Classic Eventing Nation

Sports Psychology with Dr. Darby Bonomi: Are You REALLY Ready to Ride?

By on Aug 4, 2020 1:22 pm -

Olympian Lauren Billys, a client of Dr. Darby Bonomi, and Castle Larchfield Purdy at Rebecca Farm in 2019. Photo by Shelby Allen.

It’s often quoted that up to 90% of sports performance is psychological. Even if it’s not quite that high, how much time do you spend working on the mental and emotional parts of your rides? Most equestrians focus almost exclusively on technical and physical training and pay minimal attention to the psychological. What’s going on here? We all know that we can be physically fit and technically competent, but if we leave our psychological game at the start box, our ride suffers.

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How do I define psychological? For my purposes it’s the mental (thinking) and the emotional (feeling) components of the sport. The emotional aspect also links to the body (physical) since we usually express feelings in our bodies. For instance, when you’re nervous, your body is tense. If you feel calmer and more grounded, your body will relax. Conversely, if your body is relaxed, you will feel emotionally calmer.

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Do you want to elevate your performance, both at home and at the shows? Let’s get you going in the right direction!

In my experience, there are 4 essential preparation steps that increase your chances of optimal performance. These steps are interrelated, but I find it’s useful to think of them as separate stages. And, while these steps are essential for show performance, I urge my riders to practice them daily so they become routine. Besides, don’t you want to bring your best self to every ride?

One note: while the steps are cumbersome to describe, the process should not take more than a few minutes, especially once it becomes routine.

Step 1: Become fully present and ‘in’ your body

Top performance requires us to be fully centered in our bodies and emotionally present. One of my young riders sums it up: “I need to feel calm and have my brain in my body.” How do you do this? There are many ways, and athletes use different tools depending on their own challenges and strengths.  Here are a few tips: create a quiet moment in your mind and take note of your physical presence. Actively feel your feet on the ground, and call yourself to be fully here, right now. Place your attention on your physical space and create an imaginary boundary between you and everything else. Take a few deep cleansing breaths and with each one, let yourself get heavier and closer to the ground. Become increasingly aware of your body right here and now and let go of any mental chatter or unnecessary emotional energy. Some people find it helps to repeat a phrase, such as ‘I am grounded in present time.’ I think it helps to do all of this with eyes closed. This whole process can take only a few minutes.

Step 2: Set intentions for the ride

This is the mental part. How do you do this? Give yourself 3 tasks for the round or ride. Trust me, 3 is enough. These tasks, or mini-goals, are things that you have control of and can do. These might sound something like, “breathe in every corner, ride forward out of the turns, and ride every stride.” Obviously you will be doing a lot more than these things during your ride, but most of it you don’t need to be reminded of. These tasks are things you are working on, and that if you accomplish, you will give yourself a good grade—regardless of what score the judge throws.

Step 3: Turning on ‘the jets’

Ok, now set aside the mental part and turn on your brilliance. In order to have a good ride, you have to show up. In order to have a brilliant ride, you have to show up brilliantly. This step can also be known as ‘getting into the zone.’ You can practice your tempi changes until the cows come home, but if you walk into the ring with your jaws clenched and your energy drawn in, you won’t shine brilliantly and neither will your horse.

How do you do this? This step will require some practice and experimentation. Think back to a time when you felt brilliant. Do you remember that performance? Pull it up in your mind. Enlarge that experience and feel it again. Find a word or phrase that captures it and practice turning on that feeling. For some people it’s a color or image. For others, it’s a phrase, such as, ‘just ride,’ or ‘bring on the sparkle.’ Linking yourself to a joyful experience of brilliance will help you generate that shine in the ring every time.

Step 4: Review and Recover

This step, while it takes place after the ride, is essential to setting up for the next ride.

How does it work? Now that you did your ride, evaluate it: did you accomplish your three tasks? How well? What would you tweak for next time? Was it a disaster? Ok, review that too, make a new plan, and let it go. Did you make a technical mistake or a mental mistake? Be objective, but don’t stew. I let my clients hang on ‘mistakes’ for only 10 minutes. After that, it’s self abuse. Let it go. Make a new plan and go forward. Remember: proper mental recovery from every ride is essential to set you up for the next ride.

Have questions? Reach out! I love to hear from my readers!

Darby Bonomi, PhD is a Sport and Performance Psychologist. She works with equestrians of all disciplines, and other athletes, to achieve optimal performance in and out of the saddle. She can be reached at www.darbybonomi.com.

Nupafeed Weekend Winners: Cobblestone, Olney Farms, River Glen

By on Aug 4, 2020 11:00 am -

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#momentsbetweenraindrops

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One of the best parts of eventing, as a recent interview subject put it recently, is the fact that at any given moment, you could be in the warm-up area almost touching elbows with your idol. I strongly remember being in the warm-up with some utterly great, successful riders who were there to contest the Novice or Training division with a young horse. It’s such an incredible feeling, and it’s something that is unique to our sport. There are not many other sports in which you have the opportunity to train and compete with your idols. Wrapping up these Winner posts each week is a healthy reminder of that, as I see “big names” sprinkled in among everyone else. It’s a true melting pot (albeit, one that still has much leg work to do in order to fully represent all types of equestrians), and it’s something I feel lucky to be a part of.

Congratulations are in order for this week’s Low Score winners, Jenna Denver and Zandango. This pair finished on their dressage score to win their Novice division at Cobblestone Farm on a 21.2. This was a personal best for Jenna and Zandango, who were contesting their second event together after the Thoroughbred mare was competed by Jenna’s mother, Martha Denver. Great job, Jenna!

Cobblestone Farm: Website | Final Results

Open Preliminary: Susan Moessner and Satin Art (32.7)
Open Training: Maxine Preston and Fernhill HC Highrise (27.9)
Training Rider 1: Tracy Strobel and Quality Stock (29.1)
Training Rider 2: Chloe Miller and Sozo (34.3)
Open Novice: Mary Clare Owdziej and City of Ember (25.5)
Novice Rider 1: Alyssa Cairo and Paddington (27.1)
Novice Rider 2: Jenna Denver and Zandango (21.2)
Open Beginner Novice 1: Natasha Burmeister and EJ’s Imagine That (32.0)
Open Beginner Novice 2: Jordan Fellers and Fernhill Fight Club (31.3)
Beginner Novice Rider: Anna Self and CiCu Ya Later (21.5)
Starter: Heidi Shade and Master Swizzle (27.3)

Olney Farm: Website | Final Results

Open Modified: Carolyn Wehle and Stravinsky (32.5)
Open Training 1: Courtney Cooper and Excel Star First Class (31.1)
Open Training 2: Caroline Martin and Redfield James (26.1)
Open Novice: Courtney Cooper and Briarhill Excel Star Take 2 (23.1)
Jr. Open Novice: Hannah Fisher and Ethan (30.0)
Jr. Open Beginner Novice 1: Lila Rhodes and Whoop Whoop De Do (26.9)
Jr. Open Beginner Novice 2: Emma Brooks and Some Kind of Wonderful (30.3)
Open Beginner Novice 1: Ryan Wood and Woodstock Argo (27.5)
Open Beginner Novice 2: Ryan Wood and Cooley Quattro (30.9)

Winner, winner!! Redfield Jannes just won his first Training at Olney Farm! He led wire to wire on his dressage score of 26.1 and seriously impressed. “Jannes” is ready to continue to win with anyone, professional, young rider, or amateur. This 6-year-old KWPN is as talented as they come. He is soft in the mouth making for an easy ride and is a gentleman both in the barn and under saddle. He gives you an amazing feeling when jumping and is easy to stay with never coming close to having a rail. In the barn he is an easy keeper and has an easy-going personality to match. He is the total package. ✨ Give me a call with any questions! This is a serious horse who has an amazing future ahead of him. ✨

Posted by Caroline Martin Eventing on Sunday, August 2, 2020

River Glen: Website | Final Results

CCI3*-S: Daniela Moguel and Cecelia (44.3)
CCI2*-S: Erin Pullen and Foreign Affair (35.3)
Open Intermediate: Erin Pullen and Tag (39.9)
Intermediate/Preliminary: Lauren Lambert and Fantastique (42.1)
Open Preliminary: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley HHS Calmaria (34.4)
Preliminary/Training: Ashlyn Hayworth and Funnel Cake DRF (34.2)
Open Training A: Lauren New and Paulank Pepper Pot (28.4)
Open Training B: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Shanroe Cooley (23.9)
Training Rider Jr.: Vienna Allport and DHI Zatopek B (33.4)
Training Rider Sr.: Simone Page and Shamelessly Shy (33.2)
Training/Novice: Ana Bueno and Mighty Mouse (47.0)
Novice Horse: Erika Adams and Townsend (32.6)
Novice Rider Jr.: Hannah Tabor and Tator Chip (33.1)
Novice Rider Sr.: Jessica Greer and Lucky (30.0)
Open Novice: Sarah Dunkerton Sizemore and Deanfield Donovan Z (26.9)
Beginner Novice Horse: Kathryn Greenfield and Artemis HH (27.3)
Beginner Novice Rider Sr.: Julie Watkins and Burnished Silver (32.8)
Beginner Novice Rider Jr. – A: Alyssa Kendrick and Hinkson Creek (30.3)
Beginner Novice Rider Jr. – B: Elizabeth Hobbs and Hank (34.5)
Open Beginner Novice: Martha Lambert and Ashbourne Sensation (30.5)
Starter A: Natalie Marucchi and Kells Xtreme (29.8)
Starter B: Riley Grose and Kodak Moment (31.5)

Anastasia Curwood: ‘We Need to Change the Idea That Horse Sports Are Not for Black People’

By on Aug 4, 2020 9:00 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. 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.

Today we welcome Anastasia Curwood.

A cross-country school at the Kentucky Horse Park. Photo courtesy of Anastasia Curwood

Until I moved to Lexington, Kentucky, I had no idea just how intertwined Black Americans’ roots are with the history of horses in this country.

It is not a surprise that enslaved people fed, watered, mucked, groomed, and did all of the other care that horses need in the years before Emancipation in 1865. And nor is it a surprise that Black people have done the same jobs since. However, I did not know that Black Americans were the talent in the horse business, too.  We were the expertise: the trainers, the riders, the stallion managers, the pedigree experts, and sometimes the owners. The first Kentucky Derby (1875) was won by Aristides, a horse trained by a Black man (Ansel Williamson) and ridden by a Black jockey, Oliver Lewis. The horse would go on to be the three-year-old national champion. This was not a fluke, especially regarding jockeys; fully half of the winners in the first three decades of the Derby’s existence were Black. Horse racing was the blockbuster sport in the late 1800s, and while we often remember the horses, and perhaps their famous and wealthy owners, most do not know that Black athletes were the sport’s human stars.

I certainly did not know this. As a young Black girl growing up just outside of Boston, I only knew that the pictures of horses in the pages of a children’s book were like magnets to my eyes.  I stared at the drawings, memorizing the colors (bay, chestnut, red roan, blue roan) and looking at the horses performing different jobs. I started talking about which horse I wanted and how much I wanted to ride. My parents, an interracial couple who had grown up in cities, explained that there was no way we could have a horse. But then my dad found out from another Black dad, a former colleague, that his daughter not only took lessons, but owned a horse that they boarded about twenty minutes away from our house. This discovery opened up a world of possibility.  Soon we were visiting the farm … and then I was signed up for lessons.

I have never stopped taking riding lessons. I am grateful for that other Black girl who was the key to my parents’ consent to let me ride. My parents were not wealthy, but they figured out a way to get me in the saddle, and when it became clear I would not relent, I finally got my very own horse. After a brief stint in hunter/jumper land, my dad determined that Pony Club and eventing were the best ways for me to develop horsemanship on a tight budget, so that’s where I wound up. Now I have not one but two of my very own, very spoiled horses. In every barn and every organization, I have been welcomed … though I have seldom seen any other Black equestrians. As for my own seemingly random penchant for horses, my family has figured I inherited it from a great-great grandfather who was a clocker on a racetrack in Ohio. Certainly, neither parent would have expected any child of theirs would be a lifelong horsewoman.

Me with the dad who enabled me to start it all and my OTTB, Rock Hard Attitude. Photo courtesy of Anastasia Curwood

In 2014, still as fixated on horses as ever, I had the outstanding good luck to land a faculty job at the University of Kentucky. I had earned a PhD in United States history at Princeton in 2003, and focused my teaching and scholarship on African-American history. The job market for history professors is national, so I could easily have wound up at any number of places across the country. But I wound up here, in what some call the horse capital of the world. Around the same time, my stepmother was working on our family tree and discovered that my great-great grandparents, Louis and Kitty Thomas, were born enslaved in Shelby and Owen Counties, Kentucky. This was the same great-great-grandfather who family lore said had been a clocker on the track. I was thrilled to find out that I have Kentucky roots just as I was moving to the state.

And those roots are deeply anchored in life with horses. In moving to Lexington as a historian, I quickly discovered the rich history of Black equestrians here. Horses and Black Kentuckians built the industry and the region. In Lexington’s East End, the footprint of an old racetrack is barely traceable in the streets of the neighborhood. Here lived the great Isaac Murphy, the best jockey of all time. A few blocks away was the gate into the grounds. An elementary school sits in what was once the infield. A cemetery, African Cemetery No.2, contains the remains of men and women who supported the racing industry in central Kentucky in every role imaginable. Murphy himself lay there next to his wife until the mid-1970s, when he was dug up and brought to the Kentucky Horse Park to be re-interred by the grave of Man O’War. The horse, himself expertly managed by Black men until his death, was surely exceptional, but I suspect Murphy might have preferred to lie in peace among his family and neighbors. He remains the only human being buried on the grounds of the park since it was founded.

Why, if Black horsemen were so central to the sport, don’t we see many more Black equestrians in racing or elsewhere? Why am I so unusual among other horsemen and horsewomen? The answer lies in the history of racism in this country. Prior to Emancipation, wealthy white men owned not just the horses but the people whose knowledge made success with horses possible. Young boys could be coerced into riding races (and were sometimes buried in steaming manure piles up to their necks in order to sweat their weight down before races). But about twenty years after chattel slavery ended in the U.S., a tide of racist policies, enforced by violence, took over our state and local governments. The racial hierarchy white Americans created became known as Jim Crow, with its familiar Whites Only signs and repressive political regimes. The horse industry was no exception. Black jockeys were forced out of riding races. The most talented among those remaining on the track, Jimmy Winkfield, was exiled to Europe. And Americans quickly forgot that the foundations of the tremendously popular sport were in Black talent. By the time I was putting a leg over a school pony almost 100 years later, it seemed like horses had always been for white people only.

But now I know better, and I’m proud to be a Black equestrian in a long American tradition. I’m also looking to resurrect historical memory of my forebears, as a consultant for the Chronicle of African Americans in the Horse Industry project. We need to change the idea that horse sports are not for Black people. We lost earlier generations of skills and knowledge with Jim Crow racism, but we can gain future generations of excellence in horse sports if we work to fight racism now.

GET INVOLVED: You’ve been to the Kentucky Horse Park for shows, perhaps, but have you ever checked out its International Museum of the Horse? As Anastasia notes, it is home to the Chronicle of African Americans in the Horse Industry project, an online, interactive archive to house and display photos, documents, artifacts and oral histories of Black equestrians. Other current exhibits at the Museum worth checking out include Black Horsemen of the Kentucky Turf and Buffalo Soldiers. A field trip to the Museum would be a great outing for Pony Clubs, 4-H clubs, schools and inner-city youth groups! 

Want to know more about the history in this essay? Anastasia recommends these books:

Pellom McDaniels III, Prince of Jockeys: The Life of Isaac Burns Murphy (University Press of Kentucky, 2013)

Katherine Mooney, Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at the Racetrack (Harvard University Press, 2014)

Maryjean Wall, How Kentucky became Southern: A Tale of Outlaws, Horse Thieves, Gamblers, and Breeders (University Press of Kentucky, 2012)

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.

 

Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feeds

By on Aug 4, 2020 12:01 am -

Marylanders where you at? Because this is your new mascot. I have never seen so much flag of Maryland on one person. Well done to this rider! If you competed in the July Horse Park of New Jersey at Stone Tavern HT, then our friend Amy Dragoo has all your photos! Check them out at this link.

National Holiday: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day🍪

Events Opening This Weekend: Apple Knoll Farm H.T., Plantation Field International CCI-S, Sundance Farm H.T., MeadowCreek Park H.T – The Fall Social Event, Twin Rivers Fall H.T.

Events Closing This Weekend: Flora Lea Farm YEH and Mini Event, War Horse Event Series August H.T., Town Hill Farm H.T., Great Meadow International, War Horse Event Series August H.T., Flora Lea Farm YEH and Mini Event, Feather Creek Farm H.T., Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. II, Caber Farm H.T., The Event at Archer

Tuesday News: 

Your defense mechanisms may be holding you back. Even subconsciously you may be repressing or rationalizing experiences. In the moment, this might make you feel like a disappointment has passed, but it will stay in the background. Coping strategies, though? They can help you get through it. [Daniel Stewart’s Tip of the Month: Ego Defenses]

The Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse 2020 is going virtual this year and opening the doors to riders around the world to participate. The event is open to four- and five-year-olds, and riders are required to submit a combination of videos and photographs to cover three phases; dressage, jumping and conformation. [Virtual Burghley Young Event Horse final goes global]

What’s we’re listening to: USEA Podcast #263: Producing a Young Horse.  Lauren Nicholson and USEA President Max Corocran sit down to delve into what it takes to produce young horses. Looking for the spark notes? Lauren’s top three tips: 1. Treat them like horses in the beginning. 2. No timeline for a young horse –some horses are ready for YEH Championships and some horses can’t trot a crossrail. 3. Get them out a lot without an agenda. Corcoran’s top three tips: 1. If you aren’t comfortable doing this yourself find someone to help you. 2. Be very patient. 3. If you have a horse that isn’t going to work out, it is okay to be honest with yourself.

ICYMI: The 2020 USEF Pony Finals have been canceled after individuals tested positive at the Kentucky Horse Park. [2020 USEF Pony Finals Canceled]

Tuesday Video: Combined Driving is Eventing’s sister sport, and no one does it better than Boyd Exell.

Monday Video from CLM DWN: Watch Tamie Smith’s Record-Breaking Dressage Test

By on Aug 3, 2020 5:00 pm -

It’s no secret that Tamie Smith and Mai Baum can d-a-n-c-e DANCE. Tamie and 14-year-old German Sport Horse gelding owned by Alex and Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell, have been topping first phase leaderboards for a while now — perhaps most notably doing so on their way to winning the Fair Hill CCI4*-L (then CCI3*) in 2015 and then making a splash in their Team USA debut at the 2019 Pan Ams — and it was no different in the Advanced division at Rebecca Farm this year. “Lexus” and Tamie led wire-to-wire to pick up the win, adding just a few cross country time penalties onto their stellar dressage score of 17.7.

If a 17.7 at the Advanced level sounds really low and impressive to you that’s because yes, it is! In fact the USEA confirmed earlier today that it’s the lowest dressage score at the Advanced level since 2006, besting Darren Chiacchia and Windfall II’s 17.9 scored at the Richland Park Horse Trials in August 2008.

And what does a 17.7 scoring Advanced test look like? Watch and learn courtesy of Ride On Video!

Take 5 With Phillip, Presented by Equilume: Nothing Was Too Difficult for Cayman Went

By on Aug 3, 2020 1:58 pm -

Just in case you were worried we might miss a #ThrowbackThursday #TBT (!) here’s beautiful Cayman Went at Rolex. By Easy…

Posted by Phillip Dutton Eventing on Thursday, July 30, 2020

One doesn’t need to look far to find written evidence of the over achieving nature of Cayman Went, the off-track Thoroughbred gelding piloted by Phillip Dutton in the early 2000s. A bright horse who took to eventing quickly as a four year old, Cayman Went was well known for his freakish talent that earned him a hard fought second place (“Not to worry,” Phillip said after an unlucky rail put David O’Connor and The Native at the top of the podium. “This time last week I would have been happy with second.”) at Fair Hill CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) in 2001 at the age of just seven.

“Cayman” was also one of the horses owned by Annie Jones, one of Phillip’s biggest supporters and owners through the years. Annie’s owned all or part of several of Phillip’s horses, including easily recognizable stars such as Woodburn, The Foreman, Mighty Nice, and many others. A fun fact: Annie used to do much of Cayman Went’s fitness work in his heyday, an avid horsewoman and fox hunter herself with a background in the Thoroughbred industry. Another fun fact? Phillip and Evie Dutton’s twin daughters, Mary and Olivia, were also born the same weekend Cayman Went had his big finish at Fair Hill.

Embed from Getty Images

Cayman wasn’t the only horse to show incredible talent and acumen for winning at a young age, and the Australian native’s already golden touch with sensitive horses has proven to be a winning formula for success with these talented athletes.

Phillip and Cayman would go on to finish in the top 20 at Kentucky in 2002 and the top 15 at Badminton in 2003 before later retiring from eventing and finishing out his career as a fox hunter. As if to say “challenge accepted,” Cayman went out first on cross country at Kentucky in 2002 and jumped clear over a course that included a fence that was later removed after the Ground Jury deemed it too difficult.

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Peter Gray Keeps Eventers on Their Toes During and After Competition Hiatus

By on Aug 3, 2020 1:15 pm -

Isabelle Santamauro working on a head-to-the-wall leg yield under Peter’s watchful eye. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

During this year’s competition hiatus, Peter Gray continued doing what he does best — helping horses and riders improve — via his Remote Centerline Workshop series, in which he virtually judged dressage tests. Now, as the sport begins to emerges from its shell, Peter has been helping horses and riders find their way back into fighting form with a series of clinics on the east coast.

Peter’s resumé as a rider is impressive enough: three Olympics, Badminton and Burghley, two WEGs, individual Bronze medalist at the Pan Am Games, the list goes on. Not every great rider is also a great coach, but Peter is an exception, having served as a High Performance Eventing Coach for Canada, Venezuela, Guatemala and Columbia. He’s also a five-star eventing judge, manages horse shows, always seems to be working on about a million side projects, and promptly replies when you text him a question at 5:30 a.m.

If memory serves, the first time I encountered him in person was 10 or 15 years ago, and it was twice in one day: in the morning he was giving a cross country lesson to a Canadian team rider at Jon Hollings,’ and later in the day he was passaging a pure dressage horse around the ring at his farm. I was like, “Is this the same rider? Eventers aren’t supposed to be that good at everything.”

Alas, he is, and the best we can do is benefit from his experience.

Suzi Gornall and Lindsey Elwell preparing for their jump lesson. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Samantha Morse, a 17-year-old young rider, was among the participants at Kay Slater’s True North Farm clinic in Harwich, MA. She shared the following comments:

“I was thrilled to be able to ride with such a well respected and intellectual individual who I knew would focus on precise, positive and elastic work for not only myself and my mare, but also every individual who rode with him,” Samantha says. “My mare came out better each day, clearly happy and proud of herself through Peter’s thoughtful instruction.

“Through shifting the focus to training the horse, my riding improved and thus my mare’s suppleness, mood, and relaxation improved. Not only did she feel happy to work, relaxed, forward-thinking and ready for more after each set, but so did I. I felt confident, pleased and excited for more while also very satisfied and thankful for such an opportunity from Peter and Kay.

“After the past weekend with Peter, I am looking forward to this year’s training with my mare, future clinics with him and the rest of the competition season. A deeply felt thank you goes out to Peter for the extraordinary instruction that left myself and my horse feeling proud and pleased, and to Kay for always putting thought into who she brings into the farm, what they offer for the riders and horses, as well as creating a positive training environment through constantly encouraging others to always be learning, work hard, and provide correct, thoughtful care for their horse.”

Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Katherine Cooper is another who has recently benefited from Peter’s instruction: “Coping with the COVID has been hard for us all, so having the chance for my friend Peter Gray come for a quick clinic at Beniah Lane Farm in Epping, NH, was a very happy occasion!  We had several really helpful dressage lessons, where Peter shared his wealth of knowledge and sense of humour to get horses and humans to lower their heads and move forward! We then moved to the jump field for lessons that started with elevated trot poles and progressed to turning exercises emphasizing a soft, following hand.

“We then headed to Pinetree Equestrian in Beverly, MA where Peter took over my usual Thursday clinic. The kids were so excited to host such a highly qualified trainer that they painted all the jumps and turned their ponies to the max! There was a party atmosphere with friends and family coming out to watch a socially-distant learning opportunity. Peter used his keen eye to help a variety of horses and riders improve their connection and his wit to keep everyone laughing. We were sorry to send him off to the Cape at the end of the day but hope he can make it back again!”

Peter is a tricky one to keep up with — he’s teaching in Boston this week then off to judge at Fair Hill, then … TBA. He’s teaching a clinic at L’Esprit Equestrian in Woodstock, Illinois, on Aug. 15-16 (view information about that here) among future dates, I’m sure. Should you happen upon an opportunity to ride with him, don’t hesitate!

Deonte Sewell: ‘A King and Queen’s Sport’

By on Aug 3, 2020 8:22 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. 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.

Today we welcome Maryland eventer Deonte Sewell.

Schooling Justine Dutton’s 2016 Nations Cup horse Huck Finn before he heads back out on lease! Photo by Lisa Madren.

The closest I ever got to a horse as a kid was on the TV screen or playing with a toy horse from my local Walmart. I grew up in a middle- to low-class home and no one else in my family was involved with horses besides my grandfather. I remember watching the Olympic games with him and listening to all of his stories with the horses. I would ask him if he did all the things the people on the TV were doing. He replied ”no.”  I asked him why not and he just simply said,” It’s a king and queen’s sport.” 

Being so young I didn’t understand what he meant. I thought it was a good thing! I looked at him and said, ”I want to ride horses! Maybe one day I’ll go to the Olympics.” I’ll never forget him laughing with the biggest smile on his face. Granting me his blessing to pursue a career with horses but also warning me the road would be tough.

I still couldn’t exactly wrap my head around why he called it a “king and queen’s sport.” I was a kid and didn’t really care! I just knew I wanted to ride! I wanted to make it to the Olympics. My heart was set out to do it no matter how it would happen. I knew what I wanted. 

When I got a little older my mother signed me up for various interscholastic sports, none of which I felt much love for. I knew what I wanted to do and that wasn’t it. Coaches, fellow classmates, and even some family would ask me what I had planned for the future and of course I would tell them about my epic idea of riding horses for a living and one day making it the Olympics. I was usually met with a pessimistic laugh and an ironic “good luck” comment. However, I was fortunate that there were some who truly wanted to help.  They even helped me find a place to ride and finally have a lesson where I could learn the ins and outs about horses.

The doubt from people hurt but not enough to steer me away from my goals. I just didn’t understand why it seemed so hard for a black person to ride horses. However, my first horse show was a real eye-opener. I felt as out of place as a big red dot on a pristine white piece of paper. I remember the piercing stares from all the little kids on ponies and others seeming confused as to why a black man was riding at a show. I heard the whispers as I rode around the ring in my jeans and polo shirt. My mother couldn’t afford breeches that would fit me and I paid for that show with my earnings that I had saved from the summer. My coach at the time was of minority descent. He noticed how self-conscious I felt and reassured me that I belonged there just as much as everyone else. That day I finally realized why my grandfather had called the horse world a king and queen’s sport.

That day made me think about why in most old Hollywood movies the farmhands/grooms were always of a minority descent. They seemed to always know more about riding and horses than the actual trainers but never portrayed the trainers or professional riders themselves. Why does it seem that the only place in the show world for minorities is to pick up after the kings and queens of the sport?

I started working on the track after high school.  I was nervous about starting a real horse job with real pay but it honestly couldn’t have worked out better for me. I started out as a groom but the more involved I became at the track the more I noticed some black guys on horseback! It gave me hope to want to move on beyond the grooming stage. I worked hard and eventually landed some rides on the pony horses. I still felt the stares and heard the not-so-quiet doubts but in general, the people at the track were more accepting of me trying to move beyond being a groom.

Although working with racehorses wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, I felt too nervous and out of place to try and reach out to the show world of riding. I found peace with my new job. Grooming horses, mucking stalls, catering to the exercise riders, and occasionally riding here and there. It was so perfect!! It just felt like I was supposed to be working with horses. I also became friends with a lot of the Spanish grooms. I noticed that some expressed quite interest in galloping but because they were good at grooming were never given a chance. I was just happy that my boss let me ride the pony horses occasionally but wondered why these other guys always seemed to hit a ceiling once they became grooms.

I’ve always looked forward to mid-October because that meant Fair Hill International had rolled around. It was my hometown’s biggest event and all the top event riders would be out! One year I was hanging around the stables just hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the riders I had always idolized when I spotted a black male driving in. I raced over to him before anyone else could. I thought, “Wow, what a great groom he has to be if he’s at Fair Hill!” I couldn’t wait for the next day at jogs to catch a glimpse of him amongst the other grooms holding buckets and rugs and see who he was working for.

However, on jog day he wasn’t standing in the paddock with the other grooms but running down the jog strip, horse in hand! He was a rider! A competitor! I couldn’t believe it. I remember thinking if he could run down the Fair Hill jog so could I. I looked forward to going back and watching him ride! It was the highlight of my week. Randy Ward opened my eyes to the fact that it was possible for black riders to compete at the top levels of the sport. I wasn’t just dreaming anymore! I just saw my first black event rider! I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps, opening doors for other young black riders in eventing even if he didn’t realize that’s what he was doing! We could be more than grooms.

My boss gifted me a horse and a nice sponsorship to help me get a start in the sport. I was so excited! People finally wouldn’t look at me as if I didn’t belong. I was finally heading in the right direction to ride professionally. I felt like I was finally going to be able to ride with the kings and queens. More blessings began to pour in as I pushed further into my journey. I was getting to ride with some pretty awesome people that I’d only ever seen from afar. The dreams were becoming reality! People started to look at me with a bit more respect. People started rooting for me to succeed. My community noticed that while it was still really strange to see a black man on a horse I seemed to be making it happen.

I finally landed a job teaching kids in my hometown. I was excited! I was an instructor! Finally no more confusing looks and assumptions that I was a stable hand. Sadly that excitement quickly diminished. My role in the barn was yard boy. When I was able to teach I was met with the wide eyes, awkward smiles, and the beating around the bush question as to why it wasn’t the young blonde teaching. It was a big blow to me. But I felt like I had worked hard to get a chance to teach and wasn’t going to give up.

After each new lesson parents would always end their conversations with, ”For a black male you really know a lot. By the way, no offense!” I was offended every time I heard that stupid remark. Why was it so hard for me to be taken seriously as a teacher and not a groom or stable hand?  But then again, had I not also assumed that the only black man pulling into Fair Hill must have been a groom? I slowly started to build a defense by laughing it off and sarcastically tell them never to judge a book by its cover and letting the comments go. I was in my happy place! I had multiple students from different ethnicities. Parents were pleased to see their kids are learning. 

Like most common stories everything comes to an end. I had to retire my best friend from the sport. I was so close to riding in the big boys league! Not only that, I had just landed a sweet new job working for two professionals! Bummed was an understatement. I felt like I was back at square one again without my horse. I chose to pass him along to a close friend whose kid could get rated mileage in the hunter ring. I knew I wasn’t going to get any money back on him as he wasn’t re-sellable but I was OK with my decision. This was an opportunity for my friend’s daughter to make a pathway of her own. I was happy to be an asset to her career.

Having this new awesome job as an assistant, I thought it was definitely going to be different! People would see me riding more. People would see my determination and drive. They would see me giving more just to be seen as an equal. This job gave me the opportunity to make a lot of connections. I started to believe that I was actually a valuable asset in the business. In making these connections, I found that often people would try to relate and show support by using Randy Ward as a connection, while at the same time forgetting his name. It was frustrating to feel like these types of comments were necessary in order to talk to me. Me being a good rider and hard worker were not enough. 

Receiving this grant would definitely mean the world to my career. Just like many young amateurs pursuing a professional career, I struggle financially. Nothing in life is cheap, especially in the equine business. The grant could help me find a partner to continue my career, cover lessons, or afford new tall boots. For me the price of new tall boots is far more expensive than a paycheck. It would definitely give me an advancement in bringing awareness to inner-city kids with dreams of riding and maybe one day I will be running down the Fair Hill jog strip. 

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.

GET INVOLVED: Deonte writes of competing in his first horse show in jeans because his mother couldn’t afford to buy him breeches. The Rider’s Closet is a non-profit whose mission is to ensure that riding apparel is accessible to scholastic riding programs, pony clubs, equestrian camp programs, equine charities and individual riders in need. The program serves riders of all ages and at every level of horsemanship. The Rider’s Closet accepts new or gently used show shirts, breeches, show coats, schooling attire, boots and half chaps in adult and children’s sizes. If your items can be worn again with confidence by another rider, The Rider’s Closet can help find them a new home. Learn more here. 

Also…. Not two hours after we published Deonte’s essay, the good people at Mountain Horse USA stepped up to sponsor him a new pair of tall boots! 

Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks

By on Aug 3, 2020 7:58 am -

As the chaotic energy of 2020 rages on around us, I’m always glad for a bit of good news. Ramp that up to great news, and it’s enough to feed me for weeks — and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Something going right — even if it’s just a little something, like finally nailing the changes or producing a foot-perfect round of jumps in a lesson — refuels your weary brain, giving you impetus to keep on keeping on.

Over the weekend, that impetus was given to all of us at Team Nation Media by the announcement that our ever-expanding new Diversity Fund would be split among 27 extraordinary applicants. Between them, they represent so many disciplines, so many parts of the world, so many viewpoints, so many lived experiences, so many hopes for the future and resolutions to see the world, and the horse industry, become a better place. I feel stronger and smarter and better for having been exposed to what they have to say, and I think you will, too. One scholarship fund won’t change the world, but if it offers a platform and some validation to people who so often struggle to get either of those things in the horse world, the change will come. It will be brought about by all of us together, elevating one another and learning when to be silent and listen, and when to stand up and fight for what’s right.

More than ever, I feel so honoured to be a part of this team — a team that’s always had the heavy conversations behind the scenes, the ‘okay, we’ve identified the shit, now how do we shovel it?’ frankness that’s seen us through a pandemic (so far, anyway!) and will see us through the reshaping of an industry, too. Over the last months, our team behind the scenes has provided a safe space for no-bullshit, no bigotry discussions; a welcome antidote in the early days of summer, when communicating online offered up a 50% chance of ending up with extraordinarily nasty private messages from those who simply can’t — or rather, won’t — accept that things aren’t ‘just fine’ as they are. These days, the ratios are skewed so much more in the favour of people interested in positive, productive change — people learning, people reading, people adding their voices to the mix in a way that moves the dialogue along, rather than tearing it down and watching it burn. It almost feels like we can exhale, but we’re not quite there yet. There are still petitions to sign, imbalances to address, micro- and macroaggressions to nix. This summer has seen some headway made — now let’s regroup, refuel, and prepare for what’s to come. We’ll be bringing you the perspectives of our scholarship recipients over the next couple of weeks to help you do just that.

National Holiday: It’s a jolly good day for our friends north of the border — today is New Brunswick Day, British Columbia Day, and Alberta Heritage Day. How aboot that?

US Weekend Results:

River Glen: Website | Final Results

Cobblestone Farm: Website | Final Results

Olney Farm: Website | Final Results

UK Weekend Results:

Little Downham: Final Results

Cholmondeley Castle: Final Results

Dauntsey Park: Final Results

Your Monday Reading List:

“I can’t wait until she kicks my ass.” Thus spake top lass and truly excellent eventer Tamie Smith after an excellent showing at Rebecca Farm saw her and daughter Kaylawna sweep the top four places in the Advanced class. In this piece, she gets real about her headspace — the mentality she’s adopted to cope with the pandemic, the rollercoaster ride of having been a young mother and an aspiring pro, and the unique duality of being the mother of a mixed-race daughter and the wife of a police officer during the defining civil rights movement of our generation. [Ringside Chat: Tamie Smith Reflects On Silver Linings, Motherhood And Resiliency]

Shortly before his passing on July 17th, civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis penned one final missive. “When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century,” he implored, “let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war.” There’s plenty of work to be done yet, but let Lewis’s legacy give you the push you need to make this week a great one. [Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation]

Now that eventing’s back up and running, what does 2020 look like for Team USA’s High Performance horses and riders? Erik Duvander gives us all a detailed update, walking us through the challenges faced so far and the plan of action from now until Tokyo. All I’m saying is, the French had better dust off ‘Cotton-Eye Joe’. (Honestly, they never need an excuse.) [High Performance in the Time of COVID-19]

No Burghley? No problem. An intrepid team of eventers, including 5* riders Louise Harwood and Alan Nolan, are planning to cycle from Badminton to Burghley on what would have been the weekend of the 2020 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, all in aid of the the vital air ambulance services that so many riders have found themselves indebted to. No word yet on whether they’ll have a crack at the Cottesmore Leap, which one rider — who shall remain unnamed — stated with worrying confidence is “totally jumpable on foot, if you had a good run up and the proper trainers on.” [‘If you have a goal, you work harder’: eventers swap saddles in Badminton to Burghley challenge]

What I’m Listening To:

I really, truly thought I’d managed to find and devour every pod that had ever been recorded featuring interviews with either of my two favourite contemporary writers, Zadie Smith and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I was wrong — boy, was I wrong. A quick panic search when I ran out of new episodes of my old standbys mid-muck out brought up the holy grail — a conversation between both women, recorded in 2015 and released by the New York Public Library. 

Oh, man, what a total and utter joy of a listen this is. You get a snippet of Adichie’s extraordinary novel Americanah, you get honest, funny chat between two exceptionally quick-witted people, you get open discussion on feminism (you can be a feminist and a hot babe who likes to shake what her mama gave her, Adichie says firmly, and I quite agree), race, writing, relationships, and life in general. Whether you’re a writer, a reader, or just a human being who’s curious about the multiplicities that reside within all your fellow muddled-up people, you’ll get so much out of this. If you’re anything like me, you’ll also add another ferocious red lipstick to your collection, too.

Donation Station:

As a perennially poor gal trying to keep myself and a horse alive, I’m all too aware that some of you may find it difficult to commit to monetary donations to the causes you believe in. But if you’re cash-strapped and feeling helpless to make a difference, never fear — there are so many ways you can still play a valuable part in making the world a better place. Live close to a horse rescue or an access programme? Great! Get over there and volunteer — you’ll never, ever regret it. Got a tack trunk full of stuff you never use, but which always seems to rise from the bottom just to get in your way? How about a wardrobe full of riding clothes you’ve duly replaced but hang onto just in case you need a backup? Super.

Make this week the week that you finally Marie Kondo your horsey life and find all that stuff a loving new home. Riding for the Disabled programmes, inner-city access programmes, animal sanctuaries, and even equine-assisted rehabilitation programmes can all use functionally sound equipment, and that old show jacket could be the final puzzle piece for an aspiring competitor who has nothing but their big dreams and a riding school horse to work with. Something as simple as cleaning out your (literal) closet could help that rider become a competitor. That’s something truly special.

Monday Video from Fleeceworks:

It’s not wholly horsey, but rather, a celebration of the power and profundity of sport — and Nike’s ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ ad campaign is getting everyone talking, in a good way. Give it a watch, and remember why we all do what we do, no matter what life throws at us along the way.

‘DSP Goes Cross Country’ Online Auction Features Nine Top-Class German Sport Horse Foals

By on Aug 2, 2020 2:43 pm -

Lot 1: Ardingly (Asagao xx x Lupina, by Cefalo), a 2020 German Sport Horse colt. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

The bidding has begun for nine select foals standing at online auction via the German Sport Horse Association. All of them are bred to the nines with top-class stallions and Thoroughbred dam lines that have produced five-star winners including La Biosthetique Sam FBW and fischerRocana FST as well as Billy the Red, DSP Quintana P and Asha P.

The bidding began on Friday, July 31 and will end on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. local time / 1:30 p.m. EST with the final bid-up!

Not only do all foals have the coveted Thoroughbred in their pedigree, their mothers and siblings have successful performance records in the sport of eventing. Foals from the lines of well-known four- and five-star eventing horses such as John the Bull, by Luidam; Cooley Master Class, by Ramiro B; and Kelecyn Supernatural xx, by Filante xx. As sires Asago xx, Gentleman, Colorit, Dominator, Asca, Perigueux, Balvenie and Hickstead White are on the collection list. All foals are shown with detailed video sequences and a health certificate in detail here. Further information can be obtained from sales manager Fritz Fleischmann +49 151 53115783.

Don’t miss to secure your future eventing star now! Visit the online auction here. 

Lot 2: Geneva (Gentleman x Capuccina, by Con Sherry), a 2020 German Sport Horse colt. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

Lot 3: Charlbury (Colorit x Amangani xx, by Goofalik xx), a 2020 German Sport Horse colt. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

Lot 4: Deauville (Dominator Z x Fee IV, by Lauries Crusador), a 2020 German Sport Horse colt. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

Lot 5: Albury (Asca x Halle Berry, by Heraldik xx), a 2020 German Sport Horse colt. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

Lot 6: Alnwick Ford (Asagao xx x Kir Royal, by Kolibri), a 2020 German Sport Horse filly. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

Lot 7: Pompadour (Perigueux x Birke, by Betel xx), a 2020 German Sport Horse filly. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

Lot 8: Burghley (Balvenie x Quinta Calida, by Quintus Gold), a 2020 German Sport Horse colt. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.

Lot 9: Hartpury (Hickstead White x Foresta xx, by Petit Loup xx), a 2020 German Sport Horse filly. View details. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Sportpferd.