Classic Eventing Nation

Day Two at #AEC2021: Catching Up with Your Division Leaders After Action-Packed Day

By on Sep 1, 2021 9:00 pm -

Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.

Boyd Martin and Long Island 2. Photo by Liz Crawley for Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The sun (and the corresponding heat) poked back out today to dry out the Kentucky Bluegrass, and riders competing at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds were treated to much more pleasant conditions as competition continued into its second day. The schedule here is always a marvel of organization: you’ve got well over 1000 riders who entered and nearly just as many to organize into ride times, accounting for riders with multiple horses across divisions while you’re at it. You’ve got every recognized division running concurrently, and while you’re blessed to have a large amount of space at Kentucky Horse Park, you still have to sort out who’s going where and when. Suffice it to say, the hard-working organizers here in Kentucky (and the officials, grooms, volunteers — everyone who makes this traveling circus run smoothly) deserve a big hats off — and probably a lot of coffee, too.

We were treated to some cross country and some dressage today as the Intermediate and Preliminary divisions tackled Derek di Grazia’s cross country track while the Advanced and Training level competitors took their turns in the sandbox. As is to be expected, particularly at the championship level, this week will most certainly not be a dressage show and that concept was driven home today as a few divisions now have new leaders. Let’s check in with the division leaders after day two’s action:

$60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final

Boyd Martin brings forward the Long Island T Syndicate’s Long Island T (Ludwig von Bayern – Highlight, by Heraldik xx), a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding, as well as Christine Turner’s On Cue in the Advanced Championship, and it’ll be “Ludwig” who takes the overnight lead on a score of 24.1. Ludwig was tentatively slated to go to Germany for the Luhmühlen CCI5* in June, but Boyd said he elected to have the gelding stay home and work on regaining some lost confidence after a parting of ways at Kentucky in April. “I had a crash here at Kentucky and then he ran pretty well at Jersey (Fresh in May), but was still a bit rattled,” Boyd said. “So I actually made it quite easy for him for sort of six weeks in his preparation just did a nice, easy Prelim horse trial just a couple days after I got back from Tokyo. He’s a horse that thrives on confidence. I’ve got to do a masterful job.”

But today was an excellent way to start things off, Boyd says, and Ludwig’s experience is really beginning to show as the tests get more technical. “He’s such a seasoned experienced campaigner now that he can get through the tough tricky technical tests of the Advanced level without a mistake,” Boyd said. “He was really really good. I was thrilled with him.”

The Advanced cross country track, designed by longtime Kentucky five-star and Tokyo Olympic designer Derek di Grazia, will feature a few questions that will look familiar to followers of the April five-star. “I feel Derek di Grazia has built a solid track,” Boyd said. “He’s used a number of the iconic Kentucky five-star fences — the coffin and the mounds and the Land Rover water — and to me it’s a good, forward-riding looking course with spectacular footing.”

Second in the Advanced final is local rider Allie Knowles with Katherine O’Brien’s Business Class (Harlequin du Carel – Moxella, by Quick Star), an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who most recently finished 15th in the CCI4*-L at Jersey Fresh earlier this year. They will be right on Boyd’s heels on a dressage mark of 24.6 — and if today’s tracks were any indication, we can anticipate the time being a determining factor for who will come out on top at the end of the day tomorrow.

Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Liz Crawley for Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Also notching a score under 25 with a 24.7 and third overnight are Buck Davison with another Katherine O’Brien ride in Carlevo (Eurocommerce Caresino – Ramatuelle, by Levernois), a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding who finished 17th in his CCI5* debut at Kentucky this spring.

USEA Intermediate Championship

Holding on to their dressage lead and turning in one of just four clear rounds inside the time in the USEA Intermediate Championship will be Leslie Law and Steve Brown’s Lady Chatterley (Connor 48 – Jucy, by Mytens xx), a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare. The reigning USEA Mare of the Year absolutely breathed in the cross country today, never looking hurried or even like she needed to try very hard, quite honestly.

“She went great today,” Leslie commented. “She took it all in her stride, quite honestly, so that was really rewarding. She felt very, very honest and really on.”

Lady Chatterley was originally ridden by Leslie’s wife and fellow competitor Lesley Grant-Law, who brought the mare up from Training level on before handing the reins to Leslie nearly bang on two years ago. “I started riding her because she does have a little bit of a mind of her own,” Leslie said. “We had a few mixed results in the beginning. She got pretty consistent towards the end of last year. And then this year she’s been extremely consistent and she’s had great results.”

One thing the Laws identified that may have been affecting Lady Chatterley’s performance and comfort was some discomfort when she would come in season. “That might have been making her feel uncomfortable on some days when she went out on cross country. We’ve probably got that better managed now and perhaps the horse is feeling consistently well all the time, so I think that might be a big thing.”

There was one Mandatory Retirement in the Intermediate when Allison Springer and Vandyke fell at fence 18, but both horse and rider appeared to be uninjured.

Bates USEA Preliminary Amateur Championship

Arden Wildasin will find herself in a familiar position as she heads into tomorrow’s Preliminary show jumping in the overnight lead with Sarah Wildasin’s Southern Sun (Boherdeal Clover – Birdhill Lady, by Welcome Diamond), an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. She’ll only have a bit of time in hand for tomorrow’s finale as she will take a score of 24.2 overnight, just 1.4 penalties ahead of second place. Two years ago, Arden was first and second heading into show jumping; this year she’ll be in first and fourth after delivering some quick and clear cross country rides today.

“From being here two years ago with him to this year’s competition, he was worth his weight in gold for running around that,” Arden reflected. “So I was thrilled with him.” “Sunny” can be a bit on the looky side, particularly in show jumping, but Arden says he was very game today. “He is a spooky horse. But you have to know that and give him the confidence. He’ll jump, he’ll try his heart out. He’s definitely gotten more mature — I didn’t ride so well to some of the single fences, but he was like ‘dude, I got it!’, and that gave me confidence.”

There was one Mandatory Retirement in this division when Camryn Holcomb and Quite Breit fell at fence 12 — they could both later be seen walking off the course together.

Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Championship

Illinois-based Fiona Cotter and her own Miltown Malbay (Derg Showtime – Licknaun Rangef), an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding with whom she’s been partnered since 2018, will lead the Preliminary Rider Championship on a score of 32.1. They won their last outing at River Glen, which was also their first FEI start since 2019, adding just some time across the country to their dressage mark in the CCI2*-S.

Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship

Retaining their lead in the Preliminary Horse Championship will be another Lexington-based rider, Liz Halliday-Sharp and Ocala Horse Properties’ Shanroe Cooley (Dallas VDL – Shanroe Sapphire), a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who’s proven himself to have quite the knack for his job with a strong run of top placings in recent months.

“Today I sort of set out and I was a little bit slower than I planned early on, and then I thought today is not the day to have time,” Liz said after her rider. “Because I’ve had the odd little time faults on him, for obvious reasons as he’s a young horse. He’s just a brilliant horse, very brave. Probably the only areas that sometimes are quite perfect yet in his work — he’s just such a big horse so sometimes the adjustability isn’t quite where I need it to be, but that’s to be expected to be expected at six. He’s green still. But now he just always wants to do the job and he does try very hard.”

Bates USEA Preliminary Junior/Young Rider Championship

You might recognize the Junior/Young Rider Preliminary leader as a former Jon Holling ride in DHI Zatopek B (Lando – Scaramouche B, by Carlino), who is 17 years young and has become quite the accomplished schoolmaster at the level. He and Texas-based Vienna Allport looked keen and quick today, turning in a double clear effort to move up from fourth place to take the lead on a two-phase score of 28.3. Vienna began riding “Zak” in 2020 and has since stepped up to the Preliminary level, winning their most recent outing in July at Chatt Hills in Georgia.

“I’d walked the course and it was pretty difficult,” Vienna said. “I was really excited. I kind of went out of the start box a little bit late, so I had to make up on the first minute of the time, but he was really good. All the combinations rode really well — he’s perfect. But towards the end, I had to really make sure to go forward to make the time.”

“I got Zatopek last February,” she said of the Dutch Warmblood gelding. “So I haven’t had him for very long. I’ve only ever gone Training with my old horse and I got him and moved up to Preliminary in February in Florida. He had gone all the way up through Advanced with Jon Holling, and he’s really amazing. I’m starting to really figure him out. He’s always an amazing cross country horse. So I just had to get out there and do what we normally do, kind of forget about the leaderboard. He’s 17, so he’s kind of sometimes a little bit of a grumpy old man! But usually he’s sweet. He likes to cuddle.”

Vetoquinol USEA Open Modified Championship

Area IV’s Julie Wolfert, who’s well-known and much-loved in Kansas City (and beyond) with a thriving program, leads the way in the Vetoquinol USEA Open Modified Championship, a division that makes its debut at AEC this year, on a two-day score of 25.2. The five-year-old off-track Thoroughbred Namibia (Tizway – Kitty Tracks) is one Julie found in Florida three years ago. Julie’s enjoyed a few upper-level horses through her career — notably, she was named to the USEF Developing Riders/Eventing 25 list in 2014 with the late Buenos Aires — but she’s not had a superstar in her string for a few years. Could “Namib” be one to step into those big shoes?

Namibia did step up to the Preliminary level this year, in fact winning his last outing before this week at Catalpa Corner in July, but Julie says she’s enjoying spending some additional time at the Modified level as a confidence-building step filling the yawning gap between the Training and Preliminary levels.

“He’s a really cool guy and dressage is definitely his best of the three phases, which is a little uncharacteristic for a Thoroughbred, but I’ll take it!” Julie said. “He just has always been naturally forward and he’s always loved contact, where you can really put your leg on to hand and he’s very workmanlike as well. I was very fortunate that he’s not one of those Thoroughbreds that gets very anxious. He’s a little spooky, but he’s not anxious where he gets really tight in his trot work. He’s always very relaxed for that, he’s almost a kick ride.”

This is the first year that the Modified level — not a required level to move up to Preliminary but instituted as a stepping stone should it be warranted — at the AEC, and Julie says she’s personally a big fan of the level. “I just I love the level, because I feel like there’s a huge gap between Training and Prelim. This is just a nice little step up where I don’t feel like you’re overfacing the horses too much, but they still get a lot of technical questions that are offered. So that way we get very confident for the next level.”

USEA Training Amateur Championship

The Training level championships also got underway today, and Lauren Nunn and her own HSH First Impression, a six-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, are in early charge of the USEA Training Amateur Championship on a score of 26.7 following dressage. This pair finished sixth at the Modified level as their last prep for AEC at Cobblestone Farm over July 4th weekend.

USEA Training Horse Championship

The USEA Training Horse Championship 2021 will be led overnight by Lauren Lambert and Elizabeth Rader’s Biscotti (Benidetto – Hey Nurse), a 9-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Szar gelding who stepped up to Training level last year. Lauren took the reins on Biscotti this spring, and they’ve since won two out of their three starts together.

USEA Training Jr. Championship

Another of our California rider, Shelby Murray, won the dressage in the USEA Training Jr. Championship, earning a 22.0 aboard Reverie GWF (Rotspon – Chatari), a 9-year-old Oldenburg mare originally piloted by Erin Kellerhouse. Shelby and Reverie GWF began their partnership last year and have since been on an absolute tear: they’ve won six out of their nine starts together, including their most recent run in the Training Three-Day at Rebecca Farm.

USEA Training Rider Championship

Closing the day in the Training divisions and taking the overnight lead in the USEA Training Rider Championship will be Area III rider Lauren Alexander and the 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Excel Star Over the Moon (Pollux de Muze Z – Ordell), who was originally sourced and campaigned by Courtney Cooper. This pair is also coming in hot off of a win in their final prep, taking the blue at Stable View and winning the Area III Training Level Championship.

Excel Star Over the Moon would be one with a few opinions of his own, and Lauren says she’s been able to work with him to come up with a good warm-up routine to keep him focused. “I’ve come up with a pretty good plan for him. When I walk him, he thinks he’s done, so I have to make sure I give myself enough time to get his attention back. So I don’t he doesn’t get a lot of walk breaks in the final minutes of our warm-up. He just has to trot and be focused on his job, or he thinks he’s done and it’s kind of hard to get him back on task.”

“I was really proud of him for going in there, it’s a pretty intimidating atmosphere,” Lauren commented. “I feel like we did the best we could do for where we’re at in our training. And so I was pretty happy with him. I was really proud of both of our canter transitions. It’s something we’ve been working on. He’s really big horse, so it’s hard to get him connected in those transitions and they’re kind of coming out of the corner on the straight. And so I was really proud of both of those and then also his medium canters are kind of his highlight because he’s such a big moving horse and can really show off his canter lengthenings.”

After the Area III championships in June, Lauren let the gelding have a lighter July and used the Stable View Eventing Academy earlier this month as an easy final prep. “I felt like we were really ready about six weeks ago,” she said. “So I kind of just let him kind of cruise through the last few weeks and kind of ramped it back up just in the last three weeks because I didn’t want to overdo anything with him leading up to it.”

We’ll be back tomorrow with live updates from the Advanced cross country, and I’ll also be popping in on Friday to do live updates from the live stream again for anyone who’d like to follow along. AEC is such a wonderful opportunity to get to know riders competing at all levels, so if you have a story we should know about you can tip me by emailing [email protected]. We’re also teaming up with Kentucky Performance Products to give away some buckets full of goodies — this is a nomination contest and you can learn more about how to enter during AEC week here.

#AEC2021: Website, Schedule, Stabling, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Program, Live Stream, Course Maps, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

Many thanks to official show photographer Shannon Brinkman for the gallery from today’s action! Don’t forget to order your photos from the awesome SBP team on site this weekend – you can find out more here.

And last but certainly not least, enjoy a sprinkling of Instagram posts from around the Kentucky Horse Park on day two at #AEC2021!

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Checking In with Phillip Dutton and Undaunted Rags

By on Sep 1, 2021 5:00 pm -

Update #2 with 3-year-old OTTB Undaunted Rags, owned by Kevin Keane. Here's video of our ride on Monday morning of this week. At the start of the ride, I felt that he was a little bit backed off, so we focused on going really forward and keeping the trot nice and big and open. ⁣⁣From there, I incorporated poles and small cross-rails, and by the end of this ride, I felt that he was starting to understand the jumping and beginning to enjoy it.

Posted by Phillip Dutton Eventing on Wednesday, September 1, 2021

He may be busy riding around international tracks and, you know, the Olympics on most weekends, but Phillip Dutton can also often be found producing the next generation of young horses. With a long-standing partnership and friendship with Graham Motion Racing, Phillip’s always got a fair number of former racehorses coming in to continue on as sport horse prospects. One such young Thoroughbred, Undaunted Rags (Union Rags – Lookout Lady, by Smart Strike), who is owned by Kevin Keane, has been the subject of some of Phillip’s recent training videos.

You can revisit the first update Phillip posted about this 3-year-old who is very much fresh off the track here. In his next update, Phillip focuses on introducing new elements like ground poles and small fences, while also always encouraging the young horse to move forward willingly. It’s so interesting to follow these horses as they learn, and Phillip’s calm and easy approach is good fodder for any horse producer to emulate. Be sure to turn your sound on to hear Phillip’s narration!

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How to Watch the Chedington Bicton Park CCI5* This Weekend

By on Sep 1, 2021 4:00 pm -

Laura Collett and Mr Bass contesting the Bicton CCI4*-L earlier this year. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

While the American Eventing Championships are happening here stateside, there’s also a little event kicking off in Great Britain tomorrow. Typically, this weekend would mean it’s finally time for the Land Rover Burghley CCI5*, but with both English five-stars opting to cancel due to ongoing Covid complications this year, British riders were quick to rally for a replacement. The organizing team behind Bicton Arena stepped up to fill the role, and now we’re in for a special treat as 34 elite riders are set to come forward for the kick-off of the Chedington Bicton Park CCI5* starting Friday, September 3.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an international five-star without a way to follow along, and we’re pleased that Elite Eventing and H&C+ will be providing a unique livestream opportunity for the action this weekend. You as livestream viewers will be able to have a hand in making the event’s prize pot grow — portions of purchases of the Elite Eventing/H&C+ pay-per-view package for the jumping phases of competition will be used to supplement the prize fund. Funds will also be made available to use for the further development of the sport.

We’ll have a form guide coming your way to introduce you to the 34 horse and rider combinations you’ll be seeing this weekend (though many of them certainly need no introduction!), but in the meantime here’s some pertinent information to get you all primed and ready. Tilly Berendt will be our #journoontour this weekend bringing you all of the action, and I’ll be running live updates for cross country on Saturday here on EN.

Chedington Bicton CCI5*: [Website] [Box Office] [Entries] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Instagram] [EN’s Twitter]

Schedule: Click here to view the timetable
Dressage – Friday, September 3: 9:00 a.m BST / 4:00 a.m. EST / 1:00 a.m. PST
Cross Country – Saturday, September 4: 12:00 a.m. BST / 7:00 a.m. EST / 4:00 a.m. PST
Show Jumping – Sunday, September 5: 1:00 p.m. BST / 8:00 a.m. EST / 5:00 a.m. PST

Live Stream: Click here to sign up
The dressage phase of competition will be streamed at no cost on H&C+. To view the cross country and show jumping phases, you will need to purchase a one-time pay-per-view pass at a cost of $34.50 for non-H&C+ members and $27.50 for H&C+ members.

Times & Results: Click here to view the Eventing Scores info hub

Tickets: In the area and want to attend? Tickets are still available for spectators. Click here to purchase yours

Cross Country Course: Click here to see our preview of what Captain Mark Phillips has planned for what is sure to be a very proper five-star test for these riders

Entries: Take a look at the combinations coming forward this weekend — and stay tuned for Tilly’s form guide, coming soon! If you want to play along with the EquiRatings Eventing Manager fantasy game, we highly recommend it! Learn how to snag your team here.

Through Horses and Community, Stable View’s Brave Today Program Helps Aiken-Area Kids Find Their Feet

By on Sep 1, 2021 3:00 pm -

Photo courtesy of Stable View.

It’s no secret that those formative childhood years can have a lasting impact on an individual’s future health and wellness. Unfortunately, childhoods aren’t created equally, and many kids often find themselves adrift in the world far too early. To help young people who might be struggling in some way, and recognizing the value of a connection with horses, many programs aimed at providing access to both horses and community are doing some incredible work all over the world. Stable View’s Brave Today program, which launched in spring of 2021, is one of these horse havens hoping to help its participants grow and learn over the course of a six week curriculum.

“It’s estimated that one in five people suffer from a mental health episode everyday, which includes children as young as eight years of age,” Stable View described in its Brave Today launch announcement. “We believe that these issues are very prevalent in Aiken county. Stable View’s ‘Brave Today’ goal is to provide a safe haven for those children and youth to gather, experience the connection of horses, develop life long skills and provide support after each program through mentorship and scholarships.”

Janice Keats, a longtime instructor and Aiken resident, was a part of the development process for Brave Today and helps run the program now. “I’ve always loved helping kids develop confidence and hope,” she describes. “The program has been designed around an acronym, ‘Dress4TLC’, or the life skills that we work on. We talk about it in human form and then transfer it to the horses. The ‘Dress4TLC’ stands for Decision Making, Relationship Skills, Respect, Empathy, Self-Awareness, Social-Awareness, Trustworthy, Leadership and Communication.”

Horses have been a natural fit for Brave Today. Through instruction using proper body language, kids gain confidence around the horses that can then be transferred to life outside of the barn.

Photo courtesy of Stable. View.

“It’s very organic and purposely set up very small,” Janice adds. “Part of it is building trust. It’s very quiet, no observers. Just a closed group. We want to be intentional and get to know the kids.”

Kids participating in Brave Today attend weekly sessions over six weeks, after which they have the opportunity to stay on as mentors for future participants or express interest in participating in another local organization. The program is also in the process of forming a partnership with the Clemson University Youth Learning Institute to help with future expansion.

Using established programs such as Detroit Horse Power as models for building Brave Today, Janice says it’s been an all-out effort for the close-knit Aiken community to bring this program to life. “The town is great, and there are a lot of organizations doing a real push right now to help kids navigate mental health challenges,” Janice explains. “My big thing has always been that we all help as a community, together. We want to sponsor the kids after (Brave Today) to go into other programs in the community. We want them to have the opportunity to discover and develop their passions and see what’s out there.”

Brave Today continues to grow, having just added a second weekly session to accommodate more participants. Eventually, Janice hopes to grow the program so that it can offer riding opportunities. Down the road, transportation will become an increased necessity so that kids can have a way to get to the program if their families are working. Brave Today is always accepting donations and volunteers as it continues to grow. You can learn more about Brave Today and how you can be involved here.

“It’s all been word of mouth to this point,” Janice says. “And we’re just starting, so it’s really beginning to snowball. Hopefully, it just keeps developing and growing. We never overpromise, and we’re always open to change. We’re just letting the program lead us.”

Stable View Launches ‘Brave Today’ Community Equestrian Outreach Program
Stable View Farm: Brave Today

Enter EN’s AEC ‘Kentucky Performance of the Week’ Contest for a Bucket Full of KPP Goodies

By on Sep 1, 2021 11:00 am -

We’re celebrating American Eventing Championships all week long with a new contest from our friends at Kentucky Performance Products! As this this is the final year (for now, at least — we hope) for the AEC to live at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, we thought it appropriate to share our love of the horse and of the sport in the form of a nomination contest. Here’s the scoop:

The prize: A bucket full of Kentucky Performance Products goodies, including a soft-side cooler, KPP gear, a mobile power bank, a 5 lb. package of Summer Games Electrolye and a tube of Trouble Free paste to try.

The ask: We’re celebrating all of the hard work that YOU put in to make it to Kentucky. Nominations are now open for the Kentucky Performance Products “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest. Nominate the AEC competitor who has inspired you through their dedication, hard work, horsemanship, etc. by commenting on the post embedded in this article. Be sure to tag your nominee and tell us why they inspire you! Alternatively, you can email your entry and story to [email protected]. You must TAG @kentuckyperformanceproducts and @goeventing for visibility purposes on Instagram. Please use #KentuckyPerformance in your caption. Submissions are due by Sunday, September 5 and we’ll announce the winner next week — and the nominating individual will also win a prize pack!

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View or Download Your #AEC2021 Cross Country Course Map Here!

By on Sep 1, 2021 9:00 am -

Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.

It’s just Wednesday but cross country for some levels is already underway at the 2021 American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena. The Intermediate and Preliminary divisions, which kicked off this six-day event-of-epic-proportions with their dressage tests on Tuesday, will take on cross country today on the Kentucky Horse Park’s hallowed grounds. Advanced, Modified and Training go cross country on Thursday and Novice takes to the bluegrass on Friday, followed by a full day of Beginner Novice cross country on Saturday.

Prelim through Advanced divisions have their warmup and start box on the far left side of the course, if you’re looking out at it from stabling, with courses that run from there through the infield and across Mark’s Lane then loop back into the infield. Beginner Novice through Modified divisions begin to the right of the infield and head past the polo fields before making a pass through the Head of the Lake and finishing up Mark’s Lane from Rolex Stadium.

All courses are designed by Derek di Grazia and built by a team headed up by Mick Costello and Tobiah Bingham, including Dave Leonard, James Rauch, Tyson Rementer, Levi Ryckewaert and Graham Schick. Sheila Woerth and Rachel Henson are responsible for the beautiful course decor. It’s always a joy to tackle cross country on the Park’s flowing, gently rolling terrain and the ground should drain well from Tuesday’s rain. The forecast is only looking up from here, with a chance of showers today followed by sunny to partly cloudy forecasts for the remainder of the week — accompanied by highs in the upper 70s, a real treat considering the relentless heat we’ve been enduring this August!

A big thanks to Park Equine Kentucky Classique, Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Keeneland Pony Club and the Midsouth Pony Club Region and Hagyard Midsouth Team Challenge for allowing the AEC to use some of their jumps.

Optimum times:

  • 5 minutes 35 seconds for Beginner Novice
  • 5 minutes 8 seconds for Novice
  • 5 minutes 31 seconds for Training
  • 5 minutes 35 seconds Modified
  • 5 minutes 39 seconds Prelim
  • 6 min 27 second Intermediate
  • 6 minutes 24 seconds for Advanced

CrossCountry App has kindly consolidated all seven courses into a dedicated event page. If you’ve got the app you can download your course, or view it here!

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on Sep 1, 2021 12:01 am -

Photo by Kate Lokey.

Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE) is proud to partner with the USEA this week for the 2021 American Eventing Championships, presented by Nutrena Feed. Be on the lookout for SEE stickers and this awesome jump adorned with the SEE banner! To learn more about and donate to Strides for Equality Equestrians’ efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in equestrian sports, click here.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

#AEC2021 (Lexington, Ky.): [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores] [Live Stream] [Volunteer]

Bucks County Horse Park H.T. (Revere, Pa.): [Website]

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

Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, Wa.): [Website] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Silverwood Farm H.T. (Camp Lake, Wi.): [Website]

Major International Events:

Bicton Arena CCI5*: [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream]

Wednesday Reading List:

Who’s inspired you at AEC this week? We want to know! Entries are now open for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Nominate someone competing this week who’s inspired you on their journey, and we’ll select a winner to receive a big bucket full of KPP goodies! More info on how to enter here.

Want to take a look at what the AEC competitors will be tackling on cross country this week? Check out a preview of each level’s track here.

While you’re at it, check out some Fast Facts curated by the USEA for this week’s American Eventing Championships — and there are a lot of them!

“Listen to your horse. What is he telling you? How is he feeling today?” It’s how international show jumper Peter Lutz introduced himself in a recent clinic hosted for Detroit Horse Power students. Eight students had the opportunity to learn from Peter in this two-day clinic last month, and you can read about it in this article from The Chronicle of the Horse.

Haygain is wishing all AEC competitors good rides and great fun this week! And guess what! The Training Level Amateur Championship winner this week will get to take home a Haygain steamer of their own! Longtime Haygain user Allison Springer will present the award after show jumping. Good luck to all!

Are you an equestrian workaholic? It’s ok, we are too. It’s hard to define success as a rider, and often it can seem like all the hustle is in vain. NoelleFloyd.com writer Megan Roswech shares her thoughts as a lifelong equestrian workaholic in her latest essay.

Wednesday Video Break:

We’ve been loving the stories coming out of the Paralympics, so we dug up this video to learn a bit more about para dressage:

Tuesday #AEC2021 Instagram Roundup: A Soggy Start

By on Aug 31, 2021 9:00 pm -

Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.

When it rains it pours, but hurricane vibes couldn’t dampen your spirit on day one of the 2021 American Eventing Championships! Here are a few soggy yet cheerful Instagram snaps from today at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The Intermediate and Preliminary divisions kicked us off with their dressage tests today and will take on the cross country test tomorrow, while the Advanced, Modified and Training divisions will begin their competition tomorrow. The Novice and Beginner Novice championships will begin on Thursday. Best of luck to all!

#AEC2021: Website, Schedule, Stabling, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Program, EN’s Coverage

Day One at #AEC2021: Rain, Rain, Go Away

By on Aug 31, 2021 8:35 pm -

Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.

Well it certainly wouldn’t be a horse show in Kentucky without an appearance from Mother Nature — or, in this case, Hurricane Ida. Though the storm has been downgraded now to a tropical depression, Kentuckians got some residual downpours from Ida as she continued to make her way across the country. Hey, at least those cross country courses will be…well-watered?

In all seriousness, though, there are thousands of people (and animals) currently displaced or otherwise affected by Hurricane Ida, particularly in New Orleans. As of this report, over 1 million residents are left without power, potentially a longterm issue, throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. One resource to use to help those affected by the storm is this list curated by Time magazine.

As for the 1000+ horses and riders competing in Kentucky at the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds today was the start of a whole week full of highly anticipated eventing action. The Intermediate and Preliminary divisions kicked us off with their dressage tests today and will take on the cross country test tomorrow, while the Advanced, Modified and Training divisions will begin their competition tomorrow. The Novice and Beginner Novice championships will begin on Thursday.

We’re lucky to have a free live stream provided by the USEA and RNS Video Media this week and you can view the live stream and schedule here. The feed is accompanied by commentary from Dorothy Crowell and Frankie Thieriot-Stutes, and the team on site is doing all they can to show as many riders and as many divisions as possible.

Leslie Law and Lady Chatterley (photo not from this week). Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

The USEA Intermediate Championship was the first division to see this morning, and after the dust (mud?) settled it’s Leslie Law and the 2020 Mare of the Year Lady Chatterley leading the way on a dressage mark of 25.5. Lady Chatterley (Connor 48 – Jucy, by Mytens xx) is a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Jackie and Steve Brown who wrapped up her spring campaign this year with a win in the Ocala Festival of Eventing CCI3*-L, her third long-format at the level. British Olympic gold medalist Leslie Law is one who’s well-known and respected for his tact in producing his horses, and the time he’s spent with this mare is a testament to that methodology of patience. And at just 10, why rush? This one’s a sure talent to have on the string as she continues to progress — and one to watch as she tackles the jumping phases over the next two days!

Candace Bell winds up in second in the Intermediate Championship aboard her own 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood Fernhill Philm Star (Aragorn – KVC Yasmin), who was previously campaigned in Ireland through the now three-star level by Australian rider Ben Leahy. This is the first FEI horse Candace has picked up, and they’re coming off of a top-20 finish in their CCI3*-L debut at Jersey Fresh this spring. Candace and Fernhill Philm Star will head into cross country on a score of 25.9.

Hot on the top pairs’ heels in the Intermediate will be Elisa Wallace, who brings forward Steve and Vicki Sukup’s Riot Gear (Confetti – Lucy, by Fuerst Gotthard) as well as Rick Wallace’s Munson Slew in this division. Riot Gear will be the best-placed of the pair after the first day, sitting on a score of 26.0. This pair won the Area III Intermediate Championship at Stable View in June.

Leading the way in the Bates USEA Preliminary Amateur Championship are Madison Langerak and Kelly Langerak’s Normandy Kivalo (Kalaska de Semilley – Carina, by Coral), a 9-year-old Hungarian Sport Horse gelding, on a score of 22.5. Madison is a part of the West coast continent competing here in Kentucky this week, and so far the long trip has been well worthwhile as she’s just squeaked in a hair off of her personal best score with this horse — she earned a 22.4 at Training level at Twin Rivers earlier this year. After contending with colic surgery and other setbacks over the last few years, Madison is thrilled to be back at it with her heart horse, “Norman”, and we’re just as thrilled to see their weekend set off on a high note. Kick on, Madison!

Susan Moessner and her homebred Warmblood-Clydesdale cross stallion Satin Art (Indian Art – Epic Satin, by Epic Win) will be the first-phase leaders in the Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Championship, earning a mark of 26.7 from the judges today. This is a partnership that has stood the test of time: Susan competed Satin Art in Young Event Horse competitions in 2009 and has since amassed a pages-long USEA record competing up through the Intermediate level. Believe it not, this is this pair’s first trip bay k to AEC since 2010, so it’s a very warm welcome back and best wishes to Susan as she takes on the rest of the competition this week.

First placed after dressage in the Bates USEA Junior/Young Rider Preliminary Championship are Cassie Sanger and former Caroline Martin ride Danger Mouse, a 13-year-old KWN gelding by Kannan. Cassie took the ride over in February of this year and collected their first win together earlier this month in the Preliminary at Genesee Valley. They’ll take a score of 24.7 — the best score they’ve earned since beginning their partnership — into tomorrow’s cross country.

Last but most certainly not least of day one in the Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship, Liz Halliday-Sharp and Ocala Horse Properties’ Shanroe Cooley (Dallas VDL – Shanroe Sapphire), a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, will take the lead on a score of 28.5. In his 2021 Preliminary campaign, Shanroe Cooley has never finished outside of the top three, so it’s no surprise to see him top of the pack early on here in Kentucky. This is another one produced from early days by Liz, who always has a variety of young horses coming up the ranks in hopes they’ll one day turn into superstars.

We’ll continue to keep you up-to-date on the leaders from each division, and we’re pleased to partner with Shannon Brinkman Photography this week for photo galleries — stay tuned for more to come from the Bluegrass State! In the meantime, let’s take a look around social media as the eventers braved the rain today:

Tuesday Video: Shepherd Ranch BN & Novice Winners

By on Aug 31, 2021 5:00 pm -

Thank heart Ride On Video for bringing us all the West Coast eventing action! Today they began posting rider videos from Shepherd Ranch H.T., which took place over the weekend in Santa Ynez, California.

Here are three of winners from the Novice Rider, Open Novice and Open Beginner Novice divisions. You can view complete results here!

Julia Wood and Absolute CCSH won Novice Rider on a score of 36.6.

Madeline Sexton and Arya Stark won Open Novice on a score of (29.5).

Pam Fisher and Sea Lioness won Open Beginner Novice on a score of 26.5.

Congrats to all. Go Eventing!