Classic Eventing Nation

With this week’s announcement that the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event will not run, several riders are reflecting on the tumult that has frequented the last two seasons. We’re honored that they’ve allowed EN to share their perspectives. Please consider making a donation to Equestrian Events, Inc. or rolling over your ticket to 2022 to help ensure the health and longevity of the U.S.’ beloved five-star event. 

Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Amy Dragoo Photography.

Event horses have a particular window of time at the top level. It usually isn’t more than five years or so. My horse’s time is shorter than most because he started his eventing career at the rather unusual age of 11. He’s 18 now, and doesn’t act it, but we cannot assume that he will be up for the task of competing at the Advanced level for too many more years to come.

I bought Bendigo when I was 15, and he’s taught me just about everything I know—in particular, how to fail and get back up to try again. He’s a horse whose generosity eclipses his weird and wonderful tics—which are numerous and include, for example, that he hates to be confined to a stable, or to be left alone when he’s at the showgrounds. He has given me an enormous amount of experience at the Advanced and four-star levels. Bendigo has given me the liberty to plan and the power to dream. But every dream has a deadline; just like every horse has a window of time for which they are able and willing to compete at the top level.

Our dream this year was the Kentucky Five-Star, which was just announced as canceled. This event serves a huge array of purposes, from putting head-to-head the candidates for the Olympic team on the world stage to providing an amazing experience for spectators to be awed by top level competition, whether it’s from the ropes next to the Head of the Lake or from their living rooms as they stream the USEF Network coverage. But it also serves another purpose, which is to give riders and horses their first taste of the five-star level. I had hoped to be one of them.

Although it appears that this year’s decision to cancel the Kentucky five-star will not be reversed, I’m imploring the management of the event to do everything that they can to ensure that the hallmark competition can continue in years to come. I’m not sure that I will be there with my trusty old steed next year, but you can bet that I’m developing young horses with Kentucky in mind for the future.

Whatever the eventing community can do to help, we’ll do it. We are creative, and we are resilient. Ask just about any event rider—from the Olympians to the Beginner Novice amateurs who love to watch the big competitions—and they will tell you that they want the Kentucky five-star to remain on the calendar for years to come. Please, let’s make that happen.

Photo via Deonte Sewell on Facebook.

When he was a freshman in high school, Deonte Sewell made a piece of artwork depicting Phillip Dutton jumping a ditch and wall at what was then known as Rolex Kentucky. This manifestation of the eventing bug was just an idea in Deonte’s head in that moment. Little did he know that, nearly a decade later, he’d find himself working for Phillip himself as a vital member of the two-time Olympic gold medalist’s everyday team.

It’s been a winding road for Deonte, but the depth and variety of experience on his impressive resume has helped him end up where he is now. And he wants other aspiring riders and grooms to know that they, too, can find their pipe dreams becoming very real with just a bit of dedication and polish. We asked Deonte for his perspective on finding success working for professional riders. What have been some of the biggest lessons he’s learned along the way?

Deonte has been an integral part of programs including Tom Proctor Racing, Sara and Brian Murphy, Justine Dutton and Chris Barnard, and many others before and in between. This variety has given him an expansive view of the equestrian world and what it takes to navigate its inner workings.

Seeking Out the Right Positions

“When I would look for positions, I sought out a lot using Facebook. I had an idea of what I wanted prior to looking, but I also tried to have an understanding of the status of my knowledge and experience. Will I fit the part? Is the rider willing to train someone who doesn’t have as much experience? Those were the biggest things I looked for, and most of the time you’ll find the rider is more than willing to teach you.

I always felt like I didn’t have what it took, and the truth is you won’t really know until you get there. Most of the time, the riders will have a judgement of your general idea when you’re talking to them. If you show you’re persistent and willing to learn, that will make them eager to give you an education.

The upper-level riders, they’re just humans! They’re very nice. Just ask them, you never know! Some people prefer you to be up front and bold about it, I think that shows guts and that you really want it. The more you put out there, the more people will see how badly you want it.”

Photo via Deonte Sewell on Facebook.

Work Ethic

“To me, it’s really not a matter of the work being ‘hard’ or ‘easy’. It’s more how efficient am I going to be in the barn? That’s the biggest thing. Are you fast or slow? Do you try to look for more work when you’re done with your task? And if you don’t know what to do, are you asking questions about what’s next? Are you paying attention to the details and flow of the day? The more ambitious you are about getting things done, the more you’ll figure out.

Some days, you’ll be at the barn before 4 a.m and won’t get home until after 10. If you truly want this as a lifestyle, this is just a stepping stone to what’s to come. You’ll either push through or you’ll realize that it isn’t for you in the first few months. If there is a trial period, always take it!

Working Well as a Team

“Everyone has their roles in the barn. There will be people who’ve been there for years, and when you’re just coming in they’re going to have the advantage of experience. This can be discouraging, but you should more so understand the hard work they’ve put in to get where they are. I look at (Phillip’s head groom Emma Ford) and think about how much she has seen and done, and I only want to learn from her. The reason they are where they are – and this includes the riders – is that they put the time in.

You can’t look at your coworkers as competition. Efficiency is key in the barn, and if you have conflict it can really kill that. Any corrections are meant to make you a better horseman and a better rider.”

On Learning from a Variety of Programs

“Everyone has different ways they do things, and everyone has different explanations as to why they do it. I always look at how different things work for different horses and file them away for later down the road when I might have a horse that this method would work for.

Brian Murphy would always tell me to think of each program like a tool chest. To take it in and put it away for later in life when you may need it.

Last summer, spending time at (Justine Dutton and Chris Barnard’s Notting Hill Stables in Ocala) really helped my education. I always felt like show jumping was my weakest phase, so spending that time understanding a bit more what Justine wants in the show jumping, getting the feel of it through the course design of Chris Barnard, and riding proper show jumpers was really helpful. Now I feel I’m starting to get where I’m more confident than I was.

All of this has really helped me at Phillip’s because a part of my job is that I do get to ride some of the horses. Having all of that education is nice because now I can sit on the greener horses and still be able to do a job and understand what Phillip wants me to achieve.”

Check Your Direction

“I didn’t think this is where I would end up, but at the same time, I always said this is where I would end up. I used to joke about working for Phillip, but I was also serious about pursuing this career and so I was willing to work for anyone as long as it put me in the right direction.

You can learn something from anyone. It’s all about the experience. I had to set short term goals of what would put me where I wanted to go. The rider’s job is to mentor you so I was able to really lean on the people I’d worked for for help.

And it’s really nice being a part of their career. It’s really rewarding because you see how hard they work, and it gives me confidence that I’m heading in the right direction.

At the end of the day, Deonte says, he had no option but to work to get where he is now. As difficult as the going can get, he says it’s the most rewarding for him to be able to say “I worked for this”. “What is going to make you the better horseman?” he asked aloud. “Do that. That builds character.”