Classic Eventing Nation

2023 Carolina International Welcomes New Title Sponsor: Setters’ Run Farm

By on Aug 20, 2022 9:00 am -

Photo courtesy of Carolina Horse Park.

The Carolina International CCI and HT Organizing Committee is delighted to announce that Setters’ Run Farm has committed to the Title Sponsorship of the event starting in 2023. As the event enters its 10th year, Setters’ Run Farm is poised to take the competition to the next level. The 2023 date is set for March 16th -19th.

For the past 9 years, Setters’ Run Farm generously supported the Carolina International as the CCI4*-S Sponsor. When the opportunity arose to increase their involvement as the Title Sponsor, Annie Eldridge, owner of Setters’ Run Farm, did not hesitate to step up.

“To be a part of the Carolina Horse Park’s premier event, the Carolina International CCI and HT, as the Title Sponsor is an ideal way for Setters’ Run Farm to support the event, the Park, and the sport of eventing. The Carolina International is an important event on competitors’ schedules as they prepare their horses for the upcoming 4*-L and 5* events later in the year. I’m so proud to be affiliated with the Carolina International, which provides riders with a safe, but significant challenge to prepare their horses for the future,” says Eldridge.

“Setters’ Run Farm has been a longtime friend and supporter of the Carolina Horse Park as well as an avid supporter of the Carolina International. We are fortunate to have them take the lead as the Title Sponsor in 2023. The Organizing Committee looks forward to a successful year,” states Marc Donovan, Event Director for the Carolina International CCI and HT and Carolina Horse Park Program Director.

The Carolina International Organizing Committee would like to thank Jennifer Mosing and Cloud 11 ~ Gavilan North LLC for their many years of support from the inception of the Carolina International CCI and HT.

For more information visit the Carolina Horse Park website here.

Saturday Links Presented by World Equestrian Brands

By on Aug 20, 2022 12:03 am -

Just a cute moment of kisses. Photo by JJ Sillman.

I never thought I would even be able to say this, but I’m ready for the rain to stop this summer. Usually all the grass is fried and brown by now, and I’m sunburnt to the next dimension. This summer, my ring is flooded every day, the grass won’t stop growing, I can’t stop mowing, and I’m not even that tan! What is this world coming to, honestly, the one thing that was predictable was the horrible desert like heat of Virginia summer.

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Archer and Area IX Championships (Cheyenne, WY): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Caber Farm H.T. (Onalaska, WA): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club H.T. (Geneseo, NY): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Ocala Summer H.T. II (Ocala, FL): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Waredaca Farm H.T. (Gaithersburg, MD): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S + International H.T. (Bromont, Canada): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring]

Links To Start Your Weekend:

Lottie Fry’s Unexpected Path to Success & Becoming The Youngest World Freestyle Champion

Eggbutt Cheekpieces Versus Loose Ring

Brown Focuses on Getting Better with the Basics on the Final Day of EA21 Clinic

The Worst Hurt: When The Best Choice for your Horse is Selling Him

Horse Movie of the Weekend: Jappeloup

World Equestrian Brands Pick of the Week:

 

 

USA Has Commanding Lead in Bromont Nations Cup After Show Jumping

By on Aug 19, 2022 11:00 pm -

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ kicked off this morning in conjunction with the 2022 Bromont CCI-S Horse Trials in Quebec, Canada. After the event was postponed in both 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is with great excitement that riders representing the USA, Canada and Australia cantered down the centerline.

In addition to the Nations Cup CCIO4*-S, Bromont includes CCI3*-S, CCI3*-S U25, CCI2*-S, CCI2*-S U25, Preliminary, and Training level divisions.

Team USA took the early lead with in the Nations Cup on 92.0001, with Liz Halliday-Sharp riding Deborah Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties LLC’s 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Miks Master C (Mighty Magic x Qui Luma CBF) scoring 29.2 to also lead the CCI4*-S overall. Even more impressive, she tied the exact same score with her other CCI4*-S entry, the Calmaria Partnership’s Irish Sport Horse mare Cooley HHS Calmaria (Cyrano x Chester Lass).

“The Miks Master horse is actually the first horse I’ve ever had in my life that’s already done a four-star,” she said. “I have always produced my own horses but right now I just happen to have a few that are new at the level right now. My mare is green, this is only her second time at this level but she jumped super. It was unfortunate that she had a rail but she just came down too early behind; that’s young horses figuring things out.”

Halliday-Sharp is also in the lead in the three-star with Cooley Nutcracker, who is owned by a syndicate. She said, “He was amazing today, I was thrilled with him. He’s a very sensitive ride and it’s taken a little while to get to know him. I feel like we’re a team now, he’s a sensitive horse and has tons of scope. I’m really pleased with all my horses.”

Looking forward to cross country she said, “I think it’s a proper track for the Nations Cup, actually both courses are good and strong and up to height. I think both water complexes are serious and will take some riding. What I like about Bromont, which I learned at the June event, is there’s all this terrain big bold galloping tracks and that’s going to suit all three of these horses. I think it’s the sort of course you jump around and say, I’ve got a five-star horse now – and I think all of these are five-star courses. I think you will come away knowing a lot more about your horse, which is useful. That’s why we’re here.”

Halliday-Sharp’s Nations Cup teammate Colleen Rutledge (USA) and her own homebred 16-year-old Thoroughbred cross gelding Covert Rights (Incognito x Let’s Get it Right) scored just slightly lower to stand third after dressage on 29.8, with Colleen Loach (CAN) and Vermont in 4th (31.2).

Nations Cup team member Lillian Heard (USA) and the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Dasset Olympus (Lancelot x Cushlamochree), whom Heard co-owns with Debora Greenspan, stood 5th after dressage (33.0). Andrew McConnon had a few tense moments riding his and Caroline Martin and Jeanne Shigo’s 10-year-old Warmblood gelding Ferrie’s Cello (Chello III VDL x Karelza), who landed in a tie for 18th individually after the first phase on 40.8.

Team Canada finished dressage with 114.9 and Team Australia was third with 1076.2003, taking a 1000- point penalty for having fewer than three riders after Dom Schramm withdrew Eclaire after the dressage.

Andrew McKonnon and Ferrie’s Cello. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.

The USA maintained their lead in the show jumping, with three riders posting clear jumping rounds. After some inconsistent canter work in the dressage this morning, Andrew McConnon’s horse showed that he’s a solid team member with a foot perfect show jumping round. Colleen Loach and Covert Rights had one unfortunate rail down but because theirs was a drop score, only Lillian Heard’s 1.2 time faults were added to the total for a current score of 97.2001.

Colleen Loach and Kendal Lehari both jumped double clear rounds, and Jamie Kellock added just 0.8 time faults, so Canada currently stands on 117.1002. For Australia, Ema Klugman and Bronte Beach Z jumped clear and added 1.6 time faults, and Ryan Wood’s Cooley Flight had three down, for a total of 1089.80.

Loach, who has represented Canada numerous times in team competition including at the Tokyo Olympics, is currently second overall in the CCI4*-S with Vermont, a, 18.2h Hanoverian gelding by Van Helsing out of a Heraldik mare (32.1) and fourth with FE Golden Eye (Goldfever x Cascade) (33.1).

“I think it’s really exciting that we have the Nations Cup here in Canada,” she said. “It promotes a great atmosphere between the riders and it’s a great thing to be able to practice in a team environment. I hope it continues into the future and that we can draw more teams. Jessie and I have been on a few teams together and she’s a great teammate to have, and everybody’s been great this week, we’re having a lot of fun.”

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.

Ema Klugman (AUS) is competing on her first Nations Cup team riding Bronte Beach Z, a Zangersheide by Verdi. She said, “Wanting to be on teams in the future, this is sort of a lower-stakes version of a team environment. We have our Australian flag up in the barn. It’s a 12-hour trip for us but Bromont is an amazing place, I don’t think you get footing better than this anywhere else this time of year. That’s huge in terms of our horses staying sound. The cross country course looks great, it’s hard enough but I think it’s appropriate for the horses that are getting their first run back for the fall. We’re excited about it.”

Competition resumes Saturday morning with the cross country phase, featuring a solid course designed by Derek di Grazia (USA), who designed the Tokyo Olympics, Burghley and Kentucky courses among other major events.

For more information, start time and results please visit https://BromontCCI.com.

FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S + International H.T. (Bromont, Canada): [Website] [Scoring]

CCI4*-S Top 10 After Show Jumping:

CCI3*-S Top 10 After Show Jumping:

CCI3*-S U25 Top 10 After Show Jumping:

CCI2*-S/U25 Results After Show Jumping:

Friday Video: Check out Burghley’s Best-Ever Dressage Test

By on Aug 19, 2022 5:20 pm -

Just making it to Burghley as a competitor is an extraordinary accomplishment in its own right, but for those who do fulfil their entries and start their competition in a short couple of weeks, there’ll be plenty of further goals on the table: a coveted completion, of course, but also the chance to make a bit of history. One way of doing that is to set a record, which is exactly what Chris Burton did in 2016 when he and Nobilis 18 put a 30.2 (that’s a 20.1 in today’s scoring!) on the board, giving themselves such a decisive lead that even a handful of rails down on Sunday couldn’t take the win from them. Relive their performance with today’s video.

Oliver Townend Takes Pathfinder Role at Burghley (Again)

By on Aug 19, 2022 1:29 pm -

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials draw has been revealed ahead of this year’s renewal (August 31 – September 4), and once again, multi-horse entrant Oliver Townend will be first out of the start box. Though he’s been drawn in the first position with either 2017 winner Ballaghmor Class or former Andrew Nicholson ride As Is, the former has been named to next month’s World Championships team, and so As Is will hold the pathfinder position. Oliver has three other rides entered, and can ride a maximum of three: Tregilder takes 38th position, while Swallow Springs or Lukas will be the last horse in the line-up.

With 68 horses currently on the list, Burghley’s line-up is looking pretty stacked — reigning champion Pippa Funnell has two horses entered in Majas Hope (63) and Billy Walk On (4), while 2018 winner Tim Price brings forward Bango (3), Tokyo mount Vitali (37), and former Chris Burton ride Polystar I (66). 2019 Badminton winners Piggy March and Vanir Kamira have drawn number 22, followed closely behind by 2018 Badminton winners Jonelle Price and Classic Moet (27), which will give both Thursday dressage times.

Other highlights from among the list include 2021 European individual bronze medallists Sarah Bullimore and Corouet (30), William Fox-Pitt and Oratorio II (48), Kitty King and Vendredi Biats (60), and 2019 European individual bronze medallists Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua (64). A solid US contingent is entered, too: Woods Baughman will be first up to bat for the Americans with C’Est la Vie 135 in draw number 11, followed by Cornelia Dorr and Daytona Beach 8 in number 14. Draw number 23 goes to Meghan O’Donoghue and the ex-racehorse Palm Crescent, while Emily Hamel and Corvett will put a cap on their season abroad in number 29. Boyd Martin has drawn number 46 with Tsetserleg TSF, but is unlikely to run as the pair have been selected for the World Championships. British-based American Tiana Coudray will take number 57 with Cancaras Girl, who took a top-ten finish at Bramham this year, while US-based Aussie Clayton Fredericks sits pretty in draw number 10 with FE Coldplay.

Here’s the full draw:

Or, to put it simply:

Reigning World Champions Great Britain Announce Eye-Wateringly Good Team for Pratoni

By on Aug 19, 2022 12:01 pm -

Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Abby Powell.

Few teams for Pratoni have been so hotly anticipated as that of the Brits, who currently hold most of the medals available in the sport of eventing and are, predictably, absolutely front-loaded with formidable talent ahead of this year’s World Championships. And so, without further ado, let’s take a look at who’s been picked to fly the Union Jack, in alphabetical order:

  • Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo – 10-year-old British-bred Sport Horse gelding (Grafenstolz x Cornish Queen, by Rock King), owned by Michele Saul. Groom: Sarah Charnley
  • Laura Collett and London 52 – 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Landos x Vernante, by Quinar Z), owned by Keith Scott, Karen Bartlett, and the rider. Groom: Tilly Hughes
  • Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir – 11-year-old Selle Français gelding (Nouma d’Auzay x Gerboise du Cochet, by Livarot), owned by Jeanette Chin and Sue Davies. Alison Bell
  • Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser – 15-year-old Selle Français gelding (Diamant de Semilly x Ariane du Prieure II, by Papillon Rouge), owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns, and Ali McEwen. Groom: Francesca Gorni
  • Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class – 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Courage II x Kilderry Place, breeding unknown), owned by Karyn Schuter, Angela Hislop, and Val Ryan. Groom: Charlotte Holifield. Direct reserve: Swallow Springs – 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Chillout x Kilila, by Cult Hero), owned by Paul and Diana Ridgeon

The reserve combinations are as follows, listed in alphabetical order by athlete surname:

  • Sarah Bullimore and Corouet
  • Ros Canter and Pencos Crown Jewel
  • Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI 
  • William Fox- Pitt and Little Fire
  • Kitty King and Vendredi Biats

The British team incorporates the entirety of last year’s gold medal winning Tokyo Olympics team, and features reigning World Champion Ros Canter, though this time, aboard the exciting up-and-comer Lordships Graffalo, with whom she finished second in a tough renewal of Badminton this year. Similarly representing the young guns is eleven-year-old Banzai du Loir, who was second in his five-star debut at Kentucky this spring with 25-year-old Yasmin Ingham, who makes her Senior championship debut in Italy after representing Great Britain at the Pony and Young Rider levels.

Great Britain have previously won team gold six times, in 1970, 1982, 1986, 1994, 2010, and 2018. They’ve also claimed five of the fourteen individual gold medals awarded since the inception of the World Championships at Burghley in 1966, and will come to Pratoni as the double reigning champions. The final assignations of the four team slots and one individual place will be allocated and announced closer to the competition.

Home Nation Italy Names Riders for FEI World Championships at Pratoni

By on Aug 19, 2022 9:00 am -

Susanna Bordonne (ITA) and Imperial Van De Holtakkers. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It’s not often you’re able to represent your country in championship competition on home turf, and that honor this cycle is bestowed to the Italians, who will play host to competitors from nearly 30 other nations at next month’s FEI World Championships for Eventing at Pratoni del Vivaro to the east of Rome.

Italy’s Marco Cappai and Uter. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

On Thursday, the Italian federation named its final short list of riders it will be sending to Pratoni, with the final designations for team and individual spots to be announced by the definite entry deadline of September 5.

The riders competing for Italy at Pratoni will include:

  • Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes – 11-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare (Aga Khan x Louna de Sainte-Ode, by Bayarde d’Elle), owned by Az. Agricola di Campello Argenta
  • Susanna Bordone and Imperial van de Holtakkers – 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Quidam de Revel x Ava van de Holtakkers, by Argentinus), owned by Maria Giovanna Mazzocchi
  • Marco Cappai and Uter – 13-year-old Italian Sport Horse gelding (Caster de Villa Francesca x Elle d’Aulix, by Lubumbashi), owned by Cascianese Country Club
  • Arianna Schivo and Quefira de L’Ormeu – 18-year-old Selle Français mare (Iolisco de Quinhon*HN x Isabelle du Brulot, by Beausejour IV), owned by Thomas Bouquet and the rider
  • Giovanni Ugolotti and Duke of Champions – 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Duke of Hearts x Nebraska 22, by Noble Champion), owned by Phillip Hunt, Jo Preston-Hunt, and Joyce Snook, or Swirly Temptress – 10-year-old British-bred Sport Horse mare (For Ladies Only x Betty Barclay, by Brentano 11), owned by Karin and Kristina Rausing

Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Two reserve riders, Mattia Luciani on Leopold K and Pietro Sandei on Rubis de Prere, have also been named should any of the short-listed riders be unable to travel to Pratoni.

Looking for more news from #Pratoni2022? Check out our Ultimate Guide to FEI World Championships for Eventing right here. 

Friday News & Notes Presented by Zoetis

By on Aug 19, 2022 12:03 am -

Luke 140 is definitely excited to be back in work. Photo courtesy of Boyd Martin.

Remember yesterday when I was gushing about how fun it is to see “retired” upper level horses enjoying a sound and productive second career in their twenties? Yeah. Then at 5am I received a text from my neighbor saying that she had caught two horses loose on the road and returned them to stalls in my barn, and she hoped they were mine. Cue me running outside in my sleepwear to determine who was missing and who was in the barn. I’ll give you ONE GUESS who was the culprit. That’s right. Twenty-one-year-old Nyls, having jumped out of the field in the early pre-dawn hours, somehow convinced one of his buddies to accompany him on an escapade, and was unapologetic about his behavior. I swear he’s gonna be the death of me.

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Archer and Area IX Championships (Cheyenne, WY): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Caber Farm H.T. (Onalaska, WA): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club H.T. (Geneseo, NY): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Ocala Summer H.T. II (Ocala, FL): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Waredaca Farm H.T. (Gaithersburg, MD): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S + International H.T. (Bromont, Canada): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

A paint Cob-Percheron cross might not be the first choice for most dressage riders, but Oreo has a work ethic to beat the band and a heart of gold. Purchased as a three-year-old by her sexagenarian amateur owner Elaine Knowles Cole, her good brain has carried her far. As far as leading the victory gallop at this year’s NAYC by earning a team gold medal with Mary Claire Pillar in the irons. Both of them were debuting at the CDI level as well as their first NAYC, and Oreo’s future looks bright. [An Unexpected Oreo at NAYC]

Grooms have all the best stories from behind-the-scenes. Aside from interesting facts from the barns at big competitions, traveling with upper level horses can sometimes have crazy complications, and ridiculous tales are one of my favorite things. Check out this compilation of stories from the world’s top grooms across disciplines of hilariously weird things that have happened to them at important times. [It shouldn’t Happen To A Groom…But It Did]

“Your horse needs colic surgery.” This is the statement horse owners hope they never hear from their veterinarians. Improvements in recognizing when horses need referral to a surgical facil­ity, more advanced diagnostic capa­bilities, and safer anesthetic protocols developed over the past few decades have improved prognoses for horses undergoing colic surgery. Yet, many owners still perceive colic surgery in a negative light. They might know someone whose horse had colic sur­gery, or people have told them how horses do after it. The outcome in those cases, instead of the facts, can heavily sway decisions to pursue surgery. Let’s look at which common rumors are just myths. [Common Myths About Colic Surgery]

Best of Blogs: Why We Clinic

If there is one thing that we can all agree on, horses probably need to jump less than they do. Between the demands of learning, practice, preparation, and actual horse showing, it can sometimes be a difficult balance to keep the number of jumps to a manageable level. In this article, you’ll learn how poles or small boxes can be used in the place of jumps to help improve your horse’s straightness, balance, form fitness, jump intelligence, and other improvements without the impact of repetition taking off and landing from larger fences. [Mindful Flatting with Ground Poles]

 

Thursday Video: Take Vassily de Lassos for a Spin Around Haras du Pin

By on Aug 18, 2022 5:00 pm -

Aussie Andrew Hoy is back with a new hat-cam video, which gives all us Vassily de Lassos superfans the chance to see life through his happy orange ears once again. This time, it’s a special edition from the final selection trial at Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S last week, where they finished in the top ten and after which, they were duly selected to represent Australia next month.

What’s really cool about this video is that you get a true sense of the scale of Haras du Pin’s inclines, which don’t always seem significant — even when walking! — but which do add up to a real stamina test, and what Michael Jung describes as the perfect Pratoni prep course. The other thing I find fascinating about it is the rhythm that Andrew puts Vassily in — it’s super consistent and not at all hairy, but actually, they delivered the fastest round of the day in that huge line-up, which shows the power of being able to skip the lengthy set-up process and create a cross-country gallop that’s workable all the way to the fence. (I also love how constant Andrew’s verbal communication is with him; my own word vomit on course sounds an awful lot more frantic, if I’m honest.)

The Netherlands Announces Two Individual Competitors, But No Team, For Pratoni

By on Aug 18, 2022 3:00 pm -

The Netherland’s Sanne de Jong and her homebred, Enjoy. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

We’re being well and truly inundated with team announcements ahead of Pratoni, but there’s also a number of nations that will be sending individual competitors in lieu of teams. The Netherlands is one such nation, with just two pairs on the nominated entry list, and both confirmed to be attending the FEI World Championships for Eventing next month.

This isn’t the first time that the Netherlands, who finished in team bronze position in famously tricky conditions at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, haven’t brought a team forward at a World Championships: they fielded solely individual riders in 1998, 2002, and 2010, and did the same at last year’s Olympics.

Jordy Wilken and Burry Spirit. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Both riders named for Pratoni will make their World Championships debut next month, after each making their Senior championship debuts at last year’s European Championships at Avenches. The named pairs are as follows:

  • Sanne de Jong and Enjoy — 13-year-old KWPN mare (Cartano x Next Joey, by Haarlem), owned by Jantien van Zon and the rider
  • Jordy Wilken and Burry Spirit — 16-year-old KWPN gelding (Casco 4 x Retina H.H., by Indoctro), owned by the rider