Classic Eventing Nation

Laura Collett and Piggy March Lead the Way at Aston-le-Walls CCI4*-S

By on May 11, 2021 4:41 pm -

“Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” wrote Benjamin Franklin in 1789, before, we presume, scratching his chin with the feather-end of his quill and adding in a chicken-scratch scrawl, “oh, and that if London 52 is on the entry list, he’ll lead the dressage.”

In fact, we’d hasten to argue that, in a world where tax havens and Jeff Bezos exist, it’s actually probably more of an undeniable certainty that you’ll see Laura Collett and London 52 take the top spot on a first-phase leaderboard. So much so, in fact, that we’ve exhausted our normal line of questioning and are considering making a list of brand new and totally off-topic queries to ask the 2020 Pau winner after her performances: things like “what is London 52’s favourite colour?” “Do you think London 52 prefers N*SYNC or the Backstreet Boys?” “Who did London 52 support for the 2021 London mayoral election — and, indeed, who would have been his chosen candidate for the 1952 London mayoral election?” “If London 52 was a cheese, what kind would he be?” And, perhaps most importantly, “If Mr Bass is named for Chuck Bass from the seminal noughties CW drama Gossip Girl, which character is London 52?” (His stable name would suggest that he’s dishy Dan Humphrey, but his smokey eye leans more towards a latter-years Jenny, though considerably more tolerable.)

“Actually, I think of myself as more of a Dorota” — London 52, maybe. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

From an outside perspective, it can be all too easy to think of a partnership of this calibre as being utterly infallible on the flat, but London 52 is still a young and relatively inexperienced top-level horse at just twelve and as everyone who has ever trudged their way around a dressage arena knows, there’s always a marginal gain to be made somewhere. For Laura, the focus has been on ensuring that Dan’s confidence and rideability grows in tandem with his physical strength and maturity.

“The more rideable he is, the more I’m able to really ride those movements; he was always able to do them, but I sometimes felt like I was fudging it a bit and making sure they didn’t fall apart. Now, it feels like I can ride him into a shoulder-in or a half-pass and then say, ‘right, now show them what you’ve got.’ He likes this bit,” she laughs, but, she says, “he prefers to be on the surface and showing off.” That’s certainly what he was able to do today, and the difference felt marked for Laura, who we last saw campaign the gelding over the rather rolling terrain of Burnham Market’s dressage arena, in which he scored a 23.8.

“I felt at Burnham that he got a good mark, but he didn’t feel as good as he can,” she says. “Here, he felt like I could show him off — and he wanted to show off, which he didn’t want to do at Burnham. He was conservative there and didn’t want to do the biggest trot.”

Laura relishes the opportunity to let him bask in his own extravagance, partly because that tendency to perform isn’t necessarily something that came naturally to him: “he’s learnt to be a show-off; he was always a shy horse but now he believes in himself and everything that he’s doing. It shows, and it makes my job easy.”

Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Yesterday’s leaders Izzy Taylor and Monkeying Around slip down one spot to overnight second on 22.5, while Tom McEwen and his own Pau winner Toledo de Kerser slot neatly into provisional third place on a very respectable 23. This hardly an outlier score for the French-bred gelding, who regularly makes his presence known at the preferable end of the leaderboard, but for Tom, there were minor improvements to be found in his work — and those had come from a tactical bit of ringwork at home.

“We’ve been at home quite a lot and there hasn’t been much to do, so I’ve been riding through the Olympic test a bit,” he says. That test and this week’s, CCI4* test B, are remarkably similar: they utilise short, snappy transitions between lateral movements, they employ a mid-test halt and reinback and, crucially, they feature a much smaller walk section sans pirouettes, which means that riders have limited time and space to nail the transitions in, within, and out of the walk, and every step within the gait must be top quality.

“It very much suits him, with that little bit of walk, then the more complicated canter work and short, sharp trot work,” says Tom, who made a polished performance of the early segment of the test with its fiddly transitions from shoulder-in into a 10m demi-volte, from which the shift into trot half-pass can so easily get sloppy or disjointed.

Though Aston — which is regularly used for Team GB’s training sessions — could offer some advantage to horses who are familiar and comfortable with it as a venue, Tom admits he never usually has much luck in this phase here: “We’re very lucky to be back at Aston,” he laughs, “but at the same time, I usually do my worst tests here!”

Tina Cook’s Billy the Red skips through his changes. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In fact, today’s leaderboard in this phase has become something of a showcase of Britain’s top talent – and certainly, they continue to make the British selectors’ jobs that much harder with their impressive performances. Pippa Funnell and her reigning Burghley champion MGH Grafton Street sit fourth on 24.5, while Nicola Wilson and Bulana, Sarah Bullimore and Reve du Rouet and Tina Cook and Billy the Red all slot in a penalty behind them on 25.5 for a three-way tie for fifth place overnight. Though we’re used to seeing excellent marks from each of these partnerships, it was Tina who was most delighted by the feeling she got in the ring — and the enthusiastic praise bestowed upon her outside of it by British team coach Dickie Waygood.

“I don’t often get praise like that,” she laughs. “All my life I’ve found the dressage frustrating; I always seem to have had sharp horses who are brilliant in the jumping phases, but then do slightly struggle. I’m a tall girl and I find it hard to look elegant! But both horses [Billy the Red and Calvino II, 19th on 27.4] went well today.”

 

Team stalwart Billy has been a particularly fond frustration for the rider, who has had to work hard to manage his innate sharpness — a problem that has occasionally cropped up in the dressage ring.

“[Billy] has just got a bright brain; he’s not malicious, and he’s not nasty — he was just born bright and it’s just about finding the key. He isn’t one you’d want to overwork, as he’d probably get worse, so it’s just that fine line of doing twenty minutes and then hoping,” she explains. “He’s desperately spooky — oh my god — on hacks and stuff like that. When I rode him this morning he spooked at a pile of stinging nettles, slipped, and whipped ’round. He’s always the same, but that’ll be him all his life; sometimes he spooks at flowers, sometimes he doesn’t, and so I always have to prepared for the unexpected. You just have to smile your legs around him, smile, and get on with it! I ride him at home myself — I don’t think it’s fair on anyone else to have to ride him just in case anything happens, so it’s me and him all the time.”

William Fox-Pitt and Little Fire. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

William Fox-Pitt fell just short of joining the tie when he scored a 25.7 with Little Fire, who had originally been tentatively aimed at Kentucky before swapping places with Oratorio for the big trip overseas. Unlike the trio of women just ahead of him, though, William doesn’t see this week’s competition as part of a longer road to Tokyo this summer.

“He’s missed his Olympic slot, and there’s nowhere to really get selected from, so that’s fine,” he says, musing that “if enough horses go lame, perhaps we’ll get picked for the Europeans. It would be fun to go to Switzerland.”

As an onlooker, one can’t help but feel that William is rather underselling himself and the horse as a combination — always a flashy sort, ‘Aidan’ looked every inch the performer in the arena.

“He always feels pleased with himself — he’s never lacked in that self-confidence,” says William wryly. “It was good for him to do a grown-up test, as we’ve not done one this year. The last one he did would have been Burgham [in August of 2020] — that’s quite a long time in a horse’s life!”

Most notable, perhaps, was the work just prior to entering at A — as William and Aidan trotted around the perimeter of the arena, a sudden burst of elevation saw them working in a pace more akin to a passage.

“He has got a good trot in there that I’ve been working on, though it doesn’t always come out. If one of the girls — Pippa or Piggy — was on him, he’d do it all the time, but they’re not, so I’m working on getting there,” says William. “Overall, I was very pleased with what was a mistake-free ride — other than one little twitch of his nose — and that’s what I wanted.”

Ros Canter and the ultra-consistent Zenshera. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent drop from their overnight second-placed position to ninth going into the jumping phases, while the top ten is rounded out by Ros Canter and ‘family pet’ Zenshera, who scored a 26.1 after delivering what a delighted Ros dubbed his best-ever test.

“I think he probably did the best test he’s ever done in his life; I was just so chuffed with him today,” she beams. “Little Zenshera just stayed with me so well; I don’t think I could have ridden any movement for him to have gone any better. Every one, he did to the best of his ability — previously, he’s made the odd mistake and he can get a bit ahead of himself, and enjoys himself a bit too much, but today was a real clear round. Obviously showjumping is our weak link, so we’ll enjoy what he did today, give him lots of pats, and hope it inspires him to pick up his toes tomorrow!”

The top ten at the culmination of dressage in CCI4*-S Section A.

Yesterday’s Section B leaders Piggy March and Brookfield Quality remain unusurped atop the leaderboard today on their score of 21.7, but behind them, there were a plethora of new additions to the top ten.

It was a good day in the office for Ros Canter, who put a 21.8 on the board with the relatively inexperienced Lordships Graffalo to tie for second place with Tom McEwen and Dreamaway II.

“He’s a really exciting young horse – he’s just lovely and rideable in the arena and as a big horse, he gets stronger every year,” she says of the nine-year-old British-bred Sport Horse, who tackles his third — and what will arguably be his most challenging — CCI4*-S this week. It feels like kismet, a bit, that he should be tied with Tom – after all, it was he who deputised for Ros in 2019, competing Lordships Graffalo at two- and three-star while his usual pilot was pregnant.

Tom McEwen and Dreamaway. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

For Tom’s part, his own 21.8 represents his career-best international score – a fact that might seem almost unbelievable considering the prowess of his five-star winner Toledo de Kerser in this phase. Although Dreamaway has been a consistent performer between the boards across his twelve international starts, we tend to expect a score around the 28.5 mark for the gelding, and his own previous best score was a 25.3 at the CCI2*-L level.

Alex Hua Tian and his Olympic partner Don Geniro produced a characteristically extravagant, correct test to put a 22.5 on the board next to the Chinese flag – the only instance of another nationality making it into either section’s top ten. They sit in overnight fourth place, followed by an on-form Harry Meade, still riding high after his fifth place finish at Kentucky last month.

Harry Meade and Red Kite. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Here, all eyes were on the under-the-radar Red Kite, who comes forward for his sophomore CCI4*-S and who scored a wholly unexpected 22.7 to move up into fifth. Well, unexpected for everyone, that is, except Harry himself: “He’s got loads of ability, but he’s quite spunky – if he was a pupil in a class, you’d say that if he stopped mucking about, he could be a scholar! He’s got lots of capability.”

William Fox-Pitt and Georgisaurous. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

William Fox-Pitt makes a double appearance in the Section B top ten with the relatively inexperienced Georgisaurus, who returns to international competition for the first time since 2019. Then, we saw him start — though not complete — his CCI4*-S debut at Blenheim, and the now-ten year old has obviously used his time at home well. He scored a 23.6 today, considerably lower than his usual mid-to-high 20s marks, but a stroke of brilliance that was hinted at when we saw him put a 20.5 on the board in the CCI3*-L at Tattersalls two years ago. He sits sixth overnight, while stablemate Grafennacht — slightly more experienced, with a CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L completion under her belt already — lies ninth on 24.5.

“I’ve never pretended to be a dressage queen but I’m trying, still — and still enjoying it,” says William.”They both had little mistakes but were very pleasing — they’re lovely horses on the flat. We’ve got some work to do but I was so pleased with their brains, particularly as they’re inexperienced and neither has done an Advanced test in eight months.”

Between the two sit Kitty King‘s Cristal Fontaine —  who we saw take the win at Burnham Market last month — in eighth on 23.7, and Gemma Tattersall and Jalapeno III, who posted a 23.6 yesterday. The top ten is rounded out by Yasmin Ingham and Sandman 7, who we saw put a 25.4 up in yesterday’s session.

Tomorrow sees the showjumping and cross-country phases play out in tandem, with over seven hours of action over the course of the day. And although the quality of the dressage scores across the two sections might make your eyes water a little bit (or it should, at least — you have to look as far as 34th place to find someone whose score begins with a ‘3’), there’s plenty left to do, including a big, technical showjumping track on grass and, of course, a brand new four-star cross-country course that has been designed to give these horses and riders a true test for the level. With scores this tightly bunched, we’ll be expecting the leaderboard to look very different by tomorrow night.

We’ll take a closer look at Captain Mark Phillips’ challenging track this evening — so keep it locked onto EN for all you need to know, and as always, Go Eventing!

The top ten after dressage in CCI4*-S Section B.

Aston-le-Walls International: Website | Ride Times and Live Scores | EN’s Coverage | EN’s Twitter | EN’s Instagram

Tuesday Video: Fresno County Intro Extravaganza

By on May 11, 2021 4:00 pm -

We heart our Intro competitors here at Eventing Nation — the division is a true gateway to the sport for riders and horses alike. Fresno County Horse Park H.T., which took place April 30 through May 2 in Fresno, California, hosted two Intro divisions — Introductory Rider and Open Introductory — and Ride On Video (support your event videographer!) has been posting videos. The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” is a nice touch. Here are a few from the top five in each Intro division — view complete event results here.

Katherine Jackman and Lookit Louie were 1st in Intro Rider.

Amanda Fisher and Movedbydino were 2nd in Open Intro.

Kennedy Wiklund and Galaxy Girl were 3rd in Intro Rider.

Amanda Fisher and Iron Rapped were 4th in Open Intro.

Sebastien Noel and Lou Lou Catchou were 4th in Intro Rider.

Madelyn Baasch on Wild West were 5th in Open Intro.

Go Eventing.

Leaving Eventing Behind

By on May 11, 2021 11:30 am -

Jennifer Bojescul is 22 years old and a resident of Evans, Ga. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Aiken with a degree in Exercise and Sports Science. Jennifer has always had a love for horses and pursued a career in Area III eventing. However, she found a different path in life and wanted to share her story as to why she left eventing behind. Not many people discuss why they leave the sport, and she wanted her story to allow others to not feel alone. Jennifer will always have great respect for eventing and its athletes.

Photo by Michelle Bojescul.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you really are.” — Carl Jung

From the very beginning, I was in love with the horse. The rhythmic beat to the sound of hooves captivated me. My young mind could not understand how man was allowed to sit upon such a wondrous animal, but I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. My parents took notice and became incredibly supportive of my growing passion. I began riding lessons when I was three on a fiery pony mare who made me earn her respect, as well as a gentleman gray gelding who took me over my first few jumps. To say the least: I was hooked. My riding skill continued to grow through the next few years, and I had stress-free fun.

One day during a lesson, a past trainer of mine made the observation that I jumped like an “eventer” and should look into the sport. A what?! Competing a horse had never occurred to me until that moment. I was taken to watch Pine Top Advanced H.T. in Thompson, Georgia, and I knew immediately that I wanted to be the rider that jumped through those red and white boundary flags going mach 50. My decision to pursue the sport of eventing was set in stone from that day forward.

I consistently competed as an eventer for seven years making my way through the levels. I had high expectations for myself, which included qualifying for NAJYRC (what was then known as the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships) by 18. My biggest life goals, however, were to qualify for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and Burghley Horse Trials one day …  untouchable daydreams for most of us eventers to say the least. I decided to go all in — I gave up varsity volleyball and my other activities in high school without a second thought and transitioned to online school my junior year. I drove an hour every day to Aiken/Wagener, South Carolina, to work and to train because this was it; this was going to be the rest of my life.

But then, it wasn’t.

I competed and owned three difficult, yet extremely talented horses during my short eventing career. The main quirk to this sport is that it is close to impossible to find an affordable horse that is keen to do each phase: dressage, cross country and show jumping. If you do find this horse, the money you have to spend for the animal is astronomical — and let’s not forget the checks written for numerous injections and supplements as the horse advances through the levels. My father, bless him, supported me financially throughout the years without a second thought. I’ll admit, I was one of the lucky ones, but it still wasn’t enough.

One by one, I realized that my horses did not want to be eventers. This included a Thoroughbred mare that I trained myself from off the track to Training level and an Oldenburg gelding who refused to build a partnership with me. My last resort was a snarly, upper-level horse whose show name caught most people’s attention: Domestic Dispute (“Brian”). He burnt a hole through our pockets, but I was beyond thankful to have the ability to finally learn from a schoolmaster. I found comedy in his grumpy expressions after I’d steal a kiss from his muzzle, and I swear he grew to like me. Brian was going to be the horse to take me to NAJYRC — the first major step towards accomplishing my dreams. We made it together to the Preliminary level, but the man above favors character development. This horse dumped me numerous times — I mean, numerous times. I swore it was 100% my fault, but the sad reality was that Brian was overly used and his body couldn’t handle upper-level eventing anymore.

Everything for me changed after we shared an intense tumble at Poplar Place in the pouring rain on cross country. For the first time, I asked myself if the chance of dying or becoming seriously injured was really worth achieving the goals that I had set for myself at such a young age. It took me a few more months of questioning and mouthfuls of dirt to come up with my answer. Brian was sold to a loving, lower-level rider who absolutely adored him. He unfortunately passed away a couple of years later.

I soon found myself horseless and not a part of the eventing world anymore. I lost my anchor, my meaning, and I felt completely numb during my second semester of college. That is when a gentleman gray gelding walked through the barn and brought some semblance of peace back into my life. West of the Moon (“Cosmo”) reminded me what it was like to jump through those red and white boundary flags a few more times. Our last event was in 2017. Cosmo is currently a happy 19-year-old participating in some occasional dressage work. I can say for certain that he is my heart horse and I am so grateful that he found me.

Leaving the eventing world behind and moving forward with my life has been a difficult task, but certainly not impossible. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science in 2019 and became a medical assistant after graduation. I am currently finishing Surgical Technology school and cannot wait to see what my future holds in the medical field.

I have learned through these trials and tribulations that eventing never defined who I am, but my love for horses will always be a huge part of me.

I would like to conclude with three very important themes:

1. Your dreams are never too big.
2. Dreams may change, but that does not mean you gave up.
3. Put your faith in God and He will guide you to exactly where you need to be.

I hope you accomplish happiness in everything that you do. Thank you for reading.

FEI Eventing Risk Management Committee’s David Vos on Drone Technology, Frangible Fences and Saving the Planet

By on May 11, 2021 9:00 am -

What do you get when you combine an aviation engineer, a successful amateur rider and a galloping event horse? The answer, it seems, is the man who has made a massive contribution to the work of the FEI Eventing Risk Management Committee, and his name is David Vos. This article is made possible by the FEI and Louise Parkes.

David Vos competing at Carolina International. Brant Gamma photo.

David describes himself as “an airplane nut” who was fascinated from childhood by aviation dynamics and controls. He only started riding when he was 40 years old, but he has competed up to the CCI2* in Eventing and his contribution to the creation of an updated standard for frangible devices for cross-country fences has been pivotal.

He’s passionate about improving safety. “We have to use all the tools at our disposal, including the people with a world of experience who have been in this sport for a very long time. You can never keep everyone perfectly safe, but we can do what’s necessary to make things as safe as possible if we take a responsible and disciplined approach”, he says.

As an athlete who came so late to the game, his integration into the Eventing Risk Management Steering Group took some time. “When you enter a new community no-one is going to listen to you”, he points out. It was through friends of his wife, journalist and entrepeneur Patricia Vos, that he was introduced to USEA Cross-Country Safety Committee Chair Jonathan Holling and it kicked off from there.

“I took videos of 2* and 3* horses running at Fairhill and began monitoring what the trajectory looked like and how the horses jumped.

“It evolved pretty quickly because that’s my specialisation area. I was surprised how little of that existed in the dialogue which was much more driven by trial and error and experience, but very little by theoretical physics – the dynamics of systems.”

Talking with someone who knows how to use mathematical modelling to explain and predict natural phenonema could be a bit like swimming through soup for some of us. But David balances the conversation with stories of his groundbreaking inventions, his love of nature and his pioneering work through the Vos Foundation which aims to ensure the diversity of life by planting billions of trees. And he talks about his horses too of course.

It’s not just his intellectual energy that shines through, it’s also his altruism and humanity.

Free spirit

Born near Capetown in South Africa in 1961 he has always been something of a free spirit, hitch-hiking around the beautiful countryside from the age of 11. “When I was growing up my two big loves were nature and aviation. Animals have always been very special to me, and today it really hurts to know that when I was a kid there were half a million lions in sub-Saharan Africa but today there’s maybe 30,000 or some tiny number like that”, David says.

His parents and his sister remain in South Africa while his brother moved to London in 1987. “We grew up in the apartheid era and hated our Government. I discovered very early on that good ademic credentials would be my ticket out of the country – basically the world hated us all so it was pretty hard to find a home”, he explains.

He seemed destined for a life in the aviation business. “There’s something magical about flight – my father was always into it and his brothers were pilots who flew in the Korean war.” Instead of becoming a pilot himself however he set his sights on a place at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Boston, USA and, at the age of 26, his wish came true. He made a big impact when, as part of his PhD project, he developed a unicycle robot in a laboratory that was also home to Marc Raibert and Robert Playter who went on to found the world-famous robotics company Boston Dynamics. It was the first step on the road to an extraordinary career.

Contracts

He started small, working out of his own basement for several years before forming a company that went on to win contracts all around the world. “The unmanned aviation market was just beginning in the late 90s so it was perfect timing”, he says. In one of many research projects, he blew off 80% of a wing and tail of an airplane in flight and demonstrated how the automation system would just keep adjusting the aircraft so it could land successfully. It was ground-breaking stuff in the early days of drone technology, and by 2008 his company, Athena Technologies, was a hot property that was eventually bought by avionics and IT giant Rockwell Collins.

“I worked for them for four years as part of the contract and then left in 2012 and tried to hide away because I wanted to spend more time on our lovely 200-acre farm in Virginia where I had always felt I was just visiting. I wanted to immerse myself in the countryside and the animals, and to spend real time with my wife. I managed to do that for two years, but then Google found me through Patricia’s horse business and I ended up incubating their business on drone delivery service for two years”, he says. It was a real hit. “We delivered 1,000 burritos by drone and they wanted me to take it further, but that’s when I decided I was retiring for real!”

Horses

It was in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 that David was first introduced to the sport of Eventing, and he was immediately hooked. He and Patricia were living in Cape Cod at the time, and on that infamous 9/11 morning David boarded the third of the 8am flights out of Boston. The first two were hijacked.

“It was a bizarre day and I ended up stuck in DC for several months because the aviation world shut down and we were busy with my business there. Patricia came to visit me after being stuck in Europe, and she dragged me out of my office to go to this thing called a Horse Trials in Fairhill and I immediately decided I wanted to do it. In six months we packed up our Cape Cod property and bought our farm in Virginia”.

The first thing Patricia, who has spent many years re-training off-the-track racehorses, put in place was David’s trainer, American rider Jennifer Simmons. “It was a synergistic partnership because we used to sponsor her and bought her a bunch of upper-level horses over the years. She was a great coach for me”. But he admits he hadn’t the first idea what he was letting himself in for.

“When I started I thought you take one lesson, buy a horse and off you go. I had no idea it was a lifelong process of always learning, and and going through all the ups and downs with different horses and how easily they get injured. Maybe if I knew that ahead of time I mightn’t have started!”, he says with a laugh.

First horse

His first horse was lame within six months but lived out a long and happy life on the farm until passing away last year at the age of 27. “After that I bought any old horse as long as it was sound!”, David laughs again. A wild Trakehener/TB mare was followed by off-the-track Thoroughbreds, but it was a telephone call from US rider Will Coleman that introduced him to his most successful horse to date.

“Will said he’d seen a great Irish Sport Horse in someone’s back yard in England and that I should come and try it. So we combined a visit to Burghley in 2012 with going to see the horse along with Jennifer Simmons and Chris Hunnable”. It wasn’t love at first sight “he was more bulky that I had in mind”, but once David sat on him “I took a deep breath, and that was it”. The pair of them went from strength to strength despite some drama along the way.

“His name is Pablo (Spring Centurion) and he took me from Training all the way to the old 2* (now 3*) level. He was eight when I got him so he’s now 17 and I’m hoping to have him back in work again soon”. Pablo has twice ripped off part of a hoof – once out in the field and then in his stable – and he’s still recovering from that second incident. “But I’m a person that never gives up, so I’m still hoping he’ll come back!”.

On a business-trip to Ireland in 2016 he bought another horse, Apollo, as a four-year-old. “His mother is Irish and his father is German and he’s a super-nice guy!”, David says. He started working with Apollo after retiring for the second and last time in 2017. “I always wanted to train a young horse. It’s been a bit like the blind leading the blind but a whole lot of fun!

Segues

Asked how his aviation systems expertise segues into advising on Risk Management in the sport he loves so much – especially since animals are not machines and therefore must be less predictable – David says “that’s the interesting part! You’d be surprised when a horse jumps how the physics really dominates. There’s a cross-domain convergence of really high-tech physiology, psychology and human-animal relationships and it’s really cool!

“At Burghley in 2019 for example I worked together with British Eventing and the FEI and we had up to 25 cameras around the course and I could show how the physics and the video aligned with each other within 5% of accuracy. It gave us confidence in the methodology and in simple tests such as putting a kettle bell on a chain and swinging it at a frangible fence. Depending on the release heights you can very accurately determine the energy of the impact”.

Then we segue into talking about David and Patricia’s work in the Vos Foundation and the Trillion Trees project. “Right now our main drive is to significantly increase the publicity about tree-planting. We launched together with the Eden Project back in 2018 in Mozambique and so far around 20 millions trees have been planted and are growing and we are working with them and others to scale up the message.

“When you think about it, tree planting is the only known solution to mankind today to resolve our carbon dioxide problem. And all we have to do is plant one more tree for every three out there on the planet today. If we do that by 2030 we will buy probably as many decades as we need to bring online all the sustainable energy solutions the world needs to be able to have humans easily survive on the planet without driving carbon dioxide and global warming nuts!

“It’s incredibly exciting doing this simple thing – pushing seeds into the ground and letting nature grow them. All we have to do is help nature here and we can resolve this monstrous problem that we, as humans, have created.”

Similarities

Back talking horses, David says there are strong similarities between people in the equestrian world and his academic and business colleagues. “There are always people who are really brave, people who are really scared and people who are really smart, and I believe that being clever about things is about being a fearless thinker more than anything else.

“To reach the top of anything you need fortitude and commitment along with solid doses of humility. There are awesome people everywhere and I’m a really big believer that most people are good people and want to do the right thing. The Eventing Risk Management Group is full of people like that.”

Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feeds

By on May 11, 2021 12:01 am -

Do we have another future world champion on the horizon? Yesterday, Michael Jung and his wife Faye announced the arrival of their son Lio. Many congratulations to this special couple. Now, we eagerly await Lio’s first pony ride — fortunately he’s got plenty of talented options in the barn.

Events Opening This Week: Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Summer H.T., Stable View Summer H.T., Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T., Inavale Farm HT, Arrowhead H.T., Midsouth Pony Club H.T.

Events Closing This Week: Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T., VHT International & H.T., USEA MDHT FEH/YEH/NEH Qualifier, The Spring Event at Woodside, Equestrians’ Institute H.T., May-Daze at the Park H.T., Spring Coconino H.T.

Tuesday News: 

New USEF mandates go into effect May 17, 2021. By that date, vaccinated individuals will not be required to wear a mask/face covering at USEF competitions while outdoors. When indoors, face coverings are still required. [USEF Will Implement New Protocols Regarding the Use of Face Coverings/Masks at USEF-Licensed Competitions]

There must be something in the water in Germany, because they hold the record for most wins across Olympic equestrian disciplines. Turns out, it’s mostly to do with how riders are brought up around horses. [The Golden System: How Germany Consistently Produces Top-Ranked Riders]

Pull out your muzzles! Spring has sprung. The key to managing your horses on lush spring grass is all about the transition.  [Transitioning Horses To Spring Pastures]

Twenty-one picograms have caused a big stir in the racing community. News dropped this weekend that Kentucky Derby winner failed a drug test due to 21 picograms of betamethasone. Trainer Bob Baffert denies the colt’s use of the medication, which until last fall was allowed as small doses in post-race tests. [Report: Why Regulators Test For Picograms Of Betamethasone]

Tuesday Video: Checking in with Piggy March.

Don’t miss out! Stock up on the next wave of Legends Horse Feed and Supplements and receive $2 per bag through May 31st. No coupon needed. Discount applied at point of purchase. Link: legendshorsefeed.com

 

Monday Video: Get Some Detail with Doug Payne in Jumper Nation’s ‘Go Jumping With…’ Series

By on May 10, 2021 5:30 pm -

Our sister site, Jumper Nation, has a cool new series inspired by the popular ESPN+ show, Detail, in which professional show jumpers help break down reader-submitted rounds. If you’re a rider, chances are your favorite pastime is to sit and rewatch lessons, clinics or show rounds – as much for the sentimentality as for the learning opportunities. We are, as a people, rather perfectionist-leaning and while this can easily turn into nitpicking even the best round to death, it’s true that a great way to learn is to watch the film, if you will.

So the Jumper Nation team went out looking for an all-star team of show jumping professionals to help bring this detailed analysis to this series. The first edition, featuring eventer slash show jumper Doug Payne’s critique of a submitted round. Want to submit a video to learn from pros such as Doug, Erynn Ballard, Sloane Coales, Jimmy Wofford and more? Click here to learn more about “Go Jumping With ___”.

No Margin for Mediocrity on Day One at Aston-le-Walls CCI4*-S

By on May 10, 2021 3:30 pm -

Behind closed doors but no less buzzy for it, Aston-le-Walls has set the stage for a useful spring four-star this season. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Saying goodbye to our beloved events — for a year, perhaps, or two — is beginning to feel worryingly par for the course after more than a year of battling the Covid-19 pandemic, but every once in a while, we get the rather more soul-soothing experience of welcoming a new entry on the fixture list. We saw that last year in the UK with the advent of Cornbury International, a long-defunct event under new and enthusiastic stewardship, and similarly last week, when Cirencester Park returned to the calendar to much praise. This week’s focus, though, takes us to a place that’s as comfortable to and well-loved by British-based eventers as a pair of favourite old gloves – but this time, it wears a new and illustrious hat.

The home base of British team selector, coach, and former top-level competitor Nigel Taylor and his wife Ann, Aston-le-Walls Horse Trials hosts a number of events each season, giving competitors from BE80 (US Beginner Novice) through Advanced the chance to gain valuable experience over encouraging tracks. Its location – on the cusp of England’s Midlands – and proximity to the motorway system make it an easy event to get to for competitors up and down the country, who turn out in their droves to make use of the rare chance to perform two phases on an all-weather surface, and it’s a firm favourite for young horses to step up a level safely and comfortably. And when the calendar of events needs a little help? It’s not at all uncommon to see Aston step up to bat with a last-minute additional competition, ensuring no one misses out on the runs they need. But for a while now, Nigel’s been dreaming of doing something more. It was time for Aston to go international.

As is fitting for the event that so often fills in the gaps left by cancellations, its debut CCI4*-S effort this week comes as another Herculean gesture. The iconic and much-loved international at Chatsworth was an early victim of this year’s spate of cancellations, and while nothing can quite replace the thrill of cocktail parties in the Painted Hall and fast and furious cross-country runs around Queen Mary’s Bower, competitors found themselves in desperate need of a serious track to help them prepare their horses for long formats to come (or we hope so, anyway). Nigel, who brings a wealth of experience to the table, knew that Aston could expand its repertoire to cope with the demands of international competition – after all, it had done so before when hosting the CCI3* European Championships, colloquially known as the Rural Riders’ Championships, in 2011. This, though, would be next level in every way.

It would appear that no one has doubted the Taylors’ ability to get the job done: there are more than 220 entries across the two CCI4*-S sections, both of which are sponsored by Dassett Eventing, and those entries boast some of the very best horses and riders in Britain. Conscripted for duty is Captain Mark Phillips who, with Nigel, has produced an expansive new track, featuring 800m of previously unused land and an exciting loop through the main arena, giving the familiar a cosmopolitan new facelift. We’ll be taking a closer look at their efforts tomorrow – but for now, we’ll turn our attention to the first day of dressage.

Izzy Taylor and Monkeying Around lead CCI4*-S Section A. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’ll come as no surprise to avid viewers of the sport two see a couple of familiar faces at the top of the leaderboard (unless, of course, you’re new here, in which case, let me give you a brief overview: Piggy March is quite good and we all whinge about the weather a lot). Izzy Taylor finds herself once again at the top of the leaderboard with Monkeying Around, her 2017 Six-Year-Old World Champion who has gone from (considerable) strength to strength in this phase.

The now-ten-year-old Hanoverian gelding wasn’t immune to the ferocious winds and ever-changing conditions that made the majority of the field snort, spook and skitter their way around the two arenas, but he showed off an increasingly reliable level of maturity by kindly saving all his dance moves for the warm-up ring. In his test, and under the watchful eye of British team head honchos Chris Bartle and Dickie Waygood, he was all poise and professionalism, and it’s a joy to see how Izzy’s careful production of the horse has married so well with his innate sense of balance and extravagance to create a bold, confident performer who’s able to shelve all conservatism and really squeeze every last drop out of each movement. Their test earned them a 22.5, giving them a considerable lead over second-placed Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent, who put a 25.8 on the board. (Still here, newbies? That’s a very, very good score for any mere mortal but rather a lower one than we’ve seen in the past from this exceptional gelding, who was second on his five-star debut at Pau last year. See, we told you she was good.)

Mollie Summerland puts Charly van ter Heiden’s joie de vivre to good use. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A fresh and flamboyant Charly van ter Heiden sits in third place with Mollie Summerland, who has the rare accolade of being possibly the only eventer in the world who, if forced to migrate to another discipline, would happily choose dressage. But that unusual (and, look, if we’re honest, weird) penchant for performing between the boards is always evident in how she pieces together a test, particularly when aboard her self-produced top horse, who dressage legend Carl Hester has dubbed as having the quality to win at the upper echelons of that sport, too.

When natural panache meets hard work and a healthy dose of perfectionism – both evident qualities of Mollie’s – the result is always a treat to watch, and her commitment to accuracy and positive riding channeled Charly’s exuberance admirably. So much so that Ireland’s European bronze medallist Cathal Daniels stopped to graze his own top horse, the indomitable Rioghan Rua, nearby, “so she can watch and learn how to trot like that,” he quipped. Mollie and Charly posted a 26.1, which sees them sit just a whisper ahead of fourth-placed Izzy Taylor and her new-old ride Fonbherna Lancer, who joined Piggy March’s string last season but moved back to Izzy after a fifth-place finish Burnham Market a fortnight ago so that he can head to his debut five-star at Luhmühlen next month, a level for which he’s qualified in tandem with Izzy but not Piggy.

Rounding out the top ten in this battle of British women is Yasmin Ingham, who sits provisionally fifth on 26.7 aboard Rehy DJ, her partner when winning 2018’s national under-21 title.

The top ten at the end of the first day of dressage in Section A.

Piggy March and Brookfield Quality take the top spot overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In Section A, you needed to score sub-30 if you wanted a spot in the top ten – but in Section B, the first fifteen places all broke that 30 barrier, proving just how tough a competition this is set to be. Leading the way in this class is – no prizes for guessing, folks – Piggy March, who piloted Brookfield Quality to a remarkable 21.7. Though he sometimes sits in the shadow cast by his headline-stealing stablemate Brookfield Inocent, Brookfield Quality — known at home as ‘Nervous Norris’ — has already got the sort of record most of us would commit a few crimes for: in 2019, he won all four of his international starts with Piggy in their first season together after he was produced to CCI3*-L by Australia’s Kevin McNab. This is just his third CCI4*-S; he won his second, a season-closer at Little Downham last year. Today’s performance marks a significant career personal best at any international level – an achievement notched partly on the strength of the changes, which looked considerably more established than we saw last year. (Just to recap, yeah? Piggy March = good.)

Gemma Tattersall and Jalapeno III. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It was a welcome return to competition for Gemma Tattersall‘s Jalapeno, the spicy former Karin Donckers ride who we last saw at Pau CCI5* in 2019, where she was withdrawn overnight following cross-country. (Spare a thought for the poor mare, who has probably spent much of her day wondering why on earth everyone’s standing several meters apart and wearing bits of fabric on their faces.) The pair earned a 23.6 in the ring, proving that they’re ready to pick up where they left off after their one and only season together in 2019. Then, we saw them finish second at an achingly tough Bramham CCI4*-L, win the Event Rider Masters finale at Lignieres, and nab a top-ten finish at Chatsworth  – but they’ll be aiming to leave the odd 20 penalties, picked up at Pau, Aachen, and Millstreet, well behind them.

Yasmin Ingham makes her second appearance in a top ten today, this time sitting third provisionally on 25.4 with Sandman 7, whom she inherited from Pippa Funnell in 2018 and with whom she became the British under-25 champion in 2019. Though the gelding has a wealth of experience, he’s not generally Yasmin’s most obvious first-phase performer, and this great score matches his career personal best, notched up with Pippa at Chatsworth in 2018.

Fourth place is the overnight domain of Toby Pigott — the only male rider to get a look-in in either of the top fives — who scored a 25.5 with the exceptionally named four-star debutant Lance A Little, while fifth place goes the way of Kirsty Chabert (neé Johnson) with Opposition Loire on 25.6.

We’ll be chatting to some of our leaderboard hoppers tomorrow, when they’ll face stiff competition from the next batch (horde? Horde.) of competitors. In the meantime, enjoy some snaps from today’s action and, as always, Go Eventing!

The top ten at the end of day one in Section B.

Aston-le-Walls International: Website | Ride Times and Live Scores | EN’s Coverage | EN’s Twitter | EN’s Instagram

Tim Price Announces Retirement of Wesko at Age of 18

By on May 10, 2021 2:26 pm -

Tim Price and Wesko. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Windrush Equestrian Foundation, and Tim Price, are sad to announce the retirement of their beloved Wesko, from top level competition. The 18-year-old CCI5* Champion was being prepared for the delayed Tokyo Olympics but has sadly sustained a minor injury during his meticulous early season preparations.

Tim Price paid tribute to his “best mate”:

“It was going to be a bit of a push for an 18-year-old to make the final four at the Olympics later this year and sadly is just wasn’t mean to be. We have had so much fun together, so I have a lot to be thankful for. Above all he’s my mate and that isn’t about to change.”

“Dash” will remain with Tim Price for his retirement and be allowed to embrace his ‘inner pony’: “Dash will finally be allowed to let his inner pony out, getting fluffy, fat and happy, and winning people over with his friendly charm.”

It is with great sadness that the day has come for me to announce Wesko's retirement from top level competition. It was…

Posted by Team Price on Monday, May 10, 2021

Wesko has had a glittering career partnered with Tim, amassing 1356 British Eventing points and six international wins, including the CCI5* at Luhmuhlen 2014. Looking back across the past decade to his first British Eventing season in 2011 where he recorded his first international win at Brand Hall and failed to finish outside of the top three across the season. From there on there were wins at Blair Castle CCI4*L (2013), Tattersalls CCI4*L (2014), Arville ERM CCI4*S (2019) and Lignieres CCI3*L (2019), in addition to two CCI5* third place finishes at Les Etoiles de Pau (2015 & 2020).

“After his injury in 2016, Wesko’s return to eventing began not long after his owner, Christina Knudsen passed away suddenly and all too soon. He has since proudly competed under the ownership of the Windrush Equestrian Foundation – formed in Christina’s memory to help nurture young equestrian talent. I am proud to be an ambassador for this great cause and am excited to see the Foundation’s positive impact on young athletes.”

Windrush Equestrian Foundation CEO, Mariachiara Apruzzese said:

“We are truly grateful to Tim for his continued love and partnership with Wesko. Together they have helped fulfil some of Christina’s dreams and ambitions. As much as we’re all sad that Wesko hasn’t been able to make the Olympics his final triumph we’re all so happy that he is finishing his wonderful career fit, happy and healthy and will continue to live out his retirement with his best friend – Tim. We’re also extremely grateful to have Tim continue as an ambassador for the Windrush Foundation.”

The Windrush Equestrian Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in memory of Christina Knudsen and her passion for the sport of Eventing. The aim of the foundation is to bring education and training to talented young event riders to support their futures, with the welfare of the horse and rider at the heart of the program.

The Foundation’s riders receive mentoring and in-depth training from one of the world’s most decorated eventing riders, Pippa Funnell, along with former Team GBR World Class Performance Manager, Yogi Breisner. The programme also includes a 360-degree education programme in partnership with A Young Riders Academy.

Please enjoy a few of our favorite Wesko shots through the years:

New Covid-19 Protocols from USEF: Fully Vaccinated Individuals May Forego Masks at Outdoor Competitions

By on May 10, 2021 1:44 pm -

US Equestrian has issued the following directive updating its Covid-19 protocols for competitions.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Dear USEF Members,

Beginning May 17, 2021, USEF will implement new protocols regarding the use of face coverings/masks at USEF-licensed competitions in response to recently updated CDC recommendations. Please click here to access the full amendments to the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan protocols.

This change means that unless more restrictive requirements are imposed by state or local governments or by competition organizers, any individual who is fully vaccinated is no longer required to wear a face covering/mask at USEF competitions when outdoors and at least six feet from any other individuals, except individuals in the same immediate household. However, if you enter an area that is fully or partially indoors, you must wear your face covering/mask and stay socially distanced. Since there is a likelihood that you will enter an indoor area while at a competition, stay prepared and keep a face covering/mask with you at all times. We will continue to support organizers who feel it is in the best interest of their event to impose stronger requirements.

While we are all looking forward to the continued easing of restrictions on COVID-related protocols, we must also realize that the effects of the pandemic are not over and as cases increase and decrease, state and local modifications may occur. Overall, our community has done a great job of not only being one of the first organized sports to reopen, but has also successfully kept our sport open by complying with the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan. As we continue to ease restrictions, we must do so in a responsible and moderated manner. Personal responsibility continues to be a critical component of easing restrictions and ensuring we can continue to enjoy equestrian sport.

Thank you again for your compliance with the Action Plan requirements.

The Age Limit for the USEA Young Rider Program Program Is Now 25

By on May 10, 2021 11:30 am -

Photo by Leslie Wylie.

The window of eligibility to participate in the USEA Young Rider program has been increased to age 25, effective immediately.

From the USEA:

“The USEA Young Rider program has traditionally been available to those aged 21 and under, but the USEA Young Rider Coordinators and Committee put forward a proposal to the USEA Board of Governors, requesting the age eligibility be increased to 25 in order to fully utilize training programs and youth series that are available. The new age requirements now enable all USEA Area teams participating in the USEF Youth Team Challenge to compete for their USEA Areas and utilize the Area Young Rider funding. This will also be more inclusive to youth riders wishing to participate in the USEA Young Rider Advancement Program (YRAP) in their Areas, which may help provide additional young riders competing at the lower levels with the education and skills they need to progress through the levels of the sport.

“The USEA membership database is now accepting membership updates for those members 25 and under who wish to upgrade their membership to include the Young Rider program. For USEA members aged 22-25 who are currently enrolled in the USEA Adult Rider program, those members may pay an upgrade fee to join the USEA Young Rider program additionally. Members aged 22-25 may choose to enroll in either the USEA Adult Rider Program, or the USEA Young Rider program, or both. The age eligibility for the Adult Rider program remains the same, available to any USEA members aged 22 or older.”

The shape of Young Rider eventing has transformed dramatically over the past year, with the focus pivoting from a North American Youth Championships being the be-all end-all goal to a broader reaching, two-pronged program that opens the door for more athletes to compete in a team environment and fosters an immersion in the sport that has, too often, been halted abruptly when Young Riders age out and no longer have access to the program’s support and resources.

The two prongs:

  1. The USEF Youth Team Challenge, focused on developing riders and horses for the Championships and gaining experience in a team environment. The Team Challenge format (you can view all the 2021 dates and locations here) culminates in two bi-coastal championships:
  • West Coast Final: Adequan/USEF Eventing Youth Team Challenge Temecula – Nov. 3-7, 2021 – Levels: CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L – Temecula, Calif.
  • East Coast Final: Adequan/USEF Eventing Youth Team Challenge Tryon – November 10-14, 2021 – Levels: CCI1*, CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L – Tryon, N.C.

2. The Young Rider Advancement Program (YRAP), focused on developing riders and horses for the Championships each summer. YRAP focuses on providing lower level young riders with the education and skills they need to progress through the levels and eventually into the ranks of the Youth Team Challenge. The USEA also offers a Young Rider Mentorship Program, which gives young riders the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals.

To enroll in the USEA Young Rider program, please find the Young Rider membership application form here. Call the USEA office at 703-779-0440 should you need help with your program upgrade.

[USEA Young Rider Program: Age Increase to 25]