Classic Eventing Nation

“I’ve Been Trying to Win This for Over Half My Life!” Gemma Stevens Takes Hickstead Eventers Challenge Win

By on Jul 28, 2022 2:33 pm -

A super-speedy Gemma Stevens celebrates after sailing the last with Flash Cooley. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

We so often see eventing Grand Prix classes relegated to the depths of winter and the dramatic floodlights of indoor shows, which is one of the reasons that the Ashby Underwriting Eventers Challenge at the All-England Jumping Course at Hickstead feels so special: it’s something of a summer sweetener in the midst of a busy season, and though it’s undeniably fast, furious, and enormously competitive, it’s also a welcome bit of fun in the calendar for riders and horses alike.

That sense of fun is certainly something that Gemma Stevens – nee Tattersall — has been cultivating in ten-year-old Flash Cooley, who she inherited from Liz Halliday-Sharp on the rider’s return to the US. The petite grey has been delivering some exciting results over the year they’ve been together, including a twelfth place finish in Blenheim’s eight- and nine-year-old class in 2021 and a move-up to CCI4*-L at Bramham this year. Throughout, he’s earned himself a reputation as a promisingly swift little horse – but never has he shown that with more certainty than in the ring today, when he delivered a round so fast that even a knocked pole didn’t cost him the win.

“That was absolutely brilliant – what a cool little horse he is,” says Gemma, who took the win by just over a second and a half over second-placed Helen Wilson and My Ernie, who had led for much of the class. “Two weeks ago he was up at Bolesworth doing the Mini Major and the Ride and Drive, and then last weekend he won an Advanced eventing class at Aston le Walls, and now he’s won an Eventers Grand Prix. He’s just so much fun and he absolutely loves the speed.”

Each of the top three — Gemma, second-placed Helen, and third-placed Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope — are local to Hickstead, which sweetened their superb rounds all the more.

“As my father just told me, I’ve been trying to win this for over half my life – so at long last, I’ve managed to win,” laughs Gemma. “It’s really cool, and I’m really happy. It’s like being home, basically, at Hickstead – I live fifteen minutes away and I come schooling here all the time, so it’s really cool to win here. That arena still gives me such butterflies, because it’s just such a cool arena. Everyone comes to Hickstead to want to jump in the main ring, so I’m just really lucky not only to jump in there but to have a win, too.”

Gemma is no stranger to Hickstead’s iconic main arena, either — she’s been gaining some serious mileage in the ring over top-level courses with her pure showjumping mare, the nine-year-old MGH Candy Girl.

“I’m very lucky to have the amazing MGH Candy Girl, and at the last show I was extremely lucky to be in the four-star showjumping, which is really exciting. I jumped two 1.45s and a 1.50m – and very big and very terrifying! I’ve actually been invited to do the Queens Cup, which is absolutely a dream come true. We’re just going to jump her today and hopefully I’ll do it – as long as it’s the right thing. I might walk the course and freak out!”

Flash Cooley makes easy work of the tough Normandy Bank. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Even with ring experience over considerably bigger fences, Gemma wasn’t totally free of nerves ahead of today’s class, which featured a mix of portable cross-country fences and knockable derby-style showjumping fences.

“It’s really fun, and I felt really relaxed all day, but then I was like, ‘oh god, I’m actually really nervous!’ Because, you know, we’re all competitive and we all want to give it a go, and I always want to win. I’m not scared of doing the jumps, I just don’t want to mess it up. I want to do well and give it my best shot – and also, I know what it takes and how fast I’ve got to go, and that is actually scary. Although it’s fun and exciting, too!”

“Helen [Wilson] is incredibly competitive, and she’s an absolutely fantastic rider and that’s a fantastic horse. So I knew I’d have to really go for it, and then we just hit that little fence because bless him, he was trying to be so careful and we just got a little close. So then I was like, ‘well, I’m not going to beat the time, but I’m going to give it a go!’ And somehow I managed it. He’s actually a very speedy little horse, and he’s so nippy, and he’s really careful, so I can just trust him.”

Helen Wilson and My Ernie set a nearly unsurpassable standard but ultimately are pipped at the post for second. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Helen Wilson‘s very near win with her five-star mount My Ernie was certainly a popular one, not least because she’s local: the petite black gelding’s trajectory has been a unique and appealing one that’s helped him become a fan favourite. Bought as a bargain basement project due to his quirks, he hunted extensively with Helen at the local Surrey Union hunt before starting his eventing career in 2019. By last year, he’d made enough headway to finish sixth in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim, and though his Badminton debut this year was an educational one, there’s no doubt that he’s one of the most exciting up-and-coming horses on the British scene – and undeniably one of the most fun to watch.

Pippa Funnell and her Pratoni-longlisted Majas Hope take third. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pippa Funnell was the first ever winner of this class back in 2000, when she piloted The Tourmaline Rose to victory over a very different track, and she certainly made a good bid for another win today, jumping a swift clear with her European Championships mount Majas Hope. But they’d find themselves just over a second and a half too slow for victory despite their best efforts, ultimately taking third place.

The course caused plenty of influence throughout the class, with a number of horses knocking rails at the Devil’s Dyke rails and ditch, and others hesitating when coming down Hickstead’s iconic derby bank and Normandy bank complexes. The reigning winners, 2019 champions Nicky Hill and Kilrodan Sailorette, set off at a remarkable pace, but ultimately fell at the third fence after misreading the stride. Both were unharmed, as was Tom Crisp, who took a tumble from Vendome Biats in the Devil’s Dyke.

 

Yes, Someone Scored a 13.6 at Rebecca Farm — Here’s the Story (and Video!)

By on Jul 28, 2022 9:00 am -

Brooke Wadsworth had a magical week at The Event at Rebecca Farm with her Friesian Sport Horse, Morpheus. The pair caught our attention after they scored an impressive 13.6 on their dressage test in the Senior Open Novice E division. No that isn’t a typo, they really got a 13.6! Of course, I had to catch up with Brooke to meet the handsome Morpheus and find out how the pair accomplished such an impressive performance.

Brooke raised Morpheus, a very handsome 17-hand, 7-year-old Friesian x Hanoverian cross (Ziare van Bluffview – Fleur de Lys), from a foal at her farm in Utah. She said her three young kids have helped her raise him and that he’s like taking the family golden retriever to a horse show. When I met up with them, Brooke and Morpheus were sharing oatmeal for breakfast before getting ready to run cross country!

Brooke and Morpheus share a morning bowl of oatmeal. Photo by Erin Tomson.

Brooke rides as an adult amateur while running her business, Wadsworth Wellness, and raising her kids and horses alongside her husband. She trains regularly with Lindsay Wagner in Utah, and with Hawley Bennett-Awad in California when she gets the chance. She told me that Morpheus didn’t initially like dressage very much because he was big and had a hard time coordinating his body.

So she took things slowly, allowing Morpheus to develop his strength and coordination, saying “just like a person, if we’re not very good at something at first, it’s frustrating. It’s not our favorite thing. But with that consistency and building that foundation, building up his strength, his balance, his understanding of the movements, his understanding of the aids, my improvement in the saddle… it’s been fun to see him start to learn to really love it and understand it, and find his happy place. He used to not think it was the best and now we’ve really figured it out!”

Brooke was generous enough to share a picture of her dressage test with us. You can see for yourself that she and Morpheus got TWO 10s and SEVEN 9s… blink your eyes and read that again! They scored a 10 on the initial entry down the centerline and right-hand turn through the corner – talk about a first impression!

Take a gander at Brooke’s test.

I asked Brooke how she prepared for her dressage test, and her response was phenomenal in its simplicity: “Before coming, I broke the test into small working sessions. I really believe horses work best like we do — break down the problem and get really good at something before moving to the next, instead of throwing it all on the table. So what’s interesting to me, and I’m proud of him for it, was that we practiced a lot coming up the centerline and just making that first right hand turn.” Brooke said the movements they got 9s on were also sections of the test that she practiced methodically. She emphasized that she didn’t drill him, but worked in short 20-minute sessions on his understanding of her aids and responses to them.

For Brooke, mental preparation is also a big part of her success. “I had a long drive all by myself to think about and run that test exactly how it was going ride. How the saddle was going to feel, how my seat was going to feel, how we were going to prepare before the movement. So I just think a lot of mental visualization helped and I believe horses see what we see in our heads and where our eyes look.”

Brooke went on to say that she has been working hard on her body language and position. “Sometimes you hear riders or coaches say ‘even though he’s not easy to ride, make it look easy’. I just want it to actually be easy.”

Readers should also know that Brooke does not have an arena at her own farm. She spends countless hours trail riding, and her horses just get to be horses most of the time. She hauls to a nearby rodeo arena to practice dressage, which she means she shares the space with the cowboys. Side note: I’ve shared arenas with cowboys and they tend to be a wild bunch, even by eventing standards!

These experiences have exposed Morpheus to a lot of different kinds of things, so that when he arrived at the big atmosphere at Rebecca Farm, it didn’t faze him one bit. Brooke said she had a lot of confidence in him, even though he is young and hasn’t been to very many events yet.

To me, Brooke is a perfect example of what I love about our sport. The time she has spent with Morpheus, and the strong relationship they have, is evident when you see her with him. He is calm, peaceful, and enjoys his job. They adore and trust each other, and their performance at Rebecca Farm showed off her horsemanship, dedication, and preparation.

Brooke said, “I’m still fairly shocked by the score. But it’s nice when you do put in a test that you feel like ‘wow, I really don’t know we could have done any better’.” She and Morpheus jumped a double-clear on cross country, and we should add that this was the pair’s first Novice! They competed Beginner Novice together at Golden Spike in Utah earlier this year. Their show jumping round added 8 penalties for dropped rails, which didn’t even come close to knocking them out of the top spot. Congratulations, Brooke and Morpheus for winning your novice division on a final score of 21.6!

And yes, there is video! We’d like to extend a very grateful thank you to Ride On Video, who provide multiple completely free live streams from events on the western side of the country each year and can always be counted on at shows to film every rider for those memories. They’ve graciously provided us early access to Brooke’s dressage video, so enjoy! If the embedded video below does not work for your browser, click here.

If you competed at Rebecca Farm, you can order your video here — I know they’ll appreciate your support!

495D Brooke Wadsworth on Morpheus SR Novice Dressage Rebecca Farm July 2022

Thursday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Jul 28, 2022 12:01 am -

Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Abby Powell.

Mark your calendars and set your alarms: tickets for the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill go on sale next week on Tuesday, August 2nd at 10 AM Eastern! We seriously enjoyed covering America’s first fall five-star last year and we’re so excited to head back down to Elkton, Maryland from October 13-16 to enjoy the second annual running of this excellent event. Plus, the event will again play host to the CCI3*-L Eventing National Championships.

Check out all the ticket packages here. If you’re looking to tailgate on cross country day, those passes will go on sale the following week on Tuesday, August 9th. We’ll see you there!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Horse Park of New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, VA): [Website] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

Hambro Sport Horses Burgham International CCI4*-S (Morpeth, UK): [Entries/Times/Scoring]

FEI Eventing European Championships for Young Riders (Hartpury, UK): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Live Stream – FEI YouTube] [Live Stream – ClipMyHorse.TV]

Kilguilkey House International CCI4*-L/CCI4*-S (Cork Co, Ireland): [Website] [Entries/Times]

News From Around the Globe:

Fancy a shot at winning the chance to watch Burghley in style? All you have to do is sign up for Burghley TV before midnight on Friday, August 5th and you’ll be entered to win a VIP Tent and membership tickets for all days of competition, plus a cross country course walk from a top rider and a behind the scenes tour of the stables. You can sign up for Burghley TV here for £20/ $24.33 and learn more about the contest here.

From one adrenaline-filled sport to another, this retired bull rider has taken up eventing. Travis Atkinson rode race horses as a teenager and then spent 10 years as a professional bull rider on the rodeo circuit. Instead of riding practice bulls during the later part of his career, Travis started jumping horses bareback to stay fit. [Retired Bull Rider Builds Eventing Career In Utah]

Does your event horse’s focus feel a little scattered? That’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to a team of researchers from France. They performed a visual attention test with a group of horses and found that those trained for eventing “were characterized by more fragmentation of attention.” Now that might not sound ideal at first glance, but this fragmentation was linked to better-performing event horses and has also been a characteristic identified in elite human athletes. [Ability of horses to focus linked to their occupation, study finds]

Have your tissues handy for this story. Wendy Costello’s dream was to join The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club, which celebrates horse-and-rider pairs with a combined age of 100 or more, but sadly passed away in December 2020 after a battle with cancer, leaving her goal unfulfilled. Last month, Wendy’s husband Marty completed her goal in her honor, riding introductory level test B at the Potomac Valley Dressage Association Ride for Life benefit show. [Husband Completes Century Club Ride In Wife’s Memory]

#WaybackWednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: A Blast from the Past at Hickstead

By on Jul 27, 2022 5:00 pm -

This week sees the return of England’s iconic Royal International Horse Show at the All-England Showground at Hickstead for the first time since pre-pandemic, and one of our favourite classes of the week is on the schedule for tomorrow — that’s the Eventers’ Challenge class, which has taken a number of forms over the years and even involved a number of top show jumpers at one point. We’ll be bringing you coverage and snaps from the class tomorrow, but in the meantime, we’re whetting our whistles by looking back at how the class played out in 2000, when it still involved a long loop outside of the main arena. That year, it was won by a baby-faced Pippa Funnell aboard The Tourmaline Rose; this year, we’ll see Pippa return to try for the title aboard Billy Wonder. Stay tuned to find out if she can repeat the feat!

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Build Your Galloping Position with the Lunge (No, Not the Lunge Line!)

By on Jul 27, 2022 3:00 pm -

Lexi Scovil and Chico’s Man VDF. Photo by Abby Powell.

You might think that this is a blog post on how to ride. If you’re looking for that, please check out anything written by Jimmy Wofford — he is the master of the galloping position.

There is so much great content on how to improve your galloping position, and what it should look like. This is not that article. Rather, this article focuses on a lunge done off the horse that will improve your muscular strength — and your galloping position along with it — on the horse.

The galloping position executed correctly is not just important, it’s essential for the health of your horse. While nothing compares to getting your stirrups short enough and really dedicating the time in the tack to stop posting in the gallop, this is nonetheless a great exercise for strengthening your lower body and your core. In particular, your glute medius and glute minimus — which are also, as an added bonus, really important for the sitting trot — will see benefits from this exercise, if it’s done correctly and regularly. It is rare that a client of mine will go a week without doing the lunge.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Do you know what your dominant leg is? You might be surprised that it does not always match your dominant hand. Whichever leg you would most likely kick a soccer ball with is usually your dominant leg. Start this exercise with your non-dominant leg forward and finish with your dominant leg forward.

The Lunge

  1. Start in standing position with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Step forward with your non-dominant leg; your feet should be about as far apart as if you are measuring strides (about 3 feet). One leg should be in front of your torso, one leg behind
  3. Keep your trunk upright and bend your knees until the back knee practically touches the ground. Keep your front foot firmly on the ground, driving through your heel to properly engage your hamstrings and glutes, but raise the back heel
  4. Straighten both legs until you’re standing back up again with your feet apart
  5. Try to do this slow and controlled for two minutes. Focus on using your strength, not momentum, to go through the range of motion
  6. Switch to the other leg forward, repeat

How long should you lunge for?

The trick for a successful training session is to do the lunge longer than when your brain is telling you should quit. Set a timer and just do it for as long as you can, then push yourself to do a little bit more (about ten seconds longer than you think you can do).

Most riders can do the lunge on one leg for a minute. This is a great starting point, and you can then work up to doing each leg for two minutes. If you are able to do the lunge on one leg for longer than two minutes, great! But beware: the wear and tear is not worth the additional gains you will get, so feel free to stop at the two minute mark.

Try this out in your regular exercise routine (or use this as kindling to start a fresh one!) and pay attention to the after-effects of this added strength and muscle awareness in the saddle!

Laura Crump Anderson is an avid equestrian who realized from a young age the importance of taking care of our bodies like the athlete we expect our horses to be. Laura has competed up to Training Level in eventing on a horse she bred and started herself, and has the goal to get back out competing again on her 2019 homebred Still Stanley. She holds her degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science from Longwood University, is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and has her 200-hour yoga teacher certificate. Laura’s goal is to help riders be connected with their horse and be fit sound and ready to ride. Laura works with riders across disciplines from weekend warriors to Olympic athletes. She is the Owner and Founder of Hidden Heights Fitness, where clients can participate in one-on-one Virtual Personal Training via a virtual platform for which all that’s necessary is an internet connection, the space the size of a yoga mat, and a dash of determination.

Save the Date: Paris 2024 Announces Schedule for Equestrian Disciplines

By on Jul 27, 2022 1:00 pm -

Rendering via Paris 2024.

Reignite your Versailles daydreams for just a moment, because we’ve got some exciting new fuel for them: the International Olympic Committee has released its schedule of sport for the 2024 Paris Games, which will see the equestrians living it up like royalty in the grounds of the iconic gilded palace.

The eventers will lead the way for the equestrian disciplines, kicking off in earnest on Saturday, July 27th with the dressage phase. Interestingly, we’ll see just one day of eventing dressage for the first time ever at an Olympics; all assembled horses and riders will perform their tests between 10.00 a.m. and 6.40 p.m. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, folks.

Here’s how the full equestrian calendar will look across the disciplines:

Saturday, July 27:

10.00 a.m. – 6.40 p.m. CEST: Eventing dressage (team and individual)

Sunday, July 28:

10.30 a.m. – 3.00 p.m. CEST: Eventing cross-country

Monday, July 29:

11.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. CEST: Eventing showjumping (team and individual)

Tuesday, July 30: 

11.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. CEST: Dressage Grand Prix team and individual qualifier, day one

Wednesday, July 31:

11.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. CEST: Dressage Grand Prix team and individual qualifier, day two

Thursday, August 1:

10.00 a.m. – 3.45 p.m. CEST: Dressage team Grand Prix special*

Friday, August 2:

2.00 p.m. – 5.45 p.m. CEST: Jumping individual qualifier*

Saturday, August 3: 

10.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. CEST: Jumping individual qualifier*

Sunday, August 4:

11.00 a.m. – 3.30 p.m. CEST: Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle (individual)

Monday, August 5:

11.00 a.m. – 1.45 p.m. CEST: Jumping team qualifier*

Tuesday, August 6:

2.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m. CEST: Jumping team final*

(* denotes that the scheduling is still under discussion with the FEI.)

A floating orchestra will add some extra ambience to the Opening Ceremony. Image courtesy of Paris 2024/IOC.

The Paris Olympics will begin the day before the start of the eventing — so, on trot-up day — with the Opening Ceremony, which is set for July 26 and will take place along the Seine, ending at the Eiffel Tower in the west end of the city. The Games will wrap up on August 11 with the final medal deciders and a closing ceremony. We’ll be bringing you more Olympic info as we get it, so keep it locked on EN and faire du concours complet!

Get Ready for Great Meadow! Team USA’s Final Outing Ahead of Pratoni + H&C+ Returns as Live Stream Provider

By on Jul 27, 2022 11:00 am -

Kurt Martin and D.A. Lifetime. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Before too long, we’ll finally know who will represent Team USA for this year’s FEI World Championships for Eventing, held just to the east of Rome in Rocca di Papa, Italy. While the identity of the teams remains unknown for now, we do know that the U.S. team will have its final Mandatory Outing in the 4*-S at MARS Great Meadow International, happening in The Plains, VA August 24-28.

MARS Great Meadow is one of those summertime events that’s always on the calendar, offering top-quality competition at a class venue with plenty of opportunity to come and take in the sport from all angles. Offering Preliminary as well as CCI2* through CCI4*-level divisions, it’s a proper tune-up for horses coming back into fitness ahead of the fall or looking for a leg stretch ahead of something as important as Pratoni.

Entries are already looking stacked for this year’s event, featuring 37 entries to date in the 4*-S. And while we of course don’t know who will be named to the four team spots and one individual spot for Pratoni, some heavy hitters spotted on the list include:

  • Will Coleman with Off the Record, Chin Tonic HS, and DonDante
  • Phillip Dutton with Z, Sea of Clouds, and Carlchen
  • Sydney Elliott with QC Diamantaire
  • Will Faudree with Mama’s Magic Way and Pfun
  • Ariel Grald with Leamore Master Plan
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp with Deniro Z
  • Boyd Martin with Tsetserleg and Fedarman B
  • Lauren Nicholson with Vermiculus and Landmark’s Monte Carlo
  • Doug Payne and Quantum Leap

Great Meadow also affords a chance to see some combinations who are likely aiming for the 3*-L at Maryland 5 Star in October, and there are currently 41 entries in the 3*-S division ahead of the August 9 closing date.

Our friends at Horse & Country will once again provide the live stream coverage from MARS Great Meadow, and you can purchase an H&C+ subscription for the low price of $9.99 (it’s a monthly subscription, but there is no commitment. New members are also eligible for a free 30-day trial).

“We are honored to provide exclusive coverage of the MARS Great Meadow International to our viewers around the world for the fourth year,”
H&C Executive Producer David Qualls said. “The MARS Great Meadow International is one of the premier eventing competitions in the U.S., and the 2022 event will complement our extensive broadcast schedule and on-demand library.”

If you anticipate attending this event, you can also sign up for a volunteer position, which always helps the Volunteer Coordinator plan ahead! Click here to sign up on EventingVolunteers.com.

I’ll be your eyes on the ground for MARS Great Meadow this year, my chance to get some facetime in with the team before they head to Italy — sadly I am not traveling to Pratoni this year as I happen to be moving during the week of competition, but Tilly Berendt and Shelby Allen will be our reporters from World Championships so you can expect a full slate of ridiculousness coming your way in the next few weeks. Buckle in, and Go Eventing!

MARS Great Meadow International: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Stream] [Volunteer]

From the Ground Up: Managing Expectations

By on Jul 27, 2022 9:00 am -

Most of my time is spent working with young and inexperienced horses, which means every single day is different — new challenges arise, new equine opinions develop, and there’s a constant feeling of two steps forward, one step back.

As a serial planner, I like to know what I’m going to do and when I’m going to do it. I have to fight that urge to have everything mapped out, as when working with horses, almost nothing goes ‘to plan’.

Many times, when working with young or inexperienced horses, I’ve had to remain both consistent and open-minded, in order to explore communication methods that help me be clearer for the horse.

There are days when I fully intend to back a horse, only to realize they’re exceptionally cranky that day, or an unusually tense horse as a result of a windy day interferes with our goal of developing a flying change.

Of course, learning to work despite challenges that arise is critical — no atmosphere will ever be perfect, and you certainly can’t control what’s going to happen. I am a firm believer in helping horses develop emotional control as a way to ensure continued progress despite challenges. (You can read more about the concept of emotional control in my previous article!) That said, it’s just as important to set yourself — and very importantly, your horse — up for success. Forcing a tense or unwilling horse to learn something new will only hinder the learning process itself, making the work unproductive… or destructive.

Waiting for a “good” day – where distractions are limited, the weather is cooperative, and you and the horse are communicating well – to try something new is important. Here, waiting for the “right” time paid off with a successful first ride on Abbey.

My students can confirm that I frequently talk about managing expectations. Considering the larger environment in which you’re working and keeping the bigger picture — of your progress, and steps towards your goals — in mind will allow you to remain flexible on the days when things don’t click in the way you anticipate.

Instead of forcing that new flying change on a spooky day, try to set a new goal for the day. Maybe you aim to instead find relaxation in a flat ride. Setting a more realistic goal for that particular day allows the horse to find success, even if it’s not the expectation you first had. The ride is still a productive win, while continuing to move forward towards what you originally had in mind. Rewarding and celebrating the horse overcoming something that they perceive as difficult will further develop the partnership in a way where they learn they can (and want to!) cooperate even when other factors aren’t ideal. This will help you nail that flying change the next time, with or without distractions.

Listening to your horse keeps your efforts centered on their well being and success, allowing for their curiosity, softness, and willingness to participate to shine through.

Progress is not linear. It’s a long and windy path, especially when working with animals. Learning to allow myself to be comfortable with changing plans in order to productively work with horses in training has allowed me to meet my horses where they are that day. Meeting my horses where they’re at has allowed me to come into and out of each training session positively, while still moving in the direction we’d like to go without compromising the horses’ curiosity, softness, and willingness to participate.

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on Jul 27, 2022 12:01 am -

Will there be a return of #RaveHorse?? Steffen Peters (USA) and Suppenkasper will compete in Denmark for Team USA. Photo by FEI/Christophe Taniere.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the fact that the concept of “WEG” really isn’t a thing this cycle, and I’m a little sad about it.

If you missed it — and honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you had — there are three major World Championship sites hosting what would otherwise be known as World Equestrian Games disciplines for the 2022 cycle. You’ll recall that the World Equestrian Games/World Championships run on a four-year cycle, and qualifying berths for the next Olympics are on the line, among many other titles and bragging rights.

Due to the FEI’s decision that there would not be a single venue to host every discipline — eventing, show jumping, dressage, driving, para dressage, endurance, vaulting — this year’s Championships were split. Herning, Denmark will host show jumping, dressage, and para dressage August 6-15, Rocca di Papa, Italy will host eventing and driving September 15-25, and Verona, Italy will host the endurance championships October 19-23.

“When we opened the process for the FEI World Championships 2022 to single and multi-discipline bids, our intention was to have events that were more manageable and sustainable at proven venues,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said at the time of the decision.

Personally, I think I’d prefer the whole shebang: a real World Equestrian Games as we’re used to. Aachen, which hosted the 2006 WEG, comes to mind as an ideal venue that can sustainably support a multi-discipline effort — and already does with its annual CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival. And don’t forget that Bromont is now under new ownership — this venue lost out on its bid to host the 2018 WEG after funding could not be secured, and the new ownership group has major plans to grow equestrian sport and play homage to the park’s Olympic roots. Ocala, FL could also be a major contender for a World Championships with the recent purchase of the Ocala Jockey Club by the owners of the World Equestrian Center, however the master plans for the Jockey Club are still facing contention from county commissioners and community members.

At any rate, I’ll still be tuning in for the ECCO FEI World Championships in Denmark. Entries were just released, so you can go stalking here.

What about you, EN? Where would you love to see the next World Equestrian Games land?

U.S. Weekend Preview

Horse Park of New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, NJ): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, VA): [Website] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

Hambro Sport Horses Burgham International CCI4*-S (Morpeth, UK): [Entries/Times/Scoring]

FEI Eventing European Championships for Young Riders (Hartpury, UK): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Live Stream – FEI YouTube] [Live Stream – ClipMyHorse.TV]

Kilguilkey House International CCI4*-L/CCI4*-S (Cork Co, Ireland): [Website] [Entries/Times]

Wednesday News & Reading

The newest education program at the USEA, Emerging Athletes 21, has kicked off a series of regional clinics featuring ICP-certified coaches. It’s an opportunity to obtain some intensive training without having to travel to the other side of the country — a huge benefit for nurturing rising talent! You can keep up with the action from around the country here — you might even spot a familiar byline!

Ashlynn Meuchel jokes that her 5* partner, Emporium, was affordable because he was feral. That’s how you know it’s a great story, honestly. Read more about Ashlynn and Emporium here.

Speaking of the other World Championships happening this year, I always enjoy a good peek behind the curtain of upper level programs in other disciplines. This Haygain spotlight on show jumper and Denmark-bound Brian Moggre highlights some key aspects of care at home that play into success on the international circuit.

Tack Facts from Sterling Essentials:

It’s hot and humid in most parts of the country these days (or, in a lot of areas, raining buckets), which means the risk of funky, moldy, gunky tack is higher than ever. And that’s never ideal when you think about how much we invest in our tack and how important it is for our horses’ comfort. Check out these tips from Sterling Essentials:

Wednesday Video Break

A cool spotlight on equine assisted learning at Urban Horse Project in Vancouver, Canada:

Tuesday Video: How to Train Your Thoroughbred with Elisa Wallace

By on Jul 26, 2022 3:00 pm -

I’ve been enjoying following Elisa Wallace’s vlog for a few years now, as there is never an absence of new material that is both entertaining and educational. Her latest Thoroughbred project, Dobby (love the name), is just learning to work under tack, and Elisa has brought us along for the ride as she works to teach Dobby the ropes.

ICYMI, here’s part one:

Dobby is three this year, and he’s been with Elisa since he was a yearling, so it’s safe to say he already knows her language and communication style quite well. But training young horses is always a challenge that requires patience, and it’s really interesting to see how Elisa tackles the next task: riding under saddle.

Patience is paramount with any horse, but Elisa shows us how she’s able to make progress at the horse’s pace, setting him up for success with positive experiences and using confident horses as fellow educators.

Want more from Elisa? Be sure to give her channel a follow here for more like this!