Classic Eventing Nation

Arthur Has Passed Away at Age 21

By on Aug 17, 2020 9:55 am -

A memorable moment: The crowd went wild when Allison Springer and Arthur completed their test at Kentucky in 2016. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

We are deeply saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Arthur, the long-time equine partner of Allison Springer‘s, who captured the hearts of eventing fans throughout his 16-year career.

The 21-year-old Irish Sport Horse cross gelding was laid to rest after bout of laminitis, a crippling disease of the hoof whose etiology is not completely understood, but has been the Achilles heel, so to speak, of several great horses including Secretariat and 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

Despite being notoriously spooky, a trait which would have perhaps put off other riders, Allison brought Arthur along from a “wild” five-year-old to a world-class athlete. The bond which saw them through over a decade of competition was a partnership in the truest sense of the word and Allison’s love for the tall liver chestnut was palpable to any who was fortunate enough to watch them.

Arthur and Allison first made heads turn with their 8th place finish at Jersey Fresh CCI4*-L  in 2007 and were subsequently named to the USEF Developing Rider List for the first of four times in their career. They completed the Kentucky Three-Day event for the first time in 2008 and would go on to compete in 9 more CCI5*-L events.

Some of their most notable finishes include second place in the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2012, also earning the title of USEF National CCI5*-L Champion, and a sixth-place finish at Burghley Horse Trials later that year. The pair was also named as an Alternate for Team USA at the World Equestrian Games in 2010, and were shortlisted for the Olympics in 2012.  The pair completed 38 of 44 FEI Events they entered.

Allison Springer and Arthur. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

At 18-years-old, Arthur was diagnosed with a heart condition and was subsequently retired from eventing. The diagnosis came shortly before the Kentucky Three-Day event in 2017 in which he was entered. Instead of competing in the event as originally planned, Allison and Arthur performed their dressage test as an exhibition round which served as an emotional and memorable farewell to competition for the horse. In his retirement, Arthur happily enjoyed teaching some of Allison’s lucky students who rode him in lessons.

In a statement released this morning, Allison said, “Arthur was my best friend and putting what our partnership meant to me into words would be impossible. Over the past 16 years, Arthur taught me many things, and took me many places. He made some of my wildest dreams possible. He always kept me on my toes, and although he was not the easiest horse at times, he taught me what a true partnership should look like. In every one of our moments together, I was always honored to be Arthur’s rider, friend, and person. While I am devastated at losing him so suddenly, a piece of my heart will forever belong to him.”

Allison Springer and Arthur. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Dr. Johns, Arthur’s long-time veterinarian, remarked, “The way Allison and Arthur loved one another is not something that you see every day and extended far beyond their partnership in the ring. It was a privilege to be part of Arthur’s support team for the past fifteen years. He is certainly a horse who made a big impact on many, including myself, and he will be deeply missed.”

Allison said she would like to extend her sincere gratitude to the members of The Arthur Syndicate LLC, and to her parents, for their long and unwavering support. She would also like to recognize his many grooms, vets, farriers and each and every person who made it possible for Arthur to have such a wonderful life and career. Lastly, Allison thanked Arthur’s many fans for always cheering him on. From the gallop lanes in Kentucky to the constant kind messages over the years, Arthur loved every moment of his time in the spotlight.

A few of our favorite photos of the pair from over the years:

The EN team sends our deepest condolences to Allison, her parents, and all of the connections that knew and loved Arthur.

Dana Bivens: ‘Inaction Is Silence’

By on Aug 17, 2020 9:08 am -

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. Collectively, 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.

Today we welcome Dana Bivens. More voices: Aki Joy Maruyama | Anastasia Curwood | Caden Barrera | Dawn Edgerton-Cameron | Deonte Sewell | Jordyn Hale | Jen Spencer | Julie Upshur | Leilani Jackson | Madison Buening 

Photo by Brant Gamma.

Like many little girls, I became enamored with horses at a very young age.  Horse crazy doesn’t even begin to describe it.  I dreamed about ponies, and riding, and wide-open spaces, and all of the imagery associated with the equine lifestyle. Riding was foreign to my parents and extended family, but my parents took me for lessons when I was four, and the rest is history.  Twenty-eight years later I still ride and compete.  And for 28 years, I have yet to meet a single equestrian who looks like me.  This is a sobering and isolating truth, which speaks to how homogenous our sport is and how this lack of diversity limits our potential to expand audiences, grow equestrian communities, generate revenue and support, and to make the joys of riding and horses available to everyone.

My experience in the eventing community has been predominantly positive.  Among my equestrian peers, merit is based on talent and hard work, and one is rewarded for the sacrifice put in and the time spent learning to be not only a good rider, but a good horseman or horsewoman.  I am in awe by the dedication and skill of so many of my peers and enjoy the camaraderie and openness that eventing offers, especially compared to some other equestrian sports.

The conversation on diversity within our community has, however, been lacking.  It is an uncomfortable subject, which requires the individual to assess their own privilege, address inherent bias, and to challenge the viewpoints of those who may be held in high regard or who garner respect. The national discourse on this issue has forced us all to take stock of our own positions regarding race, class, and privilege.  The equestrian community is thankfully participating in this conversation and my hope is that we can have an open and honest discussion to learn from our own mistakes, to become more inclusive and, to prioritize equality.  

How can we combat racism within our sport? 

There can be no change in silence and inaction.  The first steps to combating racism are to be mindful and aware of the latent bias we possess, to actively work to change this bias, and to be outspoken when we witness racism within our community.  Racism comes in many forms and prejudice is a learned, and sometimes unconscious, behavior that takes time to unlearn. 

Members of the minority community must also hold others accountable and to be proud of who we are, our personal stories, and our heritage.  This has been an area in which I have struggled in the past and hope to improve in the future.  

For years, I taught lessons and rode horses as my full-time job.  I would travel to local farms and interact with any number of equestrians in the area.  Many of my clients did not share my political beliefs and this led me to implement a policy of neutrality while working.  I felt it was unprofessional to mix business and political or social commentary, and as a result I kept my views private.  Unfortunately, this behavior led me to extend my neutrality to other issues and not to engage in areas where I should have.  

When discussing relationships and dating, one of my clients, who was around my age, told me she could “Never bring a black guy home to her parents.”  I remember pausing, looking at her and asking, “What do you mean? You know I am part African American right?”  Her response was perhaps more stunning, as she stated, “Oh, but you don’t count. You are a credit to your race.” As though my profession or character exonerated me from any associated negativity attached to the African American community.  I should have challenged this thought, but I did not.  I stood dumbfounded, surprised people still thought like this and did nothing to defend my heritage or to combat the racism I had just experienced.

In light of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and other equality movements, I see now that I should have engaged with those who perpetuated stereotypes or blatantly made their beliefs over people of color (POCs) known.  Racism must not be a political issue.  Equality does not depend on your political leanings.  And I should not have been afraid to respond to prejudice.  I confess, however, that at the time I felt impotent and dependent on the business of my clients to continue my career, so I did not engage.  The BLM movement has made this discussion mainstream and has encouraged many to vocalize their experiences and challenges and this has made me realize that it is my responsibility to challenge these stereotypes no matter the venue and no matter the situation. I will defend my right to equality and defend that right for others even if it puts strain on business and personal relationships.  I encourage all members of the minority community, as well as supporters from the majority, to do the same. There can be no change in silence.  Inaction is silence.

Photo by Brant Gamma.

How do we diversify?

I remember times when my father, who is African American, accompanied me to competitions to watch and drive the horse trailer and be a typical horse show dad.  More times than I can remember people asked if he was my groom rather than wondering if we had some other relationship.  Because he was black, my peers assumed he was employed by someone at the show, rather than the father and supporter of an aspiring equestrian.   It dawned on me at a young age that we looked more like the help than the riders, and for years I felt ashamed of my appearance because I did not look like the successful equestrians whom I idolized. 

Inclusion in the equestrian community must come from changing the image of what it means to be an “equestrian.”  Growing up, I did not know a single equestrian who was African American.  No one at the shows or at the barn looked like me.  The resounding image of the successful equestrian is white, affluent, and athletic.  Fortunately, in this sport we enjoy greater equality among the genders, so I did have many female role models to emulate.  But seeing another African American at the top of the leader boards or on the cover of equestrian magazines would help to evolve the image of the successful equestrian to include members of other racial and socioeconomic groups.   

There are many equestrian groups out there who bring horses to urban communities and draw in non-traditional audiences.  We need more of these programs in our community and more support from external donors to make this a reality.  Thank you to those who bring horses to kids who would never have otherwise experienced horseback riding.  And thank you to Eventing Nation for making this scholarship a possibility.  This type of support is key to changing our current trajectory and opening the door for more to join our community.

Self-reflection is key

We all need to recognize how minor things will affect how another views the world.  The insidious nature of small acts and their potential to invite hatred into the world can permanently and profoundly influence the recipient of this distasteful treatment.  The impact of racism and the feeling of hurt and impotence that cruel words can create is second to no other type of cruelty that I have experienced.  It is fundamentally debasing and degrades the victim based on a physical attribute.  Additionally, it places the responsibility of “overcoming” this allegedly negative quality on the victim.  I must prove to you, white person, that I am worthy of your time. 

When I was in college, I dated a man whose parents were openly racist.  When our relationship became public, they told my boyfriend at the time, “We thought we raised you better” and that people of different races shouldn’t reproduce as it was unnatural.  Additionally, when they came for his college graduation, they prevented me from sitting with them in the auditorium, and actively excluded me from conversations and events.  This experience was so unbelievably hurtful that it still brings tears to my eyes.  They did not take the time to get to know who I was but rather made an assumption based on my skin color.  Their actions said the color of my skin made me inferior to them, a lesser person, not worthy of their time nor their attention.  Finally, I felt so powerless to combat this viewpoint, and angry at myself for feeling as though it was my responsibility to change their minds when they were in the wrong.  The most hurtful part of this experience was that when I brought it to the attention of others, they argued that “Some people just think that way.” Unfortunately, this explanation was seen as sufficient for dismissing open hostility toward an entire race of people and that being entitled to one’s opinion justified such blatant acts of hatred.  The lack of support from others during this experience eroded my trust in non-POCs to stand up for what is right in the face of such prejudice.    

Sadly, many of you have felt the profound sting of being judged for a personal characteristic such as your race, gender, religion, or merely your opinions.  To be prejudged and dismissed as inferior for a personal attribute, particularly one that is immutable, is fundamentally debasing and an experience I wish for no one.  This a palpable reminder for why we must take care in what we say and remember that even the smallest words can create undue harm when coming from a place of hate or fear.  Victims of racism or prejudice often view their world through that lens and it taints their relationships and colors their perceptions not only of themselves, but of other groups.  We have the opportunity to create a place of acceptance for many, and I know that this amazing community of riders has the power and the will to do it.  

Let’s move forward together

If we work to change our image and to promote diversity, we will draw more participants into our sport.  This will lead to more students and clients for trainers, more owners who support aspiring riders, and a wider fan base to boost attendance and viewership at equestrian events.  It also means more kids will experience the same joy of riding and benefit from the same opportunities for growth and personal development that changed my life.   I am encouraged by the ongoing efforts to promote diversity in all areas of society. We are all privileged to live through a time of inspiring growth in social and economic opportunity, but we also cannot miss this chance to continually improve the things we love. I love riding, and I would love to share my passion with anyone who will listen. Today, that means reaching a community that we don’t often see around the stable and sparking the same passion and love that inspired each of us to the sport. Find ways to share your love for riding with a broader community and help new faces light up with the joy we all find in the saddle.

Get Involved: Dana ends her essay by issuing a challenge: that we find ways to share our love for riding with a broader community who might not otherwise have access. She talks about equestrian groups who bring horses to urban communities, and note that we need more programs like these and more support from donors. 

There is currently no comprehensive directory available online of urban equestrian outreach programs. Let’s start one, to make these programs more accessible to those who wish to get involved as users, volunteers or donors. Here’s a list of programs that I’m aware of — if you know of others, please let us know in the comments so we can add them. 

Chamounix Equestrian Center Work to Ride Program (Philadelphia, PA) 
Compton Cowboys (Compton, CA) –
Compton Jr. Equestrians (Compton, VA)
Detroit Horse Power (Detroit, MI) 
Dreadhead Cowboy (Chicago, IL)
Ebony Horse Club (London, UK) 
Ebony Horsewomen (Hartford, CT) 
Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club (Philadelphia, PA) 
Leg Up for Cleveland’s Kids (Cleveland, OH) 
Taking the Reins (Los Angeles, CA)
The City Ranch (Baltimore, MD)
The Urban Equestrian Academy (Leicester, UK)
The Westernaires (Jefferson County, CO) 

Could your stable support an outreach effort? This doesn’t have to be a full-fledged riding lesson program — it could be a monthly open barn, wherein you invite community groups to visit and learn about horses, or whatever works for you. Get creative! 

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.

Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks

By on Aug 17, 2020 8:09 am -

Lads, coronavirus has made the world a weird place in so many unexpected ways. Over the weekend, the inaugural Nations Cup event of 2020 did its thing out at Haras du Pin and I, an equestrian journalist whose entire life and career revolves around travelling to cover international events all over the place, watched the livestream and reported from home. My own eventing fix for the weekend? Coaching two under-12s in their first one-day-event, one in the 80cm class, and one in the lead-line 40cm class. Three clear rounds and one pesky pole later, we had two happy kiddos, two pleasantly tired ponies, and enough choccy spread sandwiches and cheesy chips in the horse box, ready to head home and escape the rain. I haven’t spent this much time with kids since the year I misguidedly decided that becoming an au pair would be my best shot at living in Paris, and subsequently spent many months trying to stop two Louis Vuitton-clad nine-year-old boys from kicking pigeons on the Rue de Passy. (The weekend’s kids were much less terrifying, mind you.)

National Holiday: It’s Black Cat Appreciation Day. Give your favourite familiar an extra snuggle today.

US Weekend Results:

Genesee Valley: Results

Waredaca Farm: Results

Ocala Summer Horse Trials: Results

Full Gallop Farm: Results

UK Weekend Results:

Aston-le-Walls (4): Results

Warwick Hall: Results

The Weekend in Global Eventing:

  • Haras du Pin in Normandy, France, ran a whole host of well-attended international classes, including a CCIO4*-S that served as the first Nations Cup event of the year. You can catch up on EN’s coverage here.
  • Kilguilkey House in Ireland ran the full spectrum of short-format internationals, with classes from one-star through four-star, in a ‘home international’ for Irish-based riders only, due to the country’s strict COVID-19 border laws. Irish Eventing Times were on site taking some fab photos — our favourite is this one of the tiny duo who took the 1*.

  • Germany’s Hamm put on a CCI2*-S and CCI3*-S, and although the results are proving tricky to find, it turns out it’s a lovely venue.

Your Monday Reading List:

Ever had a piece of tack break while on course at an event? It’s probably up there on the list of things eventers dread the most – and young rider Rosezena White experienced just that when her stirrup leather snapped near the start of a BE80(T) [Beginner Novice] run with her pony, Highlake Lake. In true gutsy eventer fashion, though, she carried on. Her story is quite a sweet little reminder that we all need to find our own wins when competing. [Young rider jumps clear cross-country after stirrup breaks early on course]

Look, being realistic here, 2020’s inevitably going to throw a few more curveballs our way, like a sharknado, a second term for the Trump presidency, or the end of the world. But actually, as a horse person, you might be better-equipped to deal with the latter than you think — not least because you know how to wield a hoof pick to solve most problems. Not sure we’ve got any sound advice for the sharknado, though. [7 Reasons Why Equestrians Would Survive the Apocalypse]

Sure, winning is great, but to really get your money’s worth, it’s important to make sure you’re learning every time you head out to compete. Sometimes, a failure on paper is actually the gateway to becoming your best equestrian self yet. This logic applies no matter what you’re doing — and this think-piece from groom Nicole Mandracchia is full of great food for thought, perfect for a Monday morning. [Failure is How We Learn]

Taking the Reins is a Cali-based initiative that offers a safe haven at the barn for at-risk kids. In this piece from the Chronicle, we get to take a look behind the scenes at the brilliant work the organisation is doing, including their incredible in-house college prep scheme. What do we love even more than horsey folks? Horsey folks who change lives, of course! [A Closer Look at Taking the Reins]

For this year only, the prestigious Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse series is going virtual — and that means it’s open to entrants from around the world. If you’ve got a classy four- or five-year-old and want to show off their potential, you’ve got until Friday to enter. [Virtual Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse 2020]

Finally, spare a thought for poor Selena O’Hanlon, who had a weekend full of some seriously bad luck. After getting stuck on the side of the road for five-and-a-half hours with a blowout, she and her horses finally made it out eventing — but a duck-out at a fence led to a rather gruesome injury in which she broke her leg against a tree. The 2020 hits just keep on coming, eh? Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery, Selena!

What I’m Listening To:

Sometimes when I’m mucking out, doing a bit of interval training, or driving for approximately 478 hours to an event, I like to entertain myself with a podcast that’s SO far removed from my normal life that it becomes a bit of excellent escapism. One of my go-to choices is You Must Remember This, which explores the Golden Age of Hollywood in fascinating, forensic detail. I’ve been plundering the ‘Dead Blondes’ series, which looks at an array of women whose deaths are as well-remembered as their all-too-short careers. The three episodes focusing on Marilyn Monroe are a brilliant, tragic starting point, but I also really enjoyed the Veronica Lake and Peg Entwistle specials. It’s a fascinating way to chart the progression of the modern entertainment industry, too, and the way the manipulation and abuse of women has shapeshifted over the last near-century.

Donation Station:

Want to help horses in need and spend time with your horsey heroes? Enter World Horse Welfare‘s summer raffle — tickets are just £5 and could net you prizes such as a hack with Pippa Funnell, Sir Mark Todd, Alex Hua Tian, or Zara Tindall, a selection of VIP racing days, original artwork, and much, much more. Entries are open until September 14 — click here to get yours, and here for more info. 

Monday Video from Fleeceworks:

Interpretive dressage — it’s hot for 2020.


 

Qing is King at Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S; French Riders Likely to Take Over the World

By on Aug 16, 2020 7:34 pm -

View this post on Instagram

CICO4*- Nations cup @legrandcomplet Les français de bout en bout ! 🇫🇷 Superbe victoire, avec la manière, de l’équipe de France qui devance les Pays-Bas et la Grande-Bretagne ! En individuel, c’est tout simplement un quintuplé Français devant le King Michael Jung 💪 1️⃣ @thibautvallette – Qing du Briot – 27.8 2️⃣ @tom.carlile – Birmane – 29.0 3️⃣ @gwendolen.fer – Traumprinz 30.6 4️⃣ @christophersix_eventing – Totem de Brecey – 31.4 5️⃣ @karimlaghouag_officiel – Triton Fontaine 31.4 🔜 Rendez-vous demain pour un débriefing de ce très beau concours ! #eventing #concourscomplet #feinationscup #horseriding #team #fei #ffequitation

A post shared by 🎙Romain Perfetti🎙 (@speakr_romainperfetti) on

At the culmination of yesterday’s showjumping, we spoke at length about the interesting dichotomy of the French team at the moment, and how its mix of stalwart talent and exciting young guns could mean that the postponement of the Olympics plays well in their favour. Today, after an action-packed day of cross-country at Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S, we can only really reiterate this point.

To say the French riders did well over Pierre Le Goupil‘s roundly praised, educational track would be to commit an almost negligent level of understatement. By the close of the competition, they hadn’t just taken the title — in fact, both the individual and team titles — for the Tricolore, they’d managed to take the top five slots on the leaderboard, too, as well as four of the six fault-free rounds of the day. They showed strength in depth, showcased the skills of a plethora of as-yet-unsung talents, and demonstrated, once again, the unique je ne sais quois of French cross-country riding. Well, we tell a lie — we do know what it is. It’s a very specific type of forward riding that allows them to make every distance a forward one, but not in a terrifying, seat-of-the-pants kind of way, but rather, in a way that makes you think that maybe, just maybe, you should be subtracting one from every line you ride from now on. (Don’t try this at home, kids.)

The battle between joint-leaders — and French team members — Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot IFCE and Tom Carlile and young gun Birmane was fought and finished without much scuffle, but with plenty for enthusiastic onlookers to enjoy. Both horses — the steadfast team veteran and the barely-out-of-baby-classes star of the not-too-distant future — made light work of, and good time over, the track, showing nary a hint of rustiness for their time spent on lockdown. It was to be Thibaut’s day, though, when he crossed the finish line with just 1.2 time penalties to add, edging him ahead of Tom and Birmane, who added 2.4 time penalties to take home a respectable second place finish.

Third place was scooped by 2017 Pau winner Gwendolen Fer, who rode Traumprinz to one of only six double-clear rounds today, catapulting them from overnight tenth. She was closely followed by Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey, riding for the French team, who finished fourth on 31.4 after coming home just one second over the optimum time of 6:14. This is another excellent result for Christopher, who came from seemingly nowhere last year when he and Totem de Brecey stormed to fourth place at the European Championships. He’s been something of a best-kept secret for the French — and terrifyingly for the rest of us, he’s not the only one they’ve got up their sleeve.

After several days of battling to avoid the drop-score spot, Christopher and teammate Karim Florent Laghouag, riding Triton Fontaine, finally sorted it all out via a technicality. The two riders had been tied after every phase and each added just 0.4 time penalties today, but Christopher was just fractions of a second closer to the optimum time and thus pushed Karim into fifth place, clutching possibly the world’s most desirable drop score of 31.4.

The first non-French rider to appear on the leaderboard would be — surprise, surprise — Michael Jung, who added 2.8 time penalties with fischerChipmunk FRH to finish sixth, followed by Australia’s Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend in seventh on 32.2. Fellow Aussie Chris Burton left the startbox to fight for second place aboard four-star first-timer Jefferson 18, but a green run-out at the skinny C element of the water complex at 9ABC, which followed a bit of a novice-y, wobbly jump in, put paid to his competitive chances. In spite of this, the rider was one of many to praise the design of the course.

View this post on Instagram

Today the winner of the CCIO4*-NC-S Nations Cup Competition was decided at @legrandcomplet with the culmination of the cross country phase set in the stunning grounds of Haras du Pin (FRA) It was the home nation of France who emerged victorious after maintaining their lead right from the very beginning go the competition. The Australian Team were in 4th place following yesterday’s showjumping phase however some faults incurred cross country dropped the team’s final standing to 7th position. The Australian Team consisted of @burtonequestrian riding Jefferson 18 (the horses first time at 4* level), @ie_equestrian riding Feldale Mouse and @mcnabeventing riding @scuderia_1918 Don Quidam. #FEINationsCup #Eventing #crosscountry #HarasduPin #Equestrian #AusEquestrianTeam #HighPerformance #TeamAUS #gallop #horse #horses #australianequestrianteam #towardstokyo #tokyo2020

A post shared by Australian Equestrian Team (@ausequestrianteam) on

After a spate of overnight withdrawals, 83 combinations came forward to tackle today’s cross-country, and while just six of them would romp home without any faults to add, 79 would complete, and 65 would do so without adding any jumping faults. Rider feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the course as a good refresher for themselves and their horses, allowing for an educational run with just the right amount of challenges and technicality to prepare them for further late-summer and autumn competitive aims.

Course designer Pierre Le Goupil, who, along with his wife, forms part of the Ustica committee behind the event, said: “For some riders it’s their first time out this season, so the idea was to make it a little bit on the soft side – but also because we’ve got a big field with 5* horses, it cannot be too easy, so the balance is a bit [tricky]. We need a bit of everything; some easy, some sophisticated. They need to have a go, they need to train, they need to exercise, so they’ll all know more on Sunday afternoon. The feedback I’ve had is that the trainers and riders are happy with the questions. The factor out of our control is the weather, we went suddenly from high heat and hard ground to rain that made the ground preparation a bit more difficult.”

For Pierre, one of the main challenges was rather a positive one: he had a bigger, more varied field than usual to build for, which meant that he had to bring in new ideas and different questions to create a course that offered something to each and every entrant.

“This is something new this year. With competitions cancelled we have a stronger field than usual, so maybe more than usual I’ve had to think about different scenarios. In my opinion, the first water jump  [at9ABC] is the most interesting. Having a good line with a little bump and big step at the A element makes it easy to lose your line and horses and riders will have to be quick to find their line for B and C.”

This question ended up being the most influential on course, with ten combinations faulting in the complex.

The French team — wholly unsurprisingly — finished well out in front on a final aggregate score of 88.2, with Karim Florent Laghouag losing the ongoing drop-score battle he’d fought with teammate Christopher Six, with whom he’d been tied in every phase. Second place went to a valiant Dutch team of Tim Lips and Eclips (37.7), Janneke Boonzaaijer and ACSI Champ de Tailleur (38.9), Elaine Pen and Divali (45.2), and drop-score combination Laura Hoogeveen and Wicro Quibus NOP (54.3). The team’s final score was 121.8, which goes some way towards showing just how remarkably the French performed at their home leg of this year’s condensed Nations Cup series. Great Britain took third place on 127.7, led by Richard Coney and Kananaskis (32.2), followed by David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed (34.9), Tom McEwen and Figaro van het Broekxhof (60.6) and drop-score Zara Tindall and Class Affair (64.2).

The next leg of the Nations Cup series takes place at Poland’s Strzegom Horse Trials, August 27-30. Prepare your pierogis, folks.

The final top five in Haras du Pin’s CCIO4*-S. Zut alors.

Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S: Individual Results | Nations Cup Results | Cross-Country Map

Sunday Links from One K Helmets

By on Aug 16, 2020 12:01 am -

Serum being prepared for antibody testing. Photo via the CDC Public Health Image Library.

I hope you’re ready for a Sunday science lesson with an equine twist! I know we’re all tired of coronavirus this and coronavirus that, but hear me out here because there’s a chance that horses could play a role in finding a treatment to this disease that’s disrupted our lives. Now I also know that research involving animals can be a touchy subject, but hear me out on this too as someone who works in field full-time and knows first hand what spectacular veterinary care the animals that are being used to find cures and treatments for the diseases that ail us (and ail animals too.) It’s all a lot different than PETA will have you believe, that’s for sure.

In this case, an Argentinian biotech company, Inmunova, is using horses to produce antibodies to COVID-19 and throughout the process the horses that are being used remain healthy and unharmed. First, the horses are injected with a SARS-COV-2 protein, which the horses do not get sick from, so that they naturally produce COVID-fighting antibodies. Then, blood is drawn from the horse, the antibodies are separated and extracted, and then the blood cells are returned to the horse. It’s similar to what happens when you make a plasma or platelet donation to the American Red Cross — they keep a portion of blood and then the rest, depending on what you’re donating, is returned back to your body.

The antibody-laden serum has shown promising results in fighting COVID-19 in petri dishes and the next step is clinical trials in Argentinian hospitals where the serum will be injected into patients who have tested positive from COVID-19. Ideally, the antibodies lent by our equine friends would knock back the coronavirus enough for the patient’s natural immune system to take over and kill it off.

Science is pretty cool, guys.

National Holiday: National Roller Coaster Day

U.S. Weekend Action: 

Full Gallop Farm H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Ocala Summer H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Waredaca Farm H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

Young rider jumps clear cross-country after stirrup breaks early on course

Chance for horse riders to “hack with their hero”

What I Learned from a Year Without Horses

The art of the farrier showcased in new photographic book

Just in on Jumper Nation: Keeping the Main Thing, the Main Thing

Sunday Video: Eventing is back, baby.

Michi Proves Mere Mortal in Haras du Pin Showjumping, Leaving Door Open for French

By on Aug 15, 2020 6:05 pm -

There were just 18 fault-free rounds posted from 91 attempts today, after the field thinned by two overnight with the withdrawal of Italy’s Alberto Guigni and his two rides. Even those riders who would leave the poles in their cups — not an easy proposition on its own — would struggle to cross the line within the time allowed, much to the commentator’s mixed delight and heartbreak. (“Ooh la la, Jonelle, look at the time, LOOK AT THE TIME, JONELLE,” he wailed at the culmination of one of the Kiwi’s perfectly respectable rounds, in which she added a tiny 0.8 time penalties to her score, thoroughly destroying our main man with the microphone in the process. Oddly, he managed to hold it together when poor Pawel Spisak and Banderas came to grief at fence three, missing their distance and booking themselves in for a hasty meet-and-greet with the footing.)

The relative sparseness of these fault-free rounds meant that anyone who managed to produce one would generally guarantee themselves a halving of their leaderboard place — from sitting in the 70s or 60s after dressage to striding into the high-20s to high-30s after this pivotal phase. Further up the leaderboard, the halving effect was much the same — and a proclivity for pole-popping would prove essential.

Dressage leaders Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH (yes, we know that’s Rocana in the image above) have plenty going for them, as we discussed in yesterday’s report — they’re a formidable duo in the first phase, leaving nary a mark on the table, and they’re reliable and quick across the country. But if they have a weakness — and almost unfathomably, they do — it’s the showjumping, which has never come wholly naturally to the horse, despite a 2016 season in which he never had a single rail. Were it not for a rail, he’d have won Blenheim CCI4*-L in 2017 and the European Championships and Aachen last year, and it’s this nail-biting will-he-or-won’t-he factor that could likely end up playing one of the biggest roles in the Tokyo story next year.

Today, the balance teetered the wrong way, and Michael and Chipmunk would pull two rails, totting up an extra 1.2 time penalties in the process. This sees them drop down to fifth place going into tomorrow’s cross-country — not out of the hunt, certainly, but with no choice but to get the job done if they want to try to snatch the title back.

View this post on Instagram

L'équipe de France 🇫🇷 a offert au public quatre magnifiques parcours sans faute sur l'épreuve de saut d'obstacles de la Coupe des Nations FEI, synonyme de première place au provisoire. Reste à savoir si les Bleus empocheront un 4ème titre d'affilée. Réponse demain aux environs de 12h00 après le cross qui s'annonce spectaculaire ! Le programme de dimanche : – CCIO4*-S Coupe des Nations FEI – Cross 9h00-12h30 – CCI3*-L – Saut d'obstacles 14h00-15h30 (Carrière Furioso) – CCI3*-S – Cross 14h00-18h00 – CCI2*-L – Saut d'obstacles 10h00-13h00 (Carrière Furioso) Les plans de cross : https://www.crosscountryapp.com/e…/le-grand-complet-haras-du 📸 @photoslesgarennes #legrandcomplet #orne #normandie #concourscomplet #equipedefrance @tom.carlile @ffequitation @ifceventing_extra

A post shared by Le Grand Complet (@legrandcomplet) on

Their errors opened the door for the on-form French team leaders Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot IFCE and Tom Carlile and Birmane to move from equal fifth to equal first on the strength of their fluid, easy rounds, keeping their team well in the lead on the Nations Cup leaderboard, too.

Seeing these two combinations lead the way feels telling, somehow. After all, the postponement of the Games until 2021 isn’t, necessarily, a bad thing for every country — and the French, after selling some of their top horsepower to the hungry Japanese team, have spent the last couple of years rebuilding and developing a string of exciting young horses, bolstered by the efforts of a handful of stalwart team campaigners. Dapper Cadre Noir rider Thibaut and his now-16-year-old Selle Français gelding are among those stalwarts; they’ve been to five championships for France, finishing in the top ten in four of them and just outside in individual 13th at the Rio Olympics, where they helped their team to the gold. Though they’ve had their occasional wobbles in competition, they’re at their very best when riding for their country, and when we look at the ‘old guard’ of the current French advance, they’re at the forefront.

Consider, then, Tom Carlile and Birmane, who represent the other half of the prospective French line-up for 2021. Birmane first made a name for herself while storming around the Six-Year-Old World Championships for bronze in 2017, winning her debut CCI3*-S here the following year, and stepping up to finish 10th at her very first CCI4*-L at Boekelo last season. She’s only nine this year, and will be a green nine-year-old at that, having missed much of the season due to the pandemic, but Tom — who’s earned himself a reputation as one of the world’s best producers of young horses, and whose dreams of further team glories may have felt somewhat dampened by the untimely retirement of his top horse, Upsilon — is wasting no time. Birmane came out last month for her first international of 2020 at Jardy, where she won the CCI4*-S in fine fashion.

In lieu of a photographer, EN opted to hire a courtroom artist to cover Haras du Pin for us this year. They sent us back this quick sketch of Tom Carlile in the collecting ring, watching Michi’s second rail fall. Heels down, Thomas, that’s all we’ve got to say about the matter.

Today, she popped around the tough showjumping track in what’s becoming her signature style — a sort of louche Gallicness, in which she coasts swanlike around the ring, casually finds her way to the base of the fence without a care in the world, and then springs, catlike, as though she’s laughing at you for ever thinking she’d clocked off early. She’s becoming more formidable every year, and the young horses behind her in France’s string — including Astier Nicolas’s Babylon de Gamma and Mathieu Lemoine’s Tzinga d’Ausay — could pose a significant threat in Tokyo after being granted an extra year to grow into themselves.

View this post on Instagram

#legrandcomplet #harasdupin #jumping #cross

A post shared by Marie Journé (@cherryxs) on

Speaking of threatening entities, Australia’s Chris Burton has so many horses qualified for Tokyo that I think I might have run out of fingers to count them on by now. Today, he showed off the mettle of yet another exciting member of his string, the Holsteiner gelding Jefferson 18. Chris took the ride early last year from Germany’s Adam Liedermann, who had given Jefferson his first international season. Though Chris focused much of the horse’s time and attention on showjumping in their inaugural year together, they recorded some promising results out eventing, too, finishing in the top five at two-stars at Chatsworth and Saumur and a CCI3*-L at Lignieres. In this, the horse’s first CCI4*-S, the overall impression so far has been of a horse with a year’s more experience than he actually has — he posted a 27.5 in the first phase to sit eighth, and added just 0.4 time penalties today to move up to third. We wouldn’t put it past Burto — who is, you know, rather quick across the country — to merrily win the whole thing tomorrow on a horse who’s never seen a course of this intensity.

Sitting just ahead of the deposed Michi and Chipmunk is the Netherlands’ Tim Lips, who produced a double-clear showjumping round aboard Eclips to move from 11th place to fourth overnight. This is the horse’s third visit to the event, and so far, the trajectory looks promising — he finished 38th in 2018 after adding 8.4 cross-country time penalties to a 31.7 dressage and 9th in 2019 when he trimmed that down to 4.4 time penalties and a 31. This week, he’s stepped up a considerable notch from his average score at this level to post a 28.5 — now, all that remains to be seen is whether he can be quick enough tomorrow. 3.6 time penalties at Strzegom last month suggests he could be on the right track — and after a heartbreaking 2019, in which the Netherlands lost out on a spot at Tokyo and Tim bade a sad goodbye to his top horse Bayro, he’ll likely be hungry to turn his luck around.

France remains well in the lead in the Nations Cup competition, sitting pretty on an unchanged aggregate score of 84.2 after all four members produced faultless rounds today. Their closest competition is the British team on 96.9, still led by the impressive efforts of Richard Coney and Kananaskis, who added just 0.4 time penalties. The Netherlands slips into third on 98.6, while Australia, on 106.8, will have a big job around tomorrow’s course to nab themselves a podium position.

Cross-country commences tomorrow morning at 9.00 local time — that’s 8.00 a.m. BST or 3.00 a.m. Eastern time, if you’re feeling really committed. Once again, you’ll be able to follow along with the free live-stream, available through the event’s Facebook page. In the meantime, if you want to rewatch today’s jumping, you can do so here.

Until then: À demain et aller au concours complet!

The top five after two phases.

Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S: Individual Leaderboard | Team Leaderboard | Live-Stream | Cross-Country Start List | Cross-Country Map

Blenheim Accepting Bids to Secure Future as British Eventing Ceases Organising Partnership

By on Aug 15, 2020 8:00 am -

Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border take Blenheim in 2017. Photo by Libby Law.

The future of one of Britain’s most popular internationals is in limbo as British Eventing made the announcement that they would no longer organise the SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, which ordinarily takes place in September and hosts both a CCI4*-L and a CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-olds.

But British Eventing’s step back doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the event, which ordinarily boasts enormous entry lists in spite of its post-Burghley slot on the fixture list. Blenheim has long been British Eventing’s showpiece, and the only event on the calendar that it organises and runs itself. This year, with COVID-19 forcing both the cancellation of much of the calendar and a necessary reassessment of company budgets, the tough decision was made to offer the event — complete with its title sponsorship from Korean automobile company SsangYong — to bids from independent organising teams. Though any potential partnerships are currently well under wraps, there’s already talk of some exciting prospective solutions in the works.

“The break caused by the cancellation of the event this year has given the British Eventing Board the opportunity to reassess the organisation structure of the event, and the decision has been made that British Eventing will focus on the delivery of core sport.  As a result, BE have made the decision that we will no longer be organising the Blenheim Palace Horse Trials going forward,” said the organisation in a statement released today (14 August).

BE CEO Jude Matthews continued, “It is with regret that we have made the decision to cease organising the SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials, and it marks the end of an era for British Eventing.  The event team, led by Mandy Hervieu, have done a fantastic job over the years, and the Organising Committee have provided a vast amount of time and knowledge to support the running of the event.  I would also like to thank all those who have volunteered over the years for their support of the event, we could not have done it without you.”

British Eventing invites any interested parties to contact them in the first instance via contact [email protected]. The tender process is due to be conducted by the end of the year.

Though this year’s event was cancelled months ago, a replacement event has been scheduled at Norfolk’s Burnham Market from September 16-20. The venue, which ordinarily hosts a number of national-level BE events and an early-season international up to CCI4*-S, is run by Musketeer Events, who also organise a number of events including Barbury and Houghton, which hosts the UK’s only leg of the FEI Nations Cup series. Burnham Market’s 2020 autumn international will host both a CCI4*-L and a CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-olds, providing a valuable opportunity for combinations to gain MERs ahead of next year’s postponed Olympic Games, and offering a valuable showcase for some of the world’s finest up-and-coming horses. Previous winners of the Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old class include Mark Todd‘s 2011 Badminton winner NZB Land Vision (2010), William Fox-Pitt‘s 2011 Pau winner Oslo (2011), Andrew Nicholson‘s 2013 Kentucky winner Quimbo (2012), Jonelle Price‘s 2018 Luhmühlen winner Faerie Dianimo (2014), Chris Burton‘s WEG partner Cooley Lands (2017) and Laura Collett‘s 2019 Boekelo winner London 52 (2018).

[SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials Statement]

Saturday Links from Nupafeed USA

By on Aug 15, 2020 12:01 am -

Buck Davidson and Park Trader at Blenheim 2019. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

You might be a little confused about the news yesterday as British Eventing announced that they would no longer organize the SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials. The press release was a smidge confusing, I’ll give you that, but if you read to the end there’s no need to totally panic because they’re just looking for a new organizer. The 2020 event is canceled due to COVID, but the show will go on in 2021 under new management as long as a new organizer signs on. Our British correspondent Tilly Berendt will be along this morning with the deets!

National Holiday: National Leathercraft Day! Maybe thank a saddle maker and/or fitter today to celebrate?

U.S. Weekend Action: 

Full Gallop Farm H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Ocala Summer H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Waredaca Farm H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

USEA Board of Governors Summer Meeting Report

Start of new era for Blenheim Horse Trials as British Eventing steps away

Featured Clinicians: Emily Hamel and Tyler Held

New quarantine rules: how riders returning from major events will be affected

Simplify Your Riding with Isabell Werth

Study: Transportation Related to Equine Gastric Ulcers

Kill Pen Pony Gets A Second Chance

Saturday Video: Snapshots from Rebecca Farm by the talented Hope Carlin Photography!

Michael Jung Leads Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S as Quarantine Concerns Loom Large

By on Aug 14, 2020 10:36 pm -

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

You’d be forgiven if, coming back from a months-long hiatus from competition, your riding and results were a little bit off the mark. After all, keeping your eye in, remembering how to ride for judges rather than for the patient progression of schooling and sharpening up those little winning details is a pretty tough ask when you have to sit on your hands through what’s amounted to a double off-season.

That is, of course, if you’re a mere mortal. If you’re Michael Jung, you’ve spent the last few months lovingly applying lashings of WD-40 to all your bionic bits, plugging in for a few software updates, and preparing to take no prisoners upon your return to the sport. We saw it at Strzegom, which ushered us all back into the international sporting calendar, and now we’re seeing it at France’s Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S, which hosts the first FEI Nations Cup of the 2020 season.

Ze Terminator’s impressive score of 19.7 aboard the DOKR and Klaus Fischer’s fischerChipmunk FRH isn’t exactly a surprising one — this is now the sixth time we’ve seen the 12-year-old gelding slip into the sub-20s with either his current rider or Julia Krajewski, who produced him through the level and delivered an extraordinary 19.9 with him at the 2018 World Equestrian Games. Now in their second season together, Michael and Chipmunk are well on their way to repeating their successes of last season, which saw them finish top ten in every international outing — bar a trip to Jardy, where Michael opted not to run cross-country — and come a close second at both the European Championships and Aachen. Their 2020 season might be a slender one in comparison, but it’s looking no less impressive, with a win in Strzegom’s CCI4*-S last month and a fourth-place finish in a CCI3*-S pipe-opener at Luhmühlen in June, their first international appearance after months locked down. Let’s take a look at what they laid down in the ring today.

What, exactly, does it take to create a sub-20 dressage score? When most of us spend our riding lives trying to stay — or even get — below the 30 barrier, it’s so easy to think of something a solid ten points lower as being unattainable, somehow otherworldly, and surely, surely just the preserve of the flashiest of horses. And yes, Chipmunk is a nice type — he’s well-built, attractive, and moves easily through the world around him. But is he Valegro? No. Was La Biosthetique Sam before him a total freak of a horse? On paper, sure, but in reality he was just extraordinarily well-trained, blessed with a great brain that had never been sullied by poor horsemanship, and blissfully, wonderfully sound.

It’s easy to sit here behind a screen and a keyboard and write that we could all be getting sub-20 scores — and hey, I hold my hands up here and admit I nearly cried when I got a 29 at one point last year, so I’m no dressage diva — but there’s something in it. And folks, I’m all about drawing inspiration and education wherever possible from the dynamos of our sport, so let’s take a closer look at how well you need to be performing for five to seven minutes to lay down a score like that…

It’s actually … quite achievable, right? Okay, so there are a few 9s scattered throughout there. I’ve earned two nines in my entire riding life, both of which were given to me for final halts, which I’m pretty sure just means the judge was so relieved to be shot of me that they were overcome with a rare rush of gratitude and charity, and sent me on my way with the numerical version of a sweetie and a pat on the head. But despite being, generally, a feral gremlin on the loose in the dressage ring, I definitely find those 7s and 7.5s pretty easy to nab. And the 8s? Not too hard either, and definitely very achievable if and when I really commit to riding circle-shaped circles. Could I produce a score sheet that looks like this? Actually, with a bit of time and effort, and a test appropriate to the level I’m competing at, I reckon I could. I also reckon you could. So, like, well done Michi, and all that, but more pertinently, well done you, reader, for all the schooling you’re about to embark on and ice water you’re going to inject into your veins. Sub-20s are coming, baby.

Several miles behind on a measly (I kid, I kid, promise!) 23.2, Tim Price and the Windrush Equestrian Foundation’s Wesko hold down the fort in second place, having led at the conclusion of day one. Tim and his 2015 Luhmühlen winner are among a number of British-based riders who were faced with a bit of extra stress midway through yesterday’s competition, when the UK government announced — with characteristic short notice — that France would be removed from the quarantine exemption list from 4am on Saturday. That means that anyone returning after that short window of time will need to go into self-isolation for 14 days, or risk a fine of £1000. Concerns about the likelihood of this removal prompted several British and British-based riders to withdraw from the event, including Laura Collett, who had been named to the British team for the Nations Cup competition.

Despite the unfortunately-timed announcement, those riders and teams who have ventured across the Channel have all committed to seeing the competition through, in part because of an exemption in UK law that allows elite sportspeople to travel back after certain competitions — generally, those considered Olympic qualifying events, so any four- or five-star — without the need for a two-week quarantine. The waters, however, are slightly muddied by the strict list of who qualifies for this exemption — while athletes and immediate support staff are safe, though must be signed off by the British Equestrian Federation, owners and family members are not.

With one less thing to worry about, Tim and Wesko were able to deliver the goods for judges Nathalie Carriere (FRA) at H, James Rooney (IRE) at C, and Laure Eslan (FRA) at E, producing a score that would allow them to sneak ahead of third-placed Therese Viklund and Diabolique of Sweden, who posted a 23.5.

Behind them, Michael Jung makes his second appearance in the top five, sitting fourth overnight with comeback queen fischerRocana FST, his three-time Kentucky winner who made an auspicious return to competition in the latter half of the 2019 season. Could she have headed back stateside for a fourth win? Perhaps — but she’ll likely have her eyes on a different long-format prize this season instead.

Three’s company in fifth place, with a Francocentric tie putting Tom Carlile and nine-year-old Birmane on equal footing with Gwendolen Fer and Traumprinz and the exceptionally experienced Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot IFCE on 26.6.

The high-class field, which features 93 entries from 15 countries, certainly didn’t mess around in this phase — you’d have to scan all the way down to 20th place before you found a score above the 20s.

Eight of those countries represented also field a team in this inaugural Nations Cup event, though Germany is conspicuous only in its absence here — Michael Jung is the country’s sole representative in this class, though he’s certainly not letting the side down. At the culmination of the first phase, hosts France lead the way on 84.2, with Tom Carlile and Birmane and Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot IFCE leading the way and Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey and Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine presumably bickering over who counts as the drop-score, since both sit on a 31 currently. The Netherlands follow behind in second on an aggregate score of 90.2, led by Tim Lips and Eclips, and look — after the 2019 they had, we have to admit we’re quietly rooting for the orange army to win. Great Britain hold the bronze position on 91, with young rider Richard Coney out in front with his longtime partner Kananaskis.

Tomorrow sees the commencement of the showjumping phase for the CCIO4*-S, with all the action kicking off at 15.00 local time (that’s 14.00 BST, or 9.00 a.m. Eastern). You can check out the start list here, and follow along with the live-stream on the Haras du Pin Facebook page. In the meantime, enjoy this excellent selection of photos from Photos Les Garennes, who summed up all the emotions of dressage day rather poetically.

“So guys, is dressage hard? Come on, it’s over, tomorrow, it’s jumping!” = the pep-talk we all needed today, frankly.

[La Gazette du Le Grand Complet] by Les Garennes 📸

🥵 Alors les gars, c’est dur le dressage ? Allez, c’est fini, demain,…

Posted by Photos Les Garennes on Friday, August 14, 2020

Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S: Individual Leaderboard | Team Leaderboard | Live-Stream | Showjumping Start List | Cross-Country Map

 

Friday Video from SmartPak: Get Yer Tacos While They’re Hot, Kids

By on Aug 14, 2020 7:38 pm -

Per requests in The Virtual Horse Show group, here is the public version of your horse show mom. Y’all come get your tacos by the trailer while they’re hot.

Posted by Scott Cooper on Monday, April 6, 2020

Forget the saintly schoolmasters packing their nervous pilots around the Junior Beginner Novice division. Forget the hard-working and unsung volunteers who toil from sun-up to sun-down and beyond to ensure we all have an event to score a 50 at. Forget the coffee van man, who serves up his elixir of life and keeps us all human even before we’ve got the plaiting bands out.

The real star of the horse show circuit? It’s horse show mums, of course, and all the different levels of delightfully insane they bring to the party. No matter your discipline or the country in which you’re based, they’re all made of the same basic ingredients: an iPhone glued to their palm, a pocket full of loose bills, a head collar and kit bag slung over a shoulder, and a booming tenor that can cross several fields without the help of a tannoy system. They’re vaguely frightening and formidable, but we’ve got to hold our hands up to them — they’re always there ensuring the cogs are a-turning. I just wish the ones over here in the UK came equipped with Tex-Mex.