’s Jean-Jacques Guyon and Pitou — the Brits did also secure individual silver, thanks to the efforts of Derek Allhusen and Lochinvar. Check out the fine work of an anchorman with this bit of Olympic history.

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Thank You for Coming to (William Micklem’s) TED Talk: How to Thrive in Sport and Life

By on Nov 30, 2022 3:00 pm -

You may know the Micklem name well from a bridle hanging in your tack room, but William Micklem has made a name for himself in other avenues, too. He’s dedicated his life and career to education — both his own and others’ — and what he’s learned through the years now comes through the mic in a recent talk at an October TEDx Tralee in Ireland.

In his talk, William focuses on a core topic: how do you reach the maximum potential of your life?

Growing up without much money or funding for education, William learned early on how to question the world around him, seeking the right questions to ask as well as the “secrets” to fulfilling one’s potential. What he put together from his research is what he’s dubbed “The GO! Rules”.

Empowerment is another focal point of William’s talk — shouldn’t we empower those who need to make decisions for themselves? This applies not just to life on a broad scale, but to our riding. Empowerment creates better riders, and better horsemen and horsewomen, as a result.

You won’t want to miss William’s set of “GO! Rules” that can apply to all walks to life and put you directly into the driver’s seat of achieving your goals or reaching your potential. One step at a time, and an overarching theme of “I’ll give it a go!”, will serve you well.

Early Bird Ticket Pricing for LRK3DE Ends This Week

By on Nov 30, 2022 2:30 pm -

Jonelle Price and McClaren. Photo by Shelby Allen.

If you’ve got Land Rover Kentucky tickets on your wishlist this year, now’s the time to take the plunge, especially if you’re looking for hospitality tickets or always-popular tailgating spots! Early bird pricing for hospitality tickets ends on Friday, December 1.

Kentucky tickets make for excellent gifts, and all levels of admission and reserved seating are currently available, with discounts offered for multiple days. Reserved seats, hospitality, and tailgating are all popular tickets and at risk to sell out, so it’s best to go ahead and get yourself shored up now.

Click here to shop for your tickets, and we’ll see you in Kentucky sooner than you think!

Where Are They Now? Widespread Panic Went from ‘Ugly Duckling’ to Versatile Superstar

By on Nov 30, 2022 11:30 am -

Megan Moore and Widespread Panic. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

When Megan Moore first brought Widespread Panic home from the racetrack, everyone at her barn thought she was crazy. Widespread Panic, barn name “Nemo”, was a bit (just a bit) of an ugly duckling.

Megan reminisces on that fateful day. “He looked like a baby Saddlebred. He had this enormous blaze on his face and he was in the middle of a growth spurt, so his head was much, much bigger than the rest of his body. And he was very awkward looking. When he arrived from the track, all the girls looked at me like, ‘What did you do?'”

But despite his ugly duckling appearance and “typewriter-esque trot”, Megan knew she had a special horse on her hands because of his kind eyes. “I just loved him from the minute I saw him because he’s just a kind, sweet horse and he never has a cross word for anybody,” she described. “So even though he was at a growth spurt where there were a lot of legs going a lot of different ways and his head was too big for his body, he just had that way about him. He was just a kind horse.”

Megan and Widespread Panic. Photo by Emily Daily.

It was a long road to success with Nemo. When he first came to Megan, he was what she calls ‘a big wimp and a big sweetheart’. He was the lowest horse in the pecking order in the pasture and Megan discovered he was aptly named, as he was the type to “look at you as though the world had just blown up.” Generally, he was a baby horse without any confidence who tended to get a little stressed.

But Megan’s trust in his kind eye paid off. As this ugly duckling grew up, he became a cross country machine. Nemo went on to be named to the USEF Developing Rider List, helped Megan earn her USDF Bronze Medal, and evented through the Advanced and then-3* level, winning more events than Megan can count.

“By the time he was stronger as an upper level horse, he had the best trot,” Megan recalls. “He won more Intermediates than I can count in his career and got really good dressage scores. But it was all just because he wanted to learn, he wanted to do it for you.”

At the age of 21 years young, Nemo is still happy to be out and showing at the top levels of dressage. Having been competing for 18 years straight, he’s now at a pure dressage barn where he is still sound, glowing, and ready to get out in the ring and win. Nemo is now partnered with Julia Magsam, and the pair just won their own USDF Bronze medal last month — Nemo’s second Bronze Medal-winning ride.

An 18-year competition career is long for any horse, but particularly for an off-the-track Thoroughbred. Nemo, however, beats all the odds. Megan credits his soundness and beautiful condition to the hard work put in by Julia and her team to keep him healthy and happy, as well as the excellent team of vets and farriers he had while he was with Megan. “Fortunately, Nemo is a very sane horse. He always allowed us to do every every bit of icing and wrapping and every bit of care you could possibly give a horse.”

Megan says Nemo is not the type of horse to retire and move to Florida with the rest of the snowbirds. This horse is here to stay. “He wants you to touch him every day and he wants you to work with him and he wants to be ridden. He doesn’t want to be chucked out in the field and retired.”

Next time you see Widespread Panic out and about at a horse show, take a moment to stop and watch. This horse is truly one-in-a-million, both for his growing list of achievements and his willing and kind attitude.

A long career (and, more importantly, a long and healthy life) is always a goal for our horses. Ask your veterinarian about Zoetis’ line-up of health support options that can help support your horse for a long-lasting and comfortable career and life.

Fuel Up on Win It Wednesday with Ocala Horse Properties

By on Nov 30, 2022 9:00 am -

It’s a big week here at EN, as Friday we kick off a whole slew of giveaways for our annual 12 Days of Giveaways celebration. We’ve teamed up with some of our favorite companies to bring you some seriously stellar goodies, so you’ll want to check back every morning beginning Thursday (December 1) to enter!

But first, some fuel. Our friends at Ocala Horse Properties heard we were prepping for giveaway week (and you won’t want to miss what they’re offering up as a prize later this month!) and decided you all needed some caffeination for your impending entry dash. So without further ado, here’s a #WinItWednesday giveaway for a chance to become your barn’s favorite human with a $150 Starbucks gift card.

Update: Congratulations to Michele C., the winner of this giveaway! We’ll email you with details.

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on Nov 30, 2022 12:01 am -

Your daily dose of cuteness is brought to you by Lio Jung, who was born in May of last year and is already catching the horse bug. No word yet on whether he’s been named to the German squad, but we imagine the word is coming any day yet.

Click here if you can’t see the embedded Instagram post above.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Rocking Horse December H.T. (Altoona, FL): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Sporting Days Farm H.T. IV (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Wednesday News & Reading

Peeked inside our Holiday Gift Guide yet? It’s packed full of gift ideas for all types of riders, plus more than a few shopping deals to take advantage of! Click here to view the Guide — and don’t forget to support Give Back Week through December 4.

If you’re heading to the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in Savannah, GA next week (see you there!), there’s an exciting line-up of speakers on the docket as well as the usual meetings, seminars, and celebrations happening all week. [Exciting Line-up of Speakers Announced for Annual Meeting]

It’s a fundraising time of year, and you can support the USEA Area II Young Rider program — always dependable for churning out a few future superstar riders — by shopping their annual sale. Sales must be made by December 2, so pick up your gear soon! [USEA Area II Young Rider Fundraiser]

Sara Kozumplik is gauging interest for a clinic with Pippa Funnell toward the end of January. See this Instagram post to share your interest!

Surgery under anesthesia is an intense process that poses many risks to equine patients — and much of this risk comes when the horse begins to wake up from being under. Is standing surgery a viable option to reduce risk? Horse Sport dove into the concept to find out. [Advantages of Standing Surgery]

Tack Facts with Sterling Essentials: We may be just a tad biased, but a bundle of natural care products from Sterling Essentials makes a great gift or stocking stuffer this holiday season. Shop all the options here.

Sponsor Corner: One frequently asked question about Haygain’s hay steamers is “how much does a steam cycle cost?” Here’s the breakdown (click here if you can’t see the embedded Instagram post below):

Wednesday Video Break: Some fun work to do with your horse this off-season, courtesy of Cathy Wieschhoff!