One day, I keep telling myself, I’ll make it out to Rebecca Farms for their summer horse trials. Maybe I won’t have the gumption to drag my horse halfway across the country (especially as my current horse has a tendency to scalp himself on long journeys) but perhaps next year I’ll go for the reporting. And the sunsets. And the overall vibe. Rebecca Farms 2022!
Michael Jung made Eventing history by becoming the first to hold the European, Olympic, and World Championship titles at the same time. Now, he has his sights set on an individual hat-trick in Tokyo, partnered with Fischer Chipmunk, and we all know he won’t leave anything on the table. Only two other riders have won two Olympic titles in Eventing, Charles Pahud de Mortanges won both Amsterdam 1928 and Los Angeles 1932 riding Marcroix, and Mark Todd won Los Angeles 1984 as well as Seoul in 1988 with the legendary Charisma. Can Michael Jung beat ANOTHER world record and win three Olympic gold medals?? [Tokyo 2020 Eventing Preview]
Lack of riding time is a common complaint among adult amateur equestrians. Between professional careers, family commitments, and an often-overwhelming number of other responsibilities, riding for a short time, even a few days a week can be tough to fit in. But, even if you only have a short time to devote to working with your horse, there’s a lot that can be accomplished in less than an hour with some longeing and riding exercises. [7 Riding & Longeing Exercises For A Time Crunch]
Does Phillip Dutton feel extra pressure with the added mantle of being the oldest American at the Olympics? Nah. Pretty much standard stuff for him. In his seventh Olympic appearance, Phillip won an individual bronze at Rio in 2016, making him the oldest American medallist since 1952. He credits his longevity to his dedication to core strength and balance. [Team USA’s Oldest Olympian]
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Tommy Greengard and Joshuay MBF. Photo by Hope Carlin Photography.
The FEI competition kicked off to a strong start today with the first day of CCI2*-L dressage, which continues on Friday. The top three riders are veteran competitors at Rebecca Farm, although their horses are all fairly new to the level.
Tommy Greengard and his self-owned horse, Joshuay MBF, a 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood, scored a 25.4 to lead the division. Tommy said that his horse was super today and that, although Josh isn’t really a “natural dressage horse, he really lights up in the ring in all the best ways. He is naturally very relaxed and he allows me to show him off in the ring. And he doesn’t get too bothered by atmosphere.” Tommy also said they’ve been working hard for a long time to improve the suppleness that’s introduced in the lateral work at the 2* level, and Josh was really with him all the way today.
Tommy, who rides and trains in California, enjoys the change of scenery, terrain, and footing here in Montana. He said they essentially run the same four events over and over again in California, and the footing is primarily sand. It’s really good for the horses to come here and be able to hack, exercise, and run cross country on grass.
Maya Black and Double Diamond C. Photo by Hope Carlin Photography.
Maya Black and Double Diamond C, a 6-year-old Hanoverian owned by Laurie Cameron, stand in second place with a score of 27.0. Maya was proud of his performance today saying, “He’s a young horse – he’s six – and he was as good as he could be for where we’re at right now.” Maya drove her horses out from the east coast and was thrilled with how well he traveled and settled in after arriving in Montana on Saturday, particularly because this is only his third event that is a long distance from home.
Although Maya trains in Virginia now, she is originally from Washington State and still considers Rebecca Farm to be a local event. One of her favorite things about competing at The Event is spending a week with her friends from home. She said Rebecca Farm has a different feel and
atmosphere than any other event she has been to and there is nothing quite like the homecoming feeling for her. In addition to riding her two FEI horses, Maya has been enjoying some evening swims at nearby Foys Lake.
Lauren Burnell and Freedom Hill. Photo by Hope Carlin Photography.
Currently standing in third place with a score of 30.9 are Lauren Burnell and Freedom Hill, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Arnell Sport Horses. Lauren said he is normally quite spooky at the judges’ boxes and cameras, but “today he really held it together.” She said she was nervous- heading into the ring because the warm-up didn’t go as well as she hoped, but ultimately he tried really hard and “it was one of his better tests.” Lauren thought perhaps he enjoyed being first in the ring, or maybe he just knew it was an important ride.
Lauren agreed with Maya’s comments about The Event at Rebecca Farm being a unique and special venue. She loves the atmosphere and people here in Montana, and that The Event feels special. Lauren is also particularly looking forward to having more open space and time to roll on cross
country. Her horse can come out of the start box a little strong, so this should be a good course for him with plenty of room to open up his stride.
All three riders are feeling good and looking forward to cross country. Tommy said his horse is “a phenomenal jumping horse … I just want to get in a good rhythm and try my best to support him but not interfere with him. He’s ready to do the job and it’s just fun to be back up here and to let him run on the grass.”
Maya and Lauren both agreed about being excited to run on excellent grass footing this year, as well as having a longer course that allows more room to gallop in a steady rhythm and jump out of stride. All three riders have experience competing on courses designed by Ian Stark, so they know to expect some “rider terrifiers” out there. Maya noted that they jump through the saloon in the old west town at the very end of the course, which is potentially tricky on a horse that might be a bit tired as well as looky at key-hole type jumps.
However, these riders also appreciate the care and planning Ian puts into his courses to make them horse friendly. The CCI 2*- L division begins cross country at 1 p.m. local time on Saturday.
This week’s coverage is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products – and you can win some cool KPP swag and receive a discount on product all year long just by entering through this simple survey. Good luck!
The secret ballot was held at the 138th Session in Tokyo, two days before the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games, under strict COVID-19 restrictions. The Session heard presentations by Brisbane 2032, including by video link-up from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as a final report from Kristin Kloster, Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad – the IOC body responsible for monitoring and analyzing interest in hosting the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.
Brisbane received 72 yes and 5 no votes from 77 valid votes.
Before the vote, IOC Members were able to pose questions to Mrs. Kloster about the election process, and to Brisbane 2032 about their proposal to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane and South-East Queensland.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We encourage Olympic Games projects which are sustainable and economically responsible, which deliver the best possible Games experience for athletes and fans, and which leave solid legacies for local communities. The Brisbane 2032 vision and Games plan fit into long-term regional and national strategies for social and economic development in Queensland and Australia and complement the goals for the Olympic Movement outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5 while focusing on providing memorable sports experiences for athletes and fans. Today’s vote is a vote of trust that Brisbane and Queensland will stage magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032. We have heard a lot of positive feedback from IOC Members and International Federations in the past few months.”
IOC / Greg Martin Photo.
Brisbane 2032 is the first future host to have been elected under, and to have fully benefited from, the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts. The reforms enable the IOC to work in partnership with cities, regions and countries, to encourage Olympic projects which use a high percentage of existing and temporary venues, which align with long-term development plans, and which have a strong vision for sports and local communities.
President Bach said: “This new approach is lighter, more collaborative, more compact, and has a positive impact. Now we always have a significant pool of Interested Parties for 2036, and even for 2040, which is almost 20 years from now. I can’t remember that we have ever been in such a favourable position 20 years before an Olympic Games.
“We enter Tokyo 2020 with full confidence for the future of the Olympic Movement.”
Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Scott Morrison MP, said: “The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation. They will support economic growth and investment, deliver lasting community benefits and inspire the next generation of Australian athletes.
“I am proud of Australia, proud of Queensland and proud of our team that secured this win for our country. The Commonwealth Government has supported Brisbane’s candidacy for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games right from the very start. We believe in this bid. We know it’s a huge opportunity for our nation, just like the Melbourne Games in 1956 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000.”
Following the election, the Host Contract 2032 was signed by the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for Trade, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane, and Mr John Coates AC, President of the Australian Olympic Committee.
IOC / Dave Thompson Photo.
Ms Palaszczuk said: “Queensland’s fundamental approach is to align Games legacy with long-term plans.
“We will work with all three levels of government to embed Games legacy opportunities in existing programmes and will create a special Games Legacy Fund. This is to ensure the effective delivery of legacy over the next 10 years – and the 10 years after that. That means we develop not just a new generation of Olympic athletes, but we give our small businesses the opportunity to participate too, grow their business and export to the world.”
Councillor Schrinner added: “Local government leaders began this incredible journey, and now it is our job to ensure that Brisbane 2032 delivers a legacy to everyone who calls South-East Queensland home.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the fastest-growing capital city in Australia, and successful Olympic and Paralympic Games will help our region cater for the growth to come and guarantees Brisbane will get even better.”
Since approving the new approach to electing in June 2019, IOC Members have been engaged and consulted throughout the process.
A second, in-camera briefing with IOC Members took place in June, as part of regular consultations between the IOC and Members. This meeting replaced what used to be known as the Members’ technical briefing, and incorporated a comprehensive presentation by the Brisbane 2032 team and the Australian Olympic Committee.
Members also heard from Mrs Kloster about the in-depth analysis of the project carried out through Targeted Dialogue, at the end of which Brisbane 2032 put forward a Final Submission in response to the IOC’s Future Host Questionnaire, setting out its vision and technical ambitions for hosting the Games. This led to the Future Host Commission Report and the Commission’s recommendation to put forward Brisbane 2032 for election – endorsed by an IOC Executive Board decision.
Brisbane City Council Photo.
Early reports indicate that Brisbane 2032 has spent approximately 80 per cent less than for the average candidate city budget for the Games in 2020, 2024 and 2028. This will be confirmed in due course by audited accounts – a requirement of the election process. An Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) will be formed in the coming months. For news about Brisbane 2032, follow @olympics and #brisbane2032 on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for email alerts at olympics.com.
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The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit, civil, non-governmental, international organisation made up of volunteers which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 3.4 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.
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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000, email: [email protected], or visit our web site at www.ioc.org.
Volunteers are invited to become part of the inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill. The Fair Hill Organizing Committee (FHOC), an affiliate of the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland (The Sport Corp.), invites Eventing and all equestrian fans to join the team and enjoy the exciting new event from the inside! Sign-up is available at www.EventingVolunteers.com.
The storied tradition of Eventing at iconic Fair Hill continues with the inaugural Maryland 5 Star to be held October 14-17 at the newly constructed Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Elkton, Maryland (Cecil County).
The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is one of only two 5 Star events in the United States, and just the seventh worldwide, and its prestigious 5 Star (CCI5) designation is the pinnacle of the Olympic sport of Eventing, best described as an equestrian triathlon.
In addition to the CCI5-L, the event will feature a CCI3-L, which is serving as the USEF CCI3-L Eventing National Championship, and The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships Presented by Dubarry of Ireland.
The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill marks a new chapter for the State of Maryland’s rich horse and equestrian tradition. The event will showcase four days of Eventing competition with Dressage (Thu-Fri), Cross-Country (Sat) and Show Jumping (Sun).
“Volunteers are critical to the success of the sport of Eventing. We are looking for a large amount of dedicated individuals who would like to participate in the inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill,” said Volunteer Coordinator, Debi Rogers. “There are many different areas before and during the event in which volunteers are needed, so we invite everyone who would enjoy being on the inside of this exciting world-class event to go to EventingVolunteers.com and sign up today!”
Volunteers receive complimentary tickets to the event and more. Further information on the inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is available at maryland5star.us/volunteer/ or contact [email protected].
If you’re at Rebecca Farm this week, track down Jennie Brannigan or grab one at check-in and get one of these ribbons she’s made in honor of Annie Goodwin, who was preparing to compete there this weekend, and will be terribly missed. Annie touched so many lives within our sport, and was known for her vivacious smile and positive attitude. Tag EN in your photos of competition this weekend with the striped ribbon.
Time for some fast facts about The Event at Rebecca Farm! The 2019 CCI4*-L winner Jennie Brannigan returns this year to defend her title, this time with Nina Gardner’s 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Twilightslastgleam. 549 riders will compete in 26 divisions across 10 levels. Novice is the most popular level with 208 riders entered, while the CCI2*-L has the most entries across the FEI divisions. [Rebecca Farm Fast Facts]
Doug & Quinn have arrived in Tokyo! Doug and Vandiver were first named as the traveling reserve but, due to Elizabeth Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z sadly withdrawing from the team, the pair are now going into Tokyo as part of the three-person Olympic team. While Quinn doesn’t have a favorite treat, he does have some weird quirks. [US Olympic Horse: Vandiver]
We’ve had Olympic horses in Tokyo before, for the 1964 Olympics. Things were a little different then, with Australian horses coming in by ship, but some of the equestrian events were held in Baji Koen Park—the same location in which the equestrian sports will be contested this year— and Japan also provided a sprawling eventing course at Karuizawa, a forested area 90 miles from Tokyo. [Throwback Thursday: Tokyo 1064]
Brisbane has been announced as the site for the 2032 Olympics. The Australian city and surrounding South-East Queensland region were approved as the Games hosts at an International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Tokyo on Wednesday. “Brisbane 2032 is the first future host to have been elected under, and to have fully benefited from, the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts,” said IOC President Thomas Bach in a statement. The approach encourages Olympic projects which make use of existing and temporary venues. [Brisbane 2032]
YouTube: The 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover is feeling closer than ever. Join RPP for a panel discussion with Makeover veterans to learn some do’s and don’ts to help the final months of Makeover preparation go smoothly for you and your horse!
Course designer Ian Stark shows us the right line on the CCI4* track at Rebecca Farm. Photo by Erin Tomson.
This week’s coverage is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products – and you can win some cool KPP swag and receive a discount on product all year long just by entering through this simple survey. Good luck!
The 2021 Event at Rebecca Farm kicked off to a great start today. Although the mountains surrounding the beautiful Flathead Valley in Montana are somewhat obscured by wildfire smoke, the air quality itself remained acceptable and partly cloudy skies offered a break from the ongoing heat wave. Day one was the dressage competition for 10 Novice divisions. With four arenas running, it was a busy day for the volunteers, organizers, and officials.
I had the unique opportunity to spend most of the day today with two of the officials. My morning was spent volunteering as a scribe for Valerie Pride of Maryland. Scribing is my favorite volunteer job because you gain amazing insight from experienced judges and there is nothing quite like seeing the dressage tests from the judges’ perspective! I learned precisely what the expectations are for the Novice level – the judges are looking for the horses to be freely forward with soft and consistent contact, and for the riders to be as accurate as possible. Riders should strive for accuracy at all levels, but it’s really a place to gain extra points at the Novice level because many riders are not as precise as they could be!
The best seat in the house! Photo by Erin Tomson.
And what are the judges looking for in those stretchy trot circles and free walk? More stretch! Valerie’s comments today often included phrases such as “allow more stretch”, “maintain forward during stretch” (mostly in the trot), and “horse should stretch down as though grazing” (in the free walk). For me it was an excellent reminder that horses need to learn to be forward within relaxation in order to jump well – good basics on the flat are the foundation for good jumping!
Overall, Valerie was very positive, supportive of riders, and wanted everyone to be successful. She said she loves being asked to judge here in Montana. When I asked her what her favorite part about judging at Rebecca Farm is she spoke with enthusiasm, “It’s a destination event – a dream and goal for so many people to compete here. People have prepared so long and hard to get here, it’s fun to be here and be a part of something that’s so important to people at all levels. I love to watch the riders try so hard.” I completely agree – there is something incredibly unique and special about spending a week in Big Sky Country doing what we love.
After a great morning, my afternoon did not disappoint! I had the extremely rare opportunity to go on a tour of the 4*-L course with none other than Ian Stark – eventing legend and FEI cross country course designer. After spending 1.5 hours on a golf cart with Ian, I can tell you that he is incredibly nice, funny, and generous with his time and knowledge. He regaled us with tales of his own mistakes, such as galloping past the last fence and narrowly missing the finish line before expertly backtracking in the nick of time (50 time penalties are way better than a big fat E!).
Ian also explained the design, use, and purpose of frangible technology. When discussing the frangible fences he said, “I’m going to be quite controversial here… it’s a great idea, and I hate them with a vengeance.” He followed up this comment by saying that frangible fences are very useful when horses hit the jump straight on because they give way and can prevent a rotational fall. However, if the horse banks the jump (lands on top of a big table for example), and the jump gives way, that can actually cause a fall that wouldn’t otherwise happen.
“Anything that is going to avoid a nasty accident, of course it’s a great idea,” Ian added. He agrees, after attending a safety seminar, that the 11-point penalty for activating a frangible device is appropriate because riders should be cautious and should ride as well as possible (and if there was no penalty for activating the frangible device, riders would be more likely to take these jumps for granted and ride less carefully than perhaps they should).
Ian Stark discusses frangible technology. Photo by Erin Tomson.
Ian explained his approach to course design as being horse-friendly. His goal is to design jumps, lines, and use terrain in such a way that horses will understand the questions (if trained appropriately for the level) and should be successful if given a good ride. He fully admitted to finding some enjoyment in scaring the riders! Perhaps scaring is too strong a word – his goal is to make riders think and ride carefully, with precision.
His advice for being successful on his courses is to be prepared. He said there is absolutely no shame in dropping down a level if your previous run didn’t go as well as you’d hoped. Riders become too focused on moving up and competing at a high level that sometimes they attempt courses they or their horse are not ready for, and that’s asking for trouble. “The rider has got to be fit enough, the horse has got to be fit enough, and the preparation has got to be good. You can only push your luck to a certain limit. And you make your own luck – you make your own luck by being prepared.”
Ian also gave an apt reminder to give equal attention and effort to the first fence and the last fence on course – don’t get lazy and fall prey to “last jump syndrome!” While Ian’s advice and insight is certainly helpful for the riders heading out on the 4*-L and S this Saturday, it holds true for every single level. I know I will be thinking about these words of wisdom the next time I’m preparing my horse and myself for a competition.
It’s a smaller but mighty field tackling the first CCI4*-L of the U.S. summer season at The Event at Rebecca Farm in lovely Kalispell, Mt. If you’ve not had the chance to make the trek to Montana, allow me to reassure you that yes, it’s 1000% worth it and yes, you will want to go back every year.
The FEI competitors along with the Training and Novice Three-Day combinations completed the First Horse Inspection this afternoon in front of the ground jury consisting of president Wayne Quarles along with Robert Stevenson and Helen Brettell. Ian Stark returns this year as the cross country course designer for the FEI levels, which Marc Donovan will design the 4*-L and 4*-S show jumping tracks. Chris Barnard is the show jumping designer for the CCI3*-L and CCI2*-L divisions.
In the CCI4*-L, all nine combinations will move forward to dressage, which begins for this division on Friday. Unfortunately in the 4*-S, Madison Temkin and Dr. Hart were sent to the hold box initially and subsequently not accepted by the ground jury. In the CCI2*-L, Taylor McFall and High Times will also sadly end their weekend early with a scratch from the CCI2*-L. Chin up, ladies, we’re thinking of you – a tough break for these two talented young riders.
We are pleased to have Erin Tomson on the grounds reporting from Rebecca Farm; she’s a gem of a human who also spent her morning volunteering and doing some press for Strides for Equality Equestrians so she’ll be checking in as the week progresses.
We’ll update this post with photos from Hope Carlin from this afternoon. We’ll also see some of her work here on EN for dressage, and then for the jumping phases we are proud to once again partner with Shannon Brinkman Photography, who is the official photographer at Rebecca Farm. If you’re competing this weekend, be sure to check out Shannon’s booth and website to order your photos. Our show photographers and videographers work endlessly hard at these events and we are ever grateful for them! Speaking of videographers, riders at Rebecca Farm can also order their ride videos from Ride On Video, who is also providing the free live stream of the action all week long. You can view the broadcast schedule here (times are listed in Mountain Standard Time) and the live stream here.
You will also see riders wearing black and white ribbons (available at check-in for those of you on site) this week (and beyond) in honor of Annie Goodwin, who passed away last week after a cross country schooling accident and who is sorely missed and deeply loved.
Another important part of this event each year is the Halt Cancer at X program, and you’ll see many riders decked out in pink ribbons or attire this weekend to promote this fundraising drive. Created in memory of Rebecca Farm founder Rebecca Broussard, Halt Cancer at X was launched in 2012 by Sarah Broussard and has since awarded over $700,000 in grants to local organizations and research programs. You can learn more about Halt Cancer at X here.
This week’s coverage is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products – and you can win some cool KPP swag and receive a discount on product all year long just by entering through this simple survey. Good luck!
Eventing is our jam, of course, but it’s fun to cheer on our other two Team USA equestrian squads as well. A new series from US Equestrian is helping us get to know the athletes better, starting with our dressage team:
Adrienne Lyle (Wellington, Florida) and Salvino, a 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Betsy Juliano LLC
Steffen Peters (San Diego, California) and Suppenkasper, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki
Sabine Schut-Kery (Napa, California) and Sanceo, a 15-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Alice Womble
Traveling reserve:
Nick Wagman (San Diego, California) and Don John, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Beverly Gepfer
Best of luck to them all in Tokyo!
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Yesterday we featured a roundup of Team USA touching down in Tokyo; today we celebrate another long-distance arrival, to The Event at Rebecca Farm! Welcome, all. Since the beginning of the week horses and riders have been settling in at this gorgeous Kalispell, Montana venue and taking in the sights. For many competitors, it’s quite a long haul, and to those still en route we wish you safe and swift travels.
Keep it locked here this week for all the latest action from Rebecca Farm, as Erin Tomson makes her reporting debut for the EN team! The event kicks off with jogs for the FEI and three-day divisions later today.
IOC / Greg Martin Photo.
