Classic Eventing Nation

Revamped Youth Programme Set to Help British Eventing’s Young Stars Shine

By on Jan 6, 2023 2:03 pm -

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The British Eventing Youth Programme has been reworked for 2023 to include a brand new BE80 u18 offering, two Championship opportunities and Regional Leagues. The changes will help to deliver a progressive pathway for younger riders to follow that is fun and fulfilling for all.

The addition of the new BE80 u18 Championship and Leagues will enable more young riders to be part of the programme, benefiting from the support and guidance that it provides. The new height category means more riders will have access to U18 Regional Training, which is invaluable for building camaraderie and mutual encouragement amongst younger riders, provides essential support for parents, and delivers an all-round, holistic education for the youth members enrolled on the programme.

Also new for 2023 will be the introduction of two Youth National Championships – with the inaugural Youth BE80 Championship and the BE90 Youth Championship now taking place at Chillington Hall in Staffordshire between 9-10 September; and the Youth BE100 and 2*-L Youth Novice Championships running at Bishop Burton in East Yorkshire between 27-30 July. Splitting these Championships will give riders two unique Championship experiences and will help set new progressive goals to work towards and achieve. 

The final, and perhaps most exciting, addition to the programme will be the introduction of Regional Leagues, powered by Equiratings. The new leagues will provide a transparency of Youth Regional Rankings – not only enabling riders to chart their progress against their fellow competitors, but also providing a clear qualification route for the National Youth Championships.

The Regional Leagues will be introduced into each of the eight regions of Scotland, North, East Midlands, Wales and West Midlands, East, Central, South East and South West. Each region will have their own leagues across each of the height categories – including BE80 and will reflect the Power Based Average (PBA) score of each combination.

The PBA is calculated from the best three finishing scores* of each combination achieved across any of the qualifying classes contested. The Top 10 eligible combinations in each height category, at the end of the qualification period, will be invited to represent their region at the National Youth Championships. Only one qualifying score must be within the rider’s own region (this has previously been two), giving riders and their families greater flexibility in choosing event locations that suit them.

To be eligible for the Leagues and to benefit from the opportunity to qualify for the Youth Championship classes, riders need to register for the Youth Programme. The cost for inclusion is £30 for the year and it also provides Youth Riders aiming for the Youth National Championships with access to course walks with U18 coaches and support at designated qualifiers in each of the regions.

These new changes to the Youth Programme together with the recent introduction of The Howden Way Regional Academies ensures that each BE region has a fully aligned support system in place for riders of all ages. It should enable every rider to train like the best, to feel part of a positive and inspiring eventing community, and to get the most out of their sport.

*At least one counting score must be achieved within the members designated region and two of these scores must have been obtained within the current calendar year.

Cassandre Leblanc: The Road to Young Riders

By on Jan 6, 2023 9:30 am -

Cassandre Leblanc and Riffel. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

When a determined 14-year-old Cassandre Leblanc showed up on trainer Holly Jack’s doorstep, she didn’t speak a word of English and had one goal: to find out what she was made of. Seven years later, she was winning at the 2022 USEF Young Rider Eventing Championships. 

As a young girl growing up on her mother’s horse farm, Cassandre knew that she wanted to ride professionally from a young age. She made the trip from Quebec to Holly Jack’s Ontario farm to see how she measured up outside of Quebec’s very small eventing community. 

Cassandre didn’t let the fact that she didn’t speak any English deter her from spending the entire summer working with Holly. Summers at Holly’s farm have become a routine for her, and she’s been going back for the last seven years to compete, groom, and work under Holly’s tutelage. 

Heading back home after her first summer with Holly, Cassandre couldn’t have known that a very special horse was waiting for her in her mother’s back pasture. Riffel was a homebred 10 year-old Percheron/Thoroughbred cross who had successfully scared off every single rider in her mother’s stable. Delegated to the back pasture, he had sat there for years, as no one wanted to risk getting on him. 

Sadly, Riffel had mysteriously stopped eating. Desperate to get him to eat, the family had tried every trick in the book. Nothing worked until Cassandre came home. He would only eat if she sat in the stall with him and held the grain bucket on her knees. Taking it as a sign, Cassandre’s mother knew they would be a show-stopping pair and encouraged Cassandre to work with the troubled gelding. 

Cassandre Leblanc and Riffel.

According to Cassandre, “When I was 14, I started riding him – well, falling off of him multiple times per ride. At the time, I didn’t know what ulcers were, what saddle fit was; you know, I was 14. I was riding bareback in a field. But when I learned about all of this, I knew that he was bad for a reason – there’s stuff going on here. So, I treated his ulcers, I had his saddle fitted; I did the best I could for him, as a 14 year old.”

Treating his physical health wasn’t a miracle cure. “There was all this behavior stuff that he had learned for years. So, I just held on really tight to him, not letting him buck me off, and eventually, got him to be a real horse.”

Riffel had one more big obstacle in his way to becoming an eventing star: he was scared of jumping. After having a few bad experiences as a young horse, Riffel wouldn’t even enter the arena if jumps were set up. “I never thought I would get the horse jumping again. I would just set up a jump in the ring, and he wouldn’t want to walk in.”

But in November 2022 and hundreds of miles away from Quebec, Riffel was galloping towards massive tables and taking Cassandre around a 2* course. The road to get here wasn’t easy. It was filled with blood, sweat, and tears – lots of tears. Small issues with the show jumping phase snowballed until Cassandre was falling off regularly again. Feeling defeated, Cassandre made her first trip to Florida, seeking out more opportunities to practice her show jumping. While there, Cassandre rode several of Holly’s horses and got in the ring as much as possible. 

Less than six months before her bronze medal win at the Young Riders Eventing Championships, Cassandre was thinking of quitting. “It just got worse and worse. I hit this bottom point where I was like, ‘I am done with this. I can’t do this. I can’t even jump a cavaletti properly.’ I was very desperate. But I kept trying — I wanted it so bad.”

On top of her show jumping woes, Cassandre also faced a financial barrier to getting to the Young Rider Championships. While she was qualified and had secured a spot on the team, she couldn’t afford to go. Cassandre had accepted this and held onto her faith that other opportunities would come down the line – but her family hadn’t. Holly Jacks and Cassandre’s sister worked together in secret to raise more than $5000 in 24 hours. After seeing their dedication, Cassandre knew she had to go. 

Cassandre Leblanc and Riffel. Photo by Cealy Tetley.

Holly and Cassandre’s sister weren’t the only ones who supported this young rider on her road to the Championships. Cassandre has close ties to the Zara Buren Foundation, who also provided her with a grant. “I knew Zara very well; I rode with her a lot when she was with Holly. Obviously, her passing was very hard for all of us. I stayed very close to her friends and family and we kept celebrating her every time we could. I kept wearing her colors and thinking about her a lot. And her mom called me one night and she said, ‘we’re going to do a special grant and we want to help you, because Zara would have been so proud of you and she would have wanted to go with you’.”

In a way, Zara was there with Cassandre, Riffel, and Holly at the Young Riders Eventing Championships. Cassandre wore her Zara Buren shirt all the time under her show jacket, to represent the presence of her friend whose memory and generous family helped to make Cassandre’s dreams come true.  

Despite all of the barriers along her road to the championships, Cassandre’s perseverance paid off. Her and Riffel’s performance earned her an individual bronze medal and landed Team Canada with a silver medal. When asked what advice she would give for other young riders who hope to follow in her footsteps, Cassandre says, “Don’t give up and get back on. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and are ready to help you when you need it. That’s probably my best advice because I couldn’t have done this without the community around me.”

 

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Jan 6, 2023 12:03 am -

F’real though.

Yesterday I had the most amazing ride on a three-year-old I’m starting for a friend, complete with all three gaits nice and relaxed in a rope halter. The sun was shining, it was unrealistically nice for January, and I had a great afternoon. Then, I returned to my barn to blanket and turn out, and while leaning down to do some belly straps, my horse spooked and damn near took out my brain bucket against the wall. Whenever those things happen, I always feel like time slows down, and I could see each flailing leg and hoof flying about my body as I was tossed on the ground. Luckily, said horse tried very hard to not step on me too hard, and I’m just a little bruised. Life with horses, ups and downs!

News From Around the Globe:

Back in her young glory days, Lara Bricker was nicknamed “velcro butt”. Then she took a hiatus from riding, only to return to the saddle at the age of 46. She thought she was in good shape, but riding fitness isn’t the same as regular fitness, and her middle-aged body revolted. Returning to the saddle is different at that age, and conquering the challenges that come with it is a feat of commitment. [In Which Middle-Aged Ladies Get Back in the Saddle]

I keep telling all my students, if they’re looking for more fitness, they’re always welcome to muck stalls with me! Mucking out, walking courses and heaving bales of hay about, not to mention riding itself, all counts as exercise, helps build fitness and muscle and burns off some calories, although maybe not as many as you’d hope. However, it does make you strong and give you core muscles like no other! [What’s In a Workout: Barn Work]

As the Winter Equestrian Festival kicks off this week in Wellington, Florida, we’re looking back to 1984, when the annual winter series was still in its infancy. The show report from the March 9, 1984, issue of the Chronicle painted a very different picture of the area nearly four decades ago. [Flashback Friday: When WEF was Young]

Best of Blogs: The Strange and Beautiful Way Horses Bring Out the Best in Us

Sponsor Corner: Get ready for the Aiken Opener at Stable View!!

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Steady Eddie makes his lower level career debut!

 

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A post shared by Mike Pen (@michael.scott44)

 


Video: It’s Hell Week at Sharon White’s

By on Jan 5, 2023 5:00 pm -

 

💪 First week of the year? You know what time it is: Hell Week!

We began this annual tradition thanks to the guidance of Jimmy Wofford, who can’t be here with us this week but whose exercises we refer to time and time again.

In these videos we’re using exercises from Jimmy’s Gymnastics for Horses book. The footwork and jumping exercises are useful foundational practice for young and experienced horses (this is my young mare, Jaguar Duende) while we get to work on our balance and position.

Balance matters for obvious reasons, but a big reason I emphasize balance and position so much is that this stability creates confidence. Putting a hand behind the back is the beginning of independence when jumping. You do your part, your horse does their part — the better balanced you are, the better your horse goes, the more you believe in each other. Moving the hand then to your chest, to the top of your head, up in the air, etc. improves your ability to keep your center of gravity while jumping.

More coming from Hell Week — stay tuned!

Posted by Sharon White on Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Each year we look forward to video missives coming out of Sharon White’s Last Frontier Farm. “Hell Week” is a tradition coined by Jim Wofford, a longtime coach and mentor to Sharon, and it’s always certain to yield a few interesting takes on popular exercises.

If you can’t view the video above, click here to watch it on Facebook.

Here’s what Sharon had to say about this exercise, which features several gymnastic exercises from Jimmy’s books (here’s one you can add to your bookshelf):

“In these videos we’re using exercises from Jimmy’s Gymnastics for Horses book. The footwork and jumping exercises are useful foundational practice for young and experienced horses (this is my young mare, Jaguar Duende) while we get to work on our balance and position.

Balance matters for obvious reasons, but a big reason I emphasize balance and position so much is that this stability creates confidence. Putting a hand behind the back is the beginning of independence when jumping. You do your part, your horse does their part — the better balanced you are, the better your horse goes, the more you believe in each other. Moving the hand then to your chest, to the top of your head, up in the air, etc. improves your ability to keep your center of gravity while jumping.”

Read more about Hell Week:

Three Exercises for a Stronger Position from Sharon White’s ‘Hell Week’

A Hunter Princess Gone Rogue Tackles ‘Hell Week’

Heavenly Hell Week with Wofford

Badminton Box Office Opens for New-Look 2023 Renewal

By on Jan 5, 2023 1:41 pm -

Germany’s Christoph Wahler delivers a classy round with Carjatan S at Badminton in 2022. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Nothing says ‘New Year’ like the first inbox announcement that an eventing box office has officially opened for business — and in this dreary first week of January, it’s Badminton Horse Trials that’s done us the honour of offering up a bit of cheer.

Okay, okay, so there’s a catch: the box office is only open right now for priority booking, which is available to those who’ve previously purchased tickets. But if you’ve done that, you’ll be able to sign into your account here and get your mitts on general admission passes, Members’ badges, passes for the expanded campgrounds, and more before the box office opens to the public at large next Wednesday, January 11.

Pre-purchasing tickets for this year’s event, which takes place from May 4-8, is essential: just as the event did last year, there won’t be any tickets available on the gate for this year’s running. That’s part of a bid to minimise the backlog of traffic that tends to fill the surrounding villages, which previous attendees of the event will be all too familiar with. (The key? Aim to arrive early, bring a picnic breakfast to eat in the car, and tune into Badminton radio to make the inevitable standstill feel a bit brighter.)

The eagle-eyed among you will notice that the dates of this year’s event span a Thursday to the following Monday, in a rare departure from the Wednesday-Sunday schedule we’d ordinarily see at a three-day. That’s because Saturday — historically cross-country day — is also the date of King Charles’s coronation, and so, in order to accommodate the whole shebang, the first horse inspection will now take place on Thursday, May 4, while Friday, May 5 will host a full day of dressage tests. On Saturday, we’ll see day two of dressage start earlier than normal, allowing for a pause in proceedings wherein the coronation, which is expected to be roughly an hour long, will be shown on big screens around the venue. Then, Sunday can be devoted wholly to cross-country, while the final horse inspection and showjumping finale will take place on Monday, May 8, which is a national Bank Holiday.

That’s not the only change in store for the first Big B of the year, as Event Director Jane Tuckwell and Commercial Director Andrew Tucker shared on the first episode of The Eventing Podcast’s Inside Badminton series. This year, we’ll see the course expand into an area of the estate’s parkland that hasn’t previously been used — and, even more tantalisingly, it’s a much more undulating piece of ground than we might expect to see at the relatively flat spring five-star.

Almost as exciting? Jane and Andrew have also promised much-improved phone signal and Wi-Fi across the event site — so with any luck, this year we won’t need to check ourselves into the lost children tent in order to locate our friends. Maybe.

 

Fitness is a Lifestyle – Not a Boot Camp

By on Jan 5, 2023 10:38 am -

Photo courtesy of Laura Crump Anderson.

One of the questions I frequently get is “how long is your program?” The answer is not an easy one. For some people, all that’s needed is one session to confirm that they’re headed in the correct direction. For others, they intend to work with me until I retire, and then I will transfer them to another highly-qualified exercise professional. I don’t offer 6-week programs or boot camps (which are great for learning a new skill, but that’s not what I do). I help riders discover and tend to their inner athlete. For some, I’m a highly qualified accountability partner that makes sure they’re exercising for a least 30 minutes once a week.

I’m all for a great six-week program or boot camp that jump starts change — I have participated in them and learned from them, and have even written some for the riders I know personally, trust, and believe they have good form and won’t end up injured. It’s a big bonus if I don’t have worry about them sticking with the program! I know they’ll do it and I’ll be able to check in with them when it’s done and see their progress.

The Reason I Exercise

The number one reason I exercise is because I love to ride. If I’m not exercising, I’m in pain. Doing my barn every day is not targeted enough exercise to create the physiological adaptations that keep me pain-free, and so to be riding and not be in pain I must exercise — end of story.

I am not a gym rat; I didn’t get my degree in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science because I love it. I did it because Physical Therapy and exercise made the biggest difference in my muscular skeletal pain.

The second biggest reason I exercise is for my mental health. I have bipolar disorder, and have recently been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I don’t want to be around the version of myself who is not exercising at least once week. Usually for me, though, I’m exercising twice a week because I only have one horse. I need to be doing something more physically intense once every three days, to release the neurotransmitters that keep my anxiety at bay. However, when I was a working student and riding 4-10 horses a day, High Intensity Exercise once a week was enough.

For me, exercising is like brushing my teeth. I do it to be healthy, not to be entertained.

Start the New Year with Motivation — Consistency Makes Habits

I’m not opposed to New Year’s resolutions, and I have gotten into the habit of setting themes for each year. My theme for 2022 was “Put Things Away”, and my theme for 2023 is “Create”.

However, there are some real and concrete ways to usher in the new year that get people going with a lot of motivation. This is exciting, but the key to success is consistency — not the Big Bang of action when you first get inspired to start. When you fall off the wagon (Not IF), get back on as quickly as you can — this is where you will see the most success. Unpacking the way to set a goal properly is a book, not a blog post, but my personal favorite book for setting goals is Girl, Stop Apologizing By Rachel Hollis. You don’t have to be a woman to appreciate the content.

One Exercise To Jump Start Your 2023

THE SQUAT

  • Keep your feet flat (even pressure heel to toe)
  • Squat down as low as you can without pain in your knees or hips
  • When you come up try and keep your knees aligned with your pinky toes (do not let your knees buckle in or bow out)

Laura Crump Anderson is a certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and is a Registered 200 Hour Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She specializes in working with riders of all ages and disciplines through her business, Hidden Heights Fitness, and is also the author of Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science, and has evented through Training level. Read more of her EN fitness columns here.

Thursday News & Notes

By on Jan 5, 2023 12:03 am -

Just a pupper watching over the barn. Photo courtesy of Christine Price Ruffin.

Last week, we were all freezing our butts off and breaking ice out of buckets in Virginia. This week, my horses went out naked overnight (big mistake, much mud), and I’ve been sweating in a t-shirt. Honestly, I don’t know if it’s quite as unpredictable in other states, or if Virginia just has to keep us on our toes, but it’s a wonder we survive any of it. Florida next year, I keep telling myself.

One more week before you see scores here!!!

News From Around the Globe:

A USEA year-end honor was never the specific goal, but it came about organically as Donna Miller checked off each box on her training list with her Connemara stallion, Coud’Poker Tartifume. On a rapid ascent from unstarted 7-year-old to FEI two-star competitor in three years, “Cooper” ended 2022 by bagging the Theodore O’Connor trophy as the Smartpak USEA Pony of the Year. “He’s like a little sports car. He’s amazing on cross-country,” she said. “We can make time because he is not only fast, but as I walk the course, I look for shortcuts. We can literally come off a turn, sit up and jump without a huge set up. He’s really quick and has really figured it out. I had to learn how to go with it and trust.” [USEA Pony of the Year]

What are your “riding pain points”? Noelle Floyd’s Equestrian Masterclass is gearing up for some new content this year and wants to know what you want to see. [Take the Quiz]

Perhaps one of the most quoted lines from The Princess Bride — and there are many, so that’s saying something — is Iñigo Montoya‘s response to Vizzini’s overuse of the word “inconceivable.” In the equestrian world, we find ourselves thinking this A LOT. There are a ton of terms that equestrians — or wannabe “equestrians” — use on a regular basis that don’t quite mean what they think it means. [I Do Not Think That Means What You Think It Means]

Best of Blogs: A Horse By Any Other Name

Best of Blogs Pt 2: The Connecting Power of Talking About Hard Things

Acquiring a working student position is a rite of passage for serious equestrians. I learned more in my year of working for a 5* eventer than ever before, and formed life long relationships. Becoming a working student is an exciting step in a young equestrian’s riding career. These positions provide great opportunities to learn both in and out of the saddle. As in any new job you may be a little nervous at first, so BarnManager came up with some helpful suggestions. [Top Tips for Being a Working Student]

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: One Great Documentary to Get You Over the Hump

By on Jan 4, 2023 7:33 pm -

Though the racing world intimidates me in so many ways — the betting, the form guides, the punters, the seriousness of it all — it’s certainly not actually that far removed from our funny old world. Well, the similarly mad environs of jump racing aren’t, anyway! Though the numbers-driven public image of racing has never really drawn me in, the characters certainly do, and so this hour-long documentary with Grand National winner Daryl Jacob was a really interesting watch for me, a self-confessed beginner to jumps racing spectating. If nothing else, I’m very ready to head out to a local point-to-point now with a much more finely-honed idea of how the whole world works. And even more than that? I’m inspired to keep battling on with my own goals, just as Daryl has.

Challenge: Winter weight loss.

Solution: Equi-Jewel®, a high-fat, low-starch and -sugar formula developed to safely meet the energy needs of your horse.

Whether you have a hard keeper that needs extra calories to maintain his weight, or a top performance horse that needs cool energy to perform at her peak, Equi-Jewel can meet your horse’s energy needs. Equi-Jewel reduces the risk of digestive upset, supports optimal muscle function, maintains stamina, and helps horses recover faster after hard work, all while providing the calories your horse needs to thrive.

The horse that matters to you matters to us®.

Have you grabbed your winter running horse stickers? Check them out at KPPusa.com/winter23.

And the Winner of the Ultimate LRK3DE Giveaway Is…

By on Jan 4, 2023 12:00 pm -

We knew our Ultimate LRK3DE Giveaway would get a lot of attention, and we were right! The #BestWeekendAllYear looms large April 27-30, and we teamed up with Athletux, Ocala Horse Properties, Dubarry of Ireland, and Equestrian Events Inc. to send one winner and three friends to this year’s event.

Please join us in congratulating Hannah C. from Colorado — our drawn winner of this ultimate getaway! Hannah and her barn buddies will receive:

  • Four (4) General Admission Tickets for each day of the event
  • One (1) Land Rover Tailgating Premium Package (2 entries w/vehicle & 6 additional GA tickets for Saturday of the event – Tailgate area)
  • $750 in travel funds via VISA gift card
  • Dubarry Crew Jacket (1) and a $250 E-voucher for use on dubarry.com/us
  • Package of Eventing Nation merchandise

Thank you to all who entered our giveaway! We’ll see you in Kentucky. Go Eventing!

[Get Your Tickets to the 2023 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event]

Preparing for Cross Country Like Preparing for an Exam

By on Jan 4, 2023 9:30 am -

Practicing for high-pressure competition starts with the fundamentals of preparation. Photo by Shelby Allen.

For the first two weeks of December, I was taking my final exams of the semester in law school. The timing works out well in the fall semester because the exams are in early December, so there’s no chance of a horse show distracting me.

Even though I wasn’t horse-showing during those weeks, I couldn’t help but thinking about how exam preparation is similar to cross country preparation. In law school, the final exam in a class generally counts for 100% of your grade in that class. You are responsible for digesting all of the material, lectures, and cases over a four-month period, and then you have to sit down for two or three hours one day and write essays to demonstrate that you’ve mastered it.

It’s broadly terrifying.

Horse shows are the same way. No one sees the day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month training. The judge doesn’t know that it took you six months to persuade your horse to go on the bit in the canter departure or three years to figure out how not to be crooked on the centerline.

All they see is the finished product, and you have five minutes in the ring to show off your training. In the case of cross country, you have a few minutes on the course to put your training to the test. Does your horse have the balance required to navigate terrain questions? Do you have the adjustability to bring her back for a technical combination? Does she understand skinny and corner fences? All of those questions and more are what the course designer asks of you — and they are the test of whether your training was on point.

On an exam, the professor cannot possibly cover all of the material that you’ve learned over the course of three months. We study hundreds of cases in these classes; asking about all of them would be impossible in a three-hour exam.

In the same way, the course designer cannot put every conceivable question she wants to put on a cross country course. She can cover the main bases for the level — at intermediate, for instance, a drop into water, a couple of corners and skinnies, and some terrain and adjustability questions — but she cannot possibly throw the whole book at you.

So how do you prepare for a big exam? Do you try to guess what the professor is going to ask, and focus on those areas? Or do you study as though any one topic could be the main essay question, going in-depth everywhere in the hopes that you can be an expert on every conceivable question the professor might ask? I do a little bit of both.

I try to cover all of the major topics so that I am prepared for anything. If you try to guess what the professor is going to ask and guess wrong, you could be very unhappy on exam day. However, it does pay off to think about what the questions could be, given what the professor tends to emphasize in class and the connections that have come up again and again during the semester.

How often do you replicate “high pressure” in your practice? Photo courtesy of Ema Klugman.

So, how do you prepare for a cross-country test? Do you guess what the course designer is going to put on the course and focus on that, or do you try to comprehensively cover everything so that you will be prepared for whatever ends up being on the course?

Again, it’s probably a case of doing a little bit of both. As a long-term approach, the latter idea is best because you want your horse to understand cross country inside and out, no matter who the course designer is. But if you are preparing for an event where you know there will be a hard coffin, or a sunken road, it is probably smart to school those types of questions in the weeks leading up to that event, especially if they are unusual or relatively new to your horse.

It’s not a bad thing to study strategically, but in the end, you need to be able to have the tools to conquer anything the course designer throws at you. That means that the basics are a priority, and all of the themes of cross-country riding that any good designer tests are key: balance, adjustability, turning ability, and accuracy.

The analogy applies another way: when you prepare for an exam, you have to flex your muscles in a way that resembles the test itself. I have made the mistake of reading and re-reading study materials for hours on end but never actually taking a practice exam. I might have all of the right ideas in my head, but if I cannot produce them in a time-pressured setting, they are useless.

The same can be said for cross country. We can school the questions all we want, but if we don’t practice in a time-pressured, adrenaline-filled way every once in a while to prepare for the show, we may not be able to produce the best results in competition.

For example, if you always jump corners from a slow, controlled canter and give your horse walk breaks after each combination you practice during a cross-country school, you aren’t replicating what you are going to face in the actual competition. You and your horse have to know the feeling of being a bit on the muscle, or a bit tired when it comes to the end of the course, and still make it work.

That’s not to say that there’s no time for slow, methodical cross country training — of course there is. But if all we do is re-read the cases and never take a practice exam, the feeling of sitting down for the test (or heading out of the start box) can be totally foreign.

The cross country test of eventing is unique. Although we know the dressage test in advance, and we know the basic range of possibilities that will be tested in the show jumping in advance, we don’t really know what the cross country course will throw at us. Thus, the preparation for this phase is crucial.

Studying different kinds of courses and the trends of course designing can help, but in the end being well-rounded in all of the subject matter will produce the best and most consistent results. (That, and going to class, of course!)