Classic Eventing Nation

A Different Answer to Performance Problems with Tyler Held

By on Jul 20, 2022 9:40 am -

Joining EN as a regular columnist, Tyler Held is a professional groom and Sport and Performance Psychology Consultant. You may have seen her over the last few years working for 5* rider Jennie Brannigan or listened to an episode of her podcast, The Whole Equestrian. Tyler started riding in summer camp at the age of 5 and essentially never looked back. She obtained her Undergraduate degrees in Animal Science and Equine Business Management from the University of Findlay in 2014. During this time, she spent her summers doing her first working student job at an eventing barn and quickly became obsessed with the sport. After experiencing some mental blocks in her own riding, she decided to focus on grooming and learning more about Sport Psychology. In 2017 she moved to Chester County, PA to work as a Vet Tech and groom for Dr. Kevin Keane, which opened a lot of doors in the eventing community. Just as she finished her Master’s Degree in Sport and Performance Psychology, she took the reins at Brannigan Eventing as head groom. Now partially retired from grooming, Tyler is focusing on finishing up her Doctorate and requirements to be a Certified Mental Performance Coach (CMPC).

Tyler Held, head groom for Jennie Brannigan, shares a moment with FE Lifestyle. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Imagine you’re tacking up your horse up for competition. You go to tighten the girth and you start to notice that your hands are shaking. Your heartbeat gets louder and you start to find it difficult to breathe. You try to go through your cross country course but you find that your mind is filled with doubt. Thoughts like “I’m not good enough”, “that fence looks really big”, “I’ve fallen off at something similar to that before” or “don’t screw up” demand your attention.

You get on and try to tell yourself to breathe, but it’s too late — fear, panic, and uncertainty have sealed your fate for the day, and the results are far from desirable.

Now imagine you get to do it all over again. You have the same fears and doubts and yet you’ve learned to question, master, and control them. You’ve spent time practicing how to redirect negative thoughts, and you come into an event feeling confident and prepared. You still feel the butterflies in your stomach as you go to tighten your girth, but when you visualize your course you think to yourself “I’ve got this.” You are cool, calm and collected and while this doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is going to go according to plan, you are much better equipped to deal with things that do go wrong.

The difference between the former and the latter comes down to a choice. How are you going to master your mindset as you ride and compete?

When I personally competed in eventing, I made a lot of errors with my mindset and struggled with debilitating competition anxiety. My own journey in riding led me to the field of Sport and Performance Psychology, first by working with a SPP practitioner to help me get through some mental blocks and now as a practitioner myself so that I can help provide others with the same support.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Held.

I’ve held various jobs in the eventing industry, from working student, to barn manager, to groom and even vet tech, getting to experience the sport as a rider and as a groom, from unrecognized Starter Trials to international 5* competitions. Regardless of the level, however, it seemed everywhere I turned, someone was under mental pressure and stress.

At the Starter Trials, I saw weekend warriors worried they hadn’t had enough time to prepare, as they’ve managed their professional lives, families and horses. When I got to travel overseas with the U.S. Equestrian Team, I got to see and understand what it is like to have a team that is counting on you and see the difference between wanting to do well and having to do well. Even as a groom, I was presented with many mental challenges and obstacles to overcome.

Throughout my journey, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: this sport isn’t easy and mindset plays a large role in an equestrian’s ability to find enjoyment and to perform at their best, regardless of their age, experience or skill level.

Now that I’m semi-retired from grooming, I am putting most of my energy into the completion of my Doctorate (8 credits and 6 months to go!) and am excited to share what I have learned with athletes across the country.

Thanks to the bravery and vulnerability of athletes at high levels, the narrative around mental health is beginning to shift and we are seeing more of a need and acceptance for mental skills training. That being said, it is a common misconception that sport psychology is reserved for “problem athletes”. My work is just as relevant to someone who hopes to optimize and enjoy their performance as someone who hopes to ‘fix’ a problem. Surely most who compete in sports are hoping to win, however when our sights are set on only an outcome, we lose so much of what we can stand to gain from participating in sports.

As I build my practice in Sport and Performance Psychology, I am realistically aware of the sacrifices made by athletes who are at the top 1% of their sport. To these athletes, things like balance and health are sometimes elusive. However, I feel these issues often get skipped over by equestrians of all levels.

When our horse isn’t quite right, we tend to look at the problem from every avenue possible; perhaps we need to have the saddle fitter out, make an adjustment in shoeing, scope for ulcers or get some body work done. However, when riders deal with setbacks there is a greater tendency to “grit your teeth” and “push through it”.

Through this column, I hope to inspire a different answer to these performance problems. The fact of the matter is, equestrian sports have so many variables that we can’t control. As I take the time to discuss topics such as mental toughness, resilience, emotional regulation, and confidence, I encourage you to start to shift your mindset to the variables that you can control and find enjoyment and success along the way.

Some topics to look forward to in the future include:

  • Work/life/horse balance
  • How to look set effective goals (and why you shouldn’t just be focused on winning ribbons)
  • Mental health
  • The dangers of social comparison

You can find more information about me at www.thewholeequestrian.com or find me on Instagram @onthevergebjj or @thewholeequestrian.

Have a topic or a question you’d like answered in a future column? Leave it in the comments or drop me a DM on social media.

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on Jul 20, 2022 12:01 am -

I know I harp on about Strides for Equality Equestrians way too much (I think it’s my neverending FOMO of all the cool things the Ever So Sweet Scholarship recipients get to do), but this post was just too great to share. I think one of the best things about getting any sort of opportunity in this industry is the potential for making lasting connections. Sara Kozumplik has been the coach for the Ever So Sweet Scholarship (which is currently accepting applications for this Fall/Winter!) for three cycles now, and it’s great to see the ongoing mentorship and friendship that continues between previous recipients Helen Casteel and Sierra Lesny. Can I join the club yet?

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] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

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

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

Wednesday News & Reading

The Summer Olympics in Los Angeles may be 6 years away, but that doesn’t stop me from being unhealthily excited (despite the fact that — don’t hate me — LA might be one of my least favorite places in California) for #LA28. This week, the IOC announced that the 2028 Olympics would be held July 14-30. While we won’t have official news on venues until closer to the Games, we can say with some certainty that equestrian sports will be held at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Center to the northwest of Los Angeles-proper.

Get to know the horses and riders competing at Rebecca Farm this weekend! It’s a competitive field across the board and we have a healthy contingent of East coast-based horses ready to hit the Montana ground running. Check out the USEA’s Fast Facts here.

We can actually learn a lot about human anxiety from equine behavior. Governing primarily based on a “fight or flight” response as prey animals, horses elicit much of the same mannerisms and behaviors during a flight or fear response as we humans do when experiencing anxiety. So, is there knowledge to be gleaned from working with horses that can then be transferred to treating anxiety? This interesting read from Psychology Today dives right in to that question.

It’s (really) the final week to enter our 9th Blogger Contest! We can’t wait to dive in to decide our first round finalists, and if you want to add your name to the pile click here to view the entry post!

Want shiny boots in 30 seconds? Try this trick with Sterling Essentials:

Sponsor Corner:

Wednesday Video Break

We are less than 60 days out from #Pratoni2022 — can you even??

Tuesday Video: Clinic-ing with Lucinda Green

By on Jul 19, 2022 3:30 pm -

Waco, Texas-based eventer Anna Pierce of AMP Equestrian recently took her 5-year-old mare, Lilly, to learn from British multi-medalist and six-time Badminton winner Lucinda Green during a recent Succeed Masterclass — and we’re lucky enough to get to tag along with her in this recap video.

Anna takes us through the clinic stage by stage, detailing what Lucinda was looking for, what exercises she suggested for the riders, and how she and her mare responded to the education. It’s always so interesting to see a young horse learning, and Lilly seems to really take the challenges in front of her well in stride thanks to a confident pilot!

Anna’s channel is full of awesome content, so take a second to give her a follow.

Human On Stall Rest Vol. 4: Moving On and Moving Up

By on Jul 19, 2022 9:15 am -

The subject of an Amateur’s Corner interview in 2021, Elena Perea is an Emergency Room physician who balances work, family life, and competing in Area II. In her latest blog, she brings us an update on her recovery. If you missed them, catch up on Vols. 1-3: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3

All smiles for a goal achieved. Photo courtesy of GRC Photo.

Orthopedist: “Everything looks great. I think you can start doing some things again. What aren’t you doing that you want to do?”

Me: Nothing

O: What do you mean? You aren’t doing anything dangerous, are you?

Me: …

O: What are you doing?

Me: Horseback riding.

O: OMG you’re not jumping or anything… ?

Me: Yes, of course I am.

O: Well. I guess we got you this far.

And on that note, at 14 weeks post-op, I was released to do things (with the caveat that I should try not to fall off for six more weeks). Beez went around one more Prelim with a pro (The Fork! No Joke!), then she came home for good. Wresting the horse from my small boy’s hands was more complicated than I anticipated — he convinced me to let him take her to May Daze at the Kentucky Horse Park on Memorial Day weekend. We drove to Lexington and my magical creature very kindly took Teddy around his very first Beginner Novice.

She was perfect all weekend, although a little bit of a fire-breathing dragon in the cross country warmup. At one point, very plaintively, tiny Ted said to me, “You’re sending me out there to die!” But he left the start box, and crossed the finish line in one piece.

It was the next week, when I went for a lesson — maybe my second since I’d been released by the surgeon — that I had the crazy idea of doing an event in June. I talked to JM, and his enthusiastic response was something to the effect of “Hell yes!” … and he suggested I enter at Preliminary. What kind of magical animal goes Beginner Novice with a 65-pound 12-year-old one month, and Preliminary with a questionably sound middle-aged amateur the next? If you guessed a fractious Thoroughbred mare known to take various people out to die, you’d be right.

The spring had been delightfully mild, and I suffer from heat amnesia. Every year, I swear I am not showing in the summer, and every year since I’ve moved to the mountains, I forget I said that because it doesn’t get into the 90s here. In COVID year, I ran FENCE in June -— not so bad, still on the side of a mountain. Last year, it was Champagne Run in Lexington, where it was cool and rainy. This year, I chose the Face of the Sun, AKA Stable View Aiken, because I make very poor life decisions.

Ted and Beez made it through their first BN together! Photo courtesy of Eileen Dimond.

So, to review: I hadn’t been to a horse show since October. I had only been back in the saddle (after four months out of it) in a limited way since March. I jumped my first jump in six months in April. And I entered my first Preliminary on the Face of the Sun in June. Cool, cool.

The forecast the week before was for high temperatures in the low 100s; happily, the forecast improved by game time to mid-90s. My very excellent friend Lei Ryan agreed to come be my emotional support human. My friend Kathy Viele let us crash at her wonderful farm, kept me too busy to freak out, and came to cheer. We had our usual stinker of a first dressage test of the year together, so I was not in danger of doing something stupid like trying to get a ribbon.

I had what I can probably safely characterize as the best stadium jumping round of my life, remembering all the pieces and parts, and riding the plan. Heading to the start box, I was oddly calm. I had walked that cross country course no fewer than seven times on my feet (hundreds in my head). Fence 4 was the biggest table on course set at the precipice of doom with a downhill landing. I figured if we jumped that, we were getting around. When we crawled over it, and she still put her ears forward looking for the next, I might actually have squealed.

It was not perfect: I missed the second element of the angled 2-stride brush (I hate those). But SHE was perfect. She jumped every one of those giant tables beautifully. She was fast, and good with her feet, and so honest. I crossed the finish line with the feeling of elation that accompanies a dopamine surge, the one I’d been missing since the fall. This was a goal I’d set for myself 20 years ago, when I started eventing at the beginning of medical school. I have wanted to ride at the Prelim level for that long, and now I’ve done it.

In a way, I’m thankful I got hurt in December. I made lemonade out of a really foul fruit by having really good help from my friends and trainers. I doubt I would have sent her to JM like I was able to do without the injury. I think we would have eventually gotten around Prelim without it, but I know she’s a more confident beast having had the pro ride, and I was more confident riding knowing she had already done it.

Photo courtesy of GRC Photo.

This is my last update on this particular injury path. I wasn’t hurt on a horse (remember, I tripped?), but I know a lot of people are. I think I had a pretty similar path to folks, no matter what the injury.

I was mad, and sad, and physically compromised for a long time. I had to ask for help, which is really hard. The time off the horse actually improved some of my bad habits and some of my good instincts. The time with a different rider definitely helped Beez, and won her some new fans.

I don’t look forward to the next time I have to ride this particular roller coaster, but I know I can emerge on the other side of it when my time comes again. Beez has also cemented her place in my family for the rest of her life. My kid has fallen in love, and plans to take her to Young Riders. So, there’s that.

Tuesday News & Notes from Ocala Horse Properties

By on Jul 19, 2022 6:59 am -

How cool is this? Not only have twelve East Coast-based horses — including the Ocala Horse Properties travel grant winners! — landed safely from their first-class flight to Rebecca Farm, their arrival was actually caught on camera and documented for a local news channel.

We’re SO excited to return to Big Sky Country for Rebecca Farm’s unique event, and we’ll be bringing some super coverage to you via our on-site reporter, Erin Tomson. Keep it locked onto EN for all the news and updates you need,

Events Opening Today: Bucks County Horse Park H.T., Seneca Valley PC H.T., Chattahoochee Hills H.T., Silverwood Farm Fall H.T., Course Brook Farm Fall H.T., Park Equine Kentucky Classique H.T., USEA AEC, $60,000 Adequan Advanced Final, and ATC Finals,

Events Closing Today: Galway Downs Summer H.T., Flora Lea Farm Mini Event, Hoosier Horse Trials, Spring Gulch H.T., River Glen Summer H.T., Cobblestone Farms H.T. II, Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T., Olney Farm H.T., Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials

Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:

The US Equestrian Trust has awarded Fair Hill the biggest non-profit grant of its 2022 allocations. The much-loved venue has been given $10,000 to help support improvements to the infrastructure on site, giving competitors plenty to look forward to when they return to Maryland. [Roll on that five-star]

We can’t all be lucky enough to have our horses on full-service livery yards, where all the dirty stuff is done and the fun bits are the focus. But ask any backyard barn owner and they’ll probably tell you they wouldn’t trade having their horses at home for anything. There are plenty of pros and cons to the situation — as this funny piece from Heels Down points out. [Flip-flops for mucking out? Groundbreaking.]

You might get husband envy from this one. If you’ve ever daydreamed of having the perfect horse simply appear in a stable one day, you’ll love this story of an international surprise gift and some serious logistics-wrangling. [I’m updating my Hinge profile]

All hail Ingrid Klimke. The superstar isn’t just on the longlist for the German eventing team at the World Championships in September — she’s also just been selected for the German dressage team with her Grand Prix partner Franziskus 15. [Is there anything she can’t do?]

Sponsor Corner:

I can’t stop thinking about this gorgeous house and barn near the Florida Horse Park. With 38 stalls in total, 12 paddocks, a main residence and a staff house, it’s a turnkey equestrian centre set-up that’ll help you hit the ground running if you’ve had an Ocala move on the cards.

Watch This:

Ever considered taking your horses swimming to improve their fitness? Here’s a look at what you can expect if you do, thanks to British vlogger Meg Elphick:

Monday Video: Figuring Out Flying Changes

By on Jul 18, 2022 3:00 pm -

Ah, flying changes. The crux of the upper-level dressage tests, these movements can really make or break a score.

As a lower level rider myself who’s never ridden one (at least intentionally or properly) in a test, the exact execution of a correct flying change remains a bit mysterious to me. Dressage rider Amelia Newcomb sheds some light on the aids for this tricky movement and lets us in on some of the secrets for success (spoiler alert: it’s all about the set up!) Whether you’re a dressage-curious amateur like me or an old pro, you can take something away from this great instructional video.

Finding the Message in the Mess with Daniel Stewart

By on Jul 18, 2022 10:28 am -

Athletic endeavors are hard, no matter the sport; however, all of us that ride and enjoy horses
know they also add challenges that simply don’t exist in any other sport. Eventing is
complicated, full of unexpected situations, and honestly most of the factors at a competition
are out of our control. Coach and Clinician Daniel Stewart is spot on when he says, “Skis don’t spook at snow! There aren’t any chestnut mare tennis rackets that refuse to load in the car!”

We train and train on the physical aspects of riding but spend much less time focusing on the mental challenges that our sport presents, which is ridiculous when you think about it. In addition to the sometimes unpredictable nature of our equine partners, we riders also put a tremendous amount of pressure on ourselves – not only to perform well for ourselves and others, but to do right by our horses. That pressure can fill our brains with destructive thought processes and severely limit our ability to ride well.

I spent the 4th of July holiday participating in a clinic with Daniel Stewart, which was organized by Julie Stephens of Leading Edge Equestrian in Spokane, WA. Julie met Daniel at the United States Pony Club annual meeting in Sacramento many years ago and has been hosting his clinics for twenty years. “I keep having him back because the affirmation of his positive approach is amazing,” Julie said. She uses many of Daniel’s exercises in lessons with her riders and said, “we practice tough, which is why I believe our horses jump so well.”

Coach Daniel Stewart provides clinics to equestrians in order to “pressure proof” their riding.
Photo by Erin Tomson.

Under Julie’s leadership and instruction, the Leading Edge riders are incredibly supportive and encouraging of other riders (from their own and other barns), which is wonderful to see. Daniel rightfully says that “riding is like juggling a chainsaw, a hotdog, a kitten, and a cactus!” Our sport is hard, challenges are inevitable, and we all do better when we cheer for each other. If you top a positive attitude with good practices for both the mental and physical aspects of riding, you might just have a “BOOYA-CRACKALACKA” moment where it all comes together!

Participants Cheyenne and Karlynn demonstrate the positive and supportive atmosphere developed.
Photo by Kelsey McCarty of KMC Equine.

Daniel’s clinics are unique. The jumps stay small and simple, but don’t be fooled… the challenge
comes in the rules of the game. He intentionally gives riders too many directions to follow, so
everyone is guaranteed to make mistakes, no matter how good or experienced a rider they are.

For example, he might give you instructions to jump a course of 6 fences beginning with #2 and
ending with #4 (the fences are numbered, and all can be jumped from both directions), no
repeating jumps, two changes of direction, count your strides out loud (e.g. three strides before each fence), and an optimum time of 45 seconds. You receive these instructions while you
canter a courtesy circle, and then you immediately begin your round, which means you have no
time to process the information and make a plan. He times you and you get penalties for being
under or over the optimum time, as well as making mistakes on the directions, and chipping in
or jumping long. If you have more than 7 penalties in one round…. Get off your horse and do 50
sit-ups! Doesn’t that sound fun?! With Daniel, it is as fun as it is challenging! Among the primary reasons for these exercises are to practice under pressure and learn to be okay with making mistakes.

We put so much time, energy, money, etc. into preparing for competitions, and when we get
there, we feel nervous and might have performance anxiety. Daniel’s unmounted sports
psychology seminars help riders learn what causes these show jitters and learn strategies to
combat them. In the seminar portion of his clinic, we learned that the fear of failure can top
that list. We all have imperfections, which we prefer to keep hidden, so when we put ourselves
on display, we risk others seeing our flaws or mistakes. The fear of letting someone down is also common — what if I let my HORSE down by not riding well or making a mistake? What will my parents, coach, friends, teammates, or sponsors think of me? Daniel addresses this by saying that we typically define our horses and the people in our lives based on effort, but we usually define ourselves based on outcomes.

Everyone is bound to make mistakes. But working to better understand how to cope and move forward is critical to an athlete.
Photo provided by Daniel Stewart.

There is power in realizing that you and only you create pressure. That means you can also
remove that pressure. Daniel pushes riders to practice under pressure so you can learn to stay
calm and make good decisions. He says, “Equestrians don’t make mistakes, mistakes make
equestrians. It makes them bolder and braver and brighter.” The only guarantee is that you are
going to make mistakes. Learn to be okay with that because messing up is how we learn. The
key, however, is to find the message within the mess.

Remember that mistakes are outcomes, so we shouldn’t focus on them. Whereas finding the message in your mistake takes effort. I really like this strategy because it gives me permission to be human! Humans are imperfect, just make an effort to learn from the mistakes and not repeat the same ones – that’s progress.

That’s not to say that mistakes don’t hurt or that you shouldn’t feel bad about them. Daniel
says you should feel bad about making a mistake and allow yourself a moping period to process
the error. However, your moping period should be proportional to the severity of the mistake.
He recommends three seconds to three minutes. Three seconds is a long time when it occurs
after you pull a rail in your 1-minute stadium round! Three minutes may not be long enough to
process the error if you pulled on the reins, took your leg off, caused your horse to drop a rail on the last fence, and knocked yourself out of first place… but the idea is to allow yourself to feel those emotions and then tell yourself “OK move on!” You can choose to come back into the present moment and not continue to dwell in the moping zone.

Personally, I find that cheering on my friends and fellow competitors helps me move out of the moping zone. Root for each other, enjoy other people’s successes, and remind yourself “I did my best” even if your best was messy and imperfect. In most cases, we did do our best and we should be proud of that. Keep practicing and next time your best can be even better. As Daniel says, “Riding is tough, but so are you.”

As Daniel Stewart says, “Riding is tough, but so are you.” And we are better when we cheer each other on.
Photo by Erin Tomson.

If you coach other riders, you might be interested in Daniel’s Instructor Certification Program,
which he is relaunching in Fall 2022.

Weekend Winners: Champagne Run & Maryland H.T.

By on Jul 18, 2022 9:00 am -

 

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Some victories earn you a blue ribbon. Others — safely and successfully moving up a level, for instance — earn you something even more important: that feeling of accomplishment that comes when your hard work pays off. To everyone who experienced victory this weekend, congrats!

An extra high-five to this weekend’s lowest scoring winners in the country: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Maybach, who won their Preliminary/Training division at Champagne Run on their dressage score of 22.1. And an honorable mention to Hannah Reeser and Ltl Ireland Summer Soldier, winners of Open Novice, who scored a 22.2.

And now, your weekend winners!

The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, MD): [Results]

Open Intermediate A: Nicholas Beshear & Rio De Janeiro (34.4)
Open Intermediate B: Phillip Dutton & Hachi (32.2)
Open Preliminary: Lauren Nicholson & Landmark’s Monte Carlo (32.2)
Preliminary Rider: Noah Stanlaske & DHI Showman (36.0)
Modified Rider: Gianna Fernandez & Excel Star Vero Amore (35.8)
Open Modified A: Courtney Sendak & Where’s My Tail (25.3)
Open Modified B: Erin Kanara & Royal Empress (36.2)
Junior Open Training: Lainey Phillips & Global Exellencia Z (31.7)
Open Training A: Michael Pendleton & Rathmoylan Bay (25.0)
Open Training B: Mia Farley & Newtown Ziva (26.2)
Training Rider A: Shona Ensign & Emmelie (33.6)
Training Rider B: Kaylyn Cunningham & Ollivander (29.2)
Junior Open Novice: Quidley Kellermann & Cruising Along (23.9)
Novice Rider A: Elizabeth Davis & Road to Redemption (27.2)
Novice Rider B: Maci Finley & Doc (Classified Mission) (28.3)
Open Novice A: Jasmine Hobart & Jumpin’ Jack Flash (30.8)
Open Novice B: Krissy Smith Shellenberger & Quantum K (24.7)
Open Novice C: Elizabeth Stewart & Speedy M (28.6)
Beginner Novice Rider A: Megan Nock & Breezy (27.8)
Beginner Novice Rider B: AJ Carter & Texas Avalanche (23.2)
Junior Open Beginner Novice: Lillian Weidner & Just Keep Swimming (29.1)
Open Beginner Novice: Victoria Miller & CCS Falathiel (28.8)
Future Event Horse – Two Year Old: Joe DeSantis & Alla’Gancze NBF (78.8)
Future Event Horse – Three Year Old: Joe DeSantis & Utah Beach (78.4)
Future Event Horse – Four Year Old: Caitlyn Ballas & Windy Mosh (77.55)
Future Event Horse – Yearling: Bill Payne & VV Aniyah (75.4)
Young Event Horse – Four Year Old: Nicholas Hansen & Excel Star Montgomery (79.55)
Young Event Horse – Five Year Old: Diego Farje & Sky Moon (78.55)

Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY): [Results]

Preliminary/Training: Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp & Maybach (22.1)
Modified/Training: Sara Irvine & Tiz True (30.0)
Junior Training Rider: Hannah Willford & Kontiki (30.2)
Open Training: Julia Spatt & Uptown Funk (29.3)
Senior Training Rider: Gabbie Van Scoy & Cuernsey Z (29.1)
Training/Novice: Kimberly Hicks & Warwick Clover (33.1)
Junior Novice Rider – A: Katherine Stern & M & M (34.7)
Junior Novice Rider – B: Paige Borylo & Talisker (24.2)
Novice Horse: Alison Zeitlin & Royal Report (24.2)
Open Novice: Hannah Reeser & Ltl Ireland Summr Soldier (22.2)
Senior Novice Rider – A: Elliana Sanchez & Chronicles of Jabez (28.1)
Senior Novice Rider – B: Alyssa Cairo & Paddington (25.0)
Senior Novice Rider – C: Sydney McHorse & Sound Prospect (27.2)
Beginner Novice Horse – A: Emily Aschbacher & River’s Edge (34.1)
Beginner Novice Horse – B: April Hays & Anteros HSH (23.7)
Jr BG Novice Rider – A: Sophie Donohoo & Redfield Riptide (24.7)
Jr BG Novice Rider – B: Claire Rigney & Ballyerk Comet (25.6)
Open Beginner Novice: Sarah Redmond & Security (30.6)
Sr BG Novice Rider – A: Laura Schweigert & Nash Badash (29.4)
Sr BG Novice Rider – B: Alexandra Riddle & Rock Shandy (29.7)
Junior Starter – A: Audra Pierce & Jubilicious (30.7)
Junior Starter – B: Claudia Pouncey & Birdie (29.3)
Senior Starter – A: Kimberly Bradley & Rosalind Franklin (33.3)
Senior Starter – B: Corinna Lewis & Antebellum Potrakka (28.3)
Senior Starter – C: Jessica Gaston & Charades (27.3)

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

By on Jul 18, 2022 1:14 am -

I’d hang his bad boy on my fridge.🖕 Photo via EN secret sources.

“Tossing head and then gave you the middle finger.” Yes! Love it. Not to get all English Major-y on you, but my concentration was in Creative Writing and nothing pleases me more than when dressage judges phrase things in a way that hasn’t been already done ONE MILLION TIMES before.

Because, accurate as those rigamarole comments might be (“on the forehand/against the hand/tense/etc.”), it only takes a few same-old same-old adjectives for your eyes glaze over, and then you’re onto the more fun jumping bits, and the test ends up rotting in the bottom of your tack trunk with all the others you don’t remember. But what if judges phrased comments in a way that was more memorable, more engaging and even a little bit more humorous sometimes? Dressage judges, use your words — we love to read ’em!

U.S. Weekend Action

Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY): [Website] [Results]

The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, MD): [Website] [Results]

News & Notes

Any updated omnibus for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup and Bromont CCI-S has been posted. Two national divisions (Open Training and Open Prelim) have been added to the weekend. Bromont CCI Three Day Event]

Moving up to the big leagues? For its last few editions of “Rule Refresher,” USEA has been sharing a deep dive into each level and the performance expectations of each phase. Next up: Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. [Rule Refresher: What Will Be Expected of Me at the Preliminary, Intermediate, and Advanced Level?]

Trainer/student duo takes USEA Classic Series wins at The Summer Coconino H.T. The Flagstaff, Arizona event (July 8-10) featured two USEA Classic Series divisions at the Beginner Novice and Novice levels. The trainer/student duo of Brittany Caflisch and Jaeli Uselding of Amarillo, Texas brought home the win in their respective divisions. [Trainer and Student Celebrate Victories at Coconino USEA Classic Series Event]

Video: The British eventing videographer who goes by Harvey Wet Dog on YouTube gives us a preview of the Hartpury University showgrounds in Gloucestershire in advance of the Junior/Young Rider Europeans taking place there in a couple weeks. He explains, “Following the Festival of Dressage I took a walk to the Hartpury cross country course to see how it was looking. It’s amazing to think how this space is going to transform in the next couple of weeks in the run up to the official course inspection on 26th July and competition on Saturday 30th July. But for now enjoy the views across Gloucestershire and into Wales.”

Horses, Housing & Holes-in-One: An Important Heads Up From Stable View

By on Jul 17, 2022 12:00 pm -

Photo courtesy of Stable View.

Stable View’s proposed spring 2023 fixture (April 7-9) will be an important one for many riders, who’ll use it as a last prep run in advance of Kentucky three weeks later. With FEI 4/3/2* and Training through Advanced horse trial divisions, it’s a busy enough weekend in Aiken already — but on top of all that, its dates coincide with The Masters Tournament at Augusta National.

Stable View recently issued some advice for those planning to attend: book your accommodations ASAP!

Masters weekend is a busy time in Aiken, with hotel and housing rates increasing exponentially, and vacancies difficult to come by, so we thought that riders might appreciate an early warning.

We have identified four scenarios that could be helpful.

1. With many Eventers returning north at the end of March, housing that is devoted mostly to seasonal equestrians will be available. Please begin having conversations with your peers to uncover these opportunities.

2. Those Eventers who are already in Aiken for the winter and who intend to compete at the April 7-9 horse trials may want to extend their seasonal stay at least through that weekend.

3. There are a few Airbnb and OwnerRez accommodations available at regular rates. These should be booked ASAP. (Check out EN’s 10 Unique Airbnbs For Your Next Aiken-Area Event for inspiration!)

4. All of Stable View’s accommodations are booked, but we will provide some additional RV spaces with hook ups. Anyone wishing to use their own RV / Horse Trailer and park independently can do so on a complimentary basis.

 

During the Masters some houses and apartments rent for three or four times their normal rate. Having been allocated this date three weeks prior to the LRK3DE, we would like to make sure as many riders as possible can compete at Stable View. If you intend to be here, please make your arrangements as soon as possible.

For more information, visit Stable View’s website here.