Classic Eventing Nation

Announcing the 2022 EN Blogger Contest Winner!

By on Dec 17, 2022 1:22 pm -

Only here at EN do Blogger Contests take six months. We could say it simply adds to the suspense, but the reality is: we owe you an apology! Our finalists have been patiently waiting to hear the results of the 2022 EN Blogger Contest, and we are pleased to — at very long last — announce the winners who will be joining the team in 2023!

We received an overwhelming number of initial entries as well as reader votes on the eventual finalist pieces. While we’ve identified our official winner and runners-up, who will each receive cash prizes, we have also extended offers to continue writing for EN to two other finalists.

Without further ado, your Blogger Contest results are:

Winner: Diana Gilbertson

Photo courtesy of Diana Gilbertson.

Diana, a UK resident and adventure junkie, has displayed the highest level of enthusiasm throughout the entire Blogger Contest process, despite our clunky delays in wrapping this contest up. Her writing exudes a passion for the sport and we’re thrilled to give her a crack at continuing on this path she’s found herself on. Diana now joins Tilly Berendt (winner: 2017) as our second winner from the UK. Welcome to the team, Diana!

Runner-up: Allie Heninger

Photo courtesy of Allie Heninger.

Also known as the Autoimmune Equestrian on social media, Allie is an amateur rider who brought her deep perspectives to her writing and whose passion for horses and perseverence is evident in everything she does. We look forward to adding her viewpoint to our roster of writers from all types of backgrounds!

Runner-up: Sydney Steverson

Photo courtesy of Sydney Steverson.

Sydney had us absolutely rolling when she sent in her first entry (which we’ll share here on EN soon) depicting the conversations we have with our horses on cross country. Her second entry, The Terror and Hope of Cross Country Day, accurately sums up the eventing experience for approximately 99% of us. Sydney hails from the midwest and is also an avid TikToker (is that the right term? I’m old) with a sense of humor and a perspective that lends itself well to inspiring as well as entertaining. We can’t wait to see what else Sydney has up her sleeve — welcome to the team!

Other writers who have been extended offers to continue writing for EN are: Cheg Darlington and Cassidy Oeltjen.

Congratulations to all of you, and thank you to all who submitted pieces for this year’s Blogger Contest. If this wasn’t your year, we encourage you to re-submit during our next contest — you never know!

Go Eventing.

Canada Names 2023 High Performance Squad Athletes

By on Dec 17, 2022 1:16 pm -

Colleen Loach and Vermont. Photo by Abby Powell.

December might be a bit of a sporting hinterland for eventing, but one thing you can always rely on is this: the announcement of each major country’s high performance squad and Olympic talent-spotting pathway. The latest nation to release its 2023 lists is Canada, which has published a four-strong horse-and-rider line-up on the National Squad and a list of eleven riders and fourteen horses on the Development Squad.

The athletes and horses named to the National Squad are as follows:

  • Dana Cooke (Mooresville, NC) and FE Mississippi, owned by the FE Mississippi Syndicate LLC
  • Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) and Vermont, owned by Peter Barry
  • Jessica Phoenix (Cannington, ON) and Wabbit, owned by James Phillips and Jessica Phoenix
  • Lindsay Traisnel (Maidstone, ON) and Bacyrouge, owned by Patricia Pearce

The athletes and horses named to the Development Squad are as follows:

  • Hawley Awad (Aldergrove, BC) and Jollybo, owned by the Jollybo Syndicate LLC and Hawley Awad
  • Melissa Boutin (Ascot Corner, QC) and Obeah Dancer GS, owned by Melissa Boutin
  • Hannah Bundy (Toronto, ON) and Lovely Assistant, owned by Juliana Hansen
  • Holly Jacks (Hillsburgh, ON) and Candy King, owned by the Candy King Limited Partnership
  • Kyle Carter (Sparr, FL) and G Star Van de Klinkenberg, owned by the Barnstaple Group
  • Dana Cooke and Quattro, owned by Kingfisher Park
  • Jamie Kellock (Cedar Valley, ON) and Summer Bay, owned by Jamie Kellock
  • Kendal Lehari (Uxbridge, ON) and Audacious, owned by Kendal Lehari
  • Colleen Loach and FE Goldeneye, owned by Peter Barry, Amanda Bernhard, and Colleen Loach
  • Jessica Phoenix and Isla GS, owned by Charlotte Schickedanz; Freedom GS, owned by Charlotte Schickedanz; and Tugce, owned by Jessica Phoenix
  • Karl Slezak (Tottenham, ON) and Fernhill Wishes, owned by Kirk Hoppner and Karl Slezak, and Hot Bobo, owned by Karl Slezak

Both the Development and National Squad programs are part of the framework of Canada’s drive to improve results on the world stage, with the National Squad — formerly known as the Elite Squad — representing the pinnacle of the program. Now, Canada will be hoping to hone its team in order to take a much-needed win at the 2023 Pan-American Games, which will give them a direct qualification route for the 2024 Paris Olympics if attained.

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Dec 17, 2022 12:01 am -

Tim and Jonelle Price visit with the Motueka Pony Club. Photo via Motueka Pony Club on Facebook.

They’re not just great riders, they’re great people too. Tim and Jonelle Price took time out of their holiday home in New Zealand to attend the Motueka Pony Club end of year prize giving and inspire the young members. Plus, some lucky raffle winners won private lessons with Tim or Jonelle while they’re home on holiday as well!

Links to Start Your Weekend:

The Effects of Longeing on Your Horse’s Joints

Why winter is the time to work on your horse’s walk — plus four exercises to try

Fly Away to the #BestWeekendAllYear: How to Win the Ultimate LRK3DE Getaway

Over 50 Jaw Dropping Body Clips

15 Employment Tips from Eventing, Dressage, and Hunter/Jumper Professionals

Yasmin Ingham Awarded the Prestigious Raymond Brooks-Ward Trophy

World Equestrian Brands Pick of the Week: The World Equestrian Brands family spans equestrian disciplines, and WEB team riders are heating things up in their Amerigo saddles at the Split Rock Jumping Tour in Texas!

Friday Video: 5 Steps to Introducing Spooky Jumps

By on Dec 16, 2022 6:08 pm -

Slow and steady always wins the race when it comes to introducing new or “scary” concepts to our horses. In partnership with Equestrian Masterclass, Tik Maynard has broken down the steps horses go through when encountering something frightening:

⭐️ Denial (your horse might refuse to look at the jump or acknowledge it’s there)

⭐️ Fear (your horse wants to move backwards or run away from it)

⭐️ Curiosity (your horse will look at the object, sniff it, or fee it)

⭐️ Play (Touching or sniffing with their nose or touching with their legs)

⭐️ Acceptance (Understanding what the object is and feeling familiar around it)

Now, how to translate this into working with spooky jumps? Let’s take a dive in with these short videos from Noelle Floyd:

Preview the 2023 FEI Eventing Nations Cup Calendar

By on Dec 16, 2022 12:45 pm -

Jonelle Price’s Grappa Nera. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A new year brings a new international calendar for eventing, and though there are no major worldwide championships on the docket it’s still stacking up to be an action-packed year of sport. Highlights for 2023 include the FEI European Eventing Championships, to be held at Haras du Pin in August (and also to be designed by incoming Paris Olympic cross country designer Pierre le Goupil), as well as the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile in late October (also designed by Pierre le Goupil). Among the most notable revisions to the calendar is the change to the UK’s Nations Cup leg, which will now be hosted at Chatsworth the week after Badminton, rather than the now defunct Houghton International Horse Trials later in the month.

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup is a highlight of the international calendar, and while this year will see no legs hosted in North America — a usual challenge given the distance required to travel and the resulting difficulty of forming enough teams — a total of eight stops will make up the schedule.

The 2023 FEI Eventing Nations Cup schedule is as follows:

CCIO4*-NC-S Montelibretti (ITA) – March 9-12, 2023
CCIO4*-NC-S Chatsworth (GBR) – May 13-14, 2023
CCIO4*-NC-S Millstreet (IRL) – June 1-6, 2023
CCIO4*-NC-S Strzegom (POL) – June 21-25, 2023
CCIO4*-NC-S Haras de Jardy (FRA) – July 13-16, 2023
CCIO4*-NC-S Avenches (SUI) – July 20-23, 2023
CCIO4*-NC-S Arville (BEL) – August 17-20, 2023
CCIO4*-NC-L Boekelo (NED) – October 5-10, 2023

From the Ground Up: Keeping It Simple

By on Dec 16, 2022 9:03 am -

The good news is that I love the work that I do with horses. I’ve had incredible clients work with me over this past year, whose dedication and commitment to bettering their riding and horsemanship motivates me. The horses I have in training have been coming along quite well too. I’m thrilled to see their progress, and excited to continue to learn and grow with them.

The risk to that excitement, though, is that I tend to information dump.

My clients ask good questions and genuinely want to learn. I love that. The horses show up enthusiastic and curious. That makes my day fun. But when my excitement and enthusiasm is met with excitement and enthusiasm, I get ahead of myself.

There is so much to learn about horses. And the thing is, it’s never ending. Despite knowing this, and knowing the countless hours and years it takes to develop horsemanship, I have the urge to information dump everything I’ve ever learned to the people and horses with which I work. I want to give and share the information and experiences I’ve had with horses so far. The issue is, this muddles a lot of the important information necessary in the now, while presenting information that would only be useful down the road. I’m overcomplicating, and need to simplify.

Using consistent and clear ground work techniques have simplified new questions, such as working on the platform.

It seems like I’m not alone in this struggle. I recently came across a podcast with the “Confident Rider” in a “Conversation with Crissi McDonald & Mark Rashid“. Crissi and Mark are a wife/husband duo, both of whom are incredible horsemen in their own right. Both have a lifetime of experience with horses and humans, and have numerous books highlighting such experiences. And at roughly around minute 44 of this podcast, they discuss the challenge (but importance) of keeping things simple in the development of both horse and rider.

“I do everything I can to not overload my students with information they don’t need,” Mark states. “If I can figure out the one piece of information [they need], we can all get on the same page… They don’t need to know all this other information right now… The one thing they need will get buried in all the information they don’t need.”

This lesson on simplification has been especially useful when working with my new three year old. Although very smart and very willing, not overcomplicating the work for her right now has allowed us to enjoy quiet, confident rides!

It’s reassuring to hear that horsemen and women with more experience than I have struggle with this concept as well. I do my job because I love helping horses and people communicate, reach their goals, and do so while further developing their partnership. While I’m excited about the progress my pairs have made, and the progress to come, it takes time, and won’t happen as a result of a word vomit from me on all the concepts, techniques, and feeling I’ve learned over the years.

As we continue with our work, I’m going to keep simplicity in mind – not everything can happen overnight… nor should it! I’m here (and thrilled) to be part of my clients’ and horses’ journeys that they are on. I will continue to offer support and guidance, while also hopefully offering clarity along the way.

Friday News & Notes Presented by Zoetis

By on Dec 16, 2022 12:03 am -

Just some horsey Christmas cheer Photo by JJ Sillman.

Like many equestrians, I have one full-time partner: my dog. He’s extremely smart, well behaved, adorable, and loyal, but when you ask him to suffer through the absolute animal abuse that is early morning chores when it is both cold and rainy???? Multiple coats must be applied to the dog, and then he must wrap up in both a fleece and wool cooler on the raised fancy dog bed while he whines every so often and peaks out of the blankets to glare at me. I mean…honestly I don’t disagree with him, it’s just part of the farm dog life and he better toughen up!

News From Around the Globe: 

Kentucky is JUST around the corner (yes, it’s December, and yes, we already have our hotels booked and yes, we know we’re crazy – but we know you are too), and if you’re a diehard eventing fan like us you’ve already been making plans for the #BestWeekendAllYear. Allow us to level up your plans! Beginning today, entries are now open for The Ultimate LRK3DE Giveaway, presented by Eventing Nation, Athletux, Ocala Horse Properties, and Dubarry of Ireland. If you’re planning to attend Kentucky next year (April 27-30) – keep reading! [Ultimate LRK3DE Giveaway]

Commentators play a key role in how horse sport comes across to the general public – and the language used needs to reflect this, stakeholders agree. As the horse world continues to look at what can be done to improve public acceptance of equestrian sport, it has been discussed that everyone has a part to play. Commentator John Kyle, who covered the Rio and Tokyo Games for Olympic Broadcasting Services, told H&H he believes the broadcaster and commentators’ role in social licence has been “somewhat overlooked”. “In a way, we’re on the front line and we’re part of the sport that is going to be exposed to people who don’t understand it – for example, the people flicking through the television during the Olympics,” he said. [The Role of Commentators in Eventing]

Podcast of the Day: The Plaidcast with Boyd Martin

Nerdout Link of the Day: Top Ten Riding Tips in 2022 from FEI

Feeling bored already of all the dressage work? Good for you, we’ve got the solution. Dickie Waygood offered some jumping exercises “you can do with dressage horses to beat the winter blues” at the London Horse Show yesterday, with Olympic gold medal-winning eventer Laura Collett as demo rider on the eight-year-old Outback. [Jump Exercises for Winter Blues]

Caroline Martin and HSH Blake Awarded 2023 Connaught Grant

By on Dec 15, 2022 4:47 pm -

Caroline Martin was honored as the 2023 recipient of the USET Foundation’s Connaught Grant alongside U.S. Eventing Technical Advisor and Chef d’Equipe Bobby Costello (left) and Kevin Keane (right) at the 2022 United States Eventing Association (USEA) Annual Meeting and Convention in Savannah, Georgia. Photo by USEA / Megan DeLisle.

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation has named rising eventing star Caroline Martin of Riegelsville, Pennsylvania, and her mount, HSH Blake, a seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tolan R x Doughiska Lass) owned by Mollie Hoff and Sherrie Martin, the recipients of the 2023 Connaught Grant.

Each year, the USET Foundation administers up to $25,000 to a CCI1* or CCI2* horse that is seen as a potential candidate to represent the U.S. Eventing team at the international level. The grant was established and is funded by Caroline Moran in memory of her dear friend, the late R. Bruce Duchossois, who was dedicated to encouraging the development of eventing horses in the U.S., and is named after Connaught, a horse that was owned by Duchossois and ridden by Phillip Dutton at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics.

As the recipient of the Connaught Grant, Martin, who is an athlete on US Equestrian’s Eventing High Performance 2023 Development Training List with HSH Blake, will use the funds to support further competition and training with HSH Blake with the aim of riding for the U.S. on the international stage.

Martin, who runs a sport horse sales business, is grateful for the support offered by the USET Foundation and US Equestrian (USEF) to up-and-coming eventing talent. She was a recipient of the USET Foundation’s Jacqueline B. Mars Competition and Training Grant in 2017 and the USET Foundation’s Karen E. Stives Endowment Fund Grant in 2018, which enabled her to train and compete in England. Most recently, in 2022, she was the recipient of the United States Eventing Association (USEA) Foundation’s Wilton Fair Fund and USEF’s European Developing Rider Tour Grant, the latter of which enabled her to compete in the Houghton Hall CCIO4*-S in Great Britain as the anchor rider for the silver-medal winning Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team.

“I have such a great support staff and we’re getting bigger and better, but it is still very challenging to balance making money [through horse sales] and having enough time to concentrate on my own upper-level competition horses,” explained Martin. “Without these grants, I wouldn’t be able to bring horses overseas. These grants have been life changing. They have given me opportunities to focus on improving myself and my horses and becoming a U.S. Equestrian Team rider.”

Caroline Martin and HSH Blake. Photo by Irish Eventing Times.

HSH Blake, known as “Blake” in the barn, was acquired by Martin as a five-year-old with the intent of joining her sales program. The pair claimed victory in the 2020 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Five-Year-Old Championship and went on to capture several Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) wins in his six-year-old year. Recognizing the gelding’s enormous talent and potential for the greatest international stages, Martin decided to keep the ride on Blake but needed the support of an additional owner. Enter Mollie Hoff, who agreed to come on board as a partner with Martin.

“They’re such a fabulous family,” said Martin. “It’s been a fairytale story. With Mollie’s support, we went to England and had top-five placings in a number of FEI events, and we finished the year with a 10th-place finish in the three-star long event at the FEI World Championship for Young Horses in Le Lion d’Angers, France, on a score of 27.4. We were really, really proud of Blake, and it was very special to have the whole Hoff family there. I am so grateful that all the stars aligned.”

Next year, Martin plans to compete Blake in three-star-long and four-star-short events with an eye on the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

“It’s always a long shot, but we’re going to do everything we can to get there,” stated Martin of her Pan American Games goal.

Whether or not Martin and Blake make the team for the Pan American Games, Martin is excited about the gelding’s future and is looking forward to leveraging the grant in a way that will help Blake gain the experience necessary for him to be successful on the world stage.

“Hopefully I’ll utilize the grant in a way that would make Bruce [Duchossois] proud, and I hope we’ll represent the Connaught Grant well in his memory,” Martin concluded. “I know Bruce always believed in young, talented horses, and I really think Blake is one for the future. I’ve been part of Nations Cup and developing teams, but I haven’t been part of a senior team yet, so I hope he will be my first proper team horse.”

Thanks to the Connaught Grant, Martin and HSH Blake can continue their training with the goal of representing the United States in future international competition.

 

European Championships Tickets Go On Sale (with Christmas Discounts!)

By on Dec 15, 2022 11:19 am -

Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza at Haras du Pin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The box office for the 2023 FEI European Championships of Eventing, set to take place at Haras du Pin in northern France from August 9-13, has officially opened for business – and there are some special discounts on offer for those who want to secure their place at this exciting event early.

Christmas discounts will be in effect until January 15th, and will allow buyers to nab some seriously good deals: tickets for Wednesday’s first horse inspection are just €5, while day rates for cross-country or showjumping are a real bargain at €15. There are a number of group, multi-day, and hospitality passes on sale, too — the cheapest of these, currently sitting at €40, is a five-day general admission pass, while those who’d like VIP access, privilege parking, and a dedicated bar and viewing tent can opt for hospitality packages for the week, ranging from €150 to €275. Those who enjoy turning an eventing holiday into a camping trip will also be able to book their spots, with or without electrical hookup, for a nightly fee. (This, for what it’s worth, isn’t a bad idea — EN travelled to Haras du Pin for the Nations Cup in 2022, and it’s in a pretty rural spot without a huge amount of hotels, so do get booking yours soon if you’re planning a trip!)

Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden at Haras du Pin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The event is working hard to reduce traffic in the area for the event, with planned shuttles from nearby towns.

‘’We’ve already worked with the Prefecture in order to set up a traffic plan to guarantee the arrival of spectators in the best conditions, in particular on Saturday, the day of the cross-country, when the crowd is always the largest,’’ says the organising committee. ‘’We want to encourage the use of shuttles, especially from Argentan station as well as carpooling. This is also part of our eco-responsible approach. A paying car park will be available close to the competition, but only if pre-booked. We’re also counting on spectators to anticipate their travel.’’

Haras du Pin has been undergoing a significant development project over the last year or so, with new stands, media centres, and a competition hub being installed in the centre of the beautiful site.

“Together with all the players in the equine industry, we want to make these European Championship a great celebration. For many months, the whole team has been investing a great deal of energy. It’s a huge challenge that we’ve taken up with the help of our partners, notably the Normandy Region, the Orne County Council, Argentan Intercom and the Haras National du Pin.”

Get your tickets here (but prepare your Google translate app if you’re not fluent in French!)

Thursday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Dec 15, 2022 12:03 am -

Mini’s need peep-holes too! Photo by Jaclyn Burke.

Today is the first truly horrible day of winter. A full 24 hours of freezing rain just about kills my spirit in every way, and I will make a full argument that the worst part of winter isn’t the cold, or even the snow, but frozen rain. And mud. I live on the side of a hill, and while my horses learn extraordinary coordination in their turnout, the slip-sliding mud fest that happens is my least favorite thing. Also, WHY do they have to stand in one area and turn it into a pit?? Please stop.

No events this weekend! Have fun sleeping in!

News From Around the Globe:

The saying goes that the most talented horses have the biggest personalities, and Harbour Pilot is no exception. Retiring this year at the age of 19, Jacqueline Mars’s Irish Sport Horse gelding leaves the upper-level scene with one of the most decorated and lengthy careers in the sport, including in his credits ten CCI5*-L starts and the 2011 team gold and individual silver at the Pan American games. His partner in all of these endeavors has been Hannah Sue Hollberg, who took over the ride on “William” from David O’Connor in 2010. [Farewell to Harbour Pilot]

For keen-eyed fans of The Crown, there is a memorable scene through a recognizable water complex. Season 5 puts the focus on Prince Philip’s passion for Driving, which developed after the late Queen’s husband decided he was too old to play polo. In one scene, Prince Phillip takes a friend on a gallop through none other than the Burghley water complex, under the famous bridge. I’ll admit, I squealed aloud. [The Crown Celebrates Royal Horse History]

Podcast of the Day: US 2022 Performance in Review with EquiRatings

Show jumping: there is so much more to it than just setting out a set number of jumps in a ring. Professional course designers Marc Donovan and Chris Barnard broke down the fine details that come with show jumping course design during the Show Jumping Building Seminar which kicked off the 2022 USEA Convention in Savannah, Georgia. With an in-classroom session discussing rules, regulations, theory, and more, followed by a practical hands-on course building session held at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center where participants were able to put all of the morning’s education to work, this year’s Show Jumping Course Building Seminar was full of useful information for both eventing lovers and course design hopefuls alike. [USEA Show Jumping Seminar Tidbits]

The first thing many owners may worry about with respect to horses eating frosty/frozen grass is that it will cause colic due to the temperature. This really isn’t a concern. Whilst there is an increase in colic in cold weather, this is almost entirely due to impaction colic due to reduced water intake (horses drink less water in winter when the water is cold than if it’s warmed). By the time it is in the stomach, its at the same temperature as the rest of the body, and it still had a long way, both in time and distance, before it gets to the hindgut. So cold grass will not cause colic due to temperature. However, when the grass is stressed, for example, by cold, sugars made during the day remain in the blades (leaves), which means the sugar content is higher. This can be an issue for those managing laminitic prone horses and ponies. [Managing Frosty Grass Consumption]