Honestly, I think Jon Holling has a gambling problem and needs to be cut off. First there was that time in 2012 when he promised to streak the Bromont sign if he won the CCI3*, which he did, with Downtown Harrison.
Then there are all the stupid football bets he’s made with Buck Davidson. Jon is for the Green Bay Packers, Buck is for the Philadelphia Eagles, and when one or the other team loses the losing party’s fan is relegated to wear the other team’s jersey throughout the weekend at an event — including but not limited to cross country. I seem to recall Jon last wearing Eagles gear at Ocala Jockey Club last year, and me being like, “Ya lost, eh? Sorry.”
It cuts both ways, sometimes. Photo courtesy of Jon Holling.
But now Jon, perhaps buoyed by the Packers’ first winning season since 2016 last year, has made his dumbest bet of all: a pledge that if we can get to the next $50,000 benchmark for frangible fence fundraising, “I will get a tattoo, #FrangibleNow, right across my ribs. But we gotta get there before the next horse leaves the startbox.”
“So the next 50 grand, I’ll get the tattoo and I’ll video it so you guys can see me cry. Alright let’s do it.”
No Jon, no. This is not OK. I know it’s a cause you care bone-deeply for but …. this is why you can’t have nice things, especially a long weekend in Vegas. Have we learned nothing from the Eagles? Have you consulted your wife, who has always presented as a very pragmatic human being, about this? What if the next horse doesn’t leave the startbox until 2023? You’ve done enough for this sport without also desecrating your body with a tattooed hashtag.
So here’s the plan, EN: Let’s raise the money, but no TOO much. Just like … an extra $49,999 m’kay? Because Jon Holling is a man of his word, and his heart is in the right place, but also I am genuinely concerned about him.
With the support of the USEA Foundation, a dedicated group of organizers, and a matching grant the fund has already raised over $200,000 of the $500,000 goal.Read up on the latest efforts here. The Frangible Technology Fundraiser was launched on March 2 in order to provide funding directly to organizers to build nearly 500 frangible tables at all USEA recognized events across the country. Can you help (a little, but not TOO much bc nobody wants to see Jon Holling cry).
It has been across the nation twice, once in a horse trailer and once in a moving van. It has been under the muzzles of about 20 of my horses and a few more that I didn’t own but rode and loved. It has had a lot of use and abuse over its 30 year history.
As far as I can tell, it might be the world’s oldest water bucket, at least, it’s my world’s oldest. I bought it from a catalog and had it shipped to me when I was in California, keeping horses in Woodland Hills. It was stood on for braiding to compete at Moorpark and Ram Tap and traveled to Coconino and Lily Glen and hung in portable stalls and wooden polo pony pens and on pine fence rails with haystring looped over the handle.
Then it went back to the Northwest with me and met Cindy Burge in Washington and helped carry fencing tools when I helped her build the Deep Creek Horse Trials. It followed my horses as they shipped all over the west, and then when I moved east, it came along, too.
It went into a racing barn for a while and was used for all kinds of things — carrying water, grain, bandages, grooming tools, and then when we bought our place it helped create our farm.
The bucket held tools, and paint, and backbreaking rocks that were picked up by tired hands from the track and in the ring we built. It held jump cups when my jumps got built and set up. It held boots for the barnful of horses that were exercised every day in the barn when we were busy and full. It sat sentinel in the barn aisle as it held many things safely and proudly.
It got scratched a bit, and knocked around, and hoof oil spilled in it that was a real pain to get out. It accidentally got into the garbage can a couple of times, and I rescued it at least twice. It was lost for about a year in the tractor shed, half buried under an old pallet that I thought was on a half a cement block, and which held heavy round bales – and survived. It’s biggest injury was to its handle while sitting in the barn aisle.
Its big tough metal handle got run over by a hay wagon one day. It was bent almost in half, squeezing the bucket almost shut, and I was afraid it was a goner. I stopped unloading the hay, and tried to fix it by pulling the handle back out, but didn’t have quite enough strength to get it back the way it was.
When my boyfriend heard the sadness in my voice when I told him it was probably done, he went out to the barn in the night, after a very long hard working day, and turned on the barn lights and heated up the handle with a torch and put it on the anvil and banged it back to shape and put it back on the bucket, and that kindness made me cry. That was its toughest injury, but it survived.
It had a pretty easy life after I bought new feed tubs and water buckets a couple years ago, and it held fencing supplies for a long time in the storage room. Recently I needed a bucket for something and decided to empty the fencing stuff into another container, and I set it aside, empty, for another use.
Because right now we all have a lot of time to fix and clean, I picked it up today and thought, “it needs a scrub.” And I took it to the wash rack, the old familiar bump on my leg as I carried it, and it brought back memories of the horses who drank from it. While I scrubbed it and rinsed it, I knew it was still working. Helping me think of the good days.
An old bucket holds your hopes and dreams, while you fill it with water and hang it up, or grab it and fill it with tools and walk with it banging your leg, reminding you it is still working.
Its sturdy, thick bottom won’t let that hope run out. Its heavy metal handle won’t break and won’t bend under the strain of worry and stress. It promises to hold what you need, and when you get back to the barn, it is there — might be dusty, might be scratched — but it is available for duty.
It’s just an old bucket, just something in the barn that has been around for a long time.
If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say? That’s the topic of an ongoing series by Equestrian Marketing Firm Athletux. Today five-star rider and U.S. Eventing Team rider Will Faudree shares her letter.
As I sit down to write a letter to my 15-year-old self my mind starts seeing a movie trailer directed by Tim Burton … A lot of bright colors that you wouldn’t put together but somehow it works so here goes.
I need to talk with you. You spend all your time in the barn, don’t worry it is where you are supposed to be. You are not actually that good at anything else, so I am so proud that you recognize this now and you can focus to make this your career and reality. It’s not going to be easy or smooth the whole time. In fact, a lot of it is going to be hard. Really hard.
I am so proud of the fact that you have shown the passion and drive to be in the barn with a bunch of girls, all the time. In fact, I know — you feel like one of them (this will make sense as you get older).
You have always been the black sheep, and that is OK. That’s why you started taking jump lessons — you will not believe where all those jump lessons are going to take you.
The dreams and hopes you have and write about in every English paper; they are going to come true. You are going to graduate high school, move to the east coast, and pretend to go to college, though it won’t last too long.
You will get a new horse because the ones you brought with bring with you have absolutely no scope and are what you will call as you get older, leg hangers.
This new horse will change your life. He will take you to your first five-star, he will take you to your first senior team and win team gold! You will even get to do Badminton and Burghley. You will go to Athens as the traveling reserve and even place 4th with the Team at the WEG in Aachen. This is all going to happen by the time you are 24 with not a lot of knowledge of how you got there or how he got you out of the distances you got him to.
The friendships and advice you will get will shape who you become. You will be told that your success is all because of your horse. That will be true, but what you may not know at the time and what I want you to remember is what this horse teaches you. Your work ethic, your drive, your focus. That is what you will gain and take to many other horses in your future.
One thing I want you to remember is not to ever expect one horse to fill the shoes of the next. That is advice you will get from an Icon. You will have more success, but you will hit the ground a lot more than you bring home the blue. There will be great heartache from the horses. Remember with great success comes great responsibility and with heartache, there will be a lot of pain, in all aspects (especially when you break your neck). There will be more heartache than success, and you know what? That is OK, because it makes the good even better. It is all worth it. Don’t ever forget that.
Your life outside the horses will remind you why you keep yourself consumed with the horses. Remember when you were young and loved being at the barn with all the girls … well that’s because you’re gay. It will take you until your 30s to be able to tell your family. Give them time, it took you 30 years to accept yourself. You will fall in love, you will get your heart broken. Always Love hard, but don’t ever become hardened.
The hardest thing you will ever have to do is carry your sister’s casket to the grave, you will rely on everything your horses have taught you to get you through this. All of the friendships you have made, that work ethic, drive, and focus. You will never stop celebrating her, missing her, or loving her. You will continue to cherish and champion your family, and you’ll give one hell of a best man speech at your brother’s wedding to his high school sweetheart.
The horses you will get to meet, they are all amazing. Enjoy them, learn from them, listen to them, remember to always accept, and never expect. This is true for all areas of your life. Never lose your soft side.
You are going to be left off teams when you think you should be on them and likewise, you will be put on some that you don’t see coming. Keep believing in what you do. Keep dreaming, keep wishing. Keep your head up through the hard parts … It is a beautiful life.
P.S. You will never be able to sing well, really sorry.
Love, Will
Equestrian Marketing Firm Athletux is proud to be one of the longest running agencies in the business, working exclusively with equestrian brands, athletes and events. Athletux understands your audience, utilizing innovative and creative ideas to build your brand and image. By integrating a passion for all things equine with drive and knowledge, you will achieve unparalleled results. Think of Athletux as an extension of your team, providing highly specialized tools to take your business to the next level. Learn more about how Athletux can help you revolutionize your business today. Visit athletux.com for more information, or follow along via social @athletux.
Happy Tuesday! You guys hanging in there? We’re all in this together — and the best news is that today is Cinco de Mayo, so go self medicate with a margarita!
With no competitions last month, the USEA got creative to determine how to nominate the April Horse of the Month. Winston, a 13-year-old Morgan cross sealed the deal with his impressive dance moves. [USEA Horse of the Month: Winston]
We all have those pictures in our head: visions of a floating dressage test, the boldest and most seamless of cross country runs, and a smooth as silk stadium round. But we also all know that’s not the case all (most) of the time! Area III young rider Savannah Blackstock has put together a video montage of some of those, shall we say, less savory (but highly hysterical!) moments. Haven’t we all been there, really?
EN’s sister site Jumper Nation has teamed up with top, respected riders who we love for both their horsemanship and their creativity with exercises they use at home. Each week, they’ll be bringing us a new grid or exercise to try at home. You’ll be primed and ready for the show ring when we are able to get out there again! This week’s exercise comes from Doug Payne. Want even more? Click here.
This exercise consists of:
Trot poles set on the side of the arena
A low (approximately 18″) oxer in the middle of the ring, with ground poles set 8′ to either side
Bending line, approximately 54′ with some flexibility from the oxer to a set of 3 verticals set 9′ apart (bounces)
On the other side of the oxer, two bending lines: One approximately 54′ to a set of verticals 18-21′ apart; another to a vertical-oxer line set also 18-21′ apart
It is okay to start with all rails on the ground instead of jumps. Keep the jumps low for confidence
Doug Payne explains: “This exercise is all about the angles and footwork. It can be either mentally challenging and physically easy, or mentally easy and physically challenging – that way, you won’t get into trouble. You can do the exercise in parts and put it together as you go. I have the oxer set up in my ring every day and like to do a figure 8 over it or a circle, then move on to other parts of the exercise. You can also start with even just the trot rails, then move on and do the trot rails to the bounces.
“When setting up the angled jumps, use less angle with young horses. Also, if you’re using placing rails and the oxer is very small, you may need to roll them in to 7′ instead of 8′. You can even bring all of these jumps down to be completely rails on the ground.”
The beauty of this exercise is that when the horses, land, they have something to do. They learn that it is to their advantage to land in a good shape, go straight, and listen to the rider. They also quickly learn that they need to be aware of their feet. This exercise won’t prevent the horse from making mistakes; it encourages him to be careful and to focus. The horses learn that the rider is there to help them out, but if they run through the rider or aren’t listening, there is a price to pay (an uncomfortable jump, a rail, etc). The overarching goal is for the horse to focus without losing confidence (hence why the jumps should be kept on the lower side).
Doug offers the following specific additional suggestions:
Hot horses. Jump the oxer from the canter, then go straight to the bounce, then to the trot poles.
Lazy horses. Throw things at them quickly. Be mindful if they pause or stall off the ground. You can even “bait” them into being lazy (just sit there), and then give them a tap with a dressage whip at the base.
Unimpressed horses. Do a small warm up, then go right into a course. Incorporate a rollback to the bounces. Make a course out of the whole exercise rather than doing it in parts so they keep seeing new things and maintain focus.
Doug Payne and Starr Witness (USA). Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
About Doug Payne
Doug Payne is a 5* event and Team USA PanAm gold medalist. He also competes in Grand Prix show jumping and has won numerous Grand Prix classes most recently at HITS Ocala. Doug additionally is an FEI dressage and USDF silver rider. He is a USEF judge, author of The Riding Horse Repair Manual, and clinician. He is also a mechanical engineer and a pilot. DP Equestrian is based in North Carolina in the summer and South Carolina in the winter. To learn more about Doug Payne and DP Equestrian, click here and be sure to “like” and follow Doug on Facebook and Instagram.
the market for a new four-legged partner? You may find your unicorn on our sister site, Sport Horse Nation. To help with the search, we’re going to feature a selection of current listings here on EN. We include the ad copy provided; click the links for videos, pricing and contact information.
As the owner of three grey horses, I may be biased, but I think greys are the way to go! Grab your purple shampoo because here’s six listed for sale on Sport Horse Nation:
Sadly offered for sale as owner is returning to school is Gandolph The Great, a 16Hh, 2011 OTTB, grey gelding. He has been produced by an amateur adult rider up to Training at a premier event facility in Louisville, KY. He has no cross country jump penalties and does all three phases in a snaffle! He is very attractive and scores consistently in the low 30’s in dressage. Gandolph is very sweet with no vices and is an easy keeper. He loads, clips, lunges, has automatic changes and good feet. Gandolph is best suited for a young rider or adult amateur looking to compete and be competitive through the levels in Eventing. Clean pre-purchase in December 2015, xrays and PP exam on file. No injuries or undsoundness during his career. Contact Martha Lambert for more information. Located in Kentucky.
Grace- 11 yr old 16.3 hh Thoroughbred Mare. Grace is an attractive mare that was home bred, she has graceful gaits and flying lead changes!! She has always been very successful and prosperous in the eventing world, scoring effectively and always taking home ribbons! Grace is tremendously willing to please and has never refused a jump, she is also an extremely brave horse that will always give 110%!! This horse does not know the meaning of the words can’t do it. Don’t let this one slip by!!
Only selling because of college, SERIOUS inquiries only!! Call or text Richard at (870)377-1793. Located in Arkansas.
Uproarious – “Rory” is a 2011,16.2 hand OTTB gelding. Rory is a very attractive and athletic gelding that would suit many people looking for a fun and competitive Eventing partner. He has competed through the modified level and has been brought along correctly since retiring from the racetrack as a 4 year old. Rory has potential to move into the upper levels of the sport and would suit a JR/YR or competitive Amateur wanting to have fun at the lower levels. Some X-rays available on file. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia.
This incredibly talented horse has successfully made his transition into the world of dressage competition. He easily qualified for USDF Regional Championships at his first two competitions early in the 2019 season. Image Ofa Prince aka Fred is showing an incredible knack for collection and has already begun schooling half steps. This horse has FEI potential stamped on him. Fred has a great attitude and incredible trainability. Fred is suitable for a Jr/Young Rider of Adult Amateur rider in a program, but has the talent to be a professionals horse. Fred is best suited for an intermediate/advanced rider.
Fred is jumping small courses and is ready to start showing over fences! (pending the end of the quarantine!) Fred is a solid 1st level horse, Fred is ready to show 2nd level and is schooling 3rd. More photos and videos available. Fred has also been xc schooling, including banks, ditches, and water. Located in Kentucky.
6yo, 16.1h Gray Registered TB Gelding. Handsome, great bone and warmblood looks. He’s been ridden by all levels of riders. Hacks out nicely alone or in company. Jumping all types of lower level fences. Super willing, goes in a snaffle, clean legged, nice feet, no vices and SOUND. An easy ride as is or to bring along for many disciplines. Also a nice enough mover to excel in Dressage. Flying changes, no problem. Great around the barn and trailering. Located near Aiken, SC. 12K Negotiable.
Little Brooke Cruise. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.
Little Brooke Cruise “Brooke” is a 2012, 17.1 hand, Irish Sport horse mare out of Cruising. She was imported from Ireland at the age of 3 and has been competing successfully ever since. Brooke is currently competing training level eventing with lots of potential to go further in any discipline.
Brooke is uncomplicated, safe and brave. She can take a joke and runs on auto piolet during cross-country. She is very consistent in the bridle for dressage and has three beautiful gates. She has a very professional attitude and acts the same at home as she does at shows.
Brooke exceeds in everything she does and would do wonderful in any direction you wish to take her. She self-loads, clips, and ties and would make the perfect addition to any family. Only selling because I am a college student and no longer have the time for two horses. More videos available upon request. Located in Kentucky.
“When an accident happens you don’t have to completely overhaul everything, but you have to calmly look back at it and say ‘what are the problems and where do we have it right?’” explains Jonathan Holling, chair of the USEA Cross-Country Safety Subcommittee. “The reality is that the officials have been doing a pretty good job, and I think that a lot of what we have been doing has been making things safer. We just need to find where we can do even better.”
The USEA Cross-Country Safety Subcommittee was formed in May 2017 after a restructuring of the USEA Safety Task Force. The current members are Jonathan Holling, Sara Broussard, Mary Coldren, Tremaine Cooper, Max Corcoran, J.M. Durr, Lesley Grant-Law, Andy Griffiths, Jay Hambly, Malcolm Hook, David O’Connor, Doug Payne, Morgan Rowsell, Katlin Spak, and David Vos. The Subcommittee reviews all accidents that happen on cross-country at USEA recognized events and identifies current and potential concerns as well as actions that can be taken to improve the safety of the sport for both horses and riders.
The Subcommittee has been meeting regularly and has decided to put forward several proposals. “Not any one of these things is going to fix the problem. In reality it is a high-risk sport and we are looking at minimizing the risk,” Holling said. “I think these four things can help minimize that risk – having different layers of safety or regulation helps improve the safety of the sport. It is not a realistic goal to say there will be zero accidents, a realistic goal is to minimize the risk of the sport. I think it is okay to compete in a high-risk sport and not to be okay with accidents or fatalities as long as you are doing everything you can to minimize risk.”
1. Increasing Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) and Rider Categorization
Following the Subcommittee’s analysis of recent accidents in the U.S., Holling said that he believes the biggest piece that needed to be addressed is rider qualification. He wants riders to have more of a base of knowledge and ability than what the current MER standards demand.
“We looked at records of very successful upper level riders – Olympic caliber riders – and what we found that in most cases (virtually all of them) did two to three times more than what our minimum requirements are to be able to move a horse up,” said Holling. “When we looked at that we said, ‘maybe we don’t have right what we are requiring for the base of the sport.’ We felt pretty strongly, and the data confirmed, that one way we can increase the skill of riders and the horsemanship and relationship between the horses and the riders is to raise the minimum eligibility requirements. In a nutshell, people will have to do more at a level before they can move up.”
While each national level has a different set of requirements, a good example is the Intermediate level – currently horses are only required to achieve MERs at four Preliminary level horse trials (and one can be with 20 cross-country jumping penalties). “I had a horse this year entered to move up to Intermediate, and at first I thought maybe I hadn’t done enough Preliminary horse trials with him, but when I looked I had done nine and all of them were clear and good,” shared Holling. “It just shows you – as an Advanced level rider – I am debating moving this young horse up and I have already done over double what was the minimum requirement. Just because you have done the minimum doesn’t mean it is right, but it gives you a baseline idea of what should be done.”
The Subcommittee is still working out the final wording of the proposal, which would then need to go forward to the appropriate committees of the USEA including the USEA Board of Governors before moving to the USEF, but the proposal would also include rider categorization or licensing similar to the FEI.
“Depending on what level you have successfully competed to in the past you can move up the levels a little bit easier, but even an ‘A’ licensed rider in our proposal would still have to do what we do today. But we suspect that even the ‘A’ licensed riders will end up doing more than the minimum because overwhelmingly they already are. When you look back at the records of those top horses who are winning five-stars now – most of them spent a lot of time at the lower levels.”
2. Minimum Performance Standard for Show Jumping Phase
The Subcommittee has recently proposed a rule change to have show jumping rounds at the Training level and above which incur five rails or more result in compulsory retirement when show jumping precedes cross-country. A similar rule is already in place in the UK, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. The Subcommittee worked with EquiRatings and the statistical analysis showed that there is a significant correlation for those who had four rails down in show jumping with horse falls on cross-country. “We felt like it was strong enough evidence and putting our horsemen hat on and it felt like it made sense to propose the rule,” said Holling.
3. Dangerous Riding, the Watch List, and Empowering Officials
After the 2008 safety crisis, wording was added to the USEF Rules For Eventing under EV112 Dangerous Riding which allows for the President of the Ground Jury to designate one or several deputies to be spotters on cross-country for dangerous riding. These deputies can include eventing officials who aren’t at the event in an official capacity, USEA ICP Certified Instructors at Level III or IV, and riders who have represented the U.S. at the Olympics, World, or Pan American Games. The deputies are provided with radios and red flags and can stop riders after communication with the Ground Jury.
Holling said that this rule worked really well for a while, but hasn’t been utilized terribly well recently. The Subcommittee voted to send a memo to all officials reminding them to use this tool especially if there is a certain area they can’t see on cross-country or if they are spread thin with show jumping and dressage going on at the same time.
If an official sees dangerous riding they have the power to penalize riders 25 points, eliminate them, or issue a warning card. The rider can also be added to the USEF Watch List.
4. Frangible Technology Fundraiser
The Frangible Technology Fundraiser was launched on March 2 in order to provide funding directly to organizers to build nearly 500 frangible tables at all USEA recognized events across the country. With the support of the USEA Foundation, a dedicated group of organizers, and a matching grant the fund has already raised over $200,000 of the $500,000 goal.
Can you help our sport reach the next benchmark on our fundraising for frangible fences? Jon Holling issues a challenge — and it involves a tattoo.
“The Frangible Technology Fund is just one piece,” continued Holling. “Having that table be frangible isn’t going to solve the problem by itself, but it will help minimize the risk.”
Last week the first communication on how to apply for grants was released to organizers. Qualified organizers will be receiving a $1,000 plus a Mim table kit.
The USEA Cross-Country Safety Subcommittee is dedicated to mitigating risk in the sport of eventing. If you have questions about the actions being taken please contact [email protected].
We say it time and time again, but the eventing community is a pretty terrific one, particularly in a crisis. After Sussex-based Lauren Sapsted’s yard burned down last week, she was touched to receive donations of crucial kit from all corners of the horse world to help her look after her horses and ponies, all of which were saved from the blaze. But one act of kindness stood out amongst the rest – Australian Olympian Andrew Hoy and his wife Stefanie drove three hours to personally deliver a carload of tack, rugs, boots, and chocolate to Lauren. A truly five-star gesture. You can help donate to rebuild Lauren’s business here.
National Holiday: Star Wars Day. May the fourth be with you…nerds.
Your Monday reading list:
There’s a ‘glimmer of hope’ for the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials this year, says director Liz Inman. The event has pushed back the on-sale date for tickets for this year’s event as the organising team awaits more information from the British government. Fingers and toes firmly crossed. [‘Glimmer of hope’ for Burghley as ticket sale dates change]
Love Jimmy Wofford? (Who doesn’t, amiright?!) Then you’ll delight in this excerpt from his forthcoming memoir. Travel back in time to Jimmy’s childhood and discover cavalry influence, Olympians ’round the breakfast table, and the curious case of the three-phase elimination. Great distraction while you work on coffee #1 of the day. [The End of the Cavalry]
Want more Wofford? Sure thing. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying revisiting Kentucky history – and learning a thing or two – with this selection of his photo analyses across the years. Anyone else using the old stair method to work on their lower leg while stuck at home? [A Look Back at Jim Wofford’s Annual Kentucky Three-Day Event Critique]
This essay from a frontline worker and lifelong horse lover lends some gentle and poignant perspective while many are separated from their beloved horses. They’ll still be there after the pandemic – and so will all your dreams and goals (and missed distances, soz). And if you struggle with your mental health and usually self-medicate with barn time? There’s a support system in place to look out for you. [Horses help us through hard times, but sometimes we need more]
If you haven’t seen your horse in a while, you might be wondering if he’ll remember you after lockdown lifts. This fascinating piece takes an in-depth look into the social recognition skills of horses, and it’s great news – your horse doesn’t just remember you, he probably actively misses you. Prepare for a joyous reunion, and bring plenty of carrots. [The Long-Awaited Reunion: Will My Horse Remember Me?]
2017 Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class is the FEI’s Horse of the Month. Want to relive some of the high points of the remarkable gelding’s career so far? Curious to know what he’s up to at the moment with Oliver Townend? Check out the full story. [Horse of the Month: Ballaghmor Class]
Monday video from Fleeceworks: A trip down medal lane
The utterly marvellous Tina Cook goes back through eventing history with Alice Fox-Pitt in the latest instalment of the Team Fox-Pitt YouTube channel. And yes, she’s every bit as lovely in ‘real life’ as she is in this video.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Jan Byyny’s first U.S. Team Horse, Shared Dreams. He touched the lives of many, and enjoyed a successful career and happy retirement. Jan shares his story.
Jan Bynny and Shared Dreams won team gold and individual bronze at the Fair Hill Pan American Games. Pictured: Will Faudree, Bobby Costello, Jan Byyny, Stephen Bradley. Liz Cochrane was Whitey’s groom. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
I want to let everyone know that Shared Dreams (“Whitey”) has died. He was 26.
Whitey came off the track and barrel raced before a young rider bought him and then sold him to my then husband, Craig Thompson, and me as a five-year-old. He was one of those horses that always looked old even when he wasn’t — a small, 15.2-hand flea-bitten gray. Originally he was Craig’s horse and then I took over the ride. He gave anyone confidence because he sought the flags, and if you got anywhere close to a jump, he would jump it.
Whitey almost died when we first got him; he had some kind of allergic reaction and collapsed. Dr. Nancy Carr, Craig and I spent all night with him, and in the morning he finally got up and never looked back. He was a cribber but he never cribbed on anything, and we thought he was narcoleptic because he would put his head in his feed tub and fall sound asleep. He was the most unassuming horse and I never thought he would really be anything, but he always showed up. He had an unorthodox jumping style, with his head straight in air, and everyone tried to change him but they couldn’t.
Whitey was the horse that got me on my first U.S. team. I qualified for Rolex in 2003 and Phillip said I should go to Kentucky, so I did. We jumped around clear, staying on the time, but the last three jumps I was so amazed that we had done so well I I started worrying I was going to make a mistake and pulled back a bit, causing 1.2 time. We ended 10th at both of our first Kentucky, and went on to the Pan Ams at Fair Hill, the last time they were held as a 3 (now 4)-star, where the U.S. won Team Gold and Whitey was individual Bronze.
Eventually, I sold Whitey to Katherine Shipley, who evented him for a while, and then he went to Maggie Sharp Carter, who competed Whitey and then was able to retire him at her grandparents’ beautiful farm in Kentucky. He was loved by so many and I was truly lucky to have him in my life.
Whitey’s last owner, Maggie Carter, son Wesley and Whitey. Photo courtesy of Maggie Carter.
