Classic Eventing Nation

#WaybackWednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Big, Bold Badminton (and Some Perms)

By on Jan 5, 2022 5:22 pm -

Sometimes, you’ve got to look back to fully grasp how monumental the things yet to come will be — and that’s certainly how I feel about the return of Badminton this year, which must be the eventing world’s most discussed topic this week. That’s because priority booking opened up this morning for 2022’s event — the first since that magical running in 2019, when we saw Piggy March take top honours — and from what we hear, camping spots are going like hotcakes and the team behind the scenes are getting ready for the biggest Badminton ever.

But then again, when has Badminton ever been small, either dimensionally or in status and feel? Today’s video takes us back nearly three decades to 1993, a year jam-packed with familiar faces and familiar fences — and all that indescribable magic that comes as part of the package with this iconic event. Tune in and get excited for May (oh, and if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, head to the priority link now or set an alarm for next Wednesday, when the box office will open for general sales!).

Fight back against colic and digestive upset.

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The horse that matters to you matters to us®.

Have you grabbed your winter running horse stickers?  Check them out at KPPusa.com/winter.

It’s a New Year – What’s Your ‘Oh Crap!’ Plan? An Excerpt from ‘Fit & Focused in 52’

By on Jan 5, 2022 3:19 pm -

What can you do when you’ve done everything right but it still goes wrong? In his new book “Fit & Focused in 52,” Coach Daniel Stewart gives us a few tools to use when your totally tubular ride suddenly feels like it is totally going down the tubes.

Photo by Cindy Lawler.

You’re having an amazing ride but your super handy horse uncharacteristically refuses a fence, causing you to end up on his neck, lose a stirrup, and drop your crop! Pick yourself up (and your crop) because it’s time for Plan D.

Your Plan D is known as your “Oh crap!” Plan. This is the plan you put into action every time you get yourself into trouble and hear yourself say something like, “Oh no,” “Oh my gosh,” or “Oh crap!” You’ve only got a split second to figure out how to recover, so you’re going to need to have this plan committed to memory. Repeating a mantra like, “Shake it off,” while shaking your shoulders might be all you have time for and might be all you need to keep your train of thought on the correct track.

Try One of These on for Size…

You only have a short period of time to complete your oh crap plan so you might want to consider some of the following:

– Use a thought-stopper and thought-replacement. With thought-stopping, you teach yourself to disrupt the flow of those bad thoughts by yelling a thought-stopper word at yourself, like “Whoa!” or “Halt!” Once you’ve stopped the bad thought, you replace it with a good one. Here’s an example. The next time you recognize yourself saying,

“She’s better than me,” stop the flow of that negative thought by yelling the word “Halt!” at yourself (inside or outside voice), take a deep breath, and replace it with, “Do your best, forget the rest.”

– Whisper a calming cadence like, “Breathe, believe, bedazzle;” or “Keep calm, breathe on.”

– Briefly recall a memory when you successfully coped with a similar situation.

Blower Breathing

A few deep breaths are an important part of your Oh Crap! Plan. Use something called blower-breathing—that is, take in a deep breath and force it out while making the blowing sound of a horse. By the way, horses do this by fluttering their nostrils but you don’t have to. Just fluttering your lips will be fine.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

You’re going to breathe about 20,000 times today. Make sure you don’t skip any, especially when the pressure goes up.

Weekly Homework

This week, come up with one or two split-second techniques you can use to keep your head in the game after an unexpected problem. Memorize them and practice them as much as you can.

This excerpt from Fit & Focused in 52 by Coach Daniel Stewart is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com).

Reminder: Learn Your 2022 USEF Eventing Dressage Tests

By on Jan 5, 2022 11:59 am -

This press release was first published on EN on September 17, 2021.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Sally Spickard.

US Equestrian has announced the publication of the new 2022 USEF Eventing Dressage Tests for Beginner Novice through Advanced, effective December 1, 2021, through November 30, 2025.

The tests are published on the USEA website and can be found here. The digital PDF versions of the judge’s copies of the tests will be available for purchase on the ShopUSEA website.

2022 USEF Dressage Tests

(Effective beginning December 1, 2021)

Beginner Novice: Test A | Test B

Novice: Test A | Test B | Novice Three-Day

Training: Test A | Test B | Training Three-Day

Modified: Test A | Test B | Test C | Modified Three-Day

Preliminary: Test A | Test B | Test C | Preliminary Three-Day

Intermediate: Test A | Test B | Test C

Advanced: Test A | Test B

The 2022 USEF Intermediate Test C, which is written for use in a 20×40 arena, may only be used for Eventing competitions that demonstrate a topographical or logistical hardship which renders the venue unable to assemble a 20×60 arena in the designated competition area. The process to request permission to use this test can be found here.

#GoEventing ‘Grams of the Week: So This is the New Year

By on Jan 5, 2022 9:48 am -

 

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New year, new series, eh? We’ve been doing a lot of thinking on what this year (and beyond) looks like here at EN, and one area of focus that has emerged as a top priority is to do more building of our community. We are a rich (well, maybe not financially, seeing how I’m nearly two decades removed from college and still eating ramen on the regular — I like it, ok?) and diverse niche of individuals with unique backgrounds and varied perspectives — that deserves to be celebrated!

So on that note, we’ll be featuring our favorite #GoEventing Instagram posts here on EN each week. That means you can tag your public posts with #goeventing for a chance to be featured! We want to know what eventing means to you — show us! Let’s kick this party off with some #goeventing posts reflecting on the new leaf that is a new year:

 

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Join the conversation! Follow us on Instagram at @goeventing and tag your public photos with #goeventing. We’ll feature posts here on En as well as on our own Instagram.

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on Jan 5, 2022 12:01 am -

 

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Full disclosure: Zoetis Equine, as I’m sure you can tell by looking at EN, is an advertiser of ours. However, I still would have shared this video in the same context because I appreciate the effort that was made to diversify the content. I’ve lost count of how many ads and commercials out there that didn’t pay as much mind to who they were showing in their creative materials. In recent months, more companies have understood that onus falls to them, in many ways, to help increase representation. Of course, the buck doesn’t stop with hiring the right people to appear as models and actors — it continues with a responsibility to work with intention in all aspects of a company to properly address inequity.

Wednesday News & Reading

Due to the ongoing threat of Covid-19, the “Celebration of Spirit” for Annie Goodwin, scheduled for January 9 at Bruce’s Field in Aiken, Sc. has been canceled. “The in-person event planned for Feb 9th at Bruce’s Field would present an unacceptable risk for transmission of disease for Annie’s family, friends and many of the athletes planning to compete the next weekend at Pine Top or other venues,” the Aiken Horse Park Foundation said in an email update. “Putter, Tina and Jake know that Annie would want to put the health of her community first. We had so hoped that Covid 19 would be in our rear-view mirror by now. At this point there are too many unknowns for the Omicron variant other than it is extremely transmissible and case counts are soaring to the highest levels since the start of the pandemic. We hope to either reschedule for a more suitable time or plan a different type of event that would not pose a health risk to Annie’s community.”

Those interested in learning more about the USEF’s updated calendaring process, which will go into effect with a revised competition calendar in 2023, can sign up to attend a free webinar on January 19. The calendaring process can and will affect riders and organizers, regardless of level, and there has been a lot of confusion surrounding the new protocol for allotting event dates. If you can’t attend, we’ll be tuning in for a story coming soon.

Ocala-bound riders: make sure to knock off that show jumping rust with the new Winter Schooling Series hosted by several area farms, including Sara Kozumplik Murphy at Overlook South, Will Coleman Equestrian at Okonokos Equestrian, Meg Kepferle at Kepferle Equestrian, and Clayton Fredericks’ Fredericks Equestrian International. The first leg kicked off this week at Okonokos and will continue over 12 weeks, rotating among venues on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You can view more information and the schedule here.

Area III is currently accepting applications for a new Young Rider coach. This contract will run from 2022 through 2024, and you can find a full description of the role as well as more information on applying here.

After suffering devastating damage from the record-breaking tornadoes that wreaked havoc on much of central America last month, the University of Kentucky is beginning the long process of rebuilding. Its Research and Education Center, a part of the university’s School of Agriculture, sustained the most damage, taking a direct hit from the tornado. Find out how you can help here.

Looking for some new reading material in the new year? Look no further than the this list of the best horse books that were released in 2021.

Watch This

And finally, some helpful tips on winter respiratory health from our friends at Haygain:

 

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Tuesday Video: Cross Country Fun With Fast Forward Eventing

By on Jan 4, 2022 5:00 pm -

 

The next best thing to being out there living the British cross country dream yourself is living it vicariously through a helmet cam. Josey Gleeson of Fast Forward Eventing is one of my favorite helmet cam-happy YouTube channels to keep an eye on, as her videos range from foxhunting and team chase content to vlogs about her eventing adventures.

A couple of her most recent videos really triggered my Anglophile tendencies. First, this team chase video which, unlike some much faster and more harrowing team chase videos I’ve seen, just feels like a good fun time over reasonable-sized fences with friends. Although, for the record, they did win so they were certainly going at a good clip!

Another one, posted just this week, features Josey and her now-19-year-old eventing partner Brett, a 14.2-hand Connie x Thoroughbred cross. It co-stars Apollo, her 8-month-old Border Collie. It’s a cold, rainy day that gets soggier the longer the ride goes on but nobody seems to mind, especially Josey’s pup whom she “wraps up like a little burrito” in a towel at the end.

And one more, a mish-mash of clips (including a beach gallop!) from 2021:

Subscribe to Fast Forward Eventing on YouTube here. Go Eventing.

Sport Horse Nation Spotlight: Five Winning Machines

By on Jan 4, 2022 1:00 pm -

In the market for a new four-legged partner? You may find your unicorn on our sister site, Sport Horse Nation. To help with the search, we’re going to feature a selection of current listings here on EN. We include the ad copy provided; click the links for videos, pricing and contact information.

Are you playing to win? If so, you’re going to want to couple up with an equine partner who has the same attitude — and ability. The five horses we’re featuring this week all have wins on their records, from Novice on up to the three-star level. Could they be your next blue ribbon winner?

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

2012 CCI3*L Gelding

2012 gelding for sale competed successfully at CCI3L. Very flashy mover with lots of wins on his record including the CCI2L at Twin Rivers in 2021 and 2nd in the CCI3L at Rebecca Farm. Amazing jumper and fast cross country but requires a confident ride. For sale to the perfect home only – price negotiable to that perfect home.

Located in San Ramon, CA.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

What Gives- CCI* Winner

What Gives, “Wes”, is a 2014 16.2 OTTB gelding that has evented very successfully through the CCI* level and is ready to move up to Prelim/CCI**. Wes is honest and brave to the jumps with a level-headed demeanor. He would make an excellent mount for a young rider looking to go to young rider championships, an amateur, or a professional.

Wes finished the 2021 season on the USEA national leaderboard, with an 8th place finish in the intercollegiate training, and double reserve championships in the modified in both the young adult and intercollegiate categories with not one but two fastest-in-field cross country rounds at CCI*. Notable finishes for 2021 include:

Sporting Days (Training Horse) 2nd
Southern Pines (Open Modified) 5th
Carolina International (Open Modified) 4th
The Fork (CCI*S) 1st
Loudoun Hunt (Prelim/Training) 5th
VA Horse Trials (CCI*L) 11th
Old Tavern (Open Training) 4th
Morven Park (Open Training) 6th
VA Horse Trials (CCI*L) 4th

In addition to eventing, Wes has fox hunting experience and has helped his young adult rider earn both his USPC C3-EV and B-EV. Wes is easy at the horse shows and goes in all three phases in a Micklem bridle with a double jointed snaffle. He hacks out quietly alone or in company, and has a wonderful personality, making him a barn favorite.

Upper 5 Figures. Additional photos and videos available upon request or at Austin Skeens Eventing on Facebook or Instagram. Serious inquiries please.

Located in Bluemont, VA.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Aura CF- winning training level horse competitive 1/2* for right rider

Aura CF is a 2010, 16 hand premium Oldenburg mare. Aura is phenomenally talented on the flat and a lovely jumper. She has many miles at training level including a win at the AECs. With the right rider she will be a winning 1/2* horse. She has not had any health or soundness issues and requires no special care. Not spooky, easy on the ground, beautiful to look at. Motivated seller as rider as stepped onto her big sisters horse.

Located in Citra, FL.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Winning novice packer

UPDATE: Mio competed in Novice at the November Full Gallop Horse Trial and won on a 29!!!

Mio has evented through novice recognized and schooled through prelim unrecognized. He’s steady in the bridle, rhythmical, and comfortable on the flat, and will jump anything you point him at, he loves xc and will always make time.

Mio is not a beginner horse he needs a intermediate to advanced rider, as he can be a spirited athlete, lunging before riding is helpful, and once you know him he’s very predictable.

He has been vetted before and you are welcome to vet him again.

Located in Salisbury, North Carolina can also be tried in Aiken, South Carolina

There is a video of Mio on youtube titled “Fernand Mio”. Please contact me for more information.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

TOP CLASS AMATEUR WINNER

1Ballybolger Anchorman
Lovely JOEY 16.3HH DARK BROWN 8 year old homebred
gelding by Puissance hoping to find his forever home
He is a 90/100 winning machine having super form at this
level, he has completed 2 novices and is now ready to be a
Superstar grassroots winner.
His 100 results include:
1st lisgarvan 27.3
5th Frankfort 30
6th kilguilkey 27.3
3rd Blackstairs 31.5
1st Tattersalls 14.9
He has the sweetest temperament, easy to do in all ways lives in or out, hacks in company or on his own and doesn’t have to be ridden everyday. Super on the flat, moves really well and easy to ride , very unflappable jumping with plenty of scope. He is snaffle mouth and would suit a tall child coming off ponies or competitive amateur who wants to win.

He is 100 % to clip , shoe, load and travels well, incredibly chilled to deal with . Joey has had very easy to manage very mild sweet itch under his mane which we just shampoo regularly and keep a DustBuster / sweet itch hoody on during spring and summer. Never an issue or problem just a little TLC needed.

Plenty of videos on request. Special home wanted for this lovely boy. Based co Carlow. Ireland. 00353872211041

Listings included in this article are randomly selected and not confirmed to be current and active before inclusion. Sport Horse Nation features user-generated content and therefore cannot verify or make any warranty as to the validity or reliability of information.

 

Riding Well ‘On the Day’: How Boyd Martin’s Advice Helped Me With My Law School Exams

By on Jan 4, 2022 11:00 am -

Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Shelby Allen.

I was preparing for the Kentucky 5* last April. It was the final serious school for me and my horse. I was lucky enough to do this final preparation in a lesson with Boyd Martin, who helps me from time to time. Everything went fairly well; the horse felt confident and we did all of the practice exercises quite easily.

I asked Boyd for his advice heading into my first 5* competition. What he said surprised me a little, and since then I have understood it more and more. He said:

“You need to have very good preparation leading up to the show, but when it comes down to it, you have to ride really well on the day.”

What he meant was that it wouldn’t matter that I rode well in this lesson, or in the preparatory shows before Kentucky, if I rode like a monkey when it came time to those 11 minutes on course in the spotlight. That was not the time to simply cross my fingers that my training was good enough and hope that my horse would carry me around. The course would be too hard, the questions too complex. We needed to execute the course as a team, and that meant I had to be present, sharp, communicative, and confident.

He didn’t say that it was necessary to ride perfectly; he said it was necessary to ride really well. That meant that I could make small mistakes, but not very many. I used his advice when I was heading “into battle” (or at least it felt that way) on the cross country course at Kentucky, and it served me well. I was nervous as hell but I knew I needed to focus, and my horse was fantastic. I believe he jumped well, but I also think that I rode well. And that made a difference.

Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Shelby Allen.

I also used Boyd’s advice when I was heading into another battle: my final exams last month. I studied more than I ever have in my life: it felt like the equivalent of riding a dozen horses a day, seven days a week, except I was in front of a computer reading dozens of cases, writing pages of notes, and flipping through flashcards until my mind felt numb. Everyone else in my class was doing the exact same thing. (Unlike in undergrad, where I felt that not everyone studied seriously, in law school people are much more professionally focused and you can assume that everyone is putting in several hours of study each day.)

I knew that not only did I have to study a lot: to do well, I would have to think and write well on the day. It wouldn’t matter how well my preparation went if I performed badly for the three hours of the exam. No professor would know how many hours I put in beforehand: the proof had to be in the pudding, and that requires extreme focus during those three hours, just like the course in Kentucky had required my extreme focus for those 11 minutes. I was experiencing a weird feeling, like: I have been here before; this is familiar territory. Who knew that a lesson with a horse rider could help you in law school.

Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Shelby Allen.

I don’t yet know how I did on my final exams. However, I think that my ability to think under pressure, which I developed (and hope to continue to develop)  by riding at a high level, probably helped me execute well on the day. Sure, I felt nervous and jumpy and twitchy before the tests began. I felt like a horse in the warm up, on edge but ready.

The lessons horses teach us should not be ignored in other areas of our lives. In this case, it was Boyd’s idea that we have to both trust our training and ride well on the day. I had to trust that I had studied the material and I had to think and write well on the day of the exam. There are always things that can go wrong, and we do not need to hold ourselves to the standard of perfection, but riding and writing well in those critical moments—in the moments that matter—are skills worth trying to master.

Trainer Applications Now Open for 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover

By on Jan 4, 2022 9:00 am -

Thinking about throwing your hat in the ring of this year’s Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover? Do it! The trainer application process opened yesterday, Jan. 3, 2022, and will remain open for submission through close of business day on Jan. 21. Trainer approvals will be announced no later than Feb. 15.

For roundabout the cost of a regular horse trial, you could not only jump-start the career of an off-track horse but also be part of the biggest OTTB lovefest of the year. The eighth running of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium takes place October 12-15 at the Kentucky Horse Park and will feature competition in 10 disciplines ranging from eventing to barrel racing and polo.

Horses and their trainers will compete for $100,000 in prize money and the title of America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred. The event includes seminars, demonstrations, a sponsor fair, and a livestreamed finale featuring the top five horses in each discipline. Many of the horses are offered for sale, so it’s one-stop Thoroughbred shopping at its finest.

The Thoroughbred Makeover is open to professionals, amateurs, juniors (ages 12 and over), and teams. Applicants are required to provide information about their riding and competition background as well as references, including one from a veterinarian, and video that showcases their riding ability. Competitors do not need to have acquired their horse at the time of application, though they must register their horse no later than July 29, 2022.

Accepted trainers may acquire eligible Thoroughbreds through whatever source they choose, or can ride under contract from an owner. Eligible horses must have raced or had a published work on or after July 1, 2020 and must not have started retraining for a second career prior to December 1, 2021 other than a maximum of 15 allowable rides, intended to allow for trial rides.

Detailed information is available at the RRP website’s 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover page. The 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover Rulebook outlines all rules and information relevant to the competition, with changes for 2022 marked in red and clarifying information marked in blue. Interested applicants can start the process now by clicking on the Trainer Portal at tbmakeover.org.

Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feeds

By on Jan 4, 2022 7:19 am -

 

Need something to cheer up the prospect of heading back to work this week? How about a BIG SALE KLAXON: Our pals at SmartPak are currently hosting their major winter clearance event, and the deals are plenty spicy. You can save up to 40% on tack and gear, and there are some super prices to be found on iconic products such as the Piper breeches and, yes, saddle pads to suit every variety of matchy-matchy. Click here to shop now!

Events Opening Today: Rocking Horse Winter II Advanced H.T., Jumping Branch Farm H.T.

Events Closing Today: Stable View Aiken Opener H.T., Grand Oaks H.T.

Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:

Still confused about the tumult surrounding the FEI’s one country, one vote drama? Pippa Cuckson is back in the fray with all the details you need to understand the hot button drama of the moment — and the huge impact it could have on global equestrian sport and horse welfare.

Are you a high school or college student with an interest in equestrian photography? Don’t miss your chance to apply for the Andrew Ryback Photography Scholarship, which awards grants to help fund your education. Applications close on 3/31.

Take a look around the home of Swedish show jumper (and former eventer!) Peder Fredricson. I’ll be thinking about his fireplace all day – and the fact that both he and his wife are actually also artists! We love an equestrian with hidden talents.

Listen to This:

We’re all beside ourselves with excitement over the return of Badminton this spring, and there’s plenty of excitement behind the scenes, too, with a new event director at the helm and plenty of fresh ideas on the table. EquiRatings’s Nicole Brown headed to the Cotswolds to find out more about what’s coming. 

Video Break:

At last month’s USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, Ashley Johnson presented her fascinating research into the ‘flow state’ of elite event riders — that is, the psychological state of total immersion in an activity. For event riders, she looked specifically at resilience levels and performance strategies. You can watch the whole talk and find out her conclusions here!