Classic Eventing Nation

Dappir Ridge Road to the Makeover: Summer Update

By on Aug 28, 2021 9:30 am -

With The Makeover being just over a month away, we are all busy preparing our OTTBs for their final outings, and polishing up areas that need improvement. Kelly Giunta and Robbie Jones are headed to the AEC’s to contest the Novice- wish them luck! Kiki Osbourne and Shake and Spin have been attending some local schooling shows and clinics to prepare for their big debut as dressage queens at The Makeover. Adriana Nannini and Wicked Soprano plan to compete in both eventing and showjumping disciplines at The Makeover, and have competed in several schooling shows in preparation. 

Unfortunately, Alex Austin and Crafty Oak’s Run will not be accompanying us to The Makeover due to technical issues. While this is disappointing for all of us, she and her big boy “Ronin” will continue to forge ahead with their alternate fall plans.  

We have one additional member of the Dappir Ridge cohort that will be attending The Makeover with us. Our friend and teammate, Anna White, with her 4 year old Indiana-bred gelding, Black Spartacus (aka “Zeus”), will be contesting the eventing and show jumping disciplines. Anna is a longtime student of Kiki’s, and has brought along several OTTBs over the years. She purchased Black Spartacus sight-unseen last October through Amy Paulus. 

Anna has had an interesting summer season; she actually broke her arm in a freak accident at the May Daze Horse Trials, which derailed her summer competition plans. With Anna out of commission, Zeus headed to Brieanna Litten for some “cowboy camp”, followed by a stay at Adriana Nannini’s place. Adriana was lucky enough to get the ride on Zeus for a few weeks and take him to a jumper show. Once Anna’s arm healed, she was quickly back in business, and if you saw them now, you would think that they never missed a beat. Zeus is a fancy, sporty, brave little guy that is sure to shine at The Makeover.

Anna White with Black Spartacus at the May Daze Horse Trials. (Notice the vetrap around her broken right arm!) Photo courtesy of Kate Mumbauer.

Adriana Nannini 

Since our last blog post, Wicked Soprano (“Raven”)  has reached several milestones. She competed successfully in her first event at War Horse June at the Carolina Horse Park, followed by a move-up to Beginner Novice at their July event thereafter. In July and August, Raven attended several other shows and outings, including a couple of jumper shows at Plain Dealing Farm, and a Beginner Novice combined test at the Virginia Horse Center.

You may remember me mentioning Raven’s trailering problem in our last post. Well, her trailering woes got worse before they got better! At the end of June, she gouged her hind leg to the bone while banging around in the trailer. The laceration required stitches and multiple rounds of SMZs to heal. Luckily, there is no residual damage other than an unsightly cosmetic scar. 

One additional factor that occasionally throws a wrench in our plans is Raven’s affinity for ripping her shoes off. She only wears front shoes, but is constantly ripping the shoe off of her clubby right foot, which, as a result, has been reduced to a sad little nub. My wonderful, patient farrier, Chris, probably wants to kill me by this point after all the time he has put in patching and gluing her foot back together. 

I have been bringing Raven to schooling shows and lessons regularly; she typically travels somewhere in the trailer 1-2 times per week, and I’m pleased to say that she is becoming less and less claustrophobic in the trailer as time goes by. We also have been hacking a few times per week, and incorporating some gentle walking up and down hills into her routine. On the flat, Kiki helped me figure out the “magic button” to get Raven to track straight, and that has helped immensely with our flatwork. 

Raven’s spicy demeanor makes dressage our bogey phase; she tries very hard to hold it together in the dressage ring, but the tension usually gets the better of her. Because of that, I think it will be some time before we are able to be competitive in the dressage phase, but that’s ok. If she takes a little longer, that’s fine with me, because I think she’s worth the wait! 

Raven earns her oats in the jumping phases. She’s enthusiastic, honest and super careful. I’m having so much fun bringing her along- she’s my little fireball! She’s like riding a feather that’s propelled by rocket fuel! Riding her is an absolute blast. 

We plan to attend another schooling event or two between now and the Makeover, and also hope to school cross-country a couple of times to make sure that phase is solid. Now that The Makeover is a little more than a month away, it is becoming very real and very exciting for all of us! Cross your fingers for us that everything goes somewhat according to plan! 🙂

Wicked Soprano is such a pretty girl! Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Adriana Nannini with Wicked Soprano at the Virginia Horse Center. Photo courtesy of Ashley Balazs.

Adriana Nannini and Wicked Soprano schooling over fences. Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Wicked Soprano’s bone-deep laceration and her sad little glued-together club foot. Photos courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Dr. Kelly Giunta, VMD

Robbie Jones and I have had a busy summer! We started out at War Horse in June, followed by the Maryland Horse Trials in July, and a few local dressage and hunter/jumper shows in the months of July and August, where we took home some blue ribbons! We even went on a safari stuffed animal hunt!  

We have been taking a lot of lessons and have made big improvements in our dressage and jumping. We are qualified for the AECs and are heading to Kentucky next week!  

Robbie has been in bar shoes all summer and his feet have been really good- except for a new problem that arose a few weeks ago. How many of you are familiar with a shoe boil? Or the fashionable boot that helps prevent it?  The boot looks like a donut- and it must taste like one also because Robbie ate his ☹!

Kelly Giunta with Robbie Jones practicing their jumper skills. Photo courtesy of Kelly Giunta.

Kelly Giunta and Robbie Jones are dressage queens! Photo courtesy of Kelly Giunta.

Kelly Giunta and Robbie Jones are ready to contest the AEC’s! Photo courtesy of Kelly Giunta.

Robbie ate his boil boot! Photo courtesy of Kelly Giunta.

Alex Austin 

Crafty Oak’s Run (“Rōnin”) has been getting out a bit more and participating in between random bumps and minor setbacks. He still has limited awareness of his very large size, and likes to pester his pasture mates into playing with him, which has resulted in a few more weeks off than expected. But thankfully, there’s been nothing major! 

We were entered in the War Horse June event at the Carolina Horse Park, but had to scratch due to a bump from playing in turnout that turned into a big leg. He did make it to War Horse in July, and really grew up a lot from that experience. It was a lot of atmosphere, which at times Rōnin handled very well, although he was overwhelmed by the busy show jump warmup and the sound of people dumping ice in coolers. He decided bolting sideways was a good plan of escape from that situation! However, despite those reactions to the atmosphere, Rōnin managed to jump around clear and stay in the dressage ring, which landed us in an unexpected 5th place. 

In August, we went to Loch Moy’s Twilight Eventing where he put in a dressage test that showed a lot of growth and balance! Also in August, we went to the Thoroughbred Heritage Show at the Virginia Horse Center, where we contested the Beginner Novice Combined Test. Rōnin jumped clear, and had his lowest dressage score yet, earning himself a 2nd place finish!

Sadly, due to a technical error, Rōnin will not be attending the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover, but we’re trying to put lots on the schedule for him to get out and have more experiences, and we will be cheering everyone on from the home front!

Alex Austin with Crafty Oak’s Run at the Carolina Horse Park. Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Alex Austin and Crafty Oak’s Run practicing jumping through a grid! Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Alex Austin with Crafty Oak’s Run doing their dressage test at the Virginia Horse Center. Photo courtesy of Ashley Balazs.

Alex Austin and “Ronin” are ready for cross-country! Photo courtesy of Adriana Nannini.

Kiki Osbourne, Our Fearless Leader

Shake and Spin (aka, “Frijole”, or “Ole”) has been a busy young horse the past few months. I one hundred percent believe that three year olds need to be three year olds and not be overtrained, overworked or overstressed. However, I do think they can go and experience lots of new and different things while not having too much pressure put on them. 

So, first on my agenda was to take Ole to some local farms, and just do a light dressage lesson with some clinicians that came to our area. Ole was in for the whole experience, from loading by himself in the 2-horse trailer, and traveling there solo. Other than a few goodbye whinnies to his barn buddies, he had no issues whatsoever and everyone there loved him!  

We did the same thing a few days later, but at our other farm, Chapel Springs, for another dressage day. Again, successful. Now, when I talk about being successful in the ring, I mean we mostly went where we planned to go at mostly the correct gaits. 

After “dressage week”, Ole had about 3 weeks of just hacking. We went out solo, with others, crossed rivers (he thought that was fun), climbed hills, and experienced all the new sights that we could.

I then decided, since Ole’s primary discipline at the RRP is dressage, I should take him to see a real dressage ring! Off to the CDCTA twilight dressage show at Great Meadow. It was super hot, so Ole may have just decided it would be best to go with the flow. But, he was amazing. He didn’t spook inside or outside the arena.

Fast forward to a week later. I took Ole to a clinic with Tik Maynard and Andrea Waldo. Tik specializes in breaking and training young horses as well as competing in Eventing, so I figured, of all the things that were appropriate for a 3 year old, this was it.  Day One we spent on ground work in the arena, which is hugely beneficial for any horse. I know I’m a bit biased, but Ole was pretty smart and caught on easily to what we were asking of him. Tik took over the halter once or twice, which was nice to watch. 

Day Two of the clinic,  we went to a cross-country course and I taught Ole about the finer art of cross-country schooling…mostly walking things like the ditch, water and banks. We did trot a few very small logs, and he was pretty proud of himself!

Lastly, Ole made his debut appearance at Virginia Horse Center for the Thoroughbred Heritage show. Unfortunately, his rider (me!) ran out of time to get him to the pleasure division as planned. But, honestly, just to be there in the stall for a night and be around the hustle of a show was a good learning experience for him.  I was able to ride him all around the facility, and of course, he was lovely. He took it all in and seemed to really enjoy it. 

Ole is such a pleasure to be around and take places. I consider myself super lucky to have him.  I’m really looking forward to showing him off at The Makeover this fall.

Shake and Spin. Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Kiki Osbourne with Shake and Spin strutting their stuff at their first show together. Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Shake and Spin. Photo courtesy of Kiki Osbourne.

Go Thoroughbreds and Go Eventing!

Saturday Links from Trefonas Law

By on Aug 28, 2021 12:01 am -

Tamie Smith and En Vogue, winners of the 2019 AEC Intermediate division. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Sponsors play such a big role in our sport and today we’d like to take a moment to shoutout an AEC sponsor who is additionally doing something really fun that we can all participate in. Not only is Parks Tax & Consulting PLLC a Bronze Level sponsor if the AEC, donating $5,000 in services as awards for the Intermediate division, but owner and eventer Holly Parks is running an extra contest open to all: guess the top 3 finishers in the Intermediate division for a chance at a $100 SmartPak gift card. Watch this video for more information and enter here. Entries close at the end of the day Monday, August 30th so start studying those records!

U.S. Weekend Action:

Five Points H.T. (Raeford, Nc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T. (Poolesville, Md.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Shepherd Ranch H.T. (Santa Ynez, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Town Hill Farm H.T. (Lakeville, Ct.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]s

Major International Events:

Land Rover Blair Castle International H.T. (Atholl, Scotland): [Website] [Schedule] [EN’s Coverage] [Entries/Times/Scores]

Millstreet International H.T. (Millstreet, Ireland) : [Website] [Scores]

Wooroloo Bates Saddles International H.T. (Perth, Australia): [Website]

Saturday Links:

U.S. Team Announced For Paralympic Team Competition

Ride in a Clinic at Equitana USA

Quiz: What Kind of Rider Does Your Horse Think You Are?

Attend the 2021 USEA AEC Eventing College Presented by LandSafe

The Top 5 Signs and Factors Flagging an Ulcery Horse

Just in on Jumper Nation: Create Your Own Adventure: Freedom and Spirit in Horse Training

Saturday Social Media: 

Trefonas Law is an immigration law firm located in Jackson, WY. We are able to provide advice and assistance on a variety of immigration issues including employment based visa services, athlete visas, family based immigration, among others.

Friday Video from SmartPak: Hitch a Ride Round Hambach 3* with JulisEventer

By on Aug 27, 2021 6:47 pm -

Grab your passports, folks, because it’s time to head to Germany: today, we’re saddling up with Juliane Barth, friend of EN and German eventing vlogger extraordinaire, as she tackles her three-star debut around the glorious Hambach course. Fortunately for all of us, she made sure her trusty helmet cam (or Helmkamera) was locked and loaded before she left the start box, which gives us the chance to tag along as she tackles the tricky track. If you’ve ever wondered what a day out eventing looks like over the courses that help create the eventing world’s biggest superstars, this is a super opportunity to see it for yourself, with the insightful addition of speed and performance metrics. Juliane finished 14th over the tough track, which yielded 13 non-completions, and we reckon it’s not too long before we see her at the top levels giving some of her regular interviewees a serious run for their money.

Drei, zwei, eins: Gute Fahrt! (Yes, really. German is a poetic language.)

Ros Canter Heads CCI4*-S on “Weird” But Talented Potential Paris Mount

By on Aug 27, 2021 4:26 pm -

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo maintain an early lead to sit in top spot as the jumping phases dawn. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

There’s been a distinctive buzz of excitement rippling through the grounds of Blair Castle today as the hotly anticipated British team was announced for next month’s European Championships — and rather fittingly, the top spot in the first phase of the CCI4*-S has been snatched up by one of the exciting young horses who features on the list.

Nine-year-old Lordships Graffalo is listed as Ros Canter‘s direct reserve for Avenches, but although he’s second in command to World Champion Allstar B in that respect, he’s certainly not been languishing in his stablemate’s shadow over the last year: he finished second in the eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S temporarily hosted by Burnham Market last autumn, and won the inaugural CCI4*-S at Aston-le-Walls on his dressage score. Even more excitingly? Ros reckons he’s still on the up and up.

“He always gets marked very well, but I was in the lorry watching my test back from Aston, where he was joint first on a 21.8. The strength over the last few months has got better again ,” says Ros, who posted a 25.2 with the gelding today. “It’s exciting, because he enjoys the job and doesn’t need drilling beforehand. He’s got a good temperament for it and hopefully, I think there’s a lot more to come. It’s all going in the right direction.”

Though ‘Walter’, who’s owned by Michele Saul and was briefly campaigned by Tom McEwen during Ros’s pregnancy, is a consummate professional under saddle, he’s not quite as straightforward of a character on the ground.

“He has a very weird personality,” laughs Ros. “He’s a funny character; his tolerance of things sometimes isn’t great. Earlier in the year at Burnham Market, he decided he didn’t like a stable he couldn’t see out of, and he was a nightmare. He threw his toys out of the pram completely: he tried to dig out, he tried to rear out, and he tried to run out — pretty successfully! — the whole week. But what’s amazing about him is that he can be horrific in the stable, but the second you get on him he performs like he hasn’t been upset. He’s quite high-maintenance on the ground and has been known to gallop off around the lorry park because he buggers off with his grooms fairly regularly; he’s a character, but to work with, he thrives. I think it’s his brain — it’s a little busy, so he needs to be given something to work with.”

Yasmin Ingham and her 2020 eight- and nine-year-old champion Banzai du Loir move into second going into tomorrow’s jumping phases. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Another hot favourite for the Paris Olympics is Yasmin Ingham‘s Banzai du Loir, who won last year’s eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S ahead of Lordships Graffalo, but finds himself just behind on a 27.6 today.

“Banzai was very, very good — I actually thought it was his best test he’s done to date,” says Yasmin, who has made her name in the sport by winning each of Britain’s national age titles from under-16 through under-25 and taking double European gold at the Pony level. Now 24, she’s making a serious mark on the Senior rankings with her string of horses, including the flashy French Banzai. He’s logged some exceptional results since joining Yas’s string in late 2019, including a win in Aston’s under-25 Advanced, third place in his CCI4*-L debut in the under-25 class at Bicton, and fifth at Burgham last month. But today was the first time that the pair have faced an arena with this much action: much of their partnership has unfolded during the pandemic, and so the sensitive, clever Selle Français had plenty to try to cope with when faced with the multiple rings, vibrant crowds and numerous marquees of Scotland’s premier event.

“This is probably the most atmospheric arena that he’s ever been in; I completely underestimated how big this event was. and when I saw the main arena I thought, ‘oh my god, he’s going to go in there and prance about with his tail in the air like an idiot!’,” says Yas. “But he had plenty of work earlier, and then he went in and did his best test he’s done — both the changes were clean and his shoulder-ins and half-passes were lovely. Something we’ve been working really hard on is just getting both the changes in the right place at the right time, because sometimes he does them a little bit involuntary or he does them in the wrong place — like up the centre line, where we’re not supposed to be doing changes! He’s just very keen and eager to please. I really like that about him — his attitude is amazing — but sometimes his brain just works a bit too quickly for whatever’s going on!”

Hyper-focused Yas is quick to celebrate her young horse’s wins in the ring, but just as diligent about spotting the areas she wants to work on for the future, which include the walk work and the subsequent transition to canter — a segment of the test that has been the undoing of many horses’ marks.

“He just gets a bit bored in the walk; he’s a bit of a busybody and I think he’s almost just waiting for that canter transition, so he just gets a bit fidgety. I just need to work on relaxing him a bit more in the walk,” she explains. Now, with a super mark on the board and in an enviable position on the leaderboard, she’s looking forward to making the most of Blair’s spoils.

“It’s our first trip up here, and the sun is shining, which makes such a difference. I don’t think there’s anything more stunning than the castle and the grounds. The ground feels great underfoot and the course looks good — it’s big and bold, so it’ll take some forward riding. Hopefully I’m not going to get carted off with down a hill, but we’ll think about that tomorrow!”

Selina Milnes and Iron IV. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Though much of the upper echelons of this leaderboard showcases up-and-coming young horses, third place is held overnight by the established partnership of Selina Milnes and Iron IV, who produced a 28.2 to slot into the tightly packed top-five. William Rucker’s Belgian-bred gelding first stepped into the spotlight back in 2018, when he finished fourth in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim, and since then, he’s been on the fringes of a major result: he’s finished tenth at Barbury, fourth at Burgham, and an achingly close second at Houghton this season. He’s easily the most experienced horse in the top five of this section, and will be perfectly primed to put the pressure on the young guns tomorrow.

Nicola Wilson and Coolparks Sarco. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

CCI4*-L leader Nicola Wilson strutted her way straight into another leaderboard, this time with the former Andrew Nicholson ride Coolparks Sarco. Owned by James and Jo Lambert, the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse joined Nicola’s string just this year, but the partnership is already looking impressively well-established; they finished eleventh in the horse’s first four-star at Burgham last month, and though they couldn’t match the 24.8 they scored there today, their 28.3 puts them well in the hunt in what is shaping up to be a serious battleground for the country’s young up-and-comers.

Izzy Taylor and Monkeying Around move into the top five despite some unplanned extra moves. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s a testament to the quality of 10-year-old Monkeying Around‘s flatwork that despite a choice bit of lunacy in the first flying change, which earned him a 1 from the judge at C and gave us all an up-close-and-personal look at the soles of his feet, he and Izzy Taylor still finish the day in fifth place out of 42 competitors. Their 28.9 is something of a departure from the low-20s scores we’ve seen the dressage-bred Hanoverian produce (in fact, the last time he scored above a 26 was two years ago), but still keeps them within a rail of the lead — and Monkeying Around has only had one pole down in an international over the last two years. Could this be another podium finish for the gelding, who hasn’t finished lower than third in any international in 2020 or 2021? It’s not unlikely — but with today’s announcement that he’ll be heading to Avenches for his British team debut next month, it must all feel little more than a formality at this point.

2019 winners Astier Nicolas and Babylon de Gamma return to defend their title. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The pandemic has put paid to international competitors crossing the Channel for a long time, and so it feels doubly special to welcome the reigning champion of this class back. French Olympian Astier Nicolas rode the extravagant Babylon de Gamma, who won the CCI4*-S here in 2019 as just an eight-year-old debutant, to a 30.9 and overnight 11th — “I was pleased with my horse, but not so much so with the mark,” he says with a particularly Gallic shrug — and also makes an appearance in the top ten, sitting eighth overnight with the former Seven-Year-Old World Champion Alertamalib’Or on a 29.6. Now eleven, the gelding is actually lower in mileage than his younger stablemate; after winning Le Lion d’Angers in 2017, he made his four-star debut in 2018 with great success and plenty of promise for the future, but was then sidelined until the end of last year with a tendon injury. Time is a great healer, and Astier gave him plenty of that — and now, after two successful three-star runs, including a win at Avenches CCI3*-L back in June, he makes his long-awaited four-star debut this week. Astier’s goals for the horses are different: “I’m not going to run [Alertamalib’Or] fast,” he says, explaining that this is just a milestone in the horse’s education, while Babylon de Gamma is using the run as preparation for something even bigger.

“I won’t be on the team [at the European Championships] for personal reasons, and so I plan to take him to his first five-star,” he says. “We will go to Maryland or to Pau — but really, my first choice is Maryland. I don’t know how hard it will be to get there, because I’ve never ridden over there at Kentucky or anything, but that’s our hope for him.”

The CCI4*-S competitors will have a busy day on their hands tomorrow: they head into showjumping from 8:30 a.m., and then on to cross-country from 4:50 p.m. (and, presumably, straight into the bar after that). The CCI4*-L entrants, for their part, will focus their attentions on Blair’s mountainous cross-country course from 12:30 p.m. We’ll be bringing you a closer look at all the questions ahead of them soon — but for now, you can preview both tracks (plus all the other national and international ones!) via the CrossCountry App.

The top ten in the CCI4*-S at the conclusion of dressage.

Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials: Website, Entries, Times and Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram 

Great Britain Names Six-Strong Squad for European Championships

By on Aug 27, 2021 3:14 pm -

Sarah Bullimore and Corouet get the Euros call-up, six years after the gelding’s dam, Lilly Corinne, contested the 2015 European Championships. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Following their runaway victory at Tokyo, British Equestrian has named the six horses and riders who will fly the Union Jack at the forthcoming European Eventing Championships, set to take place in Avenches, Switzerland, from September 22-26.

The squad of six has been named in alphabetical order, with a further announcement expected in due course to specify which four combinations will be part of the team and which two will represent Great Britain as individuals.

  • Sarah Bullimore (48) based in Keysoe, Bedfordshire, with the Kew Jumping Syndicate, Brett Bullimore and her own Corouet (chestnut, gelding, 10yrs, 15.2hh, Balou du Rouet x Lovis Corinth, Breeder: Sarah Bullimore GBR, Groom: to be confirmed)
  • Rosalind Canter (35) based in Hallington, Lincolnshire, with Caroline Moore and her own Allstar B (bay, gelding, 16yrs, 17hh, Ephebe For Ever x Erkstein, Breeder: FAJ Van der Burg NED) and as a direct reserve, Michele Saul’s Lordships Graffalo (bay, gelding, 9yrs, 17hh, Grafenstolz x Rock King, Breeder: Lordships Stud Writtle College GBR, Groom: Sarah Charnley)
  • Kitty King (39) based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, with Diana Bown, Sally Eyre, Samantha Wilson and Sally Lloyd-Baker’s Vendredi Biats (grey, gelding, 12yrs, 16.2hh, Winningmood x Camelia de Ruelles, Breeder: Phillipe Brivois FRA, Groom: Chloe Fry)
  • Piggy March (40) based in Maidwell, Northamptonshire, with John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Inocent (bay, gelding, 12yrs, 16.3hh, Inocent x Kings Servant, Breeder: John Mulvey IRL, Groom: Amy Phillips)
  • Izzy Taylor (38) based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, with Mark Sartori and her own Monkeying Around (bay, gelding, 10yrs, 16.2hh, Bertoli W x Donnerhall II, Breeder: Christian Heinrich GER. Groom: Rebecca Ross)
  • Nicola Wilson (44) based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, with Deirdre Johnston and James and Jo Lambert’s JL Dublin (dark brown, gelding, 10yo, 16.2hh, Diarados Cheeky Boy x Cantano, Breeder: Volker Coettsche-Goetze GER, Groom: Ruth Asquith)

Performance Manager Richard Waygood says, “I’m very excited about this selection for the Europeans. It invests in the here and now and in the future by providing development opportunities for potential combinations for Paris and beyond.”

Helmed by reigning World Champions Ros Canter and Allstar B, the squad features some of the country’s best horses and a selection of young up-and-comers being produced for the next Olympic cycle. They’ll head to Avenches with the aim of repeating this summer’s gold medal success and bettering the silver medal won by the British squad at the 2019 European Eventing Championships, held in Luhmühlen, Germany.

Two New Paralympic Equestrian Champions Crowned in Tokyo

By on Aug 27, 2021 1:00 pm -

Individual Grade I medal ceremony at Equestrian Park, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. L to R: Rihards Snikus – King of the Dance (LAT) silver, Roxanne Trunnel – Dolton (USA) gold, and Sara Morganti – Royal Delight (ITA) bronze. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

The second day of Para Dressage competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games saw the remaining two Grades, I and III, battle for the Individual Test titles and the important qualification slots for the upcoming Freestyle To Music test.

A twist of fate would have it that both victors were new to the top spot of the Paralympic podium, a feat which is easier said than done, given the longevity of some Para Equestrian careers and the experienced athletes they faced in the impressive Baji Koen arena today.

Roxanne rocks in Tokyo classic

An imperious performance from Roxanne Trunnell (USA) secured her first ever Para Dressage global title at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games today. Currently World No.1 across all five Grades, Roxanne won the Grade I Individual Test with a massive score of 81.464% with her mount, Dolton.

The silver medal went to Rihards Snikus (LAT), a keen DJ known as DJ Richy Rich to his friends, who was first into the arena and laid down a challenging score of 80.179% on King of the Dance. Reigning FEI World Equestrian GamesTM champion Sara Morganti (ITA), took bronze on Royal Delight with 76.964%. It is a medal that is especially sweet for her, as her horse failed the vet inspection at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Speaking after her Test and medal ceremony, Roxanne said, “Dolton felt like he was really with me and was really a good boy. He surprised me with how calm he has been. It’s been wonderful at the Games. Everyone is so nice and helpful.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg for Dolton. He’s so young and he’ll be able to do so much more. It means a lot to me as well. It was very nice up there. We had our own little group of people that looked happy.”

As the World No. 1, Roxanne holds two World Records for the highest scores in a Freestyle Test (89.522%) and in Grade I Team Test (84.702%). Roxanne came to these Games with huge expectations placed on her shoulders. She remained, however, unfazed. “I don’t think about pressure – that’s all just noise to me,” she added. “It’s just me and Dolton doing our own thing. He is loving all the attention, it’s fun. He’s a goofy young horse, he’s temperamental but also easy to get along with.”

Tobias has golden debut

As debut Games go, it’s fair to say that Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN) is having a good one. In his first ever ride in a Paralympic Games arena, he won the Grade III Individual Test with a score of 78.971%, on Jolene Hill.

In doing so, he dethroned two-time Grade III Paralympic Champion, Natasha Baker (GBR), who came second on Keystone Dawn Chorus, with 76.265%. Bronze went to current World Champion Rixt van der Horst (NED) on Findsley N.O.P. with 75.765%.

“It was amazing, it really was,” Tobias said, beaming after his test.

“I was so focussed all the ride but on the last turn I just had this feeling it was great. I was so happy I just smiled.

“I knew that Rixt and Natasha would be my biggest opponents and are always coming to take the medals but I also knew that, if I find my best, I could take the medal. I knew I had to do that.

“Jolene is a mare. If I don’t ask her first she just gives me the finger and says ‘You can do something else’. In my warm-up I ask her ‘Is this OK?’ and then in the arena she is there for me. If I ask her correctly, she will go through fire for me.”

Dream teams and teams of dreams up next

Tomorrow sees the start of the Team competition – run over two days – and is likely to be one of the closest in the history of Para Dressage at the Paralympic Games. USA as World No. 1 will want the gold to seal their meteoric rise, while Great Britain and The Netherlands will be working hard to deny them that.

Following the second day of competition and the completion of the Individual Test, Great Britain still tops the leaderboard, adding a silver to their tally today with one gold, two silver, and a bronze, followed by the Netherlands, Belgium, USA and Denmark, who have picked up a gold medal over the past two days.

All results here

New Saulieu International in France Sets Example of Community Involvement

By on Aug 27, 2021 11:00 am -

Many stateside horse trials have recognized the value of involving the whole community. After all, having horses in our life is a gift, and it’s beneficial to everyone when we are able to share that gift. The Event at Rebecca Farm in Montana and Red Hills Horse Trials in Florida are two shining examples of events that are getting community involvement right.

It’s worthwhile to look around the globe for examples of events that are committing not just to serving the equestrian community, but to involving the community at large. A new event taking place this week in France, Saulieu International Horse Trials, is doing just that, offering the general public the opportunity to be involved in a high-level and friendly sporting competition.

The Société de Concours Hippique de Saulieu, chaired by Didier Loison, a sheep breeder, went on to organize the event after France Complet certified the site as a “Best Regional Hope” in 2018. Located on 30-hectares in the heart of Burgundy and the Morvan Regional
Natural Park, it is this week hosting its first international one- and two-star competition.

Many activities parallel to the event are planned: an exhibitors’ village, catering by local producers (and — just to reiterate — this is in Burgundy!), a pop rock concert, herding dog demonstrations, handling maneuverability exhibitions, etc. And admission is free.

Eighty competitors will represent six nations: France, Tunisia, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Italy. A few big French names suit are making the trip to Saulieu, including Maxime Livio, ambassador of the competition and Team Bronze Medalist at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in 2018, as well as Thibaut Fournier, winner of the CCI5 * in Pau in 2018. Maxime is currently first and second after Friday dressage in the two-star with his horses Waitangi Amazon and Enjoy de Keroue.

Two Swiss riders are fresh back from the Tokyo Olympics, Eveline Bodenmüller and Mélodye Johner, who finished 17th individually. Mélodye leads the one-star dressage with Qador d’Aubrie Z.

The owner of the winning horse in each class will be rewarded by one of the partners of the event, very emblematic of the region and Saulieu, with a meal for two at the high gastronomic French restaurant Relais Bernard Loiseau. The best three French amateur riders in each class will be given a prize by the saddler Devoucoux.

We wish this event the best of luck in its inaugural running. Live results will be available here. View more information at the website here.

First Individual Medals Awarded at Tokyo Paralympic Games

By on Aug 27, 2021 7:00 am -

This report was compiled from USEF and FEI press releases.

Pepo Puch (AUT) silver, Lee Pearson (GBR) gold, and Georgia Wilson (GBR) bronze on the podium at the grade 2 individual medal ceremony. Photo Copyright © FEI/Liz Greg

TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES – PARA DRESSAGE INDIVIDUAL TEST GRADE II, IV, V

They came, they saw, they conquered. Some of the world’s most experienced and decorated Para Dressage athletes took to the stunning Baji Koen arena today for the first competitions and medals of the Equestrian Events at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Emotions were running high, as were temperatures, but everyone kept their cool for the first individual medals up for grabs in Grades II, IV and V – and the all-important qualification for the top eight ranked athletes in each Grade earning their spot in the Individual Freestyle to Music test which takes place on Monday 30 August.

Lee Pearson riding Breezer (GBR). Gold medal position. Photo by FEI/Liz Gregg.

Sir Lee Pearson, the world’s most decorated equestrian Paralympian, does it again… 

In an emotion packed first day of competition, Sir Lee Pearson (GBR) collected his 12th Paralympic gold medal at his sixth Paralympic appearance since 2000 at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park, winning the Grade II Individual Test.

Lee rode his home-reared Breezer to the title with a score of 76.265% to finish ahead of Pepo Puch (AUT), who rode Sailor’s Blue to score 73.441%. These two highly experienced athletes are used to tussling for the top spot, with Pepo claiming Individual gold in Rio ahead of Pearson and vice versa for the Freestyle medals.

Georgia Wilson (GBR) picked up a fairy tale of a bronze medal on Sakura, with 72.765%. She was the team’s reserve rider and was called to the Paralympic Games just two weeks ago, when her teammate Sophie Christiansen was forced to withdraw due to a veterinary issue with her horse.

Speaking after his ride, Lee said “I am very, very emotional. I cried on the second X on hold in the arena. It’s been such a long journey. Breezer is a horse who I’ve had since he was born. I am also a Dad myself now, and that has also made me more emotional.

“I didn’t think having a home-bred horse would give this a little extra meaning but it has. I saw him at hours old in a field and to complete that test, which at my last test event I did not complete, that added to the emotion.”

Sanne Voets riding Demantur (NED). Gold medal position. Photo Copyright © FEI/Liz Gregg.

Sanne gets the missing gold

There was more emotion on display when Sanne Voets (NED) won the Grade IV Individual Test, the one gold medal missing from her collection of European, World and Paralympic titles.

Sanne scored 76.585% on Demantur N.O.P, which was the highest score of the day, while Rodolpho Riskalla (BRA) took the silver medal on Don Henrico with 74.659%. Belgium’s Manon Claeys marked her Paralympic debut with a bronze medal, scoring 72.853% on San Dior 2.

“I think my face pretty much told it,” said Sanne. “I’m just over the moon with him. He still amazes me every day and he travelled here well. When you enter the stable and you see he’s happy, relaxed and at ease, you realise again that’s what is most important.

“Of course you’re here to perform at your very best and you want to win medals, but there’s always one thing more important than the result, and that’s just your horse being happy.

“But when you are sitting on a horse like that, there’s no way you cannot smile and not enjoy your test.”

Michele George riding Best of 8 (BEL). Gold medal position. Photo Copyright © FEI/Liz Gregg.

Seventh heaven for Michele George

The last medal of the night went to Michele George, in just her seventh competition with Best of 8. She scored 76.524% to finish ahead of Sophie Wells (GBR) who rode her reserve horse, Don Cara .M to an impressive 74.405% in his first ever overseas competition. Frank Hosmar (NED) took the bronze on Alphaville N.O.P., with 73.405%.

Michele wore the gloves and boots she wore at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at which she won the Grade V Freestyle, with a silver in the Individual Test, on the late FBW Rainman.

“I’m really proud of my mare and I enjoyed the ride,” she said. “And this is for me the most important thing, that I could come home and say I’ve done everything I could. She had a beautiful performance and she gave her best. Best of 8 gave her best!

“She did great half passes and I think she had a very nice extended canter as well. So it’s amazing. I can’t find the right words to express how impressive it was for me. It is a once in a lifetime experience.”

Photo courtesy of US Equestrian.

Team USA 

The U.S. Para Dressage Team saw its first two combinations head down the center line at Equestrian Park in Tokyo, Japan, opening the first day of equestrian competition at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Beatrice de Lavalette and Clarc were the first combination to contest the Grade II Individual Test in the main stadium, earning a 70.265 percent, while Kate Shoemaker and Solitaer 40 closed out the evening of competition with a 70.854 percent as the last combination in the Grade IV Individual Test. Both combinations qualified for their Grade’s FEI Individual Freestyle to Music on Monday, August 31.

De Lavalette and Clarc, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Elizabeth & Nicholas de Lavalette, made their first Paralympic debut, complete a solid test to open Grade II competition. The pair earned a 70.265 percent from the ground jury to put them into fifth place in Grade II competition. They are also the first U.S. combination to break the 70 percent mark in a Paralympic Games, setting an early tone for the team rides ahead.

“It was a very enjoyable ride,” said de Lavalette of her ride with Clarc. “I went through my test about a thousand times. I wasn’t really nervous, but just excited. The excitement took over and I knew my test, I knew my horse was right, and we were together and in sync, so I couldn’t be happier with the ride.”

De Lavalette (Lake Worth Beach, Fla.) has said that competing at the Paralympic Games and representing her country is one of the main motivating factors in her incredible recovery and return to sport following the 2016 Brussels Airport bombings. Riding her recently acquired mount, Clarc, de Lavalette commented on the meaningfulness of the Paralympic journey and what it felt like to make her international championship debut.

“It is such a great honor to be here representing the U.S. at this competition and being able to have fun with my horse out there after five years of fighting for my life. It was really very emotional for me at the end,” she explained. “Setting the goal of being here five years ago when I was in the ICU was a dream and being here today is a dream realized and I couldn’t be happier. I’m very proud of myself and my team because without them I wouldn’t be here.”

Kate Shoemaker and Solitaer 40, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Deena, Craig, & Kate Shoemaker are also making their Paralympic debut after contesting their first major international championship with the U.S. Para Dressage Team at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. The pair earned a 70.854 percent from the judging panel in an extremely competitive first day of Grade IV competition, placing them seventh out of 15 competitors.

“I’m really pleased with my horse, though a little bit disappointed with the score of course since we had hoped to be in the medals and I felt our ride today was quite good, but all I can do is be happy with my performance in the ring and I absolutely love my horse to pieces,” said Shoemaker after her test. “The energy in there was phenomenal. It just gives you a sense of power and the horses can feel it and it’s just so much fun.”

Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) and Solitaer 40 have been partnered together for the entirety of both of their international careers and achieving this selection to the U.S. Para Dressage Team for the Paralympic Games is the highlight for Shoemaker and her team. Working through the 2020 and 2021 seasons to continually improve their marks in both the Individual and Team tests, the pair have become a consistent combination for the team.

“We’ve been showing together for a while now and this is the end of our seventh year together. It’s a partnership that’s been a long time coming,” added Shoemaker. “He loves championships and when you add that little bit of energy, he really turns into something special and it’s a feeling like none other.”

More medals up for grabs

At the end of day one of the competition, Great Britain top the Para Dressage medal table with one gold, one silver, and a bronze, with The Netherlands and Belgium close behind on one gold and a bronze each.

There are a total of 11 sets of medals being contested at the Para Equestrian Events of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games across the five Grades – five Individual, five Freestyle to Music and one overall team medal.

Tomorrow will see the Grades I and III Individual Test medals decided. Roxanne Trunnell, the world Number One in Grade I and across all five Grades will be aiming for her first Paralympic title, while in Grade III look out for a real tussle for the medals between the likes of Natasha Baker (GBR), Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN), Rixt van der Horst (NED) and Rebecca Hart (USA).

Results here.

Friday News & Notes Presented by Horse First

By on Aug 27, 2021 12:03 am -

Winner of the Groom’s Award at Great Meadow, Sydnee Ledyard posing with Emma Ford. Photo courtesy of World Class Grooming.

As we roll in to September, I can honestly say that I’m well and fully ready for fall and quite possibly even winter. Since I don’t go south for the winter, it represents a little lull in my busy schedule, and I definitely won’t miss the Virginia summer weather, I can tell you that much. Basically, I can’t wait to stop complaining about hot weather, so soon I can complain about freezing my butt off. Isn’t that what it really means to be a horse person?

U.S. Weekend Preview

Five Points H.T. (Raeford, Nc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T. (Poolesville, Md.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

Shepherd Ranch H.T. (Santa Ynez, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Town Hill Farm H.T. (Lakeville, Ct.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Major International Events:

Land Rover Blair Castle International H.T. (Atholl, Scotland): [Website] [Schedule] [Entries/Times/Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Millstreet International H.T. (Millstreet, Ireland) : [Website] [Scores]

Wooroloo Bates Saddles International H.T. (Perth, Australia): [Website]

News From Around the Globe:

USEA is proud to announce the partnership with Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE) for the 2021 USEA AEC to help promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sport of eventing. SEE is an allyship program for the eventing and wider equestrian communities and represents a first step towards growing racial and ethnic diversity in our discipline. The goals of SEE align closely to those of the USEA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and include promoting a more inclusive culture within the equestrian community that values the participation, voices, and contributions of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), while educating others on how to be effective allies. This includes not just riders, but also volunteers, officials, grooms, and everyone who loves horses and horse sports. [USEA AEC Partners with SEE]

Want to have your show jumping round critiqued by a pro? Submit a video for Jumper Nation’s ‘Go Jumping With’ series and you could be featured in a future column! Visit this edition for more info. [Go Jumping With Doug Payne]

Over £1,100 has been raised for eventers Nick Gauntlett and Sophie Hulme after the death of four horses in a lorry crash this week — but Nick said they would like the money to go to charity. Nick’s friend Sarah Ettridge set up a GoFundMe page after the accident on Tuesday in which Nick’s top stallion Party Trick and Sophie’s Charisma TH, Fairytale Cooley and Ice Cool Cooley died. However, after learning of the page, Nick says he would like the money to be split between the British Horse Society’s road safety campaign and British Breeding. [Fundraiser in Honor of Horses]

It’s been a long road to Kentucky for the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Mega-Makeover classes of 2020 and 2021, between the event’s postponement in 2020 and the constantly-changing landscape as a result of the global pandemic. Let’s take a closer look at that deep field of registered horses! Folks from the RRP broke down height, sex, year foaled, sired by, dam lines, state where they were foaled, auction histories, and even racing records for the 1,027 horses registered to compete. Incredible statistics and graphs for all you thoroughbred junkies out there! [Horses of the Mega-Makeover]

HORSE FIRST know that finding the right supplement can be difficult. Whether you’re looking for a calmer horse, stronger hooves or supple joints, you’ll be sure to find what you’re looking for within our product range. Horse First uses only the highest quality active ingredients and are renowned for being some of the most tailored and advanced supplements on the market – “Made by horse people for horse people.” [Learn More About Horse First]

She’s At It Again: Nicola Wilson and Erano M Take Blair CCI4*-L Dressage Lead

By on Aug 26, 2021 5:00 pm -

Nicola Wilson’s Erano M strides into the lead in Blair’s CCI4*-L at the conclusion of the first phase. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Britain’s eventing circuit is so ludicrously well-stocked with horses and riders at the upper levels that it sometimes feels like a bit of a treat to focus one’s attentions on a slightly smaller field of entries — and Scotland’s much-loved Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials is always rather a perfect foil for the triple-digit entries we often see at the other four-stars beginning with B in this country. Because of the distance (it’s tucked into the Scottish Highlands, a place so far-flung that even a Glaswegian will let out a long, low whistle and remark that ‘that’s a wee bit far, lassie,’ if you mention where you’re heading), and because of the specificity of the course (quite literally on the side of the mountain, so more fool you if you opted to skip any steps in you or your horse’s fitness routine), and because of its spot in the calendar (nestled amidst an embarrassment of riches where top-level long format events are concerned), Blair’s CCI4*-L field can ordinarily be described as something along the lines of ‘small but perfectly formed’. This week, we’ve got 21 combinations entered — rather a beefy year, comparatively speaking — and this gives us the chance to focus on some exciting, inexperienced horses and some unfamiliar faces among the riders, too.

This afternoon, all 21 came forward for the first phase, but you’d be hard-pressed to call the overnight leader an unfamiliar face. British team stalwart Nicola Wilson has been on exceptional form this year with her Bicton CCI4*-L and Hartpury CCI4*-S winner JL Dublin, but this week, ‘Dubs’ has stayed at home to prepare for another party. In his place, it’s twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Erano M‘s time to shine — and he’s set the tone from the get-go by taking the first-phase lead on 29.4, the only sub-30 score of the class.

“He’s quite light on his feet and he’s quite expressive. I was pleased with his test — there were a few little things that can be improved upon, but no major whoopsies,” says Nicola, who rides the charismatic gelding for owners Rosemary Search and Lady Milnes Coates. “His changes felt lovely — very clean and expressive — and overall, I was very pleased with his attitude in there. He coped very well and was very rideable.”

This is a second CCI4*-L for Erano M, or Arnie, who stepped up to CCI4*-S at Burgham last summer, finishing fifteenth. Since then, he’s completed two further short-fours, with marks dipping down towards the mid-20s, but today’s performance is a considerable improvement on the 33.7 he scored in his four-long debut back in June. That was at Bicton, widely considered the toughest competition in Britain since 2019, but he tackled it with considerable enthusiasm, boldly executing a clear across the country to finish just outside the top twenty. The experience — and that infamous terrain — will have set the gelding up well to tackle Blair’s hills — particularly as the son of Canturano out of a Flemmingh mare only has around 40% Thoroughbred blood in his pedigree.

“[Bicton] was a big ask, but he was fantastic there,” says Nicola, who’s produced him through from Novice level. “He’s relatively inexperienced at this level, so he’s here to do as well as he can. He isn’t very blood, but he’s quite catlike and he’s light on his feet.”

Like her compatriots in the lorry park, Nicola’s mostly just happy to be back at Blair, which sat out 2020 due to pandemic restrictions.

“We love Blair, and his owners love Blair, so we just like to come and support these three-day events in the north,” smiles Nicola, glancing around her at the sunlit hills and vistas of the dramatic Scottish landscape, once again blissfully filled with people and horses.

Lauren Innes and her “horse of a lifetime” Global Fision M. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sitting in second as we look toward’s Saturday’s cross-country phase is Lauren Innes, who balances competing eleven-year-old Global Fision M with her busy role as a chartered accountant. Although the KWPN-registered gelding has proven he’s capable of scores even lower than today’s 30.5, he hasn’t always been the easiest ride in this phase.

“I’m really pleased with him — he hasn’t done any dressage on grass at all since May,” she says. “He can get really hot, and when he gets hot, he kind of loses it. But today, he stayed really calm — I couldn’t ask for anything more! He’s by Flipper d’Elle and he’s very French, in his brain. He’s the most confident horse to jump thing; nothing is too big, and he has the utmost belief in his ability. I don’t think he’s ever lost his confidence. But that confidence gets him a bit hot in the dressage sometimes, so he’s had to work a lot on it by going out and doing British Dressage [shows].  I was out the weekend before we came here, and I do six or seven shows before I even start the season so he can learn to do a test and not blow up. So that’s been a challenge, but we’re finally getting it! There’s definitely still more to come, and I know that I can start asking more and more in the arena now.”

Though the pair started their 2021 season with a 43.5 in Burnham Market’s CCI4*-S, they’ve since produced five very respectable international tests, slipping into the 20s on three occasions this year. That’s partly due to a creative warm-up routine that Lauren has devised to avoid any anticipation of the atmosphere to come.

“I go from the stables straight in [to the ring],” she explains. “I don’t do anything — I warm up like, an hour [before the test], put him back in the stable, let him go to sleep, and then I can just get on and go when it’s time.”

Today, that meant that the gelding was able to settle into the test and focus, despite the buzz of a busy ring packed with three arenas, constant noise from the tannoys, and a throng of spectators.

“His canter work was really good; I felt like he was very balanced, the changes happened and the half-passes flowed really well out of them,” says Lauren, who scored consistently around the 7 mark throughout the test.

This will be a fourth CCI4*-L for Lauren and Global Fision M, who finished eleventh at Bicton in June — an extraordinary result for a rider who has only ever ridden at the upper levels on one self-produced horse, and who does all the manual labour herself around her full-time job. But while all this might sound like a collection of tough hurdles to overcome, Lauren’s unconventional path to this point is actually what led her to the gelding.

“I bought him through [Irish event rider and co-director of Global Event Horses] Brian Morrison, who I’ve known for years,” she says. “He was like, ‘come over and see some horses’ — they hadn’t bought him, but they knew of him. He was a five-year-old, and hadn’t done anything, but he’d be my horse of a lifetime.”

Lauren’s friendship with Brian began when she was studying Biological Sciences at Oxford. While she hadn’t been a part of Britain’s bustling Young Rider circuit and teams, she was able to pursue her passion for competing through student riding, helmed by the World University Equestrian Federation. The set-up of the federation means that no competitor is required to have their own horse; instead, students go head to head in heats, each riding the same horse to determine who has exhibited the best horsemanship. Success at student riding competitions can lead to opportunities such as the Student Riding Nations Cups, which give riders from universities around the world the chance to compete together. The system has produced an impressive array of riders on the cusp of the big leagues: Lauren has since ridden for Britain at the CCI3*-S European Cup; Brian was long-listed for the Irish Olympic team; Spanish team rider Esteban Benitez Valle has ridden at the European Championships and, excelling in a rather different avenue in the industry, 2018 Equestrian Journalist of the Year Lucy Elder is one of the media’s foremost reporters.

“Through doing the Nations Cups you meet so many riders from different countries, and you just never know when it’ll lead you to find a horse like him,” she says fondly.

Holly Richardson and Caraghs Buffet sit third on their CCI4*-L debut. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Holly Richardson might have stumbled quite accidentally into being a professional event rider — “and I don’t really think of myself as a professional, I just have a few horses to ride now!” — but she’s making a very competitive mark indeed on her debut CCI4*-L. She sits third going into cross-country with Caraghs Buffet after putting a 30.6 on the board. Though Holly doesn’t consider this phase her horse’s strongest, she piloted the Irish Sport Horse gelding to a real clear-round result, remaining accurate and correct to never slip below 6.

“He’s definitely not good at dressage, so I don’t know how that happened,” she says with a laugh. “He’s built completely the wrong way; he’s really downhill and has really short front legs. But he tries really hard and he’s so obedient — he was really calm today, but he isn’t always. He’s usually quite hot in the ring, and at Aston-le-Walls [CCI4*-S] he just bucked and bucked and bucked!”

Yorkshire-based Holly, who studied Biomedical Sciences at university before pursuing a Masters in Equestrian Performance, never intended to ride full-time — but she also didn’t intend to hang on to Caraghs Buffet for this long, either.

“I got him when he was five as a project, and he was really cheap — about three grand,” she says. “I was like, ‘oh, I’m just going to produce him a bit and sell him on — and then I accidentally kept him.”

Best laid plans, eh? After focusing her academic attentions on the science of racehorse fitness, she made her way to Australia to work with some of the industry’s newest technology, which measures fitness using heart rate monitors and stride length analysis among a range of indicators to give an accurate reading of a horse’s current fitness levels and its potential to improve. Though her intended career has deviated somewhat as she’s picked up more rides on her return to the UK, she continues to do some work with the Australian company and hopes to see performance analysis of this kind implemented more widely into eventing.

“It’s amazing to put it on two horses who you think are about the same level of fitness, but then the difference in the recovery is huge,” she says. “I’ve been able to put it on younger horses and say, ‘okay, well, I don’t think this is going to be able to go on.'”

Though a debut CCI4*-L is a major milestone for any rider, Holly is taking her own brand of pragmatism — and a whole lot of science — out of the start box with her as she makes her mark on Blair this week.

Simon Grieve and Drumbilla Metro. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Simon Grieve and Drumbilla Metro are probably the most experienced pair in the field this year, with four CCI5* starts under their belt as a partnership, including a top-30 finish at Badminton in 2018. This is a first trip to Blair for the 14-year-old British-bred (that’s Drumbilla Metro, not Simon), and comes as they enjoy a significant upswing in their dressage results. We saw them end last year in the low-4os at Little Downham CCI4*-S, and though they’ve been consistently in the 30s this season, they’ve erred towards the other end of the scale. Today’s test, though, was polished and professional without a hint of a mistake from beginning to end. Simon’s been waiting for his big week for a while — and this could be the first step towards something very exciting over the course of the weekend for the prolific competitor.

Ali Wilkes and Social Butterfly. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Rounding out the top five is Ali Wilkes, who made a long journey from the other end of the country worthwhile with a respectable 31.4. She rides eleven-year-old Hanoverian mare Social Butterfly, who makes her sophomore appearance at CCI4*-L this week after an educational debut at Bicton earlier in the summer. There, the pair posted a 44.8 — so whatever Ali’s been feeding Social Butterfly in the meantime, we’d like to buy some.

Tomorrow turns our focus to the 42-strong CCI4*-S section, plus we’ll be taking you on a tour of the cross-country challenge (and we might even take you to the tartan shop, if you’re very lucky). Until next time, folks, Go Eventing!

The top ten going into cross-country in Blair’s CCI4*-L class.

Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials: Website, Entries, Times and Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram