Classic Eventing Nation

12 Days of Giveaways Day 6: Win a Pair of Aztec Diamond Equestrian Breeches

By on Dec 11, 2021 9:00 am -

If you’re looking for a stylish and functional addition to your riding wardrobe, allow us to introduce you to our sixth giveaway sponsor, Aztec Diamond Equestrian. For today’s giveaway, you can enter to win a pair of gray AD Performance Breeches.

Features of the AD Performance Breech include:

  • Over three years in development, perfected fit, pattern and fabrics
  • Functional high-tech, sports developed fabric for durability, shape retaining and freedom of movement
  • Breathable, four way stretch and sweat wicking
  • Dual seamless side pockets combined into side seam panels
  • Curved side panels for maximum movement whilst in saddle
  • Updated formula silicone gripping system on the inside of leg – very durable and secure
  • Super soft fibre knitted fibre sock with seamless attachment to leg, providing maximum comfort under boots

To enter, use the form below or click here to enter and we’ll draw a winner at random and announce them in tomorrow’s giveaway. We will not share your email address with third parties, but you will opt-in for emails from us (don’t worry, we won’t overwhelm you and you can opt-out at any time!). We’re sorry, but this giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Good luck!

Congratulations to Mary C., the winner of yesterday’s giveaway with Kentucky Performance Products!

Saturday Links

By on Dec 11, 2021 12:01 am -

 

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A post shared by Tiggy’s Trust (@tiggystrust)


Yesterday, Great Britain’s iconic Cheltenham Racecourse was turned yellow in honor of Tiggy Hancock, the young Irish event rider who tragically passed away earlier this year. The charity set up in her honor, Tiggy’s Trust, aims to assist young equestrians in pursuit of their goals through training, education, and mental health support. Proceeds from the Turn Cheltenham Yellow of Tiggy event yesterday and from the online auction will benefit both Tiggy’s Trust and The Injured Jockeys Fund / Pony Racing Authority. The auction is  active though 8:00 PM British Time/ 3:00 PM Eastern Sunday, December 12. There are tons of incredible lots up for grabs including a Badminton VIP experience, a personal tour of tour William Fox-Pitt’s yard, lessons from five-star riders, and vacation packages galore!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T. (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

David O’Connor Honored With U.S. Olympic Endowment’s Exemplary Service Award

Parenting from the Saddle: Equestrian Moms Use Creativity for Barn Time

Improving Self-Carriage and Self-Confidence

Genomic study of Medina Spirit’s death will be “slow and methodical”

VIDEO: Is There a Relationship Between Ridden Horse Behavior and the Performance of Event Horses?

Saturday Video: I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here, but it honestly took me a second to realize that there are actually two horses in this video.

Friday Video from SmartPak: Catching up with Camilla Speirs

By on Dec 10, 2021 4:31 pm -

 

Irish superstar Camilla Speirs became a hugely popular figure in the sport during her partnership with the practically pony-sized Portersize Just A Jiff, with whom she made plenty of team appearances, finished sixth at Pau in 2016, and rode at Badminton an impressive five times. But since his retirement after the 2017 season, Camilla’s hardly been resting on her laurels — and now, with a string of carefully-produced horses building up in her yard, she’s as hungry as ever to succeed in her sport.

Horse Sport Ireland went to her homebase this summer to find out what she’s been up to, where she hopes to go next, and what you can expect from her current rides — so settle in and catch up with Ireland’s golden girl as we all look ahead to another busy championship year.

Equestrian Sport Named in Olympic Program for Los Angeles 2028

By on Dec 10, 2021 3:00 pm -

Photo by FEI/Christophe Taniere.

The FEI President has welcomed the announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that equestrian sport will be proposed for inclusion in the Olympic programme for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

During the IOC Executive Board meeting yesterday, the initial list of twenty-eight sports to be recommended the LA28 Initial Sports Programme, which includes equestrian, was agreed and is now subject to final approval at the IOC Session in February 2022. Discussions also focussed on defining the process for finalising the disciplines in each sport offering early certainty to athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs) and the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG).

Universality, integrity and fairness, gender equality and popularity were highlighted as key requirements of the evaluation criteria which will be used to determine the disciplines and events for the programme, in line with the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020+5. Athlete safety, environmental sustainability and keeping the sport relevant to youth were also reiterated as significant factors in the decision making process.

“I am confident equestrian sport, a celebration of the unique bond between human and equine athletes, has its place in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games programme,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“The recent endorsement from the IOC following the success of the Tokyo 2020 Games reflected on the positive changes the FEI made, highlighting our willingness to adapt and modernise our sport.

“We had more flags. Universality was one of the key requirements in Agenda 2020 alongside making the sport easier to understand and more exciting for a broader audience – criteria which remain fundamental going forward”

The IOC also published figures this week which revealed the Tokyo 2020 Games reached a global broadcast audience of more than three billion people across linear TV and digital platforms. This significant and rapid growth in the change of the digital landscape, meant more fans were able to experience the Games, with greater accessibility to more content than ever before.

“The collective future of equestrian sport depends on our position in the Olympic movement,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos continued.

“We need to guarantee global visibility of our sport in the media and digital platforms, and continue to showcase relevant content and entice new fans. We have this opportunity every four years and consolidating equestrian sport in the Olympic Movement is crucial for the FEI and for our community.”

“Another key focus for the FEI is Youth development. Keeping the youth engaged in equestrian sport and inspiring new generations to make the Olympic Games their goal. We have robust development programmes around the world targeting the next generation of athletes, but also fans and industry professionals, because equestrian sport is a way of life that is multifaceted and extremely diverse. How we engage with younger generations is vital in our pathway to the future”.

In 2017 when the IOC allocated the 2028 Olympic Games to Los Angeles during the IOC Session in Lima (PER), the FEI President welcomed this great opportunity that this candidate city could deliver the Games in a cost-effective way. The United States have a long and successful equestrian tradition, and has developed as a country with sustained equestrian excellence on an international stage. The equestrian venue in Los Angeles will have the stunning sports backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains and will offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase our sport.

The approval of the Initial Sports Programme will take place in February 2022 and the finalisation of the events and athlete quota will be confirmed in December 2024, following the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

 

12 Days of Giveaways Day 5: Win A Supply of Kentucky Performance Products Micro-Phase

By on Dec 10, 2021 1:00 pm -

Happy Friday! We’re kicking off the weekend with a fresh new giveaway from our friends at Kentucky Performance Products. This is your chance to win a 30-lb supply of Micro-Phase, which provides the vitamins and trace minerals necessary to support good health without the extra calories and sugar.

Everyone has one: a horse or pony that seems to live on air alone; one that eats mostly hay (and not very good hay at that), is restricted from grazing, and gets little to no grain. Micro-Phase offers the perfect solution by providing the vitamins and trace minerals necessary to support good health in a tasty, low-calorie pellet.

Micro-Phase is also excellent for horses that need extra nutrition on top of their regular concentrate meal, like lactating mares, hard-working performance horses, and seniors.

Learn more about Micro-Phase here.

To enter, use the form below or click here to enter and we’ll draw a winner at random and announce them in tomorrow’s giveaway. We will not share your email address with third parties, but you will opt-in for emails from us (don’t worry, we won’t overwhelm you and you can opt-out at any time!). We’re sorry, but this giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only. Good luck!

And congratulations to Wendy B., the winner of yesterday’s giveaway with SmartPak!

Indoor Cross Country Is Underway Today at CHI Geneva

By on Dec 10, 2021 11:22 am -

Cathal Daniels, winner of indoor cross country 2019. Photo courtesy of CHI Geneva.

The indoor cross country at CHI Geneva, presented by La Tribune de Genève, is taking place today in Switzerland (beginning at 12:30 p.m. EST), and it’s a stacked entry list.

Germany’s Michael Jung, with Kilcandra Ocean Power, a 2013 Irish Sport Horse (BGS Ocean View x Bonnie Prince), will be coming up against some motivated competitors. We ought to be paying attention to all of this guy’s mounts.

Also on the roster is France’s Karim Laghouag (FRA), the winner of the 2019 event, riding Punch de l’Esques. Ireland’s Cathal Daniels, with Alcatraz, will be intent on defending his title. Meanwhile Australia’s Andrew Hoy, a 62-year-old veteran of eight Olympic Games, will demonstrate that age is no impediment to success with Creevagh Cooley. Representing the home team of Switzerland, Olympians Robin Godel and Mélody Johner – the country’s leading rider at Tokyo 2020 – will both hope to shine with Grandeur de Lully CH and Toubleu de Rueire, respectively.

You can watch the live stream here.

CHI Geneva Eventing: Website, Start List, Live Stream

How to Watch the 2021 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Live Stream

By on Dec 10, 2021 9:00 am -

Photo via Hyatt Albuquerque.

Can’t make it to the 2021 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico? You’re in luck! The USEA is live streaming portions of the convention on Friday, Dec. 10 and Saturday, Dec. 11.

You will need to renew your USEA Membership for 2022 to access certain parts of the live stream, but much of it will be available to watch for free without a membership.

Scroll down to view the schedules for both the Open Stream and the Member Stream.

Click here to watch the Open Stream

Click here to login to your USEA account and watch the Member Stream

#USEAConvention: Website, Schedule, Live Stream, Map, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

OPEN STREAM SCHEDULE

Friday, December 10

7:30 – 8:15 a.m. MST – Pure Stretch Exercise Session

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. MST – Is There a Relationship Between Ridden Horse Behavior and the Performance of Event Horses?

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. MST – Classic Series Open Forum

11:00 – 12:00 p.m. MST – Flow State in Eventers

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. MST – Volunteer Incentive Program Open Forum

2:00 – 3:30 p.m. MST – Calendar Planning/Organizers Open Forum

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. MST – Regenerative Medicine in 2021: Overview of the Most Current Clinical Thinking

Saturday, December 11

7:30 – 8:15 a.m. MST – Pure Stretch Exercise Session

9:00 – 10: 00 a.m. MST – Understanding Equine Liability and Minimizing Risk of Exposure

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. MST – ICP Open Forum

11:00 – 12:00 p.m. MST – Rule Change Open Forum

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. MST – Amateur and Adult Riders Open Forum: Juggling Work, Life, and Eventing

MEMBER STREAM SCHEDULE

Friday, December 10

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. MST – Equine Syndication 101: Everything You Want to Know but Were Afraid to Ask

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. MST – Incident Management

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. MST – ERQI Reports for Officials and How to Use Them

11:00 – 12:00 p.m. MST – USEF High Performance Athletes Open Forum (Register to attend here)

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. MST – New Dressage Tests: Starter – Modified

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. MST – New Dressage Tests: Preliminary – Advanced

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. MST – Refining the 6- and 7-year-old Pathway Competitions

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. MST – ShowConnect – a Community Focused Event Management System

Saturday, December 11

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. MST – Safety Committee Open Forum

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. MST – Making Strides for Equality and Growing the Sport

6:30 – 10:00 p.m. MST – Year-End Awards Presentation

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MST – Eventing’s Evolving: 3 Top Riders Predict What’s Next

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. MST – Tokyo Olympic Games Review Panel

Friday News & Notes from Zoetis

By on Dec 10, 2021 12:03 am -

Horses are so majestic. Photo by Sarah Western.

I have a neighbor across the river from me who’s house looks out over one of my fields, and a while back she mentioned just how MAJESTIC my horses looked frolicking in the field. Now, I don’t know if she is just near-sighted, or she’s never really paid attention, but I can tell you that my horses are very rarely majestic. If they are frolicking, they’re probably also bucking and farting and slipping in very dorky ways. Muggles really are delightfully mesmerized by what we know darn well is a goofy, dramatic, poop machine that is more often than not afraid of a weird stump in the woods.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T. (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

Have you tried any regenerative therapies on your horse? Regenerative therapy is an umbrella term encompassing any method that encourages the body to self- heal. Because it is drawing on its own properties, healing tissue more closely resembles native tissue than weak, disorganized scar tissue typically seen post-injury. Therapies include platelet rich plasma (PRP), autologous conditioned serum (ACS), and stem cell therapy (SCT). [Regenerative Therapies Help Horses Heal]

Maryland is going all in on big equestrian events next year. The Washington International Horse Show has announced that the storied and prestigious equestrian event has officially applied to the USEF and FEI for a change of venue to return home to the greater Washington, D.C. area and to upgrade the show to the FEI 5* level, continuing as a member of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League in 2022. Pending FEI and USEF final approval, the 64th edition of the historic competition will be held October 25-30 at The Show Place Arena at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro. The Show Place Arena will be transformed with the support of Prince George’s County, The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, and the State of Maryland to provide the outstanding exhibitor and unique spectator experience WIHS has always provided, including world-class footing, hospitality, entertainment, food, and shopping. [WIHS Relocates to Maryland]

Along with the startling removal of Erik Duvander as US Eventing coach, we will say goodbye to Peter Wylde. Peter has been helping coach the US Eventing team in the showjumping phase for the past two years, and was informed via email that his contract would not be renewed. However, Peter has formed some genuine connections in our Eventing world, and hopes to keep working individually with several of the riders. However, he believes that US Eventing is due for a reorganization: “What I’m hoping is that rather than paying a big salary to us trainers, they are going to give grants to top riders to help them pay us trainers. Then they can choose who they want to use.” [Peter Wylde’s Contract Not Renewed]

How is it already December?!?! For those of you, like me, who wait to the last minute to shop for the holidays, here’s a gift guide for your favorite English rider. Because sometimes it’s hard not to be biased when writing gift guides, you can trust that these are coming to you from a trainer’s mouth – they are all things that have been approved by Nation Media writers across the board. Oh, and there’s a last-minute guide at the bottom, so don’t panic – there are options, even if you’re reading this on December 24th! [Equestrian Gift Guide]

Best of Blogs: Improving Self-Carriage & Self-Confidence

 

Thursday Video: Meet Kiwi Eventer/Adventurer Chloe Harris

By on Dec 9, 2021 5:00 pm -

I got to know Chloe Phillips Harris among the weirdest of circumstances, riding alongside her for a leg of the 2017 Mongol Derby. A former competitor, she was attending that year as the videographer for a documentary about the race, capturing footage of us along the way. It was a morning so foggy you could barely see a horse length in front of you, and we got to talking — I learned that she was a four-star eventer with an affection for wild horses — which tracks, because she’s quite a wild spirit herself.

“There is nothing like sitting on a galloping horse,” she says. “The pure sense of freedom and power and partnership with animal, I just love it. It’s my happiest place on earth.”

Since then she’s been running an expedition company in Mongolia, authored a book about her life aptly titled “Fearless,” and in her home country New Zealand (though, fun fact, she was born in Texas) she’s worked with wild or unhandled Kaimanawa horses for many years and leads her own wild horses project.

Chloe is an inspiring example of a horsewoman whose commitment to equines transcends genre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram here.

And here she is, doing her eventing thing!

19 More Unorthodox Event Horses: Your Turn!

By on Dec 9, 2021 11:00 am -

Charlie Whittle: “My little 13hh traditional cob loves eventing.”

We’ve loved seeing your photos stream in of your own “unorthodox” event horses — check out the first two editions of the series here and here. Here’s your latest batch of event horses proving that eventing is, truly, a sport for all!

Haffie Power!

Lovely Lippizaners!

Marvelous Morgans!

Colors Galore!

And More!