Classic Eventing Nation

Big Sky Cross Country: FEI Leaderboards Shuffle, Alyssa Phillips Leads Rebecca Farm CCI4*L

By on Jul 23, 2022 7:00 pm -

Alyssa Phillips and Oskar take the lead in the 4*L. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The FEI cross country kicked off on another absolutely beautiful morning at Rebecca Farm, where the FOMO and mountain views abound. Ian Stark’s course had a different feel to it this year, running in the opposite direction of recent years’ tracks, but also carried that distinctly, dimensionally huge feeling that likely had many riders tossing in their sleep a bit last night. It’s an Ian Stark signature, after all.

Time proved to be the most influential factor, with few pairs managing to elude time penalties across all FEI divisions and jumping penalties scattered throughout.

CCI4*-L: Alyssa Phillips Moves On Up

Alyssa Phillips and her 13-year-old Holsteiner Oskar, winners of the inaugural Lexington 4*-S in 2021, moved into the top spot in the CCI4*-L thanks to a rare double clear round to maintain their dressage score of 31.4. This was Alyssa and Oskar’s second CCI4*-L, but their first time at Rebecca Farm.

Alyssa said he was really good out there and, following advice from Jennie Brannigan, “I never took the foot off the pedal because he’s not the quickest horse of the bunch. But he did everything that I asked and I couldn’t be happier with it.”

James Alliston and Nemesis step up to another challenge. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

James Alliston and Nemesis, an eight-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding owned by Alliston Equestrian, jumped clear and added only 0.8 time penalties. As a younger horse, this was the longest and most challenging course Nemesis has taken on so far, and James was “really happy with how he did it.” The sporty chestnut certainly has stepped up to each challenge presented to him this year: this spring, he and James finished on the podium of the notoriously-tough Lexington 4*-S — a culmination to a trip the gelding wasn’t even originally slated to be on!

Helen Alliston pilots Ebay to a clear round. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Dressage leader Helen Alliston sits in third with a score of 42.1 on her 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Ebay, after adding 13.2 time penalties to her dressage score. Helen jokes that she spent the morning trying not to throw up from nerves, all of which dissipated once she left the start box. She made an effort to allow Ebay to go at his own pace today because it was his first CCI4*-L in four years.

“I’m hoping the way I rode him today will kind of be a building block for next time we try this and we’ll be able to go a little bit quicker,” Helen commented. “But he answered every question beautifully and it was smooth.” Helen said she won’t be nearly as nervous going in the show jumping because “those jumps fall down,” — to which Alyssa commented, “fair point!”

Tamie Smith and the Elliot V partnership’s Elliot V were having a foot-perfect round until the combination at 17AB. Unbeknownst to Tamie, he’d pulled a front shoe and he slipped going down the hill to the B element. They made it through the flags, but Tamie had an unfortunate fall on the back side of the fence.

“I really believe in him and I think he’s stellar and an unbelievable horse,” Tamie said, open with her disappointment. “So I actually cried. I cried my little eyes out walking back to the finish. And I was so frustrated and the sport is so brutal, you know, but I just went and had a timeout, smacked myself in the head and went and got back on and had my plan. I mean, you’ve got to put it behind you and not ride different.”

Tamie — who’s also celebrating her birthday today — would regroup to secure clear rounds on her remaining rides: Julianne Guariglia’s Solaguayre California jumped clear inside the time in the 4*-S to sit second, followed closely by Ruth Bley’s Danito in third.

A quick shout to Thoroughbred That Could Unmarked Bills, who completed his first Long format cross country since Burghley in 2019 with longtime partner Chris Talley today and looked happy and fit to be back out running and jumping. Welcome back, Billy!

CCI4*-S: A New Partnership On the Rise

The budding partnership of Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C, owned by Debbie Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties, was put to its biggest test to date today; Liz and the 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood bred in the U.S. by Laurie Cameron and formerly piloted by Maya Black had just two previous runs under their belt. An easy win in a “get-to-know-you” run at Bromont’s 2*-L in June set Liz up to comfortably step back up to the gelding’s current level, and by the end of today’s cross country Liz looked to have learned a lot about a very exciting-looking horse for the future.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“He’s just brave and he’s fast, and he’s careful and he just knows his job,” Liz described. “And he has such a big, giant, amazing stride that you can just cover the ground. I really enjoyed it today. I’m very excited about our partnership.” Liz is hopeful for a clear show jumping round on Sunday. “It’s just great to get the four-star under our belt and be learning a little bit more about each other and just solidifying our partnership.”

After those two stellar rides today, Tamie Smith sits in both second and third place. Solaguayre California, an 11-year-old Argentine Sport Horse owned by Julianne Guariglia moved into second with a score of 30.7 after a double clear round. Tamie said that “California” has been somewhat green as she moved up the levels, “but knows her job now. So I was absolutely thrilled.”

Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Ruth Bley’s Danito, a 13-year-old Hanoverian had zero jump and 5.6 time penalties. Danito and Tamie sit in third on a score of 33.8. Danito injured his withers in a freak accident in the cross ties this past winter, so Tamie was initially hesitant about entering him in the 4*, but had confidence in him as seasoned horse. “I’m glad to have my little friend back,” Tamie said. “He’s such a cool horse.”

CCI3*-S: A Change-Up and a Rising Star

Ian Stark’s course presented challenges that resulted in a total change-up of the top standings: Taylor McFall stands in first place with a score of 42.2 aboard Stoneman, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred owned by Cheron Laboissonniere. Taylor praised her horse saying, “We totally killed it in the downhill combos, something that really was scaring me, just because I hadn’t done that big of a drop before.” Taylor joked that she stole the ride on Stoneman from her mom, Jennifer McFall.

Mikayla Hoffman and her own 15-year-old Thoroughbred Eli currently stand in second on a score of 43.2. Mikayla particularly enjoyed the water complexes on the course, saying “definitely the first water was a highlight for me… he just went through and nailed that one stride out.” Eli has come a long way from his time on the racetrack. When Mikayla and her mom first got Eli, he was malnourished, but they worked diligently to get him healthy – now he’s a contender for the Young Riders three-star team this year!

Taylor McFall and Stoneman. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Borasco, a 13-year-old Oldenburg, owned and ridden by Kerry Groot, is standing in third place on a score of 43.9. Kerry is one of several Canadian riders at Rebecca Farm this year, as is Mikayla Hoffman.

CCI3*-L: Liz Halliday-Sharp Shines with Cooley Nutcracker

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Nutcracker had zero jump and zero time penalties, to hold their lead in the CCI3*-L with a score of 29.4. The 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse is owned by Deborah Halliday, Renee Lane, Ocala Horse Properties, and the rider. Cooley Nutcracker is a relative newcomer to Liz’s string, having formerly been piloted through this level by French rider Asiter Nicolas. Last year, the gelding contesting the FEI World Young Horse Breeding Championships, finishing in the top-20 in the seven-year-old division.

Liz said she had a fantastic ride and was complimentary of Ian Stark’s course. “It was a good track. I really thought the coffin was a super question. The back end and just the whole track was well designed. I thought it was a real good test for the three star long.”

Meg Pellegrini and RF Eloquence. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Meg Pelligrini and her 17-year-old Holsteiner, RF Eloquence, also had a double clear round to move up a placing into second on a score of 31.9. “I was a little bit nervous going out of the box… but I got to see a couple of people go before me and everyone made it look easy. So he’s amazing, it was beautiful,” said Meg.

Brittany Crandall and her 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Cooley Almighty made an impressive jump from ninth into third as they held their dressage score of 39.5. Brittany and “Kavan” are recipients of the Ocala Horse Properties Rebecca Farm Flight Grant.

Ocala Horse Properties Flight Grant Recipient Brittany Crandall navigates a clear round with Cooley Almighty. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Brittany describes Cooley Almighty as “…a cross country horse. He lives and breathes for it, and he’s got a huge gallop. And he’s super, super brave. He took on everything.” Brittany wouldn’t have been able to compete at Rebecca Farm this year without the flight grant from Ocala Horse Properties. She competes at the FEI level as an amateur and maintains a full-time job, which I have to say is incredibly impressive!

CCI2*-L: Taren Hoffos Enjoys the Ride with Regalla

Taren Hoffos and Carolyn Hoffos’ 11-year-old Oldenburg mare, Regalla — “The Queen”, as the Hoffos family likes to call her — jumped a double clear in the CCI2*-L to move from third into first on their dressage score of 30.5. “She was amazing. She was incredible,” Taren said. “She’s so fast — she doesn’t pull at all. She’s always in a good balance. So I can be so quick and efficient.”

Taren’s husband, Ken, is here with her in Montana and he opted for the hard-hitting question in this afternoon’s press conference: waffles or pancakes? Taren prefers waffles, so we hope she fuels up on Sunday morning before her show jumping round!

Cristina Rennie moved into second place after a double clear ride with her own Flight of the Arabesque, strong positioning at just their second 2*-L event. At 18 hands, Flight of the Arabesque is hard to miss out there and had no trouble making the time on Ian’s track. “He was really good,” Christina said. “I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

Loughtown Cici ZA, a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse, owned and ridden by Chris Talley maintained a dressage score of 31.2 to move into third place.

The FEI horses will trot up for the ground jury tomorrow at 7 a.m. MST, and FEI showjumping begins at 9:00 a.m MST. The jog as well as all FEI show jumping will air live on RideOnVideo.net.

We’ll be back with much more tomorrow, and keep an eye on this post as we’ll be updating it with more photos!

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Volunteer] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Instagram]

From Horse Show Dad to Competitor: Clay Sanders’ Journey to Rebecca Farm

By on Jul 23, 2022 9:00 am -

Image courtesy of Clay Sanders.

Clay Sanders got his introduction to eventing like many other horse show dads – his daughter Libby joined Pony Club, was then introduced to the sport, and came home one day full of enthusiasm to become an event rider. Libby’s first attempts at eventing with her Haflinger left something to be desired … so the family purchased an off-track Thoroughbred with the help of Libby’s trainer, Erin Storey of Storey Tails Eventing in Boise, Idaho. The tall, dark brown gelding named So Gone never knew what was in store for him when he joined the Sanders family!

Libby and So Gone evented successfully in Area VII for a few years, and Clay was the ultimate horse show dad and volunteer. Then Libby paused riding to attend college. For a short time, Libby’s sister rode So Gone (he never did get a barn name, by the way), and then the family leased him to another young rider, but ultimately, he was hanging out in the pasture. Clay, who is an avid mountain biker and had ridden horses while hunting wildlife, had no experience with dressage or jumping. Naturally, it made sense for him to take up the ride on So Gone himself … (did it though??). Clay was matter-of-fact when he told me, “So Gong was languishing now in a in a pasture. How do you make the temperature of a room decrease by 40 degrees just like that? You tell your wife … I’m going to be a three day eventer. I’m riding that horse. At Rebecca Farm.”

Clay & Libby with So Gone. Photo by Erin Tomson.

Clay went on to say, “I hunted with that Haflinger for five or six years… now there is walking on a horse, and then there is riding on a horse. I didn’t understand the difference when I said I’m going to be an eventer and ride at Rebecca Farm.” Clay decided to take a lesson with Gary Mittleider because he felt like he could connect with another guy who rides. “I walk out there and tell him I want to ride at Rebecca next summer …it was like October so it would have been another seven months [until the event]. And I went out there in jeans. And that man kept a straight poker face. And me … it took me a little while to realize that it was gonna be a while to get here [to Rebecca Farm]. And a lot of pain. And a couple hundred dollars in those CO2 cartridges.”

With the goal of completing The Event at Rebecca Farm, Clay began training in earnest. I don’t think anyone really kept track, but Clay fell off … a lot. And he continued to get back on and try again. With his hunting background, it made perfect sense for Clay’s cross country color theme to be hunter orange. The Storey Tails team jokes that Clay is an “orange-ologist” because he has collected so many bright orange items of clothing, saddle pads, helmet covers, etc.

They also regaled me with the hilarity of Clay’s first recognized event at Spokane Sport Horse Farm in Spokane, WA. During his cross country warm-up, he promptly fell off at the first jump he attempted, so they quickly sent someone back to the trailer for a new CO2 cartridge for his air vest. A few minutes later, another incident resulted in Clay touching down again, just minutes before he was due on course. But he managed to get back on and out of the start box, and ride successfully around the course! Although he wasn’t seriously or permanently injured, Clay was certainly feeling it the next day, but completed his stadium jumping round thanks to sarcastic cheers from him team.

Clay at Golden Spike. Photo courtesy of Clay Sanders.

Joking aside, the Storey Tails team members are incredibly tight and supportive of each other. They have helped Clay throughout his road to Rebecca Farm and are incredibly proud of his hard work, determination, and improvement. It has been approximately four years since Clay decided he wanted to ride at Rebecca Farm and he’s had his coach and team behind him all the way. Clay puts orange duct tape on So Gone’s boots for cross country, and the team all signs their names on the tape before he goes on course. His daughters aren’t typically with him at the events these days, so Clay writes their names on the tape himself. However, Libby was able to make the trip to Rebecca Farm this year to cheer on her dad as he went for his ultimate goal.

Photo by Clay Sanders.

Clay also has another horse coming along now, and he was absolutely thrilled to compete alongside Libby in the same division at Golden Spike Horse Trials in Utah. “Libby hadn’t ridden for six years or done a recognized event [in a long time]. She and I were in the same class, and she was on So Gone; I was on my other horse. Kid wins it!” The two horses look very similar to each other, and with Clay and Libby both decked out in bright orange, it’s hard to tell them apart! Clay spoke very proudly of his daughter and the fact that the two of them could do the same sport together after so many years. He also advocates for how our sport provides an opportunity for young people to develop confidence and resilience.

Libby over the same jump at Golden Spike. Photo provided by Clay Sanders.

I’m extremely happy to report that on Friday July 22, 2022, Clay reached his goal of completing The Event at Rebecca Farm! He and So Gone finished in 13th place on a final score of 72.6. Congratulations, Clay, on working hard and making your dream come true!

Clay encourages other dads to try it out (he says he needs more old dudes to hang out with) and that if he can do it, so can others. “I guarantee you, there are a lot of dads out there that have watched their daughters kind of go through what I did. And then all of a sudden they’re stuck with a horse. Give it a try, Dad. Yeah. Live life with your leg on! Give it a try.”

The Event at Rebecca Farm: 
Website, Ride Times/Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Guide to Rebecca Farm, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Jul 23, 2022 12:01 am -

Let’s hope mother nature is a little kinder to the competitors when they’re out on their own on the steppe than it was during the last day of start camp. Photo via Mongol Derby on Facebook.

One of our favorite non-eventing-but-equally-if-not-more-insane events, the Mongol Derby, kicks off today!  I can pretty much guarantee you that this is something I’ll never do in my lifetime (unlike our own Leslie Wylie), but I enjoy following along every year and it’s exciting to have it back after a two year COVID postponement. Get to know the 2022 riders here!

U.S. Weekend Action

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Volunteer] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Instagram]

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Full Moon Farms Aloha H.T. (Finksburg, MD): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Camp Lake, WI): [Website] [Scoring]

Saturday Links:

Don’t Sweat It: Surviving Peak Season Heat for Horses and Riders

Piggy March: ‘Horses bring out the best in us’

It Really Doesn’t Matter What You Wear

Plan And Prepare For Natural Disasters

Winner Of The Week: Where’s My Tail Finds Her First Modified Win At Maryland

World Equestrian Brands Pick of the Week:

Saturday Video: Hear from CCI4*-L leaders Helen Alliston and Alyssa Phillips as interviewed by Jennie Brannigan!

 

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Rebecca Farm Dressage Completes: Helen Alliston Leads CCI4*-L

By on Jul 22, 2022 11:43 pm -

Photo by Hope Carlin.

The FEI competition at Rebecca Farm continued today with CCI2*-Long, CCI3*-Long, CCI4*- Short and CCI4*- Long dressage.

CCI2*-L

An overcast, cool morning kicked off with the CCI2*-L division. Grace Walker Alonzi and her self-owned horse, Frantz, a 16-year-old Westphalian, scored a 29.9 to lead the division. Grace said her horse was a bit spooky with the cool morning weather, but that he settled into his job and “going up centerline, I felt like he was with me.”

Helen Alliston and Alliston Equestrian’s Flinterro Z stand in second place with a score of 30.3. Helen started riding the 7-year-old Zangersheide in June after her husband, James Alliston, produced him as a youngster. “He’s a lovely horse. He’s young. But his temperament is amazing. He’s very quiet in dressage and quite hot to jump, which I like. He’s got a lot of energy. Normally, my goal for the jumping is just to not get bucked off because he’s … pretty playful. But yeah, I love him … especially for such a young horse. He’s just all business went in there, like a pro.”

Currently standing in third place with a score of 30.5 are Taren Hoffos and Regalla, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Carolyn Hoffos. “The Queen” aka Luna is a homebread for Taren, who said it is “pretty special to have ridden her throughout her whole life and produced her up to the level and she’s just wonderful. She’s the nicest horse I’ve ever sat on. She’s lovely. She was a bit tense at the beginning, but she got better and better as we went along and relaxed into it. And I’m really proud of her.”

 

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Lucienne Bellissimo and Caitane Z. Photo by Erin Brinkman for Shannon Brinkman photo.

CCI3*-S

The CCI3*-Short competitors completed dressage on Thursday. Lucienne Bellissimo holds the lead in the division with a score of 32.3 on Tremanton, a 10-year-old Trakehner owned by Horse Scout Eventing, LLC. Sitting in second with a score of 33.7 is Cinzano, an 11-year-old Holsteiner owned by Cellar Farm Corp and ridden by Amber Birtcil. Amber has been coming to Rebecca Farm for over 10 years and commented that “it’s such a destination event. And it’s always stunning … they always do such an amazing job here.”

Kaylawna Smith-Cook and AEV Above Authority follow in third on a score of 35.4. The 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse is owned by Marcella Ashton. Kaylawna said “it’s amazing here. I love the event.” She also praised her horse, saying “he’s done a couple of Intermediates so he’s new to the level and he really stepped up and just tried really hard for me so I’m super proud of him. I’m excited to get out there tomorrow.”

CCI3*-L

The scores in the 3*-Long division are very close. Liz Halliday-Sharp leads the group with a score of 29.4. Cooley Nutcracker is an Irish Sport Horse owned by Deborah Halliday, Renee Lane, Ocala Horse Properties and the rider. Liz was very complimentary of him, saying “this still a relatively new partnership for me with this horse. But he’s one that I think is a real one for the future. I really think the world of him he’s only an eight-year-old this year, and he’s still getting a lot stronger.”

 

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Lucienne Bellissimo and Caitane Z, an 11-year-old Westphalian owned by Horse Scout Eventing LLC, follow closely behind with a score of 30.8. Meg Pellegrini and her own RF Eloquence, a 17-year-old Holsteiner gelding, follow in third with a score of 31.9. Meg said this is her fourth season with the “old pro” and that she is “very lucky to get to sit on this horse, and to be able to be at this event is a huge honor … He knows what to do and he really gave it his all.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C. Photo by Hope Carlin.

CCI4*-S 

The top three placings after the 4*-Short dressage are held by Liz Halliday-Sharp and Tamie Smith. Liz is standing in first place with a 26.3 on Miks Master C, the 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer, and third place with a 29.1 on Deniro Z, the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood owned by Ocala Horse Properties, LLC. When reflecting on the horses’ performances today, Liz said, “It’s my first four star with the Miks Master C horse … I think he is totally world class. He’s an incredible horse. I’ve only been riding him for two months, just getting to know him.”

Liz was happy with Deniro’s test today, saying “You know, we’re very good friends me and Deniro. And we have a long history together … and I figured we’d have amazing grounds here at Rebecca Farm … he was very, very excited to be here.”

Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Hope Carlin.

Tamie and Danito, a 13-year-old Hanoverian, sit in second with a score of 28.2 in the CCI4*-Short.

Helen Alliston and Ebay. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

CCI4*-L

The FEI dressage concluded on Friday with the CCI4*-Long. 13 looks like a lucky number for this division, as the top three horses are all 13 years old! Helen Alliston sits in the top spot with her Oldenburg, Ebay, on a score of 28.9. Helen said “he was really wonderful” during his test and that Ebay always comes out as a professional.

Oskar, a Holsteiner owned and ridden by Alyssa Phillips, is currently in second with a 31.4. “He was really good” especially in the trot work and Alyssa said the canter work got a bit spicy, so she is excited for the cross country tomorrow. Tamie Smith and Dutch Warmblood Elliot V, owned by the Elliot V Partnership, sit in third place with a score of 32.7.

Helen Alliston and Ebay. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

The sun came back out by the end of the day and the gorgeous Montana skies are looking clear for FEI cross country on Saturday. Best of luck to all the horses and riders!

 

The Event at Rebecca Farm: 
Website, Ride Times/Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Guide to Rebecca Farm, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Friday Video: Out On Course in Pratoni with Alogo Analysis (and Andrew Hoy!)

By on Jul 22, 2022 5:00 pm -

We’re enormously lucky to live in something of a technology boom for our sport as sport science, data, and performance analysis tools become more and more commonplace to help us hit those marginal gains and see huge results across the levels. Among the newest pieces of kit available on the market is the Alogo Move Pro sensor, which collects data throughout your ride and then presents it back to you in an easily accessible way, allowing you to review and refine your performances with quantifiable information to guide your decisions. But that’s all a lot of big words, really — to get the feel for the Alogo, it’s best to see it in action. Fortunately for all of us, we’ve got the chance to see what performance data can really do in this cross-country hatcam video from Pratoni’s test event in May, where Australia’s Andrew Hoy took it for a test ride with Bloom des Hauts Crets. Welcome to the future.

Watch The Event at Rebecca Farm Live Stream

By on Jul 22, 2022 3:00 pm -

Photo via EN.

In an ideal world we’d all be in Kalispell, Montana this week, watching eventers do their thing beneath bright blue skies that seem to go on forever. A warm breeze fluttering our hair, lavender-hued mountains towering in the distance, maybe looking forward to a little dip in the lake at the end of the day … Sadly, Montana is, like, REALLY far away for most of us. Thankfully event organizers in cooperation with Ride on Video have gone above and beyond to provide extensive live stream coverage so that all of us stuck at home can follow along.

Here is a link to the schedule (add +2 hours to convert Mountain Time to Eastern Standard Time).

The Event at Rebecca Farm Live Stream

Riders, be sure to support our sport’s hardworking videographers and photographers by purchasing your official Rebecca Farm videos (Ride on Video) and photos (Shannon Brinkman Photo). Please visit The Event at Rebecca Farm Facebook Event for more information.

The Event at Rebecca Farm: 
Website, Ride Times/Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Guide to Rebecca Farm, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Volunteer Nation: Three Events That Could Use a Hand This Weekend

By on Jul 22, 2022 10:30 am -

Photo via Full Moon Farm on Instagram.

Time to dig that Hawaiian shirt out from the back of your closet (or hula skirt, or lei, or whatever you feel moved by the beachy spirit to wear) … it’s Full Moon Farm Aloha H.T. week! Volunteers will get a front-row seat to the action, so head on over to EventingVolunteers.com to get signed up for a shift.

As always, you can earn merit points when you donate your time through the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program. Registering to volunteer through EventingVolunteers.com makes it easy and seamless to both find a job and shift as well as learn what your role will entail.

USEA Events

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. – July 22nd to July 24th, 2022

Full Moon Farm Aloha Horse Trials – July 24th, 2022

Other Events

Barnstaple South Schooling Show – July 23rd, 2022 to July 24th, 2022

On Course With Ian Stark at Rebecca Farm: 4*-L XC Course Preview

By on Jul 22, 2022 9:30 am -

Photo by Erin Tomson.

Ample rainfall this year has made for clear, smoke-free skies, and beautiful footing on the cross country course at Rebecca Farm. Riders can expect a characteristically challenging but fair 4*-Long course from FEI course designer Ian Stark. I gathered some super cool insights and only bounced off the back of the golf cart once as we toured the course today.

The original course, designed by Mark Phillips, went counterclockwise around the property, and ran in that direction for approximately a decade. Ian Stark changed the direction and design of the course when he took over as designer and it has run primarily clockwise around Rebecca Farm for the past decade. This year, Ian has changed up the direction and design of the course again and created quite a few new challenges for horses and riders.

After an inviting first fence, Ian sends the horses up and over the large mound for fence number two. It’s not an especially hard question, but it does make the horses and riders start thinking and making decisions very early in the course. Ian said it keeps them from “mucking around” and “I need them to concentrate and focus from the get-go.” In other words, no wasting time! Ian introduces quite a bit of terrain very early in the course, and the first combination presents at 3AB. “It’s not horrifically difficult, but it is pretty testing for horses that have just started. So it’s important that the horses and riders are warmed up correctly.” The horses will come galloping up the hill to 3A and there is very little time to line up and find the correct line to the narrow brush at 3B.

The riders have a bit of a breather at fences four and five, and then into the Ogopogo water at 6ABCD. They jump in over an alligator and then take a bending line left through the water and over the “gator bait” which is a roast chicken. Then the horses will travel over the island and through the trees to jump a log drop back into the water, and finally continue up the hill on a sharp bending right line to jump a narrow tabasco sauce bottle. “Hot stuff,” as Ian cheekily says.

Photo by Erin Tomson.

I asked him what the most challenging part of this question would be, to which he replied, “I think the first two elements are fine, but if they’re a bit sticky at the third element – and it’s a big drop – then it might muck up the striding to the angled tabasco sauce bottle and there’s a real risk of running out or chipping in a little stride.”

Fence 7 is a big solid gallop fence, which Ian set on a curved line of approach. He explained that on a long straight gallop it’s quite difficult to get both the speed and the balance right, “so by putting the bigger classes on a turn, it forces them to slow down… and it stops them from running the risk of galloping like nutcases at a big table.”

8AB presents some gnarly terrain if I do say so! 8A is a narrow, angled brush and on landing the terrain takes the horse down a deep hollow, and back up to part B in just four strides. “When you’re in the bottom looking up at that, it looks like a massive wall. And then you’ve got to hold onto your line and jump the B element. It looks horrific … but it should ride really well. He says because he’s not riding hahaha – I’m now an armchair event rider!” Oh Ian, you have quite the sense of humor!

A quick reprieve from technical fences at number nine is quickly followed by an interesting choice at 10AB. Ian has flagged the entire, wide face of 10A, allowing the riders to choose one of two very different lines. If riders choose to approach part A on the far left, they save quite a few strides (and thus time) but run the risk of a runout at part B due to the severe angle they will be jumping on. If they choose to approach part A of the far right, they have a much straighter approach to the B element but add quite a few strides on the approach. “It will be interesting to see what they do. They have a choice, and I love to give riders a choice and make them think… and then they usually screw up when they’re thinking too much,” he said with good humor.

Photo by Erin Tomson.

The second half of the course continues in the same pattern of challenging, technical combinations alternating with galloping type fences. Ian tasks riders with having the right combination of speed and balance throughout each element on the course. Fences 13ABC take the horses through the main water complex: a big jump into the water at 13A is followed by an up bank and bounce for elements B and C. The horses will need to maintain a significant amount of power to successfully jump up the bank and bounce over part C, then continue up the hill toward the VIP tents before they “take a deep breath, turn, and launch into orbit” at number 14. The massive drop is followed by 15AB, back into the water at the bottom and a right-handed bending line out over an angled corner. I can barely breathe just thinking about it!

Ian said he really likes fences 17AB because “it’s all about the horse staying on its line and the rider being in balance. With long reins.” The last combination on the course is “tough enough” according to Ian. A big galloping fence at element A is followed by a six-stride line to quite a challenging angle over elements B and C in two strides. “But if they’re a bit tired, they can swing out and add a bit more time and distance to it. So that’s why you’ve got to be agile and adjustable to turn in the air and then still hold the line.”

The final three fences are all big, solid galloping fences. However, Ian set all of them on curved approaches to keep the riders thinking and to prevent them from going too fast at the end, particularly if they’re trying to make up time. “The 4*-L course is 5,710 meters, which makes it 10 minutes and about 3 or 4 seconds to ride.” Ian said it’s only a smidge over minimum length, but he takes into account the higher elevation here in Montana. Many of the horses running at this level are used to training at or near sea-level, so an increase in elevation makes a difference in how easily they can tire on course. He emphasized several times during our tour today that horse welfare is the number one concern. The last jump is brightly painted in blues and greens to make it stand out visually to the horses, so they jump sharply at the end.

Best of luck to all the horses and riders out there on Saturday – we’ll be cheering you on!

The Event at Rebecca Farm: 
Website, Ride Times/Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Guide to Rebecca Farm, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Friday News & Notes Presented by Zoetis

By on Jul 22, 2022 12:01 am -

Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit. Photo by Abby Powell.

There’s some big news out of Bromont: it’s under new ownership! The group of new owners consists of six neighbors local to the area, all of whom are passionate about saving the facility — which hosted the equestrian events of the 1976 Montreal Olympics — from development and modernizing it so that it can continue to host major eventing, show jumping, and dressage events. How inspiring is it to have a group of local folks so invested in preserving a piece of local history and making it an asset to the community? Read more about their big plans via Horse Sport here.

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Volunteer] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Instagram]

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Full Moon Farms Aloha H.T. (Finksburg, MD): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Camp Lake, WI): [Website] [Scoring]

News from Around the Globe:

Today is the last day to enter our 9th Blogger Contest! We can’t wait to dive in to decide our first round finalists, and if you fancy the chance at a paid gig writing for EN and want to add your name to the pile, click here to view the entry post!

Cheers to The Event at Rebecca Farm, which turns 21 years old this weekend! Not only are the Broussard family, who own the facility and organize the event, celebrating the continuation of their prestigious event; they’re also celebrating one of the largest East Coast contingents that they’ve had travel to the event within the last decade, as well as the return of over 150 Canadian competitors who had been unable to attend in recent years due to Covid restrictions. Oh — and they’re also hosting a little something call the AECs later this year! [The Event Turns 21]

Speaking of The Event at Rebecca Farm: keep an eye out for Jules Ennis Batters, who won the Ocala Horse Properties Rebecca Farm Flight Grant. She and her mount, Cooley O, will be contesting the CCI4*-S. After a confidence-building spring, Jules is hoping to jumpstart her fall season with a competitive run around Montana. [One To Watch: Batters Heads To Rebecca Farm For A Dose Of Confidence]

“A Ferrari with flat tires will still beat a Mini with Pirellis.” You might have to Google “Pirellis” (I did), but I bet you still get the gist of quote from incredibly successful British racehorse trainer Mark Johnston. When it comes to buying racehorse prospects, he and his son Charlie don’t poke and prod at every little possible issue that presents itself on a radiograph. Their motto is to look for a quality horse first and worry about soundness issues when and if they ever crop up. [‘We’re Not At The Sales To Buy Clean X-Rays-We’re There To Buy A Racehorse’]

Thursday Video: Ride Around Aachen with Ingrid Klimke’s Up-And-Coming Superstar Siena

By on Jul 21, 2022 5:32 pm -

It’s not at all uncommon to see hatcam footage from Ingrid Klimke, who’s always been enormously generous with the educational tools at her disposal — but most of the time, that footage comes from rides with her recently retired top-level superstar, SAP Hale Bob OLD. This time, though, we’re getting to see rather a different ride around CHIO Aachen’s CCIO4*-S, because the horse she’s riding, Equistros Siena Just Do It, is much more inexperienced and still learning about navigating top-end technical courses. They didn’t have a perfect round — the exuberant ten-year-old mare picked up 40 jumping penalties out on course — but that makes it even more of an interesting, insightful watch, particularly when paired with SAP’s performance analysis data and running commentary from Ingrid herself. This’ll be one that’s worth bookmarking for a rewatch.