Classic Eventing Nation

Second Leg of 2021 FEI Nations Cup Eventing Is Set to Kick Off at Strzegom

By on Jun 24, 2021 5:00 pm -

Gratuitous Pony division pic #1. Photo by Leszek Wójcik.

LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials plays host this week to the second leg of the 2021 FEI Nations Cup series after an exciting start to the season at Houghton Hall. To recap, the series consists of six legs between now and the finale in Boekelo (NED) in October: Houghton (GBR), Strzegom (POL), Le Pin au Haras (FRA), Bromont (CAN), Arville (BEL) and Ballindenisk (IRL) — you can view the complete schedule here.

The rules of play: Teams are composed of three or four athletes from the same nation, with the three best results of each team going toward team classification. The best five results count towards the final classification when the series concludes in October. The series will be livestreamed — you can watch from the Strzegom website or FEI partner ClipMyHorseTV.

Gratuitous Pony division pic #2. Photo by Leszek Wójcik.

In addition to the Nations Cup competition, the event is staging CCI1* through CCI4*-L competition as well as National Championship divisions for Young Riders and Juniors and Pony divisions. EN’s publisher and I have gotten into tiffs before about whether or not Polish event coverage is the best use of our energy, as Poland represents only about 1% of our readership. My response: That may not sound like a lot, but it’s still (*checks Google Analytics*) 492 individual Polish readers this past week alone! Thus, a recap we shall provide:

Strzegom’s other international divisions actually began today, with The Netherlands’ Aliene Ruyter and Bomba, a 9-year-old Dutch gelding (Zacharov x Paula, by Holland), taking the CCI4*-L lead on a score of 30.0. Second place belongs to Katrin Norling of Sweden with Hulliebullie, and Gired Le Coz from France sits in third with Caramel d’Orchis. The highest-ranked Polish athlete is Małgorzata Korycka with Canvalencia.

Gratuitous Pony division pic #3. Photo by Leszek Wójcik.

Sweden’s Louise Romeike took the lead in the 3* with Commando 3, and the best result in the CCI2*-L belongs to Lara De Liedekerke-Meier (BEL) with Formidable 62.  Agata Piskadło (POL) is the leader in the CCIJ2*-L, which also means she is in the first position after dressage in the Polish National Championships for Juniors. The best result in the CCIY3*-L is Julia Gillmaier (POL) with Red Dream Princes and she’s currently in the lead in the Polish National Championships for Young Riders, defending her last year’s title.

Emilia Vogel (GER) is leading the CCIP2*-L for ponies with Tina. First place in the Intro class belongs to Ricarda Berkenheide (GER) with Belle Jour.

Dressage continues on Friday, including in the Nations Cup class, as well as the first cross country trials. Saturday and Sunday are cross country and show jumping days. 350 combinations are competing at the event, representing 21 countries from all around the world.

Strzegom: Website, Schedule, Starting Order, Leaderboard

Thursday Video: How to Keep Horse Sport Ethical

By on Jun 24, 2021 4:00 pm -

World Horse Welfare does a great job of tackling tough issues and disseminating education and information through webinars on its YouTube channel. In second in our series of webinars that focuses on equine mental wellbeing, they explore the topic of how to keep horse sport ethical.

In this webinar, held in conjunction with the University of Nottingham, Professor Madeleine Campbell takes an in-depth look at how some of the sporting demands we make on our horses could affect their mental wellbeing. Among other topics, she provides her perspective on the ethics of riding horses, ethical enhancement of equine performance, and when to call it a day.

She is then joined by Olympic eventer Alex Hua Tian of China and World Horse Welfare field officer John Burns to discuss practical issues surrounding the ethics of horse sport. This leads into a Q&A session in which viewers had a chance to ‘ask the experts’ questions. It’s all very fascinating, important and relevant.

Other webinars in this series on equine mental wellbeing, which will run on July 28th and August 25th, will feature Tony Evans, John Francome, Caroline Heard, Brad Hill, Dr. Andrew McLean, and Dr. Gemma Pearson.

World Horse Welfare is a charity that works to improve the lives of horses and the horse-human partnership in all of its guises. You can learn more by visiting its website here, and follow its YouTube channel here.

#EventerProblems Vol. 267 from Ecovet: Hot Mess Express

By on Jun 24, 2021 1:00 pm -

Another week, another great big batch of your #EventerProblems. And they just keep coming.

Be sure to tag your #EventerProblems on social media for inclusion in an upcoming edition!

Go Eventing!

Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill Announces Initial Sponsors Including MARS Equestrian

By on Jun 24, 2021 11:00 am -

The Fair Hill Organizing Committee (FHOC), an affiliate of the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland (The Sport Corp.), today announced the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill’s initial line-up of sponsors for the inaugural event taking place October 14-17 at the new Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Cecil County, Maryland. MARS EQUESTRIAN™, the link between the iconic Mars, Incorporated brands and services with the equestrian community, has joined the event as a “5 Star” level sponsor. Cecil County is serving as the event’s Host Sponsor, and additional lead sponsors in the “4 Star” category include Brown Advisory, Quarry View Building Group, Diageo and Breakthru Beverage.

The Maryland 5 Star’s partnership with MARS EQUESTRIAN™ will involve activations with several of Mars, Incorporated’s featured brands and services including the BUCKEYE™ Nutrition brand, the NUTRO™ and PEDIGREE® brands, ANTECH™ and SOUND® Equine, and the ETHEL M® Chocolates and AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate brands. Mars, Incorporated brings a rich equestrian heritage, and a tradition of purposeful partnerships with world-class competitions across all equestrian disciplines to create a better world for horses, pets and the people who love them.

“MARS EQUESTRIAN™ has been a supporter of equestrian sports for many years and is thrilled to partner with the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill in its inaugural year,” said Dr. Bridgett McIntosh – Director at MARS Equestrian. “We know that horses have a remarkable effect on people, and our goal is to push beyond just sponsoring elite-level competitions. We want to spread that joy through direct interactions with fans, consumers, and competitors.”

Mike Hankin, President and CEO of Brown Advisory, commented, “Our company, headquartered in Maryland has a history of supporting equestrian sport and we’re now very proud to add the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill and the sport of Eventing to our portfolio. During these challenging times we believe it’s important to reaffirm our support for an industry upon which many livelihoods and communities depend. We see no better place to do this than right here in our own backyard.”

Ben King, President of Quarry View Building Group, stated, “As a premier Equestrian and timber frame custom builder, Quarry View Building Group immediately recognized the importance of hosting a 5 Star FEI event in the Mid-Atlantic region, and Fair Hill is the perfect location. From the start with designing and constructing the Judge’s booths, Quarry View Building Group has been pleased to be an active 4 Star sponsor of the MD 5 Star event. We can’t wait to see everyone October 14-17, 2021!”

The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is also announcing the following line-up of sponsorships across the event’s different category levels:

“3 Star”

  • Attwood Equestrian Surfaces
  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Fair Hill Saddlery
  • Morris & Ritchie Associates, Inc. (MRA) and Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. (GTA)
  • Select Event Group
  • Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS)

“2 Star”

  • Brook Ledge Horse Transportation
  • Dubarry of Ireland
  • Guardian Horse Bedding
  • Hippo Data
  • Hound & Hare
  • Kong Equine
  • Mane N’ Tail / Straight Arrow Products
  • Maryland Department of Agriculture / Maryland Seafood Marketing
  • NEOGEN
  • Stanley Black & Decker
  • The Dutta Corp.
  • United States Eventing Association (USEA)
  • J. Vineyards & Winery
  • Sterling Vineyards
  • Cincoro Tequila
  • Reyka Vodka
  • Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Bulleit Bourbon
  • Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky
  • Tanqueray Gin
  • Guinness Beer
  • Smirnoff Seltzer

“1 Star”

  • Bates Saddles
  • FEI Stabling
  • Flair LLC / Achieve Equine
  • Maryland Horse Industry Board
  • McCormick & Company
  • Shapley’s Superior Equine Grooming Products
  • Stubben North America

“Ribbon”

  • Choptank Electric Cooperative
  • Deer Valley Danes
  • Emerald Valley Nutrition
  • Green Horse Enterprises
  • MidAtlantic Farm Credit
  • Stable Feed
  • Sweet Piggy Baking Co.
  • The Sacks Group
  • WL Gore

“Community Partners”

  • Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC)
  • Upper Shore Regional Council (USRC)

“Associations and Hospitality”

  • Delaware Sports Commission
  • Embassy Suites Newark Wilmington South

The event is receiving additional support from equestrian sport’s national and international governing bodies including the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI), the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), and United States Eventing Association (USEA). Fair Hill International is the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill’s Competition Management Partner.

“On behalf of The Fair Hill Organizing Committee, we are truly grateful to be able to announce an initial line-up of sponsors like this for the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill,” said Jeff Newman, President & CEO. “To have this type of support in our first year, during a time when new events like ours need it the most is a testament to the positive impact this event can have on the community, the sport, the Maryland Food Bank and the horse industry in Maryland.”

The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is one of only two CCI5*-L events in the United States, and seventh worldwide. It will showcase the sport of Eventing at its highest-level and feature additional entertainment options for spectators to experience. Businesses and organizations seeking to partner with the event can visit Maryland5Star.us/sponsors for more information.

Volunteer Nation: 7 Events That Could Use a Helping Hand This Weekend

By on Jun 24, 2021 9:00 am -

Starter Trials are a great place to start your volunteer career! Like the one taking place this weekend at Fair Hill in Maryland. Roles still available include cross country course decoration and dressage prep today (Thursday, June 24) plus score runners, jump and warm-up crews, temp takers and general help during the competition (Saturday, June 26). Plus, we hear that volunteers will snag the new FHI insulated tote bag, plus eight hours (or a day’s event) earns you a free schooling!

As always, you can earn merit points when you donate your time through the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program. Registering to volunteer through EventingVolunteers.com makes it easy and seamless to both find a job and shift as well as learn what your role will entail.

USEA Events

Stable View Summer Horse Trials (June 21st, 2021 to June 27th, 2021)

Inavale Farm Horse Trials (June 19th, 2021 to June 27th, 2021)

Fox River Valley Pony Club (June 23rd, 2021 to June 27th, 2021)

Midsouth Pony Club Horse Trial (June 21st, 2021 to June 27th, 2021)

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Summer Horse Trials (June 23rd, 2021 to June 29th, 2021)

Other Events

Fair Hill International – June Starter Horse Trials (June 22nd, 2021 to June 26th, 2021)

Dressage at the Park (June 26th, 2021 to June 27th, 2021)

Thursday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

By on Jun 24, 2021 12:03 am -

Photo courtesy of Stable View.

If you enjoy your time this weekend competing at Stable View, don’t forget that you can always go back for incredible schooling opportunities! With use of the Boyd Martin, ETB Schooling Field at Stable View along with the adjacent New 320 x 250 Attwood Surfaces Arena for $100/horse, riders can use the excellent footing that’s available for Training level and beyond. Additionally, the new arena is set up with stadium jumps and a full court dressage arena.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Arrowhead H.T. (Billings, Mt.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T. (Barrington, Il.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Inavale Farm H.T. (Philomath, Or.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Summer H.T. (Leesburg, Va.) : [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

Midsouth Pony Club H.T. (Lexington, Ky.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Stable View Summer H.T. and Area III Championships (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

Can’t get enough of the success of Mollie Summerland? Mollie’s ultimate dream was set aged just 11. Mollie’s mum has the proof – a hand-drawn poster announcing her aim of riding at the Olympics. Unlike many other childhood dreams that faded over time, Mollie’s is still firmly in place a decade on and her ambition shows no sign of waning. [Dream of a Lifetime]

Norman came all the way from Hungary to fulfill a young rider’s dream, but two colic surgeries and a deep digital tendon tear in two years seemed to threaten their life together. At the Aspen Farms Horse Trials recently, Madison Langerak rode her Normandy Kivalo to victory in the preliminary rider division, adding only cross-country time penalties to their dressage score of 23.3. While anyone would be proud of that result, the win was especially poignant considering that not only was it the pair’s first successful preliminary completion in two years, it also came after overcoming a series of challenges that threatened to end not just the horse’s career, but his life. [Norman Overcomes it All]

Taking lessons from McLain Ward can never be a bad thing, as he’s one of the most beautiful and successful riders in the world. His strong position and coordinated efforts of all his aids is what makes him so brilliant. Are your aids clear and independent of each other? Are you telling your horse conflicting or contradictory things at the same time? Maybe you are aware that you clash your aids but have difficulty avoiding it? Can you isolate and use different parts of your body?  [Independent and Effective Aids Start With a Strong Position]

Video: Aside from straight Grand Prix show jumpers, has there ever been a horse more fun to watch in flight than Mai Baum?

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Stay Cool, Cool Mountain

By on Jun 23, 2021 6:28 pm -

If you’re anything like us, your brain is still firmly located in the north of Germany, where it’s clinging on to any last vestiges of Luhmühlen fever. The only way to appease it? Delve straight back into some serious nostalgia. In today’s video, the FEI is taking you back in time by a decade with William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain, who clocked up several of the saves of the year in one exciting, important cross-country round at that year’s European Championships. It’s an amazing watch for a few reasons – not least to see how much the venue and the complexes have changed at Luhmühlen over the years. And no, we’re still not ready to leave.

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Equestrian Canada Names Nominated Individuals for Tokyo Olympics

By on Jun 23, 2021 5:07 pm -

Equestrian Canada has named the individuals who will be nominated to travel to the Tokyo Olympics next month, filling the two spots allotted to the country. Two additional reserve pairs – neither of which will be traveling reserves since Canada is not taking a full team – have also been named.

Nominated to travel to Tokyo (and pending approval from Canadian Olympic Committee’s (COC’s) Team Selection Committee) are:

  • Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges (Mr Blue – Hardie du Bourg, by Count Ivor)
    17-year-old Selle Fraicais gelding owned by Peter Barry
  • Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti (Pavarotti van de Helle – Fidelia, by Foxiland xx)
    19-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Jessica Phoenix

Named as Reserve combinations are:

  • Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes (Chacoa – KEC Galway Bay, by Gildawn Diamond)
    12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Kirk Hoppner and Karl Slezak
  • Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo (Jumbo – Polly Coldunnell, by Danzig Connection)
    17-year-old British Sport Horse mare owned by Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo Syndicate LLC

The final selections for all equestrian athletes representing Canada in Tokyo will be released in early July, according to the Equestrian Canada announcement.

Nonprofit Spotlight: Renew Therapeutic Riding Center

By on Jun 23, 2021 3:00 pm -

Eventing Nation was pleased to support two equestrian nonprofits with proceeds from the sale of our Ultimate Form Guide to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Thanks to the nominations of some of EN’s readers, we were able to make a donation to both Renew Therapeutic Riding Center in Michigan as well as to Freedom Reigns Ranch in Tennessee. Each program will also receive complementary advertising on Eventing Nation through the month of July. We’re proud to support the efforts of programs such as these to bring horses to underserved and underprivileged communities.

Renew Therapeutic Riding Center, nestled on a 20 acre horse farm in southwestern Michigan, seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals in our community through the physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits of therapeutic horsemanship. At Renew, each rider has the opportunity to go beyond their disability, inability, fear, or reality. We encourage and support dreams by offering equine assisted services to fulfill our mission, striving to help riders develop their maximum potential in a caring and fun environment that empowers the rider in ways different from traditional therapy. Our equine partners and tremendous volunteers are essential to the life-transforming work taking place for the nearly 100 students that come to Renew on a weekly basis.

Take a look at some of the work Renew Therapeutic Riding Center is doing:

Want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others? We are seeking volunteers to work directly with our…

Posted by Renew Therapeutic Riding Center on Thursday, June 10, 2021

To learn more and to get involved with Renew Therapeutic Riding Center, click here or visit them on Facebook.

Take a Tour of The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Athletes’ Village

By on Jun 23, 2021 12:00 pm -

Pieces of the athletes’ and horses’ journeys to the postponed Tokyo Olympics are beginning to take shape, and over the weekend local media got their first glimpse at the Olympic Games Athletes’ Village and other facilities that will be serving the participants beginning July 23. This veritable “mini-city” will host 18,000 athletes and team members throughout the course of the Olympics and another 8,000 participants during the Paralympic Games.

The numbers attached to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have been worse in Japan in recent months, prompting the repeated extensions of a multi-locale state of emergency – though last week Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the state of the emergency would be lifted in all areas except the Okinawa Prefecture, which consists of some 150 islands between Taiwan and Japan.

In light of the pandemic, the Tokyo organizing committee has installed multiple updates to the facilities to ensure proper protocol is taken to prevent the transmission of the virus. This includes a fever clinic that is housed separately from the main medical clinic, plexiglass shields in close quarters, sanitizer stations, and multiple Playbooks for each group of Olympic stakeholders (athletes, media, personnel, etc.) to follow closely during their stay in Japan.

Here are a few looks around the Olympic Games Athletes’ Village:

To read more coverage of Tokyo 2020 on Eventing Nation, click here.