Classic Eventing Nation

Tokyo in the Rearview: The Horses, Riders, and Moments that Moved Us Most

By on Aug 9, 2021 7:57 am -

Julia Krajewski and Amande de b’Neville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

“The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part; the important thing in life is not triumph, but the struggle; the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

Those were the immortal words of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics — and though we’re delighted to have left many of Coubertin’s dodgy ideals in the dust (he famously dismissed the idea of female athletes, calling them ‘impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic’) — we do quite like where this little quip is going. Though we’ve been moved to tears and thoroughly inspired by our medal winners at Tokyo, there have been so many characters and so many stories, that have made just as significant of an impact through the week. Read on to find out some of Team EN’s horses, riders, and moments of the week — and then slide into that comment section and let us know yours.

TILLY BERENDT

Has anyone ever seen Oliver Townend jump for joy before?! A historic moment, indeed. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Moment of the week: The Brits taking gold

It’s an obvious one, and frankly, it never even got my heart rate up on the final day because it felt so assured, but Great Britain’s first team gold since 1972 (isn’t that mad?!) was particularly special. The Brits went into this Games as the firm favourites, but in eventing, there are so many variables at play that that doesn’t act as a guarantee of anything. Each rode spectacularly, despite all being Olympic debutants, and when they all sailed home sans time penalties on cross-country day, it was a truly exceptional moment. That they won it on the lowest-ever finishing score in Olympic history is just the cherry on top of one heck of a cake, and it’s a testament to the strength of the British system and the superb leadership of Chris Bartle and Dicky Waygood. As a German citizen who was born in England and has lived in the US and France, I’m never sure which lane I’m in at a championships, but not for the first time, I felt so proud and privileged to live in this remarkable hub of equestrian excellence.

William Fox-Pitt, Keiko and Kazuma Tomoto after Kazu’s showjumping rounds. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Person of the week: Kazuma Tomoto (Team Japan)

Blimey, it’s hard to narrow this one down, isn’t it? My heart was beating so fast for Julia Krajewski — who’s been through so much and never let the smile fall from her face — that it sounded like a marching band had invaded my cottage, and I couldn’t imagine a better woman to be our first (official) female individual gold medalist. But through the week — and, actually, over the past four years — my allegiances have been firmly with Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto, who finished in an exceptional (though no doubt frustrating) fourth place. Kazu’s story is one of extraordinary sacrifice, hard work, and overwhelming positivity, and it’s a testament to that old adage that teamwork makes the dream work. Formerly a top-class showjumper, he swapped over to eventing in 2016 because the Japanese jumping contingent was already so strong. He left Tokyo, where his wife Keiko and young daughter have remained, supporting him from afar as he put in the hard graft in the UK, where he’s based with William Fox-Pitt. Within one year of picking up his new discipline, he came within a hundredth of a second of winning the eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S at Blenheim, which is always packed to the rafters with top-class riders and horses. That same month, he made his team debut in the Nations Cup at Waregem. Within two years of starting his eventing career, he was part of the fourth-placed Japanese team at WEG, and in 2019 — less than three years after swapping disciplines — he won three four-stars on three different horses, made his Badminton debut, led the first phase at Luhmühlen CCI5*, and qualified four horses for Tokyo. It’s all enormously impressive, but what makes Kazu one of the greats for me is who he is as a person. I’ve seldom known anyone so positive; even when he was struggling with the language barrier he always found kind words for everyone, and he’s universally adored and admired on the British and European circuit. His kindness passes on to his horses, and William says he’s never seen Kazu lose an iota of patience with any animal. The past few years must have been so tough on him, particularly through the pandemic when he likely wasn’t able to see his family at all — but Tokyo, he’s always said, is the one chance he and his teammates have to get the Japanese public into the sport and secure its future. His is a noble cause, and his fourth place finish was a wonderful one — I just so wish it could have been a squeak higher for him. I’ll admit that I cried with joy for him several times through the course of the week — but never more so than when his wife, Keiko, who lives just down the road from the Baji Koen equestrian park, was finally granted accreditation and she and Kazu were reunited.

Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Horse of the week: Don Quidam, Ferreolus Lat, and DSP Fighting Line

I love putting these team review posts together; truly, I do. ‘I want you to pick your favourite thing for each category,’ I tell the team in the group chat. ‘Really put your heart and soul into explaining why that ONE THING is special.’ Then I open the text file, put fingers to keyboard, and merrily list half the field of entries over the course of approximately 3,000 words. In the words of our lord and saviour Britney Spears, that’s my prerogative, baybay. So let’s chat horse(s)! They’re all superstars, really, but a few certainly joined my tick-list of ‘horses I’d quite like to steal without consequence.’ (This list, I should add, exemplifies a dream world in which any top-level horse will go well for me, despite the fact that most days, I ride with the competence of someone who couldn’t pick a horse out of a field of cows.) Kevin McNab’s Don Quidam has been high on that list for a long time — I adore this game, catlike little horse whose ears are always hunting out the next challenge, and although it’s always horrible to see someone relegated to the bench, I admit I did some air-punching with joy when this duo got their call-up after the first horse inspection. To see them then win a silver medal for their efforts was truly special: Don-Don helped give Kevin the accolades he’s long deserved. Two other horses who particularly caught my eye were Miloslav Prihoda’s ten-year-old Ferreolus Lat and Lea Siegl’s DSP Fighting Line. The first is a horse I’ve never seen before, which is a serious novelty to me, since I spend my life trawling from event to event. While he was one of those thrown out of contention by an activated MIMclip at 14C — the very same that cost Michael Jung the gold medal — he impressed me so much with how obviously he loves his job and his rider. At just 10, he’s learned a huge amount over the course of the week and I’ll be excited to see him — and his double-size forelock — on the pathway to Paris. I also adored Lea Siegl’s 15th-placed DSP Fighting Line, who always lives up to his name and packs a real punch out on course. I doubt he’s particularly easy to ride but he and gutsy 22-year-old Lea look perfectly suited, as though they dare one another the whole way around. In both cases, these horses represent countries well outside the ‘Big Six’ — the Czech Republic and Austria, respectively — and they’re a tangible reminder of how much higher the standard has gotten over the last few years.

MAGGIE DEATRICK

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Moment of the week: Laura Collett’s dazzling clear across the country with London 52

Watching Laura Collett cross the finish line of the cross-country was a tear-inducing moment for me. She caught my attention when she made such a splash at Badminton in 2011 and I’ve kept my eye on her since. Rather than being a flash in the pan like so many of these precocious young riders who break onto the stage with a top finish at an early career five-star, Laura seemed well on her way when getting derailed by a severe cross country accident that put her in a coma for six days and destroyed her vision in one eye back in 2013. To come back and represent your country in such style, earning a team gold medal….I have no words.

Kazuma Tomoto (JPN) and Vinci De La Vigne. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Person of the week: Kazuma Tomoto (Japan)

I keep waffling back and forth between Kazuma Tomoto and Julia Krajewski. Ultimately, I am going with King Kazu, who set a goal of representing his country in their home Olympics, switched disciplines to do so, endured months and months away from his young child and wife and persisted through a pandemic to perform absolutely beautifully in all three phases . I so wanted him to get a medal but was absolutely delighted to see how thrilled he was with what can be the most painful position at the Olympics: just off the podium with a fourth place finish.

Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Horse of the week: Vassily de Lassos 

Vassily de Lassos, like Amande de b’Neville, didn’t come into this competition with huge hype behind him. His dressage scores weren’t sub-25 so he wasn’t on the tip of everyone’s tongue, in the US at least. But this French-bred showed why eventing is a three phase sport (or a four phase for the Olympics) by climbing to silver on the merit of finishing on his dressage score, the only horse to do so. Just like that, the ability to finish on that first-phase score remains the centerpiece of the sport.

ABBY POWELL

Julia Krajewski and Amande de b’Neville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Moment of the week: Julia Krajewski overcomes the odds to take gold

This feels like a bit of a cop out answer, but for me, it’s got to be Germany’s Julia Krajewski clinching individual gold and becoming the first female to ever do so in eventing. Despite having what can only be described as a craptastic time of things — losing two of her top mounts with the sale of Chipmunk FRH to her teammate Michael Jung (side note: imagine competing with and also against your former ride amidst this!) plus the retirement of Samurai du Thot after losing an eye, and then the devastating death of her father earlier this year — Julia found herself here at the Olympics after all on a young mare that rose to the challenge. And boy, did she put in one hell of a showing. Now, who’s buying the rights to this movie? Production companies need to get on this, stat.

Małgorzata Cybulska and Chenaro 2. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Person of the week: Malgorzata Cybulska (Team Poland)

One of my favorite things about Olympic eventing is getting to know riders from other nations that I haven’t really heard of before because they’re not out there constantly contesting five-stars and don’t have a huge string of horses raking in results. One of those riders that stood out to me this year (though granted, there were a number of them) was Malgorzata Cybulska of Poland. She and teammate Joanna Pawlak also share the honor of being the first women to represent Poland on a senior championship team for eventing.

Not only is Gosia, as she goes by, one of the youngest in the field, but she’s also a full-time student of Psychology and, prior to the pandemic turning classes remote, commuted back and forth to Warsaw for class while balancing riding and competition. And just two years ago, she also underwent spinal surgery to reverse the damage done by a degenerative disc disease that she’d had since he was a child but had just kept powering through. Raise your hand if you can relate to sucking it up and ignoring your own body until you physically can’t anymore! Tilly wrote a short feature on her after the dressage, so make sure you catch that too.

With a technical elimination and losing a stirrup about halfway through the course, Gosia unfortunately didn’t have the cross-country round she had hoped for, but she was able to regroup and, under the new rules, complete the competition. Hats off to you, Gosia.

Andrew Hoy and Vassily De Lassos. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Horse of the week: Vassily de Lassos

It’s always hard to choose just one, but as a member of the Vassily de Lassos fan club before these Games started, I’ve got to pick him. I’ve featured Andrew Hoy and Vassily in many of our afternoon video posts, thanks to Andrew’s dedicated use of his helmet cam, and every time I write one of those posts and check up on how the pair finished the relevant competition I’m just blown away by their competition record, as they turn in fast times and clear jumping rounds time and time again. Like any event horses, dressage has been Vassily’s weakest phase (though it’s still quite respectable indeed and absolutely nothing to spurn) but he’s getting better and better and you can tell by their scores that Andrew is putting the training in. The horse is an FOD (finish on dressage score) freak and he and Andrew proved that they can deliver those clear clean rounds even on the biggest stage. Watch out world — this horse is only 12 years old and I think there’s lots more to come from him yet.

 

SALLY SPICKARD

Canada’s Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Moment of the week: Colleen Loach Completes Her Second Olympics

I’m going to go a bit off key here as I think the rest of the team has well covered the epic nature of moments like Julia’s individual gold and Laura’s triumph with London 52. Colleen Loach flies a bit under the radar here in the U.S., quietly collecting results and qualifications while staying mostly away from the spotlight that surrounds some of her counterparts. It’s no secret that Canadian eventing is a bit of a mess at the moment, and I can’t imagine the potential distraction that must come with not only disorganization on the federation front but also gossip on the internet front. Colleen put all of this chatter behind her and focused on her goal: a top 20 finish in her second Olympics. While she didn’t quite meet this goal, I personally wouldn’t classify it as the failure she described it as. I really enjoyed watching Colleen from the sidelines all week long as she focused solely on Qorry Blue D’Argouges and giving him the best rides she could. He was among the freshest I saw finishing the cross country on Sunday — no small feat on that track, in that weather — and I hope she knows how much her head-down-hard-work attitude really inspires me and probably countless others.

My only regret is to not have caught Mint’s beautiful hair at the first jog!

Person of the week: Arinadtha Chavatanont Handles a Down Weekend with Class

I’ll remember my brief chats with Thai rider Arinadtha Chavatanont for a long time to come. ‘Mint’ was given the unenviable task of being the first rider down the centerline and the first rider out of the start box in her very first Olympic Games, where her country had fielded a team for the very first time. Not only does her horse, Boleybawn Prince, seem like an absolute gem, Arinadtha herself is also full of class and despite her not having the weekend she wanted, she handled her disappointment with grace. After getting into a car accident shortly after the 2018 Asian Games, Arinadtha was out of the saddle for some time, giving her a less than ideal lead-up to the Olympics. In fact, she only returned full-time to training in France earlier this year. In spite of this, she emphasized that taking proper care of her horse (which includes loads of bananas) was her biggest priority. Mint was also the only female rider of Asian descent competing in Tokyo this weekend — and her beautiful blue/purple hair made her difficult to miss! — and watching her gave a little stir to my dream of riding for Korea, which has lain dormant for several years now.

Vinci de la Vigne: “Wow, you’re all here for me??” Photo by Sally Spickard.

Horse of the week: Vinci de la Vigne Steals My Heart

One of my favorite parts of the trot-ups at a three-day is watching the horses come in, curiously wide-eyed at the surroundings that must just look so strange through a horse’s eyes. Vinci de la Vigne is one horse that really stole my heart, not only in four solid performances for Japanese rider Kazuma Tomoto but also in the 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding’s pure fascination with the jog strip and the people gathered, presumably to watch him strut his stuff. I think you can tell a lot about a horse’s overall happiness and engagement through their level of curiosity about their surroundings, and using that as a marker it’s clear that ‘Vince’ has a lot of love for life.

LESLIE WYLIE

Julia Krajewski: your new eventing individual gold medalist! Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Moment of the week: Julia Krajewski becoming the first female Olympic eventing champion

While equestrian sport likes to pat itself on the back for its equal playing field, systemic gender inequality still exists. It wasn’t until the 1964 Games — which, coincidentally, were also held in Tokyo — that the eventing competition was even contested by a woman. That year, Lana duPont rode her Maryland-bred Thoroughbred, Mr Wister, to a podium finish, having helped the USA to a team silver medal. Now women are welcome but still underrepresented at the top echelons of the sport; of this year’s 63 Olympic eventing starters, 35% were female compared to 65% male. Julia overcame innumerable obstacles and heartbreaks on her path to the top step of the podium, among them breaking another glass ceiling to prove that prove that a woman can wear eventing gold.

Switzerland’s Robin Godel and Jet Set. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Person of the week: Robin Godel (Team Switzerland)

After Robin Godel’s Olympic mount Jet Set was euthanized following cross-country day at Tokyo, the 22-year-old Swiss eventer exhibited incredible maturity even as he came under inevitable public evisceration. Losing the horse you love is every equestrian’s nightmare; having to experience such a tragedy while in the limelight of the sporting world’s brightest stage must be indescribably difficult. Yet Robin continued forward, cheering on his teammates ringside. Thank you, Robin, for your outstanding example of sportsmanship and grace.

Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Horse(s) of the week: Amande de b’Neville, Toledo de Kerser, Vassily de Lassos & Absolute Gold

The Olympic format of two show jumping rounds, combined with the sweltering Tokyo heat, stretched the stamina of these equine athletes to the absolute brink. If they came into the first jumping round looking a little gassed from the day before, the second round left no weakness unexposed, making the third phase of this Olympics hugely influential. Only four of the top 25 horses that came back for the individual round left all the rails in the cups both times — the top three from the podium (Amande de b’Neville, Toledo de Kerser, Vassily de Lassos) and sixth-placed Nicolas Touzaint’s Absolute Gold. Of these, the only one who jumped clear with no time both rounds was Vassily de Lassos. All four horses deserve applause for rising above not just out of physical endurance, but also an incredible show of heart.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, Latest News, EN Olympic Digest Newsletter Signup, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Coverage, The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo, The Form Guide: Team Edition, The Form Guide: Rider Edition

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

By on Aug 9, 2021 7:45 am -

Is this officially the best bit of eventing merch we’ve ever seen? Quite possibly, yes — and we salute Adam Kosofksy for his good-natured support of daughter Alexa in the Novice division at Fair Hill and hope that his cooler of beer was well-stocked. Who wants to place a bet on whether her next horse is called ‘Dad’s Retirement Fund’?

National Holiday: It’s National Women’s Day AND National Book Lovers’ Day, so if you need me, I’m turning my phone off and re-reading Riders to celebrate.

US Weekend Action:

Millbrook H.T.: [Website] Results] [EN’s Coverage]

Hoosier Horse Trials: [Website] [Results]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T.: [Website] [Results]

Cobblestone Farms H.T. II: [Website] [Results]

River Glen Summer H.T.: [Website] [Results]

Fair Hill International Recognized H.T.: [Website] [Results]

Spring Gulch H.T.: [Website] [Results]

UK Weekend Action:

Skipton (2): Results

Bricky (X): Results

Little Downham (2): Results

Your Monday Reading List:

Ingrid Klimke is among the many, many riders calling for the Modern Pentathlon to review how it uses horses, after ugly scenes at Tokyo brought the sport into the spotlight. While this certainly isn’t the first time the showjumping phase of pentathlon has shocked viewers at the Games, the image of Annika Schleu sobbing while flailing her whip at her mount have become emblematic. [Top eventer calls for pentathlon rule change after controversial scenes]

Behind every major result is a story of triumph and disaster – and for dressage supremo Charlotte Dujardin, it’s no different. Forgive us for sharing a piece from the Daily Fail, but if you’re struggling through a break-up or a family illness, this should offer up some much-needed inspiration this morning. [‘When my fiancé left me, I kept thinking, ‘Why was I not good enough?’: How Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin overcame the hurdles of a broken engagement, her horse out of action and her critically ill mother in the build-up to Tokyo]

There’s no denying that the Swedish showjumping team were on extraordinary form throughout the Games. But did you know that two of their three team horses are barefoot? Fran Jurga sat down for a chat with Peter Glimberg, the team farrier, to find out more about the hows and whys of barefooting it at the top level. [The Olympic Hoof Explained: Swedish farrier outlines barefoot management of gold medal team]

Each Olympic cycle brings to the fore the systems that are getting it right — as well as the ones that need a serious overhaul. In the aftermath comes the fertile ground to grow, and HorseSport is laying the Canadian system bare to try to encourage that necessary change and growth. [What’s Behind the (Sorry) State of Eventing in Canada]

The FutureTrack Follow:

We can’t stop looking at these custom biscuits representing the British dressage team at Tokyo — and clever Camilla did the eventers, too. Wait til you see her *chef’s kiss* rendering of Ballaghmor Class.

Morning Viewing:

If you still haven’t seen silver medallist Shane Rose swap his horse for a skateboard, where have you been? This is your essential viewing of the day.

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing Capture Advanced Win at Millbrook

By on Aug 8, 2021 9:23 pm -

This week’s coverage is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. Collect your free stickers here! 

I’ve said it (more than) once and I’ll say it again: it could not have been a more beautiful weekend at Millbrook Horse Trials for the event’s 20th anniversary.

While there was a lot on everyone’s minds over the weekend, one overarching theme of the past few days has been how special an event this is for many of the competitors. In part, it’s the FEI-like feel of the event thanks to the traditional format in which show jumping comes as the third phase and the buzzing atmosphere of the sponsor tent-lined jump ring. Coming to Millbrook is often also chance to connect with friends and family. Many Area II and III-based pairs, who often have much closer events that they could go to instead, choose to make the hours and hours long trip to Millbrook to catch up with loved ones that live in the Northeast.

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing. Photo by Abby Powell.

 

Leading the field in the Advanced division wire-to-wire, Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing claimed their second win in a row, having also won the Advanced at the Horse Park of New Jersey this June.

Holly told us yesterday after cross country that she wasn’t necessarily pushing to get the time, though the heavy and frequent rain that the area has recently experienced has allowed for faster rounds this year. Holly’s main focus for the cross country was to kick on and give “Charm” a positive ride.

“I was actually surprised at the end when I kind of looked at my watch and I went, ‘Wow, I’m actually like, on the time basically.’ So that was a pleasant surprise,” Holly told us yesterday. “I think he was very smooth. We just had to ride forward to make sure we were going to get the distances done.”

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing. Photo by Abby Powell.

The pair jumped one of nine double clear rounds over the Marc Donovan track to earn a wire-to-wire win in the Advanced division. Looking at his competition record, Charm has show jumped double clear in the vast majority of his rounds at the Advanced and Intermediate levels.

Being relatively new to the level, the 10-year-old Holsteiner owned by CharmKing LLC, has run several 4*-S with both Holly and Lillian Heard, who competed the gelding for her through Holly’s pregnancy. Holly and Charm’s next stop will be the American Eventing Championships (AEC)s to the contest the Advanced there and their season-end goal will be the 4*-L at Morven Park in October, which would be the first 4*-L for the horse.

Overnight second-placed pair Elizabeth Bortuzzo and Belongs To Tuefer sadly knocked four rails to drop them to a final placing of 12th. They have a lot to still be proud of though, especially with their fantastic cross country round yesterday and their finishing score still garners a qualifying ride at the level. Not too shabby for your first Advanced at all!

Buck Davidson and Erroll Gobey. Photo by Abby Powell.

And audible shout could be heard at the end of one of Buck Davidson‘s rounds: “GOOD JOB DADDY!” called his young daughter Audrey from the fence line. Buck had three rides in the division and jumped two double clears to move Erroll Gobey and Jak My Style up one placing each for second and third, respectively. Both “Gobey” and “Jak”, along with barn mate Carlevo, who was not at Millbrook this weekend, will ideally be pointed at the new Maryland Five Star this fall after a trip to the AECs as well.

Buck was able to clock fast and clear rounds on the cross country yesterday too, garnering just 2 time penalties with Gobey and coming in under the time with Jak. Like many, many others here this weekend Buck is also feeling the loss of cross country course designer Tremaine Cooper, rode with Buck’s father, Bruce Davidson, and competed through the Advanced level himself before turning to course design.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids and we both grew up at Chesterland. It’s just definitely different not seeing Tremaine here,” said Buck. “Tremaine was looking down. The footing was perfect and the ground was perfect. We never have high 70s, low 80 degree weather with no humidity. It’s amazing.”

Several of the folks who own horses for Buck, including long-time supporters Carl and Cassie Siegel and Kathleen Cuca, were able to be there this weekend to watch their horses and cheer Buck on.

“It’s really fun. That’s what it’s about: having owners that are friends and they get to their horses,” he said.

Kat Cuca and her own Jak My Style join Buck on Erroll Gobey for the victory gallop. Photo by Abby Powell.

Kat, who owns Jak, was actually able to do a little more  than cheer her horse on — Buck had her ride him for the prize giving ceremony. Kat also competed Jak in his first post-Kentucky outing: the Beginner Novice at Essex Horse Trails last month.

“He was a star — I got two rails though!” laughed Kat, who had previously ridden her horse in lessons with Buck and helps with the occasional trot set. “He was so amazing cross country. I stepped on the gas a little and then trotted the back half so I wouldn’t get speed penalties. And Buck trained me up so that I didn’t get completely terrified to do it.”

Kimmy Cecere & Landmark’s Monaco. Photo by Abby Powell.

Also jumping double clear to retain her score for a fourth place finish, was Kimmy Cecere with Ms. Jaqueline Mars’ homebred Landmark’s Monaco, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse. Kimmy was rightly please with their showing this weekend and they’re another pair that we’ll hopefully see at Morven Park this fall.

“He was so wonderful. The footing was awesome and it was such a good weekend,” she said.

Sydney Solomon and Early Review C. Photo by Abby Powell.

Sydney Solomon and Early Review C, a 12-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by herself and Laurie Cameron, round out the top five and jumped sixteen places in the standings after dressage, thanks to double clear rounds in both jumping phases. They’re not quite the winners of the biggest mover award, however. That goes to Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise, who ultimately finish their weekend in 8th place. They moved up seventeen places after dressage and clocked the fastest round of the day on cross country yesterday.

While there’s so much more to say about this weekend at Millbrook and SO many more pictures to post (like, so many) that’s going to have to conclude this report for the time being — this reporter still has to drive the rest of the way home and be at least semi-functional for a regular day job tomorrow. Thank you to all who make Millbrook such an exceptional event to attend. Stay tuned for more to come.

#MHT2021: [Website] [Final Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Millbrook Advanced Cross Country Photo Gallery, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products

By on Aug 8, 2021 8:43 am -

This week’s coverage is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. Collect your free stickers here! 

Need a little kickstart to your Sunday morning? We’re here to help with this gallery of the Advanced competitors tackling Morgan Roswell‘s cross country course yesterday at the beautiful Millbrook Horse Trials and #jumpingitforTremaine. Click here to catch up on yesterday’s report.

There’s more to come from Millbrook, as Preliminary show jumping is now underway and the Intermediate and Advanced divisions will also wrap up their weekend by jumping the colored poles shortly. Stay tuned for more photos from other divisions and a wrap-up report of the Advanced!

#MHT2021: [Website] [Entry Status] [Order of Go] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Sunday Links

By on Aug 8, 2021 12:01 am -

I know we’re a touch Millbrook-centric right now, but that’s because we’re like, physically there in New York! But don’t worry, we shan’t forget about the many other recognized eventing happening this weekend and we’re looking forwards to having a simply booming Weekend Winners post for you tomorrow.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Millbrook H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Hoosier Horse Trials: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Cobblestone Farms H.T. II: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

River Glen Summer H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Fair Hill International Recognized H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Spring Gulch H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

Andrew Hoy’s mum still gets a thrill out of watching her son

Davis Equine + Ride Safe To Offer the Inaugural Groom’s Award at 2021 MARSGMI

German modern pentathlon coach thrown out of Olympics for punching horse

‘Rare and unbelievable’: meet the horse who jumped clear in every Olympic showjumping round

Behind The Lens: Tokyo 2020

Sunday Video: Who said Mustangs couldn’t be competitive?

 

Catch Up with the Millbrook Advanced Cross Country, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products

By on Aug 7, 2021 10:20 pm -
This week’s coverage is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. Collect your free stickers here! 

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing. Photo by Abby Powell.

Saturday at Millbrook Horse Trials was filled with the buzz that only a big cross country day can bring. While there was much to be excited about this year — long awaited reunions between members of the eventing community, some beautiful cool and dry weather (for a change), ground that wasn’t rock-hard, and a bustling trade fair and vendor village featuring familiar names and new local business alike — hearts were somber in remembrance of course designer Tremaine Cooper.

The Millbrook Horse Trials organizers and course designer Morgan Roswell, who stepped into the roll this year, and builders Jamie Gornall and Tyson Rementer dedicated the cross country courses in his honor and competitors celebrated his legacy by jumping it.

Photo by Ema Klugman.

Scores in the Advanced division were packed tightly after dressage, with less than a point separating the top six competitors and less than a pole separating the top fourteen of the thirty five combinations in the division. Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing topped the leaderboard on a score of 27.3 after the first phase and they remain in pole position at the end of the day today, adding a single time fault to their score.

“It wasn’t really intentional, but I ended up being only one second over the time,” said Holly. “I just really wanted to have a great round. I thought it walked a really tough track and walked very forward and committing. He’s definitely green at the level and he likes to add strides when he gets worried, so I thought it’s gonna be a really tough track for him.”

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing. Photo by Abby Powell.

Despite indeed adding some strides in early combinations on course, Holly’s forward riding paid off and helped the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding to build confidence and get smoother all the way around the track.

Holly’s friend and fellow professional Lillian Heard stepped CharmKing up to the Advanced level late last year while Holly was pregnant with her daughter, Harper, who was born in January. Since then, Holly has gracefully juggled her business of riding, teaching, and coaching alongside the challenges of new motherhood. Thankfully her daughter’s natural affinity for animals and the help of her husband, Eric, make the job a touch easier: “She loves being at the shows and she loves the horses,” Holly said.

Indeed, earlier in the day while Holly was coaching students in the show jumping for the Training divisions, Harper could be seen reaching out from her front-facing carrier strapped to Eric to pat the nearest horse’s nose or dog’s head.

“It’s a little stressful trying to figure out how to manage a kid and ride at the same time, but my husband is so awesome. It’s so nice to have him here. I wouldn’t be able to do it without him helping.”

Elizabeth Bortuzzo and Belongs To Teufer. Photo by Abby Powell.

Two new names to the Advanced entry list now sit in second place after cross country: Elizabeth Bortuzzo and 12-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred Belongs To Teufer, both making their first start at the level. They jumped clear and clocked 1.2 time penalties to sit on a score of 29.1 heading into show jumping.

25-year-old Elizabeth, who operates her own booming business in Pittstown, New Jersey, is as surprised as anyone to be sitting close to the top of the leaderboard after a testing cross country track. Ask her and she’ll tell you that the road to this level with “Teufer” has not been an easy one at all.

“Slowly but surely, we got this pony here,” Elizabeth said. “Actually not surely. Just slowly. It was a rough track to get here.”

“I started him up when he was six years old and he’s had his fair share of hardship. He was not easy to ride. I think he bucked me off at the first dressage show. The first show jumping thing he did he stopped at jump number one. I think the first event he messed it all up. But he’s slowly been learning the ropes and he had a few injuries that were not at all eventing related.”

Their partnership wasn’t one that Elizabeth initially expected either, and it happened a bit by chance when Elizabeth boarded a previous horse at the barn of Thoroughbred racehorse breeder John Arnold Witte.

“I actually met Arnold Witte about two years after [Teufer] came off the track. He was raced until four years old and then he sat in a paddock for two years because he was just tough enough that nobody really wanted to play with him.”

Arrnold asked Elizabeth if she would hop on him one day, which she did, but she was not particularly smitten at first impression. After another couple rides, however, Elizabeth’s mind was changed. She offered to buy Teufer, but Arnold told her he wasn’t for sale. Try as she might to convince him, Arnold refused to sell the horse but he did offer her the ride on him.

“[Arnold] likes all his Thoroughbreds and he’s a fierce supporter of all of them. So I ended up riding a Thoroughbred and I really enjoy him.”

Buck Davidson and Erroll Gobey. Photo by Abby Powell.

Sitting in third and fourth positions with Erroll Gobey and Jak My Style, respectively, is Buck Davidson. Buck masterfully piloted both horses clearly and quickly — garnering 2 time faults with Erroll and none with Jak — to move them up from the middle of the leaderboard after the dressage with scores of 29.8 and 32.1.

Buck ran both these horses at Kentucky earlier this year. Erroll Gobey, the younger of the two at 11-years-old, was retired on course after a runout so it was fun to see them rock around this course with ease and continue to develop at this level.

Having just completed fist first five-star at Kentucky, Jak My Style also easily stepped back up to the Advanced level after getting back into the swing of competition a few weeks ago by taking his owner, Kat Cuca, around the Beginner Novice at Essex Horse Trials a few weeks ago.

Business Ben and Allison Springer round out the top five with a score of 34.3 after they jumped clear and added 5 time faults to move up the leaderboard from 10th.

This pair is back in business after their weekend at the Kentucky Three-Day Event came to an unfortunate end early on the cross country course. After Kentucky, Alison had the 11-year-old Thoroughbred checked out via bone scan and discovered an aggravated tooth. A CT scan then revealed that the tooth was healthful, but an increase in bone deposits in the region was likely making him uncomfortable. Alison has since had his bit and bridle custom fitted to him, and it has helped immensely.

“The comfort level of his face and all that is huge,” Allison told EN. “He went cross country at Loch Moy and here in a double bridle. The new titanium bits just really comforted him. He loves it. So he’s much more rideable. He’s always gonna be a galloping fool.”

It was really a beautiful day of sport in the rolling hills of Dutchess County, New York. Take a look through the lens of videographer Marion de Vogel and see for yourself!

#MHT2021: [Website] [Entry Status] [Order of Go] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

This week’s coverage is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. Collect your free stickers here! 

#MHT2021: [Website] [Entry Status] [Order of Go] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Saturday Video from SmartPak: Team GB Spills the Tea

By on Aug 7, 2021 3:16 pm -

I know you guys are basking in the Tokyo high as much as we are — it’s impossible not to get caught up in the whirlwind of excitement around any of the sports, but when it’s your own in the spotlight, it’s extra special. I’ve been reliving Great Britain’s extraordinary victory over and over again, and so I was delighted to stumble upon this video from the final press conference, where you can hear all about how that win happened — and what it felt like — straight from the mouths of Tom McEwen, Laura Collett, and Oliver Townend themselves. Aaaaand I’m crying again.

Saturday Links from Trefonas Law

By on Aug 7, 2021 12:13 am -

I will never not stop to take a sunset photo. Photo by Abby Powell.

Gosh, it’s been a while. I’m out and about at Millbrook Horse Trials this weekend in my first boots on the grounds reporting role for EN since 2019. It feels excellent to be getting back out there and I’m looking to what I hope will be a very safe and fun day today. If you see someone carrying around a camera and a stuffed chinchilla, come say hi!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Millbrook H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Hoosier Horse Trials: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Cobblestone Farms H.T. II: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

River Glen Summer H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Fair Hill International Recognized H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Spring Gulch H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Saturday Links:

GoFundMe Olympics: equestrians hustle to survive in the Games’ most expensive sport

Chinese Olympic horse rider Hua Tian sets sights on future

Hoof and arena care: Behind the equestrian scenes at Tokyo 2020

Here Are The 25 Youngest And Oldest Olympians Competing In Tokyo

Let’s dive into Olympic half-brothers’ DNA! Tsetserleg vs. Vandiver Genetic Deep Dive

The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club Passes 500-Member Mark

Saturday Video: a glimpse from the final Olympic eventing press conference

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.

Meet Me at Millbrook: Beloved Area 1 Event Returns for 2021 and Plans for the Future

By on Aug 6, 2021 11:47 pm -

Millbrook couldn’t be more picturesque if it tried! Photo by Abby Powell.

Telltale white tents line the distinctive striped cornfield landscape of Dutchess County. It can only mean one thing: Millbrook Horse Trials, one of Area I’s biggest events — and the only one offering an Advanced level horse trials — is back in action. The event, which takes place on the beautiful Riga Meadow at Coole Park Farm property is welcoming competitors back to Amenia, New York for its 20th anniversary.

Competition officially kicked off on Thursday with many Beginner Novice, Novice, and Training level competitors riding their dressage tests. Friday’s schedule consisted of the completion of the dressage phase from Novice through Advanced competitors, and the beginning of cross country for Beginner Novice through Training divisions. Get a taste of the event’s atmosphere on Thursday and Friday with these gorgeous videos shot and produced by local videographer Marion de Vogel:

Like so many other venues and organizations, Millbrook is getting back into the swing of things after last year’s hiatus and is happy to welcome the eventing community back. The gap year did, however, make it a little bit more difficult than one might think to simply pick up where everything left off in 2019.

“It is great to be back, but it’s amazing how much harder it is after missing a year,” board member and organizing committee member Louise Meryman told EN. “Some people dropped off, new people came in and people need time to learn the ropes. Cross country jumps rot in two years. And everybody just got a little bit out of the swing of it. But we are really enjoying having people back together and doing it all together.”

Whether it’s due to a hesitancy to travel because of COVID, a conflict with the Olympics for a few top riders, or a packed weekend on the eventing calendar this year; Millbrook’s 2021 entry list is a bit shorter than it has been in previous runnings, which has frequently been near capacity at 450 pairs.

While the stables may not be quite as full as previous years, it’s the sudden and sad loss of long-time course designer Tremaine Cooper this past March that is the biggest blow and cause for emptiness at this year’s horse trials, though his presence is still felt throughout the venue.

“He’s everywhere here,” said Louise, who has known Tremaine since becoming involved with the Millbrook Horse Trials in the 1980s. As Louise’s daughter’s godfather, Tremaine was a member of her family.

In order to carry on with this year’s event, Louise reached out to many of the builders and course designers that Tremaine had mentored over the years who had worked with him at Millbrook: “I pled with them to please come and help us be able to carry on this year and to put his stamp on it. And just, you know, honor what he did.”

Despite already having a full calendar, including taking on much of Tremaine’s other work, course designer Morgan Roswell answered the call along with course builders Jamie Gornall and Tyson Rementer.

“I was really grateful that Morgan agreed to do it because we needed somebody with the great credentials and we wanted somebody that was mentored by Tremaine,” said Louise. “I like the stuff he’s done and he’s incorporated Tremaine’s jumps and he’s built a few more, but basically it’s the old tracks and the jumps  but in a new way that has his stamp.”

With some desperately sad times in the rearview mirror, yet not forgotten, Millbrook Horse Trials is looking forward to introducing some exciting and long planned-for changes within the coming years. A capital campaign is in the works which will serve to raise money to redo the property’s infrastructure, including the building of brand new rings with state of the art footing, as well as a resign of the site to incorporate a country fair feel for the vendor area. The site plan was previously developed by Tremaine and Louise, and has recently received the blessing of Captain Mark Phillips.

“I just I want everybody to know that there are good things in the works,” said Louise.

RNS Videomedia is on site and recording all cross country rides. Photo by Abby Powell.

Tomorrow’s schedule consists of cross country for the Preliminary, Intermediate, and Advanced divisions and we’ll be back tomorrow evening with a breakdown of the upper-level action and a photo gallery.

Go Eventing.

#MHT2021: [Website] [Entry Status] [XC Order of Go] [Ride Times] [Course Maps] [EN’s Coverage]

Today in Tokyo: Sweden Soars, USA Advances in Team Jumping Qualifier

By on Aug 6, 2021 3:00 pm -

This report was compiled from US Equestrian and FEI press releases. 

Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) & Indiana. Photo by FEI / Arnd Bronkhorst.

It was a tough day at the office for many of the nations competing in the Team Jumping Qualifier at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Baji Koen Equestrian Park today. But for Team Sweden it was just another walk in the park.

Since the action began on the first day of the Individual competition last Tuesday, Henrik von Eckermann’s King Edward, Malin Baryard-Johnsson’s Indiana and Peder Fredricson’s All In have not lowered a single pole.

Fredricson and the 15-year-old All In have an incredible record. They were faultless on their way to Individual silver at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and once again on their way to Individual silver here in Tokyo on Wednesday night.

It will be a whole new competition when the action resumes in tomorrow’s Team Final where the top-10 teams from tonight’s qualifier will battle it out once again, all starting on a zero score. But the Swedes look super-confident ahead of that showdown in which they will be challenged by Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, USA, France, Great Britain, Brazil and The Netherlands.

Ondrej Zvara (CZE) & Cento Lano. Photo by FEI / Arnd Bronkhorst.

Dramatic exit

A number of countries made a dramatic exit, including Japan. Daisuke Fukushima and Chanyon, who finished Individually sixth, picked up eight faults when first to go for the host nation, but when Koki Saito and Chilensky were withdrawn that dashed their chances.

Then Irish pathfinder Shane Sweetnam and Alejandro fell at the water-tray vertical at fence 10. The grey gelding had been jumping erratically after paddling the first element of the triple combination at fence five. They left the arena unscathed, but Sweetnam was devastated for his team and for the horse who is normally so reliable.

“He’s an experienced horse, normally he’s very good but he pulled his shoe off going into the triple combination, I don’t know whether that hurt him but it definitely rattled him, and then after that you could see he was very unsettled and wasn’t like himself at all”, said the man who has long been a rock for the Irish side. But his team’s chances of a place in the Final were gone.

When the second rotation of riders got underway Israel’s Teddy Vlock took a fall at the previous liverpool oxer. His 11-year-old mare had already refused at the second fence and had two fences down along the way. Vlock was examined by medics after walking out of the arena and was cleared to go back to his hotel, but knowing that his country was now also out of the medal race.

Photo Copyright © FEI/Christophe Taniére.v

Effortless ease

At the other end of the spectrum the Swedes were just waltzing home with effortless ease. “Our horses have been unbelievable!”, said Baryard-Johnsson. “I think we all have the same feeling that it felt quite easy every round in there – they are all jumping so well, every round!”

The Belgians and Germans also looked very comfortable, both completing with just four faults on the board all made up of time penalties. Gregory Wathelet was last to go for Belgium with Nevados S and felt he was in a comfort zone because his compatriots Pieter Devos with Claire Z and Jerome Guery with Quel Homme de Hus had only collected a single time penalty each. He added two more but didn’t feel under any pressure.

“I just had to go and see how my horse was feeling after the Individual Final because we all know tomorrow will be bigger like the (Individual) Final. It feels like he is fresh so I’m happy about that”, said the rider who finished ninth on Wednesday night.

Germany’s Maurice Tebbel and Don Diarado also picked up two time faults to add to the single faults collected by team-mates Andre Thieme with DSP Chakaria and Daniel Deusser with Killer Queen. Thieme had an interesting time in the arena and said afterwards, “I won’t win the prize for the most stylish round!”, but he was really proud of his 11-year-old mare.

Gregory Wathelet (BEL) & Nevados S. Photo FEI / Arnd Bronkhorst.

Superstar

“She is a superstar and I’m not the only one thinking that. She is complete!”, he said. But that venue, those lights and jumps it’s maybe a bit early and too impressive for her because she’s young and green. But on the other hand if she goes through this she will learn something and everywhere else in the world it will be easy for her. I’m totally in love with this horse! She belongs to the family and she’s so special!”, he added.

Switzerland finished with 10 on the board, the USA with 13, the defending champions from France with 15, and Great Britain racked up 17. The final three teams to make the cut were Brazil who collected 25 faults, The Netherlands who picked up 26 and Argentina who finished with 27 and squeezed Egypt out of the top 10.

Also on the sidelines as the Final plays itself out tomorrow night will be the teams from China, Morocco, New Zealand, Czech Republic and Mexico.

Laura Kraut (USA) & Baloutinue. Photo by FEI/Christophe Taniére.

Team USA

The U.S. Jumping Team has qualified for the Jumping Team Final to be held on Saturday, August 7, beginning at 7:00 p.m. JST/ 6:00 a.m. EDT at Equestrian Park in Tokyo, Japan. The team finished the Team Qualifier competition in fifth place, earning their spot in tomorrow night’s final, with the top ten teams advancing.They will begin tomorrow night on a clean-slate score of zero, as the scores from this evening’s qualifier do not carry over to the team final.

Laura Kraut and Baloutinue led the team as the first combination to test the Santiago Varela (ESP) track and finished with four faults in a time of 80.78 seconds. Jessica Springsteen and Don Juan van de Donkhoeve secured another strong ride for the team, crossing through the timers in 80.67 seconds with only four faults. The anchor combination of McLain Ward and Contagious ensured the team would return for the second round of competition, finishing in 83.03 seconds with four faults and a single time fault. The new format saw a range of scores from the participating teams, ultimately with the U.S. finishing in the top five of 19 teams who contested the course.

Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Baloutinue, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by St. Bride’s Farm, needed to provide a strong foundation for the rest of the team to build on and the duo did just that. The track suited Baloutinue’s style and allowed the pair to position the team off with a strong start, only adding four faults to their score.

“He jumped beautifully. I had said when I walked the course that I thought it could be the bogie jump of the night and I myself probably could have gotten him six inches closer to it, and if I could do it again that’s what I’d do, but other than that he didn’t touch a jump and he did everything I asked of him, so I’m really happy,” said Kraut. “The objective today is to get in tomorrow and pull out all of the stops then.”

In her Olympic debut for the U.S. Jumping Team, Springsteen (Colts Neck, N.J.) and Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion owned by Stone Hill Farm, looked sharp and competitive. The pair, who just barely missed qualification for the Individual Final earlier in the week, made sure to make the most of their time in the arena at Equestrian Park and secured a second solid effort for the team.

“I thought my horse jumped beautifully. I was thinking for the time allowed a little bit and I just needed to regroup before that last line, but I’m thrilled with the way he’s jumping,” said Springsteen. “I had a lot more nerves today as opposed to the first day. I want to make everyone at home proud and have a good performance for my teammates and I think we’re sitting in a good spot heading into tomorrow.”

McLain Ward (USA) & Contagious. Photo by FEI/Christophe Taniére.

Familiar with the pressure of being the anchor rider for the team, Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) and Contagious, a 12-year-old Deutches Sportpferd gelding owned by Beechwood Stables LLC, were impressive in their competition debut after being subbed in specifically for the team competition. With the new format, Ward and Contagious delivered, ultimately helping to punch the team’s ticket to tomorrow’s highly contested team final.

“My horse felt great. This was a new challenge for Contagious and me. We’ve been on the ice for the better part of four weeks and his last show was Rotterdam, which was over a month ago. Over the last ten days I think I’ve maybe jumped eight or nine jumps and to jump at this level is a real challenge,” said Ward. “He was right there with me and I’m proud of Contagious for stepping up. When I originally got the ride on him, I didn’t know if he was an Olympic horse, and he has proved that he’s capable at this level.”

The team is primed and ready for what will be an intense battle for team medals tomorrow with several strong teams also vying for positions on the podium. Feeling positive after tonight’s class, Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland commented on how pleased he is with the way the team’s strategy is playing out.

“The plan is working so far. We went into tonight looking for three solid rounds and we wanted to come in fresh, and also know that this is the first of potentially three rounds, specifically if we are fortunate enough to do well tomorrow and end up in a jump-off. The plan was to not leave too much on the table and I think that’s what happened tonight,” said Ridland. “I thought all three riders rode great and all three horses looked fresh and jumped great. There were three solid rounds and we easily qualified, so we have a good order tomorrow. We’re in good shape and it’s exactly what I was hoping would be the case for us heading into the final day.”

The Jumping Team Finals for medals will begin at 7:00 p.m. JST/6:00 a.m. EDT tomorrow, August 7.

Facts and Figures:

Great Britain was heading the medal table with a total of 5 going into today’s Team Jumping Qualifier – so far they have won 2 in Eventing, 2 in Dressage and 1 in Jumping.

Germany has won four sets of medals to date, 1 in Eventing and 3 in Dressage.

19 teams of three riders started in this evening’s Olympic Jumping Team Qualifier.

France are defending Olympic team champions.

Results here.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Website, EN’s Ultimate Guide to Tokyo 2020, Latest News, Eventing Final Scores , EN’s Coverage, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter