Classic Eventing Nation

Woods Baughman Takes USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship Lead at Tryon

By on Nov 13, 2021 6:13 pm -

Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It was Woods Baughman‘s day out on Captain Mark Phillips’ CCI4*-L Championship track here at Tryon International in Mill Spring, Nc. Despite a nearly 10-minute hold on course while he was midway around, he regrouped to stop the clock over 20 seconds inside the time with C’est La Vie 135 (Contendro I – Anette) to remain on his dressage mark of 29.4 and take over the lead as we look ahead to tomorrow’s show jumping finale.

Sent out ahead of Woods and “Contrendro” were Madeline Scott and Crosby’s Gold, who would eventually retire after trouble at the big ditch wall on the far loop of the course. After their issue, the course was held for fence repairs. When Woods was pulled up shortly after the Bumble Bee fence at 13, he said he wasn’t exactly sure of his time after resetting his watch. “So to the hill, I decided not to take any chances,” Woods said. “And I just dropped the reins and let him run.”

“Fantastic,” is the word Woods uses to describe the round at the end of the day. This pair finished third in the 4*-L here at Tryon last year, but Woods subsequently struggled with rideability and confidence — both his and his horse’s — through the early parts of this season. The trouble started at Carolina, where the two parted company at the last combination on course.

Woods Baughman – Leading XC Ride

After a course that proved to be very difficult this morning at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort, Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135 have taken over the 🔝 of the leaderboard at the The Dutta Corporation #USAEventing CCI4* National Championship, producing the only double-clear of the day 💪

Posted by USA Eventing on Saturday, November 13, 2021

Then at Kentucky in the 4*-S, Woods fell again, this time breaking his L1 and L2 vertebrae and rendering himself out of commission — and losing his qualifications due to the consecutive falls to add insult to injury — for several weeks. He attempted a trip to Montana for the 4*-L at Rebecca Farm, but came to grief there as he realized the amount of strength he’d lost from the injury. At that point, with counseling from coach Sharon White, Woods decided to go all the way back to the drawing board, dropping back to Preliminary to get the wind back in the sails.

“We brought him back and went slow at pretty much every three-star in the area that we could get to,” Woods explained. “We just did a lot of really, really slow, practice runs, and I finally thought, ‘I think I have it.’ So at Morven I put the foot down to make sure he could still go fast.” Up to that point, Woods wasn’t sure where he’d end up to cap off the season. He says time spent with his other top horse, Hopak de Greenbay Z — “a total saint”, as Woods describes him — helped him get his riding confidence back this summer. “My gray horse really helped me this summer, and so I was able to then help [C’est La Vie] get his back,” he reflected. “We helped each other.”

Now, Woods looks ahead to show jumping and says his focus is keeping C’est La Vie relaxed so he doesn’t tighten and have a rail behind. “He’s a pretty solid show jumper,” he explained. “So that always helps you feel a little bit more comfortable. And the real plan is just to help him stay relaxed and easygoing into tomorrow. He can get pretty uptight pretty fast, and then he stops his back and can have one behind. It’s just keeping him relaxed through the night and happy in the morning, and we’ll give it our best shot tomorrow.”

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

He will have one rail in hand ahead of second-placed Will Coleman with Hyperion Stud and Vicky Castegren’s Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ – Wildera, by Quinar), who added 19 seconds of time on the 9-year-old’s first attempt at a 4*-L as the first to go out this morning. This is one Will’s had in his program since he was two, so the process of producing him tactful has been rewarding, to say the least.

“It’s his third Advanced and he’s just nine and I thought he was great,” Will said. “He just seemed very comfortable and genuine, and I think he’s going to continue to develop. It was good to get that four-long under his belt. He showed a lot of class, and both Vicky and I are thrilled with him.”

Will and “Chin” will go onto a score of 33.6 for second place overnight.

Third time’s a charm, indeed, for Sharon White and her own Claus 63, who finally get their first 4*-L cross country completion after two previous attempts this year at Jersey Fresh and Morven Park. Sharon describes Claus as very confident (“he has a lot of faith in himself!”), and that can sometimes lull a rider into a somewhat false sense of confidence.

“I just needed to understand that he is young,” Sharon said of the 9-year-old son of Catoo, whom she sourced via Germany’s Dirk Schrade. “He was so wonderful at Morven. The only thing I had to do was try not to go so fast. So I was a little bit careful just to take care of business where I needed to. I had a lot of horse left and he could’ve gone faster. He is still young — even though none of it is hard for him — he doesn’t ever question anything and I have total faith in him.”

Sharon accumulated 15 seconds of time to put her on a two-phase score of 35.9, holding the third place position ahead of tomorrow.

Sharon White and Claus 63. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The day was a mixed bag of results in the 4*-L, with Woods the only rider to make the optimum time of 10 minutes on the nose. 14 of the original 21 starters completed the course for a 67% completion rate; nine of those 14 finished free of jumping penalties. Two horses fell: Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing fell at the ditch wall at 17, and Brandon McMechan and Oscar’s Wild fell at fence 5. No injuries to horses or riders have been reported at this time. The ditch and wall did prove to be problematic for more than a few pairs, and Holly Payne Caravella posted the following on her social media:

Phillip Dutton moved up to take the lead in the CCI4*-S with the Z Partnership’s Z, back from his post-Tokyo break, remaining on his dressage score of 29.2 ahead of tomorrow’s cross country finale.

“I’m really pleased with him,” Phillip said. “It’s his first run back since Tokyo ,and it’s actually first time off the farm since Tokyo, so I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to be but he’s pretty relaxed yesterday and I just sort of opted for a quiet, easy test. And then I thought he show jumped well today, so very pleased for him. He’s such a special horse, so it was good to be have him with me. Tokyo was in early August and so I just felt it was a good thing for him to get back into proper work. And it’s also good for me to have in my training to have some sort of goals that are not too far off. I think it’s been a good good exercise to bring it here to finish the year off.”

Dan Kreitl and Carmango. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Dan Kreitl will be the leader of the CCI3*-L, turning in a clear round inside the time with Kay Dixon’s Carmango (Chirivell – Taramanga, by Templer GL xx) to remain on his dressage mark of 27.5. It was a banner day all around for Team Kreitl — and believes it or not, this is Dan’s very first Long format weekend, as he primarily has competed his horses at national levels for the good majority of their partnerships — as he also finished inside the time with his second ride, Horales, also owned by Kay Dixon, to rocket up from 20th into eighth overnight.

“They’re both really good horses,” Dan said. “Sometimes we kind of pick and choose events where we’re going to run them hard and [along with my coach, Sharon White, decided] this was a good training event for them, regardless of placing but to see how they hold up over the longer track. Today I expected them both to go clean like they did, so I was really happy with how I went.”

Dan is one of those riders who somehow manages to juggle some very heavy loads while also finding competitive success — all with a general sense of aplomb and positivity that would never betray the weight on his shoulders. Dan, who hails originally from Indiana, has shuffled back and forth between his home base and Sharon White’s Last Frontier Farm in West Virginia through the summer. In the meantime, his time at home is spent caring for his wife, Alyssa, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy as she battles stage 4 pseudomyxoma peritonei, and his two children. For Dan, the horses have always been his thing to go and do, and he credits his incredible family and support system at home for allowing him to still enjoy the sport.

“It’s definitely one of those curveballs thrown at us in life that we didn’t anticipate or were planning for,” Dan explained. “So we’ve just been figuring this out on the fly honestly, because my wife was perfectly healthy. Then they found out she had stage four cancer and then had our baby born prematurely.” Dan credits Sharon and her team for the impeccable care and training put on his horses — “really, it was a training boost for us!” he chuckled — and while the horses have since returned to Indiana, he’s quick to reflect with gratitude on that help received from Sharon and the ongoing opportunity to clear his head at the barn.

“To still do this has been hugely helpful,” he continued. “The stress of life and not knowing how it’s going to turn out and all that has been a lot tougher this year than ever before. So the horses have been as helpful to me as I’ve been to them.”

Tik Maynard and Galileo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Keeping his lead in the CCI2*-L will be Tik Maynard with the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood Galileo (San Remo – Aronia, by Rousseau), turning in a clear round inside the time today to remain on his dressage score of 21.4. Galileo came from a dressage background and was originally purchased by Tik’s father, Rick. Then with the Covid-19 pandemic hit and Rick was stuck in Canada, the ride fell to Tik.

“He’s always been capable of getting these scores,” Tik said of Galileo’s highly competitive dressage mark. “It’s just a matter of me being good enough to ride them. So I’ve been working a lot on dressage and lately I’ve been working with Karen O’Connor the past year and a half, who’s been really helpful for me figuring out how to ride him.”

Chloe Johnson and Chilli Bean. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Looking to the CCI1*-L, Chloe Johnson sits atop the division to hold her dressage lead aboard Chilli Morning daughter, Chilli Bean. This pair added no penalties to their starting score of 26.3. This is a newer partnership that just began this year — Chilli Bean was bred by Joe Meyer’s mother, Gay Meyer, and was campaigned by Joe before Chloe took over the ride. But they seem to have taken to each other quite well — they’ve finished outside the top 10 just twice in 11 events together. Now, they hold court in a big 1* division and will look to defend their lead in tomorrow’s show jumping finale.

“Some things just really clicked between me and ‘Chilli’ in the last month,” Chloe said. “I came out of that ring [yesterday] knowing that was the best test we had put down, I think ever probably. Cross country today was absolutely perfect. She was super brave to everything, didn’t hesitate. She came off feeling like she wanted to run it completely again. She was just absolutely amazing.”

The Adequan/USEF Youth Team Challenge also wrapped up its cross country phase: In the CCI1*-L, the scramble team representing Areas 3, 7, and 5 (Camryn Chung, Crockett Miller, Ava Holmes, Chloe Johnson) will now take the lead on a two-day team score of 98.7. Area 2 (Jackson Dillard, Mia Braundel, Maddie Hale, Kiera Kenny) will keep the lead in the CCI2*-L after earning a team score of 99.4. And in the CCI3*-L, the team representing Areas 2, 3, and 8 (Alex Baugh, Elizabeth Bortuzzo, Ben Noonan, Sarah Bowman) will keep the lead on a score of 115.1.

Tomorrow’s conclusion begins at 8 a.m. with the final horse inspection. We’ll then kick off show jumping with the CCI3*-L at 9:30 a.m., followed by the CCI4*-L at 11:00 a.m., CCI4*-S show jumping at 12:00 p.m., CCI2*-L show jumping at 12:30 p.m. and CCI1*-L show jumping at 3:30 p.m. You can follow the action live on USEF Network here, and I’ll be back tomorrow with one final report. Until then, Go Eventing!

Tryon International Three-Day Event (Tryon, Nc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Stream] [Live Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Eventing Nation’s coverage of Tryon International is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, your go-to source for nutritional support and maintenance. The horse that matters to you, matters to Kentucky Performance Products. Visit kppusa.com to learn more.

Seven More Unorthodox Event Horses: Your Turn!

By on Nov 13, 2021 8:30 am -

Eventing is for every horse, truly. A few weeks ago we sent out a call for readers to send us photos of their “unorthodox” event horses, and you delivered. Here are seven of your unique superstars!

Lindsey Evans: “Meet Winter Storm Warning, ‘Winter,’ the Lippizaner cross! He belongs to my 11-year-old daughter Lakewin Evans. We bought him just over a year ago and they evented in Area 1 this summer — we live in Vermont. They started the season at Elementary, but quickly moved up to Beginner Novice and they won their final event of the season (GMHA September Horse Trials)!! He is sweet and lovable and always wants to do the right thing. He is literally a saint and takes care of Lakewin at every event. He has given her a tremendous amount of confidence and they can’t wait until next season!”

Jaci Bennett: “Not a horse but a pony. 12th of 66 at AECs (BN JR 15-18) with his ‘small human biped’ Audrey Bennett. Bad To The Bone, 13.2, 11-year-old, Welsh/Hanoverian cross (we think, based on his DNA test). ‘Bones’ was born in Kentucky but was an orphan with no info about his parents when we bought him from our Florida hunter/jumper trainer in 2019. Never did Eventing prior to August 2020. Loves it. Earned the nickname ‘Little Rolex’ at Area 3 Regionals. While ponies are common in Europe, here in the US, not too many.”

Alexandria Vesselle: “Charlie is a 2011 pace bred Standardbred, who was trained for the track but had no starts. His Standardbred Canada name is “Robert T” but I compete him under the name Good Time Charlie. I got Charlie in 2014, unstarted to my knowledge, and have spent the last 7 years working him up the levels. Currently we are competing at Training level (in Canada).”

Jessica Lebert: “‘No Nottings Nest’ (Jake) is a 12-year-old Haflinger gelding who has previously evented up to Training level with his owner Chloe Miller, and now events BN level with me, his bonus “mom”, including qualifying for AECs in our first season together. That’s what so great about eventing, especially at the lower levels, is that you don’t have to have a fancy imported horse to be successful, or have fun.”

Bryony Pimm: “I event exclusively American Saddlebreds in Australia — there’s only 800 of them in the Australasia area so they’re a very odd thing to see down here.”

Photo courtesy of
Hannah Reeser.

Hannah Reeser: “I have a lovely little Morgan mare who has been successfully competing in Eventing at the BN level. She placed 3rd at the AECs this year and is coming off of a win this past weekend at the Area 8 Championships. I plan on moving her up to Novice next year. It would be great to be able to showcase the Morgan breed in Eventing. Over the years, I have had the privilege of competing several different Morgans in Eventing and all of them have been successful. They are a great versatile breed that is commonly overlooked in eventing.”

Sara Greenbaum: “Thor is a 17-year-old Argentine/Chilean criollo and Holsteiner cross. He’s a dark bay paint and grows hair like your favorite meatball Shetland. He came to me from a friend after massively failing as a polocrosse horse. Before that, he was supposedly bought from an online auction out of Texas, where he was a ranch horse. I believe the ranch horse part; he’s just about bombproof and incredibly brave. Lots of scars, doesn’t care about livestock or dogs yapping around at his feet. I can literally trust him with my mother.

“Here’s where he started about two years ago. Didn’t jump, didn’t have any concept of flatwork. Dressage was a struggle, to say the least. Yes I was pretty nuts to buy him, but he was cheap, has a great brain, and a wonderful attitude. Rock solid feet, easy keeper, terrible leg conformation, great tail!

“We’re in Southern Pines, NC and train with both Becky Holder and Nobie Cannon. His trot was so bad Becky thought he was a gaited breed! (Part of the reason I had his DNA done at Texas A&M was because I wanted to prove her wrong!) Nobie has been fantastic helping me put flatwork on him and making him into a wonderful jumping partner.

“He came with the name Thor (and he was so overweight we called him ‘Fat Thor’ for a while … Avengers: Endgame had just come out), but shows under Aguamenti because he loves to go swimming. We’ve had some decent results at BN and are prepping for a hopeful Novice move up this fall.”

Go Eventing.

Saturday Links

By on Nov 13, 2021 12:01 am -

Photo via Maryland 5 Star on Facebook.

Cross country courses are literally works of art! I think that in a way the course design itself and its use of terrain is art, but of course there’s also the fabulous woodcarvings produced by course builders as well as the incredible paint jobs that put the finishing touches on the fences. The imposing crab jump into the water got most of the attention at the Maryland 5 star this year, but I was personally blown away by the beautiful orioles at the end of the course. They were painted by Abigail Dudley, a local artist and recent graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, who volunteered her time and skills to help beautify the new course. You can check out more of her work here.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Tryon International Three-Day Event (Tryon, Nc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Stream] [Live Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Reddick, Fl.): [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

River Glen H.T. (New Market, Tn.): [Website] [Ride Time/Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

Don’t miss the War Horse Event Series finale at Carolina Horse Park, Sunday on H&C+

The Case For Dark-Colored Breeches

Rule Refresher: But What Will I Wear?

Jayven Kilgore Selected for Equine Opportunity Program

Danish Pentathletes Threaten Legal Challenge Over Axing of Riding

We want to hear from you! Tell us your thoughts on our weekly email newsletter via this survey.

Saturday Video: What’s Piggy March up to this winter? She’ll be working with some young horses, getting some new horses into work, and brainstorming with Lucinda Green to name a few things!

Friday Video from SmartPak: Sneak a Peak at Pratoni with Andrew Hoy

By on Nov 12, 2021 8:38 pm -

2021 hasn’t even finished yet and already, we’re daydreaming about next year — a season that’ll revolve around the World Championships, set to take place just outside Rome at Italy’s Pratoni del Vivaro. It’ll be an interesting year, because the World Equestrian Games format has been dismantled in favour of discipline-specific championships scattered around the world, and so eventing will share the stage with just one other sport — combined driving. Frequent followers of Les Etoiles de Pau will be well familiar with how brilliantly the two sports mingle on the main stage, and also how chaotic a shared prize giving can be.

Anyway, there’s a long way to go before we need to think about laps of honour — first, we want to get a closer look at what to expect from the venue itself. Fortunately for us, Aussie Andrew Hoy took a trip there last week with a couple of his up-and-coming horses, and has shared this head cam footage from his trip around the CCI3*-L with Bloom des Hauts Crets, who finished second. Enjoy tagging along — and being every bit as nosy as we are!

Reporter’s Notebook: Dancing Queens and Fall Colors to Wrap Up Dressage at Tryon International

By on Nov 12, 2021 4:15 pm -

Photo by Sally Spickard.

Having lived in Southern California for the past five years, I always feel like I’m seeing the world with new eyes any time I visit the East coast during the fall. I have family here in North Carolina, so when planning out the tail end of the season I tacked on a trip to Tryon this weekend as a part of my Thanksgiving visit. This means three full weeks of actual fall weather — trust me, I love living in California, but I can’t help but feel a tad wistful when I finally get to see some colors on the trees.

All of that to say that I’ve mostly spent my time gawking at the pretty leaves since I arrived this afternoon, much to the eyebrow raising of anyone who saw me, no doubt (“does this lady know the arena is behind her?”).

There is an actual event happening this weekend as well, so after snapping more than a few stalker-quality photos of some riders out for a leisurely hack in the practice field next to the International Stadium I turned my attention to the final portion of dressage in the CCI4*-S and CCI2*-L this afternoon.

Photo by Sally Spickard.

Will Coleman stretches Chin Tonic’s legs. Photo by Sally Spickard.

There’s a hefty amount of competition to take in at Tryon, which is supported by title sponsor The Dutta Corp.: there is a Long format for every FEI level up to 4* and there’s also the USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship as well as the Adequan/USEF Youth Team Challenge East Coast Final. In addition, there’s also the Young Horse Show Finals happening on the far side of the property, along with the $25,000 Cleghorn Gun Club Grand Prix happening Sunday. Oh — and they’re also setting up for a Spartan Race and preparing for Winterfest. It’s safe to say: there’s a lot going on here!

But this venue, which gives off Winter Equestrian Festival vibes (and should, given its shared ownership with the Wellington venue), is a great one to showcase equestrian sport at its finest, and it’s also a great educational trip for younger horses unaccustomed to atmosphere at typical horse trials.

Lynn Symansky and RF Cool Play. Photo by Sally Spickard.

This weekend’s CCI4*-S division is, like its Long counterpart, a mixture of more experienced horses along with a few first-timers or lesser experienced pairs. The final pair to see this afternoon to wrap up the dressage was Lynn Symansky, who rerouted here from Maryland with the Donner Syndicate’s RF Cool Play (Condors Champion – Roxana, by Radscha), and her score of 28.2 was enough to squeak past Phillip Dutton and Z (29.2), back from his post-Tokyo vacation, for the overnight lead. Lynn elected to withdraw “Coolio” after dressage at Maryland due to personal illness. Canada’s Jessica Phoenix and Charlotte Schickedanz’s Humble GS will round out the 4*-S top three on a score of 29.7.

Meanwhile in the CCI2*-L, Tik Maynard’s overnight lead will remain intact, but the top three shuffles a bit with Liz Halliday-Sharp coming up as the best of Friday to take second aboard Emilie Mudd’s Quite Nice 11 on a score of 24.7.

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The CCI1*-L also has a new overnight leader: Youth Team Challenge rider Chloe Johnson and her own New Zealand Sport Horse mare, Chilli Bean, scored a 26.3 to overtake Boyd Martin and Gestalt.

The Adequan/USEF Youth Team Challenge also wrapped up its dressage competition today, and the scrambled team representing Area 2 (Ella Braundel, Caroline Brown, Grace Mykityshyn, Juliana Cassar) will take the 1*L lead on a cumulative mark of 92.0. In the 2*L, the team representing Areas 1 and 5 (Lea Adams-Blackmore, Ayden Schain, Vienna Allport) takes the lead on a score of 99.3. The team representing Areas 2, 3, and 8 (Alex Baugh, Elizabeth Bortuzzo, Ben Noonan, Sarah Bowman) lead the way in the 3*-L, which wrapped up dressage yesterday, on a score of 96.1.

Photo by Sally Spickard.

The attention now turns to what Captain Mark Phillips has up his sleeve for tomorrow’s cross country test (and, for the 4*-S riders, what Chris Barnard has up his sleeve for the show jumping phase). I’m heading out to take a quick spin around the track after this, hence my lack of photos, for which I apologize! For reference, here’s a look at the 4*-L map:

‘

And the CCI4*-S map:

I’ll be back with you tomorrow evening for a cross country wrap-up. You can watch the action live here in person (no admission charge!) or on USEF Network’s live stream here. Go Eventing!

Hannah Sue Burnett and Coolrock Wacko Jack. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Tryon International Three-Day Event (Tryon, Nc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Stream] [Volunteer]

Eventing Nation’s coverage of Tryon International is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, your go-to source for nutritional support and maintenance. The horse that matters to you, matters to Kentucky Performance Products. Visit kppusa.com to learn more.

Team Dappir Ridge Reflects on the Biggest Thoroughbred Party in America

By on Nov 12, 2021 11:30 am -

With The Makeover in the rear view mirror, we have all had a couple of weeks to reflect on what was one of the most unique and spectacular weeks of equestrian sport we have ever been a part of. All four of our horses exceeded our expectations in their respective performances, especially the phenomenal Robbie Jones, who made the finale in the 2020 Eventing division, finishing an impressive third overall. 

Aside from the actual competition component, I think that the real takeaway for most of us was the camaraderie of it all; participating in something that was bigger than ourselves, cheering on our teammates and friends, and  watching hundreds of lovely Thoroughbreds from around the country perform in ten different disciplines, demonstrating their versatility, athleticism and heart. Most of all, The Makeover enabled us to help promote and celebrate this breed that we all love so much, on a National stage. We are all so grateful for the opportunity, and hope to return again next year!

Thank you to Eventing Nation for giving us the opportunity to blog about our journey to the Makeover over the past two years. It has been quite the ride!

A rainbow shines over the Kentucky Horse Park. Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Adriana Nannini

Wow, what a week. I can’t believe it’s over after two full years of preparation. Let’s rewind for a sec —  for those of you who have followed this blog from the beginning, you might remember that, for me, it all started with my 2020 mount, Sevennotrump (“Tricks”). Tricks unfortunately did not get to participate in The Makeover, due to its postponement to 2021, and my decision to sell him. He is now successfully charging around Training level Eventing with his new owner and a new name- “Card Shark”. (It suits him perfectly!) 

After selling Tricks, I decided to find a new mount for the 2021 Mega Makeover, and in late December of 2020 quickly fell in love with the beautiful, sensitive filly Wicked Soprano (“Raven”). We then spent ten months together attempting to work through issues such as: major trailering woes, injuries, foot/shoeing problems, and anxious behavior that comes with the territory of choosing such a hot, spicy type. (What can I say, I have a type!?)

With horses, there are no guarantees, and the fact that we actually made it to Kentucky for The Makeover felt like a huge milestone. Raven passed her arrival exam (phew!), after which I deposited her in her stall so that I could start unpacking and getting settled. That is about the time that s**t hit the fan. 

Almost immediately, Raven had a claustrophobia attack and began panicking in the stall. I still have no idea why. Yes, she has lived outside 24/7 for the past 6 weeks or so at my farm, but she lived in a stall before that, and has been stabled at multiple venues this season without incident, including the Carolina Horse Park, Loch Moy and the Virginia Horse Center. Nevertheless, Raven simply lost her mind in that stall. She was running back and forth, rearing straight up, scrambling, dumping her water buckets, and raking her face against the bars of the stall. Every time I would remove her from the stall to hand walk, she would breathe a huge sigh of relief and walk around the Horse Park quiet as can be. But every time I would try to put her back in the stall, she would, without fail, regress to her panicked, psychotic state of mind. I feared she was going to seriously hurt herself.

As luck would have it, it was at that inopportune time that CANTER PA appeared at our stabling block to interview us, since 3 of 4 Dappir Ridge horses had been obtained via CANTER. If you go on the CANTER PA Facebook page, you will see video footage of that interview, wherein Robbie Jones and Shake and Spin both appear cool and composed as cucumbers, as do their respective trainers, Kelly and Kiki. Then, you will see the pretty black mare acting like a crazed, neurotic freak, and her very worried, stressed out trainer (me!) gushing about how much I love mares. That pretty much sums up how day one went for us! 

After about 24 hours of this behavior, it seemed as though I had two options: sedate Raven, and thus forfeit the competition before it even began, or try to find her alternate living arrangements for the week. I opted for the latter. I called around, and was able to secure a local farm/layover facility that had a paddock for Raven to live in. So little princess Raven got to spend the week 10 minutes down the road in her own private paddock.

The only catch of that arrangement was that it logistically prevented me from being able to school Raven in any of the competition arenas prior to showing. The ring familiarization in the Rolex Stadium, where we would be performing our dressage test, was something that I had especially wanted to do, because there is so much atmosphere in there, but alas- Raven missed out on that. I would just have to go in there cold turkey.

To my surprise, on competition day, Raven trotted down that centerline in the Rolex Stadium without batting an eyelash, and laid down her most relaxed, consistent test to date. I was so proud of my little Sting Ray. Dressage was followed by the stadium portion of the Eventing discipline, which Raven attacked confidently and with style. Last up was cross-country. Raven put in a clear round, and even received a score of a 9.5 for her gallop at the end! That gallop was the highlight of my week; it felt so uphill and effortless, like we were flying. Raven’s performance in the enormous 2021 Eventing division earned her a top 20 placing overall. I couldn’t have been more proud. 

On Thursday, we competed in our secondary discipline- Showjumping. For the showjumping, we first had to complete a flatwork pattern, which incorporated lengthening and collecting in the canter, a change of lead, a halt and a rein-back. Raven executed this obediently. Next, we proceeded to the gridwork portion of the test, in which we had to trot two different grids. Trotting poles/grids was something that Raven had been struggling with leading up to the competition; she is much more confident jumping out of the canter. She obediently executed the grids, but they were a little more tense than I would have liked. 

Immediately following the gridwork was the coursework portion, in which we had to execute two rounds over full courses of jumps, the second being the “jump-off”. Raven zipped around those courses like her spicy, agile self, offering perfectly clean flying changes and showing off her careful manner over fences. While we didn’t make the finale in either discipline, I am so smitten with my mare’s performance in both. I was, and still am, honored and proud to be her person, neuroses and all! 

The cherry on top was finding out that Raven won reserve champion overall for the CANTER USA award at the Makeover, which is awarded to the top placing horse obtained via CANTER. 

We got to stay until the bitter end to cheer on our Dappir Ridge comrade, Kelly, with her unicorn, Robbie Jones! Watching the finale, which showcased the top 5 horses in all 10 disciplines, was an incredible experience. It was truly a world class competition, complete with a live video broadcast and commentators, as well as an amazing trade fair.  The finale was affirmation of what I already knew; that Thoroughbreds can do anything. They have the versatility and the heart to excel in literally any discipline.

Currently, Raven is grazing happily in my field, her shoes pulled for a much-deserved winter vacation. Come Spring, she will continue her education in the sport of Eventing as a big, bad, 5 year old! I will continue to be an OTTB advocate for as long as I live, and will cherish the memories of my first Thoroughbred Makeover forever. It was an honor to represent Team Dappir Ridge at such a special event. The teamwork and camraderie that went into preparing for this was hands-down what I enjoyed the most. Will there be a “next time”? HELL YES!

Adriana Nannini with Wicked Soprano at the check in exams. Photo courtesy of Anna White.

Team Dappir Ridge! Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Adriana Nannini with Wicked Soprano in the Showjumping. Photo courtesy of Keen Davies.

Wicked Soprano. Photo courtesy of Keen Davies.

Dr. Kelly Giunta, VMD

The Thoroughbred Makeover was a fun and well organized horse show with a wonderful group of people who love Thoroughbreds. Everyone was smiling and having a great time from the moment we got there. Justine and Sue from CANTER PA stopped by to visit with us and gave us some great CANTER swag. Robbie even got his own custom horse shoe ornament with his name on it from the wonderful folks at CANTER. 

We arrived on Monday afternoon and our first task was to check in and have an arrival veterinary exam performed to make sure the horses were healthy and in good body condition.  Then, on Tuesday, we did some schooling in the hunter ring and the dressage ring in the Rolex arena.  Robbie loves the Kentucky Horse Park and was on his best behavior all week. 

On Wednesday, we showed in all three phases of Eventing. Robbie came out with his tail over his back and prancing that morning, which made everyone a little nervous, but as soon as we got to the warm up ring, Robbie was all business. We received scores of 72% in dressage, 69% in showjumping despite one unlucky rail and 97% on cross-country. This landed us in 5th place in eventing, so we made it into the finale! (Only the top 5 in each discipline advance to the finale). 

On Thursday, we showed in the Show Hunter division, receiving competitive scores despite a few rider errors. Robbie was given 9s and 10s on his manners by both judges in both over fences rounds and the under saddle class, despite having a loose horse gallop by the ring. We ended up tied for 5th place in the hunters, and ultimately finished 6th overall. 

 On Friday, we had to jog for the finale, and by the performance given by Robbie, you may have thought we were at horse inspection for a 5* event. After the jogs, our group managed to sneak over to Keeneland for the day to watch some horses race. 

For the finale on Saturday, Robbie and I were the very first ride of the day! The footing was deep and the arena was scary, but Robbie gave his best performance, scoring a 76% which landed us in 3rd place and top Amateur for the 2020 Eventing Division. I couldn’t be more proud of my horse!  

About two weeks after his Makeover success, Robbie won his Novice division at the Virginia Horse Trials, finishing on his dressage score of 25! We plan to move up to Training level at River Glen Horse Trials for our last show of the year. We have been practicing jumping down banks into water, which has proven to be one of the most difficult training issues that we have faced so far…maybe second to getting run away with a few times during 2020. I am confident that Robbie will soon understand the question and be fine with it like he is with everything else.  After that, Robbie will get some rest and relaxation for the winter.

Kelly Giunta with Robbie Jones. Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Team Dappir Ridge! Photo courtesy of Keen Davies.

Kelly Giunta and groom Keen Davies with Robbie Jones at the final jog. Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Robbie Jones the champion! Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Anna White

I still can’t quite believe that our magical week at The Thoroughbred Makeover is already over. It seems like MONTHS of planning out details, meeting deadlines, etc – and now I’m happy to reflect on a wonderful week.

To start, I want to highlight the professionalism of this event. Over the decades I have traveled to a number of venues in different areas. There is a lot of “behind the scenes” work that goes into making these events possible. While this wasn’t a traditional “event”, the caliber of organization and attention to detail was unprecedented. To be able to hold multiple disciplines while doubling the usual number of entries is no easy feat. Every judge, official, and volunteer was professional and kind. 

The check-in process was easy and accessible, especially after hauling for 6+ hours and feeling a bit discombobulated! The courses were challenging in a perfect balance for the level, asking just enough while not over facing these young horses. There were ample opportunities to school in both the competition rings, lunging pads, etc. And we cannot forget about the dressage ring! The feeling of trotting into the Rolex Stadium for our dressage test was indescribable. Maybe it was the good ju-ju of all the famous tests that had been laid down, or the gargantuan stadium seats looming above you, but it made my horse, Black Spartacus (“Zeus”), just want to dance! 

Our week started with our first day in the Showjumping division on Tuesday. Our last outing at the Kentucky Horse Park back in May did not start or end very well. I had been competing with two horses that weekend, and my focus fell on my other horse for the first few days. This left a semi-cranky, pent up energetic baby Zeus. I was determined to not allow this to happen this time around. 

After a hack around the park the day before, I started Tuesday morning with a quick lunge session. I was impressed with how calm and stretchy Zeus was off the bat. I then hopped on him and flatted him for maybe 10 minutes – frankly because the ride was just lovely. He was soft and swingy and just pleasant. I warmed up Zeus later that afternoon for our Show Jumping Test. The weather had changed a bit and the wind had picked up. While our warmup was steady and reasonable – the test itself was not what I had hoped. He was quite against my hand and just not settled when we came into the ring. All of the transitions in the flat work pattern and adjustability that we really had had down just were not there. He jumped all the jumps and left almost all the rails up and overall settled.

Wednesday was our Eventing competition. We had one of the best dressage warm ups ever, followed by a very reasonable test in the Rolex Stadium. With how reactive he was to my seat the day before, I tried to ride more conservatively to create a fluid steady test. Besides a few baby bobbles, it was a strong, solid test. Our jumping phases were MUCH improved than the day before. He was acting much more like the Zeus that I expected. We jumped a clean, confident show jumping round, followed by a lovely, confident trip around the cross-country course. Zeus is extremely rideable and bold out on cross-country. 

To conclude – we had a great time. It was great to travel with our group while proudly representing a great team. I must admit I think we had some pretty cool swag as well. It was an experience I certainly hope to repeat again. I’m incredibly proud of my horse, my teammates – and especially thankful for our wonderful coach, Kiki, who continues to be our fearless leader.

Anna White performing her dressage test with Black Spartacus. Photo courtesy of Keen Davies.

Anna White with Black Spartacus. Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Anna White and Black Spartacus in the showjumping. Photo courtesy of Keen Davies.

Team Dappir Ridge! Photo courtesy of Kelly Giunta.

Kiki Osbourne

The Thoroughbred Makeover has been on my bucket list for several years, so I was very happy to be able to finally make the trip with friends/students and their horses to one of my favorite places, Lexington, Kentucky!  After entering the barrel racing division instead of the dressage division by accident, due to the difficult and confusing entry process, (maybe this was only difficult for me, since I’m pretty much technologically illiterate), it was all smooth sailing from there. The check in process and everything else about the competition seemed to run very smoothly. Within the first hour we were there, we managed to score tons of free stuff (free stuff is always fun!) just for being part of the RRP, as well as from competing horses that originated through the CANTER program!  Who doesn’t like some nice saddle pads and fancy polo shirts! We were interviewed on a Facebook live post by CANTER while we set up our fun stall area with banners naming each horse and rider. Sometime after sunset, we were set up and ready for dinner and an upcoming day of competition!

Frijole aka “Ole” (or as the Jockey Club likes to call him- Shake and Spin) traveled well, as usual. He has a bit of a stall walking habit- which I like to think of as extra fitness work- so I ordered him stall mats and heavily bedded his stall. I only had time for hand walking on day one, but there was plenty to do under saddle in the coming days. 

I have to admit, when I learned that dressage tests were to be performed in the Rolex Arena, I was a bit worried. Ole’s dressage ring experience is minimal at best, and now  we had to tackle the big, fancy ring as well. I used both of my ticked schooling opportunities to take Ole in the  ring to get used to the atmosphere.  He was completely unfazed. He marched in the arena like he did it every day and went right to work! Maybe this was going to be easier than I thought, as far as general behavior and anxiety, thankfully!

The other horses in our group got to compete Tuesday and Wednesday. Frijole had to wait until Thursday for his appearance. I have very little to complain about. He’s a 3 year old at the Kentucky Horse Park, in the Rolex Arena, putting in a relatively solid Training level test. Other than two baby horse hiccups that consisted of one kick out at my leg into a left  canter transition, and one step into the canter when I asked for more trot, he was as good as I could have ever expected. Finishing with a 68% in the test and a 45/50 in the “movements” demo, Ole solidified a spot in the top 25 in a field of 85+ dressage horses!  I was so happy to be sitting on one of the nicest horses at the competition, In my opinion.  Not only could he perform without too much stress, he could hack wherever I took him on a loose rein, which may have been the best part! Since our teammates, Kelly and Robbie Jones advanced to the finale, I spent a few extra days laying low and seeing the sights of the Kentucky Horse Park from the back of Ole.

I’m embarrassed to say, but since we have been home, Ole has been on vacation. I think he’s ready to go back to work soon, when I get back from coaching all the fall events. Maybe now we can start to learn how to jump!  I can only hope that he’s as agreeable to jump as he is to go in the dressage ring!  As for his future, who knows. He’s a super talented young horse, and I feel lucky to be his person at the moment.  I’m sure we will see more of Frijole out and about with me or some other lucky person in the irons!  I’d like to think I’ll have the time to devote to producing this lovely horse, but reality may be different than what I’d like it to be.  For now, I’ll keep feeding him his carrots and reminding him how beautiful he is, and maybe one day before the new year get his tack out again!

Thank you to the Retired Racehorse Project, CANTER, and our sponsors, Nutrena feeds and Word Equestrian Brands, as well as  Keen Davies, and  Laurie McNeil  for their super groom/support crew efforts!

Kiki Osbourne with Shake and Spin. Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Kiki Osbourne with Shake and Spin in the Rolex Stadium. Photo courtesy of Keen Davies.

Dappir Ridge groom, Keen Davies, with Shake and Spin and Wicked Soprano. Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Kiki Osbourne with Shake and Spin. Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

US Equestrian Approves Seven Eventing-Specific Rule Changes

By on Nov 12, 2021 9:00 am -

US Equestrian Eventing has a few standard rule changes approved for the 2022 competition year coming into effect on December 1, 2021. A complete list of the approved rule changes can be found here, but we’ve singled a cliff notes version of the eventing specific ones for you below. Also included are page numbers so that you can read the rule changes in full.

Tracking #128-20 (page 141): For CCI1* qualification the horse must have achieved 1 MER at the Modified level or higher. There are no requirements for horses ridden by categorized riders at this level.

Rule Change Intent: “Per Appendix 3, Participation in Horse Trials, there are not any USEF requirements for horses ridden by categorized riders to compete in a CCI2*-S FEI Competition. Therefore, the requirement for horses ridden by categorized riders at the lower CCI1* level should be equal to the requirement at the CCI2*-S. The FEI does not place any additional Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) on categorized riders at the CCI1*-Intro or CCI2*-S formats.”

Tracking #095-20 (page 143): The addition of a new Annex 5 in the USEF Eventing Rulebook.

Rule Change Intent: “Annex 5 will house the USEF/USEA Eventing Competition Standards which were written, reviewed and approved by the USEA and the USEF Eventing Sport Committees. The implementation of Competition Standards is a step in requiring the National levels of USEF/USEA Competitions to operate on a level playing field, which would lead to fairness in the choice of competitions available to the membership throughout the country. These Competition Standards also encourage facilities to make or maintain improvements to the venue infrastructure that lead to increased safety for the membership and their horses involved with the competition. The Competition Standards look to raise the quality of competitions in the U.S. and provide a method of evaluation for the compliance and calendar process.”

Tracking #129-20 (page 146): Removes the requirements from the Rulebook that the Eventing Sport Committee must review and recommend approval of licensed officials hired to officiate at Advanced Horse Trials, National Three-Day Events and FEI Eventing Competitions.

Rule Change Intent: “Competition Organizers are responsible for hiring licensed officials that meet the requirements to officiate at an event, so therefore an additional and unnecessary confirmation from the Eventing Sport Committee is not needed. This would put Eventing in line with the other disciplines who do not review and recommend licensed officials for events.”

Tracking #121-20 (page 149): Judges must be given at least a 30-minute lunch break and at least 10-minute break every 2 hours. A prior agreement should be met between the judge and competition if a judge will be required to officiate longer than 8 hours in one day, or be required to be on the show grounds longer than 10 hours.

Rule Change Intent: “Out of respect for the focus required of eventing officials during the dressage phase of competition, to prevent exhaustion, and to better enable equality in scoring for all competitors this rule has been proposed.”

Tracking #132-20 (page 151): Removing the charts located in subchapter EV6 Rules For Officials and replacing them with more detailed text that specifically list out the required Licensed Officials at National Horse Trials and National Three-Day Events.

Rule Change Intent: This rule change proposal would involve removing the charts located in subchapter EV6 Rules For Officials and replacing them with more detailed text that specifically list out the required Licensed Officials at National Horse Trials and National Three-Day Events. The Eventing and Licensed Officials Departments have been receiving a number of questions from competition organizers in regard to the charts and felt this change was necessary to prevent any accidental Rule Violations and ensure that the properly licensed officials are in attendance at events.

Tracking #120-20 (page 154): Family (see GR123) of the Cross-country Course Designer or the Eventing Jumper Course Designer may not serve on the Ground Jury at an Event.

Rule Change Intent: To avoid a potential conflict of interest between course designer and the ground jury

Tracking #123-20 (page 156): If an Eventing Course Designer and Show Jumping Course Designer are different individuals, then the Show Jumping Course Designer may also serve as an additional judge if they are licensed to do so.

Rule Change Intent: A cross country course designer needs to be available at all times in order to attend to their duties while the cross country phase is occurring at the competition. However, if a separate course designer is responsible for the show jumping phase, then they should be permitted to officiate as an additional judge. This rule change clarifies who can serve as an additional judge.

 

The USEF/USEA Eventing Competition Standards can be viewed here.

The current USEF Eventing Chapter can be found on the USEF website here. The Eventing Annexes can be found here. The complete 2022 USEF Rule Book can be found here.

Questions can be directed to Amber Braun, Director of Eventing Sport Administration & Management, at [email protected].

 

 

 

Friday News & Notes from Zoetis

By on Nov 12, 2021 12:03 am -

HUEY. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Honestly, I think fall might be my favorite time of year. I’m going to put my head on a chopping block and say that I don’t hate daylight savings (this one anyway), and I really really love the crisp weather that comes along with it. That, and the colors are just insane right now with green grass and bright foliage. I mean look at this picture! I will never apologize for slowly turning EN into a Huey fan page, but the fall colors and the sly side-eye totally do it for me here.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Tryon International Three-Day Event (Tryon, Nc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Stream] [Volunteer]

Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Reddick, Fl.): [Website] [Volunteer]

River Glen H.T. (New Market, Tn.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

If you’re not obsessed with Laura Collett after this year, what are you even doing?? Now that she’s been part of the British Gold Medal Olympic Team with her unbelievably handsome London 52 (who also won Pau 5* last year), she’s been thrown onto a bigger stage of interest. FEI caught up with her for some questions about her life, and found some facts you may not know about her as a person, and a rider. Also, one of her side gigs is schooling racehorses over jumps, so please enjoy the video below of all the outtakes, and I dare you not to laugh. [5 Things To Know About Laura Collett]

Remington XXV has lived a lot of lives in his 25 years, and he’s not done quite yet. Originally a foxhunter, Remi completed four five-star tracks with Boyd Martin in the irons, and was his reserve horse for the 2012 Olympics and the 2010 WEG. After that, he competed through Advanced with Caitlin Silliman, and competed at the 2015 NAYC with Camilla Grover-Dodge. He’s been turned out for a few years on retirement, but now he’s been called up to the big leagues: trying to tame Nox Martin. [Three Careers, Two Martins, One Remington]

Are you a horseless rider in need of a fix? Luckily for you, we’ve found an expert on the matter, and she’s discovered a few ingenious ways to keep your sanity in check with horse time even if you don’t own one. From virtual lessons, to book recommendations, and even virtual master class subscriptions, you can spend plenty of time this winter getting pony miles. [How To Keep Horseless Riders Learning]

Jayven Kilgore has been selected for the Metropolitan Equestrian Team’s Equine Opportunity Program. The Equine Opportunity Program allows riders across the country to become as creative as they want through our educational and equestrian programs. Students have the ability to ride in any discipline and work towards their goal no matter their riding level or location in the country. The EOP riders have the drive and ambition to make their dreams a reality. [EOP Grant Winner Jayven Kilgore]

I may have watched this video crying laughing 40 times in a row, no apologies.

 

 

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Thursday at Tryon Instagram Roundup: The Sun Also Rises

By on Nov 11, 2021 6:00 pm -

By sunrise this morning at Tryon International Three-Day Event the stables were already bustling with riders and grooms getting ready for the day ahead. By all accounts, they had quite the colorful backdrop! The first day of dressage has come and gone — you can read EN’s recap here — with another still to come. We’re already looking forward to cross country and appreciate the sneak preview provided by some of your pics!

Here are a few more of your snapshots from the event.

Tryon International Three-Day Event (Tryon, NC): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Stream] [Volunteer]

 

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A post shared by Sarah (@supreme_equine_grooming)

 

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A post shared by The Dutta Corporation (@duttacorp)

 

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A post shared by Phillip Dutton (@duttoneventing)

 

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A post shared by Lars Blackmore (@ameridane.press)

 

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A post shared by Lila Lewis (@lr_equestrian_)

 

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A post shared by Casey Gillis (@gillis_casey)

Go Eventing.

Thursday Video: Meet 5-Year-Old West Coast Champion Lex D

By on Nov 11, 2021 5:30 pm -

Lex D, owned by Cellar Farm Corp and ridden by Amber Birtcil. PC: Tina Fitch Photography/US Eventing.

Congratulations to Lex D, winner of the 2021 5-year-old Young Event Horse West Coast Championships! The Dutch Warmblood gelding, ridden by Amber Birtcil and owned by Cellar Farm, scored the highest of the 13-horse field at the Championships, which took place over Halloween weekend at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, Calif.

YEH judges Chris Ryan from Ireland and Debbie Adams from the U.S. scored the horses in three sections: conformation/type, dressage, and jumping test/gallop/general impression. Lex D scored highest in conformation/type with a 9.7 out of 10 and combined that with the second-best dressage score of 16.6 out of 20 and fourth-best jumping score of 66.6 out of 70 for a total of 92.9.

Birtcil started working with Lex D in the spring after the horse came stateside from the Netherlands. Maarten Groeneveld, who bred the bay Dutch Warmblood gelding Carry On that Birtcil rode to wins at the Advanced level in 2016 and 2019, connected Birtcil with the bay Dutch Warmblood gelding Lex D.

“My goal all year with him was to do the 5-year-old Young Event Horse [West Coast] Championships,” Birtcil said. “I knew he had a great amount of talent and it would be a great showcase for him to show that off in.”

Watch Lex D strut his stuff!

Have a youngster you’d like to show off? You can learn more about the USEA YEH program here.