Classic Eventing Nation

Ros Canter Announces Retirement of 5* Partner Zenshera

By on Oct 30, 2021 2:00 pm -

Ros Canter and Zenshera. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

British WEG champion Ros Canter announced this week that she was officially retiring her 5* partner, Zenshera (Guidam – Telvera, by Matterhorn) at the age of 17. “At 17 he just started to feel his age this summer,” Ros wrote on social media. But while “Alfie’s” eventing career may be over, he’s currently working toward competing at the Prix St. Georges level of dressage and will also serve as a young horse sitter. “He is such a pet at home that I hope in a few years that (my daughter) Ziggy will get the pleasure of having a few rides.”

Ros and Zenshera shared a partnership that dated back to 2010 (“we didn’t buy him to go five-star, in fact we were just happy to make it around a BE100 with two down in the show jumping,” Ros recalled in her retirement post), eventually stepping up to the top level of the sport in 2017, when they finished in the top 10 at Luhmühlen. “Alfie” became somewhat of a Luhmühlen and Pau specialist, completing six events at the 5* level between the two and finishing outside of the top 10 just once. It would also be this horse that Ros would tap as the first to take her to a 5* after returning from maternity leave in 2019 — finishing fifth at Pau that year in a smashing return.

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In fact, Alfie had flunked out of a couple different roles before making his way to Ros, show jumping and carriage driving being two disciplines he’d tried his hoof at previously. Eventually, the 15.3h gelding would be sold to Ros for less than £5,000 and would go on to be one of the most consistent performers in Ros’ program, as well as one of the kindest horses in the barn.

You can read more about Zenshera in this “Behind the Stall Door” piece Tilly wrote for The Chronicle of the Horse — and here’s a toast to one of the good boys who has definitely earned his carrots. Happy retirement, Alfie!

Ariel Grald, Emily Beshear, Kelli Temple and Isabel Brunker Lead Following FEI Dressage at VHT

By on Oct 30, 2021 10:16 am -

Emily Beshear and Plumpback. Photo by Brant Gamma.

The FEI divisions completed dressage and some show jumping Friday at the VHT International & Horse Trials, which plays host to over 450 horses as well as the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship this weekend at the Virginia Horse Center.

Vass, NC-based Ariel Grald leads the way in the CCI3*L division on the 7-year-old Diara (Diacontinus – Lady Revens), owned by Annie Eldridge, scoring a 26.4 in the Hanoverian mare’s first appearance at the level. The mare moved up to Intermediate over the summer and has done two CCI3*-S competitions in preparation for this event, which Grald noted will be a great fitness run.

“The biggest thing was with me being gone for Aachen I felt that [the CCI3*-L at Maryland] was going to come up too fast,” Grald said. “And with the horse only being seven and new to Intermediate and three-star, Fair Hill would’ve been a big ask. I wanted to come to VHT because it has good terrain on the cross-country and I feel like being able to run up the hills. I feel like the three-star level is the first where the horse really has to get fit. So I wanted to come here because I knew the track would be good for fitness.”

Of Diara’s winning dressage performance, Grald said, “She was very good. She is really reliable on the flat, and she just tries really hard. Everything that she does, she just wants to please, so it’s really a joy to ride her. She’s definitely feeling very fit! There were a couple moments where I could feel her energy and enthusiasm starting to come through, so she was a touch unsteady, but she really is a good girl and she’s getting stronger.”

Grald is also tied for third place in the CCI3*L on a score of 27.9 with Annie Eldridge’s Isle de Coco.

Also riding for Annie Eldridge in the CCI3*S, Grald leads the way on the 10-year-old Forrest Gump 124 following dressage and show jumping on a score of 25.1. This Hanoverian gelding by Fuerst Nymphenburg was produced in England by Tom Jackson before coming over the U.S. to join Grald’s string this summer.

“It’s our third event together,” Grald said. “He is just a really genuine, sweet horse who just tries his heart out and I can’t say enough good things about him. All credit to the horse and his previous rider. I’m still just sort of getting to know him. I’ve never had a horse that someone else has produced, I’ve always just made my own so I’m sort of figuring it out as I go, but he’s a real pleasure.”

Based in Somerset, VA, Emily Beshear has taken the lead in the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship with her own Plumpjack (Pablo – Arrebol Babilovia), scoring a 23.9 in the first phase of competition. This is the second CCI2*-L start for the 7-year-old Westphalian gelding, and Beshear said she’s concentrated on keeping him focused and confident as the weekend progresses.

“I couldn’t be any happier with how [Plumpjack] performed today,” Beshear said. “Physically, everything comes very easily to him, but mentally he struggles. Today he stayed confident and willing even though I was concerned that the ring we were in would easily cause him to become distracted.”
The biggest challenge on cross country tomorrow, Beshear explained, will be getting the first few jumps out of the way. “I’ve had to work quite a bit to get him confident to head out to the first couple of jumps,” she said. “Once he gets jumping, he’s fantastic, and with the start of this course being so open with no distractions I’m hoping that it will help him be positive out of the box.”

Competing for the Harry T. Peters Trophy as a junior rider and leading the way in the early going are Area II’s Alexis Poe and Tell ‘M Nothin (Repent – Quick Interview), who are in 14th after dressage in the CCI2*-L on a score of 34.9.

Leading the CCI2*-S following dressage will be Purcellville, VA’s Kelli Temple and her own Dr. Diamond (Indoctro – Oakland Diamond), a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding she began a partnership with in 2019 after being sourced by Susie Pragnell in England. They added no penalties to their dressage score of 25.9 in the show jumping this afternoon to retain the lead after the two phases.

“We’ve worked really hard on the dressage,” Temple explained. “I work with Sally Spenard a lot, and she’s been super helpful. It’s not his most natural phase, but it is my strong suit and I enjoy it so I really have enjoyed working with him. He’s a wonderful horse to train and he really wants to do the right thing. I was surprised by my score today, which I thought was super and I was very appreciative, and then he went and jumped a clear round in the time, which is another thing I’ve worked on with him. He can be a little tense in the show jumping and it’s not my strongest phase, so to not only go clean but to make the time is a little bit harder for me. So I was super proud of him.”

Area VIII Young Rider Isabel Brunker and her own Oldenburg mare, Allia (Riverman – Tis Lycius), are the overnight leaders in the CCI1*-L division after scoring a 28.0 in the dressage today. This is the first FEI competition Brunker and the 13-year-old mare have entered, and the Georgetown, KY-based rider, who is a sophomore at Wake Forest University, describes her goals this week as realistic.

“Since this is my first FEI event and first time doing anything of this caliber, I didn’t really have super high expectations,” Brunker said. “I just wanted to go in and put my best foot forward and do what I was capable of. I feel like I was a little conservative in my test in places, but she’s pretty perfect already and my trainer, Erin Pullen, has been helping me a lot.”

Brunker voiced her enthusiasm for the CCI1*-L level, which provides a step up in technicality from its national equivalent Modified level. As for tackling David Taylor’s cross-country tomorrow, she says she’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m excited for the course. I think it looks super fun and I can’t wait to be out there and gallop around,” she said. “My goal is to get around clear and staying inside the time would be great. But we’ll take one fence at a time. I’m excited for the technical elements — my mare does really well with technical questions and makes them really fun to ride.”

The FEI divisions will run cross-country Saturday. Andy Bowles is the course designer for the CCI2* and CCI3* divisions, and the CCI1* and National courses are designed by David Taylor.

VHT is hosting Starter through CCI3*-L divisions, plus an Intercollegiate & Alumni Team Challenge. CCI2*-L competitors compete for the Richard Collins Trophy (Overall Champion) and the Harry T. Peters Trophy (14–21-year-old rider) as part of the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing Championships.

VHT International & H.T. Links: Website | Omnibus | Facebook | General Schedule | Live Scores | Ride Times

Goresbridge ‘Go For Gold’ Select Event Horse Sale Returns In-Person and Virtually in November

By on Oct 30, 2021 10:00 am -

Image courtesy of Goresbridge Go for Gold.

After limiting participation to virtual bidding only in 2020, the always popular Goresbridge “Go For Gold” Select Event Horse Sale is scheduled to return November 15 and 16, offering both in-person as well as virtual options. This year’s sale will once again take place in the ballroom at the Amber Springs Hotel in Wexford, Ireland and will feature a full livestream from performance through the auction itself for those unable to travel. Interested buyers who do wish to attend the sale will have a chance to see each horse offered in preview the day before the auction.

This year’s offering includes a total of 80 horses ranging from green three-year-olds up through more experienced young horses who are ready to go in any direction with their new owners. Each horse has been uniquely selected by a panel of experts (Chris Ryan, Clare Ryan and Sally Parkyn all sit on the selector board) and Go For Gold graduates can often be found traversing the levels of the sport with top professionals as well as amateur riders. Buyers at the 2020 sale included the current world number one Oliver Townend, as well as Kim Severson, Joe Meyer, Sam Ecroyd, Patricia Ryan, and owners for Harry Meade and Tom McEwen.

The full catalog is now available for you to begin previewing. You can also download the PDF catalog here.

We’ll be along next week with our first wish list from this year’s Go For Gold catalog, but in the meantime you can follow the sale on Facebook or Instagram to see sneak peeks of the horses offered this year.

Pau CCI5* Cross Country Live Updates: Tim Price and Falco Hang on to the Top Spot

By on Oct 30, 2021 7:25 am -

Eventing Nation’s coverage of Les 5 Etoiles de Pau is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, our go-to source for the best support your horse can get. With a full line of proven supplements designed to help your horse feel his or her best, you can have peace of mind knowing that Kentucky Performance Products has your horse’s top health in mind. Learn more about KPP by visiting kppusa.com.

Photo via Les 5 Etoiles de Pau.

Bonjour and good morning — it’s cross country day at Pau CCI5*! Les 5 Etoiles de Pau always promises an exceptionally exciting second phase thanks to it’s twisty-turny Pierre Michelet-designed course, and today should certainly be no exception. The leaderboard is absolutely jam-packed, with over half the field sitting within 10 penalty points of the leader.

Speaking of the leader: that’s Tim Price with five-star debutant Falco. Tim delivered a personal best at the level yesterday, a score of 22.1, which saw him steal the lead from his wife, Jonelle, who sits second on a 24.4 with former Mark Todd ride McClaren. Catch up with Tilly Berendt’s dressage wrap-up here. You won’t want to miss those rides: Jonelle and McClaren will leave the start box at 10:03 am EDT/ 4:03 pm local time. Tim and Falco will follow at 10:30 am EDT/ 4:30 pm local.

We have one American in the field today: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver, who will leave the start box at 9:09 am EDT/ 3:09 local time. The full order of go and start times can be found here.

H&C+ subscribers can also watch the livestream for themselves — find it here! Not a subscriber, but want to watch? Click here. Otherwise, buckle up and keep refreshing this page for a by-the-minute play-by-play! The action kicks off at 7:30 am EDT.

5 Etoiles de Pau: Website, Program & Ticketing, Live Stream, Schedule/ Start List/ Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

11:30 am: Here are your top 10 after today’s cross country. Tim Price and Falco hang on to the top spot, but won’t have a rail in hand ahead of the now second placed Padraig McCarthy and Fallulah. As expected, today’s course brought some big shuffling to the leaderboard. Stay tuned for a full detailed report from Tilly Berendt later today. We have no additional word on Izzy’s status at this time, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted with whatever we hear.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

11:24 am: And that’s a wrap! William still receives a boisterous round of warm cheers as he’s over the last and cross the finish line with Little Fire. He cracks a smile despite that disappointing stop and gives the crowd some love back.

11:22 am: Noooooo! Little Fire falls prey to that little brush drop at 27B and they pick up a stop. Unfortunately, that will take this pair out of contention for a top placing.

11:19 am: Looks like Joseph has opted to retire after that early runout, so that leaves WFP and Little Fire as the last on course. They’re clear over fence 24. Sitting 3rd after dressage, they could take over second place heading into showjumping if they go fast and clear.

11:17 am: Gah, Gorsehill Pearl says NOPE to fence 5a to pick up an early 20 penalties:

Screenshot via H&C TV.

11:16 am: Our last pair of the day, Joseph Murphy and Gorsehill Pearl are now freshly out of the box.

11:14 am: David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed crosses the finish flags four seconds over time. He’s had a pretty good day at the office with his two rides! WFP and Little Fire are clear so far though fence 9.

11:12 am: Astier Nicolas says that WFP is “the most French of the British” and has charmed the fans here in France by giving his press conferences in French. He gets big cheers form the home crown as he leaves the start box. David Doel is nearing the end of the course, still clear.

11:11 am: We have just two riders left to do after David and William Fox Pitt and Little Fire are circling the start box now.

11:08 am: OK, David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed are back underway now. We can infer that Izzy has been safely moved off-course. Our boots on the ground, Tilly Berendt, has told me that she’s gotten unofficial word that Izzy is conscious and is en route to the hospital under the care of the medics. We’re wishing her the absolute best.

11:01 am: Alright, we have a hold on course now while Izzy is tended to. We don’t have any word on her status yet, but will let you know the moment we do. David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed had started and were clear through fence 13AB and are now being held before fence 14.

10:56 am: SHIT. Izzy and Fonbherna Lancer take a very hard fall after the horse catching it’s front end on fence 29A. We’re unsure of Izzy’s status at the moment, but we get a glimpse of Fonbherna Lancer up and being walked home by Izzy’s team.

10:54 am: Meanwhile, Izzy Taylor and Fonbherna Lancer are getting close to home and Izzy is giving the hose a great ride. Here they are mid-stride at that funny fence 27, so you can get a look at this up-bank:

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:51 am: Oliver crosses the finish line with MHS King Joules and they sneak in 2 seconds under the clock for a double clear round! That will move them up from their 14th place after dressage, into provisional 4th at the moment, just ahead of Bubby Upton and Cola.

10:49 am: Bubby Upton is back again for her second round of the day, now with Cannavaro and ahhh!!! They fly by 5B. Having already completed the course on her first ride and given herself the experience, she opts to retire Canavaro and save him for another time.

10:47 am: Alright, now that we know who our overnight leader is going to be, let’s catch up with everyone else on course. Alex and King of the Hill have just finished now and have turned in a fantastic double clear round to stay on their score of 30.0. He’s super pleased and playing to the cheers of the crown. Oliver and MHS King Joules are now clear through fence 19 and we also now have Izzy Taylor and Fonbherna Lancer on course now and clear so far even after a bit of sticky moment to 10B.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:42 am: Fantastic! Tim and Falco finish easily 8 seconds under with no jumping faults to retain the overnight lead on their dressage score of 22.1. This is another first-time fiveve-star horse, by the way, and what a start for this horse. He gets big pats from Tim, who is clearly please with Falco’s efforts.

10:41 am: Tim and Faco have 38 seconds to get home as they enter the arena.

10:40 am: Here’s Oliver Townend now out of the box on MHS King Joules. He’s giving this horse another go at the level this year after parting ways at the Bicton 5*a few months ago.

10:37 am: We can hear the crowd in the arena going absolutely wild for Cedric Lyard, who is originally from the south of France. He and Unun de’Or finish nicely and pick up just 2.4 time penalties. Still all clear for both Tim and Alex on course.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:34 am: Tim and Falco are looking good through the lake at fence 12A and B. They’re a bit down on the clock t the moment, that’s normal for this point in the course after the twisty beginning. Cedric Lyard is clear through 25 and Alex Bragg and King of the Mill are fresh out fo the start box.

10:30 am: Our overnight leaders Tim Price and Falco are now on course!

10:29 am: Remi Pillot and Tom Chik du Levant have picked up another 20 penalties at 13Band has opted to retire. We’re also joined on course now by Cedric Lyard and Unun de’Or who are now clear through fence 9. Tayla Mason and Centennial are now through the finish flags with their 20 plus time.

10:25 am: Also on course now is Remi Pillot and Tom Chik du Levant, who we haven’t seen on the livestream yet but picked up 20 penalties at fence 5B. Madison Crowe and Waitangi Pinterest have now finished with a total of 38 faults to add to their dressage score. Tayla Mason and Centennial are through fence 27 now.

10:22 am: I’m a bit behind here as we’ve got two on course I haven’t even metioned yet: Madison Crowe saw a stride to 25A, but Waitangi Pinterest says “What fence?” and flies right by it. They’ll pick up 20 penalties there. Meanwhile Tayla Mason and Centennial pick up a runout at 13B after a bit of a big jump over the fist element.

10:18 am: Up Up And Away kinda sorta tries to jump 25B for Caroline Powell, but they take out the flag with the horse’s shoulder and it’s debatable whether or not the horse make enough of a jumping effort. They continue on, so we’ll wait and see whether they get penalties there or an elimination.

10:16 am: They jumped fabulously, but Jonelle and McClaren come in 11 seconds over time which will give them a score of 28.8 now, dropping them to a current provisional 4th just behind Bubby Upton and Cola on their 28.5. Bubby was in 17th after dressage, if that give you a good idea of how closely packed the scores are!

10:14 am: “I would listen to Jonelle” says Astier Nicholas from the commentary box as Jonelle guides McClaren through the fence 27 bank and small drop.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:11 am: Jonelle sees a great stride to the Pau version of the Cottesmore Leap which sadly makes for a real crappy screen shot, but here you go anyway.

10:10 am: Tom Jackson and Billy Cuckoo are home now with no jumping and 2.4 time faults.

10:09 am: McClaren was Sir Mark Todd’s WEG horse in 2018, but this is actually his first five-star. So far so good for Jonelle, who’s giving the horse a handy ride. I’m sure the rain isn’t bothering her at all! Caroline Powell and Up Up And Away are newly on course.

10:06 am: Selina Milnes and Iron are home with 4.4 time faults. Tom Jackson and Billy Cuckoo are clear through 19 while Jonelle and McClaren are clear through 9 so far.

10:03 am: Jonelle Price and McClaren have left the start box! They sit in second overnight on a score of 24.4. Can they go double clear and put the pressure on husband Tim, who’s leading the pack?

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:00 am: It really do be raining though. Here’s a foggy Selina Milnes over the a vicarage see-esque fence near the midpoint of the course — they’re still clear. We’ve also got Tom Jackson and Billy Cuckoo on course now and clear through 10.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:57 am: Nooo… Carlos Parro and Calcourt Landline fall prey to that troublesome 27B. They’ve retried and are walking home. The sole pair on course now are Selina Milnes and Iron — they’re clear through fence 11.

9:53 am: “He’s full of petrol!” our live stream commentators say of CHF Cooliser as he crosses the finish with Tom. They come in clear and four seconds under time and will keep their dressage score of 29.6. Looks like Tom has got himself another top class horse!

9:50 am: Philippa Cross and Scoop de Ferbet are home now: clear but almost a minute over time. Tom McEwan is nearing home now and giving his horse, another five-star debutant, a super ride. Carlos is clear through fence 17.

9:47 am: So far so good for everyone on course at the moment: Philippa and Tom. Brazil’s Carlos Parro and Calcourt Landline are also on course now as the rain, which has been a bit off and on so far, has started to pick up again.

9:42 am: We’ve got Philippa Cross and Scoop de Ferbet also on curse now and clear so far, along with Tom McEven and CHF Cooliser just starting, and — oh shoot, Dacapo doubts himself at the 25B a skinny in the final water and runs out. Laura puts her hand up and calls it a day.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:40 am: BAM! Padraig and Fallulah finish right on the optimum time and Padraig gives us a big fist pump! He took a chance and asked the horse for a bit of a long spot at the last combination, but the horse answered and the chance paid off. He takes over as clubhouse leader now, sticking with their dressage score of 24.9.

9:36 am: We can hear the cheers from the arena as Mike and El Mundo finish. They’ve jump clean but are exactly a minute over time.

9:35 am: Ah dang, an early problem on course for Laura as Dacapo spooks a bit at the 7B drop into the first water and stops. They loop around to take the long route and continue on.

9:33 am: Now on course: reining Pau champion Laura Collett! This time she ride five-star debutant Dacapo.

9:32 am: Tina and Billy the Red finish with no jumping faults and 8 time penalties. Mike and El Mundo are clear through 26 while Padraig and Fallulah are clear through 19.

9:29 am: Padraig McCarthy and Fallulah also join us on course now. Here’s a shot Tina Cook and Billy the Red over that funny 27B. You can see it’s not a big drop, but it comes after a small step up onto this mound and seems to be making the horses slow down second guess themselves a bit.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:26 am: And they’re home! Cathal and Rioghan Rua are just one second over time after a very stylish and smooth ride over the last few fences inside the arena. Tina Cook is for clear through 25 and Canada’s Mike Winter an El Mundo are also on course now and clear through 12.

9:24 am: OK there’s Cathal and Rioghan Rua. He’s urging the mare on on the gallop stretch leading to fence 29.

9:21 am: Liz and Monster are home! They’re clear with 8.4 time faults to now sit on a score of 40.9.

9:20 am: Tina Cook and Billy the Red are on course now. Billy the Red hesitates for a split second at the drop into the first water, but a quick correction from Tina makes it no problem at all. I don’t think we’ve seen a second of Cathal on the livestream, but they’re apparently clear through fence 26.

9:18 am: Sofia Sjoborg and DHI Mighty Dwight are finishing up now, clear but over a minute over time. Liz is clear through fence 21. Also on course now are Cathal Daniels and the spicy Rioghan Rua.

9:14 am: Monster juuuust squeezes his hind inside the flags at the 13B element, leaving the flag swinging but not knocked. Clear so far. Here’s Liz through the big ‘ol corner at fence 12B:

9:13 am: SRS Kan Do looks absolutely full of running as he crosses the finish flags with Kylie, who’s another first-timer at the level. That’s a fabulous ride for them, with no jumping faults and 5.6 time penalties.

9:10 am: USA! USA! Our gal Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver are fresh out on course and may I say, Monster’s orange Flair Strip that matches Liz’s helmet cover looks particularly sharp.

9:07 am: On course now is Sofia Sjoborg of Sweden and beautiful gray DHI Mighty Dwight. They’re clear through fence 10. Kylie Rody and SRS Kan Do are still going well and clear through 21.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:05 am: I can’t get gifs to work correctly, so apologies to anyone I’m disappointing on that front. But here’s a screenshot of Kylie Rody and SRS Kan Do streeeeeetching over one of the early fences on course.

9:03 am: Huge cheers for Maxime as he crosses the finish flags! They finish one second under time and will stay on their dressage sore of 30.6.

9:01 am: Maxime is giving his horse a good ride and they’re nearing the end of the course, clear so far. Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford would have been next out of the box but withdrew before XC, so Kylie Rody and SRS Kan Do are up next and they’re clear through fence 9.

8:59 am: That’s how it’s done! Kevin and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend are home 12 second under time and looking great. They’ll stay on their dressage score and that makes them our clubhouse leaders.

8:58 am: Kevin is galloping down the long stretch before the area. He’s looking good on the clock.

8:55 am: Another fabulous finish for a five-star first-timer! Alice Casburn and Topspin are through the flags with a handful of time but no jumping penalties. Kevin and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend are clear through fence 26.

8:52 am: Here’s Maxime Livio and Vitorio Du Montet on course now and with some fancy footwork to get the angled brush at 5a after the steep downhill. We had hoped to see Maxime at Maryland with this horse this year, but they had to reroute here to Pau after the horse’s pre-export bloodwork came up positive for a tick-borne disease  for which USDA APHIS has a strict no-import policy.

8:49 am: We have two new riders on course now: Alice Casburn with Topspin, who are currently through fence 19, and fresh out of the box are Australia’s Kevin McNab with Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend — they’re ones to watch as they sit on a 26.2 in 5th place after dressage.

8:46 am: Regis Prud Hon and Tarastro picked up a stop at 27B — same spot at Alisa — and then they’re red flagged and pulled up as they enter the arena before the lest few fences. That will mean elimination. Perhaps the ground jury thought the horse looked too tired.

8:42 am: Whoops, we have a bit of catching up to do on finishers here. Sidney Dufresne and Swing De Perdriat are home with 4.8 time penalties. That will drop them down the headboard a smidge. I’m pretty sure we also saw Arthur Duffort finish, however the scoreboard is reading that they were eliminated after fence 28.

8:38 am: Tarastro is a bit stick dropping into the first water for Regis Prud Hon and scrambles bit over the brush swan, losing both overreach both. Doesn’t look like they’ve lost too much confidence though and they’re continuing on strongly.

8:37 am: Another couple riders are out on course now: Arthur Duffort with Toronto D’aurois and Regis Prud Hon with Tarastro.

8:34 am: Alisa and Woodlands Persuasion are home now. I’ve accidentally neglected to mention that Sidney Dufresne and Swing De Perdriat have been on course for a while now — clear through fence 28 and nearing home. This is a round to watch too as the pair was 8th after dressage.

8:31 am: Dang — Alisa picks up a stop with Woodlands Persuasion at 27B, a smaller element on top of a mound. Our commentators think it may be a little confusing to the horses because the fence almost looks like a decoration since it’s not 5-star sized. Woodlands Persuasion just didn’t quite read it.

8:28 am: Oh no! Danielle Dun and Grandslam pick up 20 penalties just before the finish at the combination in the arena. They took a huge jump at the 30A element and couldn’t make the B element and had to swing around and jump it again.

8:24 am: Clear so far still for both Danielle Dun and Grandslam as well as Alisa Wates and Woodlands Persuasion.

8:23 am: Heck of a round from Cyrielle Lefevre and Armanjo Serosah! They’re double clear and the horse looks like he’s ready to go around again!

8:20 am: Through the finish flags for Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird De Beaufour! They collect a bit of time in addition to those 11 penalties. Cyrielle is nearing the end of the course with Armanjo Serosah, who’s looking strong still at the end of the course. Danielle Dun and Grandslam are also on course now and clear through 15, and another five-star first-timer Alisa Wates and Woodlands Persuasion and just now out on course as well.

8:15 am: Whoops! Florian drops a MIM clip at 22A, but they recover well and jump the next easily.

8:13 am: We have another home team ride out on course now: Cyrielle Lefevre and Armanjo Serosah. So far so good for them!

8:11 am: Simon Grieve and Mr Fahrenheit — who’s a dang cute little chestnut, barely 16-hands — are home with no jumping faults but a over a minute over time. Simon looks absolutely thrilled with his little horse.

8:08 am: Also now on course are France’s Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird De Beaufour with a stylish and bold ride through fences 4 and 5ab — a drop fence to two angled brushes. Florian is a five-star first-timer and an amateur rider/ full-time farrier!

8:04 am: Both Simon Grieve and Mr Fahrenheit (clear through 19) and Jo Rimmer and Isaac Newton (clear through 10) are out on course now. Joesph comes home 5 seconds over time and jumping fault free.

8:01 am: William is home after giving Oratorio an unhurried ride over the final few fences in the arena. Bummer for that pair, but we’re sure to see them back at the top soon!

7:57 am: Joesph Murphy and Calmaro are our newest pair on course — they’re clear through fence 12. WPF and Oratorio are through the final water, still sitting on the 20 penalties from earlier.

7:56 am: We haven’t seen much of David Doel and Carneyhaugh Rua on the livestream, but hey! They’re home and under time! They aren’t going to be challenging the top of the leaderboard, but he’ll have to be happy with that round. We’ll see David again at the end of the day on his second ride,

7:53 am: Uh oh, WFP has a little bit of a hairy moment over that beautiful brush swan in the first water. Looked like they didn’t quite figure out a stride. They get over the swan fine, but later pick up 20 penalties at 10B.

7:52 am: Bubby is powering through end of the course — patting her horse on the long gallop before fence 29. They’re through the arena flawlessly and come in under time! Fabulous run from this exciting rider

7:49 am: Here goes William Fox Pitt and Oratorio out on course!

7:48 am: Turns out that Izzy decided to retire after fence 7a — we didn’t get to see her on the live stream again, so we’re not sure if she had another problem or just decided to save it for another day. David Doel and Carneyhaugh Rua are now on course as well and clear through fence 13. Bubby is clear through 26.

7:44 am: And Oliver and Ridire Dorcha are home! A masterful ride for this first-time five-star horse as they cross the line 11 seconds over time.

7:40 am: Isabelle “Bubby’ Upton is next on course with Cola. She’s an exciting up-and-coming British young rider with two very cool horses here at Pau this weekend.

7:37 am: Ah crud, an earlu problem for Izzy as Ringwood Madras runs out of the angled brush element at 5b.

7:35 am: Oliver and Ridire Dorcha are over halfway through the course and showing us all how it’s done. Izzy Taylor and Ringwood Madras are out of the box now.

7:30 am: And they’re off! Trailblazers Oliver Townend and Ridire Dorcha are on course!

Saturday Links

By on Oct 30, 2021 12:01 am -

Photo via Course Brook Farm on Facebook.

The colors of fall are out in full force at Course Brook Farm this weekend, and so are the blue and black cross country colors of beloved Area 1 eventer Jessica Halliday who passed away earlier this week after a hard-fought battle with Stage IV colon cancer. The loss of Jess has hit Area 1 hard, but Jess was such a significant part of the community that her memory will live on through the connections that she made and full life that she lived.

Go eventing, ride for Jess, and #BuckOffCancer.

U.S. Weekend Action:

The VHT International & H.T. (Lexington, Va.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

FEH & YEH Young Event Horse Last Chance Qualifier & West Coast Championship (Paso Robles, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, Ga.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Course Brook Farm Fall H.T. (Sherborn, Ma.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Major International Events:

Les Etoiles de Pau CCI5* (France) : [Website] [Schedule/ Start List/ Scores] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Saturday Links:

‘The love of the horse never goes away’ | 80-year-old equestrian takes on Washington International Horse Show

The Jockey Club Scholarships: 2022-2023

Detecting a Possible Future for Shoeing? Farrier Researchers Gather Data at Fair Hill

Photo Gallery: Take A Tour Of Florida’s Newest Competition Venue

Fast Facts: FEH and The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships

Saturday Video: Ready for the some farm envy? Prepare to drool over the finished arena (and everything else) at Doug Payne’s new farm:

The Prices Keep It In the Family in Pau’s First Phase

By on Oct 29, 2021 5:57 pm -

Eventing Nation’s coverage of Les 5 Etoiles de Pau is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, our go-to source for the best support your horse can get. With a full line of proven supplements designed to help your horse feel his or her best, you can have peace of mind knowing that Kentucky Performance Products has your horse’s top health in mind. Learn more about KPP by visiting kppusa.com.

After yesterday’s exciting but itty-bitty first session of dressage, which saw debutant Ailsa Wates and previous winner William Fox-Pitt take the joint lead, today’s follow up sessions were packed with quality and replete with personal bests, as the final 35 of the 47 total competitors came forward to fight for the final CCI5* title of the year. So high was the standard that our day one leaders, who each scored a respectable 27.4, were pushed all the way down to equal eleventh, giving us a completely fresh line-up in the top ten at the end of today’s competition.

It’s been a bit of a game of pass-the-parcel where the lead has been concerned today, with no one rider managing to hold it for more than a few tests before their position was usurped — and that trend continued until the very end stages of the day, when New Zealand’s Tim Price entered at A with five-star first-timer Falco and duly delivered his own best-ever test at the level for a score of 22.1.

Tim Price and Falco take the first-phase lead at Pau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“The changes have taken a little while to get established, but he’s always had everything, and he was just relaxed and happy today,” says Tim, whose previous best-ever five-star test had also come at this venue. “It’s all been about time, and about getting him a bit more on the bit and through — and as that gets easier for him, the changes are a bit more available, too.”

Tim has been quietly excited about the ‘show pony’ Hanoverian, who he owns with Sue Benson and Jackie Oliver, but he’s also very aware that the gelding’s debut at this level might have to be a developmental one, rather than a competitive one.

“He’s had a couple of moments in his past, but he’s been super consistent the last wee bit — it’s like the penny’s dropped, and I really hope it stays like that, because it’s not a four-star short. It’s a whole different level. I plan to give him a sympathetic, educational round and just see how he feels; if he comes home with some time faults but a nice round, I’d be really happy,” says Tim. Those ‘moments’ include a spate of penalties at four-star back in 2019, as well as some issues on course at Strzegom CCI4*-S last year, but his last three runs — in CCI4*-L classes at Millstreet and Lignieres, and in the CCIO4*-S at CHIO Aachen — have seen him not only jump clear, but he’s finished in the top ten each time, too.

When you deliver the goods at the end of the day, you’ve got to disappoint someone who thought they might hold the lead overnight — and for Tim, that person was his wife. Jonelle Price is also riding a debutant this week in diminutive McClaren, the pint-sized pocket rocket that was previously part of Sir Mark Todd’s string. When he opted to bow out of the sport and his horses were dispersed to other riders, the pairing was so immediately an obvious fit: both horse and rider might be small in frame, but they’re packing plenty of power — and willpower. In the Holsteiner gelding’s case, this hasn’t always worked in his favour; he’s not a wholly straightforward ride, and has had some frustrating, cheeky runouts on course as a result. But perhaps more frustrating for Jonelle is the fact that she’s never quite been able to nail down the scores she’s felt he deserves. That all changed today as the pair danced their way to a 24.4 — though in true McClaren fashion, he did it while pulling faces against the rain the whole way around — and they enjoyed a brief lead before Tim took over.

Jonelle Price and McClaren make their move in the Price family match race. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“The dressage has been a bit of a bugbear for me with this particular horse this year,” says Jonelle. “It feels like he’s been knocking on the door of doing a very good test, but every time I look up at the scoreboard I’m very sad. So I was just relieved to see some good marks, and it was just a shame that Tim came along to rain on my parade!”

Now, the job is to ensure the gelding maintains his focus — and his will to win — over tomorrow’s technical track, which offers plenty of opportunities for easy glance-offs. A run-out at Aachen last month might not seem like the ideal lead-in to his five-star debut, but with any luck, that cheeky moment is out of his system. As Jonelle explains, he certainly has the self-belief to make light work of it all.

“He’s only a little fellow, and a lot of the jumps out there are bigger than he is, but he rates himself and he’s a phenomenal little jumper, so I’m hoping we can get the job done,” says Jonelle.

William Fox-Pitt has two horses in the top eleven on the tenth anniversary of his last win here. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“It’s all rather romantic, isn’t it,” muses William Fox-Pitt — but he’s not referring to Tim and Jonelle’s domestic dispute at the top of the leaderboard. Instead, he’s thinking back to this event ten years ago, when he won with the excellent Oslo — the sire, as it happens, of Oratorio, one of his two rides this year who now sits equal eleventh heading into cross-country day.

“That doesn’t happen very often — Mary King does that sort of thing, not me,” he jokes, referring to his long-time teammates penchant for riding homebred sons and daughters of her former top horses. “[Oslo and Oratorio] are chalk and cheese; one can gallop and one couldn’t, one can jump and one doesn’t jump so well. There are quite a few differences, so it’s quite interesting — we all know that breeding’s a manman’s game!”

He’s not wrong about the romance of it all, anyway — it would be a bit of a twinkle-eyed film-plot sort of ending if he were to win with Oslo’s son. But at the end of the day today, he finds himself in much closer contention with his second ride, the spicy Little Fire, who produced a sparkling test that trended in the 21 region but was ultimately awarded a 24.5 after one imperfect change. That puts them in third place overnight in Little Fire’s return to the venue, which comes after an abortive start in 2018 saw William take a tumble late on the course.

“That fence was number 28 or so then, and it’s number four now, so hopefully we’ll make it past that this time,” he says drily.

Padraig McCarthy sets a new personal best with the first-timer Fallulah. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a few weeks for Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy; he’d inherited the quirky Leonidas II from Mark Todd upon the Kiwi’s retirement, and after a couple of up-and-down seasons, he truly got the measure of the gelding at last month’s European Championships, delivering a foot-perfect clear inside the time across the country. After that, Leo’s owners, Di Brunsden and Peter Cattell, decided with the rider that it was time for the gelding to enjoy a well-earned retirement.

They’re not without irons in the fire now that Leo’s exploring the delights of carb-loading, though: they’re part-owners of the elegant Fallulah, who was produced to four-star by Britain’s Emily Philp, and who Padraig took the ride on in 2019. The Westfalian mare, who was bred by former five-star rider Ian Wills, has always been an eye-catching stamp of a horse, but over the past twelve months she’s visibly gained in strength and power, which has brought her ever closer to a truly competitive mark. Today, in her first-ever five-star test, she finally put all the pieces together, earning herself a 24.9 in the process and giving the Irishman plenty to smile about.

“She’s always been a very extravagant mover, but the thing we’ve been trying to get with her is the consistency in the outline and in the way of going,” says Padraig, who is competing at Pau for the first time. “I struggled a little bit at the beginning just to make her my own, I think, but this year she’s been getting better and better in training with Tracy Robinson. She’s a real trier and she’s absolutely stunning, so the judges want to give her good marks — the job has just been getting it to flow, and that felt really consistent. It was nice to look up at the scoreboard and see that the mark was as good as it felt.”

Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend deliver the goods with a relaxed, fluid test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

There’s no denying that Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend, the rangy Oldenburg mount of Australia’s Kevin McNab, loves this arena. Although he’s typically a circa-30 scorer or above, he produced an excellent 24.8 on his debut here last year, and today, he nearly matched that, putting a competitive 26.2 on the board to take provisional fifth place.

“The test started out really well,” says Kevin, who returns to Pau after a win in last week’s Seven-Year-Old World Championship. “He felt really solid in the trot work, although in the walk work I probably picked him up a little bit too much. He got just a little bit stuck in it, and it could have been a little bit freer, but then I thought, ‘well, I’m there now, so I’ll leave it.'”

Kevin’s primary goal was to give the gelding, who can be a slightly anxious horse, a positive experience after a tricky Aachen last month, where he scored an uncharacteristic 35.9 after getting overwhelmed in the arena.

“I wanted to do a solid test after Aachen for his confidence, and I think this test was that — he’ll come away from it a better horse. We’d just had one of those strange events [at Aachen] where he was actually really anxious. I’ve never had a situation like that with him before, and I’m not really sure why it happened, so we just wanted two make sure that this was a confidence-building experience.”

Sweden’s Sofia Sjoborg makes her debut an impressive one with her Junior team horse DHI Mighty Dwight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

After standing ringside to support her best friend Ailsa Wates as she rocketed to the lead in her five-star debut, it was British-based Swede Sofia Sjoborg‘s turn to shine today — and she did just that, earning herself a 26.8 and overnight sixth with sixteen-year-old DHI Mighty Dwight, her former Junior team horse and the competitive partner with whom she’s climbed the international ranks.

“We’ve known each other for so long,” says Sofia, who bought the gelding from Heidi Woodhead in 2014. The length and depth of their relationship means that Sofia knows how the horse will react in any given situation — and today, that paid dividends as she trotted into the main arena.

“Sometimes he can start looking around a little bit, and the moment he loses focus on you, he starts thinking of other things to do, so you have to be so careful to really keep him focused while not getting after him too much, because he’s old enough that he’s like, ‘piss off!’,” she laughs. Despite the buzzy, spooky atmosphere in the ring, she was able to get him on side, and the horse — who has previously flirted with the upper 20s, but is generally a low-30s scorer — went on to deliver his best-ever international score.

“I’d hoped for a 28 or a 29, because he’s good enough and he’s nice enough in the way he looks when he goes in a test,” says Sofia. “I though that if I did a good job we might have one mistake or something.”

That the reality so far eclipsed her hopes was a pleasant surprise that Sofia didn’t see until she’d come to the end of her test, because she was determined not to glance at the scoreboard before her final halt and salute.

“I’ve done that in my younger days and ended up forgetting where I am in the test because I’ve looked up unintentional, seen it, and then thought, ‘oh god, I thought that movement was better!’ And then it’s like — oh dear! So I really try not to look now.”

Bubby Upton takes her place in the top ten with Cannavaro. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Britain’s under-25 national title holder Bubby Upton produced her first-ever five-star dressage test yesterday, taking a top five place overnight with her Young Rider silver medalist Cola — and while today’s riders might have pushed the pair down to seventeenth on their score of 28.5, the talented university student’s second test, this time with the expressive Cannavaro, propelled her straight back to the business end of the leaderboard. They earned a 27.1 for their mature and polished performance,

“I’m so proud of him,” says Bubby, who has produced the horse through the levels herself. “I don’t think anyone can understand quite how far he’s come unless they saw him when I first got him, and at his first event — his nose practically touched his chest; he was so overbent and so chubby. But one thing that he’s always been is a trier, and he went in there today and tried so hard.”

Though having two horses in the hunt ostensibly gave Bubby the advantage of learning from her first test and making minor improvements to her second as a result, her two rides this week are so different from one another that in actuality, she simply had to focus on riding the horse she had under her in the moment.

“They’re two completely different horses, and the changes are definitely their weaknesses — well, my weakness, to be honest,” she laughs. “So there wasn’t much I could do apart from just try my best in the changes. He pretty much got them all, apart from the last one — he just got a bit excited there, but I’m thrilled with him. In the familiarisation yesterday he was quite spooky, and he’s not a spooky horse — and then when he went in today, he was really looking at the camera, and I was like, ‘oh god, Joey, concentrate!’ And he did.”

There was one little detail that Bubby was determined to fix: “I didn’t do a square halt yesterday in my walk, which really annoyed me all night, so I made sure I did one today!”

Sidney Dufresne leads the way for the home side, sitting equal eighth with Swing de Perdriat. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

French hopes are high after a superb test by Sidney Dufresne got the day off to an excellent start. His 27.2, which puts him in equal eighth overnight, was good enough to allow him to steal the lead as the first rider in the ring today, and the eye-catching Selle Français mare Swing de Perdriat certainly commanded plenty of attention on her debut. The flow with which she delivered her test, though, belied how much tact the rider has had to use in training her.

“She’s a lovely mare, but she’s difficult in her mind,” he says. “We found out that doing less dressage and more hacking helps a lot, and so today she did the best dressage she’s ever done, which is great.”

In a bid to take as much pressure as possible off the hot-headed mare, Sidney has stripped everything back — including his warm-up regime.

“I do less working on the flat, and more easy work,” he says. “I do a long walk before working, and a long walk after. She doesn’t need to work hard, she just needs to go out and do something, and we just need to keep her happy.”

Brazil’s Carlos Parro finds himself in a competitive position with Calcourt Landline. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

British-based Brazilian Carlos Parro returned to five-star for the first time since 2009, and he made sure not to waste a single movement with his longtime partner, the fifteen-year-old Calcourt Landline. They sit equal eighth with Sidney, also on a 27.2, in what is the gelding’s first international start since 2019.

“He’s had one or two setbacks,” says Carlos, who explains that a unique training regime has helped him to manage the horse and produce the best possible results: “I don’t actually ride him at home, except on the gallops. He doesn’t do flatwork or jump, we just work on his fitness.”

Izzy Taylor’s rerouted Fonbherna Lancer makes a solid start to his second five-star. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Izzy Taylor rounds out the top ten after the first phase on her second ride, the elegant Fonbherna Lancer, who scored a 27.3 with a conservative but correct test this afternoon. This is a second five-star start for the gelding, who Izzy produced to four-star before Piggy March took the reins last season. Earlier this year, he moved back into Izzy’s string so that he’d be qualified to step up to five-star, and although his first attempt at Bicton last month ended with an early retirement after a green 20 penalties, he’s proven time and time again that he has plenty of class for the job — though like many of the frontrunners in this field, he’s still got plenty to learn.

Mike Winter and El Mundo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Canada is well represented by British-based Mike Winter, who sits 33rd on 31.7 with El Mundo, his self-described ‘horse of a lifetime’ who he’d initially intended to sell as a youngster — but after the gelding suffered an injury that required plenty of hands-on care, he quickly became a part of the family. Now, he’s partnering Mike on his return to this level; before Bicton last month, he’d last ridden at five-star back in 2009. Bicton proved a learning curve for the inexperienced horse, and now the pair are back to put what they took away from that tough course into action here.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Likewise, our sole US representatives Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver had an educational, rather than competitive, round at Kentucky on the horse’s debut at the level, but the talented gelding is ready to step into the big leagues. Some trouble with the changes precluded a lower score for the duo, but their 32.5, which puts them 35th overnight, actually has them just over 10 penalties off the lead — a slim margin on a day like tomorrow, which promises to be incredibly influential.

There are plenty of contributing factors to why tomorrow will be such an exciting day of cross-country. So many of the horses — and plenty of the riders — in this field are at the beginning of their top-level careers, and so it’s reasonable to expect some genuine mistakes as well as some sensible steady lines and routes throughout the day. The course itself, which we’ll be looking at in more depth before the start of the action, is incredibly twisty but also very long, clocking in at nearly twelve minutes. Set in a small park and racecourse and flanked by the main roads and car dealerships of the city’s northern outskirts, Pau is a uniquely tight track, and there are none of the galloping straights you’d expect to find at the likes of Burghley or Kentucky. Instead, riders must be economical from the off to try to best the clock, and any time lost is incredibly difficult to regain later on in the course. The questions are also intense and technical throughout, with plenty of ‘let-up’ tables along the way, but even those come on, or shortly before or after, turns, so it’s a course that’s mentally tiring as well as physically tiring.

There’s absolutely no margin for error on the leaderboard, either: our overnight leader enjoys a small buffer of five seconds over second place, but there’s just thirteen seconds covering the entirety of the top ten, and the tricky optimum time alone will ensure that there’s some serious shuffling done across the leaderboard throughout tomorrow’s competition. We’ve seldom seen a five-star field that’s as wide open as this one is in terms of forecasting the winner; there’s a double handful of horses who are all reasonably vying for the win this week, and watching them battle it out will make for some seriously good spectator sport. You can tune in and watch it all via H&C+, and join us at the end of the day for a full rehash of all the action.

Until next time: Go Eventing!

The top ten going into tomorrow afternoon’s cross-country phase.

5 Etoiles de Pau: Website, Program & Ticketing, Live Stream, Entries, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Let’s Go to Pau: A French Social Media Roundup

By on Oct 29, 2021 4:00 pm -

Eventing Nation’s coverage of Les 5 Etoiles de Pau is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, our go-to source for the best support your horse can get. With a full line of proven supplements designed to help your horse feel his or her best, you can have peace of mind knowing that Kentucky Performance Products has your horse’s top health in mind. Learn more about KPP by visiting kppusa.com.

Every October, I get the hankering to travel to France. There’s just something about Pau that appeals to me; I’m not sure if it’s the culture, the food, the wine, or just the general French vibe that gets me itching, but one year I must make it a point to get to the Northern Hemisphere’s final 5* of the season. In the meantime, I’ll just live vicariously through Instagram (isn’t that what it’s meant for, anyway?).

Located in the south of France, maybe 100 miles to the east of the Bay of Biscay, is Pau, making it an ideal southern destination for UK and European-based eventers.

We’re through dressage and looking ahead to cross country tomorrow (which you can watch live on H&C+ here)…

…and we can never really have enough “back in the barns” scenes to go around…

Nothing beats Pau on a sunny autumnal morning….

Posted by Team Price on Thursday, October 28, 2021

…and we know no 5* would be complete in any way without the hard work of the grooms and support crews…

…and finally, can you match the Team Price 5* horse with their stuffed mascots?

5 Etoiles de Pau: Website, Program & Ticketing, Live Stream, Entries, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Friday Video from SmartPak: Stuff Riders Spook At

By on Oct 29, 2021 2:00 pm -

“We get you because we are you.” SmartPak’s motto has never been truer: this classic video, first released at Halloween 2016, is chock-full of all of your worst barn fears. From spooky loose plastic bags to tragic clipping accidents, this video is sure to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

Try not to shriek out loud…

Eeek!

Be sure to subscribe to SmartPak’s YouTube channel to keep up with all their latest videos. Go SmartPak.

VHT International & Horse Trials, USEF CCI2*-L Eventing Championships Set to Start

By on Oct 29, 2021 10:00 am -

CCI3*-L competitors Ariel Grald and Diara. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the organizers of VHT International & Horse Trials are pleased to host over 450 horses at the Virginia Horse Center this weekend as well as the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championships.

“We are happy to welcome competitors back to Virginia Horse Trials this weekend. There is something very special about the Autumn competition,” VHT Organizer Andy Bowles said. “For me, it’s about the community and the celebration of the sport. We are always working to make improvements to the venue so competitors have the best possible experience, and we appreciate their continued support in making VHT a destination event. We wish everyone good luck this weekend.”

VHT is hosting Starter through CCI3*-L divisions, plus an Intercollegiate & Alumni Team Challenge. CCI2*-L competitors will vie for the Richard Collins Trophy (Overall Champion) and the Harry T. Peters Trophy (14–21-year-old rider) as part of the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing Championships.

The first horse inspection was held Thursday afternoon for the CCI3*-L, CCI2*-L, and CCI1*-L competitors. All horses presented were accepted by the ground juries. The competition gets underway Friday, with all three phases running concurrently across the sprawling Virginia Horse Center.

Links: Website | Omnibus | Facebook | General Schedule | Live Scores | Ride Times

Combined Hosting of USEA FEH & YEH West Coast Championships Kicks Off at Twin Rivers

By on Oct 29, 2021 9:00 am -

Janine Jaro’s Trilogy: 2020 USEA Future Event Horse West Coast Champion. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

The first combined staging of the USEA Future Event Horse Championships and the USEA Dutta Corp. Young Horse West Coast Championships last year was a big success. This year’s Championships, set for Oct. 28 and 29 at Twin Rivers, reflects that success in greatly increased participation. In addition to strong turnout from USEA’s Area VI, Wyoming, Washington, Utah, Arizona and Oregon are among the further flung regions represented in the Championships.

Over 40 Future and Young Event Horses will demonstrate their potential and developing skills, not counting those who earn a spot in Thursday’s “last chance” qualifier.

Super Showcase

Over two days, the contenders will compete in age-appropriate tests: from being trotted on the triangle and observed under saddle and free jumping in a chute to dressage and jumping.

After three years hosting the USEA Future Event Horse West Coast Championships as a stand-alone competition, the Baxter family organizers understand the fine art of exposing youngsters to an international atmosphere without overwhelming them.

“We have decorations and banners up to expose them to what’s up with this level of competition,” says Andrea Baxter. Yet the stimuli exist in spaces that allow the horses to absorb them. Dressage, for example, will take place in Twin Rivers’ beautiful “Flag Arena,” which sits atop a hill and is surrounded by segments of the cross-country course and hilly vineyards in the distance. “It’s a big arena, so that should help them take it all in,” Andrea says.

As venue owners and competition organizers, the Baxters have always had a mission to provide a place to develop and showcase horses and riders bound for the sport’s highest levels. “We are really excited to finally have a chance to promote all the young horses in one spot,” Andrea explains of holding these championships concurrently for the second consecutive year. “We are looking for this to be a real showcase and we hope it will keep gaining momentum for years to come. Last year was a huge success and we are really excited to see so many more entries this year.”

Andrea has her new mare Liefhebber entered in the Young Event Horse Championships. Fresh from the Fair Hill International CCI5*-L with her veteran partner, Indy 500, Andrea will present future equine stars alongside fellow high-level competitors including Amber Birtcil, Rebecca Braitling, Joseph McKinley, Tamie Smith and Kaylawna Smith.

Chris Ryan of Ireland and Susan Graham White of the USA are judging the FEH Championships.  Ryan and the USA’s Debbie Adams will officiate the Young Event Horse Championships.

Debbie judged the YEH West Coast Championships at Twin Rivers last year. “I was just blown away by what a good job they did,” said the New Jersey-based official at the show’s close in 2020. “I had no idea what to expect and, you know, you hear things: like the West Coast is not at the same standard as the East. But as soon as I walked the course and saw how the jumps were built, Peter (Gray, fellow judge) and I looked at each other and said, ‘This is amazing.’

Adri Doyal is on tap to design the courses.

            Halloween One Day Schooling Show

Sunday’s One Day Halloween Schooling Horse Trials is a proud West Coast tradition poised for another busy day of horse and rider development and fun.

              Sponsors & Volunteers

Twin Rivers is proud to host the USEA Future Event Horse and USEA Dutta Corp Young Horse West Coast Championships as part of its 2021 season. Presenting sponsors of the season include Professional’s Choice, manufacturers of sports medicine boots for equine athletes; and Auburn Labs, manufacturers of the adaptogenic APF Formula for horses, people and dogs; Best Western PLUS Black Oak, which offers exclusive discounts for exhibitors; and Get Away RV Rentals, which delivers fully-outfitted RVs to the venue for those who want to stay on site.

Supporting sponsors include Riding Warehouse, the horse gear and apparel supplier;  Chubby Cov, makers of beautiful custom stock ties; and RevitaVet, a leader in preventative maintenance and rehabilitative infrared therapy devices.

Twin Rivers has a full slate of competition set for 2022, highlighted by the second running of the Spring International CCI4*-L in April. For 2022 sponsorship opportunities, contact Christina Gray of Gray Area Events at [email protected].

Volunteers will be a huge part of this weekend’s Championships, as they have been throughout the year from the CCI4*-L to the One Day Horse Trials. Twin Rivers’ generous incentive program includes vouchers for show stabling and credits for schooling between events at the beautiful 500-acre venue. That is in addition to the genuine appreciation of the Baxter family and the entire Twin Rivers team.

To sign up, please visit www.twinrivershorsepark/volunteer.