Alex Baugh and Mr Candyman. Photo by Shelby Allen.
US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athletes selected for the 2021 USEF Eventing Emerging Athlete Program. Eventers age 25 and under are eligible for the program, which identifies and supports athlete/horse combinations that have shown the potential to develop into future U.S. team candidates.
Participants in the Emerging Athlete Program have the opportunity to work with U.S. Eventing Development and Emerging Coach Leslie Law in honing their skills in competition as well as their knowledge of the pathway to high performance.
“We had a very strong group of applicants for this year’s Emerging Athlete Program, which became all the more clear when I evaluated the athletes in person at the assessment sessions,” said Law. “The quality of the horses and athletes for the Emerging Athlete Program continues to improve each year, and I am very excited about working with this group in a mentorship and coaching capacity.”
Athletes are selected for the Emerging Athlete Program based on their application, which includes their results at the CCI3*-L level. Applicants who have not yet achieved an MER at a CCI3*-L may be talent spotted into the program by the Performance Advisory Team. For this year’s program, applicants were evaluated at assessment sessions in January at Stable View in Aiken, S.C.; the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, Fla.; and at Kingsway Farm/Next Level Eventing in Temecula, Calif.
The following athletes have been selected to participate in the 2021 USEF Eventing Emerging Athlete Program, in alphabetical order:
Charlotte Babbitt (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.)
Alexandra Baugh (Lexington, Ky.)
Amanda Beale Clement (Phoenixville, Pa.)
Sophie Click (Snoqualmie, Wash.)
Katherine Delaney* (Rockville, Va.)
Cornelia Dorr (Manchester By The Sea, Mass.)
Mia Farley (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Savannah Gwin* (San Clemente, Calif.)
Gabrielle Hutchison (Cleveland, N.C.)
Katie Lichten (South Hamilton, Mass.)
Benjamin Noonan (Ballwin, Mo.)
Meg Pellegrini (Wayne, Pa.)
Alyssa Phillips (Fort Worth, Texas)
Kaylawna Smith-Cook (Temecula, Calif.)
Megan Sykes (Midland, Texas)
Madison Temkin (Sebastapol, Calif.)
*Denotes athlete was talent spotted onto the list
To learn more about the Eventing Pathway Program, please contact Christina Vaughn, Director of Eventing Programs and Program Support, at [email protected] or Jenni Autry, Managing Director of Eventing, at [email protected].
Fourteen-year-old Zara tragically lost her life on September 21st of last year, while saving her beloved horse, Monkey, who had become trapped in a marshy bog. Zara is remembered for her kindness, drive for excellence, passionate love of animals and dedication to her horse and the sport of eventing.
The Zara Buren Memorial Foundation was established with the focus on helping youth with the desire, talent, and work ethic to pursue their passion. The Memorial Foundation will support the Zara Buren Memorial Award to be given annually through the Ontario Eventing Association to a junior rider who exhibits a passion for eventing, sportsmanship and a commitment to their horse. Zara was a talented rider with an intense dedication to training and learning, always putting her horse first.
A total of 18 applicants applied for this award. The selection committee was comprised of members of the Ontario Eventing Association Board of Directors as well as Zara’s family.
Said Zara’s parents, Sabrina Haque and Robert Buren, “Sabrina and I were impressed by the number and strength of applications received for the first Zara Buren Memorial Award. The kindness, dedication, discipline, and work ethic exhibited by all of the young riders reminds us of our dear Zara and gives us confidence that the sport of eventing in Ontario has a strong future.
This year, in addition to the primary award and in response to the number of strong candidates, the Zara Buren Memorial Foundation is proud to support four additional athletes with Grants of Distinction. We are excited to watch you all flourish as you continue your eventing journey.
Thank you to the Ontario Eventing Association for creating the Zara Buren Memorial Award and for leading the process, and to all the applicants and their coaches, parents, and references. We hope that the traits that this award recognizes will continue to grow amongst all riders, and the memories of Zara will carry on for everyone who was lucky enough to know her, and those who continue to #rideforzara.”
Avery Brennan and Havana. Photo by C Denault.
The Ontario Eventing Association is pleased to announce Avery Brennan, an eventer from the Ottawa area, as the recipient of the inaugural award, a $6,000 dollar grant as well as a cooler and bonnet in burgundy, Zara’s show colours.
Said Olympian and Pan AM Medalist, WEG Medalist Selena O’Hanlon, Canadian Equestrian Team member in Eventing, who coaches Avery, “I am thrilled for Avery and for the eventing community with this choice: Avery shows excellent sportsmanship in every aspect of this sport. He’s a very kind and thoughtful person, a dedicated horseman and animal lover, all super attributes in such a talented young rider. Knowing Zara, I think she would be proud of Avery. Thank you so much to everyone involved. Her memory will live on and we will strive to be ‘more like Zara’ in every aspect of life.”
The four Grants of Distinction recipients are, whom each will receive a grant of $1,000 dollars, in alphabetical order:
Matthew Heinzle
Olivia MacLeod
Ava Lema Nilsson
Alexandra Wickett
Congratulations once again to all applicants and grant recipients.
“If you’re wondering the kind of person who can become a powerhouse polo player seemingly on a whim (on top of his day job), that person is Dale (Johnson).” A recent article on my Apple News feed caught my eye, and soon enough I was all the way down the polo rabbit hole learning all about Dale Johnson. I’ll let this teaser from The Kitchn (let’s be honest, I live for any and all food-related content) reel you in: “On a trip to Buenos Aires just over three years ago, 32-year-old Dale Johnson casually spotted a pair of polo boots on display in a store. “Those shoes are badass, I gotta get into that,” he thought, and months later he joined a clinic. Now, at age 35, Dale is a nationally competitive polo player who, along with his horse, Sunny, is taking the sport by storm.”
Read more over on The Kitchnhere. Dale is also featured among the mentors working with the Optimum Youth Equestrian Scholarship, whose mission is to provide opportunities for youth from marginalized communities to become involved or stay involved in horse sports through financial awards and mentorship.
Let’s continue this conversation. In support of the all-star panelists for the upcoming Community Conversations series on US Equestrian, we plan to tune in and encourage our readers to participate and to submit questions for the panel featuring Dr. Anastasia Curwood, Kareem Rosser, and Caitlin Gooch.
If you’re a podcast fan, you might be missing out on the fun over at Heels Down Happy Hour. Five-star eventer Jessica Payne is one of the three hosts making up this fun show, and CBC Therapeutic Horseback Riding‘s Brittney Chambers was the most recent guest host. Learn all about how Brittney gave up her stable corporate career to pursue service of others through horses here.
Don’t miss out on our mental wellness Q&A with Sarah Carlan, exclusively available for EN Patreons! We can’t wait to sit down and chat it out with Sarah, who recently penned this column about balancing it all. Sign up to become a Patreon and receive your invite to the session on Thursday, February 18 at 6 p.m. EST.
Turns out, barrel racing and dressage share more than a few commonalities. Would you take a barrel horse for a spin? Perhaps we’ve found a new way to improve our seat, eh?
Near Leesburg, Virginia and looking for a place to ride out of the elements? Morven Park is offering up its indoor arena for winter schooling this season. Sessions cost $25 and include use of schooling jumps for setting your own course. Learn more here.
There is a correlation between respiratory health and performance for our equine athletes. Learn more about how the two tie together in this case study blog from Haygain.
Hot on Horse Nation: Your horse can like you, but not trust you at the same time. Like, Trust, and Respect are all very important with our horses and yet they are not dependent on one another, nor does it mean if you have one does it mean you have the other. More on how to improve these elements of your relationship with your horse here.
Wednesday Video Break:
Get to know Japanese rider Kazumo Tomoto in this vlog from Fox Pitt Eventing.
Even if you don’t have access to regular lessons and training, or in supplement to your ongoing education, one benefit of today’s reaches of the internet is the plethora of information available for learning. British five-star eventer and reigning Badminton champion Piggy March’s vlog is one such example. In her latest episode, Piggy gives into the many different ways she incorporates cavaletti into her everyday training.
“(Cavaletti) are a good variation of work through the season to break up just normal schooling or test riding,” Piggy explains. Additionally, poles are useful for getting the hind end and topline built back up after time off and for getting the horses geared back up for jumping.
Piggy takes us through some basic cavaletti exercises, explaining the differences between some of her horses and how the poles help each of them. Another thought she shares: this is useful not only for the physical benefits, but also for the added perk of encouraging the horse to think for and carry itself. This is a skill perhaps underemphasized in some areas but is one of the most important characteristics a successful event horse needs. From there, you’ll see how Piggy works over the poles – using trot and canter poles, bounces, small jumps, and lead change poles – with horses ranging from experienced five-star to young horses.
It’s extremely generous that Piggy and her team continue to produce this content for our enjoyment and education. Please support them by subscribing to Piggy March on YouTube.
The Makeover Marketplace allows buyers to watch, try, vet and buy in one location in one weekend. Photo by Giulia Garcia.
The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) welcomes today 484 accepted applications, representing 480 unique trainers and teams, to the 2021 class of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The Thoroughbred Makeover is the world’s largest and most lucrative retraining competition for ex-racehorses, and the 2021 class combined with 322 trainers from the postponed 2020 competition year will make this the biggest Makeover yet.
The Thoroughbred Makeover is a retraining competition open to professionals, junior, amateurs and teams, competing side-by-side. Ten disciplines of competition are offered, including barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunter, polo, ranch work, show hunter, show jumper, and freestyle (a free-form discipline to demonstrate skills of the trainer’s choice). Horses can compete in one or two of those disciplines.
Horses from each competition year will compete in separate preliminary rounds, and the five top-placed horses in each discipline after preliminary competition will return for the Finale where they will compete once more to determine final placings. New for this year (intended to be part of the 2020 Makeover), a panel consisting of all the judges from the ten disciplines will determine the overall Thoroughbred Makeover Champion in each competition year, selecting the best-trained horse from the ten discipline winners. A popular vote placed by spectators watching both in-person and online via live stream will determine a People’s Choice winner in each competition year, who wins the right to direct a donation to an equine charity of their choosing.
2019 Thoroughbred Makeover Champion Cowboy Swagger, trained by Fallon Taylor. Photo by CanterClix.
“After the pandemic forced the cancelation of the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover, it was important to us to preserve the opportunity for our 2020 class to compete, and thanks to so many loyal sponsors and donors from the racing, breeding and sport horse worlds, we are going to be putting on the largest retraining competition in history,” said RRP executive director Jen Roytz.
Accepted trainers are encouraged to register their horses at TBMakeover.org as soon as they acquire them. Horse registration closes on July 31, but registration upon acquisition allows the RRP to better gather data on horses undergoing the Makeover process.
The application process for the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover required trainers to demonstrate their skills and expertise through competition results, videos and references, as well as a letter from a vet stating that that the applicant has the necessary skills and knowledge to appropriately care for a horse transitioning off the track. The RRP’s selection committee took into consideration both candidates’ ability to effectively retrain an off-track Thoroughbred and candidates’ commitment to the RRP’s mission of promoting off-track Thoroughbreds in second careers.
“We’re always humbled by the interest we receive from applicants each year, but with hundreds of 2020 entries still in play and known logistical challenges — move-in, daylight hours, running two Finales, and more — the application committee had the tough task of narrowing down the 2021 entry pool to meet our schedule capacity,” said RRP managing director Kirsten Green. “The primary goal of the Makeover is to showcase Thoroughbreds at their very best, so this means we’re looking for trainers whose application demonstrates that they’re equipped to meet that goal on the timeline provided.”
The Makeover has historically attracted a broad cross-section of the horse industry, represented by junior, amateur and professional equestrians, as well as teams. The great equalizer at the Makeover are the horses: eligible Thoroughbreds competing in 2021 will all come from similar backgrounds, with no more than 10 months of retraining for a second career and all having raced or trained to race within the past two years.
Warlander and Haylie after their final show jumping round at the Makeover. Photo by Canter Clix.
This format allows trainers in all categories to compete side-by-side on equal footing. Juniors and amateurs routinely enjoy great success at the Makeover and have earned many top-five finishes; the 2017 Thoroughbred Makeover Champion Old Tavern was trained by junior Charlie Caldwell.
“Driving demand for Thoroughbreds after racing is a critical aspect of aftercare, and the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover is central to that mission,” says Erin Crady, executive director of TCA. “We believe in the importance of that mission and are thrilled to support the RRP as it prepares for the biggest Makeover in its history.”
Accepted trainers for 2021 include Becky Huestis, assistant rider and manager for John Madden Sales; Darby Mazzarisi, champion hunter trainer; and Natalie (Voss) Nevills, two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf writer for Paulick Report. They join a diverse class of trainers hailing from 46 states and four Canadian provinces. Trainers range in age from 11 (will be 12 at the time of the Makeover as per rules) to 74.
Trainers for the 2021 class have signed up to bring a total of 521 horses. Combined with the declared horses from the 2020 competition year, a total of 953 horses will participate in the Makeover process this year. The full list of trainers accepted for the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover can be found at the event website.
With the uncertainty of training green horses, the length of time between acceptance of trainers and Final Entry, and the fact that some horses sell before the Makeover, the RRP is once again offering a wait list. Individuals who missed the initial round of applications are welcome to apply to the wait list and can do so by contacting [email protected]. The wait list does not guarantee final entry into the competition, but does widen the impact of the Makeover and helps more horses transition to second careers.
Photo courtesy of Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover.
For riders seeking a well-started off-track Thoroughbred for competition or pleasure, the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace will return in 2021, offering buyers the unique opportunity to watch a horse compete, trial-ride, and complete a pre-purchase exam all in one location. Over 100 horses are expected to be entered in the Marketplace from both competition years.
In addition to a weekend of Thoroughbred competition and celebration of what makes the off-track Thoroughbred great, the Makeover also offers ample opportunity for education for both trainers and the public: educational seminars and panel discussion will take place on Friday, October 15, as well as the Makeover Master Class, a retraining clinic for recently-retired racehorses. Structured similarly to popular colt-starting competitions but without the competitive aspect, the Makeover Master Class offers spectators the opportunity to watch experienced off-track Thoroughbred trainers assess a prospect’s conformation and movement, as well as demonstrate their process for initial training and first rides. A vendor fair provides plenty of shopping opportunities as well!
The Thoroughbred Makeover is the flagship event for the RRP, a 501(c)3 non-profit committed to increasing the demand for and value of Thoroughbreds in their careers after racing. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover.
Thoroughbred Makeover fast facts:
▪ The 2021 competition is open to any Thoroughbred that raced or had a published work after July 1, 2019 and did not start retraining for a second career before December 1, 2020
▪ Trainers indicate a primary (and optional secondary) discipline on their applications, but are free to change disciplines as the competition approaches and they learn their horses’ strengths. A horse can compete in up to two disciplines, and a trainer can compete a maximum of two horses in a single competition year.
▪ Trainers do not need to have obtained the horse they intend to compete at the time of their application. Some trainers have already obtained their Thoroughbred Makeover mounts, but many are still searching. Trainers may begin registering their horses today, but have through July 31 to complete horse registration
▪ Participation in the Thoroughbred Makeover Marketplace sale is entirely voluntary, but many trainers take advantage of the extra exposure to market their prospects. All sales are private contracts between individual trainers and buyers; the RRP is not involved and receives no commissions
US Equestrian has issued an update regarding the 2021 licensing status for the eventing venue in Unionville, Pennsylvania in the wake of controversy regarding its name last year. Bill Moroney, US Equestrian’s Chief Executive Officer, shared the following statement with EN on Monday, Feb. 15. The venue is confirmed to host national horse trials on April 17-19, May 8 and June 5; its international event on Sept. 15-19 is listed as “Pending USEF Approval” as of Feb. 16, 2021.
“The USEF Board is committed to our comprehensive US Equestrian Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan, which focuses on the expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in our sport and the implementation of new strategies to bring the joy of horse sports to everyone. Given the focus and commitment to our DEI plan, we strongly encourage all involved in equestrian sport to remain aware and sensitive to the fact that words matter. We encourage all USEF competition organizers and members to review the purpose and accompanying strategies outlined in the US Equestrian Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan and the impact of the use of offensive words and phrases, but decisions regarding venue and competition names are ultimately at the discretion and the responsibility of individual organizers.”
US Equestrian will offer a new Community Conversations series dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), beginning on Monday, February 22, from 5-6:30 p.m with a session on “Horses in Black Communities.” Anyone interested is invited to register and submit questions in advance for the panelists.
So many incredible people deserve shoutouts after a successful horse trial, but today lets give a round of applause to these folks. Emily Holmes spearheaded Ocala Winter I which included managing a 600+ entry circus. She is an absolute superstar. This weekend also saw some first time volunteers, Zach Brandt and Audrie Stanka both kindly spent time volunteering in addition to competing to ensure the event could continue smoothly. Well done, y’all!
Japan’s Health Ministry has officially approved Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccinations will begin next week for healthcare workers as the country is still under a state of emergency as a third wave hit the county late last year. The government hopes to secure enough supplies for the entire population, an estimated 126 million people, by “mid-year” as we move closer to the Olympic Games. [Japan Health Ministry says it has approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine]
Headed to Bromont this year? Canada will now require negative COVID-19 test results in order to cross the border. Tests must have been taken within three days, and individuals would then be required to quarantine for 14 days once in the country. [New rules requiring a negative COVID-19 test at Canadian border now in effect]
Where does your entry fee go? Cost breakdowns for running an event can be overwhelming and the costs associating with hosting an event are probably more than you think. [The Entry Fee is Only the Beginning: Part One]
One of the best, and most difficult, parts of riding is the partnership with another creature. This is no bicycle you can put back in the garage when you’re finished with it, and that comes with a great deal of responsibility. [My Message for Fellow Young Equestrians: Horses Are Not Machines]
Tuesday Video: Learn how to best cool out an unclipped horse.
From formerly wild Mustangs to off-the-track Thoroughbreds and lots in between, five-star eventer Elisa Wallace knows a thing or two about introducing a green horse to jumping. She recently took one of her newest OTTB prospect, I Reckon So a.k.a. Ricky, a 2014 gelding (Redeemed – Thrilled N Delighted, by Friendly Lover for his first cross country school. From the first steps into a water complex, through refusals at spooky fences, to Ricky’s first look at a ditch, Elisa walks us through the learning processes and the successes of their excursion.
We recently worked with mental health and wellness coach Sarah Carlan, MSW, on a column addressing common mental health hurdles eventers often face. We’re pleased to bring Sarah back as a columnist here on EN, and we invite you to submit your mental health questions for a future edition. Please email [email protected] to submit your question – you may remain anonymous if you wish. If you’d like more from Sarah, join EN on Patreon and take part in a candid video Q&A with Sally Spickard and Sarah Carlan this Thursday, February 18, at 6 p.m. EST. This event is free and open to EN Patrons only – click here to learn more about Patreon.
Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Q: It seems like I can’t seem to juggle all of my responsibilities – work, riding, kids, school, myself, friends – with much success. I always feel like something is being neglected, and meanwhile my riding goals seem to be impossible to achieve. How can I get out of this funk and feel more effective?
Horse people are always juggling so many balls – work, riding, kids, etc. How can we possibly do it all and not feel like we are falling short on one or all fronts? Here are a few things to try:
Look at the mountains not the valleys.
I know that on the outside it looks like everyone else has it together, but they don’t. We are all falling apart in our own special way and are trying like hell not to let other people notice. Most of the time, however, we are only falling short of our own expectations. In order to “make it”, (and by “make it”, I mean manage to get yourself and your horse to a few shows a year in one piece) in our sport you need to be driven. You need to have what it takes to push yourself a little harder than the average.
With drive can also come a dash of perfectionism: “If it’s not done well, then I’m failing”. When we see the world through this lens we will always see the things we are not doing well and miss the things we are doing well. Our brain is designed to notice the mistakes so that we can correct them; this is called Negative Attribution Effect. If it wasn’t wired that way, we would trip over the same door jamb every time we walked in a room. However, sometimes we need to rewire our brain so it can help us out. At the end of the day, try to practice recounting what you did accomplish rather than what you didn’t accomplish. You will be amazed by what you got done!
Adjust your expectations.
Next try to right-size your to do list so that it reflects what you can actually do. If you set a jump for your horse and he knocks it down every time, we would think of ourselves as cruel if we didn’t adjust something. Maybe we lower the height, give him a better preparation, or even check to see if our saddle is fitting well. How come we don’t do that for ourselves?
If, at the end of every day, we feel like we have dropped a ball (or many), maybe we need to adjust something (or a few things). Maybe we need to ask for help with things around the house, or be satisfied with store-bought treats for our kids’ classroom birthdays, or maybe tonight is takeout night or breakfast for dinner. Each of us has something that we push ourselves to do, and if we gave it up no one would die. So find a way to lower the bar for yourself. Everyone will be happier.
Treat yourself like your own best friend.
Have compassion for yourself when you inevitably fall short. We are human beings and therefore it is inevitable that we will fail, but when we do we have a choice about how we treat ourselves. If a friend came to us and said, “I am having such a hard time fitting everything in and I just forgot about a deadline at work”, would we tell her she was stupid and lazy, or would we reassure her that she is working her butt off and will recover from this mistake? When we do treat ourselves with compassion we have the energy and motivation to do better next time, but when we beat ourselves up we are much less likely to make the necessary change to improve.
Find a way to protect your riding time.
For many of us, finding the time to ride without interruption seems like a pie-in-the-sky dream. We are squeezing it in between work, kid pickup, and dinner, and so the littlest upset could derail the day and force us to cancel on our horse. When my kids were younger I would put them down for naps in the tack-room and then prop the monitor up in the window so I could see the lights moving when they woke up. It gave me the time to ride, but I was always distracted, and if they didn’t want to nap that day I was out of luck. I had a choice – I could seriously lower my expectations for my riding goals, (ie., if I get to W/T/C for 10-20 min 3 times a week I am a super star) or I could learn to carve out protected time. I started scheduling riding on my calendar like I would a work meeting and do all the same things to protect the time. For some people it means finding child-care; for others it means putting their email on auto-reply – but plan it and protect it, because you and your horse deserve it.
Matthew Wright and DHI Paparazzi. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
We’re deeply saddened to report the death of British eventer Matthew Wright at the age of 38. His passing was announced in a statement on his official Facebook page today (February 15), which reads: “The horse world is a small and close community and we are aware that people are already starting to hear the sad news about Matthew. It is with great sadness that we have to confirm that this is true. Matthew has always been open with everyone about his own battles with mental health and has worked hard to support others through their own. Please could we ask that you respect the family’s privacy and give us the opportunity to grieve at this difficult time.”
Matthew has worn many hats within the eventing world: as a competitor, he represented Great Britain at the Junior, Young Rider, and Senior levels, taking a Young Rider silver medal in 2002 aboard Park Pilot, who would go on to be his first Senior mount. He was a familiar face at five-star, too, making his level debut at Burghley when he was eighteen and going on to compete at the event a further five times and at Badminton ten times.
In 2012, a testicular cancer diagnosis sent his world into a rapid tailspin, and his arduous fight against – and eventual recovery from – the disease became a beacon of hope for those with similar diagnoses. Following his all-clear, Matthew contested a charity race in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, and also enjoyed sharing his remarkable cooking skills on the programme Come Dine with Me.
Beyond his competitive pursuits, Matthew also took a great interest in sport horse breeding, standing four stallions at Caunton Manor Stud, the Nottinghamshire farm he shared with his wife, Victoria, and their children.
Most recently, he’s become an outspoken figurehead for increased mental health awareness in the equestrian world, documenting his own ups and downs with a remarkable frankness that has seen many riders follow suit.
And so, in the wake of Matthew’s tragic passing, it’s important that we continue to speak openly about mental health – a cause he championed wholeheartedly. His Riders Minds was established as a support system for anyone in the equestrian world who is feeling the struggle of a heavy emotional burden, and provides different levels of care – from self-care tips to 24/7 free hotlines – to anyone who needs help. Helmed by professionals and designed to accommodate the unique nuances of life with horses, it’s an excellent resource to keep bookmarked, even if you don’t think you’ll ever need it.
Though mental health awareness has come a long way over the last few years, helped enormously by efforts such as Matthew’s, it’s an unavoidable fact that the equestrian world glamourises and promotes ‘toughness’ and fortitude above almost all things. But just as ignoring a physical injury and climbing aboard your horse with gritted teeth can lead to long term complications, quashing emotions in fear of looking weak isn’t a functional long-term strategy. Whether you turn to a friend, family member, barn owner or trainer, online forum, or one of the many incredible round-the-clock support groups and hotlines available, speaking up about feeling down is one of the smartest and bravest things you’ll ever do – and you don’t have to wait until you feel as though you’ve hit rock bottom.
All of us at Team EN send our deepest sympathies to Matthew’s family, friends, and connections.
National Hopeline: Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) to speak to a crisis counsellor
The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ youth): 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386)
Crisis Text Line – Text NAMI to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counsellor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message
Canada-based support:
Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 (24/7) or text 45645 (4 pm to 12 am ET)
Kids Help Phone (for 5–29 year olds): 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868
Hope for Wellness help line (for indigenous people in need of crisis support): 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) or connect to the online Hope for Wellness chat
