Classic Eventing Nation

#supergroom Janelle Fleming’s Journey from Birthday Parties to Barn Manager

By on May 26, 2022 9:30 am -

We love celebrating and learning about the #supergrooms who make this sport go around — quite literally! — so we’re on a mission to interview as many grooms as we can to learn about their journeys. Catch up on the other interviews from this series here and nominate a #supergroom of your own by emailing [email protected]!

Janelle and Sara Kozumplik at Tryon last fall. Photo courtesy of Janelle Fleming.

Janelle Fleming, from Dallas, Tx., started taking riding lessons when she was 10 years old, but never thought it would lead her to the position of Sara Kozumplik’s barn manager.

At a young age, Janelle’s dad took her to the barn down the road to pet the horses and when her friends had birthday parties at barns, she rode the horses there. Her passion for horses was ignited, but at the time she couldn’t afford to take many lessons.

When, at age 10, Janelle wanted to start taking lessons and she took it into her own hands to make it happen. “My dad opened a restaurant, so I decided that I would get a job there to pay for riding lessons,” she said.

Years later, after switching to online school for her senior year of high school and becoming a working student for Ellen Doughty-Hume, Janelle still wasn’t completely sure if she wanted a career in the equine industry. She decided to keep following the path she was on to see where it would lead; Sara Kozumplik needed help at the time, so Janelle took the job as a working student.

Janelle at one of her first summer camps with Cheyenne, who was the first horse she consistently rode at her first lesson barn. Photo courtesy of Janelle Fleming.

“I was supposed to take a gap year, but I’ve been here for almost three years. I decided that this is what I wanted to do and not to go to college,” Janelle said.

After about a month of working for Sara, Janelle began grooming her show jumpers and from there began taking on more responsibilities. Eventually, she kept gaining more responsibility which has led her to the barn manager position. She didn’t think she would end up being the barn manager when she first took the job, but she has just the right personality and attitude for the position.

“I have a very strong personality; I like to take charge. If I see something that needs to be done, I’ll just go ahead and do it and I like having responsibility,” Janelle said.

Janelle and Ellen Doughty-Hume. Photo courtesy of Janelle Fleming.

She enjoys working with Sara because she is able to bounce ideas off of her and they can collaborate as a team. “I like that she doesn’t micromanage us in the barn every day. She trusts us and she knows that she hired us for a reason,” she said.

Janelle appreciates that Sara’s main priority is for the horses to be happy. “I know some people just want to come in and ride; that’s all they want to do,” she described. “It’s really nice that she’s there and just wants the horses to be happy.”

Janelle rides Sara’s former 5* horse, Fly Me Courageous aka “Ziggy”. He spent some time out in the field after a suspensory injury in 2016. “About two years ago, they decided that he’s going to come back into work and start rehabbing and kind of see where he’s at,” she said.

Janelle took Ziggy through his rehab process beginning with walks and eventually started jumping him and going to events. Ziggy was feeling comfortable and spry, and Janelle was having the time of her life: in the last two years they’ve methodically moved up the levels, completing Janelle’s first FEI events including the 2*-L at Tryon last fall. Now, Janelle and Ziggy are headed to her first 3*-S at Virginia Horse Trials this coming weekend.

Janelle has been able to travel to various venues, but she says she most enjoyed going to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event with Sara last year.

Janelle and Ziggie. Photo by Ella Detwyler.

“We didn’t have the result that we were hoping for, but still, I think it was a really fun experience,” Janelle said. “I’ve only been to Kentucky once before, and that was probably five years ago and I just went as a spectator. So it was really cool to get to go as a groom and to help her actual groom [fellow #supergroom Sara Kelson] out.”

Janelle’s journey to this position was unexpected, but she’s glad it led her to work with Sara. “She is probably one of the most selfless and caring people that I’ve met,” she said. “She really wants the best for everyone and she really wants us to do well.”

While Janelle may not have expected she’d go from taking riding lessons at age 10 to becoming the barn manager at a top barn, but she is thankful for the experiences she has encountered through her journey.

Go Janelle and Go Eventing.

Thursday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on May 26, 2022 12:03 am -

Jump for reproductive rights! Photo by Alden Corrigan Media.

Do you love this jump from Sonoma Horse Park or do you love this jump from Sonoma Horse Park? If you get the chance to jump this beauty, not only can you buy the pictures at a discounted rate from Alden Corrigan Media, but you can tag SHP on social media and they will donate $10 for every photo to Planned Parenthood Northern California. After last weekend, they’ve already raised $20,0000!! Support jumping pretty ponies and women’s reproductive rights all in one fell swoop, and look cool doing so.

U.S. Weekend Preview

VHT International & H.T. (Lexington, Va.): [Website] [Schedule] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Spring Coconino H.T. (Flagstaff, Az.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, Wa.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Flora Lea Spring H.T. (Medford, NJ): [Website] [Scoring]

May-Daze at The Park H.T. (Lexington, Ky.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Mill Creek Pony Club H.T. (Kansas City, Mo.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. (Gales Ferry, Ct.): [Website]

Willow Draw Charity Show (Weatherford, Tx.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]

The Spring Event at Woodside (Woodside, Ca.): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Major International Events:

Barefoot Retreats Houghton Hall CCIO4*-S: [Website] [Info Hub] [Entries] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

The Virginia Horse Trials needs your help this weekend! With an absolutely huge field of horses attending from all over the country, VHT is running today through the weekend with levels from BN-AI, and they’re desperate for more volunteers. Sign up for just a few hours and have a blast in the coolest facility in Virginia. [Volunteer for VHT]

Stable View is looking forward to hosting Area III championships at its upcoming event, June 24-26. Please don’t forget to let us know how far you are traveling to compete — email them here to let them know where you’re traveling from. Stable View will have fun prizes that announced throughout the weekend; The Mane Monogram will be awarding the competitor traveling the furthest, as well as the competitor riding the most horses.

Tiffany Morey won a contest of more than 160 entries to spend a day with nine of her friends getting private instruction from Buck Davidson. Practical Horseman’s Win A Clinic contest asked entrants to submit an essay detailing why they deserve to win a one-day educational clinic for themselves and nine of their friends. Ten finalists sent videos of themselves and their horses, and Tiffany said that as an adult amateur and aspiring low-level eventer, she aspire’s to become the safest and most effective rider possible. [Win a Day with Buck Davidson]

Getting turnout right can be tricky for any horse. Getting it right for off-track Thoroughbreds can sometimes be…. well… what is more than tricky? Hard? Complicated? “Special?” Here are some tips for how Aubrey Graham does it with the newbies that come through. [Thoroughbred Logic: Getting Turnout Right]

Leslie Mintz has been the USEA Director of Media and Communications for so long, we don’t know what we’ll do without “Leslie from the USEA”. However, as of this spring, she welcomed her daughter Iris to the world and despite being an accomplished multi-tasker in all areas of her life, she’s decided to hand the reins over to somebody else who can dedicate the time. In her many years behind the scenes at the USEA, Leslie changed the online presence of our national organization as we know it. [Handing Over the Reins]

Exciting Science News: New Possibilities for Saliva Test for Equine Ulcers

A father-and-son duo pulled off the joint longest-priced winner in British and Irish racing history this week. Sawbuck entered the maiden hurdle at Punchestown on Tuesday with 300-1 odds, having been beaten by a total of 195 lengths in all of his previous seven starts. But he just pulled it out on the day, and romped to his very first win. [Racing Beats the Odds Again]

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Doug Payne Tryon CCI3*-L Helmet Cam + Analysis

By on May 25, 2022 5:00 pm -

What an incredible innovation helmet cams are — not JUST for entertainment value, but for education and reflection as well. Granted, my short-term memory doesn’t function as well as it used to, but many times coming off cross country I feel like I’ve just experienced a several-moment blur. Not really helpful for self-improvement! With a helmet cam, though, one can ride and re-ride their course ad infinitum, allowing for critical analysis: What went well? What could have gone better? How can we improve upon our performance next time?

Doug Payne might be an athlete but, lest you forget, he also has a mechanical engineering degree and a brain built for critical thinking. He’s done helmet cam analysis voice-overs in the past, but mostly around four- and five-star competitions, so Quiberon’s CCI3*-L round at Tryon International is an enlightening departure: “I thought this might be of more interest and potentially more informative to head out on a greener horse.”

Quiberon (“Harry”) is a 7-year-old stallion Doug has had since a weanling and Tryon International was his first CCI3*-L. Doug’s goal was to give him an educational rather than competitive ride, just going as fast as Harry felt confident at, and they jumped clear with 16.4 time penalties. With a dressage score of 32.4 and zero show jump penalties, they finished seventh in the division.

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It’s Been Pure Fun: Celebrating SAP Hale Bob OLD’s Exceptional Career

By on May 25, 2022 4:57 pm -

Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD win CHIO Aachen in 2019. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In what has been an enormous week for top-level retirements, with Cooley Master Class, Vandiver, and Qing du Briot among those stepping back from the limelight, the end of eighteen-year-old SAP Hale Bob OLD‘s extraordinary career feels particularly poignant in its magnitude. The Oldenburg gelding (Helikon XX x Goldige, by Noble Champion), who was bred by Dr Rolf Lueck, had been on a trajectory towards another German team appearance this year at the World Equestrian Games, but was pulled up midway around the course at Pratoni’s test event CCIO4*-S earlier this month with a tendon injury.

Though it’s desperately sad not to see ‘Bobby’ bow out with another medal to his name, his achievements have been so far beyond the scale of many of his compatriots that we could wax lyrical about them endlessly – and our own image archives are so well-stocked with images of the big man doing his thing that we wanted to take a closer look back at his exceptional successes with Ingrid in the irons.

Bobby came to Ingrid’s stable as a five-year-old, having previously contested some showjumping classes — but it was his sire line, rather than any natural ‘wow’ factor, that really drew the rider’s attention. His sire, the Thoroughbred Helikon, was also the sire of Ingrid’s — and latterly, William Fox-Pitt’s — previous mount Seacookie, and at just shy of 72% blood, Bobby was bred to the hilt for the sport. To ensure an innate sure-footedness across the country, Ingrid first focused on hunting the young horse, then turned her attentions to the German young horse classes, or Bundeschampionat, which he contested with both Ingrid and her former partner, Andreas Busacker. Though he wasn’t a particularly easy horse in the beginning, and Ingrid considered selling him on, she quickly realised that the key to getting the best out of him was to connect with him on an interpersonal level — and soon, their famous friendship blossomed.

“Bobby is not a spectacular mover and he had a very poor Thoroughbred trot when I got him at the age of five. Bobby is a horse that showed his qualities later in his life. He has so much stamina, he is such a fighter, so fast and so bold, and so good in cross country,” said Ingrid to The Horse. “Now his dressage has really developed. Every year he is getting a little bit better and his jumping is neat. I think he has all the talent he needs.”

 

 

Ingrid Klimke and then-Horseware Hale Bob. Photo by Julia Rau.

Though we often look back at Bobby’s career as being part of many of Ingrid’s own extraordinary milestones, he actually also played a part in another major German rider’s competitive education, too: early on in his international career, he partnered 2021 Boekelo winner and 2020 Le Lion d’Angers winner Sophie Leube around her first FEI event, helping to lay a foundation for the rider that has become, in the decade since, a promising trajectory to a potential first senior championship appearance this year.

Just three years after that, Bobby and Ingrid would hit their first milestone, winning the CCI5* at Pau in 2014 — Ingrid’s first victory at the level. They would follow that up with several ‘nearly’ moments at five-star — they were second at Badminton in 2015, and ninth in 2017 after a freak stop in the showjumping scuppered their chances of victory — but that early Pau win was far from their zenith as a partnership.

 

Ingrid Klimke and Horseware Hale Bob at Badminton 2015. Photo by Nico Morgan.

There are few horses as prolific as Bobby, who boasts 70 FEI starts on his record and among those, 19 wins and 52 top-ten finishes. Most notable, perhaps, has been their consistent success as members of the German team: they’ve twice been European Champions, winning individual gold in 2017 at Strzegom and 2019 at Luhmühlen, and helping the German team to gold in 2019 and 2015 at Blair Castle. They finished fifth individually at Blair, and again at last year’s European Championships at Avenches, where they took home a team silver medal.

In 2018, they sat in second place following the dressage at the World Equestrian Games, and moved up into first after a tough day of cross-country — but it wasn’t to be, and the final showjumping fell agonisingly late after they’d jumped it, pushing them into individual bronze position. They’ve got an Olympics under their belt, too, and though that was a trickier week for them, they still contributed to Germany’s team silver medal, finishing 16th individually. Their shot at a second attempt, at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, was put on the back burner after Ingrid herself picked up an injury earlier in the year and was sidelined for the Games.

Ingrid Klimke and Horseware Hale Bob OLD at Luhmühlen. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

 

Though the title of German National Champions evaded them, Ingrid and Bobby consistently ended up on the podium of the CCI4*-S class at Luhmühlen, and they enjoyed great success at arguably the world’s greatest horse show, winning the CHIO Aachen CCI4*-S in both 2017 and 2019, and finishing second there in 2015.

Bobby’s FEI record reads like a pony-mad girl’s dream come true, but for Ingrid, and for those of us who had the sheer joy and privilege of following his career, he was more than a purveyor of world-class results — he was, as Ingrid always beamed during post-ride debriefs, his rider’s very best friend, and always, consistently, just the most fun horse to pilot. We can believe it, too: one look at his pricked ears and sky-high knees proved that he was as hungry for the flags as Ingrid and, had he not been derailed by this unfortunate injury, we’d no doubt have seen him fighting for another individual medal at this September’s World Equestrian Games.

While we won’t have the honour of doing so, we suspect that such a great horse will get his final moment in the spotlight with a formal retirement ceremony — once, of course, he’s had the time to recover fully under the careful auspices of Ingrid’s home team and veterinarian Dr Ingrid Hornig. Until then, he’s in the very best of care, and will enjoy a long and happy retirement in the field once his injury has sufficiently stabilised. In honour of everything he’s brought to eventing, we’ve pulled some of our favourite archive images to share with you — and to Bobby, we thank you for your great contribution to the sport. Thanks for the memories, old boy.

Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Horses and Graduate School, Part IV: Beware the Pitfalls of Perfectionism

By on May 25, 2022 12:08 pm -

As Ema Klugman navigates her way through law school and a professional riding career, she’s taking us along for the ride. You can catch up on previous editions of this column here.

Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Abby Powell.

I had a conversation with a friend and fellow law student a few weeks ago that got me thinking about standards and goals. We get along really well because we respect each other, and we try to learn from each other’s life experiences. She doesn’t ride horses but she loves to hear about my riding and my goals, and we often trade stories. She said something recently that surprised me: “I’m wary of perfectionists. I don’t trust them. I used to be one.”

She went on to say that the problem with perfectionism is that it is a bit of a cop-out. Perfectionists are shooting for infinity; they are trying to achieve the unattainable. In doing so, she explained, they lack standards. It’s a paradox, of course, because we think of perfectionists as having the highest standards. But in a way they don’t have standards at all, because their bar is always higher than what’s possible to reach.

Perfectionism is moving the target after you squeeze the trigger. It is dishonest and counterproductive to expect complete excellence when the majority of your work is good. Producing young horses has taught me this. The “perfect” is so often the enemy of the good with horses, especially in the context of developing their strength.

My late riding coach used to say “the medium trot is at maximum going to be a seven right now, so don’t make it a four by trying to make it a nine.” What he meant was to know the horse’s capacities at the time, and not try to surpass them by trying to create more than what was possible. He didn’t mean that we couldn’t be aspirational — he meant that at some point, the medium trot probably could be an eight or nine. But at that stage, going for more was just going to make the horse lose its rhythm or break to canter or become nervous. It would be like making a gymnast do triple backflips when they had only just learned how to do a single one. Successive steps lead to confidence and strength. Skipping steps to leap to the top, to achieve the “perfect,” is not a reliable method.

Perfectionism is the absence of standard. Standards are definable, specific goals that are achievable. High standards entail connecting an entire network of specific subsidiary goals. When we set a high standard, the path to get there should look more like a map than it a thesis statement.

Let’s say my goal is to ride at another five-star in the next two years. To do that, I have to compete every month or two weeks. To do that, I have to ride six times a week. And in each ride with each horse, I have goals of X, Y, and Z that I try to achieve. If those goals aren’t met on that day, I have to regroup and see how today’s work will help tomorrow, or how I can make tomorrow more successful than today. It’s a network of goals. It’s very specific, defined, and multitiered, and it involves two living beings that are not robots or machines.

Perfectionism is blind to these intermediary steps. It is an attempt to shortcut the process of hitting targets and staying on course, and in effect it glamorizes what should be a down and dirty process.

In graduate school, we are urged to spend a lot of time thinking about professional development. They tell us that there is a whole scheme of skills we need to learn that cannot be found in a textbook. One of them is grit. At the end of the semester, we read an article that discussed grit and growth. To my surprise, I had never actually defined these terms in my own head or read their definitions anywhere. Gerkman and Hogan define grit as “perseverance and passion for long term goals” and the growth mindset as “basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.”

Law students are an intense bunch. You make a mistake and you are suddenly behind the curve. But if you put in the hours, the dedication, and the hard work, and you can grow. It is easier to do this in school when the steps are outlined for you, and the path is already set.

Horses don’t come with such playbooks. In school, by contrast, the building blocks of required classes mean that there really is structure to develop basic skills. The harder part is creating one’s own building blocks to suit the long term goals, and having confidence to stay the course. By design, we can’t be perfect, where no mistakes are made and nothing goes wrong. But we can have grit and perseverance for long term goals.

No horse comes with a syllabus. There is no chapter by chapter, unit by unit, concept by concept formula that produces a horse. There are boxes to check, for sure, and a training scale to follow, and general rules of thumb we would be remiss in forgetting.

But we should never overlook the fact that we are the custodians of their stories, the writers of their chapters, the structurers of their standards and goals. Being wary of perfectionism is important as we write their scripts.

From the Ground Up: Building Your Network

By on May 25, 2022 9:00 am -

Gillian Warner is bringing us along for the ride as she strikes out on her own to launch her business as a professional. You can catch up on the preceding columns from this series here.

Surrounding yourself with a network that pushes you to develop as a horse(wo)man ensures progress to being the best version of yourself possible.

Over my junior, young rider, and now my professional career, I have been so lucky to have countless coaches, trainers, mentors, and friends who support me, encourage my crazy ideas, challenge new ideas, push me to grow, and allow me to take risks. I’m surrounded by compassionate, driven, and hard working horsemen and women who inspire me in my own path.

Identifying role models in my life has been an important step for me, especially as I work to establish myself as a professional. Finding other horsemen and women that share similar values as I do has been instrumental in developing my training approach, philosophy, and outlook on my personal and professional careers.

Who qualifies as a role model for me is so broad. I find inspiration in the excitement my new beginner students bring to their lessons. I admire horsemen like Mark Rashid and Buck Brannaman for their consistent and thoughtful approach to horsemanship. As I mentioned in a previous article, Luke Gingerich’s open-mindedness spurs my own creativity to think outside of the box. Female business owners and entrepreneurs provide guidance and strength when I’m feeling uncertain of my next steps. My trainers, such as Ange Bean and Doug and Jess Payne, approach training in a way that prioritizes the horses’ welfare, bringing biomechanics and science into work that values feel and connection as well.

I have role models outside of the equine industry as well, found in my college professors’ critical thinking, my friends’ adventurous spirits, my parents’ and grandparents’ commitment, love, and hard work, and my sisters’ light and passion for everything she does.

My family is filled with role models that encourage me in my life-long learning process.

Pulling from the philosophies, approaches, and spirit of such a diverse group has allowed me to approach any situation as a student with curiosity that drives genuine questions, collaboration, and experimentation that might feel like a bold leap of faith, but instead leads to new opportunities and solutions.

By keeping this open-minded, creative, life-long-learner spirit in my work has encouraged me to continue connecting with new role models. Reaching out to strangers who are working hard, trying something new, passionate about what they do, and who share values has allowed me to connect with an ever expanding network that continues to push me to grow and change every day.

I’ve walked up to people registering voters on the street to thank them for their work and learn more about what motivates them. I’ve reached out to individuals on Instagram that have introduced me to something new, or have spurred my thinking. I’ve connected with trainers that share mutual friends about their work, and how we could support one another.

Inspiration can originate anywhere, and developing your network with role models that share your values, challenge your approach, stimulate your thinking, and support your growth can lead to opportunities, thoughts, and ideas you never could have previously imagined.

Who can you connect with today?

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on May 25, 2022 12:01 am -

Photo courtesy of Cornerstone Therapeutic Equine Center.

Today in advance of Memorial Day, we’re shouting out programs such as Cornerstone Therapeutic Equine Center, a San Diego-area equine therapy program that was founded in 2007 as an equine therapy program serving children, youth and adults with physical, cognitive and emotional special needs. The program’s commitment to service members began in 2008 when Cornerstone was invited to participate in a pilot program designed to identify and address the needs of wounded, ill and injured military personnel.

With bases for the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard within its boundaries, San Diego County has a large community of active-duty military and veterans. “In the early stages of the pilot program we learned that San Diego has one of the highest populations of wounded service members in the country,” explains Cornerstone founder Judy Beckett. “In addition, we found there is a tremendous need for alternative therapies that are non-clinical, non-pharmaceutical and non-psychiatric.”

While continuing to work with the broad population, the experiences and challenges of the military community became clear as distinct from those of civilians. In 2017, Cornerstone turned its focus exclusively to the military.

The remarkable results that emerged from ongoing research begun that year helped inspire Cornerstone’s focus.

These included:

· A 92% decrease in suicidal thoughts

· A 94% decrease in depression

· A 91% decrease in stress and anxiety among those participating in its equine assisted therapy.

“There are many programs in the area that do a great job with kids and others with special needs,” Judy explains. “We happen to be really good at the specialized services that benefit those with military-related PTSD.”

Certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, Cornerstone became the first equine therapy enterprise in San Diego County to stand up programs specifically for service members. “We felt we could best serve our country by serving them,” Judy explains.

PTSD, suicidal ideations, depression, anxiety, fear, survivor’s guilt, anger, paranoia and loss of a limb are a few of the conditions for which the Cornerstone team is trained to help its clients. Support for family members and care givers is also available, and frontline medical worker COVID fatigue was added to the roster of conditions addressed in 2020.

To learn more about Cornerstone Therapeutic Equine Center, click here. You can also read more about the program and its partnership with Haygain here.

U.S. Weekend Preview

VHT International & H.T. (Lexington, Va.): [Website] [Schedule] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Spring Coconino H.T. (Flagstaff, Az.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, Wa.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Flora Lea Spring H.T. (Medford, NJ): [Website] [Scoring]

May-Daze at The Park H.T. (Lexington, Ky.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Mill Creek Pony Club H.T. (Kansas City, Mo.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. (Gales Ferry, Ct.): [Website]

Willow Draw Charity Show (Weatherford, Tx.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]

The Spring Event at Woodside (Woodside, Ca.): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Major International Events:

Barefoot Retreats Houghton Hall CCIO4*-S: [Website] [Info Hub] [Entries] [Scoring]

Wednesday News & Reading

One of my favorite parts of spending a few months in Ocala was the sheer number of schooling venues and opportunities that were available. Coming from the Midwest, where you worked your schedule around planned schoolings (all of the events in Missouri and Kansas are held on public park land, so you can’t just go and school at any time), it was a literal eventer’s paradise. But there are some odds and ends to take care of if you’re going to haul in to a venue to school. This helpful article from STRIDER on the USEA’s website is good to keep handy.

Badminton Horse Trials annually awards a “Farrier’s Prize” for the best-shod horse (honestly, this would be such an incredible thing to have at all events/major events) — Burghley also awards a Best-Shod Horse prize. This year, Welsh farrier Jim Blurton took home the prize for his work shoeing Oliver Townend’s Swallow Springs. Jim has won this award four times in its 25 years of running — the most of any other farrier. Dive into the full story and details on the farrier work at Badminton on Fran Jurga’s blog, The Hoof Blog.

Did you know that vitamin E supplementation of broodmares can help their foals build a stronger immune system? Research suggests that this process, done in late gestation and early lactation, can help the foal receive a higher number of antibodies. Learn more in this research blog from Kentucky Performance Products.

Watch This on H&C+: Your H&C+ membership gives you access not just to a plethora of live streams, but also a full library of educational and entertainment content. For example, OTTB owners out there might enjoy the Back to Basics episode centering on nutrition for Thoroughbreds.

Wednesday Video Break

#TIL (today I learned) that in Belgium, horses are used for shrimp fishing!

Tuesday Video: Wren Blae Zimmerman – Challenge Accepted

By on May 24, 2022 4:00 pm -

We commonly describe horses as the purveyors of wings. For 32-year-old Wren Blae Zimmerman, the horse also provides her with eyes.

When Wren was 17, she was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy, a rare genetic degenerative eye condition that renders her blind. After discovering horses via a therapeutic riding program, Wren knew she wanted to do more.

“Horses give me freedom from a disability,” Wren describes. “And I can do a lot on the horse that I can’t do by myself.”

Partnered with former grand prix jumper, Cassicasca or “Valentine”, Wren’s learned the ways of the show jumping ring with a few tweaks to her course walking technique. In a new arena, she’ll walk to divide the space into a grid using the outside, quarter-lines and half-lines. From there, she’ll walk to each jump with an aide, who helps point out landmarks and other jumps to create a “visual map” in Wren’s head. Then, they’ll draw the course onto a white board or sheet of paper, along with a description of the track written out.

“There’s all these different things that I’ve done to sort of make this stay in my mind so that when I actually go into the arena on my horse, I have a plan, I know exactly where everything is, and I know how to ride my course.”

Screenshot via US Equestrian.

“My hope is that what I’m doing will change the perception about what people with disabilities are capable of,” Wren says. “But also to push anyone to try horses. Your own strength comes, for the most part, from inside of you, so I think it’s important for people to believe in themselves and I think anyone can do anything they put their mind to.”

Wren is also involved with Para Show Jumping North America, which helps to recognize and grow this newer subset of para equestrian and welcome new riders into the program. You can follow Para Show Jumping on Instagram here.

Wren was featured in the latest video out of the I Am US Equestian series, and you can watch the full short feature here.

Thibaut Vallette Formally Retires Olympic Gold Medalist Partner Qing du Briot

By on May 24, 2022 2:00 pm -

Thibaut Vallette Lt Col and Qing du Briot ENE HN (FRA). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Lt. Col. Thibaut Vallette has formally retired his team Olympic gold medal partner, Qing du Briot (Éolien II – Henriette, by Étalon OR), following a decade-long partnership that spanned the globe and saw the pair named to every senior French team since 2015. The Selle Francias gelding is 18 this year.

“Thank you Qing for all these years shared, for this mutual trust and this beautiful complicity,” Thibault shared on social media (translated from French). “You will teach me a lot and you first can be proud of how far you have come. [Longtime groom Yann Devanne], who knows you so well, and I won’t be far. You will always be our heart horse.”

Thibaut Vallette Lt Col and Qing du Briot ENE HN (FRA). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Qing du Briot first made his mark on the international stage when he secured a podium finish — both an individual as well as a team bronze with Thibaut — at the 2015 European Championships at Blair Castle, his first time representing France in team competition. The gelding followed that up with a 13th individual finish at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, paired with a team gold medal. Thibault and Qing du Briot also helped secure team bronze for France at the 2018 World Equestrian Games at Tryon International.

The French team was set to reunite for the Tokyo Olympics last year, and Qing du Briot saw yet another selection to the senior team before a bone bruise was sustained the month before the Olympics, prompting the team to withdraw replace him with Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine.

Please join us in wishing Qing du Briot a very happy, comfortable, and well-deserved retirement!

“He’s Been a Very Dear Friend”: Double Kentucky Winner Cooley Master Class Retires at 17

By on May 24, 2022 11:30 am -

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.

World Number One Oliver Townend has announced the retirement of seventeen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley Master Class (Ramiro B x The Swallow, by Master Imp), with whom he won the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in both 2018 and 2019.

“Very emotional to announce the retirement of Cooley Master Class today. We bought him as a 4 year old and he has for the last 13 years been a fantastic competition partner but moreover a very dear friend,” wrote Oliver in a statement on his social media pages. “His competition highlights include back-to-back Kentucky 5* wins, 2nd at Maryland 5*, team silver at the European Championships and 16 international top 10 placings. He’s now 17 years old and although still fit and well, we’ve always said it’s important that he retires from competition on his own terms and we feel that the time has come.”

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class, winners of the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The gelding, who is owned by Angela Hislop, has been with Oliver throughout his international career, which began auspiciously in May of 2012 with a second-place finish in the CCI2*-L at Ireland’s now-defunct Tattersalls Three-Day Event. Bred by County Wicklow’s John Hagan, he began his early education in the showjumping ring, contesting four-year-old classes under the saddle of Ireland’s Cathal McMunn before spending his five-year-old season with Steven Smith. From there, he was sourced by Richard Sheane of Cooley Farm, who set about placing him with the right rider for the job ahead — and Sheane’s savviness in pairing him with Oliver would yield the Cooley empire its first five-star victory a handful of years later.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Though the gelding has been prolific in his career accomplishments, he’s done so with a remarkably limited number of runs: at seventeen, he retires with just 29 FEI starts under his belt, and would often come out for just a couple of major outings per year, as part of Oliver and his team’s ongoing efforts to manage a number of ‘niggles’. In those 29 starts, he notched up an impressive 15 top five finishes, with two wins at Kentucky, a second place finish at the inaugural Maryland CCI5* last year, and a team silver and individual ninth place at the 2019 European Championships among the highlights of his career.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Abby Powell.

Now, Cooley will step back from competition and enjoy a ‘second career’ as a hacking mount.

“Cooley is a huge character and has always made sure to be a yard favourite, so he will retire to a hacking lifestyle where he’ll continue to be treated and looked after like the king he is,” says Oliver. “I could not be more grateful to have had the honour of partnering Cooley for all these years. He’s achieved more than we could have dreamt of and we’ve literally travelled the world together with memories that’ll last a lifetime! Huge thanks to Angela Hislop, who has co-owned him with me, and who’s just down the road from his retirement home to make sure he stays spoilt rotten! Thanks for everything Cooley, and happy retirement!”