Classic Eventing Nation

Fourth of July Links from Nupafeed USA

By on Jul 4, 2020 12:01 am -

Whitney Mahloch and Military Mind at Millbrook 2019. Photo by Abby Powell.

And just like that *snaps fingers* the August eventing calendar is looking a lot lighter with the loss of Millbrook and postponement of Bromont both announced within the past two days. I’m bummed, but it’s clearly the best, most cautious decision given the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in certain areas. I made my first trip to Millbrook last year to cover it for EN and was really looking forward to a return trip to the beautiful Amenia, New York countryside but I’ll admit I am a little relieved I don’t have to figure out how to interview riders without holding my phone to their faces so they can talk into the voice memo app. I’ve been thinking old school pen and a notebook might be my best bet, but at least I have a little more time to figure it out now.

National Holiday: Independence Day

Weekend Action:

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. : [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Winona H.T: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

The Maryland International + H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Spring Gulch H.T.: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Larkin Hill H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

‘He’ll stay with me till the day he dies’: five-star eventer bows out

Horses Remember You, Even When You’re On-Screen

The Tough Conversations We Need to Have: Reflections of an Old Horse Caretaker

Extra international classes to give ‘much-needed’ boost to 2020 eventing calendar

Lights Could Help Reduce Horse Stress During Loading, Trailering

Hydration and the Equestrian Athlete

Saturday Video: Take a spin around Chatt Hills with Elisa Wallace and Let It Be Lee:

Best of Luck to Aki Joy Maruyama at Strzegom!

By on Jul 3, 2020 6:18 pm -

Aki Joy Maruyama and Balou Moon. Photo by Mathieu O’Regan.

The first event of Poland’s Strzegom Summer Tour is taking place this weekend and we’re excited to have someone to cheer for! Aki Joy Maruyama, a 20-year-old from Atlanta who rides for Japan, and her horse Balou Moon are entered in the CCI1*. She and Balou have been living in Belgium since April 2019, training and working under Kai Steffen Meier and Lara de Liedekerke.

Aki Joy moved to Florida in high school to be a working student for Kyle Carter with her horse J’Espère, whom she successfully competed through the two-star level. She bought Balou, an offspring of Balou du Rouet, from Joe Meyer and although he can be a bit high strung and difficult, their partnership has been steadily progressing.

Aki Joy’s mother, Monica Maruyama, says that living in Belgium has been hard on her daughter. “She doesn’t speak French and though she lives in a gorgeous 400 year old castle, she has little time for relaxation,” Monica says. “She is also very homesick for Florida especially in the winter where the cold is blistering. (I was shocked to see unsightly chilblains on her legs! I had never heard of it but it’s like frostbite and apparently common over there, but summer is so nice and cool compared to the terrible Florida heat) but she is getting an invaluable  experience being coached on many different horses by Kai and Lara and will probably remain under their excellent guidance for a few more years.”

The pair had a solid first outing at the two-star level at Waregem last year but, after retiring on cross country at Westerstede last month, they are opting to drop down a level for Strzegom.  “It was the first show of the season and though her coaches thought she was plenty ready, he is a spooky horse and was a little overwhelmed,” Monica says. “They will build back up, competing next week again in the 1* in France and if all goes well, back to the 2* at her home turf in Arville in Belgium in August.”

Best of luck to you, Aki Joy and Balou!

Strzegom’s summer tour encompasses this competition and another during the third week of July. This weekend, almost 140 horse/rider combinations representing 13 countries will contest CCI1*, CCI2*, CCI3* and CCI4* divisions. The CCI4*-S division has 12 entries, including Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati of Austria; Lara de Lidekerke-Meirer of Belgium; Heike Jahncken, Nicolai Aldinger and Kai-Steffen Meier of Germany; Merel Blom, Raf Kooremans and Jordy Wilken of the Netherlands; and Mateusz Kiempa of Poland. Merel Blom and The Quizmaster with 28.4 points are leading in CCI4*-S after dressage test.

The event will start on Friday with dressage followed by show jumping on Saturday and cross country on Sunday.

Due to sanitary restrictions, the event will take place without audiences and media. However, there will be live streaming available on the official website of the show and Facebook.

Live video schedule:
Show Jumping – Saturday, July 4, 12 – 6 p.m. local time (6 a.m.-12 p.m. EST)
Cross Country: Sunday, July 5, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. local time (3 – 9 p.m. EST)

You can view the entry list here, results here and the program here.

Go Eventing.

Friday Video from SmartPak: When the Unhorsey Set Strikes

By on Jul 3, 2020 6:16 pm -

I’ll admit it — the TikTok trend hasn’t really reached my house. And it’s not because I hold a PhD in maturity, as some have suggested as the insidious root cause of a lack of TikToking action, but rather, the opposite: as someone who can spend glassy-eyed hours mindlessly scrolling the ‘Gram until I end up with the dopamine drools, I know that if I allow myself yet another timewasting app, I’ll go full Wall-E.

Nonetheless, sometimes the TikTok videos find me (in large part because a determined friend of mine insists on turning our WhatsApp chat into a personally curated gallery of comedy videos, a service she could probably charge for). And then there’s this, which made its way to classique social media — the place where the youth, they doth not hang — and made me giggle my way through a ferocious Equestriad 2001-fuelled hangover. Not an easy prospect, nor, I suppose, something I ought to be admitting here, but we are none of us too big and too noble for a social bubble booze-up, and I have no regrets. (I have a few minor regrets.)

Anyway, this sassy lil TikTok number addresses one of the most common complaints that the non-horsey have about equestrians — the souvenirs we leave behind. And in comedically sweary, devastatingly sarcastic fashion, Hannah Sims offers a functional (?) solution. Honestly, she’s got my vote for Prime Minister.

MARS Bromont CCI & Nations Cup August Dates Are Set to Change

By on Jul 3, 2020 5:15 pm -

Brooke Massie of Quebec, winner of the 2019 August CCI4*-S on her own 15.1-hand OTTB mare Serendipity. Photo by Cealy Tetley.

The MARS Bromont CCI-S Three Day Event, host of the only North American leg of the 2020 FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ series, will not run as scheduled and is considering a later date this year. It was previously scheduled to run Aug. 13-16.

The event released the following statement this afternoon:

“In conversation with our title sponsor, competitors, stakeholders, national teams and federations, Sue Ockendon, organizer of MARS Bromont CCI Three Day Event and Eventing Nations Cup has decided to consider dates further along the calendar.

“Many events across North America have been canceled this year due to coronavirus (COVID-19) for the 2020 season. The pandemic which has been at the forefront so many lives has made it difficult for the organizer to confirm that it would be possible for competitors to travel on our original August date.

“Watch for a new date yet to be confirmed later this year for both the MARS Bromont CCI Three Day Event and Eventing Nations Cup Bromont which are on the calendar for the middle of August.”

The 2020 MARS Equestrian Bromont CCI Three Day Event, scheduled for June 3-7, was canceled as was Little Bromont the following weekend

For more information visit https://BromontCCI.com or contact [email protected].

 

Weekly OTTB Wishlist from Cosequin: More Than One Way to Be a War Horse

By on Jul 3, 2020 9:00 am -

There are a couple different definitions of “war horse,” as it it pertains to racing Thoroughbreds. Commonly, it’s a term use for horses who have left the startbox 50 or more times (though I’ve also heard it used for horses with 100 or more starts!) Another definition that some people go by is a horse who has won over $100,000 on track. In this week’s edition of OTTB Wishlisht, we have a war horses of each type and they’re all looking for their next gig. Come and get ’em!

Missin Maggie. Photo via CANTER Maryland.

Missin Maggie (MAGNA GRADUATE – MISSIN, BY EL CORREDOR): 2011 15.3-hand Kentucky-bred mare

“Maggie” has that been-there-done-that attitude that is so typically seen in horses who’ve been on the track for years and years. That’s one of the many reasons to love them! After her 57 career starts, Maggie is ready for a new home and a second career. Her owner has a real soft spot for her — she’s the only horse she’ll ride! — and wants to find her only the best home.

Located at Laurel Park, Maryland.

View Missin Maggie on CANTER Maryland.

 

Calm Pacific. Photo via Second Stride.

Calm Pacific (STORMY ATLANTIC – MINISTRESS, BY DEPUTY MINISTER): 2010 16.1-hand Kentucky-bred gelding

Calm Pacific didn’t quite make war horse status through number of races — he ran 38 — but he did win a hearty $221,181! This 10-year-old most recently raced in January of this year and is under evaluation at Second Stride now. If you love a classy Stakes horse, Calm Pacific could be your guy!

Located in Prospect, Kentucky.

View Calm Pacific on Second Stride.

Congrats Honey. Photo via Retired Racehorse Project Horse Listings.

Congrats Honey (CONGRATS – HAPPY HONEYMOON, BY HONOUR AND GLORY): 2011 16.0-hand Florida-bred mare

Can you believe this sweet lady ran 54 races and earned a grand total of $186,031? That makes her a war horse by both standards! “Honey” is actually looking for her third career. After retiring from racing in 2017, she wen’t back to her owner/’s farm and spent two years as a broodmare. While she was a great mother, her foals just don’t look like they’ll be cutting it as good racing prospects. Even after two years of not being ridden, Honey didn’t miss a beat when her owner hopped back on her recently. He knows this mare has more in her yet and would love to find to find someone to bring her along and realize her full potential.

Located in Versailles, Kentucky.

View Congrats Honey on the Retried Racehorse Project Horse Listings.

Friday News & Notes from World Equestrian Brands

By on Jul 3, 2020 12:03 am -

The next generation! Photo courtesy of von Sacksen Eventing.

I’m thankful to have reached the end of another ungodly hot week in Virginia, but what I am not thankful for is trying to manage horses and dogs through the July 4th weekend and hoping no horses freak out in the field and no dogs keep me up all night panting in my face. I’ve never been a fan of fireworks, and I live way out in the country so you’d think I would avoid them, but sadly even I am not immune to crazy neighbors. Keep your ponies safe this weekend y’all!

National Holiday: National Chocolate Wafer Day

Weekend Preview:

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. : [Website] [Ride Times]

Winona H.T: [Website] [Ride Times]

The Maryland International + H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Spring Gulch H.T.: [Website] [Ride Times]

Larkin Hill H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

Walking sounds boring, but actually, it’s worth your time to know more exercises for the walk. If you’re rehabbing, or hoping to improve your dressage scores, check out this article on exercises in 20 minutes that will make your walk work much less mundane. [20 Minute Walk Workouts]

Hot summer study: how to cool off your horse in the most efficient way possible. Whether you’re recovering from a cross country round, a lesson in the afternoon, or just a long ride in the sun, helping your horse cool down is really important to their health. A new study shows that the best method isn’t about scraping, walking, or standing in front of a fan. Read on to find out the best way. [A Comparison of Five Cooling Methods]

Sir Mark Todd, is there anything you CAN’T do? Now retired after winning two Olympic gold medals and pretty much everything else in Eventing, he’s turning his hand at racehorses again, but this time in the UK. He’s now logged his first winner on English turf, following the opening of certain races after COVID. [Sir Mark Todd: Winning Racehorse Trainer]

Thursday Video from FLAIR: Meet the Ebony Horse Club

By on Jul 2, 2020 5:41 pm -

Located in Brixton in the UK, the Ebony Horse Club is one example of a program dedicated to improving the education and aspirations of young people through contact with horses. Olympic show jumper Ben Maher visited the young riders at Ebony Horse Club and this visit is the subject of a recent FEI video profile.

One particularly unique feature of this program is its location. Set right in the heart of Brixton, a vibrant district in South London with Caribbean roots, horses find themselves against a backdrop of apartment buildings. Ebony Horse Club was opened with the assistance of charitable donations and lottery funding in 2011. The Club is the brainchild of Ros Spearing, who drew on her experience as a single mother whose life had been shaped by horses in conceptualizing the idea of bringing access to more youth in the community.

Want to learn more about the impact the Ebony Horse Club is having? Click here to read a great profile, complete with brilliant photography.

Diversity Scholarship Fund Is Up to $5,000 Thanks to Generous Donations

By on Jul 2, 2020 5:16 pm -

Hannah Hawkins and Didgeridoo at Fair Hill International in 2018. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Like so many of us, Hannah Hawkins has been following the conversation about inequity in equestrian sport and seeking out a meaningful way to contribute. “I want to do something that’s actually helpful … what is that?” she asked herself. “I feel strongly that I would love to do something but I don’t know what to do.”

The upper-level Maryland eventer said she saw the announcement about our 1st Annual Diversity Scholarship on EN, which was later met with matching donations from Stable View and Katherine Coleman. It occurred to her that she could “just reach out.” She emailed us and offered to contribute another $1,000 to the fund, bringing the total to date to $5,000 — five times its original amount.

The Scholarship calls for contributions to the discussion about diversity and inclusion in equestrian sport from minority equestrians — you can view full details here.

“This was the smallest thing I could do to help encourage discourse and push some funds toward people who are not as fortunate as others,” Hannah says.

Wondering how you can help? Just reaching out is a great start.

For real change to occur, it’s not enough for us to comment on Facebook or wait around for someone else to tell us what to do. We can all play a role, now, in helping to create a more diverse and inclusive sport. From donating to or volunteering with an organization that is doing good work to engaging the broader community in myriad ways, the onus is on all equestrians to help build a bridge of access. In the coming days, with input from a panel of equestrian diversity experts, we’ll be outlining some action-based outreach strategies for individuals and groups to get you started.

Every step forward is a positive one, and you never know when it will start a chain reaction!

Go reach out today. Go Eventing.

 

Eventing Nation Announces 1st Annual Diversity Scholarship [Update 7/8]

By on Jul 2, 2020 5:00 pm -

Update 7/8: The entry deadline has been extended by one week to midnight on Friday, July 17. Read more here.

Update 7/2: Wow, the donations just keep coming. Thank you, Hannah Hawkins, for making another $1,000 available toward elevating minority voices and giving deserving riders a leg up! Read more here. As the Scholarship amount is now five times the original amount, we are in the process of reevaluating how the funds will be distributed to applicants.

Update 7/1: We are happy to share that five-star eventer Katherine Coleman has pledged to double the new amount of $2,000, bringing the total to $4,000! Read more here.

Update 6/30: We are happy to share that Stable View in Aiken, SC, has pledged to match NM’s original Diversity Scholarship award amount of $1,000, bringing the total to $2,000. Thanks to the generosity of Barry and Cyndy Olliff, we will now be able to award the 1st place winner $1,000 and two runners-up a sum of $500. Read more here.

Update 6/27: We thank our readers for sharing feedback with us — we hear you! It is the mission of this Scholarship to call for, encourage, elevate and immediately give a platform to minority voices in a space where they are underrepresented. With the help of your input, we have made some changes. It’s not perfect and it’s certainly not enough money (like many businesses, Nation Media has taken a big hit in recent months). But we humbly submit this Scholarship as a small contribution toward real change, with much more work still to be done in the future. Read more here.

Randy Ward and Grando. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“We as a horse community need to grow, to reach new audiences and to introduce another generation of riders to keep our sport going strong. A diverse equestrian community is a strong equestrian community, and it’s time to open the doors of opportunity to all.” — former Horse Nation editor Kristen Kovatch

The Nation Media family, comprised of websites Eventing Nation, Jumper Nation and Horse Nation, has been working hard to highlight the importance of racial equality, and we have been encouraged by the messages of inclusiveness that have reverberated throughout our equestrian community.

Today we are excited to announce Nation Media’s 1st Annual $1,000 Diversity Scholarship, with the funds to be divided as follows: 1st – $500, 2nd- $300, 3rd – $200. [Update 7/1: As the Scholarship amount has quadrupled since it was launched, we are in the process of reevaluating how the funds will be distributed to applicants.]

All minority equestrians of all disciplines are invited to apply. The Scholarship may be used any in way that the recipient desires to further their riding career, be it educational opportunities, competition entry fees or equipment/tack.

Applicants are invited to submit, via essay or video, a contribution to the discussion of diversity and inclusion in equestrian sport. This is your space to use however you wish, and we are listening.

Please submit entries to [email protected]. The deadline for applications is Friday, July 10, 2020. There is no word minimum or maximum. After the Scholarship recipients have been announced, we will be honored to share entries on EN throughout the summer with permission.

Go Diversity. Go Eventing!

 

Volunteer Nation: 5+ Opportunities to Help Out This Weekend

By on Jul 2, 2020 11:00 am -

The new horse show must-have accessory – who would’ve thought? Photo via Jan Byyny on Facebook.

Much time has passed since we last brought you an edition of Volunteer Nation! With events kicking cautiously back into gear, the need for volunteer support has also returned.

Of course, much has changed in just a few short months, and protocol for volunteers looks different than it used to. We compiled some resources on volunteering with COVID-19 regulations in mind. We’ll reference this list each week in Volunteer Nation, so take a few moments to familiarize yourself with what’s new and different.

COVID-19 Resources for Eventers

Volunteers Adapt to the New Normal

Volunteers Weigh In on New COVID-19 Protocols

As always, you can earn merit points when you donate your time through the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program. Registering to volunteer through EventingVolunteers.com makes it easy and seamless to both find a job and shift as well as learn what your role will entail.

In addition, I’d also like to take a moment to encourage you to find other ways to volunteer your time or skills within your local community. Perhaps there is a therapeutic program or an access program geared toward lower income riders. Even if you don’t have a lot of money to donate or a vast amount of hours to spare, sometimes just reaching out to ask how you can help can yield rewarding opportunities. If you’re not sure where to start, one popular source for volunteering opportunities is VolunteerMatch.org, which of course spans all facets of volunteering. I’d also love to compile a list of equestrian access programs and other related nonprofits, so if you have one we should know about please tip me by emailing [email protected].

Here is a look at the events looking for volunteer help this coming weekend. Remember to stay safe and socially distanced!

Event: Winona Horse Trials
Dates: Today through Sunday, July 5
Address: 31407 Schneider Rd, Hanoverton, OH, 44423
Position(s) Available: Event Prep – General, XC Decorator, FEH Conformation In Gate Steward, YEH In Gate Steward, General Help, Greeter, XC Control, XC Jump Judge, Dressage In Gate Steward, Dressage Score Runner, Floater, Secretary – Awards, SJ Jump Crew, SJ Score Input, SJ Scribe, XC Score Input, XC Score Runner, Hospitality Helper, Safety Steward

Event: Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials
Dates: Today through Sunday, July 5
Address: 8715 N River Rd, Paso Robles, CA, 93446
Position(s) Available: Dressage Scribe, Dressage Steward, XC Jump Judge, Dressage Score Runner, SJ In Gate

Event: Maryland International CIC & HT
Dates: Today through Sunday, July 5
Address: 1235 Park Mills Road, Adamstown, MD, 21710
Position(s) Available: Event Prep – General, SJ Start Timer, Dressage Score Runner, Dressage Steward, XC Crossing Guard, XC Jump Judge, Shuttle Drivers, Dressage Warm-up, SJ Jump Crew, SJ Warm-up

Event: Larkin Hill Summer Horse Trials
Dates: Today through Monday, July 6
Address: 515 County Route 312, North Chatham, NY, 12132
Position(s) Available: Event Prep – Dressage, Event Prep – XC, Event Prep – SJ, Stabling Check-in & Trailer Parking, XC Jump Judge, Dressage Score Runner, Parking Steward, SJ Jump Crew, Event Takedown

Event: Pine Hill GHCTA Combined Test
Dates: Saturday, July 4 through Sunday, July 5
Address: 1720 Hwy 159 East, Bellville, TX, 77418
Position(s) Available: Hospitality Helper, Greeter

Event: IEA Leg Up Schooling HT and CT
Dates: Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5
Address: 7105 S. Kern St., Edinburgh, IN, 46124
Position(s) Available: Event Prep, XC Warm-up, XC Jump Judge, Event Takedown, SJ Jump Crew, SJ Out Gate

Other opportunities for volunteering:

We are still looking for some volunteers for the SGHTs this weekend! Please contact Carol Jones if you can help (her info is below).

Posted by MSEA-CCC on Tuesday, June 30, 2020