Bruce Davidson talks cross country on the Rolex Ride the Course tour. Photo courtesy of Rolex/Kit Houghton.
One Big Thing: Course Walk the 2026 Kentucky Three-Day Event with eventing legend Bruce Davidson Sr.
Giveaway alert — if you’ve ever wanted to walk the Kentucky Three-Day Event Cross-Country course with a legend, now’s your chance! K3DE event organizer EEI is giving fans the chance to win exclusive access to a cross-country course walk led by legendary eventer Bruce Davidson Sr.
Ten winners will be selected to join Bruce Davidson for an exclusive CCI5* course walk, where they’ll experience the course through the eyes of one of the most successful event riders in US history. Each winner will receive access for themselves plus one guest to participate during the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three Day Event.
Elisa Wallace goes on course with Good American in the Training Horse division at the Ocala Winter I Horse Trials… with a very special guest star at the end of the video:
William Fox-Pitt teaches in Ocala. Photo by Lisa Madren.
One Big Thing: Strides for Equality Equestrians Leg Up Opportunity
Strides for Equality Equestrians is now accepting applications for the Flying Cross Farm Leg Up Opportunity. The selected recipient will receive a 45-minute private dressage lesson with Olympian eventer William Fox-Pitt during his clinic at Flying Cross Farm in Lagrange, KY. They will also receive free stabling expenses for their horse, as well as a ticket to the clinic’s Thursday night Pizza Party Q&A session.
Requirements:
Riders must have access to their own horse.
This Leg Up Scholarship covers clinic entry and stabling. Travel costs are the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.
Applicants must be willing to share their experience as part of the show in blogs, social & print media.
Applicants must be invested in increasing access to equestrian sports for underrepresented groups.
Applications to this Leg Up Scholarship are due February 22 — [click here for the application]. The Scholarship recipient will be notified no later than February 25 to allow time to plan for the show and travel. All ages are welcome to apply.
This is more than a lesson — it’s a Leg Up toward growth, confidence, and greater access in our sport.
An aerial view of the Florida Horse Park – one of Central Florida’s major rallying points for transitory equestrians. Photo via FHP’s Facebook page.
One Big Thing: Area III Council grant for two-week Ocala training camp — deadline tomorrow!
If you’re a trainer in Alabama or Mississippi — this rare opportunity is for you!
The USEA Area III Council is offering a grant for a two-week Ocala training experience (March 2-15, 2026), and two trainers will be selected to participate from Alabama or Mississippi. This program is designed to support the professional growth of local trainers, help you better serve your riders by bringing back valuable knowledge, and gain hands-on experiences at one of the country’s premier eventing destinations.
About the experience
The grant will cover 2 weeks of:
Training with top professionals – Zach Brandt or Buck Davidson
6 lessons per trainer (3x per week)
Cross-country schooling / on-site course access
Ocala Winter II competition entry (donated by FHP), coaching provided at show
Rough board for one horse
Accommodations for the two-week program
Winning trainer’s responsibilities:
Transportation to and from Ocala
Horse transportation
Food for you and your horse
Horse care during the program
How to apply — Must submit application by tomorrow, February 18th!
Worried about your horse staying healthy this winter? Targeted supplements can help! Download KPP’s winter decision tree and find out what winter supplements will most benefit your horse.
Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
How often have we all been told a horse has “a funny jump” or is, for all intents and purposes, relatively “nondescript” for the task at hand, let alone for the top levels?
And yet, how often are those who assign such labels wrong?
Those two terms used in the first sentence are the very descriptors used to describe a two-year-old La Biosthetique Sam, shortly before he was sold at auction for the bargain price of £6,000. Now, nearly 24 years later, that very horse — who had gone on to become one of the all-time greatest event horses — has been laid to rest at his home farm in Germany, where he had lived out his retirement with his rider, Michael Jung. The 2000 Baden-Württemberg gelding passed away on February 16, as announced by Michael on social media.
“This evening i lost my best friend, Sam 🖤💔,” the post read. “We reached every milestone side by side, and for years I found daily happiness in seeing you grazing in the field. Thank you for 20 years together. You will be deeply missed by all of us. Rest in Peace my friend 🌈”
The success of “Sam” can’t be understated. Silver at both the 6- and 7-year-old Young Horse World Championships to kick things off with a bang. A European Championships individual bronze two years later, and a World Championships title added on in 2010. Two consecutive Olympic gold medals. Eight CCI5* (then CCI4*) starts, all of them finished on the podium — three of those were wins. A World Cup title. Contribution a coveted and rare Rolex Grand Slam win. Sam was retired healthy in 2018, and lived primarily outdoors with fellow Jung superstars like fischerRocana FST until the very end.
Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Jenni Autry.
A lot of accomplishment for a horse once called “nondescript”. But you can’t truly fault the originator of that label (who, likely, will never, understandably, raise their hand and say “heh, that was me,”). Most of you reading this can rattle off a handful of names that were likely labeled as such themselves. Because that, truthfully, is eventing at its core. Horses who aren’t “supposed” to compete at the sport’s highest levels still can, and do. The sub-$10,000 horse has just as much of a shot as the $500,000 horse, with the right partnership, ability, training, management and — key, non-negotiable — desire. And yes, it should be said here that Sam was well-bred for the job — he was 76% blood with both European and Irish Thoroughbred influence on both sides, and his predecessors had produced multiple Olympic champions.
And yet, Sam may not have turned heads the way a stunning mover like familiar U.S. stars Chin Tonic HS or Mai Baum would, but where he won was in the margins. The details. Fitting, consider his equally detail-obsessed rider. In Sam’s case, correctness mattered more than extravagance. And while yes, many horses are inherently blessed with the good moving genes, correctness is always the goal.
“The stand-out thing for me was the two of them together – they were an amazing partnership,” Andrew Nicholson told Horse & Hound for a wonderful feature on Sam published in 2021. “The horse looked quite small and plain outside the arena, but when told to perform, he danced.
Michael, for his part on picking up the horse at a young horse sale, noted that Sam’s trainability — his eagerness to be ridden and taught — was what stood out more than anything. “Sam was quite good as a young horse, but he wasn’t really a special horse from the beginning,” he told Tilly Berendt in a Chronicle of the Horse profile on the horse. “He was always just good enough. But then we started to train him, and he just kept going and going, and learning always, and then, after three or four years, he had grown up and kept getting stronger and better. He was always very trainable.”
That trainable, ridable skill that’s often difficult to find, paired with a rider that thrived on precision, proved to be near-unbeatable. Together, Michael and Sam hold a string of some 20 finishes on their dressage score throughout their career, and stepped up to the plate on more than one occasion to finish inside the time on cross country when most others couldn’t. Their consistent scores in the post-2018 era 20s weren’t a result of flash. It was the margins: the extra half-point nods earned for a crisp transition or flying change, the tenths of seconds shaved by the ability to ride tighter, smoother, the economical skill to jump clear on Sundays. That’s something we can all learn from, even if we’re not on the “best” horse in the barn. These margins equalize us, enable us to compete — even when the odds say we can’t.
And as we wrote recently, these great horses don’t come often. We’re lucky, in every generation, to have our share of greats. Future hall of famers are only thoughts in heads now. But even when we know we’ll always have greatness in some form, it’s fitting today to pay tribute to the greatness we won’t likely see repeated in many ways.
Much like our counterparts in other sports, it’s a fascinating thing to see people roll their eyes at repeated greatness. Give someone else a chance, they say. We’re tired of reading the same story. But the reality — the true appreciation — seems to be more accurate when seen through the lens of the extreme difficulty that comes with repeat success. It’s why it doesn’t happen often, and why it never stays around forever.
That’s what we’re left with now. The same story: Sam wins again, to be repeated when we’re asked who the greatest event horses of all time are. We were never sad to write the story over and over again. We see it through the lens of gratitude, of wishing we’d savored it just five minutes longer when it was happening instead of rushing off to write the story.
Thanks for the ride, Sam.
Enjoy some pieces of Sam’s story in the videos below:
Welcome one, welcome all to The Amateur Experience with me, your host, Sydney: a semi-successful online influencer, full time horse weirdo who has big dreams and seemingly no regard for the risk both financial and physical.
I, as the resident pinnacle of the adult amateur (you may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like), have been tasked by Eventing Nation to bring you the real stories from life as an adult amateur — from my own trials and tribulations (which are never-ending and ridiculous), to those of my peers. We’ll even be taking a look at amateurs in other horse disciplines to see if there’s anything to be learned from them.
This sport would crumble and dissolve like sugar in a bottle of rum were it not for the adult amateurs carrying it on their backs. Yet, we often do not hear their stories.
Why is that?
Well, it doesn’t matter anymore because I’m bringing you the stories. The real stories of the literal blood, sweat, and tears that amateurs pour into this sport for literally no monetary gain. The term amateur, which is so often derisively flung at anyone not deemed a good enough rider to hang with the cool kids, actually just means someone who does something without getting paid.
I ask you, is it not more admirable to do something for money or because you love it? In today’s world, where money is quite literally everything, is it not actually a little brave to do something for the sheer love of the game?
Some background on me, in case you do not know who I am (disgusting, how dare you, I am so famous, etc, etc.).
I’m Sydney. I’m 32 years old and I have two horses currently competing. I have a gelding going Modified and a mare competing for her dressage bronze medal. I have been riding competitively for a little over six years now. I started riding as a child, my parents said stop that and go to college. I went to college, got two degrees (in Statistics and Religious Studies, in case you were wondering) and immediately bought an OTTB from a friend. I’m crazy and I refuse to be stopped.
Do I have aspirations of competing at the upper levels? Yes of course! Would I love to be a professional myself One day? Certainly! Will I give up the well-being and love of the horse to accomplish these goals? Absolutely not.
I subsidize this insane endeavor with help from family, as well as side gigs like editing, working for Eventing Nation, and this whole social media affair (though don’t let these influencers fool you, it’s not as lucrative as you might think).
The aim of this bi-monthly column is to shed light on the struggles, the triumphs, and all the moments in between that exist for the adult amateur. There is so much true and raw beauty in the work that the amateur puts into this craft that it feels like a crime to ignore their stories. The goal is not to sugarcoat how incredibly hard this industry can be for those who pay to be a part of it, but rather to shine a light onto the dedication that these women, men, and sometimes kids display everyday in the pursuit of something they love.
I can’t wait to share these stories with you, and hope you find them as inspirational as I do. I also hope you’ll accompany me on my continued journey with my own horses as we scratch, claw, and kick our way to the top.
Stay tuned for more columns and videos from Sydney, coming your way all year long here on EN. And because we’re severely underpaying Sydney, give her a hand and follow her on TikTok here and on Instagram here.
Happy Monday, Eventing Nation! We’re recapping the Valentine’s Day weekend with plenty of love for our horses, and the opportunity to spend the weekend with our Eventing friends!
Congrats to all of our Weekend Winners on successful outings, with a special shout out to the winner of our Unofficial Low Score Award: James Alliston and Renaissance Man, who finished on a 17.1 in the Open Preliminary at Ram Tap!
Advanced – Dressage Test A: Arielle Aharoni and Cooley Baltic Sea (41.1)
Advanced – Dressage Test B: Lisa Marie Fergusson and Ratheoin Quality Imp (46.4)
Intermediate Rider: Samantha Bielawski and Ripple Effect (58.2)
Open Intermediate A: Arielle Aharoni and Notorious (30.1)
Open Intermediate B: Laine Ashker and Lovedance (37.1)
Open Preliminary A: Phillip Dutton and Darwinn (30.5)
Open Preliminary B: Robin Walker and Rock Island (32.0)
Open Preliminary One Day (Friday) A: Isabelle Bosley and Constanzehof’s Stitch (30.0)
Open Preliminary One Day (Friday) B: Lisa Marie Fergusson and Trinity ThankQ (26.8)
Preliminary Rider: Claire Strehlow and Seabanks Theygo (32.3)
Modified Rider: Julia Pinell and Street Fighter (33.8)
Open Modified: Karl Slezak and SF Darc Justice (30.0)
Open Modified One Day (Friday): Lee Maher and CSF Darwin (29.3)
Junior Training Rider: Lula Carney and Excel Star Vero Amore (26.5)
Open Training A: Karl Slezak and Hellboy (31.8)
Open Training B: Olivia Pratt and Fernhill Beautiful Boy (27.7)
Senior Training Rider: Kylie Morgan and Cassari (26.5)
Training Horse: Dana Cooke and FE Caczynski (26.8)
Junior Novice Rider: Shelby Davis and Sahara RSF (22.7)
Novice Horse: Kelley Hutchinson and HSH Scorpion (22.1)
Open Novice A: Lindsay Wagner and DS Ardeo Bounce (25.6)
Open Novice B: Jessica Schultz and Theological (25.6)
Senior Novice Rider: Julie Carani and Cabriolet 18 (24.7)
Beginner Novice Rider: Kathleen Carrara and Allu Jewel (28.4)
Open Beginner Novice: Michael Nolan and Rock Tour (22.5)
Open Starter: Ryan Hall and India de la Cour (29.7)
Starter Rider: Abigail McEwen and Paloma (26.6)
Advanced/Intermediate: Tamra Smith and Ferrie’s Cello (33.8)
Open Intermediate: Tommy Greengard and Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad (28.5)
Open Preliminary: James Alliston and Renaissance Man (17.1)
Open Modified: Andrea Baxter and MBF Dig Deep (30.8)
Open Training: Tamra Smith and Kareena K (24.8)
Training Rider: Lisa Peecook and SZ Raudo (28.5)
Novice Rider: Cynthia Wright and Caunton Filippa 32 (27.2)
Open Novice: Taylor Mcfall and Diarocca DF (27.2)
Beginner Novice Rider Provisional Scores: Camille Popham and BFF Penny Royale (26.2)
Open Beginner Novice Provisional Scores: Amber Birtcil and Red-Rag VDL (33.8)
Grasshopper: Michelle Meghrouni and Shenandoah Foxtrot (22.8)
Open Introductory: Elise Beckwith and Rupert Reginald III (26.2)
Open Preliminary: Meaghan Marinovich-Burdick and Cooley Mr. Murphy (27.9)
Preliminary Rider: Jennifer Rodgers and AC Graphite De Vains (47.8)
Junior Training: Madeline DiNicola and Willbrook Brown Yeats (34.3)
Open Training A: Zoe Crawford and Ballyneety J’Adore (31.3)
Open Training B: Zoe Crawford and Sportsfield Olympic Bay (30.5)
Training Rider: Meili Gregg and Cooley Triskele (36.8)
Junior Novice: Carla Lindsay and Take Note (29.3)
Novice Rider A: Abbey Holcombe and Zen Zara (24.4)
Novice Rider B: Alice Fout and Cocolares (25.3)
Open Novice A: Ryan Wood and Bailando (25.0)
Open Novice B: Avery Cascarino and Excel Star Cristal Coronet (27.5)
Open Novice C: Seth Chapman and Confetti 42 (24.5)
Beginner Novice Rider: Kari Estes and Cooper (26.5)
Junior Beginner Novice: Sienna McCormick and Jeweloftherodeo (31.2)
Open Beginner Novice A: Mary Curran and Folle Blanche (26.2)
Open Beginner Novice B: Ashley Adams and Faxo Vision (31.2)
Starter A: Meaghan Marinovich-Burdick and Z Blue (24.4)
Starter B: Rosie Trajkovski and Caheradoo Jack (24.7)
One Big Thing: Canada launches a new measure to support eventing venue development
An aerial view of Wesley Clover Parks, one venue near Ottawa that has contributed to the growth of FEI-level eventing competitions. Photo by Randy Harquail.
Equestrian Canada continues to invest in the future of eventing, the latest step being the recent launch of the Eventing Venue Development Fund. The fund was established to support the development and improvement of eventing venues across Canada. Funds raised will go to support both FEI-sanctioned competition venues as well as national competition venues. The goal of the fund is to enhance Canadian facilities to meet international standards, improve Canadian athlete competitiveness on the world stage, provide exciting spectator experiences and encourage the growth of eventing within the country.
FEI competitions in Canada are scarce. Bromont (Quebec) is a stalwart resident on the calendar, particularly for its marquee CCI4*-L held in June (and, reminder, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Bromont Equestrian Park’s hosting of the Olympic Games!). Wesley Clover Parks (Ontario) is another venue that’s contributed to FEI options with its recent introduction of international levels (CCI2*-S and CCI1*-S). Alhambra (ALberta) and Glen Oro (Ontario) also offer CCI2* and CCI1* competition. But in total, including multiple weekends at Bromont, only six FEI events stand on the Canadian calendar currently. If you’re looking for a Long format or CCI3*+, Bromont is the sole option.
So, there’s a want and need for development of these international levels. “We’re launching the Eventing Venue Development Fund to recognize and support the commitment our venues make year after year to the sustainability and continued progress of Eventing in Canada,” said Emily Gilbert, chair of the Eventing HPAG. “Their dedication forms the backbone of our sport, and we’re inviting communities across the country to rally behind this initiative so we can strengthen, grow and protect these essential competition venues for years to come.”
The Fund will support all levels of eventing venues across Canada. Grants will range from $500 – $100,000 depending on scope & funds available. Applicants must meet a set of criteria, and the funding can be used for things like facility and infrastructure upgrades, safety features and technology, and environmental upgrades to areas like waste or water management, etc.
Funding is beyond difficult for the majority of venues to acquire, and we all know that an event can’t run on air and willpower alone. This Development Fund represents a strong step towards the ongoing support of the sport.
More information on the Eventing Venue Development Fund can be found here.
A First-Timers Guide to the US Equestrian Open of Eventing — Starting in 2025, this $200,000 addition to the U.S. CCI4* calendar brought a whole new level of high performance competition to the table. If you’re just tuning in, you’ll find this guide handy.
Cross Country Days Ostbevern: International eventing tournament saved — A popular German eventing venue has been saved from potential cessation of competitions due to loss of use of cross country areas. A new solution was proposed to help events continue in this popular region.
Whether you’re just starting out (or your horse is) or you’re just wanting to fine-tune or reintroduce leg yields, here’s step-by-step guide from dressage pro Gareth Hughes:
This past week, the first European FEI Frangible Safety Seminar for Course Builders was held at the Warendorf training facility. The two-day session featured leadership from Event Director, course designer and safety progressive Stuart Buntine as well as Mats Björnetun, founder and owner of MIM Construction AB based in Frändefors, Sweden. MIM Construction, has developed and produced crash-tested accessories for the automotive industry since 1986, and Mats’ connection to the sport led him to eventually develop the MIM clips that are now commonplace on courses all over the world.
You can read a report on another recent Safety Seminar, held in Australia, here.
Monica Spencer and Artist. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Starting with the 2025 season, there’s a new level of recognition for our beloved Thoroughbred eventers, put on by the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.). For the first time, the top 10 registered Thoroughbreds at the eight levels of the USEA leaderboard will be recognized as a part of this annual program. It’s a great way to pay respects to the versatile Thoroughbred that shines so brightly in our sport, as well as a way for riders at all levels to earn recognition for their accomplishments.
MARS Bromont Rising Grant Recipients with guest coach Bettina Hoy on the cross-country course at Bromont June, 2025. Photo by Sally Spickard.
The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce that up to 10 grants of up to $2,500 each will once again be available for talented young riders aged 25 and under aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont (Quebec, Canada) U25 CCI’s in June, 2026. Three-time German Olympic team member Bettina Hoy will return as the guest coach for 2026, and new additions this year will include a stable management module with Max Corcoran and a welcome BBQ for participants and their teams, courtesy of the Wildasin family’s Fox Nation.
The brainchild of Bromont organizer Sue Ockendon and the late Steve Blauner, the Bromont Rising scholarship program was first offered in 2019 for riders competing at Bromont and, at the time Ocala, and was expanded to include Galway Downs in 2022 and 2023. Blauner, a longtime event horse owner and dedicated advocate for the sport, had the vision of supporting young eventers from the US and Canada who were not yet on the radar of national U25 training programs. Ockendon also had long held the dream of offering financial support to the youth of the sport, who are the future of Eventing in North America. A complete training program was devised to help the riders prepare themselves and their horses for competition.
The grants assist with travel and entry expenses, but the program also includes classroom sessions with respected industry leaders who give their time generously in support of the next generation of young riders. Returning presenters for 2026 include Bromont and CCI5* Burghley cross-country course designer Derek DiGrazia (USA); FEI 5* judge and FEI World Championships 2026 eventing Ground Jury member Peter Gray (CAN); and multiple Olympic, World Equestrian Games and European Championships competitor and medalist, Bettina Hoy (GER).
New education features for 2026 include stable management with former US Eventing Association president and Olympic groom Max Corcoran (USA), talks on sponsor & owner relations as well as social license to operate, and a welcome BBQ for all Bromont Rising participants on Tuesday evening courtesy of the Wildasin family / Fox Nation.
MARS Bromont Rising program director, Olympian and Ground Jury/Judge at this year’s FEI World Championships, Peter Gray acts as a clinician at the event. His centreline workshop details how to make the most of your dressage warm-up, and exactly what the judges are looking for movement-by-movement in order to produce a winning dressage test.
“We are incredibly excited that MARS Bromont Rising grants will be offered once again at Bromont this year,” he remarked. “Bromont is a world-class competition destination with challenging terrain and cross-country courses designed by renowned CCI5* course designer Derek DiGrazia. Competition at Bromont rivals that of any major international event in the world. Having guest instructors like Bettina Hoy and Max Corcoran is an unmatched opportunity for these U25 athletes.”
Three-time German Olympian and former international coach for Holland, Hoy speaks extremely highly of the program.
“Programs like Bromont Rising, the USEF and USEA’s Developing Rider Programs, Australia’s Next GEN squads, and in Germany the Stiftung Deutscher Spitzensport-supported mentorship program are very valuable, especially if participants are willing to take them on in an immersive way,” Hoy remarked. “Education goes far beyond riding instruction. During the week at Bromont not only do we walk courses and talk dressage, but we also discuss every aspect of “management.” How to plan your season, how to structure your fitness program, and proper aftercare to really complete the cycle of looking at the big picture. And of course we discuss the use of social media today.”
Bromont Rising coat Bettina Hoy pins the second place ribbon on Emeline Gilbert and EWSZ Mozart. Photo by Abby Powell.
Canadian young rider Emma McHugh of Beaconsfield, Quebec, received a grant in 2025:
“This year’s Bromont was truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and it made my first 2*L feel so much more positive and supported. I can’t thank Sue Ockendon and the organizers enough, and Ms. Mars for making this incredible opportunity possible. I learned so much in such a short time. It’s definitely something every young rider should get the chance to experience.
“The atmosphere, the people, and the level of learning at this amazing venue in Canada made it unforgettable. I made amazing connections and friendships. The highlight was my lesson with the legendary Bettina Hoy!
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication, this program is something very special and I am so excited to see what’s next for it.”
Canadian and American U25 riders competing in the CCIU252*-L and CCIU253*-L as well as the CCI4*-L/S are eligible to apply.
Grant application information is as follows:
MARS Bromont CCI June 4-7, 2026
NEW THIS YEAR $50,000 in total prize money across all divisions including the CCI4*-S
CCIU252*-L, CCIU253*-L, CCI4*-L/S
Applications will open February 15, 2026
APPLICATION DEADLINE MARCH 15, 2026
You can access information and the application form for MARS Bromont Rising here.
