Classic Eventing Nation

Saturday Links

By on Nov 20, 2021 12:01 am -

Zane is happy and on holiday while mom heals. Photo via Amber Birtcil on Facebook.

EN wants to send our very best wishes and boatload of healing vibes out to Amber Birtcil who, along with her horse Cinzano, suffered a scary fall during the CCI4*-L cross country at Galway Downs the other weekend. While “Zane” was fortunately uninjured in the fall, Amber suffered serious injury has since spent some time in the hospital in San Diego undergoing a series of surgeries to repair her pelvis. Amber has a long road to recovery ahead, but it sounds like she has a great crew of friends helping her take care of her horses and herself. Here’s to speedy healing, Amber! You’ve got this.

U.S. Weekend Action:

SAzEA Fall H.T. (Tucson, Arizona): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

Fresno County Horse Park H.T. (Fresno, California): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

Saturday Links:

18-Year-Old Buys Farm, Hopes To Preserve Eventing Venue

What MRI Has Taught Us About Interpreting Equine Foot X Rays

Jumping Clinic: Relaxed Elbows Versus Turned-Out Too Far

Limited Edition Bourbon Raffle To Benefit Central KY Riding For Hope’s 40th Anniversary

FEI votes to remove reining as a discipline

Saturday Video: We already can’t wait for next year.

Friday Video from SmartPak: Show Jumping Development in Kuwait

By on Nov 19, 2021 4:00 pm -

Kuwait’s show jumping history is a relatively recent — and inspiring — one. Nadia Al-Mutawa Kuwait, who won the nation’s first show jumping gold at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, recalls her early days of jumping barrels and tree trunks. “When we started it was a new sport here,” she says. “It didn’t exist. They eventually built us some show jumps and it just took off from there.”

Over the years the sport in Kuwait grew and acquired new fans, and participants.

“I wish and I hope that this younger generation gets the opportunity that we did because there’s so much talent here now,” Nadia says. “When we first started our small little competition show jumping classes, there would be maybe eight to 10 riders in the class. Nowadays one class can easily have a hundred riders.”
 In its latest edition of “RIDE,” the FEI heads over to Kuwait to take a look at the development of show jumping over the past years.

3rd Annual Tom Bass Seminar on Diversity in Equestrian Sport Takes Place This Saturday

By on Nov 19, 2021 1:00 pm -

Screenshot from the 2020 Tom Bass Seminar.

It’s nearly time for the 3rd annual Tom Bass Seminar on Diversity in Equestrian Sports, to be held this Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021! This year’s seminar will be presented via Zoom webinar beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. Eventing Nation is proud to once again partner with this important event, which launched and is dedicated to continuing an industry-wide discussion about issues of race in equestrian sport. EN editor Sally Spickard will participate in this year’s panel which includes:

Jeff Chambers, Legacy Multimedia Productions
Lydia Heywood, Jamaican Event Rider (based in the UK)
Elizabeth McCall, Journalist
Sandra Murphy, Equidiet (UK), Ltd.
Mia Rodier-Dawallo, International Para Dressage Competitor
Randy Saavy, The Compton Cowboys
Sally Spickard, Editor, EventingNation.com
Ashley Swift, Affiliate & Communications Specialist, United States Equestrian Federation
1:30 p.m.Welcome – Melvin Cox, SportsQuest International, Moderator
1:35 p.m. Section One: Domestic Panelists
Panelists: Mia Rodier-Dawallo (Para-Dressage Competitor – USA), Ashley Swift (United States Equestrian Federation), Randy Savvy (The Compton Cowboys), Bruce Griffin (Griffin Sport Horses)
Presentations: Update on the USEF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan by Ashley Swift (Affiliates and Communications Specialist, USEF (10 min.)
Discussion
2:15 p.m.: Break
2:20 p.m. Section Two: A Youthful View
Discussion Leader: Abriana Johnson (Young Black Equestrians)
2:40 p.m. Section Three: The Business of Horses
Topic: Opportunities for entrepreneurship in the global equestrian community
Discussion Leader: Sandra Murphy (EquiDiet Ltd. – UK)
3:10 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. Section Four: Media 
Panelists: Elizabeth Kaye McCall (Author, Journalist & Media Consultant), Sally Spickard (Eventing Nation, Strides for Equality Equestrians), Jeff Chambers (Project Director, Legacy Multimedia Productions)
3:55 p.m. Break
4 p.m.: Tribute to Participants in Tokyo 2020 (Olympic and Paralympic Games)
4:05 p.m. Section Five: International
Panelists: Lydia Heywood (Eventing Competitor – Jamaica), Sandra Murphy (Equidiet Ltd – UK)
4:45 p.m. Q&A
5 p.m. Wrap-up
Free online registration for the seminar is now open here.

Launched in 2019 as part of the annual Day of the African Equestrian (DOTAE) celebrations, the 2021 seminar takes place in a time of political, commercial and societal disruption highlighted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, never-ending cultural wars, ramifications of the MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements and a widening gap between ‘the haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in the United States and other countries.

This year’s edition will feature the following panels: Domestic Sport, Youth, Media and International. The seminar will pay tribute to equestrians of color participating in the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo as riders, coaches, officials and members of supporting delegations. This year’s roster will be a mix of returning panelists as well as some very exciting new voices, to be announced soon. The event will be moderated by Melvin Cox, Managing Director of SportsQuest International, LLC and a Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The seminar’s namesake is an homage to legendary American Saddlebred trainer Tom Bass (1859 – 1934), who was born a slave in Missouri. After the Civil War he found work as a stable boy and eventually became a world champion competitor, esteemed trainer and founder of the American Royal Horse Show in Kansas City. For many years he was the only African-American permitted to compete at the American Royal. He invented the Tom Bass bit, a benchmark for humane bitting that is still in use today, and performed for five different U.S. presidents. His clients included President Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill Cody, Anheuser-Busch executives Adolphus and August Busch, and Will Rogers.

Tom Bass riding his famous Saddlebred mare Belle Beach. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Topics to be explored by panelists include:

  • Demystifying horse sport — not for rich kids only … reviving equestrian heritage in lower and middle income communities
  • Developing broad-based community support for equestrian activities at all levels
  • Building sustainable programs that support diversity in the horse industry
  • Incorporating the lessons gleaned from social activism into the ways in which we do business
  • Leveraging (new and traditional) media in horse focused education and promotion
  • Developing stories that more accurately reflect the life experiences of equestrians of color
  • Incorporating the rich equestrian heritages of non-white, non-European communities (including African, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Native-American, Romani, South Asian and others) into our shared equestrian narrative
  • Celebrating participants in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games
  • Supporting entrepreneurship within the equestrian marketplace

The seminar is presented by The African Connections Research and Education Fund, Inc. and SportsQuest International, LLC. Public Relations assistance and technical support are being provided by the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC). You can rewatch the 2020 edition here.

Friday News & Notes from Zoetis

By on Nov 19, 2021 12:03 am -

Paradise Farm under new ownership! Photo courtesy of Babette Lenna.

The famous Paradise Farm in Aiken, South Carolina, is now under new ownership! The lovely Babette Lenna and a group of investors have purchased the 88-acre property well known in the eventing community and hope to continue it’s positive influence as they progress. They plan to continue to build on the foundation created at the farm over the past 30 years. With a full cross-country course from BN to Preliminary, three competition rings, amazing riding terrain, close proximity to dirt roads to hack on, and 18 stalls with huge paddocks the farm has everything. While they do not plan to host a recognized event for now, they look forward to expanding the property’s role as a solid resource and venue for the entire Aiken equestrian community.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

SAzEA Fall H.T. (Tucson, Arizona): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

Fresno County Horse Park H.T. (Fresno, California): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

Are you transitioning a racehorse into a sporthorse this winter? While you’re not alone, and this may not be your first time, some tips from the co-founder of Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue may be helpful. Beverly Strauss rehomes about 100 racehorses every year through her organization, starting in 2002, so she has some pretty good ideas about how to properly turn a racehorse into an event horse, or any other kind of sport horse. [7 Tips for Transitioning Horses Off The Track]

Good grooming tips from a top groom never go awry. Denise Moriarty grooms for  Olympic show jumper Kent Farrington now, but her horsey upbringing had far more humble roots. She got her start caring for lesson ponies at Turlough Equestrian Center, an Irish riding school, and roaming the countryside aboard young horses. She moved into young rider classes with her Connemara pony Prince Owen before giving up riding while she studied veterinary nursing and earned her masters in agricultural science. Her first job in the United States was grooming Marilyn Little’s show jumpers and event horses, but with show jumping her first passion, Moriarty found a job with Farrington and has been by his side for nearly a decade. [Grooming Tips With Denise Moriarty]

Best of Blogs: Learning Lessons, Keeping Perspective At Dressage Finals 

Winning a CCI4*-L on your dressage score is no mean feat. But Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135 did just that at Tryon last week. On the strength of the only double-clear cross-country round in their division, Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135 on Sunday won the Dutta Corp./USEF CCI4*-L National Championship, held at Tryon International Equestrian Center. Despite being held on cross-country and Baughman losing track of where they were against the clock, the pair ultimately were the only ones to finish Capt. Mark Phillips’ track without time penalties, moving them from third after dressage to first after cross-country Saturday. Another double-clear round in Sunday’s show jumping competition secured their win on their dressage score of 29.4. [Watch Why They Won]

Jana Flagler was a horse-loving child born into a non-horsey family. While her parents dreamed Flagler would one day be a concert pianist, which she wholeheartedly admits she is not, Flagler wanted to ride and jump horses from the first time she saw someone jumping on television. As a teenager, Flagler got that opportunity thanks to the Huber family who ran Tipasa Farm in Oklahoma at the time. “I did anything that needed doing around the barn to get opportunities to ride,” Flagler shared. “And I would ride anything. I only cried once— the day my newest ‘project horse’ was a 15h Appaloosa polo pony who was five feet wide with a stringy tail and no forelock.” [VIP Volunteer: Jana Flagler]

Video: 

Thursday Video: Gymnastic Exercises with Cathy Wieschhoff

By on Nov 18, 2021 5:00 pm -

Cathy Wieschhoff’s fantastic ‘One Minute With Cathy’ video tutorial project is still going strong, providing bite-sized practical tips gleaned from decades of experience. Two of her latest videos feature gymnastic exercises … enjoy, and feel inspired! You can follow her YouTube channel here.

Incorporating place rails to one-strides to bounces in a figure-8 pattern to ask the horse for bravery and elasticity:

Trotting into gymnastic exercises make the horse work harder over the jumps. But then adding individual jumps or a course at the end of the gymnastic exercise is fun, too!

Go eventing.

Volunteer Nation: Five Events That Could Use a Helping Hand This Weekend

By on Nov 18, 2021 4:00 pm -

 

We are big believers in eventing karma, and one time-honored way to score a big bunch of it is through volunteering. Can you lend a hand? Here are five events — two recognized and three schooling — that could us a helping hand this weekend!

As always, you can earn merit points when you donate your time through the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program. Registering to volunteer through EventingVolunteers.com makes it easy and seamless to both find a job and shift as well as learn what your role will entail.

Here are five events that could use a helping hand this weekend:

USEA Events

Fresno County November HT – 3D (November 19-21, 2021)

Southern Arizona Fall Horse Trials (Oct. 5 – Nov. 23, 2021)

Other Events

Stable View November Eventing Academy (Nov. 16 to Nov. 21, 2021)

Fall Round Up Schooling H.T. (Nov. 19 to 21, 2021)

Jackpot Schooling Show (Nov. 19 to 21, 2021)

Winter 2022 ‘Ever So Sweet’ Scholarship Awarded to Sierra Lesny

By on Nov 18, 2021 11:00 am -

Sierra Lesny, recipient of the Ever So Sweet Scholarship for winter 2022. Photo courtesy of SEE.

Strides for Equality Equestrians and the United States Eventing Association Foundation are proud to announce the recipient of the Ever So Sweet Scholarship for winter 2022. The scholarship, which is the first of its kind, is fully funded by Edy Rameika and provides an opportunity for riders from diverse backgrounds to train with Sara Kozumplik for two months in Florida. Sierra Lesny is the second recipient of the bi-annual scholarship.

The scholarship covers expenses for full board and training costs for Sierra’s horse, several lessons per week, housing for Sierra, a stipend to cover living expenses, competition fees, and coaching at competitions. Sierra got her start riding at her grandmother’s lesson barn when she was two years old. She has spent most of her life catch riding any horse that was available at the time, which has taught her a lot about patience and flexibility.

“This opportunity will allow me to grow as a rider,” Sierra says. “I have been riding since before I could walk and horses have always been a part of my life, but since I financially have not always been able to go full force into the horses, I have worked really hard and been a groom and a working student. I have loved it and it’s taught me so much and definitely made me a better horse person, but I haven’t had as much time to devote to just my riding skills.”

Photo courtesy of SEE.

Sierra is excited that she will be able to dedicate two months entirely to her riding and development as an up and coming professional. Sierra is eager to get her foot in the door and find her place as a trainer. She says, “This is definitely an opportunity that anyone in my position dreams of, and I have dreamed many times about going down to Florida and getting to work with an amazing trainer in the hub of the horse network during the winter … being able to be a part of that is absolutely incredible!”

Sierra will be an ambassador for the ESS scholarship, which is part of the Professional Pathways programs SEE is developing. She will play an essential role in fostering a more inclusive environment within equestrian sports: “For all of us in this world with a darker skin tone, it can be scary and lonely at times. But the only way to change that is to take up space. Be here, be proud, and support one another.”

The scholarship will provide Sierra with the opportunity to make professional connections, which will not only help her as an individual, but will contribute to improving access and opportunities for other BIPOC riders.

“For me growing up, not seeing many people that look like me in the horse world was disheartening,” Sierra says. “Putting people in this space so that younger kids grow up seeing someone that looks like them, doing the things that they want to do is the most important.” You can follow along for updates on the Strides For Equality website and Facebook and Instagram pages.

Graphic courtesy of Strides for Equality Equestrians.

Ingrid Klimke’s Daughter, Greta Busacker, Wins Longines FEI Rising Star Award

By on Nov 18, 2021 9:00 am -

Longines FEI Rising Star Greta Busacker (GER) with Semieke Rothenberger and Mathieu Baumgartner.
Photo by FEI/Dirk Caremans.

Eventers were well represented in the final nominee pool for the 2021 FEI awards: Julia Krajewski (GER) for Best Athlete, Greta Busacker (GER) for Rising Star, Stephanie Simpson (USA) for Best Groom and Laura Collett (GBR) for Against All Odds. All are deserving, but only one took home the top honor at the awards gala in Antwerp, Belgium yesterday evening: exciting German young rider Greta Busacker.

The 19-year-old took home this year’s Longines FEI Rising Star Award and a Longines timepiece. Individual and team champion at this year’s FEI Eventing European Championships for Young Riders, and bronze medallist at the 2021 German National Championships for Young Riders, Greta Busacker is quickly making a name for herself in the sport. Her win made the FEI Awards a decidedly family affair, with her mother and eventing legend Ingrid Klimke a recipient of the 2019 and 2020 Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Awards.

“I’m very pleased to receive the Longines FEI Rising Star Award. Words can’t describe how honoured I feel because there are so many young talented riders out there,” she said. “They work as hard I do and I get to stand here. This is for my whole team, my family, my friends. Without them I’d be nothing.”

She also paid tribute to her horse, the 10-year old Oldenburg gelding Scrabble, with whom she has been competing since 2019. “With Scrabble, I’ve learned to be patient. When I stand in the starting box and the countdown is on, I know that I can trust him one hundred percent. He has such courage and never gives up. Our connection is such a strong bond. Thank you Scrabble!”

Longines’ Vice President Marketing Matthieu Baumgartner was present in Antwerp to present the Longines FEI Rising Star Award created to recognise young athletes between the ages of 14 and 21 who demonstrate outstanding equestrian sporting talent.

“Young athletes like Greta are the future of equestrian sports and we are delighted and honoured to play a part in what we know will be a long and accomplished career,” he said.

“Longines presents an award which celebrates young talent, while telling their story of determination and passion for a sport. These young stars are the future of equestrian sports and we hope that they will continue to inspire budding equestrians around the world for many years to come.”

Other winners included:

  • Peder Fredricson (SWE) took the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award, adding to his already impressive trophy cabinet of Olympic and European Championship medals, as well as his number one spot on the Longines World Ranking that he took in October 2021 for the first time in his career.

  • It was definitely Sweden’s night as Marie Johansson took the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award, in recognition of her hard work and dedication in looking after Dressage athlete Patrik Kittel’s horses.

  • The 2021 FEI Solidarity Award went to China’s Equuleus Charity, which aims to support young, underprivileged students to reach their equestrian dream while successfully completing their academic studies.

  • Taking the FEI Against All Odds Award was Beatrice de Lavalette (USA), who lost both legs in the March 2016 terrorist attack at the Zaventem Airport in Brussels (BEL) and went on to make her first Paralympic debut in Tokyo earlier this year in the sport of Para Dressage.

 

This year’s winners were decided by combining 50% of the public votes cast on FEI.org and on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, and 50% of the judges’ votes.

More than 300 distinguished guests, including local sporting legends, National Federations, FEI partners and stakeholders attended the 13th FEI Awards, with equestrian commentator Steven Wilde (GBR) acting as Master of Ceremonies. Also present in Antwerp were all of the 2020 Award winners from 2020 — Ingrid Klimke, Semmieke Rothenberger, Carmen Thiemann, Angelika Trabert, Ebony Horse Club and — who were invited to join in the celebration following the cancellation of last year’s ceremony due to the pandemic.

“This is the first time since 2019 that we have been able to celebrate the stars of our sport in person,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “The global pandemic and the EHV-1 outbreak have been very tough on our industry, and I am pleased that we had the opportunity to bring together the community to celebrate these achievements tonight.

“This edition of the FEI Awards is special for me, not just because it is being held in a city close to my home in Belgium, but also because it is the FEI’s Centennial year. These Awards, and the high calibre of nominees every year, continue to be a testament to the growth of our sport and gives us great hope for the future.”

You can watch a replay of the awards gala here.

 

Thursday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Nov 18, 2021 12:03 am -

SEU accurate as always. Photo by Hannah Mulliner.

Unofficial promotion for my favorite Facebook Group, Sh*t Eventers Unite, as they’re raising money for the holiday season for World Horse Welfare by selling really fun branded goodies like sweatshirts, bumper stickers, hats, rucksacks, and even really nice thermal coats. Get one for you, and definitely one for a friend, and benefit horses worldwide by contributing to the charity efforts!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

SAzEA Fall H.T. (Tucson, Arizona): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

Fresno County Horse Park H.T. (Fresno, California): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Volunteer]

News From Around The Globe:

Quiet hands are key for athletes who reach the top of any equestrian sport. Their hands follow the horse’s head movement, maintaining the same amount of contact on the reins at all times. It’s no wonder that Beezie Madden can tell us how this can be achieved. “For the most part, it comes down to three things,” Madden said – basic position, basic flatwork and trusting the horse. [Riding With Quieter Hands: Beezie Madden]

How do you stay on top of your biomechanics at home riding alone? What if you don’t have a trainer on the ground? What are some ways you can pick up on little asymmetries or bad habits in the saddle? For part 2 of this short series on rider biomechanics with Noelle Floyd, you’ll get some excellent cues that will come in handy for building on the observations of Part 1. [How Do You Feel Asymmetry In The Saddle?]

Team GB’s Olympic eventers have been shortlisted for Great Britain’s Choice Award for their gold medal-winning performance in Tokyo. The award honours the “most memorable moment” from this summer’s Games, with 14 nominations in the running. Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, Laura Collett and London 52 and Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser led throughout in Tokyo to take Britain’s first eventing team gold since 1972, ahead of Australia in silver and France in bronze. [Vote Now for Team GB Eventers]

Is your horse girthy? When tacking up many horses over my career, horses acting girthy has always made me suspicious. It’s not just a weird behavioral thing, it’s an expression of pain that we haven’t sorted out. I’ve long held the theory that girthy behavior correlates to either front end lameness, or ulcers, and now I’ve finally been vindicated by a study by researchers at the University of California, Davis. If your horse is girthy, don’t just ignore it, instead, you might consider looking into it more thoroughly. [Reasons for Girthiness]

Worrying about losing to a rider, or being beaten by another, is a common mistake many riders make. Wondering if you’re going to beat someone or be beaten by someone else is just as common. Together this kind of worrying and wondering is called the opponent effect and is one of the most obvious – and overwhelming – causes of show jitters and performance anxiety. [Pressure Proof with Daniel Stewart]

Video: Cathy Wieschhoff shares her process for trailer self-loading. Good boy, Waffles!

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Piggy March’s Off-Season Plans

By on Nov 17, 2021 4:30 pm -

The season has mostly wound down for many riders, which means it’s time (because eventers have busy brains!) to start planning for what the winter will entail. Piggy March is always looking ahead, and it’s been fascinating to go behind the scenes with her program and the thought behind her planning. In her latest vlog, she discusses the winter ahead — you may glean some ideas on how to formulate your program from this!

Challenge: Maintaining condition during competition and training

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