Classic Eventing Nation

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Announces Cancellation of 2020 Renewal

By on May 22, 2020 7:07 am -

Pippa Funnell raises her silverware at Burghley in 2019. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is the latest major event to fall victim to the widespread cancellation of events due to COVID-19. It follows closely on the heels of the announcement that Scotland’s Blair Castle International Horse Trials – also sponsored by Land Rover – would not run in 2020, which means that the UK has now lost all its CCI4*-L and CCI5* fixtures for this year.

Says Sir Richard Jewson, Chairman of the event’s committee, “One of the joys of being involved with Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is to be continually reminded how much this iconic event is loved by the many who create, take part and attend. We are so appreciative of the support and cooperation that we have received at this difficult time, not least from our title sponsor Land Rover. We wish everyone well in these uncertain times. We must now focus our efforts on planning the 2021 event, which all of us are sure will be a special celebration.”

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class look at their best at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

The cancellation of Burghley is its first since its inception in 1961, and it marks the third and final Grand Slam leg to go to ground this year. This means that Pippa Funnell, who won here in 2019, will remain the live contender as the 2021 season gets underway.

2020’s season now sees just two five-stars left standing. Les Etoiles de Pau, scheduled for October 22-25 in the south of France and the debut Maryland CCI5* at Fair Hill, set for 15–18 October, are both currently planning to run.

The 2021 renewal is set to take place from September 1–5. 2020 was set to be course designer Captain Mark Phillips‘ final year; next year’s course is set to be designed by Derek di Grazia, best known for his Kentucky courses, though we may see this handover date pushed back a year to allow for a final year for Phillips.

We look forward to being back in situ at this biggest and boldest of events, but in the meantime if you’d like to get your Burghley fix, the team has kindly provided free access to a number of videos on its website. Click here to relive every second of the 2019 event, and click here to watch highlights programmes dating back to the ’90s. Our verdict? It’s hours of utter bliss that might help you forget that 2020 is basically just a badly-maintained muck heap of a year.

Friday News & Notes from World Equestrian Brands

By on May 22, 2020 12:03 am -

Flashback Friday from upper level rider Lisa Barry! Photo courtesy of Lisa.

I never got to compete this spring before the cancellation of everything, so it’s been a really long weird winter season for me, only slightly improved by the generally good weather and good horses. Let me tell you though, a cold snap with rain and freezing temperatures this week has really brought my spirits down, and I did not want to have to dig out all my winter sweaters and coats again! C’mon mother nature, cut me a break here, it’s almost June!

National Day Calendar: National Vanilla Pudding Day

News From Around the Globe:

Have a Sport Horse Nation matchup success story? Send a photo to [email protected] to be an upcoming EN banner ad cover model. Faraway shots are the best as it’s a long, skinny banner ad. This week: just to get the ball rolling, we’ve got a pic of EN editor Leslie Wylie with her SHN perfect pony match-up, Princess. [Sport Horse Nation]

As the horse world slowly opens up, racing has announced that the Belmont Stakes will run on June 20th. Usually the last and longest leg of the Triple Crown, this topsy-turvy year will feature the Belmont as the first leg, and slightly shorter at a mile and an eighth. The purse has been reduced to $1 million and no spectators will be permitted. The Kentucky Derby is slated for September 5th, and the Preakness for October 3rd. [Belmont Stakes Rescheduled for June]

Using your time at home to make a personalized musical freestyle? Or maybe just an awesome TikTok? Either way, finding the perfect music for your horse’s rhythm is no mean feat. With this guide, you’ll be on your way to creating that viral video in no time. [How to Match Music to Your Horse]

Best of Blogs: Your Horse Community Will Have Your Back in a Crisis

Thursday Video: Yes, There IS an Order in Which You Should Be Using Your Brushes

By on May 21, 2020 6:18 pm -

#ProGroomTips Grooming Brush Order

You asked, they answered! Kicking off our #ProGroomTips series is Emma Ford of World Class Grooming for Horses and Head Groom at Phillip Dutton Eventing! Learn more about the order she uses her grooming brushes to get the best results ✨🐴

Posted by USA Para Dressage on Wednesday, May 20, 2020

We all know that great grooming plans a big role into the overall health and happiness of a horse. Even the most sensitive horses often find their grooming routine to be invigorating — but do you ever feel yourself going cross-eyed at the selection of different brush types available?

Seriously — present me with too many options and it’s just a bit of overload. Luckily, there are resources such as pro grooms like Emma Ford and Cat Hill, who created the beautiful grooming bible that is World Class Grooming. In this new video, Emma shows us what her go-to brush and tool order is for everyday grooming. Might as well use this downtime to really get into a great deep-grooming routine!

Get Your Season Up and Running at Stable View Farm

By on May 21, 2020 1:38 pm -

Julie Richards and Things To Ponder at Stable View. Photo by Christine Rhodes.

As eventers, all of our experiences during the past couple months of lockdown have been different. Some of us haven’t gotten to ride much at all, if any, due to Covid-19 restrictions. Others have been letting up on fitness but doubling down on their “homework,” making the most of the break to refocus on the basics. Irregardless, we’ve all got a bit of rust to scrape off as we gear up to make a return to our sport.

Stable View Farm in Aiken, SC, has endured a ruthless 2020 thus far. Between tornadoes ripping through the venue in February and the cancellation of much of its spring season due to Covid-19, including its hotly anticipated March FEI event, the venue has been in crisis management mode for much of the year. Yet, they’ve dazzled us with their ability to adapt and innovate, from their “Show Must Go On” mentality in the aftermath of the tornadoes to their creation of a Virtual Dressage Show series to keep riders motivated and improving in the absence of a spring show season .

Now, in recognition of our community’s need for opportunities to rev our engines in advance of recognized events, Stable View is offering yet another incredible resource: a series of late spring and summer shows, both schooling and recognized, to get you and your horse back in the swing of things. From dressage shows to Eventing Academy events, hunter/jumper rounds to cross country schooling days and even a hunter pace, Stable View’s calendar offers a number of avenues for tuned up in all three phases.

Yesterday, Stable View kicked off its reopening with a Schooling Dressage Show that was well supported. This weekend’s Eventing Academy has record entries. We expect the warm reception to continue. Stable View’s first recognized event, its Summer Horse Trial, takes place June 19-21 and will feature Beginner Novice through Advanced divisions.

Stable View is leading the way as an exemplary example of an event that is being conscientious of the current environment (view Stable View Farm’s social distancing guidelines here) and also sensitive to the plight of competitors in these uncertain times, generously offering a full refund should their June USEA horse trials get canceled for any reason.

“We’re on our way!” says Stable View owner Barry Olliff. Indeed. See below a roster of upcoming events from May through August 2020.

May 4-27
Stable View Virtual Dressage Show sponsored by Attwood Equestrian Surfaces
Entry Information

May 20
Stable View Schooling Dressage Show
Ride Times
Info & Entry Form
Enter Online Here

May 23 – NEW DATE
Stable View Eventing Academy Schooling Day
Information
Pre-Register for Open Schooling

May 24 – NEW DATE
Stable View Eventing Academy Show
Entry Status
Information & Entry Form
Enter Online

May 30
Schooling Hunter Jumper Show
Enter Online

June 6 – NEW!
Stable View Hunter Pace
Part of the Celebration Series
Info & Entry Form
Online Entries

June 13-14
USEF/USDF “Summer Solstice” Dressage Show
Prize List

June 19-21
USEF/USEA “Summer” Horse Trials
BN-A
Omnibus

June 27
Schooling Hunter Jumper Show
Enter Online

July 11-12
USEF/USDF “Only in America” Dressage Show

July 18
Stable View Eventing Academy Schooling Day
Information

July 19
Stable View Eventing Academy Show
Information & Entry Form
Enter Online

July 25
Schooling Hunter Jumper Show
Enter Online

August 8
Stable View Eventing Academy Schooling Day
Information

August 9
Stable View Eventing Academy Show
Information & Entry Form
Enter Online

August 12-13
USEF/USDF “Too Hot to Trot I” Dressage Show

August 15-16
USEF/USDF “Too Hot to Trot II” Dressage Show

August 29
Schooling Hunter Jumper Show
Enter Online

Learn more about Stable View Farm by visiting the website here. 

Weekly OTTB Wishlist from Cosequin: Topsy Turvy Triple Crown

By on May 21, 2020 10:00 am -

The show must go on, and the 2020 Triple Crown will indeed happen — just not how it usually does.

We knew it wouldn’t be a normal year when the Kentucky Derby was postponed until September and the Preakness Stakes to October due to COVID-19, but there’s an extra bit of strangeness added to the whole situation as it was recently announced that the Belmont Stakes, which was originally scheduled for June 6 will instead be held on June 20 and will be run sans-spectators. It will also be shortened from its usual 1 1/2 mile distance to 1 1/8 miles and the purse reduced from $1.5 million to $1 million.

This means that, what is normally the last and longest leg of the Triple Crown, will serve as the first leg of the three race series this year and there will be 15 whole weeks between the first and second races. It’s been a weird, weird year already — so what’s a little extra oddness added to the Triple Crown to make things really unique?

Here are our three OTTB picks of the week — could one of them be a jewel in your crown?

Roman Tizzy. Photo via CANTER CA.

Roman Tizzy (ROMAN RULER – TIZAKITTY, BY DISTINCTIVE CAT): 2009 16.2-hand California-bred gelding

Roman is a real warhorse ready to show you that he can find success in not one, but two careers. A veteran of the track, “Roman” raced 53 times and earned $261,814 before retiring in 2018. After a nice long vacation that has left him feeling rested and refreshed, he’s been back under saddle for the last few months in a training program full of arena work, trail rides, and turnout time. Those currently working with him have found him to be an energetic guy who has thrived being a program where he’s working 5-6 days a week. It really seems like this guy wants to and really has the potential to thrive in a new sport!

Located in Del Mar, California.

View Roman Tizzy on CANTER CA

Precious Concern. Photo via Retired Racehorse Project Horse Listings.

Precious Concern (JUSTENUFFHUMOR – OMSHANTI, BY CONCERN): 2013 16.1-hand New York bred mare

Precious Concern was first re-homed a few years ago after retiring from racing, where she made six starts with no top finishes, in 2017 with a bowed tendon. She was fully rehabbed and went on to compete in some eventing and show jumping with her owner. Unfortunately, due to a divorce, she’s now back with her race trainer (that part isn’t unfortunate — her race trainer obviously cares where their horses land!) and looking for a new person. Why don’t you take her home and see what she can do with you?

Located in Chestertown, Maryland.

View Precious Concern on the Retired Racehorse Project Horse Listings.

With Highest Honor. Photo via CANTER MN.

With Highest Honor (MAGNA GRADUATE – SWEET FANTASTIC, BY YANKEE FAN): 2011 16.1-hand Nebraska-bred gelding

“Honor” came off the track in May of 2019 and was originally re-started by a teenage pony clubber who rode him several times a week and started him over fences. He’s since continued to work under folks at CANTER’s Minnesota branch and his riders there confirm that he’s a good solid citizen and can be ridden safely in or outside the arena and really brave (though still green) over fences. He really has the zest and eagerness to jump and has the potential to be a great event horse for someone, but that someone needs to be willing to invest the time into doing proper flatwork with him so that he can strengthen his back and carry himself with more balance.

Located in Minnesota.

View With Highest Honor on CANTER MN.

Thursday News & Notes from Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS)

By on May 21, 2020 12:03 am -

Photo via Virginia Horse Trials FB.

My unabashed favorite competition announced yesterday that they have rescheduled the Virginia Horse Trials spring competition to July 21-24th, which is exciting news. As events start to slowly come back to the calendar, I’ll be very interested to see how they implement proper safety and how riders manage in this new weird world. Hopefully the summer won’t be too full of craziness!

National Day Calendar: National Strawberries & Cream Day

News From Around the Globe:

Have a Sport Horse Nation matchup success story? Send a photo to [email protected] to be an upcoming EN banner ad cover model. Faraway shots are the best as it’s a long, skinny banner ad. This week: just to get the ball rolling, we’ve got a pic of EN editor Leslie Wylie with her SHN perfect pony match-up, Princess. [Sport Horse Nation]

Winona Horse Trials is delighted to be rescheduled for July 3-5 and it opened yesterday! Hosted at Stone Gate Farm in Ohio, the Winona HT encourages all riders to read the new protocols posted on their site and get excited to see everyone from a distance in July. [Winona Horse Trials]

As part of mental health awareness month, riding coaches in the UK will have free access to mental health training until the end of August. Due to the challenges of the current world, organizers felt it was important to remove the financial restraints for participating in the courses. The aim is to help coaches increase their knowledge of mental health, and their confidence when incorporating the learning into their teaching practices. [Equestrians Mental Health Courses in UK]

Feel Good Of The Day: Mare Fosters Three Orphaned Lambs

The final CCI4* of England has been cancelled with the announcement of Blair Castle being removed from the calendar. This means there will be no CCI4* events in Britain at all in 2020. Slated for the end of August, England is not opening for competitions as we are in the US, and does not expect to be ready by that time. [Blair Castle Cancelled]

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: The Fulton Showdown

By on May 20, 2020 6:20 pm -

We’re loving all the creative web series and ideas that are coming out of this long period stuck at home, and the latest one on our radar is #WhoKnowsWho, brought to you by Athletux. First in the firing line is Woodge Fulton and her sister Grace, who take on Athletux’s challenge with aplomb. Who would you like to see take the challenge next?

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The horse that matters to you matters to us®.

Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? Kentucky Performance Products, LLC is here to help. Call 859-873-2974 or visit KPPusa.com.

FEI Eventing Rider Rankings: Current Leaderboard & How It Will Be Calculated Going Forward

By on May 20, 2020 12:36 pm -

Oliver Townend has held the #1 ranking since September 2019. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

There hasn’t been too much movement on the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings leaderboard lately, for obvious reasons — in fact that haven’t budged an inch since the March 1, 2020 update. Since none of us have been frantically refreshing the Rankings page lately, here’s a reminder of where we’re at:

FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings (updated May 1, 2020):

#1. Oliver Townend🇬🇧 – 554
#2. Tim Price🇳🇿 – 542
#3. Christopher Burton🇦🇺 – 515
#4. Piggy March🇬🇧 – 504
#5. Tom McEwen🇬🇧 – 441
#6. Lauren Nicholson🇺🇸 – 408
#7. Boyd Martin🇺🇸 – 394
#8. Michael Jung🇩🇪 – 377
#9. Cathal Daniels 🇮🇪- 368
#10. Stuart Tinney🇦🇺 – 36

Other U.S. riders inside the top 50 include Doug Payne (#19), Phillip Dutton (#20), Liz Halliday-Sharp (#35), Lynn Symansky (#37) and Tamie Smith (#40). View the complete list here.

Ordinarily, the rankings are based on the riders’ best six performances over the past 12 months. Rankings roll over for a 12-month period; i.e. at the end of each month, the points earned during that month are added to the list and the points from the same month the previous year are dropped. Only the best six scores from the season count towards the final tally.

How, then, to proceed in the face of so many canceled or postponed events?

On April 1, the FEI Board approved the following mitigation policy for the rankings until the calendar returns to “normal”:

Beginning on April 1, 2020 the period during which Ranking points remain valid will be prolonged by one month and will continue to be prolonged for an additional month with each new Ranking until the competition calendar returns to normal worldwide. Points earned in Ranking competitions at events that take place during this period will continue to count; the maximum number of results that may count for each Athlete remains the unchanged. In practical terms, this means:

  • The ranking established after 29 February 2020 remains unchanged (points valid for 12 months: best results at events taking place between 1 March 1, 2019 and 29 February 2020)
  • The ranking established after 31 March 2020 will be calculated based on the best results at events taking place between 1 March 2019 and 31 March 2020 (points valid for 13 months)
  • The ranking established after 30 April 2020 will be calculated based on the best results at events taking place between 1 March 2019 and 30 April 2020 (points valid for 14 months)
  • The ranking established after 31 May 2020 will be calculated based on the best results at events taking place between 1 March 2019 and 31 May 2020 (points valid for 15 months)
  • and so on until the competition calendar returns to normal.

A working group will recommend to the FEI Board at what point the competition calendar is deemed to have returned to normal worldwide. As of that date, the rankings will continue to be calculated over the extended time frames above, guaranteeing there will always be at least 12 months of normal competitions included in the calculation of the rankings.

The new system provides a level playing field for all our athletes as ranking points can still be earned in countries where the sport is able to continue, regardless of the length of time the current situation lasts, but athletes in countries where the sport is on hold will not lose points. An athlete’s ranking points can only improve, not decrease during this period, as the relevant number of best results in each discipline still applies.

Twelve months after the competition calendar is deemed to have returned to normal globally, the time frame during which ranking points remain valid will be decreased by one month with each new ranking until the standard 12-month rolling timeframe has been reached.

You can view an archive of FEI Board Resolutions & Calendar Task Force Decisions during the Covid-19 affected period here. Resolutions specific to eventing may be viewed here, and we broke them down for you on EN here.

Go Eventing. (Soon-ish?)

#EventerProblems Vol. 227, Presented by Haygain: Saddle Pad-Aholics Anonymous

By on May 20, 2020 9:30 am -

The more the merrier, right? Online shopping has made more than a few unnecessary purchases possible. Here’s that, plus your latest batch of #EventerProblems:

View this post on Instagram

It should never be a question of should you ride, only a question of how long it's going to take you to get to the barn. That spiral of insecurity can happen so fast, leaving you feeling a little lost and preeeeetty tired 😴 Lucky for me I got caught before it was too late and had a bowl of Mac n Cheese and an amazing #horsehubby waiting for me when I finally made it home. 💖 It's #sunsoutgunsout season and your horse doesn't care if your breeches are a little tight cowgirl 🦄🥰 #justride . . . #brantley #againsttheodds #teardropwinken #aqhaproud #eventerwannabe #eventingnation #goeventing #teamqh #sayiwont #weride #controlhaltdelete #eventerproblems #bodyimage #mentalhealth #youvegotthis

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We built a faux-ditch! Daisy was a no-nonsense supervisor and kept us on track! Beginner novice sized and we will put black mulch in it tomorrow after the paint has had some time to dry. We decided to paint it so that even if the mulch is sparse or washed out, it’ll still be “ditchy”. We originally were going to dig real ditches but I think these will be more versatile and we can move the bigger ones (when we build them) with the tractor, but I can move this little one around the field by myself! Would anyone like to know how we made it? . . . .#eventer #eventersofinstagram #eventhorse #horse #ottb #ottbsofinstagram #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #equestriansofinstagram #dressage #dressagehorse #jumper #showjumping #jumpersofinstagram #eventerproblems

A post shared by Angela M. Lenning (@amlenning) on

Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus.

We are committed to improving equine health through scientific research, product innovation and consumer education in respiratory and digestive health. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse.

Our Haygain hay steamers are recommended by the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine vets and ComfortStall® Sealed Orthopedic Flooring System is used and recommended by leading Veterinary Hospitals, including Cornell University.

Wednesday News & Notes from Ecovet

By on May 20, 2020 12:01 am -

Are you and your horse dreaming of this?? Loch Moy Farm is open for schooling!! We have our XC schooling course open,…

Posted by The Maryland Horse Trials @ Loch Moy Farm on Friday, May 8, 2020

It’s great to see venues beginning to open back up for schoolings and lessons. My social media feeds are filling back up with gleeful cross country schooling posts, which definitely helps make life feel just a bit normal again. It’s pretty nice, I have to say.

Weird National Holiday: National Be a Millionaire Day…uh, yes? Please? Where do I sign?

News & Notes:

Looking for some advice on reopening your barn after lockdown? The American Horse Council put together some guidelines that you may find useful.

When should you restart your OTTB? Retired Racehorse Project blogger Christine Olsen has some advice for getting that brand new ex-racehorse going in his or her new career.

Worried about losing progress after not riding for a few weeks? Never fear, you are definitely not alone! NoelleFloyd.com spoke with Dr. Jenny Susser, Ph.D. about mentally coping with the effects of the pandemic.

Have a Sport Horse Nation matchup success story? Send a photo to [email protected] to be an upcoming EN banner ad cover model. Faraway shots are the best as it’s a long, skinny banner ad. This week: just to get the ball rolling, we’ve got a pic of EN editor Leslie Wylie with her SHN perfect pony match-up, Princess. [Sport Horse Nation]

What we’re listening to: To celebrate EquiRatings’ fifth Birthday, Nicole Brown talks to Sam and Diarm about the journey so far and plans for the next five years. [Equiratings]

Wednesday Video Break: A new twist on “cool perspective” from Doug Payne and Starr Witness!

First real #jump day back from the 🦠 downtime for the #bigguys. There are only a couple of horses I would trust to give this a shot, the #ginja came through! #asyoudo #closer #jumper #eventing #starrwitness

Posted by DPEquestrian LLC on Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Independent Study: Ecovet Outperforms All Other Repellents* in Both Efficacy and Duration

A 2019 research study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology confirms that, in head-to-head comparisons with other fly spray products, Ecovet is the most effective at inhibiting flies AND Ecovet lasts the longest. Watch the video to see the study results in action, and learn more about how Ecovet stacks up against other fly sprays > eco-vet.com/study