Classic Eventing Nation

Zoe Crawford & K.E.C. Zara Are Full Speed Ahead Toward the TIEC CCI4*-L

By on Oct 7, 2020 9:00 am -

Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Shelby Allen.

The cancellation of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event was heartbreaking for all of us, but it was especially frustrating for Zoe Crawford and her 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare, K.E.C. Zara (Aldatus Z x Puissance Flight, by Puissance). The pair had their sights set on Kentucky being their first CCI5*, but this year came with a different outcome.

“It was disappointing in the spring not being able to go, but knowing that I had a lot of downtime, I was able to go back and have a refresher on the basics with her and practice seemingly simple things,” Zoe, a 25-year-old from Reddick, Florida, said. “Fine-tuning the basics has let me ride her faster and be a bit more confident in everything we do.”

Clearly, their hard work is paying off because the pair had the fastest CCI4*-S cross country at Stable View Oktoberfest last month, only coming in five seconds over the optimum time. They carried two time penalties, adding to their dressage score of a 37.3 to end in 10th in a massive division of 40 riders. (View EN’s coverage of the event here.)

Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Shelby Allen

“I knew she’s always been a really fast horse, but it’s taken a while to sort of find the balance of being able to go quickly and have enough control to get everything done,” Zoe said. “I walked parts of the course where I could shave off a few seconds, like cutting close to some trees or taking tighter turns into a few combinations, but she’s also incredibly quick across the ground, so I knew that she would be pretty quick around the course.”

Zoe and “Zara” have been partners for eight years, working their way from both of their first Novice events to becoming a competitive pair at the 4* level. The bond between this pair is evident, especially since they have worked up the levels together. They claimed a fourth-place individual finish in the CICY2* at NAJYRC in 2016 and started the 2020 season with a 12th place finish in the CCI4*-S at Red Hills. They were named to the 2020 USEF Eventing 25 Emerging Athlete Program.

The pair is aiming for the CCI4*-L at Tryon to continue out the season and Zoe is determined to head to Kentucky next year. “At this point, I know the events in the spring that are good for her, to get her prepared, so I have an idea of what events I am going to run leading up to Kentucky. She’s a horse that is incredibly easy to get fit, she never really gets tired,” Zoe said.

Zoe and Zara’s strong partnership will be one to keep your eye on!

Go Eventing.

Wednesday News & Notes

By on Oct 7, 2020 12:01 am -

I wanted to spend a bit of time this morning bringing some attention to SmartPak’s Our Path Forward pledge, first published back in July. In light of the social reckoning happening in the U.S., it’s become apparent that there is much improvement to be made on all fronts in terms of diversity and inclusion.

Here at Eventing Nation, we’re working on our own initiatives to work toward a more inclusive community, and we’ve looked to well thought-out programs such as SmartPak’s for inspiration and guidance. Take a look at the Our Path Forward pledge here. Here are a couple of highlights:

  • Culture– our stewardship of our SmartPak culture; the sum of our beliefs, values, and behaviors – and how we harness culture to make a difference.
  • Society– our contribution to the equestrian community, wider society, and the environment.
  • Growth – our ability to contribute to society and the environment is dependent on sustainable growth, underpinned by a thriving culture.

The company then goes on to outline initiatives it plans to undertake for each part of the pledge, ranging from a diversity-focused staffing plan, promoting sustainability within its supply chain, and working with BIPOC riders to determine future paths forward. It’s an example of a brand that’s wanting to put its money where its mouth is and effect real change. Three cheers for SmartPak!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Woodside International H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farms: [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

Ocala Fall H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Radnor Hunt H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Show Photographer] [Volunteer]

St. John’s H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status]

War Horse Event Series H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]

Wednesday Reading List:

Want to support a good cause while feeding your shopping addiction? You can shop through the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy’s AmazonSmile to direct a portion of proceeds from your purchase to the nonprofit riding organization, at no additional cost to yourself. Read more about PURA’s Concrete to Show Jumping program in this blog.

The Zara Buren Memorial Fund was established by the Buren family and friends to support talented young riders exhibiting horsemanship and a desire to learn, but perhaps lack in financial resources. Click here to learn more about #RideForZara and to donate.

Tickets for the 2021 Kentucky Three Day Event will go on sale in January. Typically we’d be gearing up to book tickets right around this time of year, but coronavirus has ensured that nothing is normal, and the delay comes as a result of ongoing uncertainty surrounding sporting events. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the event will go forward next year.

Don’t forget: the Retired Racehorse Project Virtual Vendor Fair is live until October 10. Save money and snag a great deal from the long list of vendors, all while supporting the future of the former racehorses we love so much. Click here to start shopping.

If you were competing at the Event Riders Masters, what would your song of choice be? As superfluous as it may seem, choosing a pump-up anthem can actually have some benefits for your mentality. Daniel Stewart talks about the usefulness of an “athletic anthem” in the latest USEA Tip of the Month.

Wednesday Video: The FEI re-shared this video on Twitter earlier this week, and it’s one I hadn’t seen before. Take a look behind the scenes with Freedom Zamapaladus, the founder of The Urban Equestrian Academy in the United Kingdom. Horses became a bright light in Freedom’s life and led him away from starting a criminal career.

Piggy March and Laura Collett Triumph in Tough Little Downham CCI4*-S

By on Oct 6, 2020 5:52 pm -

Piggy March and Brookfield Quality. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy March and Laura Collett reigned victorious at the Childeric Saddles Little Downham International CCI4*-S, claiming a section each after an action-packed second day at the Ely Eventing Centre.

Piggy added a fourth international victory to her 2020 tally, taking Section P with John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality — known at home, quite delightfully, as Nervous Norris. She moved up from fourth place after dressage to the eventual win after adding just four time penalties across the country to a first-phase score of 29.2, giving the horse his first four-star win on just his second start at the level.

“I was delighted with Brookfield Quality,” she said. “I have to get my brave pants on with him because he’s a big-striding horse and he’s not very easy to adjust, and so to go fast has taken us a few runs together. I can’t afford to make mistakes on him, so I really have to get myself in gear and make sure I’m on my A-game.”

For Piggy, the influential Jonathan Clissold track – which saw a 62% clear rate across the sections and was designed with Pierre Michelet’s twisty, technical test at Pau in mind – will have played a crucial role in the development of the 11-year-old gelding.

“He’s a big, scopey horse with lots of stride, and he really wants to do the job – but he’s still fairly inexperienced at this level, so I was just delighted with how he went and how confident he’s finished this round,” she said. “This track, I think, is brilliant – you really have to get stuck in. It’s very educational for them but you’ve got to make it happen. There’s lots of questions out there and it’s beefy enough. I’m just delighted with him – winning was a bonus today.”

Piggy March and Fonbherna Lancer. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy enjoyed a successful two days aboard her three other rides, taking second place in section P with the former Emily King ride Dargun, who added 12.8 time penalties, and second in section Q with Pau-bound Brookfield Inocent – the only horse to finish inside the time – and third with new ride Fonbherna Lancer.

Laura Collett and London 52 clear the barge – a legacy fence, fittingly, from London 2012. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Laura Collett took section Q aboard her own, Karen Bartlett, and Keith Scott’s London 52. Like Piggy, she added just four time penalties to her first-phase score – a 24.4 that saw her lead from pillar to post. This win marks a final run before the eleven-year-old gelding – who also won Boekelo CCI4*-L and Chatsworth’s Event Rider Masters leg in 2019 – makes his CCI5* debut at Les 5 Etoiles de Pau in a fortnight.

“All year – even through lockdown – he’s felt like a totally different horse,” she said, recalling the mid-season blips that marked his record before his end-of-season victory last year.

“The best thing that could have happened was being able to take him to Boekelo – I just felt like we both needed it. We put it to bed and he’s come out stronger, both physically and mentally. Now it feels like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. he so believes in himself now; he’s taken a breath and realised how good he is. He just feels phenomenal – I actually get goosebumps, I’m so lucky to ride him. I have to pinch myself!”

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

 

Laura, too, was full of praise for the track, which gave competitors a chance to tackle questions of a similar technicality and feel to 2020’s only CCI5* at Pau.

“I walked the course here and thought the ground was great on cross-country and there were a lot of questions. It was really nice because, to put the horses to one side, I felt like I hadn’t really got stuck in and ridden a proper course this year,” she said. “I was really glad that it had a real Pau-type feel with skinnies on mounds and blind turns and really committed distances. It was so nice to get stuck in and have nice rides around. It made you think as a rider, and they did a phenomenal job to put it on and build such a cracking course.”

Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Laura also finished fifth in this section aboard Mr Bass, who joins London 52 in heading to Pau in two weeks’ time. Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden, one of Britain’s most successful young four-star partnerships, narrowly beat them to finish fourth, inspiring plans for a long-awaited five-star debut.

“He was a really good boy — he felt really relaxed in his dressage and really rideable,” says Mollie. “The showjumping was causing enough trouble, and he jumped really well out of the mud, so I was pleased with that. On cross-country he was just so genuine — he makes it all feel really easy. I’d watched the final water and knew it was causing quite a lot of trouble, so I knew that might be difficult when I rode into it, but he was great — and he’d actually lost a shoe somewhere on course before that!”

That influential final water, which featured a triple brush A element, a quite colossal brush on a mound and a tricky bending line — punctuated by two craftily-placed Christmas trees — to a final triple brush caused its fair share of problems, though mistakes were well spread around the course.

Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Despite the challenges of international eventing in a pandemic, the CCI4*-S hosted a global field, with Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue finishing third in section P and Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto and Brookpark Vikenti finishing fourth. British team stalwart Harry Meade rounded out the top five in this section with the inexperienced but exciting Cavalier Crystal, who’ll be aimed at Bramham next year.

“She hasn’t done an Advanced and has just done a CCI4*-S at Burgham [in August], so this was a step up,” says Harry. “It was a really good test for her and she jumped a lovely double clear, which is a really good stepping stone for her. They had to work hard for it out there, and all my horses went out there and thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Despite adverse weather conditions that forced the cancellation of national classes on Monday and Tuesday, Little Downham delivered a tough but fair test and remarkably good conditions. The new CCI4*-S fixture was run behind closed doors in accordance with government regulations this year, but the organising team – headed by Tina Ure – looks forward to welcoming spectators to this exciting new addition to the calendar next year.

The final top ten in section P.

 

The final top ten in section Q.

Little Downham CCI4*-S: Website | Live Scores | Ride Times | Live-Stream

Tuesday Video from Horseware: Catching Up with Paul Tapner

By on Oct 6, 2020 3:30 pm -

Click the image to watch the interview.

It’s been two months since Australian five-star rider Paul Tapner suffered a brain bleed after a fall from his top horse, Bonza King of Rouges, during a routine hack. The weeks that ensued were tumultuous for Paul and his family, but we’re pleased to report that Paul is doing well in his recovery. Horse & Country TV’s Jenny Rudall sat down for an interview with Paul and Georgina Tapner, who talk at length about the accident and its aftermath.

Paul had ventured out on the property in Wickstead, United Kingdom for an evening hack aboard “King” with his dog, Digger, at his side. But when King and Digger returned to the gate without him, Georgina and the couple’s 16 year old son, Josh, started the frantic search for the lost rider. Thanks to the Find My iPhone technology, Josh was able to locate Paul on the 500 acres and found him, incoherent and in pain, on the ground. Paul was subsequently airlifted to the hospital, where a small brain bleed was discovered.

Initially, the medical team told Georgina that the bleed would self-resolve and result in a concussion, and that her husband would likely be home in a few days. That wasn’t to be the case, as she received a call later that night informing her that a second brain bleed, indicative of a stroke sustained as a result of the initial trauma, had been found. The weeks that followed were full of ups and downs, most of which Paul has no memory of now.

Paul Tapner and Bonza King of Rouges. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Both Paul and Georgina say they’re grateful for the protection of the helmet Paul was wearing, which helped prevent his skull from fracturing in the fall, as well as the technology that allowed them to locate and navigate to the site of the accident.

As for what’s next? Paul had previously stepped away from heavy competition but had still been competing his top horse, Bonza King of Rouges, a 17 year old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Now, Paul says he doesn’t have many plans to return to competition. At some point, he says in the interview, it’s time to give one’s body a rest. Older riders, he notes, often feel a pressure to continue competing well into their 50s and 60s. “Since I was in my teens, I’ve been throwing myself from a horse, voluntary or involuntary,” he said. Now, he’s turned from a student of the sport to a student of proper physical recovery, embracing the help provided by physical therapists and other medical experts tasked with helping his body recover.

We’re relieved that Paul is doing well and as always encourage riders to wear properly fitted and certified safety gear – even when out on a hack with your best horse. Accidents can and do happen, and we’re thankful that Paul’s seen the other side of this one.

Go eventing.

Coming Soon: The Virtual Maryland 5* Event

By on Oct 6, 2020 1:00 pm -

Graphic courtesy of Maryland 5 Star.

While we sadly won’t get to hop on a plane to cover the postponed inaugural Maryland 5 Star this month, we are pleased to learn that the Fair Hill Organizing Committee has opted for a virtual format to promote the 2021 running with exclusive content and sneak peeks.

Scheduled for the dates of the original event, October 15-18, the 2020 Virtual Event will be a part of Maryland Horse Month, which was declared by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to recognize the abundant impact of the state’s horse industry.

Featuring during this virtual event will be four days of exclusive content and footage from the brand new Fair Hill Special Event Zone so that we can have a glimpse at what’s to come next year. New content will be released daily during the event at 12 p.m. EST on the Maryland 5 Star Virtual Event website and YouTube channel.

Here’s a look at just some of the content you can expect to see during the 2020 Virtual Event:

  • FEI dressage judge Gretchen Butts will teach viewers how to score a 5-star dressage test
  • Cross country footage from the Test Event held in September
  • Stadium jump design
  • Fashion forecasts from Dubarry

We’re anxiously awaiting the 2021 event after watching the progress made to add new facilities to the Fair Hill venue. It’s sure to be a landmark event for all in attendance, and in the meantime we’ll be tuning in for the Virtual Event next week. Go Eventing.

So You Want to Be a Show Announcer: How Jonathan Horowitz Went from Racetrack to Start Box

By on Oct 6, 2020 11:30 am -

Welcome to EN’s series, “So You Want To Be A…”. In an ongoing effort to educate those interested in getting more involved in eventing, we’ll be highlighting jobs and positions throughout the sport of eventing and how these individuals found their paths. Do you have an eventing-specific job that you’d like to learn more about? Tip me by emailing [email protected] and Chinch will get right on it!

Broadcasting Horse Races at Delaware Park. Photo by Hoofprints, Inc.

The stories created by sports are often unfolded as they happen by an announcer. Taught to call action, play-by-play or second by second, the announcer both informs and entertains those watching. Most of us can think of sporting calls that still echo in our heads. Larry Collmus’ call of American Pharoah’s winning of the Triple Crown in 2015 comes to mind as a recent example. It is the announcer who guides us through the action on every live stream and at every event we attend. Broadcast announcing brings stories to life in real time, and it’s the stories of the horses moving on from the racetrack that would eventually lead Jonathan Horowitz from racing to the sport of eventing.

Announcing is a passion Jonathan, 35, originally from Orange County, California, discovered as a young teenager while visiting Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress with his family. While he wouldn’t label himself a horse person in those years, he was nonetheless drawn to the action that to this day is unparalleled in its quick intensity.

“The announcer at a sporting event plays an integral role in the fan experience in terms of giving information, getting people excited, and just being a part of the atmosphere,” Jonathan tells me now. He’s just finished telling me about his “moment of discovery”, when the general manager of Los Alamitos approached him that night after observing Jonathan practicing into a tape recorder, standing at the rail with binoculars in his other hand. He was just 14 at the time.

Broadcasting Horse Races in Sweden. Photo by Nils Rosenkjaer.

While he’d go on to study journalism at the University of Southern California later, he spent his early teenage years traversing the country — and even picking up a few gigs in Europe — as a track announcer. He became the youngest announcer to call a race in the U.S., making his debut on a Quarter Horse night at Los Alamitos at 14. One opportunity would lead to another, and soon Jonathan was stringing together announcing gigs on the regular. “It really was the dream job for me,” he recalls.

College opened more doors, the opportunity to announce at more mainstream sporting events. His horse racing experience, it turned out, served him well with its frenetic action that made a college football game seem like a chess match. “Horse racing probably has the most action in a short amount of time, and there’s so much to keep up with,” he explains. But what was challenging, he says, was the concept of spreading that play-by-play commentary out over periods, quarters, halves.

Jonathan didn’t expand his horse knowledge outside of the racing world until recently. His interest was piqued five years ago, when a representative from CANTER Colorado came to visit Arapahoe Park, the track where Jonathan had been announcing. It was through this connection that Jonathan would meet Ashley Gubich, whom he would marry a few years later. It was also through this connection that Jonathan learned more about the life of a Thoroughbred after its racing career is over. From there, a second passion was sparked.

Announcing at the Thoroughbred Makeover. Photo by Mystic Pope.

“I knew enough about the horses to get by with announcing, but the truth is I didn’t know anything about what they did after their racing days were over,” Jonathan explains. “Every sport has to look out for the athletes when they retire, so when CANTER came to the track I got to see these horses after they retire. I got to take on the role of working with them and promoting what they were doing.”

The Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover was in its early stages, and in promotion the organization had kicked off a series of satellite competitions under the moniker of Most Wanted Thoroughbred. Colorado hosted one such show, and Jonathan volunteered to announce for it. Through that event, he was connected to the Retired Racehorse Project, which invited him to Kentucky to announce their first ever Thoroughbred Makeover event in 2015. He has announced every Makeover since, oftentimes with his wife Ashley by his side providing commentary.

Jonathan and Cubbie Girl North at Spring Gulch HT. Photo by Zina Balash.

It was this exposure to the versatility of the Thoroughbred that spurred Jonathan’s desire to learn how to actually ride. And so at age 30, Jonathan took his first lessons and would eventually go on to purchase his first horse — an off-track Thoroughbred, nonetheless. It’s become a goal of Jonathan’s to compete at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover; a true full-circle journey.

He also finds himself announcing more events these days, peppering them in when he has an off weekend from calling races. He says he enjoys adding a little personality to his commentary, digging up bits and pieces about pairs on his order of go, paying special attention to the former racehorses. It’s become a way for him to connect with both ends of the sport that first called him to his career 16 years ago.

I asked Jonathan for his best advice for any other budding broadcasters out there. He calls to mind a conversation he had with one of his sporting idols, boxer Bernard Hopkins, about the art of announcing. “He said I’ll tell you what you need to do: you want to be accurate because you’re giving information people are relying on. You want to be professional because you are representing an organization or a sport. And third, you want people to listen or watch and know that it’s you and feel like you brought some of their enjoyment to the event.”

He says his style — which he is adamant that every broadcaster must have their own — is to “lift up what people are seeing, to make them excited about it and give them context and background.”

And ultimately, it comes back to storytelling. It will always be about the stories. “Sports have the best characters and the best plot lines,” Jonathan explains. “And I get to be the one to tell them.”

Area III Champions Crowned at Poplar Place Farm

By on Oct 6, 2020 9:00 am -

Melanie Smith and Shakedown Street. Photo courtesy of Melanie.

Over the weekend, Poplar Place Farm in Hamilton, Ga. played host to the 2020 Area III Championships. In such a bustling part of the country, 8 titles were up for grabs. Here’s who won what:

Melanie Smith and Shakedown Street may have been a division of one, but they certainly would’ve beat the best of them anyhow in the Intermediate Championships. Melanie and “Mouse,” the 10-year-old Candian Thoroughbred (Survivalist x My Dear Rose) earned a 39.5 on the flat and added only 1.2 cross country time penalties to it across the jumping phases.

Karl Slezak won the Preliminary Championship with Hot Bobo, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse (VDL Arkansas x Taneys Leader) who he owns. They lead wire-to-wire on their dressage score of 28.70.

The Junior Training Rider Championship went to Brayden Edmonds and Jay of Diamonds. Brayden and the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse by King of Diamonds earned a 29.5 on the flat and added nothing to it to win.

Amelia Ebhardt won the Senior Training Rider Championship with Fernhill Celebrity, a 9-year-old Westphalian – Holsteiner (Ampere x Djolie-AL), on a score of 24.1 — the lowest finishing score across all divisions.

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Poplar Place October HT Highlights: Open Intermediate 2nd – Claire Robinson & Pretty Like Me Intermediate/Preliminary 1st – Jorja Miller & Calypso Girl Preliminary Championships 5th – Sallie Johnson & Fernhill DiCaprio 8th – Liesel Fazekas & Fernhill Let’s Face It Preliminary Rider 1st – Alese Lyle & Princess Leia 3rd – Paige Drury & Ardeo Illusion Junior Training Rider Championships 5th – Lara Roberts & Boucco Round Trip (*FOR SALE*) Open Training 1st – Julie & Fernhill Cruiseaway (*FOR SALE*) 7th – Claire Robinson & Destiny Revealed Preliminary/Training 3rd – Gracie Montgomery & Forever Fernhill 4th – Darcy Drury & Fernhill Opulence Training Horse Championships 1st – Julie & Fernhill Seven C’s Training Rider 1st – Ryan Ballou & Fernhill Doctor Watson 7th – Lauren Brooks & Fernhill Focus Maxi Novice Rider 7th – Mackenzie VanEffen & Cadall Open Novice 1st – Jorja Miller & Fernhill Happyness 8th – Julie & Valor Training/Novice 2nd – Julie & Fernhill Kildimo Quality 4th – Gracie Montgomery & Fernhill Patrón Open Beginner Novice 5th – Jane Anderson & Bourbon St. Bash Thank you Cheryl Drury for the beautiful photos!

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Sonja Cooper’s Fernhill Seven C’s won the Training Horse Championship with Julie Richards in the tack. The flashy 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Sibon W x Sarah’s Glory) only started eventing this year, and this weekend caps off their fifth top three finish at training level.

 

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My Bearington showed what he was made of this weekend to score the 1st place in the USEA Area lll JR. Novice champs!!! • • • After him being quite a sensitive and crazy horse in the dressage warm ups he went into the arena and proved that he was built to win earning a 25(of course after rearing at the gate to get into the arenas🤦‍♀️) XC he was a total beast as usual and absolutely loved all the fun galloping paths. Showjumping was a very tight arena and Bear is a tad bit of a hot head but he came back to me and jumped his heart out getting double clear and finishing on his dressage score carrying the first place the whole weekend and finishing in first!!! 💙🏅🏅🥇🥇 • Also big congrats to the whole SHF gang that competed this weekend especially @sc.eventer who is the best videographer, groom, and annoying distraction 😆 (You and Donna killed it) #bewareofthebear #timetomoveup #arealllchamps #hearthorse #littlecrazy #butwelovecrazy #youcanhearmytrainerfrom3milesaway #dutchwarmblood #bearjustwantstojumpeverythingandanything #ourbrainsarentmentfordressage #XCmachine #bearisliterallythecoolest #nowiwoulddefinitlyfightyouonthat #hothead #conguistadorll

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Marissa Griffin and Conguistador took home the title and bragging rights in the Junior Novice Rider Championships. This is a new partnership for Marissa and the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Van Gogh x Wisconsin), as they only competed for the first time together in June, but their score of 24.5 from start to finish was unbeatable.

Mary Bess Davis and Starry Night, an 8-year-old Warmblood (Indian Art x Kip Winowned) by Deborah Grosenbaugh, were the winners of the Novice Horse Championship, finishing on their dressage score of 27.3.

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I am so proud of Galapagos for his performance at the Area III Championships this weekend. He put in a great dressage test in the Novice division, and then took on cross country and show jumping like it was nothing. He always gives his best and makes competing fun; he has earned himself a relaxing vacation and lots of cookies. @poplarplacefarm put on a great show this weekend, and I am thankful for all the staff and volunteers who made it possible. Big thanks to @le_bonheur_equestrian for your help at home and at the show, and congratulations on your great competition with Emmaretto CSF. Thanks as always to Pamela Taylor for your continued support of me and Galapagos. And thank you @thatbayarab11 for coming with us to help with the horses and Alejandrina so we could focus on riding!

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Anna Bosworth and Galapagos took home top honors in the Senior Novice Rider Championship. The 9-year-old Hanoverian (Graf Top II x Kamet) earned a 27.9 on the flat and jumped clear over both days for the win.

Chelsey Sawtell piloted Deb Warner’s Toto’s Weather Tamer to win the Beginner Novice Horse Championship. The 4-year-old Warmblood with impressive bloodlines — Totilas x Baquette — went pillar-to-post on a score of 29.

Sidnee Milner and My Valentine, a 16-year-old Welsh mare, won the Junior Beginner Novice Rider Championship on a three-day result of 28.1.

Tiffany Stewart and Crimson Clover. Photo courtesy of Tiffany.

Senior Beginner Novice Rider was claimed by Tiffany Stewart and Crimson Clover on a score of 29.5.

Well done, Area III! Click here to follow all results from Poplar.

Go eventing.

 

Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feed

By on Oct 6, 2020 12:01 am -

Your daily dose of eventing news is brought to you by Legends Horse Feed.

We are excited to share the news that Copper Beach, a former ride of Buck Davidson, has found a new rider. Cosby Green will now take the reins of this 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse. We can’t wait to see what this new partnership achieves!

National Holiday: National Mad Hatter Day

Events Opening This Week: Grand Oaks H.T., Southern Arizona H.T.

Events Closing This Week: Waredaca Classic Three Day Event & H.T., Windermere Run H.T, Chattahoochee Hills H.T., Grand Oaks H.T., Holly Hill H.T., FEH & YEH Last Chance Qualifier & West Coast Championship

Tuesday News:

The unrecognized show has become more and more popular in recent years. It’s more cost effective, yes, but it also doesn’t promise the consistency in courses and officials that riders have come to expect with recognize competitions. Both have their place in our show calendar, certainly. [Why Not Both? The Complementary Roles Played by Recognized and Schooling Competitions]

Corners are an accuracy question on cross country. They can be tricky, and a momentary lapse can cost you 20 penalties pretty easily. That’s why you’ve got to take the time at home to make sure you won’t be that big corner’s next victim. [#SundaySchool: how to avoid penalties at corner fences]

Have you heard of Susan Oakes? She’s a certified badass. Aside from currently holding the world record for highest side-saddle puissance, she’s also known for dabbling in Skijoring and point-to-point racing. Basically, anything she can do astride, she’ll also do sidesaddle. [I Won’t Let My Diagnosis Hold Me Back from My Bucket List]

Luckaun Quality has returned to competition in 2020, this time with Bourke Eventing’s barn manager and head groom Catherine Paladeau. After a diagnosis of EPM kept him out as an alternative at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, it’s been a long ride back to full health, and now he and Catherine are having a blast. [Groom Spotlight: Paladeau Makes The Journey From Ground Crew To Jockey Aboard Luckaun Quality]

Tuesday Video: What it’s like to ride in the Preakness:

Monday Video from CLM DWN: Through the Ears of a “Ginger Unicorn”

By on Oct 5, 2020 4:30 pm -

Andrew Hoy seems to be having the time of his life aboard Vassily de Lassos, or as Andrew has recently called him, his “ginger unicorn.” Over the weekend, the pair finished third overall in the CCI4*-S at Luhmühlen in Germany thanks to another completion on their dressage score. Fly around cross country with them courtesy of Andrew’s trusty hat cam!

As a 9-year-old, Vassily de Lassos was Andrews’s mount for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon representing Team Australia and finishing in fourth place individually — a very impressive finish for a young horse on the world stage. Andrew and Vassily de Lassos were one of four pairs to finish on their dressage score (FOD) at the WEG. Since the WEG, Vassily de Lassos, owned by Paula and David Evans, has now achieved an FOD in four out of his six starts at the four-star level. That consistency has seen the now 11-year-old Anglo Arab gelding finish no lower than 6th place at any of those events.

We know Andrew has his sights on Tokyo 2020, ahem, 2021 with this exciting horse and we look forward to going along for the ride!

Piggy March Takes Double Lead – and Then Some – in Little Downham CCI4*-S, Because of Course She Does

By on Oct 5, 2020 3:00 pm -

Piggy March and Dargun. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy March has taken a decisive lead in the Childeric Saddles Little Downham International CCI4*-S on the first day of dressage, taking top spot in both sections and holding fort in the top five with each of her four rides. This marks the very first CCI4*-S to be held at the popular Cambridgeshire venue, which hosts a full calendar of British Eventing competitions and training opportunities throughout the year.

Though the entry list was hit by a spate of withdrawals following the shock news that GAIN horse feeds had found a contaminant in a batch of feed, but even so, 77 horse-and-rider combinations produced tests for the assembled ground jury today across sections P and Q. Riding the syndicate-owned Dargun, Piggy delivered a 26.4 to lead the way in section P, which was presided over by judges Nikki Herbert and Richard Baldwin. Her strong mark was most closely challenged by Kitty King and her 2019 Bramham winner Vendredi Biats, who end the day on 27.3 after a clean test punctuated by some minor cheeky moments.

“We had a few little wobbles and some basic mistakes – and he was quite spooky about the flowers and the wind,” Piggy says. “But on the whole, I was pleased enough in the conditions. I’ve entered here for a bit of experience with this horse; it’ll be our first time at the level together, so I’ll be interested in how our day goes while still trying to be competitive. It’ll be building blocks, but we’ll give it a good go!”

Brookfield Quality contributes to a dominating day for Piggy March. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy also sits fourth ahead of tomorrow’s jumping phases with the relatively inexperienced Brookfield Quality, owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn, who posted an impressive 29.2 to redeem himself after some green mistakes in his test at last month’s Burnham Market CCI4*-L.

“We call him Nervous Norris at home, because he’s a bit of an odd character,” she laughs. “I was really happy with him today. He’s a new horse at the level – a lovely horse with fabulous movement – and his changes were a bit green today, which was the only disappointing thing about the test. The whole weekend is a learning experience for him, and we’ll hopefully have a fun day tomorrow.

Ever the pragmatist, Piggy wryly muses: “At least I halted square with this one – I didn’t with the other horses!”

Kazuma Tomoto and Brookpark Vikenti. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

She was usurped for third place by former student and young Irish talent Susie Berry, who produced a 28.3 with Helen Caton’s John the Bull, formerly ridden by Jonty Evans, while Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto and his Blenheim runner-up Brookpark Vikenti round out the top five overnight on 29.9.

“I’m thrilled with him – he has it all there, but that’s the first time I’ve had it all together in the ring,” says Susie. “I’ve put quite a lot of pressure on him, because he’s been so competitive at the level below. At the last two four-stars we’ve had some silly mistakes – mainly me! – but this time, we had a clear round.”

While Section P will head directly into showjumping tomorrow morning, a further twenty combinations will come forward to present a test to judges Ann Bostock and Judy Hancock in Section Q tomorrow – though here, too, Piggy’s domination of the first phase will be tough to overthrow. She sits in first and second place, taking the lead with John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Inocent on 25 and sitting second aboard the Lancer Stud’s Fonbherna Lancer, who scored a 26.2.

Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kazuma Tomoto finds himself in the top five once again in Section Q, earning a respectable 30.2 with Bernadette Utopia for third, while Australia’s Kevin McNab holds fourth on 31.9 with the Pau-bound Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend after revising his warm-up tactic with the ‘big but anxious’ gelding.

“His Burnham Market test wasn’t his best, and we’d been trying something new there – we experimented with doing a bit less and keeping him a bit fresher going in,” he explains. “But for a big horse, he does get a bit anxious, and so now we’re back to the original plan and just letting him do a little bit more so he can settle into it.”

Eliza Stoddart and Priorspark Precocious sit in overnight fifth on 32. Tomorrow’s morning dressage session will see several exciting names vie for a competitive slot atop the leaderboard, including Ireland’s Cathal Daniels and Dr Sarah Hughes’ Barrichello, Laura Collett and her two Pau-bound stars Mr Bass and London 52, and young talent Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden. Dressage will recommence at 8.30 a.m., with showjumping under way from 8:15 a.m. and cross-country starters’ orders at 9.00 a.m. local time (4.00 a.m. Eastern). The pivotal cross-country phase, designed by Jonathan Clissold, will be live-streamed in its entirety by Horse&Country TV.

The top ten in Section P at the culmination of dressage.

The top ten in section Q at the end of day one.

Little Downham CCI4*-S: Website | Live Scores | Ride Times | Live-Stream