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Day Four at #AEC2021: Advanced/Modified/Training Show Jumping, Novice XC & BN Dressage

By US Equestrian Press Release on Sep 4, 2021 12:53 am -

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

Friday was another busy-bee day at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds, with Advanced, Modified and Training champions being crowned, Novice cross country underway, and Beginner Novice dressage on the books. Here’s a recap of the action!

$60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final

Boyd Martin came to the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds looking to defend his 2019 $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final title and while he succeeded at the goal it wasn’t with the same mount. However, Martin’s victory lands him in the history books as the first rider to win the AEC Advanced class two times on two different horses.

After leading the dressage with Long Island T, Martin fell from him on the cross-country. He then returned and jumped a clear cross-country round with On Cue – déjà vu from the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Martin started off his week in eighth place with Christine Turner’s 16-year-old Selle Francais (Cabri de Elle x On High) mare but moved up to fourth after adding only 6.4 time penalties to his dressage score of 27.3.

Boyd Martin and On Cue. KTB Creative Group Photo.

Bobby Murphy’s show jumping course under the lights in front of a packed Rolex Stadium proved very influential to the top of the standings and when Buck Davidson lowered a pole on both his second and third-placed mounts and the overnight leader, Fylicia Barr, dropped two rails, it opened the door for Martin and On Cue to take the win and a check for $30,000.

“To be honest, coming into the show jumping phase tonight I didn’t think I was going to win,” Martin said. “There were plenty of good horses and riders ahead of me and it is a very high-pressure event.”

The mare is one that Martin is no stranger to riding the victory gallop with, having come in the top-placed American horse at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event earlier this year.

“I am just thrilled with On Cue, she is everything you dream of in a horse— she’s a mover, she’s a galloper, she’s sensitive, she’s elegant, she’s bright, and I’m just blessed to have her, she’s been on fire this year,” he said.

“I think the AEC this year has been incredible,” he continued. “It is an awesome venue, and the competition was stiff with several good competitors jumping clear just before me, but it is a brilliant event and I can’t thank the USEA enough for putting it on.”

Doug Payne and Quantum Leap. KTB Creative Group Photo.

Doug Payne and Quantum Leap made a steady climb up the leaderboard throughout the competition starting in 14^th and ending in the reserve position.

“He’s a special horse,” Payne commented of his 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Quite Capitol x Report to Sloopy) who he has produced since he was a yearling through the USEA Young Event Horse program. “I think he is an incredible athlete and I’m beyond excited for the future. I’ve got to echo Boyd [Martin]’s in that I think this venue is one of the best in the country, and for the future of this sport.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver. KTB Creative Group Photo.

Following a successful finish in the Bates USEA Preliminary Horse division the day before, Liz Halliday-Sharp and another Cooley Farm sourced mount, Cooley Quicksilver, rode for ribbons as the final of the top three finishers.

“He just keeps getting better,” Halliday-Sharp emphasized of the now 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Womanizer x Kylemore Crystal) gelding. “He loves a big atmosphere and I think I also got a little excited about the crowd; when I finished tonight, I got a bit excited like ‘wow we have a crowd again’.”

“This is actually my first AEC event as I have been in England for so many years,” finished Halliday-Sharp. “It has been so much fun, and to be able to have it here at Kentucky Horse Park has been an incredible opportunity for all of the horses and riders to get into these iconic rings.”

While Davidson’s rails dropped him off the podium he still finished in fourth with Jak My Style, a 16-year-old Thoroughbred owned by Kathleen Cuca, and fifth with the Carlevo LLC’s Carlevo, a 14-year-old Holsteiner (Caresino x Ramatuelle).

Boyd Martin’s groom, Stephanie Simpson, shares a moment with On Cue. KTB Creative Group Photo.

Advanced photo gallery from Shannon Brinkman:

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

: Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Julie Wolfert and Namibia receiving the Modified Trophy in Remembrance of Ashley Stout. KTB Creative Group Photo.

Vetoquinol USEA Modified Championship

The inaugural Vetoquinol USEA Modified Championship at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds decorated its first champions Friday morning with professional Julie Wolfert leading the pack aboard Namibia.

The Bucyrus, Kansas native guided her 5-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Tizway x Kitty Tracks) to top placings throughout the entire three-day competition and never gave up their first-place score. After earning a 25.2 in the starting dressage phase, the two were tidy and timely over both cross-country and show jumping phases to finish with only their first score.

Julie Wolfert and Namibia. KTB Creative Group Photo.

“One out of 1- times will this horse usually go completely clear in the show jumping so I am thrilled today was that one,” Wolfert laughed. “He really stepped up to the plate today and despite the fact that he did get a little influenced by the environment, I felt like he was listening well and almost grew wings out there!”

She was also the first recipient of the Modified Trophy in Remembrance of Ashley Stout. The trophy honors the memory of the late junior rider Ashley Stout who passed away tragically in a cross-country schooling accident in 2019 alongside her partner, Avant Garde. Ashley won the Junior Beginner Novice 14 and Under Championship in 2017 and had plans to move up to the new Modified level the year of the accident.

“I feel really honored to be the first to receive such a meaningful award,” Wolfert stated. “I want to give a big hug and shout out to that family and tell them how sorry I am for their loss but their way of honoring her is just beautiful and a lot of horses and riders are going to benefit from this new level.”

Namibia, who raced under the name Katchup Tiz and won $6,165 on the track, was the winner of the TIP award with his finish of 25.2 while Finntastic took the reserve of the TIP for the division.

Martin Douzant and Beall Spring Seahawk in the awards ceremony. KTB Creative Group Photo.

Reserve ribbon honors were received by Martin Douzant and Beall Spring Seahawk as they added nothing to their dressage score for a finish on 28.5. Douzant has built a long-standing partnership with Thora Pollak of Beall Spring Farm in Maryland and has successfully campaigned many of their home-bred Swedish Warmbloods. Just the previous day, Douzant was again in the winner’s circle with another Beall Spring Farm offspring, Olympus.

“These horses exemplify what we are looking to produce in our program,” Douzant explained. “We have a great relationship with the farm to help start and develop all of their young horses and it has been a long, trustful relationship.”

Both his top mount from the Preliminary Horse division and Beall Spring Seahawk have been under the tutelage of Douzant since the young age of 2 years old.

“Both myself and Thora [Pollak] are very excited to have two horses doing so well at this level,” he confirmed. “We are grateful to have such quality horses as wonderful representations of the bloodlines and the farm.”

Heidi Grimm Powell and Finntastic. KTB Creative Group Photo.

Amateur competitor Heidi Grimm Powell made her mark against the professionals as she and her 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (A.P. Prime x Faith Tested Raye) Finntastic leapt from sixth to third place to round out the top three. Powell was also the recipient of the Highest Placed Adult Amateur award for the division.

“Finn is just amazing and has come so far even though he had a bit of a rough start,” Powell gushed. “He has had so much heart right from the start but was very insecure and I am lucky enough to have had some fantastic trainers and coaches to help me bring out the best in him.

“I am just so happy to have been able to take this journey with him because this has been a new experience for me as well,” she added. “This is the highest level I have reached as well, and being able to be up here at the very to[ with these two professionals is very humbling, I am so pleased.”

The Highest Placed Young Rider award went to the fourth place winner Caroline Dannemiller aboard Fernhill Dreaming.

Training Riders Take Home Championships

Training Rider: Equine Veterinarian and amateur competitor Katie Sisk steadily rose up the ranks over the course of the Training Rider division to overtake the previous leader on the final day of competition. Sisk navigated her homebred mare Long Legs Lenore around the stadium course flawlessly to wrap up with a 30.7.

The victory is one uniquely special for Sisk who bred, delivered, and developed the 5-year-old Hanoverian mare (Rapture R x Demonet’s Darling) herself at her home base of Carthage, Missouri.

“I am so incredibly proud of her, she is amazing,” Sisk gushed. “We were able to qualify for this at the very last minute and this was only her fourth Training event but we have had so much amazing help from my coach Julie Wolfert.”

“This is my hobby but I try to dedicate as much time to it as I can,” she continued. “I wake up most mornings at 5:00 a.m. to ride before I have to go to my appointments and I am just so proud that all of the hard work has paid off today.”

Training Amateur: Lisa Niccolai was the first to don a champion ribbon as competitors in all divisions of the Training sections took to the Rolex Stadium for their final phase. Niccolai piloted the 7-year-old Zweibrucker gelding (Kharacter C x Tessa) KC’s Celtic Kharacter around Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course without fault to advance from second to first place on the second day of competition. The young horse then rose to the occasion to cross clean and efficiently through the timers of the show jumping phase for the win on 27.6.

“Honestly, we almost did not come this weekend because of some issues at home and then the hurricane, so I am beyond thrilled that we did in fact stick to our plans,” Niccolai emphasized.

“I’m speechless,” she continued. “I came with the goal of just finishing our event, and there have been a number of times as we’ve been walking around the property that I just couldn’t even believe we were here. So even more so for us to win at this point of our career, it is just an amazing experience I will always treasure.”

Training Horse: The top three combinations in the Training Horse division Lauren Lambert, Lauren Nicholson, and Lynn Symansky, all produced incredibly consistent results over the course of their three-day event to keep their individual podium positions from start to finish. Lambert had the peak dressage ride, finishing on a score of 24.3 in the opening phase with Elizabeth Rader’s Biscotti. Flawless performances across cross-country left the pair on their opening score for the champion ribbon.

“Things have really clicked for him over the past few months and he is beginning to feel more comfortable in his own skin,” Lambert described of the 9-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar gelding (Benidetto x Hey Nurse). “He has only been competing in eventing for about a year, and before that he was showing in the jumpers which is where Mike Huber found him, so we thought it would be ideal for him to start seeing new venues.”

Lambert credits owner Rader with much of the gelding’s experience as she is an integral part of his weekly training.

“Elizabeth is actually the one who rides him during the week and takes lessons on him and I am on the ground teaching,” Lambert explained. “However, she does not have any desire to show so I am fortunate enough to get the ride on him and AEC has been a goal for us since the beginning of the year.”

Junior Training: The trip all the way from Fallbrook, California was well worth the effort for Shelby Murray who proved unbeatable in the Junior Training division. From the start, Murray led the chase for the championship title with Laurel Ritter’s 9-year-old Oldenburg mare (Rotspon x Chatari) Reverie GWF producing a respectable dressage score of 22.0 and only added 0.4 time penalties overall for a finishing score of 22.4.

The win was Murray’s sixth of the year. “She was just truly awesome,” Murray gushed. “She was extremely bold cross-country and very confident in show jumping as well. She put on her game face and did everything I asked so I couldn’t be happier with her.”

The pair trekked across the country the previous week and debuted only their second time on grass turf. “We competed in Montana last month and that was both of our’s first time riding on the grass, but if anything I think she rides a bit better on it,” Murray explained. “I couldn’t ask for a better horse, our partnership has blossomed so much over the past year.”

Beginner Novice Gets Underway

Beginner Novice competition at the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds got underway Friday morning with six divisions taking over the numerous dressage rings set up across the Kentucky Horse Park. Competitors of all ages from across the country put their best foot forward for the judges, with one Beginner Novice competitor receiving a score of 18.5 which is officially the lowest score of the 2021 AEC.

Jane Musselman and Engapore. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle Photo.

Novice competitors donned their safety vests and sported their favorite colors as the sun rose over the cross-country track Friday morning. With the first of six divisions kicking off at 8:00 a.m., the famous head of the lake saw rider after rider through later in the afternoon. While there was some shuffling of placings, the overnight leaders from dressage in each division held onto the coveted top spot upon the conclusion of their cross-country tests.

Novice Rider

Jane Musselman and Bentley’s Best. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.

A clear cross-country ride inside the time was just the ticket for Jane Musselman. She’s still in the top placing of the competitive 53-entry USEA Novice Rider Championship aboard Bentley’s Best.

Hauling in from Louisville, Ky., Musselman competes often at the Kentucky Horse Park, but this week is a different ball game. “It’s great to always to be able to show at the Horse Park, but you know it’s a totally different experience [during AEC]. Everything is just bigger and grander and all the competition and it’s pretty special,” she said.

The 14-year-old Trakehner gelding boasts an impressive 24.2 going into the final phase.

Less than two points behind the overnight leaders, Nancy Z. Wilson, of Flat Rock, N.C., and Lagerfeld, a 10-year-old German Sport Horse (Last Man Standing x Bonja), went penalty-free today to stay on 25.6 points.

Madeline Bletzacker, Galena, Ohio, stepped into third place with Drummer Boy on a score of 26.6. Her 13-year-old Hanoverian (Don Principe x Winterzauber) added nothing to his score on Friday.

Novice Master Amateur

Jane Musselman is two-for-two. She’s leading two championship divisions for the second day in a row. Her Engapore tops the USEA Novice Master Amateur Championship.

The 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Engapore (Singapore x Orize) stands ahead of the pack on a dressage score that carries no additional penalties of 26.

“[Bentley’s Best] is very strong. He likes to run, actually both of them are pretty, pretty much the same cross country — very bold and they like to go fast so I have to be very mindful of the time at this level.,” Mussleman said.

Darlene Walters, Franklin, Ind., and Concord Dawn, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred (Smart Guy x Della Street) stepped up one position to hold second overnight on a score of 26.6. Making the trek from Santa Fe, N.M., Jennifer Achilles rounds out the top three on 26.8 penalties aboard Excel Star Lance, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Lancelot who was sourced by Courtney Cooper.

Junior Novice

Mia Brown and Duke HW. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle Photo

California native Mia Brown is now in a two-day lead of the Junior Novice Championship on the impressive score of 22.3. Partnered with Duke HW, her 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Delatio x Stella Girl), Brown, she finished double clear thanks to a tack change in warm-up.

“This was only my second time riding him on the grass, and the first time using studs in warm-up. He actually felt stickier than he usually does because we were both getting used to the amount of grip the studs give us. So I ended up putting on a small pair of spurs, and I think it really helps both of us just get a little quicker off the ground,” she said. “He came like super forward to everything. I was a little worried about the terrain, but it ended up helping us a lot because it made him sit down on his hind end, so I put my leg on and it was super bold to all the fences.”

They have a rail in hand heading into Saturday’s finale.

Ava Stevens and Two Against The World, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Reputed Testamony x Black Orchid), sit in second place. Past AEC Champions, these Indianapolis, Ind. natives are on their dressage score of 27.6.

Partnered with her own Peter Pan, Cincinnati, Ohio’s Zoe Hagedorn is third. She and the 6-year-old Holsteiner (Connor x Wanda PP) are also sub-30 with a score of 28.2.

Junior Novice 15 & Under

Margaret Frost and Euro Star. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.

Margaret Frost, a 15-year-old from Newnan, Ga., galloped easily around the Kentucky Horse Park to remain in control of the USEA Junior Novice 15 & Under Championship.

“Don’t take anything for granted,” was coach Julie Richards’ advice before Frost went on course, and that’s exactly what she did to go clean with Euro Star, her 12-year-old Warmblood gelding (Qredo Van De Kempenhoeve x Panama).

“[The Head of the Lake] I felt was just super fun. I mean, he was a little spooky going in but he just fared everything so well,” Frost said. “He just listened to me perfectly. He was just on his game. And he didn’t look at anything.”

Laura Voorheis and Sally Smedley maintained the top three as well, holding on to second and third place, respectively. Voorheis is on a score of 30.7 with Herbst, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Aldato x Miss Beckett). Smedley is partnered with Golden Ticket CR, a 13-year-old German Sport Horse (Danny Gold x Stutbuch 1), on 31.2 points.

Novice Horse

Adalee Ladwig and Argenta MSF. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.

Lexington, Ky. resident Adalee Ladwig swelled with pride after completing the USEA Novice Horse Championship cross country with Argenta MSF, a horse she produced herself.

The 8-year-old Hanoverian mare (Jesper x Callie) went double clear to keep her dressage score of 27.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true,” Ladwig said. “I love eventing so much, and be able to do it with a horse that you brought up yourself. It’s so rewarding.”

Hailing from Poway, Calif., Chloe Smyth and Michelle Donaldson’s 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Breitling x unknown) Byzantine SC made easy work of the Novice cross-country track to remain on 28.3 penalty points. Team Holling LLC’s Fernhill Copain, a 5-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Corico Z x De Zazoe VH ST Anneke) also stays in third place with Jonathan Holling, Ocala, Fla., in the irons. Their dressage result of 28.8 carries on to the final phase.

Novice Amateur

Cecilia Emilsson and Blazing Angel. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.

Sitting in first after dressage isn’t an unusual scenario for Cecilia Emilsson and Blazing Angel, her own 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare (Firecard x Angliana). The duo have gone into the second phase of competition in the lead at several events in the past, but with the second-place pair just one point behind her, Emilsson was feeling the pressure before her warm-up began.

“My nerves have been wracked the entire day. She felt absolutely phenomenal in the warm-up so I felt confident, but also a little terrified to mess up. It felt really good. There was a lot of pressure! She is a really good girl and is really brave!”

After a successful warm-up, Emilsson felt confident in the start box and had a plan in place – a plan that was almost spoiled when Emilsson’s watch froze at the three-minute mark while on course. “I looked down at my watch and thought to myself, ‘why is my watch stopped at minute three?’ I knew that I was fast, so I really tried to pace myself coming in, but I wasn’t sure when I crossed the finish if I ended too fast.”

Emilsson’s trainer Julie Penshorn of Sunborn Stables in Chisago City, Minnesota, laughed as she recalled the time glitch, “She was going really fast! She was probably running at 440mpm, she was close to Training speed! Thankfully, she really slowed down!”

Emilsson and the Blazing Angel will go into show jumping sitting on a two-phase score of 21.1. The remainder of the top three in the Novice Amateur division remain unchanged after cross-country with Kai Bradley aboard Diamonds Forever, her own 9-year-old Hanoverian mare (Donar Weiss GGF x Whizzo) sitting in second on a 22.5 and Samantha Schwartz and Rumble Fish, her 15-year-old Quarter Horse gelding (Pure Pauli x Miss Diamond B Okie) rounding out the top three on a 28.1.

Novice show jumping gets underway at 7:30 a.m tomorrow.

Erin Buckner and Picassi. Xpress Foto Photo.

Junior Beginner Novice

Erin Buckner of Buckhead, Georgia, and her 17-year-old gelding, Picassi (Paparazzo x Lady Lily) put forward an impressive display to score an 18.5 for the early lead in the Junior Beginner Novice and earn the only score in the teens in the AEC this year.

“He just loves dressage, I think that is by far his favorite phase,” Buckner detailed. “He perked up immediately and was so bright but relaxed at the same time; he just did great.”

When asked about his low-penalty score, Buckner simply stated she thought the gelding’s attitude was the winning ticket.

“I think his whole demeanor was really the key, he just went in there wanting to work and wanting to please.

“We originally bought him for my sister but when she stopped riding I took over the ride,” she continued. “We started over some very small stuff like tadpole jumps and have just been taking our time moving up.”

Scarlett Peinado of Aubrey, Texas and the 11-year-old American Warmblood mare (Carrington x unknown) 50 Shades of Envy followed suit with a score of 21.6. Elkhorn, Wisconsin resident Abigail Haydam and the 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Noteworthy x What A Tattle Tale) C-Note added on 0.7 faults to round out the top three lineup.

Beginner Novice Horse

Kristine Burgess and Marisol. Xpress Foto Photo

Hugo, Montana’s Kristine Burgess displayed fancy footwork with her 5-year-old Trakehner mare Marisol to emerge victorious in the dressage phase of the Beginner Novice Horse division with a score of 25.5.

“We actually purchased her as a mount for my mom but because she is only 5 I have been putting some riding and training on her for now,” Burgess said. “We weren’t necessarily looking for another horse but the minute I saw her I sent the link to my mom anyways because she reminded me so much of the mare she already had that she absolutely adored.”

“We basically ended up buying her off a video,” Burgess laughed, “but she has already exceeded our expectations. She takes on every challenge and wants to figure it out and do the right thing.”

Laura Kosiorek-Smith of Hanoverton, Ohio and Crissteen Miller’s 7-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare (Schwarzenegger x Garcia) Star Quality CSF took to second place after dressage with a penalty of 28.00. Kalie Beckers and her own 6-year-old American Warmblood mare, Calla BGF (Carush x unknown) put their best foot forward to finish with 28.3

Junior Beginner Novice 14 & Under

Laura Voorheis and Hillcrest Hop. Xpress Foto Photo.

All the way from New York, New York, Laura Voorheis put forward her best fancy footwork with Hillcrest Hop, her 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Dilshaan x Queen Judy) for a first-place score of 27.1

“He is definitely my youngest horse at the moment but it has been so fun to watch him develop since buying him in December,” she commented. “He’s always been a bit feisty but he was phenomenal in the test today. His canter work has gotten a lot stronger over the past few months so I think that was one of our best movements today.”

Crestwood, Kentucky’s Larkyn Hendren showed some things really do get better with age as she waltzed into second place with her 20-year-old Arabian mare, Sandy with 29.0. Carolyn Wheeler’s 14-year-old Sport Horse mare Karisma and Maisy Sullivan added only 0.9 penalties to Hendren’s score to finish third.

Beginner Novice Amateur

Cami Pease and Vibrant. Xpress Foto Photo.

Cami Pease, Washington, D.C., leads the way for the USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship. She earned a respectable 24.8 with Vibrant, her 21-year-old Belgian Warmblood (Orlando x Fatima Van De Heffenk). These two are no strangers to the top of the leaderboard, they won the Beginner Novice Amateur Championship in 2018, and they’ll rely heavily on that experience in the coming jumping phases.

Emily Nichols, Greenfield, Ind., piloted Galway Girl, her 9-year-old Thoroughbred (Trifecta Scott x Blues Muse) into second place on a score of 26.3. Third place belongs to The Plains, Va.’s Sophie Ann Stremple on a dressage result of 27.3 with Dolly, the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Shannon Davis.

Beginner Novice Rider

It’s been 23 years since Susan Goodman, Wickenburg, Ariz., competed at the Kentucky Horse Park, and she made her return a memorable one, leading the USEA Beginner Novice Rider Championship after dressage on a 26.8.

“We did the long format, [now CCI2*-L] three-day event here in 1998. So I did get to ride around here and do the roads and tracks and steeplechase, and that was very fun,” Goodman said. “That was kind of my bucket list thing. And then I really, several years ago, I lost my older horse that I had ridden for a long time, and thought, ‘I’m done. I’m not gonna ride anymore.’ And then these girls came up with this boy for me.”

The 9-year-old draft gelding, who was picked out by one of Goodman’s daughter’s students, turned out to be the perfect fit for Goodman, who at 73 is the second oldest competitor this weekend.

“I’ve had a lot of fun on him. I’ve just, I’ve just taken it real slow. And I haven’t evented for a long time, but I’m now in my 70s and so I just have this new-to-me horse, and we’re just having fun,” she said.

Second place in the division belongs to Purcellville, Va.’s Leigh Wood and Dollar Mountain, her own 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Forestry x Formal Tango) on a 27.1 and Katherine Rutherford of White Heath, Ill. with Amazingly Lucky, her own 13-year-old Paint gelding sit in third on a 27.8.

Beginner Novice Master Amateur

Penny Welsch and Mr. Poppers. Xpress Foto Photo.

The 2021 AEC is also somewhat of a renaissance for Penny Welsch, who leads the USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship after dressage on a score of 25.1 with Stuart Brown’s Mr. Poppers, a 13-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding.

“It’s been almost 40 years since I evented,” Welsch, from Ocala, Fla., said. “ I never thought I’d ever step foot on this ground with a horse. You know, I just evented as a teenager, you know, and not big time then either. It was the small stuff up in New Jersey. So this is a dream come true.”

Renee Senter, Overland Park, Kan., is the second-placed rider aboard Regina, the 14-year-old Holsteiner (Regulus x Nellina), on a score of 27. Just behind on 27.8 is Amy Winnen, Rochester, N.Y., and Galatea HU, a 15-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar (Galant Du Serein x Rohmanie), on a score of 27.8.

Now that dressage is over for the Beginner Novice riders they are on to cross-country tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.

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

Saturday Links

By Abby Powell on Sep 4, 2021 12:01 am -

And this is what has made the AECs at the Kentucky Horse Park so special … Marilyn Payne has been to Kentucky as a judge, but now she can say that she has dropped into the Head of the Lake herself! Congratulations to Marilyn and her mount Sf Double Entendre, who finished on their dressage score for fifth place in the Training Horse Championship.

And don’t forget … it’s cross country day at Chedington Bicton Park CCI5*! Here’s how to watch.

U.S. Weekend Action:

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

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

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

Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, Wa.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

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

Major International Events:

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

Saturday Links:

Meet The Athlete: Olympic Equestrian Thomas Heffernan Ho

Temple Grandin: Horses Need To See Objects From All Sides

The Shoulder-in: More Than Dressage Gymnastics

Land Rover Blair Castle International 2021 – Wrap Up

Hurricane Preparedness and Horse Ownership

Saturday Social Media:

Friday Video from SmartPak: Friesians! Friesians! Friesians!

By Leslie Wylie on Sep 3, 2021 9:00 pm -

We are a 24/7 all-request show here at EN and recently got a tip about a viral YouTube channel called Friesian Horses that features near-daily videos from a breeding farm in Friesland, The Netherlands, from which the Friesian horse breed originated. There are lots and lots of baby Friesian videos, as it is a breeding facility, as well as deep dives into the lives of individual horses at the farm.

The channel’s most viewed video (7.5+ million views) follows the story of a mare, Queen👑Unie, who gives birth to a stillborn then takes on an orphan foal. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming, all bundled into one 12-minute stretch.

Friesians are astonishingly versatile animals, and they’ve made their way into the sporthorse (and even pop culture) world in a big way these past few years. Check out this video of a Grand Prix dressage Friesian!

A few special Friesians have even been spotted out eventing. Are you the proud rider of one? Let us know by posting a pic in the Facebook comments!

Gallery: The Ups, Downs, and Emotions of Bicton’s Five-Star Dressage Day

By Tilly Berendt on Sep 3, 2021 7:13 pm -

Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules are second in the ring, watched over by an enthusiastic crowd. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s been an incredible first day of sport at the Chedington Bicton Arena Five-Star, as we’ve recapped in great detail in our dressage report — but for every story that makes it into the headlines, there are a million more playing out behind the scenes. We’ll be bringing you some more of them over the next couple of days, but in the meantime, immerse yourself in all the action — and all the emotions — with some of our favourite images from today’s competition.

Oliver gives the in-ring camera crew a thumbs up after his test with MHS King Joules, which sees him go into cross-country in tenth place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Padraig McCarthy and the gleaming HHS Noble Call get to work, and will go into cross-country in 24th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Canada’s Mike Winter delivers his first five-star test since 2009, riding his ‘horse of a lifetime’ El Mundo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Mike finishes his dressage test on the remarkable gelding, who he nursed back to health after the horse broke his leg as a five-year-old. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Mike Winter’s groom gives El Mundo a kiss after his test, which earned a 29.6 for 13th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

One of our favourite bits of Mike’s test? His custom Black Lives Matter stirrups. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sweden’s Malin Josefsson heads into the ring with Golden Midnight… Photo by Tilly Berendt.

…and celebrates after her test, which puts her in 27th place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Louisa Lockwood and Diamond Ructions post a 31.5 for 16th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

William Fox-Pitt laughs after getting lost on his way back out of the arena after his test with Oratorio II. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Simon Grieve and the diminutive Mr Fahrenheit III perform the horse’s CCI5* debut test, scoring a 36.3 for overnight 28th. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ireland’s Joseph Murphy returns to England for another five-star run, this time aboard Gorsehill Pearl, the kind-hearted mare his young daughter Daisy enjoys pony rides on at home. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

New Zealand’s James Avery and Mr Sneezy get their second five-star off to a great start, posting a 28.7 and taking 12th place provisionally. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Point those toes: James Avery and Mr Sneezy in action. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

James Avery, groom Frankie Murrell and Mr Sneezy head to the stables after a great test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Izzy Taylor and Fonbherna Lancer strut their stuff amid the rolling hills of Devon and take overnight fourth place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It takes a village: Izzy Taylor and her team get to work looking after Fonbherna Lancer after their test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

24-year-old Harry Mutch pilots HD Bronze to a 35.3, which puts them into 26th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Gemma Tattersall’s head girl Charlotte Overton and ‘yes man’ Chilli Knight wait for Gemma to finish media duties in the mixed zone after their test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Felicity Collins, the youngest rider in the field at just 23, navigates the first phase with her self-produced RSH Contend OR, earning a 31.9 for 17th place at this early stage. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Big hugs for ‘Mickey’ after a job well done with Felicity Collins. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Angus Smales’s ESI Phoenix looks ready for the fun bit on dressage day… Photo by Tilly Berendt.

…but keeps it under control to post a five-star personal best for Angus of 29.9, putting the pair in 15th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Will Rawlin — one of just two first-timers in the field — heads towards the ring for his test with VIP Vinnie… Photo by Tilly Berendt.

…and return to the chute, having put a 25.6 on the board for third place going into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“We call him Loopy Louis!” Australia’s Sammi Birch sits through a couple of excitable bucks to complete Finduss PFB’s five-star debut test, scoring a 39 for overnight 32nd. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sammi Birch and press officer Kate Green had down to the media zone. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sam Griffiths debuts 16-year-old Gurtera Cher, posting a 34 for equal 21st. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Five-year-old Archie Smales waits while dad Angus chats to the TV crews. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Team GB vet Liz Brown chats to Ros Canter and her daughter Ziggy… Photo by Tilly Berendt.

…before Ziggy spots her friend Max March and dashes over to say hi. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

However, in a turn of events most of us can relate to, Max pretends he doesn’t know Ziggy and everyone has to try to style out an uncomfortable social situation. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ros Canter emerges from the thick trees of the chute to head into the ring with debutante Pencos Crown Jewel. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Afterwards, they exit to raucous applause, despite ‘Jasmine’s’ inherent suspicion of people. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Richard Skelt pilots long-time partner Credo III — or Pedro — to 36.4 and 29th place. Richard picked up Pedro for a bargain price as a youngster because of his sharpness, which Richard kept well under control today. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pippa Funnell beams after a super test with Majas Hope, who sits in the top ten going into dressage and has become a consistent performer in dressage, which has historically been his weakest phase. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Georgie Spence and Halltown Harley on their way to a 35.2 and 25th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain show some of what’s to come from the flashy gelding. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Francis laughs with the stewards after his test on ‘Prince’, which put him in 23rd overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“Okay, now tell them that if they send £25,000 in unmarked bills, we’ll release you unharmed”: Bruce Haskell interrogates — erm, interviews — Francis Whittington. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy March’s husband, Tom, holds Vanir Kamira after her test while head girl Amy Phillips tends to the mare. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“She’s got a heart that’s bigger than a lion’s,” beams Piggy, chatting through her test with the media. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tim Price gives Ringwood Sky Boy a pat after his test, which put the pair into fifth place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Who could resist this face? 18-year-old Ringwood Sky Boy is the oldest horse in the field and makes his 17th five-star start this week. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The look of eagles: Padraig McCarthy’s Leonidas II, formerly the ride of Mark Todd, eyes up the arena before his test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The look of eagles, part two: Padraig sternly surveys the ring. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A 28.5 puts Padraig and Leonidas in eleventh going into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

David Doel grins as he heads out of the arena with the inexperienced Ferro Point, who sits 31st heading into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ferro Point isn’t impressed about the post-test bit check, but acquiesces. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pippa Funnell gives Billy Walk On a pat after a super test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

More pats for Billy Walk On… Photo by Tilly Berendt.

…and unbridled joy for Pip, as she realises she’s taken the lead on an unassailable 23.9. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Oliver Townend closes out the day’s proceedings with debutant Tregilder, posting a 29.7 for 14th. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

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

Bicton CCI5*: Pippa Funnell Marches Into Dressage Lead with Billy Walk On

By Tilly Berendt on Sep 3, 2021 5:35 pm -

Pippa Funnell takes hold of the lead in Britain’s first five-star since Burghley 2019, which she won with MGH Grafton Street. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s been two achingly long years since we last had a CCI5* in the UK, and Britain’s conglomerate of eventers have felt every last minute of that wait. All, perhaps, except Pippa Funnell who, as the winner of Burghley 2019, has been Britain’s de facto five-star champion.

Okay, okay, maybe she’s been missing it too: “at my age, you don’t want to wait too long — I don’t know how brave I am these days,” she joked through the afternoon as the field of 32 came forward for their first-phase efforts. She certainly didn’t drop the ball in defending her title, either, though this week’s effort comes at Devon’s one-time-only Chedington Bicton International CCI5*, which acts as a replacement for Burghley this year. After delivering a top-ten test on her first horse, the stalwart Majas Hope, she came back into the ring at the end of the day and threw down a 23.9 with the lanky 12-year-old Billy Walk On.

“It’s not often I’m delighted, but I was delighted with the way he went,” says Pippa, who opted to scale back both horses’ flatwork in the lead-up to the event — a decision that paid dividends.

“He’s a very, very big horse, and I have to be careful I don’t overdo the work, so he’s done lots and lots of fitness work, which they’ll obviously need for this sort of track,” she explains. “But over the last week, I’ve been careful not to do too much dressage — and not just for the horse’s benefit. With [first ride] Majas Hope, I’ve found a much better system for him, and that is never to put a dressage saddle on [at home]. And I thought, ‘well, if it works for him!’ And actually, I’m much happier not doing sitting trot in a dressage saddle, so both horses have been in jumping saddles all week and the only sitting trot [I’ve done] is in the dressage test.”

“Yesterday he was quite fresh and tricky, so I did quite a lot with him yesterday and again this morning. And thenI held my nerve and really just kept him walking, because when he came out this afternoon he felt really on it and with me, so I thought, ‘I’m not going to do too much — it’s got to be [in the ring], not outside.”

That meant that when he entered the capacious main arena, he was able to make the most of his considerable movement to deliver a very nearly foot-perfect test.

“He was fabulous in his brain, and it’s all credit to the team here: it was a wonderful arena to ride in, lovely to ride on the grass, and actually, it was a lovely atmosphere. He was lovely to ride, and I’m pleased I did him justice. He’s always consistent, and has been pretty consistent in his tests. I tend to have one little blip in his tests, and it’s normally in a change or something. He’s getting stronger; he’s a really big, long horse and quite a lot to keep together.”

Pippa Funnell’s score comes in and confirms her dressage lead. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The last time Pippa found herself in this position, she went on to win Burghley — and though she’s perennially modest about her ability to deliver a fast and fierce clear round, it’s clear that she’ll be a formidable force to be reckoned with over tomorrow’s tough track.

“We all know what the sport’s like — I’ve got two horses that I feel I’ve got very fit, and I’m very much hoping they’re going to go well, but I know I’ve got speedier people and younger people snapping at my heels. My job is to give my horses as good, as safe and as fast a trip as is possible. Who knows what the results will be at the end of it, but when I get out there, I’m pretty sure I’ll be wanting it and competitive, and if I don’t, then I have to get my act together!”

And just as she was at Burghley, she finds herself just ahead of her great friend and longtime competitor Piggy March: “It’s very good news to get in front of Piggy, because she’s always at her best,” she laughs.

Piggy March and her 2019 Badminton winner Vanir Kamira sit in second going into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy, for her part, took Britain’s other CCI5* back in 2019, winning Badminton with the tough and super-consistent Vanir Kamira. They posted a 25.5, which is her second-best score at the level — she posted a 25 at Badminton back in 2018, and regularly scores competitively despite not necessarily being built for this phase.

“[Dressage trainer] Ian Woodhead always tells me — because I’m like, ‘it’s not good enough, it’s not good enough!’ — that honestly, it looks fine. I know with her that the ‘clear round’ is the most important thing. I have to have her mind in the right place,” says Piggy. To make that happen, head girl Amy Phillips “just loose lunges her forever. We just try to sort of bore her, because she is what she is.”

“I joke the night before, saying ‘I’m going to make her into Valegro tomorrow!’, but she doesn’t find it easy and she’s a definite mare. There’s that fine line of it being okay or not. If she’s happy and she smiles, her movements are up two marks anyway, even if the movements are the same, because her expression can change her whole outlook.”

Piggy has long been waiting for another chance to run ‘Tillybean’ at this level, where she’s able to shine.

“She was fourteen when she last ran at Burghley. She’s dreadful at one-days; she’s like, ‘what’s the point of being here?’ and she gives no feel. You can’t just pick her up and go into a dressage test; this actually took the last month of trying to get her back into shape mentally and physically so that I can just get on her ten minutes before, pick her up and put the pressure on, and have her believe and trust and go and do her best. So the one-days are quite painful, so she’s not been running very much, and I was just hoping that she would come back into shape.”

Though there’s something admittedly surreal about a five-star in a new place, Tilly — like many of her fellow four-legged compatriots — is wholly aware of what she’s here to do.

“She’s used to Badminton and Burghley and she knows the places well, so she knows when she walks to the arena [that she’s at a five-star]. This is different, but even things like going on the grass — I hadn’t done that all week because she has delicate feet, so we have to stay wherever we can that’s as soft and pleasant as possible to keep her happy. And so I think she thought, ‘this is something new; this is an occasion!'”

That innate perception of an occasion — and the desire to rise to it — is what makes the mare such a success at the upper echelons of the sport, says Piggy.

“You wouldn’t pick her out [as an obvious superstar] like a Ballaghmor Class, that’s like, boom, but my god, her heart is just… you know, she’s a pain in the butt all the time, but that heart is what a good mare is all about.”

Will Rawlin and VIP Vinnie sit third after dressage in their five-star debut. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Making your CCI5* is always a thrilling, nerve-wracking prospect — but for 27-year-old Will Rawlin and his self-produced VIP Vinnie, their debut has been nothing short of magical so far. They sit third going into tomorrow’s cross-country after delivering a 25.6, even despite two early errors in the trot work which saw Vinnie break into canter.

“Being behind Pippa and Piggy is amazing,” says Will. “I’m super proud of him, because he just pulled it out of the bag. I made an absolute howler of a mistake in the first medium, and I was like, ‘ah, shit, we’ve really messed this up.’ But then I thought, ‘okay, right, just relax. That’s one movement done, and there’s plenty more to come’. So we knuckled down and he really gave it his all — but there’s so much more to come from him.”

27-year-old Will, who led the dressage at Blenheim on Vinnie in 2019 and finished third in the CCI4*-L for under-25s at Bramham that year, knows his horse as well as he knows himself by now — quirks and all.

“He’s quite arrogant, and he knows he’s good and has an opinion. When Michael, my groom, was getting him ready and doing quarter markers, Vinnie was absolutely having none of it and wouldn’t stand still — he’s very opinionated and he knows he’s special, so he likes to tell everyone he is.”

Now, on the eve of the biggest challenge of their lives and in an enviable position to tackle it from, Will is remaining positive — but pragmatic — about what’s to come.

“I’m excited and ready to get stuck in, but equally, it’s my first five-star,” he says. “I do want to be competitive but my main aim is to get my first completion and get that under my belt with a good ride.”

Izzy Taylor pilots five-star debutant Fonbherna Lancer to overnight fourth heading into tomorrow’s cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The road to five-star hasn’t necessarily been straightforward for the talented 11-year-old Fonbherna Lancer. He was originally produced by New Zealand’s Neil Spratt, who gave the gelding his FEI debut back in 2018, and from then on out, Izzy had the ride, producing him to four-star and campaigning him at Boekelo in 2019. After that, though, owners The Lancer Stud moved the horse to Piggy March’s string, and she competed him successfully through 2020 and early 2021, notching up top-five finishes in CCI4*-S classes at Burnham Market and Little Downham. The plan had originally been to aim him for his CCI5* debut at Burghley this autumn, but when the cancellation announcement was released earlier this spring, his owners decided to reroute him to Luhmühlen. But Piggy wasn’t yet qualified to run a five-star with him, as she’d withdrawn before cross-country in their one CCI4*-L entry because of concerns about the ground, and so the horse was moved back to Izzy five weeks before the event. Then, of course, those pesky travel restrictions came into place, and Izzy was also temporarily sidelined with a broken collarbone, so Luhmühlen didn’t happen for them — and now, he makes his five-star debut in the originally intended week at Burghley’s replacement event.

Today, though, they made the best of their unique situation, earning themselves 25.7 for overnight fourth place.

“We made mistakes, quietly, all over the place,” says Izzy. “He’s such a beautiful horse in his brain and his movement and everything. I just get annoyed with myself because he’s so beautiful and a little mistake feels like a massive one on him, whereas on a more average horse you wouldn’t even notice it. I hope with some more cementing of our partnership, he’ll learn to enjoy the atmosphere in the future and be a real show off. We haven’t really done very much, so we’ll have to have a bit of trust tomorrow.”

Tim Price and 2018 Burghley winner Ringwood Sky Boy hold fifth place after dressage in the horse’s seventeenth CCI5*. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

There are warhorses, and then there’s eighteen-year-old Ringwood Sky Boy, who makes his seventeenth (yes, really) CCI5* start this week with New Zealand’s Tim Price. Initially bought as a cheap resale project with a penchant for bolting, ‘Oz’ couldn’t be shifted and has since become a part of the furniture at the Price family’s Wiltshire farm, where Tim has put in the time and effort to help his 2018 Burghley winner thrive in his work. Today, that resulted in a competitive 26.7, good enough for fifth place overnight, which puts them in a strong position to climb from tomorrow.

“I’m just super proud of him, because he’s not a dressage horse. Over the years, he’s learned to work with it and to try and enjoy it a little bit — and he almost stood still three times, so that’s good,” says Tim with a laugh. “It’s not a given with him, because his anxiety sits quite close to the surface. But he’s a senior man now, and I think he’s learned to deal with who he is. He really does try, and that’s the thing with him — what used to just be exertion and effort in just one dynamic, which was just to throw himself to the other side of the jump whether it was a big five-star fence or a showjump that he wasn’t supposed to touch, he’s been able to refine that desire to please into being the whole package for doing this sort of job. I’m super proud of him, and he’s a credit to himself, really.”

William Fox-Pitt celebrates a 27 aboard Oratorio, which sees them in sixth place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

William Fox-Pitt returns with Oratorio II for the horse’s second CCI5* of 2021, after a competitive run at Kentucky this spring ended with a surprise fall at the tail end of the course — but Oratorio, who’s a son of William’s Pau winner Oslo and a previous Blenheim CCI4*-L runner-up, looks fit and well as his redemption arc yawns ahead of him. Though their test was, perhaps, rather on the conservative side today, it was correct and pleasant, earning them 27 and overnight sixth place.

“Maybe it was a little bit too dull to get in the low twenties, but I thought he really did his best and I was thrilled with him,” says William. “And I was really thrilled I went the right way, because I’ve never done this test before and the brain doesn’t always work these days. You never quite know when it’s going to let you down!”

Their score today is less than a penalty better than the 27.9 they posted at Kentucky, but William says that the quality of the work has improved in the interim period — an assertion that bodes well for future, bolder efforts.

“The Kentucky test was very nice, but Chris [Bartle] gave me some comments and on the videos, which was really useful, and I’ve worked on that to get a bit more expression,” he says. “He couldn’t have done much better; he gave me a really good feeling and felt very rideable. I could always probably say that I should have ridden a bit more, but I know today that some horses are feeling quite tense in there. He was actually very cool, and I’m pleased about that because it’s quite isolated out there — they’re certainly on a stage.”

Ros Canter’s five-star first-timer Pencos Crown Jewel sit seventh on 27.1. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

World champion Ros Canter comes to Bicton off the back of a highly successful trip to Scotland’s Blair Castle last week, where she won both the CCI3*-L and CCI4*-S, and her mount this week is another up-and-comer — this time, the 12-year-old British-bred mare Pencos Crown Jewel, who overcame some stage fright for a 27.1. Like Pippa before her, though, Ros’s success in the ring has come partly as a result of scaling back her flatwork enormously at home.

“I really haven’t practiced a test [with her], so I was quite nervous I was going to go the wrong way — I like to practice,” she explains. “She just likes hacking on a long rein, to put it simply. The excitement you saw here was actually nervousness; she’s actually a lazy horse, but she’s quite out of her comfort zone with people. She likes to keep herself to herself in the stable and everything, and people around her make her suspicious. We call her Miss Health and Safety at home — she’s just a suspicious person and she wants to make sure everything’s okay before she does something, so it’s just about making sure she’s all right, telling her she’s a good girl, and not telling her off. I’ve just found that hacking her on a long rein and keeping her happy and relaxed is really her way. She’s so honest that she’ll do everything you ask her to if you have her in the right frame of mind. She doesn’t need to do it every day — she just needs to be happy.”

This is ‘Jasmine’s’ second trip to Bicton this season — she finished ninth in the tough CCI4*-L earlier this summer, adding 7.6 time penalties to her 32.4 first-phase score.

“She came here in June and was very good — I was just a bit slow. But who knows, to be honest. Every time I’ve stepped up a level I’ve thought, ‘she probably won’t go another level’, and then she keeps going. So I’m very openminded about it — we’ll take it as it comes, but I know that whatever she’ll do, she’ll do her very best.”

Pippa Funnell’s first ride of the day, Majas Hope, ends the day in eighth place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

As if leading a CCI5* isn’t enough, Pippa Funnell also sits eighth on her first ride of the day, the reliable Majas Hope. They put a 27.4 up, making this the third international test in a row that the 14-year-old gelding, who has historically been a low-30s scorer, has delivered in the 27 bracket. But the exceptional performance came after a slightly tricky morning for the rider.

“I had just changed into my whites all ready to go, and was trying to stay away from the puppy and the dogs so I could try to stay clean, and then I get the distress call from Emily, my groom,” she explains. Emily had begun studding the gelding up for his test, only to discover a problem: “I’ve got a fantastic farrier, but hey — we all make mistakes, and one of the front shoes had the holes punched in, but he hadn’t threaded them. So I couldn’t get any studs in that one front shoe. But you know, that’s the fabulous thing about our sport; everyone was so accommodating. Unfortunately, the blacksmith was stuck in traffic, but I was allowed to slip in later in the order.”

The only other option, she says, would have been to do the test sans studs in front: “and on grass, that would be like me running in one high-heel,” she says.

Pippa opted not to give Majas Hope any more work with the extra time she’d been afforded, a decision that evidently complemented her low-key approach to the final week of preparations she’s undertaken at home. But although her rejigged times allowed her to ride her test under better circumstances, it’s had a major impact on the structure of her day.

“I got up very, very early this morning to work in for a ten o’clock test,” she explains, “and then I was going to ride and then walk the course.”

Shifting her test to just before the lunch-break meant that she didn’t have enough time between horses to do her second walk, though: “so I’ve only actually seen the course once so far, because obviously [this event] is a day shorter!”

Gemma Tattersall and Chilli Knight slot into ninth. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“Oh god, what’s wrong with me?!” laughs Gemma Tattersall, wiping a second flood of tears away after her test with Chilli Knight, which earned the pair a 27.9 for overnight ninth place. It’s not hard to see why she might be feeling a touch emotional, mind you: “I guess having produced him from the beginning,” she reasons, “and [because] he was like, ‘mummy, I’m doing my best!’ He always does his best, but he was just great. If I was being mega-critical, in the second change he was just a little bit extravagant — it wasn’t quite as perfect as the first one. But I thought he did the best trotting he’s ever done. I mean, his trot is terrible, but it was very good trotting for him! I was just really proud of him.”

Gemma Tattersall wipes a tear away after her test with Chilli Knight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

‘Alfie’ is a son of Chilli Morning, William Fox-Pitt’s 2015 Badminton winner, who relocated to Gemma’s Sussex yard upon his retirement and was a significant part of her breeding programme. That means that Gemma hasn’t just known her eleven-year-old since he was a youngster — she’s known him since the day he was born.

“He’s a funny little horse,” she says fondly. “I wouldn’t say he’s the brightest horse in the world, but he just always tries to please, and that’s what makes him what he is — he just always tries his best. In training, in competition — he always tries to do what I’m asking him. I describe him as a typical gelding and a ‘yes man’; if I ask him to do something, he’ll give it a go. Very rarely is he difficult or in any way naughty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him put his ears back in his life; he doesn’t know how to be nasty or horrible at all. He’s not a flamboyant jumper or anything — he makes me laugh out loud sometimes, because if he comes to a fence that’s a bit wider he just goes ‘oh, mum, I think I need to stretch my knees out further!’ Whereas other horses might [jump bigger].”

Though Alfie’s five-star debut in 2019 saw him pick up an education 20 penalties, he’s finished no worse than seventh in all three of his CCI4*-L starts and has established himself as one of the fastest, most consistent cross-country horses at the four-star level. But, as Gemma explains, eventing isn’t so cut-and-dry that she can guarantee she’ll still be in this position come tomorrow evening.

“At the end of the day, he’s a horse, not a machine, and anything can happen. Look at my falling off Arctic Soul at Burghley two years ago — he’d done something like ten five-stars and never had a problem, but I fell off. Anything really can happen.”

Oliver Townend’s stalwart MHS King Joules rounds out the top ten. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Olympic gold medallist Oliver Townend brought two horses, each at either end of the experience spectrum, to Bicton this week — but it was the 16-year-old long-time campaigner MHS King Joules who found himself in the best position at the end of the day, sitting tenth on a 28.1 despite some early spookiness in the test.

“That’s him — he’s getting more like that as he gets older, unfortuantely, which is probably not the right way around to go,” laughs Oliver. “But while he’s sound and healthy and definitely wanting to do it — perhaps too much, sometimes! — we’ll keep going with it. There’s no pressure on him — he’s an old horse now, and we all know that he’s very talented, but we also all know that he’s very tricky in all three bits. But we respect him and love him for who he is, and we work with him every day with the quirks. We’re very happy with him.”

Tomorrow takes us into the heart of the action, with cross-country getting underway from 12.30 p.m. local time/7.30 a.m. EST. The big, bold, hilly track looks set to be enormously influential — and you can get a preview of what’s to come with insight from designer Captain Mark Phillips here. For all the information you need to watch the action, click here.

We’ll be back with plenty more content from Bicton — until then, Go Eventing!

The top ten after dressage in the Chedington Bicton CCI5*.

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

By the Numbers: AEC Beginner Novice Master Amateur

By Leslie Wylie on Sep 3, 2021 11:00 am -

Historically, it has been a time-honored EN AEC tradition to ignore the Adequan® USEA Advanced Final, worth however many tens of thousands of dollars, completely to focus attention on that cutthroat showdown between dreamy-eyed horse girls riding ponies with names like “In My Feelings” and “Bacon Bits”: Jr. Beginner Novice 14 & Under.

This year, however, on the eve of my 40th birthday, working two jobs, and with a toddler in tow for whom my greatest hope is that he takes up literally any sport other than eventing (because, you can quote me on this, kid, “it will ruin your life”) I’m turning my attention to a different division: Beginner Novice Master Amateur. This 40 & up hobbyist crowd is the real deal, juggling jobs and families while somehow carving a space within it all for riding a horse on the regular. Every last one of the ammy-adult riders who qualified and are competing at the 2021 AEC this year is an inspiration to me, just for showing up. No matter where you end up on the scoreboard, I hope you know you are already a champion.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, all 51 combinations in the USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship are now officially under my intense scrutiny, and we’re starting with background checks. One of the biggest perks of being a USEA member is that you can stalk whomever you want to, and I’ve been up since 1:30 a.m. (it is now 11 a.m now) doing exactly that.

Maggie Deatrick usually crunches EN’s “By the Numbers” statistics, using some extensive FEI results database spreadsheet number-y thing she created herself — I made the mistake of clicking into it once, and for an English major who has fallen on her head a bunch of times and can barely remember her own phone number on a good day, it was vaguely traumatizing. Thus, allow me to preface that this edition of “By the Numbers” is by no means sophisticated or based in science, and there’s a good chance I will be dead wrong on all accounts. But, without further adieu or apology, and with the division already well underway, here are my predictions for the 2021 Beginner Novice Master Amateur field!

DReSsAGe DiVAs

Listen, first thing you should know: Mad respect to all of you who keep your horse inside the rectangle and remember your test today. Beginner Novice dressage tests to me are just a blurry haze of 20-meter circles and I will go off course if slighted even a quarter dosage of my usual morning coffee.

Having said that, to be honest looking at your records some of you seem to be better at dressage than others, and again I say that absolutely without judgement because I am humbly in the latter camp. I’ll tell you who you are, and dare the rest of you to prove me wrong out of sheer spite. The top 12 best dressage scores you tutu-worthy sand-dancing ballerinas have ever posted:

Erica Stokes & Milky Way: 20.5 at their last outing, Champagne Run
Penny Welsch & Mr. Poppers: 21.8
Kerri Sweet & Shake The Glitter Off: ~~22.2~~ 21.9. I’m actually shaving 0.3 of this pair’s PR off because I think the horse’s name, which in my mind is a reference to a Katy Perry song about a Vegas night gone sideways, is a bold choice for we women of the menopausal-ish age, and I’m for it.
Stephen Fulton & DB Cooper: 22.8
Lucy Patsko & InANewYorkMinute: 23.1
Judi Dietz & Rearcross Clover Q: 23.5
Mary Bancroft & Twain: 23.8
Holly Breaux & Wapz Hot Dan: 23.9. Fun fact, they’ve won three out of their last four starts and it’s an Appy — classic Holly stylze!
Stephanie O’Neal & MochaSpice: 24.5,
Scott Keating & Ard Daulton: 24.8
Eden Dedrick & Excel Star High Hopes: 25 at their last outing
Tiffany Stewart & Crimson Clover: 25.5

cRoSS cOuNTrY mAcHiNeS

Oh boy, here’s a fun fact to bring you down off that high of scoring a 15.5 or make you feel better after scoring a 55 in dressage: Not a single one of you has a completely ding-free cross country record, so phase two could be a pivotal one here!

Several of you do possess, however, a cross country record that is jump fault free, with just a few time penalties here and there. Let’s give ’em a shout-out:

Sandra Barclay & Bruiser
Dayna Blumel & Cabo Wabo
Lisa Boncosky & Tensas Carlos
Michele Buford & Believer
Jessica Copland & Walk the Line
Debra Davis & Nunlikem
Excel Star High Hopes/Eden Dedrick
Susan Fogarty & Truly
Meredith Hunter & Classic Imp
Brenda Hutton & WYO Dun Maid
Susan Onorato & Flight Risk,
Lucy Patsko & Lucy Patsko
Renee Senter & Regina
Karen Trout & Sashay Lu

The Full Moon Farm crew (which is actually 8 strong!) out on a hack at the Kentucky Horse Park. Photo via the Full Moon Farm FB page.

sHoW JuMpINg PoWerHoUSeS

I think it’s human nature to let your guard down when you’re winning or prematurely admit defeat when you’re not. I’m here to tell you (and hopefully not psyche you out) that Sunday, September 5 in the year of our lord 2021, is going to be a pivotal one for the USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship.

Look around you in the warm-up. Know that not one horse you see has never had a rail in USEA competition. Let that sink in. You’re a player. This is your moment. It’s not over until it’s over. Time to step up to the plate.

I do want to give a shout out here to Stephen Fulton of Full Moon Farm and his ride DB Cooper, the only combination competing who have never had a rail together, probably because DB Cooper used up all of his life’s allowance of rails in his former life as an upper level horse. No disrespect, Advanced level fences are very large, but at one of his last events at the level he accrued 32 jumping faults — that’s eight (8!) ever-lovin’ rails. Since he’s been with Stephen at a lower level, though, they’ve had a clean slate, which is either a testament to Stephen’s riding or to finding a comfier place in the eventing world for this horse — and most likely, a combination of both. Thanks to Stephen and Karen for all they do for our sport. It’s awesome to see you out enjoying it, as you so deserve.

Best of luck and all my respect to these competitors and their horses! We’ll be back later today with a dressage report as well as live cross country updates and a show jumping grand finale!

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