Clayton Fredericks and FE Stormtrooper. Photo by Shelby Allen.
For most people, 2020 has been a dumpster fire of lost dreams, but this year has been a land of opportunity in Clayton Frederick’s eyes. In January, the Tokyo Olympic Games seemed out of reach for the silver medalist, but postponement was a chance for him to seriously throw his hat into the ring for team Australia. His frontrunner at the moment is FE Stormtrooper, an 11-year-old Hanoverian (Stakkato’s Highlight x Levina, by Levisto) who currently tops the Chattahoochee Hills Advanced division.
“You get an extra year to prepare for an Olympic Games. That for me was an advantage because I was probably slightly behind the eight ball getting these horses and getting ready for Tokyo, but this year has ended up being an opportunity to consolidate, and I think we’ll actually be pretty ready next year,” Clayton said.
For “Stu,” who is owned by Diana Crawford and Kingfisher Park, this quieter year gave him a chance to get comfortable in his skin. Today’s performances showed that in illuminating color. On the flat, he was tied for third, and had a clear show jumping in the afternoon for a two-phase score of 30.7.
“He’s starting to get more established. It’s taken a while with him. He’s a very high strung horse, so he’s needed to settle into himself,” he said. The trick? Elbow grease and patience. “It’s just work. It just takes time. This is my third year riding him, but it just takes time with them. With him, he tries so hard, so if it’s not right or he feels like he’s under pressure, he gets worried. So you’ve got to take it really steady with him and build his confidence. I really feel that it’s taken me a while to build his confidence with me – he really trusts me now.”
“I think he’s a horse certainly for teams, and having this extra year … fingers crossed, touch wood – If he stays going the way he’s going and improving like he has, I would hope that he’s going to get me back into the team,” Clayton said.
Clayton is also eighth with another promising horse, FE Always In Time, a 9-year-old Trakehner owned by Clayton, Adele Siewert and Eckart Siewert, with one pole down for a score of 36.1.
Leslie Law and First Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Riding for Beatrice Rey-Herme, Leslie Law moved into second place with QC First Class. The 9-year-old Oldenburg (Fuestenball OLD x Laguna, by Lortino) posted a 31.8 on the flat and added nothing to it over fences. He’s less than three seconds on the cross country course behind our division leaders.
Leslie is also fifth with Tre’ Brooks’ Voltaire de Tre, an 11-year-old Selle Francais (Gentleman IV x Jasmina du Fresne, by Socrate de Chivre) on a clear round and a score of 33.8
Zach Brandt and Direct Advance. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Zach Brandt and Direct Advance are third. This is the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s (Night Cruise x Herbst Jennie B, by Concorde) debut at the level, and on the flat he laid down a 31.8 — forming a tie with Leslie Law and first class — but was one second too slow in the show jumping to drop into third on 32.2 penalty points.
Rebecca Brown and Dassett Choice. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Rebecca Brown might be wishing she’d been just a tad faster over Chris Barnard’s show jumping course today. She and her own Dassett Choice had a class round, but 1.6 time penalties broke the tie they held with division leaders Clayton and Stu. Nevertheless, she and the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Caricello x Vilja, by Hemmingway) still hold fourth place on a score of 32.3.
Ashlynn Meuchel and Emporium. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Ashlynn Meuchel and Emporium hold sixth overnight. The 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Cartano x Upana), owned by Ashlynn and Ashley Creek Stables, rode a clear round from 14th to their current position after a faultless show jumping effort in the pair’s second start at the level.
Dana Cooke and FE Mississippi. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Canada’s Dana Cooke piloted the flashy FE Mississippi, a 10-year-old Württemberger (Cassini II x Liastra, by Legaat) into seventh place. The Pan American Games partnership jumped clear to remain on their dressage score of 34.6.
Jon Holling is ninth aboard a very promising ride, Dushi Terma. The 12-year-old KWPN (Valliant x Naterma, by Ammareto D I), who is owned by Jon, Constance Ann Holling and Team Rebecca saw one rail fall for a current score of 37. Alexandra Green Kerby and Fernhill Limited Edition round out the top ten on a score of 37.3.
Of the 30 starters, only 7 achieved rounds without poles or time over Chris Barnard’s track for a double clear jumping rate of 23.3%. In addition to those mentioned above Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara were also among those who jumped clear today.
Alexander O’Neal and Pauldary’s Arctic Tiger. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Alex O’Neal and Gayle Davis’ Pauldary’s Arctic Tiger stepped up to lead the CCI3*-S class. The 8-year-old Anglo European (Pauldary’s Funky Tiger x Pauldary’s Tigers Touch of Fro), a first-timer at this level, are sitting pretty on a 29.5 ahead of tomorrow’s cross country phase.
Alex is also third with Miss MoneyPenny V, who had two rails for a score of 28.9.
Tomorrow is cross country day! The Advanced division will kick things off at 9 a.m. over Hugh Lochore’s course, followed by the three-star will follow at 10:25 a.m. Stay tuned for more from Chatt Hills.
It’s been just a handful of days since we said a sad goodbye to Chilli Morning, the Badminton-winning partner of William Fox-Pitt and arguably one of — if not the — greatest stallions the eventing world has ever seen. And so it’s only right to see in a weekend full of eventing with a look back at some of the stellar moments of his remarkable career. Whether you use them as a valuable free riding lesson — which, frankly, we always recommend when watching videos of Lanky Will in action — or just an excellent bit of inspiration for your own journey with your horse, join us in raising a glass to the legend. May his legacy outlast us all.
In summer 2020 we launched a 1st Annual $5,000+ Diversity Scholarship with the support of generous donors, inviting minority equestrians to contribute to the discussion of diversity and inclusion in equestrian sport. It is the mission of this annual bursary, which we intend to expand in coming years, to call for, encourage, elevate and give a platform to minority voices in a space where they are underrepresented.
How do we build a more diverse, inclusive and accessible sport? In the coming weeks we will explore this question alongside many of the 27 Scholarship recipients as they share with us their essays in full. Collectly, their perspectives coalesce into a body of work that will no doubt help inform a viable path forward for equestrian sport, and we are committed to connecting their actionable ideas with the public as well as leaders and stakeholders of the sport.
Scnobia Stewart is working toward her USDF Bronze Medal. Photo by High Time Photography.
My name is Scnobia Stewart. I am a 26 year old black female equestrian from Cedar Grove, North Carolina. I have been riding since I was 6 years old. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Equestrian Studies and I have ridden overseas in Germany. Currently, I am an adult amateur dressage competitor. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the NC Therapeutic Riding Center.
Over the years, I have witnessed various forms of systemic oppression and institutional racism within the equestrian industry. Equestrianism as a whole has always had a predominance of Caucasian participants. Even in 2020, minorities are far and few between across all disciplines. Often times, minorities feel that they do not belong in the sport because of the way they are sometimes treated. In my experience as a black dressage competitor, my encounters with racism have mostly been subtle microaggressions and racial indignities.
Photo by High Time Photography.
In most cases, racists within the dressage discipline want to maintain their status quo and not draw too much negative attention to themselves. However, they tend to express their prejudiced and discriminatory comments in a witty and covert manner. These forms of subtle racism are extraordinarily disheartening to individuals who are just trying to have fun participating in a sport they are passionate about. It is even more disheartening when racism is expressed in a blatant manner. Most racist equestrians are not bold enough to freely express their bigoted thoughts aloud. However, when a minority equestrian comes across a bold racist equestrian, it can be highly unnerving. My hope is that one day the equestrian sport as a whole can move past its stagnant history of being exclusively a “white sport” and strive towards having a heavier presence of minority competitors alongside Caucasian counterparts.
I think that in order for the sport of equestrian to become more diverse, our white counterparts will have to be dedicated to inclusivity. This dedication to inclusivity should involve making minorities feel welcome and accepted. It also would involve trainers/coaches/stable owners making a concerted effort to advertise their services through a multitude of channels so that it reaches a broader and more diverse group of people.
Additionally, trainers/coaches/stable owners will need to be cognizant that most minorities in equestrian do not have “connections.” Oftentimes, minorities jump head first into the sport without any prior experience or friends that share their common interest. This can be a disadvantage because minorities usually do not know about helpful resources and programs that may be available to them unless they learn about them from fellow equestrians. Luckily, I have acquired many helpful mentors along my journey as an equestrian.
Photo by High Time Photography.
My hope is that the current and future generations of minority equestrians will be able to enjoy the sport without feeling inferior or out of place. I hope that these generations will feel comfortable traveling to new farms and venues without the anxiety of possibly experiencing a bigoted encounter. I hope that minority equestrians never feel that their performance results are based on the color of their skin or any other unique attribute that classifies them as a minority. Last but not least, I hope that minority equestrian newcomers are welcomed to the sport with open arms and never discouraged from participating.
Get Involved:Scnobia Stewart mentions that she serves on the Board of Directors for the NC Therapeutic Riding Center. Based in Mebane, North Carolina, the Center’s mission statement is to “empower children and adults with physical, mental, emotional and social challenges to create more active, healthy and fulfilling lives through equine assisted activities and therapies.”
As equestrians, we are all intimately familiar with the power of horses to strengthen and heal. We’ve been given so much by these animals; how can we play it forward? Getting involved with a therapeutic riding center is a way to share the gifts we’ve been given, as most depend heavily on volunteer support and donations to keep their programs going. You can make a donation to NC Therapeutic Riding Center here, or reach out to your local center to find out how you can get involved.
Disabled persons also face barriers, both invisible in the form of attitudes or assumptions held by others, and physical, as when steps or staircases literally prevent access. Are we as a sport doing enough to support and include disabled equestrians? As we move forward on our path toward a more diverse and inclusive sport, let’s make sure that our disabled friends always have a seat at the table as well.
Nation Media wishes to thank Barry and Cyndy Oliff, Katherine Coleman and Hannah Hawkins for their financial support of this Scholarship. We also wish to thank our readers for their support, both of this endeavor and in advance for all the important work still to come.
It’s been just over two years since a fall while competing at Tattersalls rendered Irish Olympian Jonty Evans unconscious with a traumatic brain injury that would leave him in a coma for over a month. It was a routine competition for Jonty and his longtime partner, Cooley Rorkes Drift, beloved in his own right after a popular crowdfunding campaign helped Jonty keep the horse in his yard. But as is the case with many injuries, just the wrong knock to the head would send Jonty down a completely different path than the one he’d set out on.
Nonetheless, Jonty says now, he never lost hope. And it’s that hope – and a healthy determination and sheer will – that has brought Jonty back into his body, with which he had to get reacquainted in the aftermath of the accident. In time, the light he held onto waiting for him at the end of the tunnel came forward to meet him. He and “Art” were reunited and back in the competition ring together.
Jonty says he doesn’t remember anything from that weekend at Tattersalls. Of course, the inquisitive nature of humans elicits the sharing of information, so he knows now. But his memory, perhaps blessedly, escapes him. The only thing he remembers is that he was competing at Tattersalls.
This makes for a strange experience, one that Jonty finds difficult to explain now, waking up to an entirely altered reality. “It’s not like when you wake up from a coma, the lights just flick on,” he explained. “The lights come on very, very, very slowly.”
Indeed, it was an arduous recovery process for Jonty, the severity of whose injury required him to relearn how to walk and use his body. But even during the most difficult therapy sessions, Jonty knew: he would ride again one day. And on October 24, four months and twenty days after the fall, Jonty walked out of the Sid Watkins Building at The Walton Centre. Jonty would continue his rehabilitation through programs at the Oaksey House and ongoing physical therapy.
It was a stocky horse called July that took Jonty for his first ride upon returning home to Gloucestershire in November. “He was 15 hands tall and about 18 hands wide, so the idea was that if I fell I wouldn’t have far to go,” Jonty laughed. In less than a week, Jonty grew bored and said he wanted his own horse back. It was time. Six months post-fall, post-coma, post-recovery, and Jonty was back astride Art. There is no greater motivator in life than love, and certainly that love for the horse is a large part of what kept Jonty going in even his most desperate moments.
Jonty still has difficulty expressing just how much he cares for the Irish Sport Horse gelding who stole all of our hearts but none so much as his rider’s. “What he’s done for me, in getting me back, I can’t even put it into words,” he said. “I could cry just thinking about him, and I’m not a person likely to cry.”
It wasn’t long before Jonty began tackling more challenges with his riding. His elation was evident every time he’d post an update in the Facebook group, Art’s Amazing Family, made up of contributing members to the crowdfunding campaign. Somewhere amid all of the milestones, Jonty ran a half marathon. His spirit had already proven to be unbreakable, yet here he was demonstrating it time and time again.
I think that maybe people would like to know what I’m up to. Unsurprisingly my family have been amazing my Mum, Maggie,…
Of course, Jonty says he wishes he were competing at a higher level. But that’s the thing with goals, he says. “If you didn’t achieve them, it became a nuisance and it became very hard to deal with the fact that you hadn’t achieved them.”
So instead of telling me of his plans to contest this event or that, or return to the international stage at a certain point, he tells me of his plans to become a true master at each level. Riding is an art, is it not? Jonty says his focus has shifted to perfecting his skills, letting this notion guide him rather than the concept of big fences and equally lofty goals.
“Rather than having a goal, I hoped that I could become established at a level and show that I’m established there and then move on,” Jonty explained. “That’s much more my plan of attack now. If I can start to establish that over three or four events, then I can start to think, ‘Ok, maybe it’s in place.’”
It’s a great reminder for all of us. And that shift in focus has rewarded Jonty with deeper insights into his riding. He still struggles with balance and coordination and works daily with a physical therapist to remedy this (“It’s something I’ll never stop working on,” he says). But more and more, he finds little tidbits of knowledge born only out of experienced feel are returning to him.
“It’s not really relearning something, it’s more of a reawakening or rediscovery,” Jonty said. “It might be described as a light coming on slowly or a mist fading. Suddenly you remember something you used to do or a feel you used to have.”
It’s still frustrating, having a brain that knows what must be done but a body that can’t quite meet the challenge yet. But Jonty maintains a positive attitude. He’s been to hell and come back from it. These challenges? He’ll welcome them with open arms. “You have to come to terms with who you are and what’s happened,” he said. “And that’s quite hard. I wouldn’t wish this injury on my worst enemy.”
📽️"Horses might not be the best therapy for everyone but they certainly are for me" Jonty Evans Eventing made a guest…
At the end of the tunnel, Jonty says he’s always seen the light. Beyond that light waited the brown horse with the biggest heart. A large supporter of Jonty’s, Jane Moss, brought Art to Andrew Downes’ yard “to keep him ticking along” during his rider’s recovery. An entire community rallied around Jonty and Art, celebrating every milestone, large or small. And one day in August the following year, Jonty and Art made their return to competition.
Naturally, Jonty laughs, he fell off on cross country. But he was undeterred, and the pair have since completed nine events at the Novice and BE100 levels. As for what’s next? Jonty recently moved into a new yard and has opened his doors to training clients once again. Art has the best stall on the property. Jonty takes things one day at a time, all at once disbelieving and acutely aware of how much of his life has returned to him since his accident. “It has been a big thing for me mentally to believe that anyone will ever send me a horse to ride again but I’ve got to believe and keep pushing forwards.”
Ellie Taylor with her pony Dear Abbie. Photo by Lisa Madren.
Remember your childhood days on ponies like this and the level of enthusiasm you felt about cantering through the water? I miss the days when I would just go to the barn and hop on a pony with nothing but a halter and some clip-on reins and go galavanting around with not a care in the world. I didn’t have all that awesome matching pink stuff though, Ellie has it way more together than I ever did.
Boyd picked a good year to get all his surgeries out of the way. In a silver lining of the cancellation of, well, everything in 2020, Boyd decided it was prime time to finally take care of his body, and get some surgeries on his hip and groin muscle, which have been the cause of significant pain for years now. Luckily, he’s got some pretty okay riders on his team to keep everything running smoothly. [It Takes a Village at Windurra]
Got the No-Burghley blues? Despite cancellation the event has a big virtual weekend lined up, with a journey of archive material and an all-star line-up of Sunday guests including Pippa Funnell, Sir Mark Todd, Oliver Townend and five-time Olympian Carl Hester. [Celebrate Our Past, Present & Future on Land Rover Burghley Weekend]
Work on those dressage skillz with this video about developing the right stretchy trot. Stretching now features more heavily in eventing dressage, and having a good one can really boost your scores, so get to work! [Developing a Good Stretchy Trot]
In 1990, a 14-year-old McLain Ward told The Chronicle that he’d like to get to the Olympics by the age of 18. He had just won the Talent Derby on a 6-year-old thoroughbred called Polarized, and he was already dreaming big. He didn’t make it to the Olympics by 18, but he’s still done okay. [Flashback Friday]
Video:Remember Laila Alexander, the 4-year-old eventer we featured last weekend? (Of course you do … who could forget?!) Laila and her 20-year-old superstar pony recently completed her first mini horse trials, with a little coaching from her mom Lauren.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Alexander.
Well, it turns out Laila can do a little coaching as well! Turn the sound up to hear her running commentary on her mom’s show jumping round.
Andrew Hoy and Basmati, an 11 year old gelding that has come up through the international levels with the Australian rider, capped off their first big run of 2020 (strange to say, seeing how it’s August!) at Burgham this past weekend. The pair added just some time on cross country and a rail in show jumping to their dressage score, and Andrew posted the helmet cam video to his YouTube channel so we could ride along with him.
Catch up on the action from across the pond with Tilly’s reports here. Go Eventing!
Tim Price and Wesko. Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński.
The first horses cantered down the centerline today at Poland’s LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials, with New Zealand’s Tim and Jonelle Price taking the top four positions in the CCI4*-L.
Tim is first and second with Wesko and Spartaco. Watch his test with Wesko, who won Luhmühlen CCI5* in 2014 and was 2nd at Kentucky and 3rd at Pau in 2015, here:
Tim PRICE riding Wesko in the CCI4*-L class with the result of 28,7 – the current leader. Tim PRICE na Wesko w klasie CCI4*-L z wynikiem 28,7 – aktualny lider konkursu.
Jonelle is third and fourth with Grappa Nera and McClaren, Sir Mark Todd’s 2018 WEG mount whom she’s taken over the ride since Sir Mark’s retirement.
“I was really pleased with both horses,” Jonelle says. “Grappa Nera is only 9 years old, so she’s quite unestablished in some of the work on this level, but every time she’s getting better and better. McClaren is a new ride for me this season, he’s got so much talent. I don’t think we’re quite there, where I know he can get to, but he’s doing some lovely work.”
An interview with Jonelle Team Price after her dressage tests with Grappa Nera and McClaren.
The current leader of the 3* long class is Dutch rider Mara Van de Ven with Lexington van de Vinkenhof, and the leader of the CCI2*-L is her teammate Merel Blom riding Corminta vom Gwick. In the CCIP2*-L, Matti Garlichs has taken the lead with Andante. The top position in the Intro class belongs to Sophie Leube from Germany with Skyjacker 3.
The second leg of the 2020 FEI Eventing Nations Cup series kicks off on Friday. Teams from Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland are set to compete, along with individuals representing the Czech Republic, Sweden and New Zealand. Big names on the start list include Andreas Dibowski with FRH Corrida; Dirk Schrade with Ingrid Klimke, with SAP Hale Bob OLD and SAP Sasha P; and Tim Price with Falco.
The Strzegom live stream will be broadcast on both the event website and on Facebook. The remainder of the broadcast schedule is as follows:
Friday, Aug. 28
Dressage from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CEST / 3 – 6:30 a.m. EDT
Show jumping from 3 – 6 p.m. CEST / 9 a.m. – noon EDT 9 a.m. CEST CCIO4*-S Nations Cup dressage 3 p.m. CEST CCIO4*-S Nations Cup show jumping
Saturday, Aug. 29
Cross Country from 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. CEST / 3 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT 9 a.m CEST CCI1* Intro cross country 10:30 a.m. CEST CCIP2*- L cross country 11:15 p.m. CEST CCI2* – L cross country 1:10 p.m. CEST CCI3* – L cross country 2:15 p.m. CEST CCIO4*-S Nations Cup cross country 4:15 p.m. CEST CCI 4* – L cross country
Sunday, Aug. 30
Cross Country from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. CEST / 3:30 – 8 a.m. EDT 9:30 a.m. CEST – CCI2*-S/CCI2* -S -J cross country 12:15 p.m. CEST – CCI3*-S/CCI3* – S – YR cross country
It’s neat to get insight on what is happening in the eventing world through podcasts that dive deep into the professionals and big-names of the sport, but have you ever listened to one that is hosted by people just like you and me? Sisters Robin and Kelsey Loch have just the podcast for you!
The idea of Mud Studs & Skull Caps started as an idea for a blog they wanted to create years ago. They explain, “The blog would follow the journey of our new problem pony, sharing our experiences as we worked with her while providing unique training tips and tricks along the way. Turned out that we fixed the pony and never typed a single word for our blog.” Robin and Kelsey have revamped the idea, still sharing their experiences, to fit the podcast.
Photos courtesy of Robin and Kelsey Loch.
Although they live on opposite ends of the country, they still manage to produce quality content. To my surprise, Robin spends a lot of time editing to make the podcast seamless. Kelsey says, “Half the time our audio ends up with weird static noises … but when we do get usable audio, it’s from us speaking into podcasting microphones, while also on the phone with each other, recording our audio separately. There is some fancy editing where Robin pieces the audio together like a funky jigsaw puzzle.”
Kelsey and Robin explain that Mud Studs and Skull Caps is basically just them catching up, like they normally do, but into microphones. Their episodes range from talking about different horse boots to moving up the levels. They provide a perspective that any rider can relate to, especially since Robin and Kelsey have differing riding styles and body types. In their latest episode “the one where we try to balance life,” published today, the sisters break down how they try to balance horses, work and relationships: “Sometimes that balance works well, and sometimes everything seems to collapse!”
As for future plans, they “hope to continue to grow and learn personally [and] would like to be able to highlight the stories of other non-professionals throughout the horse community.” Kelsey and Robin let their passion pick their topics, which allows them to “feel truly invested in the information [they] are sharing.”
The real, unfiltered conversations about struggles we face daily as riders sets this podcast apart from others. “We are not professionals; we are just the girls in the barn next door,” they say. When listening to Mud Studs and Skull Caps, it feels like a casual conversation with a friend, which makes it enjoyable to listen to.
While we may have lost the AECs, we nevertheless have quite the run of weekly Advanced and 4*-S divisions coming up across the country. With a more condensed schedule comes deeper fields in general. This year, Chatt Hills has attracted 30 starters (as of publication), which is a record number of starters for the venue’s Advanced division in the last half decade. In fact, the August edition of this division usually boasts of fewer than 10 pairs.
Hugh Lochore is the perennial course designer at this venue, and this year is no exception. Chris Barnard is hot off his work designing the stadium at Great Meadow, so we can see how this field holds up against his course design.
Chatt Hills is a course where the time on cross country day makes all the difference; only four pairs have made time in the last five years here, and all were at the spring event. Having said that, two of those pairs are competing this weekend; both Nilson Moreira da Silva with Magnum’s Martini and Jacob Fletcher with Van Gough have experience in catching that time here. Jacob Fletcher is the only rider to have done it twice, having done it also on board Atlantic Domino.
DRESSAGE
Rebecca Brown with Dassett Choice. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
Although green for the level with only three starts under their belt, Rebecca Brown and Dassett Choice have a good shot at leading the field after the first phase. In their two Advanced starts (one of which was at this venue a year ago), this pair scored over 70% both times.
Jon Holling has been quietly putting in the work with Dushi Terma, who now has two starts under his belt at the level. These two quietly laid down two scores in the low 30s earlier this year to average 32.6 in this phase.
Lancaster is one of the more experienced horses in the field at this point, and under Waylon Roberts has been putting in solid scores that range from 30 to 35 in the past two years. A score around their two year average of 32.4 would put them right up near the top after day one.
Only around 18% of the field is expected to put in scores over 65%, but this is not an event that will be won on a couple of points on the flat.
SHOW JUMPING
Rebecca Brown and Dassett Choice. Photo by Lisa Madren.
The field at hand does not consist of the most careful jumpers based in North America; many of those took a crack at Great Meadow last week. A full 50% of the field is expected to have a rail, with another 25% of the field expected to have more than one. Three horses are making their first start for the level while another pair will contest the level for the first time as a pair; none of these have known stadium records for the Advanced height.
Dassett Choice and Rebecca Brown should be able to maintain a top placing based off their sparse record; two clear rounds out of three for the level with a single rail in the third round indicate a good possibility of jumping clear.
Horses like Lancaster, Dushi Terma,Voltaire de Tre (Leslie Law),Van Gough (Jacob Fletcher) and FE Mississippi (Dana Cooke) should be able to take advantage even at just one rail apiece and move up the ranks to within striking distance.
CROSS COUNTRY
Waylon Roberts and Lancaster. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
With time being so critical, Rebecca Brown andDassett Choice will almost certainly accumulate enough time penalties on cross country day to leave the door open for a quick pair to take over the lead, if only just. After winning at this venue last summer, these two did face significant trouble on their first 4*-S course at Ocala Jockey Club in November, but bounced back into form at Rocking Horse before the break.
However, that door will be cracked and experienced pair Waylon Roberts and Lancaster will be looking to take full advantage. These two have the fastest speed rating in the field over the last two years, averaging only 8.2 seconds over either the fastest time or within the optimum time. Solid performances will have put them within striking range of the leaders on the final day. Dushi Terma and Jon Holling could maintain a top position as well if they can match their average pace at prior events in relation to the speedsters.
Voltaire de Tre and Leslie Law, as well as Joe Meyer with Johnny Royale, will be looking to capitalize on the final day as well, without stretching themselves too far. An average pace for either of these pairs would put them within 20 seconds of the fastest times, good enough to pop up into the top five.
Van Gough and Jacob Fletcher cannot be forgotten either; although they typically are 30 seconds and more behind the speedsters, this pair has an affinity for this venue and experience making the time. They could be wild card if they go for broke and even matching their typical pace would likely yield a top five placing.
PREDICTIONS:
WINNER
Waylon Roberts and Lancaster. Photo by Abby Powell.
So much depends on who decides it’s their day to go for a faster pace and who is using this for a prep event for the next one, but the opportunity to best a field this big doesn’t always come along. It will be close, but Waylon Roberts and Lancaster can use their experience to edge out a win without over-extending themselves.
FASTEST CROSS-COUNTRY ROUNDS
Nilson Moreira da Silva and Magnum’s Martini (BRA).
We’ve already discussed Lancaster, but Nilson Moreira da Silva is known for his speed and paired with Magnum’s Martini, has made optimum or achieved the fastest time in four of their outings together at this level. That includes one of the four clean runs inside the time here, although that run did occur in 2015.
NEW TO THE LEVEL
Cornelia Dorr and Daytona Beach 8. Photo by Abby Powell.
Cornelia Dorr brings forward the mare Daytona Beach 8, a former ride of 2014 World Champion Sandra Auffarth. This horse started her first 4*-S in 2018 at Luhmuhlen, but withdrew after dressage. With a strong jumping record and flashes of promise in the flat in their time as a partnership, Cornelia and Daytona Beach 8 could be a bit of a wild card this weekend.
BIGGEST MOVER
Joe Meyer and Johnny Royale. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Dressage may not be his forte, but a single rail in the jumping phase and one of the faster rounds on cross country would propel Johnny Royale with Joe Meyer from the bottom third of the field after dressage way up as high as the top five.
OTHER DIVISIONS
Top five Fair Hill 4*-L finisher QC Diamantaire is contesting a Prelim division to start off his 2020 season.
Jacob Fletcher doesn’t just have his 2019 Chatt Hills 4*-S winner here, he’s also brought out his 2018 Chatt Hill 4*-S winner (and 2015 AEC Advanced Champion) Atlantic Domino out to play in the Preliminary.
Keep an eye on Leslie Law‘s ride Tout de Suite in the Prelim as well; Leslie won back to back 4*-S on this horse in his first two starts at the level back in 2015. Leslie is back in the irons after a prolonged hiatus, but this is a pair to keep an eye on.
Five-star favorite Clip Clop is stretching his legs in the 3*-S under Joe Meyer.
E25 rider Megan Sykes is back in the irons after an accident last winter. She and Classic’s Mojah will be testing out the competition scene on the east coast in the Intermediate division.
Kurt Martin‘s ride Delux Z will be competing in the Intermediate after taking 2019 off from competition.
Dressage and show jumping take place on Friday, cross country on Saturday. Shelby Allen will be our boots on the ground, so keep it locked on EN for all the latest!
In summer 2020 we launched a 1st Annual $5,000+ Diversity Scholarship with the support of generous donors, inviting minority equestrians to contribute to the discussion of diversity and inclusion in equestrian sport. It is the mission of this annual bursary, which we intend to expand in coming years, to call for, encourage, elevate and give a platform to minority voices in a space where they are underrepresented.
How do we build a more diverse, inclusive and accessible sport? In the coming weeks we will explore this question alongside many of the 27 Scholarship recipients as they share with us their essays in full. Collectly, their perspectives coalesce into a body of work that will no doubt help inform a viable path forward for equestrian sport, and we are committed to connecting their actionable ideas with the public as well as leaders and stakeholders of the sport.
When I hear the phrase “systemic racism” thrown about, I think of a photo of my father as a child, sitting with the suitcases his family fit their entire life into as they were forced from their home, wondering where they were being shipped off to and why. The only reason President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to round up the Japanese Americans and imprison them in internment camps, much like Jews in Germany at the time, was because of my father’s race. What had he done to deserve this? He was a little boy and his life was about to be irreparably changed. The scars this left on his psyche I am sure I will never fully understand, and he hid them well with stories of adventures he had “in the camps.” My father could find the light and humor in any situation.
I see the irony now that I am older, that my father was sent to live in a horse stall on a Salinas, California racetrack turned internment camp while his father was separated from his family for four years. How curious that I fell in love with horses as a child and literally would sleep in a stall waiting for a broodmare to foal out. Honestly, I think part of the reason my father put me on a horse was in some way to say, “Yes, you held me down and imprisoned me, but I persevered and now it is my choice to have my daughter on a horse.”
The very first memory I have of horses was my father standing beside me on a pony in a field, and holding me while I played with her mane and made indistinguishable noises. I believe I was saying at the time “Let’s go! Let’s run!” but considering I had not yet figured out walking, it was probably more along the lines of “ah! Gah!”
Photo courtesy of Kimberly Kojima.
Any chance I had, I would be near a horse – not an easy feat when you are a child living in New York City, but my parents would bring my sister and me out of the city in the summers. Walking to school in the city I learned to always look where my feet were so as not to step on a used hypodermic needle, hold my breath when the smell of urine wafted up from the steaming streets – and yet like any other horseman, I now have no problem stepping in horse manure or smelling like a wet spot after doing stalls. I would beg to see the carriage horses in Central Park who would be sleeping in the sun waiting for the next tourist. Oh to pat their soft noses and look at their eyes under those blinders was just a little moment of heaven for me. The sounds of language in the city, every accent one could imagine, would float by and I would try to figure out where each one came from. The faces of the city came in all shapes and colors, like a human kaleidoscope, and I thought that was just how life was. As a biracial child, I never felt out of place.
And then one day we moved to a little college town in the Berkshires where everyone looked and sounded the same. My first day at school I realized I was different. Very different. I came home and cried and told my parents the names I had been called and asked why did we ever leave the city. They said it was too dangerous in the city, and on the bright side I could finally ride every day. That weekend I went to the barn and found solace in my pony’s stall. He didn’t notice what I looked like – he just cared that I had cookies and could rub his ears.
I was lucky enough to volunteer with a therapeutic riding facility, and there I saw what an equalizer horses were. Since realizing that I could be seen as an “other,” I have wanted to bring the peace and acceptance I found with horses to everyone I could.
I have felt that sting of feeling like an outsider often, from wishing my last name were one syllable and not massacred by many announcers at horse shows, to overhearing a dressage judge mocking my name to her scribe, to being told by a TD I should try riding for the Japanese team because “aren’t you one of them?” Oh wow…
Photo by Hoofclix.
Through these horses my father encouraged perseverance, a sense of adventure and fearlessness. Every time I felt humiliated as I walked off the course early, or heard the rails rattle and thud, knowing how costly each one was, I would hear my father saying, “Never give up Kimbo. Do the best you can,” and I would be back to try again. I never thought any coach or goal was out of my reach if I worked hard enough and showed up every day.
Galloping around Fair Hill 4* on my heart horse, I felt the freedom I had first found on a pony and could only think how happy my father would be to see me. My first endeavor into eventing with a top trainer was when I approached Darren Chiacchia at Groton House. He had the equitation I had sought to develop over my junior years. Watching him pilot a feisty black stallion with style and grace, I decided I wanted to learn from him. I respected the hard work and dedication Darren had and much like my father, he valued persistence. Just keep showing up and it will pay off.
As life changed circumstances, I then approached Leslie Law to further my training. We shared many stories over a mutual experience with the legendary breeder, Sam Barr, he of being a rider and I of being a stud groom, though many years apart. The riders were a bit better fed and probably had heat in their house, but what an adventure it was at Limbury Stud. Leslie brought my great partner High Time, with whom I first jumped around Advanced and four star, into my life just before a devastating year when both my father and fiancé passed away within six months of each other. When I lost that horse as a result of a tragic accident, I felt that I lost part of myself. But as life has given me trying times, it has also given me tremendous opportunities.
Kimberly and Michael Jung. Photo courtesy of Kimberly Kojima.
I met Michael Jung when I tried an impressive black stallion in Germany – the full circle symbol did not escape me. And so, I asked Michi if I could come to Germany to train and compete with him and another adventure began. This horse gave me the unimaginable possibility to travel around Europe and compete with the maestro. Mr. Jung, Michi’s father, reminded me so much of my father and after every round or dressage test I found myself straining to hear his voice or looking for him on the rail, as I did for my father. If only Dad could see me galloping around courses in the Netherlands, or Germany, or France, or Poland, he would certainly have gotten a kick out of it.
During my travels I came to know many top riders and developed relationships with them. Eventually I hosted clinics with them at my farm in Ocala. It is there that I saw an opportunity to put a promising young rider together with a top European rider as a small way of expanding representation of minorities in the upper levels of the sport. If there is an opportunity to give someone a proverbial leg up, one must do so, another value my father instilled in me. By using each of our connections to “pay it forward” we can open doors that may otherwise be locked for newcomers.
If the horses have shown me anything, it is that what you look like or where you are from really does not matter to them. They only care how you treat them — that you put their welfare above all else. My horses brought me through many painful personal losses in my life. I found their coats to be better than Kleenex and they never looked at me any differently regardless of how much of a mess I felt. As long as I made my way out to the barn to feed them and curry them, I could get through another day. The mundane tasks gave normalcy and structure to chaos. I think we can learn from these creatures that, if anything, judge people on their merit, their integrity, and their kindness, not on how they look or how to pronounce their surnames.
I would like to continue to bring this gift these horses have given me to others. In addition to furthering my goals with the horses, I want to start a program geared toward bringing kids from the inner-city to my farm for weekends not just to pet the horses and be on their way, but to find some semblance of peace, to teach them all aspects of working with horses and to expose them to elements of the business. All facets would benefit them in life beyond the barn.
Get Involved: Helen Casteel wrote of a similar concept in her essay, which was published on August 26. The idea of impact and inspiration is one that is a recurring theme. What would happen if professional riders began mentoring or otherwise sharing their experience with those seeking a path into the sport? It’s understandable that time is valuable and scarce for many — but there is still much that can be accomplished, many doors that can be opened, with even the smallest amount of time.
