Classic Eventing Nation

Tuesday News & Notes from Ocala Horse Properties

By on Sep 27, 2022 8:12 am -

 

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Our thoughts today are with our friends in Ocala, who are making contingency plans as Hurricane Ian makes its way landward. The World Equestrian Centre has battened down the hatches and filled its stables with evacuees, and although they’re now full, there are some other equestrian centres still offering stabling for horses who need to be moved to a safe place. Contact Dusty Rose Farm LLC on 636-751-1200 or drop Grand Oaks a line if you’re in need. You can keep an eye on the weather tracker here.

Events Opening Today: River Glen Fall H.T., Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks, Tryon International 3-Day Event

Events Closing Today: Poplar Place Farm October H.T., Pine Hill Fall H.T.

Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:

‘Tis the season for Area Championships – and the latest batch of winners comes from Area VII. The North-Western stronghold awarded ten titles at Aspen Farms a week and a half ago — and now, you can get to know them all. [Winner winner, Starbucks for dinner]

Every serpentine I’ve ever ridden in my life has gone something like this: half-halt; prepare; imagine the trajectory of the first loop; ride the first fifteen steps with anatomical precision; cross the centre line; get distracted by something shiny; flop my way through the last two loops; earn a 5; lather, rinse, repeat. I know I can’t be alone in this, so I’m committing to reading this instructional piece and NOT getting distracted by something shiny midway through. [I’m a sssssnaaaake]

I cannot believe we live in a world where spring still exists, but here we are. In great news, though, the passing of a new bill means that the end could be near. I, for one, want to know which nine walking scrotums tried to vote against the bill. [Justice for horses is coming]

Did you know that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? Our friends at Achieve Equine are marking it with a limited edition bundle pack, from which 30% of proceeds will go to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The bundle includes two specially-designed Flair strips, a Gold VIP Half Pad, and the sunniest of specially-designed close-contact saddle pads. You can get your hands on it here!

Ocala Horse Properties Dream Farm of the Week:

Hubba, hubba. What a spot! With just shy of 12 acres and the sweetest, airiest ten-stall barn, this farm has everything you need to run a string of horses or get a compact business off the ground. I’m particularly into the gorgeous house, which makes generous use of gorgeous columns within and without. Truly a place where you can live your best life (and get yourself over to WEC in just a few short minutes!).

Watch This:

We’re nearly into Big French Autumn, and to get ourselves in the mood, join us for a trip to Saumur to meet the Cadre Noir and their extraordinary horses…

Monday Video: Corvett Conquers the Leaf Pit

By on Sep 26, 2022 4:00 pm -

Scrolling through Instagram over the weekend I came across this video of Emily Hamel and Corvett, a.k.a big-jumping “Barry” tackling the Leaf Pit, a part of their course we didn’t get to see on the live stream at their Burghley debut. I’ve already watched this slo-mo video again and again, I don’t know how many times now, because it’s just jaw-droppingly impressive.

Barry looks a bit unsure about the major drop off at first, sliding his front over the edge and giving us major Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street vibes, before lowering the landing gear and launching Emily towards the rest of the fences in the complex. (“I definitely got whiplash” Emily discloses in a Burghley recap episode of her and Tyler Held’s The Whole Equestrian podcast.)

Ugh. It’s only been two weeks, but now I’m having Burghley withdrawals already!

Weekend Winners: Stable View, Twin Rivers, ESDCTA, Larkin Hill, Meadowcreek, Old Tavern, and University of New Hampshire

By on Sep 26, 2022 3:30 pm -

Happy fall season! With the first day of fall having crept up on us this past Thursday, we had our first official weekend of fall competition. Bundle up in some cozy sweaters, grab a warm cup of coffee, and let’s recap on the weekend… with a special shout out to Erin Murphy and Hemisphere with an impressive low score of 14.7 in the Open Beginner Novice at Old Tavern H.T.

Stable View Oktoberfest (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Results]

CCI 4*S: Leslie Law and Lady Chatterley (31.4)
CCI 3*S: William Coleman and Chin Tonic HS (18.5)
CCI 2*S: Jenny Caras and Trendy Fernhill (24.1)
Open Intermediate: Candace Elizabeth Bell and Fernhill Philm Star (35.8)
Open Preliminary A: Bethany Hutchins-Kristen and Geluk HVF (26.3)
Open Preliminary B: William Coleman and Gorgeous DHI (28.2)
Preliminary Rider: Isabelle Blair and Get it Together (30.7)
Modified A: Benjamin Noonan and Tout De Suite (29.3)
Modified B: Morgan Batton and Slieve Callan Alpha (30.0)
Open Training A: William Coleman and DHI Anchorman (22.5)
Open Training B: Mary Bess Davis and Monius (27.8)
Training Rider A: Emily Thomas and Fernhill Famous (33.3)
Training Rider B: Carson Langenberg and Monterrey la Silla (31.4)
Novice Rider: Molly Adams and Zenith Almost Got Away (29.0)
Open Novice A: Brie Murray and Fernhill Ranga Tanga (24.7)
Open Novice B: Benjamin Noonan and Kay-O (22.8)
Beginner Novice Rider: Celia White and To Infinity and Beyond DASH (24.1)
Open Beginner Novice: Abby Chandler and Alpenglow (23.2)

Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Results]

CCI 4*S: Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio II (42.6)
CCI 3*S: Haley Turner and Shadow Inspector (32.9)
CCI 2*S: Grace Wechser and Raskadero (28.1)
Open Intermediate: Josey Thompson and Pistol Annie (50.3)
Open Preliminary: James Alliston and Keep Calm (28.1)
Preliminary Rider: Sophia Merz and Clara Bö (31.9)
Jr. Training Rider: Kelson Frieden and RHS Caspar Conthargos (30.0)
Open Training: Nicholas Cwick and Lowmax (24.8)
Sr. Training Rider: Kendra Mitchell and Calcourt Legend (28.3)
Training Amateur: Stacia Lloyd and Kid A (28.3)
Jr. Novice Rider: Sofia Seto and Armi (23.9)
Novice Amateur: Michlynn Sterling and Carrigfadda (23.9)
Open Novice: Alexis Helffrich and Dolce Flame (25.8)
Sr. Novice Rider: Isabella Robinson and Ringwood Rouge (24.4)
Jr. Beg. Novice Rider: Fiona Holland and Joshua Tree (22.8)
Open Beginner Novice A: Toora O’Mahony and Kiki’s Delivery Service (25.0)
Open Beginner Novice B: Chloe Smyth and Constantine Stanislavsky (26.9)
Sr. Beg. Novice Rider A: Kelly Schwisow and Redfield Out Of The Blue (25.9)
Sr. Beg. Novice Rider B: Erin Rousey and Winsome Willow (29.7)
Introductory A: Kassandra Barajas and Sean O’Connor (27.3)
Introductory B: Toora O’Mahony and Presumida MR II (26.0)
Future Event Horse 4 Year Old: Andrea Baxter and The Big Easy (82.4)
Future Event Horse Three Year Old: Anastasia Keyser and Saphira De Lune (80.5)
Future Event Horse Two Year Old: Gemma Forshaw and Uno Momento (81.2)
Young Event Horse 4 Year Old: Nicole Fuentes and Jungle Love DF (75.7)
Young Event Horse 5 Year Old: Michlynn Sterling and Carrigfadda (87.3)

ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ): [Website] [Results]

Intermediate Open A: Tamra Smith and Danito (34.0)
Intermediate Open B: Boyd Martin and Fedarman B (37.0)
Open Preliminary: Cassie Plumb and Excel Star Eye Candy (31.8)
Modified: Caitlin Silliman and FE Show Business (26.0)
Training Open: Ryan Wood and Fernhill Quite Frankly (26.9)
Training Rider A: Sophie Ann Stremple and Street Fighting (31.8)
Training Rider B: Carroll Rayner and Amazing Grace (34.2)
Novice Rider A: Emma Brooks and Legendary Man (34.6)
Novice Rider B: Claire Solomon and Over The Moon (31.4)
Open Novice A: Shannon P. Lilley and Miss Holland EB (23.6)
Open Novice B: Ryan Wood and Ben Lomond (24.2)
Beginner Novice Rider A: Rachel Zeitlin and Just One More / “Travis” (26.6)
Beginner Novice Rider B: Skye Finn and Avatars Jazzman (36.5)
Open Beginner Novice: Elizabeth Swire and Magnifique K (23.1)
Starter: Hayley Frielick and Excel Star Marvel (26.7)

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY): [Website] [Results]

Dressage Only – BN-B: Amanda Ko and Luminous CPF (66.875)
Dressage Only – Intro B: Emerson Hover and Ace of Spades (63.750)
Dressage Only – Intro C: Emerson Hover and Ace of Spades (62.250)
Dressage Only – M-A: Zinovia Baltopoulos and Nashville Hot (66.000)
Dressage Only – N-A: Dana Stanton and Joker (64.722)
Dressage Only – N-B: Dana Stanton and Joker (66.389)
Dressage Only – P-B: Zinovia Baltopoulos and Crownmeroyal (66.905)
Dressage Only – T-3: Claudia Romeo and Citrine (61.897)
Dressage Only – Working Eq.: Helen Thompson and Ghost Pepper
Dressage Only – T2: Oneida Derreumaux and Misty Morn’s Just Mo (62.069)
Preliminary: Booli Selmayr and Quality Touchdown (29.1)
Modified/Training: Zinovia Baltopoulos and Nashville Hot (32.0)
Open Training: Booli Selmayr and Just My Style (26.2)
Open Novice A: Emily Smith and Addaboy (35.8)
Open Novice B: Alexandra Naja and Who Can Charm (29.2)
Open Beginner Novice A: Messina Sasko and Parc Cooley (28.8)
Open Beginner Novice B: Natasha Quirk and First Class (31.2)
Open Beginner Novice C: Corinne Hawksley and DreamWorks (31.2)
Open Beginner Novice D: Jennifer Hill and Walk Off (31.3)
Starter A: Caitlin Hughes and Bay City Roller (32.0)
Starter B: Suzanne Preville and R Tom Cat (24.3)
Starter C: Phoebe Lindsay and Dolce & Gabbana (31.0)

Meadowcreek Park Fall Social Event (Weatherford, TX): [Website] [Results]

Open Preliminary: Vienna Allport and DHI Zatopek B (34.6)
Junior Training Rider: Kate Brown and Patent Pending (34.5)
Open Training: Amanda Merritt and Apparition (36.0)
Senior Training Rider: Ashton Jones and CMF Rembrandt (34.5)
Junior Novice Rider: Addie Miller and Fernhill Leroy Brown (28.9)
Open Novice: Nicole Hatley and O-K Jaxx (31.4)
Senior Novice Rider: Maggie Thomason and Cruising’s Touch of Grey (34.3)
Junior Beginner Novice Rider A: Elle White and FGF Personal Time (35.9)
Junior Beginner Novice Rider B: Audrey Snyder and Civil Hat (31.9)
Open Beginner Novice: Scottiann Evans and Chance Encounter (30.0)
Senior Beginner Novice Rider: Michelle Kennedy and Right Swipe (31.6)
Starter A: Madeline McGrath and Original Design (33.3)
Starter B: Emarie Graham and jarrito (28.7)

Old Tavern H.T. (The Plains, VA): [Website] [Results]

Open Intermediate: Lisa Berry and Rosie’s Aventadora (35.8)
Open Preliminary 1: Martin Douzant and Silver Ruby (35.3)
Open Preliminary 2: Meghan O’Donoghue and PS Duty Calls (25.9)
Preliminary Rider: Casey Poe and HHS Tiger Lily (32.6)
Training Senior: Dawn Ross and Icy Blue (28.1)
Training Rider: Olivia Devening and Maximus (31.7)
Training Horse: Michael Pendleton and A-Debussy Royale (32.5)
Open Training: Lindsay Kelley and Sydney (23.6)
Novice Horse: Lauren Nicholson and Jakimba (29.2)
Open Novice: Autumn Rae and C’Adagio (29.2)
Novice Senior: Mary Hope and Ser Dantae (26.9)
Novice Rider: Shannon Bower and PL Quintessential (31.7)
Novice Junior: Lainey Phillips and Netherfield Park (20.3)
Beginner Novice Senior: Bekah Bartley and Plain Brown Wrap (30.9)
Open Beginner Novice 1: John Secan and Elderglen’s Charlotte (26.5)
Open Beginner Novice 2: Erin Murphy and Hemisphere (14.7)
Beginner Novice Junior: Gabriella Muniz and Vaya Con Dios (33.8)
TIP Intermediate: Jan Byyny and Beautiful Storm (44.4)
TIP Preliminary: Jeff Beshear and Storm Is Due (40.8)
TIP Training: Woods Baughman and AJ’s Little Man (29.0)
TIP Novice: Lainey Phillips and Netherfield Park (20.3)
TIP Beginner Novice: Katelyn Duda and Big Easy Empire (29.1)

University of New Hampshire H.T. (Durham, NH): [Website] [Results]

Open Beginner Novice A: Yuki Igari and Poppin Good Pic (32.3)
Open Beginner Novice B: Alicia Turner and Key Play (27.5)
Open Beginner Novice C: Kiara Ham and Steven’s Getting Even (32.2)
Open Novice A: Ann Grenier and Almost Famous (33.1)
Open Novice B: Laurie Seely and Contefino Grande (25.8)
Open Novice C: Lydia Foster and Oidhre Leir (31.9)
Open Training A: Beth Murphy and FE Cataleya (29.7)
Open Training B: Ava Applebaum and FE Bail Me Out (32.8)
Open Modified: Megan Tardiff and Vindakova (32.9)
Starter: Diane Albine and Landino’s CEO (27.0)

Bec Braitling and Caravaggio II Produce Milestone Win in FEI Comeback at Twin Rivers

By on Sep 26, 2022 2:00 pm -

A double clear cross country round propelled Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio II to their first blue ribbon together in the CCI4*-Short, and Haley Turner and Shadow Inspector continued their run of sub-30 dressage tests to win the CCI3*-Short at the 2022 Twin Rivers Fall International in Paso Robles, Calif.

Other highlights included victory by Grace Wechser and Raskadero on their dressage score in the CCI2*-Short, the best 5-year-old qualifying score in the country this year for the USEA Young Event Horse Program (YEH) by Michlynn Sterling and Carrigfadda, and the YEH 4-year-old win by Nicole Fuentes and Jungle Love DF.

The CCI4*-Short marked a return to FEI competition for Braitling and Arnell Sporthorses’ 11-year-old British Sport Horse gelding Caravaggio II (Vangelis-S x Courtesan) following their fourth-place finish in the CCI4*-Long at Galway Downs in November 2021.

Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio II. Ride On Photo.

“I had my sights set on Kentucky, and we had a health setback in March,” Braitling said. “So, this has been pretty exciting to get him back at that level.”

They continued their streak of never having a cross-country jump fault in the 26 events they’ve completed since they started competing together in 2019. They added just 1.2 time penalties in stadium jumping to finish on a score of 42.6. Kaylawna Smith-Cook finished second and third with the 13-year-old German Sport Horse gelding Passepartout (Pasco x Preschel) that she co-owns with Gretchen Cook and the 12-year-old German Sport Horse mare MB MaiBlume (Sir Schiwago x Free Lady) owned by the MB Group LLC.

“He’s a super cross country horse,” Braitling said about Caravaggio II. “He really loves it. It’s funny because he’s quite a spooky horse, so it’s odd that he’s so brave at the same time. But, he is a little bit spooky, which is a good thing because it keeps him careful.”

Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio II. Ride On Photo.

Braitling said that she and the owners of Caravaggio II plan to donate their prize money back to the show in appreciation for Twin Rivers’ hosting the FEI levels of eventing.

In the CCI3*-Short, Turner and her 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Shadow Inspector (Tinaranas Inspector x Caragh Roller) improved to 21 of 23 events with sub-30 dressage scores since they started competing together in 2019 after the horse had previously done FEI events in Great Britain. They added 6.8 time penalties on cross country to their dressage score of 26.1 to finish on a score of 32.9 while leading after each phase.

“He really kept the energy well,” Turner said. “I was very happy with him because he’s always so steady and obedient. It’s just adding that next level of brilliance to help continue to get our scores better.”

Haley Turner and Shadow Inspector. Ride On Photo.

The victory was their first since the CCI2*-Short at the 2020 Twin Rivers Fall International. In 2022, the CCI2*Short was won by Wechser and her 16-year-old Westphalian gelding Raskadero (Rascalino x Naddel), who finished on their dressage score of 28.1.

With Twin Rivers Ranch set to host the USEA Young & Future Event Horse West Coast Championships on October 28 and 29, Sterling and her bay Irish Sport Horse gelding Carrigfadda (Luidam x The Big Lady) recorded the best qualifying score in the nation for 5-year-olds in 2022.

Sterling said she plans to return to Twin Rivers to compete in The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships for the first time, a milestone in a journey that began when she bought Carrigfadda off a video from Ireland in July 2021.

“He has been a handful,” Sterling said. “We call him ‘Oscar the Grouch’ and ‘Trashcan Man’ depending on the day. I actually did not show him at all last year. I tried to sort him out and get to know him. He had such a huge ego. He’s not mean and thinks it’s funny. But, his saving grace is that when you get on him, he’s pretty amazing.”

Sterling and Carrigfadda earned 22.4 out of a possible 30.0 in dressage and 64.9 out of 70.0 in jumping and potential for a total score of 87.3. They also won the Novice Amateur division, finishing on their dressage score of 23.9.

Michlynn Sterling and Carrigfadda. Ride On Photo.

“It felt amazing,” she said. “He is the best jumper I’ve ever sat on. He loves to jump. He just eats it up. I’ve never felt something like that.”

The next best YEH 5-year-old qualifying scores in the United States this year are 86.7 by the Anglo-Arab gelding A-Debussy Royale (Adzaro de L’Abbaye x Zorosa) ridden by Michael Pendleton and owned by Kelli Temple at the Waredaca Farm Horse Trials in Maryland in August and 86.4 by the Dutch Warmblood mare K.M. Baliaretto (Adagio de Talma x Ubalia) ridden and owned by Kurt Martin at the Flora Lea Fall Horse Trials in New Jersey in September. One more YEH qualifying event will take place at the Spokane Sport Horse Fall Horse Trials in Washington on September 29 before the East Coast and West Coast championships are held in October.

For Fuentes and Jungle Love DF (The Twain x Vanity), the YEH 4-year-old winners at the Twin Rivers Fall International with a score of 75.7, their connection began with the bay Oldenburg mare being foaled at the Dragonfire Farm of Earl and Jennifer McFall where Fuentes is a working student, in addition to having a full-time job in IT for the State of California. Fuentes bought Jungle Love DF as a 2-year-old and finished third with her at the USEA FEH West Coast Championships for 2-year-olds in 2020.

“She loves her job, so it’s been a treat to have a horse that loves to do what they’re doing,” Fuentes said. “She’s always been really brave to fences. She took to jumping really well. It’s one of her favorite things.”

Nicole Fuentes and Jungle Love DF. Ride On Photo.

Winners of FEH qualifiers at the Twin Rivers Fall International were Andrea Baxter and her Irish Sport Horse gelding The Big Easy (Mr Lincoln B x PLS Hippo Q) for 4-year-olds, Anastasia Keyser and Sharon Steinhauser’s Belgian Warmblood mare Saphira De Lune (Clair de Lune SE x Bella Luna) for 3-year-olds, and Gemma Forshaw and her Belgian Warmblood gelding Uno Momento (Donar Weiss x
K GFF Cailida) for 2-year-olds.

“There was great turnout and quality this weekend, particularly for Young Event Horse and Future Event Horse, and we’re excited about the momentum heading into the West Coast championships,” said Connie Baxter, organizer for events at Twin Rivers. “We’re looking forward to hosting and continuing to promote these valuable series.”

Entries for the USEA Young & Future Event Horse West Coast Championships, the final recognized
event to be held at Twin Rivers in 2022, close on October 11.

The full list of winners from the 2022 Twin Rivers Fall International:
CCI4*-S: Rebecca Braitling and Caravaggio II (42.6)
CCI3*-S: Haley Turner and Shadow Inspector (32.9)
CCI2*-S: Grace Wechser and Raskadero (28.1)
Open Intermediate: Josey Thompson and Pistol Annie (50.3)
Open Preliminary: James Alliston and Keep Calm (28.1)
Preliminary Rider: Sophia Merz and Clara Bö (31.9)
Open Training: Nicholas Cwick and Lowmax (24.8)
Jr. Training Rider: Kelson Frieden and RHS Caspar Conthargos (30.0)
Sr. Training Rider: Kendra Mitchell and Calcourt Legend (28.3)
Training Amateur: Stacia Lloyd and Kid A (28.3)
Open Novice: Alexis Helffrich and Dolce Flame (25.8)
Jr. Novice Rider: Sofia Seto and Armi (23.9)
Sr. Novice Rider: Isabella Robinson and Ringwood Rouge (24.4)
Novice Amateur: Michlynn Sterling and Carrigfadda (23.9)
Open Beginner Novice A: Toora O’Mahony and Kiki’s Delivery Service (25.0)
Open Beginner Novice B: Chloe Smyth and Constantine Stanislavsky (26.9)
Jr. Beginner Novice Rider: Fiona Holland and Joshua Tree (22.8)
Sr. Beginner Novice Rider A: Kelly Schwisow and Redfield Out Of The Blue (25.9)
Sr. Beginner Novice Rider B: Erin Rousey and Winsome Willow (29.7)
Introductory A: Kassandra Barajas and Sean O’Connor (27.3)
Introductory B: Toora O’Mahony and Presumida MR II (26.0)
FEH-2: Gemma Forshaw and Uno Momento (81.2)
FEH-3: Anastasia Keyser and Saphira De Lune (80.5)
FEH-4: Andrea Baxter and The Big Easy (82.4)
YEH-4: Nicole Fuentes and Jungle Love DF (75.7)
YEH-5: Michlynn Sterling and Carrigfadda (87.3)

Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Results]

World #1 Returning to Maryland 5 Star

By on Sep 26, 2022 12:00 pm -

We just keep getting more and more excited for the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill Presented by Brown Advisory, as we now see an exciting addition to the 5* entry list in World #1 Oliver Townend with his mount As Is.

As Is is a relatively new mount for Townend, with the partnership starting their FEI career earlier this year with an 8th place finish in the CCI 3*S at Floors Castle. Townend and As Is have competed in four FEI events together, finishing in the top 10 at each. However, this will be As Is’ 5* debut.

Finishing in second place at the 2021 Maryland 5*, Townend is looking forward to being back: “I’m excited to be returning to the U.S. for the Mars Maryland 5 Star,” Townend said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the event last year and maybe I can move up a notch this time!”

We also see the addition of French Olympian Astier Nicolas with Babylon de Gamma, a partnership coming off of a CCI 4*S win at Blair Castle in August.

Astier Nicolas & Babylon de Gamma, CCI4*S
Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials
August 2022
© Copyright Hannah Cole for Eventing Times. All rights reserved.

With the addition of Townend and Nicolas, there are now 26 entries in the 5*L, 79 entries in the 3*L, 41 in the 4 year old YEH, and 62 in the 5 year old YEH for this year’s competition.

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

By on Sep 26, 2022 7:53 am -

 

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A post shared by Tiana Coudray (@tianacoudrayeventing)

I love seeing eventers try something new and succeed with aplomb, even though it generally makes me spiral into self-doubt and wonder why I, too, can’t be good at all the things. The reason for today’s crisis of confidence? Olympic eventer Tiana Coudray, who had a good crack at an Intermediare I freestyle over the weekend and walked away with a rather excellent score of 75% for her efforts. Go get ’em, girl.

National Holiday: It’s Alpaca Day. Offer your congratulations to any you encounter today, I guess.

US Weekend Action:

Stable View Oktoberfest (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Results]

Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Results]

ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ): [Website] [Results]

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY): [Website] [Results]

Meadowcreek Park Fall Social Event (Weatherford, TX): [Website] [Results]

Old Tavern H.T. (The Plains, VA): [Website] [Results]

University of New Hampshire H.T. (Durham, NH): [Website] [Results]

UK Weekend Results:

Alnwick Ford (2): [Results]

Moreton Morrell (2): [Results]

South of England International (2): [Results]

Launceston (X): [Results]

Global Eventing Roundup:

Ballindenisk International CCI4*-L: [Website] [Entries/Times]

Your Monday Reading List:

It’s every rider’s worst nightmare: you pop down to the field in the morning and find your beloved horse standing there — on three legs. That’s exactly what happened to amateur rider Tamsin Palmer last summer, but although Bazaars Twister had shattered his pedal bone into a number of pieces, with plenty of rehabilitation and patience, they’ve made the comeback of a lifetime to win the 90cm unaffiliated championship at Frickley. [One to inspire the box-rest brigade today]

There are so many funny little mental roadblocks we pretty universally give ourselves. That step up from Training to Prelim? A huge leap, sure, but made even bigger by the weight we assign to it. Crossing the 1 metre threshold can be one of those, too — as writer Cathy Sobke found. Here’s how she got over it. [The answer is always ‘more leg’]

When it comes to caring for veteran horses, a little extra TLC is needed. That’s partly because every moment you spend with your older horse is a chance to spot niggling little issues before they snowball into serious problems — and grooming is a golden opportunity to get to grips with how your horse is getting on. [Here’s how to maximise that time]

And finally, whatever you do with your horses, and whatever level you compete at, they always take you on an adventure. For Dianne May, that adventure has included taking her first steps into the world of eventing as an adult amateur, and her joy in the sport is palpable. [We’re all on the same ride here]

The FutureTrack Follow:

The BE Support Trust, which aims to help event riders in need — and which has just announced its Winter Ball, for which Nicola Wilson will act as patron. EN table, anyone?

Morning Viewing:

Pratoni continued on apace last week with the FEI World Championships for Driving — and here’s how gold medallist Boyd Excell made the best of those crazy hills:

Through the Lens: Stable View Oktoberfest

By on Sep 25, 2022 12:00 pm -

Leslie Law and Lady Chatterley cruise to the 4*-S win. Photo by Christine Quinn.

Saturday brought cross country day and the conclusion of upper level competition at Stable View Oktoberfest, held each fall in Aiken, SC. It’s a festive event that heralds cooler weather and the peak of fall season, and the organizing crew at Stable View is among the best in the business, integrating the event with the local community and making a true destination out of the competition.

Tailgaiting and a car show? A real neighborhood event at Stable View! Photo by Christine Quinn.

Stable View is also appreciated by competitors for its robust prize money offerings, and Leslie Law is the recipient of a healthy chunk this weekend after taking the $30,000 CCI4*-S win aboard Jackie and Steve Brown’s Lady Chatterley (Connor 48 – Jucy, by Mytens). This is a start-to-finish victory for Leslie and the 11-year-old Holsteiner mare, who finished the weekend on a score of 31.4. In case you were wondering, here’s how you celebrate in the Law family!

Well. I really wanted a photo at prize giving but I was wrapping legs and packing up.

So instead we have this winning…

Posted by Lesley Leslie Grant-Law on Saturday, September 24, 2022

Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre finish fifth in the 4*-S in prep for the Maryland 5 Star. Photo by Christine Quinn.

Doug Payne and 2022 USEF National 5* Champion Quantum Leap (Quite Capitol – Report to Sloopy, by Corporate Report) moved into runner-up spot in the 4*-S in the pair’s last prep ahead of next month’s Maryland 5 Star.

Looking to the remaining FEI divisions, your winners are:

CCI3*-S: Will Coleman and Hyperion Stud’s Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ – Wildera, by Quinar Z) secured a very competitive finishing score of 18.5, adding a handful of time penalties to their jaw-dropping dressage score of 15.7.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Ocala Horse Properties’ Shanroe Cooley prep for their next outing in France. Photo by Christine Quinn.

Meanwhile, Le Lion-bound Shanroe Cooley, owned by Ocala Horse Properties, wrapped up another solid prep for France with Liz Halliday-Sharp, earning a 21.9 on the flat and only adding four seconds of time to finish second.

CCI2*-S: Jenny Caras and Elyse Eisenberg’s Trendy Fernhill (ARS Vivendi – Cruising Girl) made a successful first FEI start since last year, clinching a wire-to-wire victory on their dressage score of 24.1.

Doug Payne and the Oldenburg stallion Quiberon jump clear in prep for the 3*-L at Maryland next month. Photo by Christine Quinn.

Many thanks to the sponsors and supporters of Stable View for another successful weekend of eventing! Let’s take a look at some more sights and sounds from social media:

Stable View Oktoberfest (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Scoring]

Sunday Links

By on Sep 25, 2022 12:01 am -

Well, here’s one of the strangest trends I’ve seen in a while. I don’t know if more explanation has been given in other sports for where this came from, but basically it seems that the point is to photoshop athletes to look like their little bobblehead counterparts? I’m still on the fence whether it’s funny or simply unsettling. If it’s the latter for you, then I deeply apologize for leaving you with this image today.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Stable View Oktoberfest (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Meadowcreek Park Fall Social Event (Weatherford, TX): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Old Tavern H.T. (The Plains, VA): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

University of New Hampshire H.T. (Durham, NH): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

Ballindenisk International CCI4*-L: [Website] [Entries/Times]

Links to Start Your Sunday:

Sports Psychology: When Affirmations Aren’t Enough

The Impending Equine Health Care Crisis

Believing in the Horse Nobody Believed In: Cooley Quicksilver

Road Ready: Traveling With Horses

Sunday Video Break: It was marathon day in Pratoni yesterday, i.e. the combined driving equivalent of cross country day!

Three Things to Love About OTTB United, the New Marketplace for Thoroughbred Lovers

By on Sep 24, 2022 9:00 am -

Photo courtesy of OTTB United.

I’ve purchased two off-track Thoroughbreds in my day, and each time the story went something a little like this:

Step 1: Idly scroll Facebook and see a horse for sale. It’s cute, the photos aren’t amazing but you can tell it’s cute. It’s a few hours away, so I’d have to find shipping, but the price is right…
Step 2: Convince my significant other that buying a horse IS, in fact, good for the economy (and my mental health). He is less than convinced, but the eye-roll without an accompanying emphatic “absolutely not” is enough for me to obtain tacit acceptance of what’s about to happen.
Step 3: Exchange questionable messages with the seller, again via Facebook, arrange equally questionable payment terms (this was before the days of Zelle and Venmo).
Step 4: Peruse the internet for viable shipper solutions, some of which seem legitimate and some of which seem like legitimate scams, especially at my paltry budget.
Step 5: Wait at the barn until 3:30 a.m. for said horse to arrive via said shipper, who inexplicably took 10 hours to drive what would ordinarily be just 3.5.

If this scenario sounds familiar to you, then I think you’ll be pleased to know that there’s now, in these modern times we live in, a better solution for buying and selling ex-racehorses. It’s called OTTB United, and it’s a new app designed to not only provide a marketplace for OTTB aficionados to network their horses and find new partners but also to create community around a shared passion.

OTTB United is an app-based platform released late in 2020. The concept was simple: create a space for OTTB lovers and placement professionals to network, while also promoting the overarching goal of quality racehorse aftercare.

Over this column and two more follow-ups to come, I’ll be diving in to various features of OTTB United as they pertain to buyers, sellers, and the Thoroughbred placement market in general. Aftercare is top of mind for these racehorses as they come off the track, and having reputable networking opportunities is invaluable in ensuring the proper placement of each horse.

Right off the bat, I’ve identified three features that stuck out to me as a first-time user of OTTB United:

1. The user interface is simple and clean.

One thing I can’t stand about some apps is the lack of intuition when it comes to the user experience. I don’t want to have to go searching for what I need, and I really don’t want to have to deal with an app that frequently quits, bogs down, or throws up so many ads that I can’t get what I’m looking for. OTTB United makes it easy for even a casual browser to see what horses are available AND who’s selling them (and what the seller’s profile looks like — which is something I’ll come back to later).

2. You can complete the whole shopping process within the app (minus payment).

There is a native messaging feature within each listing that allows an interested party to contact a seller directly. This removes the need to hunt down an email address or phone number and wait for a response on yet another platform. It’s a simple feature, but I imagine cutting out the middleman in terms of communication helps a lot with closing sales and building seller reputations!

3. You can also network with shippers directly in the app.

No more sketchy shipping! Granted, in the seven or so years it’s been since I made the purchase referenced above, there has been a vast improvement in the vetting process for shipping companies (and there are a massive amount of professional, quality shippers for us to use now!), but it can still be nothing short of a migraine to find and book a shipper. OTTB United’s developers thought of this, too, and integrated a way to find shippers right there in the app.

These days, it’s all about convenience and saving time, and OTTB United has created a one-stop shop for buyers and sellers — and Thoroughbred lovers, in general — with a greater mission to tie it all together.

The OTTB United app is available with three tiers of membership: Free, Premium Buyer, and Premium Seller. Click here to learn more about each tier and to download the app and see for yourself!

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Sep 24, 2022 12:01 am -

Jessa and McKinsey Lux present Ride iQ at the Pitch Competition at Denver Startup Week. Photo via Ride iQ.

We love to see equestrian sports go mainstream for all the right reasons and so we have to give a shoutout today to Jessa and McKinsey Lux, co-founders of Ride iQ. This week they competed in the 2022 Pitch Competition at the the annual Denver Startup Week against nine other companies, some of which won their way into the finals by winning other pitch competitions and some have previously been featured on Oprah’s favorite things and the Today Show. Jessa and McKinsey must have absolutely rocked their presentation and deftly conveyed the intricacies of the equestrian athlete’s needs, because they WON!

Huge congratulations go out to the entire Ride iQ team! Never tried the app or not convinced it’s for you? Here’s what it’s all about.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Stable View Oktoberfest (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Meadowcreek Park Fall Social Event (Weatherford, TX): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Old Tavern H.T. (The Plains, VA): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

University of New Hampshire H.T. (Durham, NH): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

Ballindenisk International CCI4*-L: [Website] [Entries/Times]

Links to Start Your Weekend:

A Warming Climate May Bring Horse Owners New Health Worries

Real Rider Cup Champion Determined in a “Who Jumped It Best?” Virtual Jump-Off

Morris Animal Foundation Provides Over $100K In Scholarships To Vet School Students

Therapeutic riding program shown to benefit young people with anxiety

US university offers new equine degree course

Best of Blogs: Worthy

World Equestrian Brands Pick of the Week: Sergio Grasso is at is again with another drool-worthy boot design.

Saturday Video Break: You through circles were tough in ridden dressage? Try getting the geometry right behind a four-in-hand! The combined driver has taken over Pratoni and things have kicked off with driven dressage: