Classic Eventing Nation

Christina Henriksen & JTH Zest Come Out on Top of Red Hills CCI3*-S

Christina Henriksen and JTH Zest. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Christina Henriksen has put in the work with the talented mare JTH Zest, producing her up to three-star level over the last four years, and today lofty goals came to fruition in the form of a blue ribbon earned by winning the Red Hills CCI3*-S.

JTH Zest, a 9-year-old British Sport Horse (Zamboucca x Maybee Baybee, by Mayhill), produced two fault-free jumping rounds this weekend to finish on her dressage score of 33.9.

“She’s a wonderful mare. She’s not always easy and things have to be her idea and her way, but as she’s gone up the grades she’s developed her own unique way about all three phases. Now as long as I’m clear about what I’m asking and stay out of her way on cross country and show jumping, she gives me her whole heart,” Christina said.

Christina looked sure and determined today, but she says that confidence hasn’t always come easily, and competition butterflies have often been more of a hinderance than a help until she really started focusing on her mental game last year.

“I always feel pressure and I’ve really struggled with nerves in the past. This time last year I started training with Brian Murphy, and he’s really helped me with that,” she said. “He’s helped me with this mare to get her jumping well and for me to ride her in the best way possible. I think because of all the work I’ve done with Brain over the last year, I was able to go in and not think about anything except that I wanted to give this mare the best ride I could.”

Lauren Nicholson and Landmark’s Monte Carlo. Photo by Shelby Allen.

The experienced duo of Lauren Nicholson and Landmark’s Monte Carlo finished second after also delivering a clear round. Jacqueline Mars’ 14-year-old Irish/Thoroughbred Cross (Formula One x Glamour) finished on a score of 34.

Lauren also landed Vermiculus inside the top five. Jacqueline Mars’ 13-year-old Anglo Arabian added nothing in the final phase to close the weekend on a score of 36.6.

Kyle Carter and Gaillard Lancer. Photo by Shelby Allen.

The crowd collectively gasped when a rail fell late in the course for overnight leaders Kyle Carter and Gaillard Lancer. The four penalties dropped Savannah Blackstock’s 9-year-old KWPN (Diardo x Urlanto) into third place with a result of 36.6.

Full brother to second-placed “Patty,” Landmark’s Monaco finished fifth with Kimmy Cecere in the irons. The 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse/Thoroughbred, who is also owned and bred by Jacqueline Mras, finished on his dressage score of 38.6.

Alyssa Phillips and Oskar. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Alyssa Phillips secured the win in the Red Hills Advanced division today with her and Julie Phillips’ Oskar.

The the 11-year-old Holsteiner made easy work of the course, adding nothing to their overnight score of 38.9.

“I didn’t know how we’d come out after jumping yesterday. I know we didn’t go very quick, but it’s still a bit track and he hasn’t jumped show jumping after cross country at the Advanced level yet, so this was a big test,” Alyssa said.

Today was significant for Alyssa in more ways than one, making this win even more impactful.

“This is actually the day my father passed away eight years ago, so this win is for him,” she said. “The last time he saw me ride was at Young Riders back in 2011. He made me the competitor I am today.”

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Marilyn Little piloted RF Scandalous, a 14-year-old Oldenburg (Carry Gold x Richardia, by Lario), owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars and Phoebe and Michael Manders, to second place on a score of 41.2. The pair had a double clear round today.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Flash Cooley.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Pru Dawes’ Flash Cooley were third. This was the 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s debut at the level. He finishes on a score of 46.1 after a fault free round.

Fourth place went to Jennie Brannigan and Twilightslastgleam. The pair produced a clear effort to finish on 50.2 points. Will Coleman and Don Dante were fifth after having one rail and 0.8 time penalties for a three-day result of 55.9.

Go eventing.

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#IWD2020: Eight Fearless Women Who Changed the Face of Eventing

Celebrating International Women’s Day may seem incongruous in a rare sport that allows women to compete as equals against men, but we’re all about girlpower here at EN. So to celebrate, we’re taking a look back at some of the remarkable women, both past and present, who have helped to shape the sport of eventing into what it is, and through their own incredible efforts, have given all of us the chance to fly vicariously with them.

Lana duPont Wright

Though equestrian sports are celebrated for their gender equality these days, eventing’s military roots meant that women weren’t always welcome on the competitive battlefield. From 1912 — when eventing first appeared at the Olympics — until 1924, only military officers could contest this topmost echelon of the sport. From 1924, the door was widened to allow male civilians to compete — but it would be another four decades before Olympic eventing would become a level playing field.

All this was to change at the 1964 Tokyo Games, where the sport of eventing would see its first female Olympian.

The daughter of Olympic trapshooter and prolific racehorse owner Allaire duPont, a young Lana duPont was raised in a household that was — possibly unwittingly — fiercely feminist for the era. But it wasn’t just an innate toughness and competitive spirit that Lana would inherit from her mother — a love of horses and the countryside, too, passed from one generation to the next. Lana would spend her formative years in thrall to fox hunting, learning how to cover the Maryland terrain on a collection of Thoroughbreds.

In 1964, she was named to the US equestrian team and travelled to the Tokyo Olympics with her Maryland-bred Mr Wister. Though their competition wasn’t to be without its dramas, they would finish the Games on the podium, having helped the USA to a team silver medal.

Recalling her cross-country round, Lana said: “We fell hard, Wister breaking several bones in his jaw. We were badly disheveled and shaken, but Wister was nonetheless eager to continue. We fell a second time near the end of the course, tripping over another spread. When we finished, we were a collection of bruises, broken bones and mud. Anyway, we proved that a woman could get around an Olympic cross-country course, and nobody could have said that we looked feminine at the finish.”

Lana would go on to help found the US Combined Training Association (now US Eventing), and would compete at World Championship level in combined driving, as well as fostering an interest in competitive endurance riding.

Anneli Drummond-Hay

Anneli Drummond-Hay and Merely-a-Monarch. Photo courtesy of Badminton Horse Trials.

Nearly twenty years after the birth of Badminton Horse Trials – and, really, the birth of the sport in the United Kingdom – a second top-level international event would appear on the scene. The year was 1961, and the extraordinary Burghley estate in Lincolnshire was opening its gates to the best horses and riders in the country, and the people who loved to watch them, too. The pressure to compete — and to compete well — was on.

But for all this, a 24-year-old Anneli Drummond-Hay hadn’t actually had much match practice with her remarkable six-year-old, Merely-a-Monarch, before she put in her entry to the new and prestigious event. Though she had plenty of experience herself, having previously won the Pony European Championships and topping the annual leaderboard of British riders three times, this would be an altogether different challenge. Undeterred, she and the horse — with whom she’d largely contested showjumping, and who hadn’t experienced any water more taxing than a puddle in the lane — set out with one goal in mind: simply come home safely. After all, she hadn’t even intended to enter Monarch, but her intended mount was out of action, and so he would have to do.

They would lead the dressage by 30 marks and, drawn last to go on cross-country, they were greeted by the news that everyone else in the field had had at least one fall, many of them at the Trout Hatchery, where a hole had formed in the footing on the landing side of the jump into the water. With this in mind, Anneli nursed her young horse around the course, choosing the less popular log option into the water and coming home with the only clear round of the day. An unsurprising clear round over the poles the next day meant that victory was theirs by an astonishing margin of nearly 34 points. The next year, they would also take top honours at Badminton — this time, by 42 points.

Afterwards, conscious that her beloved horse was now worth an enormous sum of money, and buoyed on by the fact that women were now allowed onto the Olympic showjumping team, Anneli turned her attention back to jumping coloured poles with considerable success.

Sheila Willcox

Despite her incredible legacy, the late Sheila Willcox wasn’t born into a remotely horsey family. Instead, she once described her household as being “entirely suburban, based on business and academic careers and given to rugger, tennis, and bridge-playing.” Nonetheless, she was inexplicably bitten by the horsey bug, and spent her formative years saving up her pocket money so she could afford pony rides along the beach on holidays. Her parents eventually defected, and she was allowed to join the Pony Club. This, of course, swiftly became the primary focus of her life – so much so that her unwitting father bought her an unbroken pony in order to persuade her to head back to school without a fuss. Sheila was only ten years old at the time but nevertheless, she set about the great new challenge of training the two-year-old ‘Folly’.

Not long after, Sheila discovered the joys of competing – and moreover, the joys of victory. After being awarded her first rosette at a local fair, she vowed to be the very best at riding, saying: “to wear a number, to be called by name into the ring and walk, trot, and canter around with the other ponies – this was halcyon bliss…at the same time I determined that no matter which branch of equestrianism I should eventually take up, I should strive to emulate the leaders.”

A successful junior career riding show hacks followed, after Sheila’s parents deemed showjumping rather too unladylike to be proper. But Sheila wanted more of a challenge and, at the age of seventeen, she came across the sport of eventing. Like many profoundly bonkers teenage girls thereafter, she was instantly committed, and set about on the hunt for a horse that she might be able to turn into an eventing star.

Eventually she found that horse in the form of High and Mighty, or ‘Chips’, a seven-year-old dun by a Thoroughbred stallion and out of a Highland pony/Arab-cross mare. Though neither horse nor girl had any real formal training, Sheila undertook the job with aplomb, consulting a well-worn copy of Dressage by Henry Wynmalen for guidance. They won on their first attempt at eventing, in a Novice (Prelim) class at the now-defunct Hovingham Hall Horse Trials, and the British Horse Society got in touch to suggest that, down the line, Sheila might consider lending the horse to the British team for use at the Olympics.

And here we get to the crux of what really makes Sheila’s legacy so remarkable: she paved the way for women when the sport, though still refreshingly genderless in most spheres, only catered to men for Olympic berths. Impossibly glamorous and relentlessly fierce, Sheila refused to bow down to the whims of the BHS, and she rode as though she had a point to prove – perhaps because she did. As one of eventing’s suffragettes, she made it clear that the ‘lady riders’ could play with the big boys – and she did so by setting a remarkable Badminton record that no one has yet beaten.

 In 1955, she began training with Colonel Edy Goldmann, who was one of the first British trainers to promote a German-style focus on dressage. Paired with Sheila’s single-minded competitiveness, the result was formidable, and after a good showing at Harewood Horse Trials, Sheila and Chips were offered a place on the British team at that year’s Turin International. Sheila was the only female rider in the competition…and she won it.

In 1956, after just a year and a half of eventing, she and Chips headed to Badminton. They were placed second after the dressage, and accumulated the maximum number of bonus points in the speed and endurance phases, but even their clear showjumping on the final day couldn’t push them ahead of the legendary Frank Weldon and Kilbarry. They retained that second place all the way through until the bitter end – and overnight, British selector Ted Marsh had bought the horse on behalf of the team. As consolation, Marsh promised that if Chips returned from that year’s Stockholm Olympics in one piece, Sheila would be allowed to take him to Badminton the next year.

As it turned out, Chips didn’t even make it to Stockholm – instead, he went lame whilst in training at Windsor. But Sheila attended the Games herself – not as a competitor, which wasn’t allowed, but as a member of the media, commenting on the action for l’Année Hippique. The British team took gold, but Sheila felt she’d been hard done by: “Harking back to the controversy over allowing women competitors in the three-day event, and without wanting to appear a militant feminist, I still think the element of danger is in ratio to intelligent riding, and that should an unlucky accident happen to a woman instead of a man, she will show equal fortitude and endurance, as well as possibly less sustained shock due to the relief of feminine tears. No one would be surprised to see me passing the finishing post crying bitterly and feeling much better for it, but it would cause something of a furore if [Laurence] Rook or [Frank] Weldon came home dripping tears over Sissi or Kilbarry!”

After the Games, Sheila was able to buy her ‘lame’ horse back from the team. He promptly came sound again, and they won their ’57 Badminton prep run. Then it was time to head to the main event, made doubly special by the fact that Sheila’s 21st birthday fell on cross-country day. Fortunately for her festive spirit, she and Chips found themselves in the lead after dressage and, with a fast clear under their belts, still at the top of the pack by the time her party began at a nearby hotel. The crowning glory of the party was her colossal birthday cake – it was made to look like an elaborate cross-country course, with 21 fences artfully constructed along the top. Around them was a castle, some streams, and some carefully constructed terrain – and, of course, a tiny replica of Sheila and Chips popping over the final fence.

By all accounts, the party was a roaring success. At 3am, Sheila had to forcibly remove the revellers so she could get some sleep – but in true eventing fashion, she was able to get the job done the next day. The Badminton title was hers.

The next year, the remarkable pair took the crown again. This time, they would do it by the widest margin ever seen to date or since – they led the dressage by 22 points and ultimately won an astonishing 47 points clear of the next competitor. That autumn, Sheila and Chips headed to the European Championships in Copenhagen, and won both team and individual gold – this made Sheila the first woman ever to win the Europeans. Afterwards, Sheila gave High and Mighty to Ted Marsh to ‘retire’ into the Heythrop hunting field, but nevertheless, she was able to continue her quest to be the very best. The seven-year-old Airs and Graces had only been eventing for six months by the time he headed to Badminton in ’59, but he won it easily, giving Sheila the last of her unrivalled three consecutive wins. In 1964, she took a fourth title, winning ‘Little Badminton’ – a separate class run over the same course but for horses with minimal winnings – with Glenamoy.

In 1971, Sheila suffered a catastrophic fall at Tidworth Horse Trials, and was left partially paralysed. Determined not to give up riding, she swapped her focus to pure dressage and went on to compete successfully at the Grand Prix level. But she was also an enormously influential figure to the next generation of event riders: one of her rare and notable students was Mary King, who worked her way up to being Sheila’s head girl.

As it turned out, the ferocity of spirit and determination that made Sheila such a formidable competitor made her a notoriously tough employer and trainer, too.

In her 2009 autobiography, Mary King reflected: “my days would begin at 5.30am and, before I even got on a horse, I realised that the stable management was extraordinarily thorough. Mucking out was a very strict procedure; the floor had to be ‘clean enough to eat from’ and you had to move the straw back completely…no more than one pile of poo was allowed in a stable at any one time. Windows were Windolened inside and out once a week and there mustn’t be a cobweb in sight. Sheila Willcox was a perfectionist who left no stone unturned.”

In lessons, too, Sheila demanded the highest standards from her staff: “Sheila would say, ‘don’t you dare fall off!’ and the fact that I was much more scared of her than I was of a rearing and bucking horse made me stick on. It was very educational.” But, says Mary, “my two and a half years there turned out to be fantastic training and the broad base on which I have built my career.”

Lucinda Green

Killaire and Lucinda Green. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

The Queen of Badminton? Absolutely. The Queen of Eventing? Many would argue so, and quite compellingly too. Lucinda was just nineteen when she took her first Badminton title in 1973 riding Be Fair, her Pony Club eventer who had taken her to team gold at the ’71 Junior European Championships. Be Fair was out of a mare called Happy Reunion, but he wasn’t planned progeny – in fact, he was borne out of an illicit liaison between the supposedly barren Happy and her field companion. The guilty colt in question would go on to contest Badminton himself – he was Fair and Square, ridden by Sheila Willcox.

Lucinda – then Prior-Palmer – had her first ride around Badminton with Be Fair in ’72. She later recalled in an interview with Debbie Sly, “I walked the course with Mark Phillips, who just kept saying ‘You want to kick here…I should keep kicking here…’ It didn’t seem to matter what type of fence we were looking at, the advice seemed to remain the same: just keep kicking! By the time we got to the end of our course-walk I had a streaming nosebleed from the stress of it all.”

Despite the nosebleed – and a runout at the walls as a result of her slippery leather gloves – Lucinda finished fifth. The following year she and Be Fair would return, and this time, they’d produce a nearly foot-perfect round – just one minor reroute due to an erroneous lack of martingale marred their cross-country, but they escaped penalty and took the title.

In an interview with Country Life, Lucinda said: “It was ridiculous: I was 19, it was my second attempt and the horse, Be Fair, had been my 15th-birthday present. Winning Badminton happens to other people, doesn’t it, but, as I drove home, in my little converted ice-cream van, with Be Fair’s ears just inches behind my own and my dog, Oliver Plum, beside me, I heard on the six o’clock news: ‘Today, Badminton Horse Trials was won by…’”

In 1976, Lucinda took her second Badminton title, but her victory was arguably superseded by the tragic death of her mount, Wideawake. The 16hh gelding (Hereward the Wake x Serenade) had been a tricky character, and Lucinda had poured all her energy into building a partnership with him.

She recounted to Debbie Sly, “Wakey really did not like me very much when our partnership began; he once even squashed me against the partition of the lorry with great purpose to the extent that I had to shout for help, and he seemed to take great delight in being as annoying and unhelpful as possible. He would back you into the corner of the stable and leave you there, he would wait until the mucking out bin was full and then tip it all over the clean floor, and when you tried to put his boots on he would wave his leg around until it connected with your knee or your toe. He was an extraordinary horse; sensitive without being highly strung. Once he galloped loose up the drive; a van was coming down the road and the two collided, sending Wakey flying over the bonnet and onto the other side of the road. He escaped with a few scrapes and bruises but his fear of traffic – the only fear he knew – remained with him always.”

In winning Badminton, it seemed as though all the hard work had come good – as Lucinda put it, “I had finally learnt to ride him as he needed to be ridden.” That required doing as little as possible – Wakey didn’t like to feel even the slightest nudge of his rider’s legs, but instead wanted to be left alone to work things out for himself. As the pair waited to begin their lap of honour, Lucinda leant down to hug her mount’s neck. While she did so, the rest of the top-placed horses and riders duly filed out of the arena in order to allow Lucinda to begin the victory gallop alone, as was customary. Just as the final horses were leaving the arena, Wideawake reared up without warning, staggered a few paces, and fell to the floor. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, and the cause was never ascertained.

The following year, Lucinda was back with a bang riding George, the 16.2hh grandson of 1948 Grand National winner Sheila’s Cottage. Though he looked the perfect stamp of an event horse, his competition record was so peppered with falls that Lucinda nearly turned down the ride. But her father had reached the terminal stages of his cancer diagnosis, and life in the Prior-Palmer household was a pretty morose affair, so her parents encouraged her to take the horse on as a welcome distraction. He arrived just a matter of weeks before Badminton and promptly went lame.

Lucinda managed to get him back on the straight and narrow with just enough time to run at a one-day event as practice. To her own great surprise, they won it – and Lucinda began to wonder if she should aspire to more than just survival at their big outing.

She changed her mind swiftly upon starting the second phase. Although George had performed well in the dressage to sit fourth, he set against her hand in the steeplechase and ploughed through most of the fences. But while Lucinda was losing faith, her support team wasn’t – her father even insisted on leading the horse around in the ten-minute box.

“It was their optimism and belief that finally shook me out of my own depths of despondency,” Lucinda recalled.

George responded in kind. As they set out onto cross country proper, he came into his own, jumping around faultlessly to finish within the optimum time and go into the lead. That Sunday was St George’s Day and, as though in recognition of the fact, he jumped yet another foot-perfect clear to secure a third victory for his rider. That autumn, he contested the Open European Championships at Burghley, winning both team and individual gold, and was retired to the hunt field shortly thereafter. Lucinda’s father passed away in the months following her Badminton victory.

Lucinda’s fourth victory came aboard another horse she considered an unlikely champion. Killaire wasn’t naturally fast, and he tended to be a long and low type of horse. But he had managed to finish second at Burghley in 1976, third at Badminton and Ledyard in 1977 and, as Lucinda had been pipped at the post and ‘only’ finished second at Badminton ’78 with Village Gossip, it was felt that it was high time for another triumphant effort. In ’79, Killaire offered just that, digging exceptionally deep to make up the seconds across the country and just beating Sue Hatherley and Monocle, a defeat that Sue never quite got over.

Lucinda, for her part, went on to write a book called Four Square, which chronicled her four wins and four remarkable horses. Quite understandably, she assumed she’d put a cap on her winning by now, and described her ’79 victory as “drawing the fourth and final side, and thereby closing an unbelievable square.” Joke’s on YOU, Lucinda.

“He had an incredible jump, but did everything with his head in the air – he was so ewe-necked that when he galloped along his ears were in your mouth,” said Lucinda of her ’83 victor, Regal Realm, who I’m sure many of us know best as ‘the horse with the really good stats in Equestriad 2001’.

It was fitting, really, that Lucinda should triumph again in this of all years – after all, it was director and designer Frank Weldon’s 70th birthday, and he had created a track that would truly test the mettle of the most experienced and savvy cross country riders. Despite a proliferation of alternative routes for less experienced competitors, who wouldn’t mind adding on a fair chunk of time in exchange for surviving their round, only nineteen pairs recorded clears. Weldon was stumped, and Lucinda laughed her way to the top of the podium once again. After an illustrious career as a team stalwart and medal-winner, he was sent home to Australia to enjoy a sunny retirement, and died at the age of 21.

Lucinda’s final victory came in 1984 aboard the great grey Beagle Bay, the part-bred Welsh pony with whom she’d won Burghley in 1981. Beagle Bay’s great weakness was his intermittent unsoundness, and Lucinda had been disappointed several times at three-days when she’d found herself forced to withdraw on Sunday morning. He also had a bit of pony brain about him, which meant that he could occasionally stop or duck out of a fence purely, it seemed, for the laugh. His “fat pony tummy”, as Lucinda called it, “must have housed a huge pair of lungs as he had tremendous stamina.”

Though Lucinda harboured some hope that she might notch up one more win – “seven is my lucky number,” she laughed – she never quite managed it. Now, she remains a familiar face on the circuit as a trainer, media mainstay, mother of five-star rider Lissa, and as a competitor herself. Long may the Queen of Badminton reign on!

Ginny Leng

Ginny Leng and Priceless take the European Championships.

Ginny Leng – nee Elliott – possesses a laundry list of victories that’s among the most impressive the sport has ever seen. Twice the World Champion, the lucky owner of four Olympic medals, and the first person to win the individual European Championship three times consecutively, she walked so that a certain Mr Jung could run. She was also one of the two first female eventers to win an individual medal at the Olympics, taking home bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, while Karen Stives took silver. But her journey to the top wasn’t without its hardships: she suffered severe anorexia while at boarding school, which she overcame through her determination to be strong enough to ride, and she also came back from a horrific injury that nearly ended her career.

Just six weeks after her 21st birthday in 1976, Ginny was competing at a one-day event at Ermington, which was meant to serve as one of her final prep runs for Badminton that year. Near the end of the course, her horse tiring beneath her, she approached a one-stride double. As she jumped the first element, someone ran across the track ahead of her. Her mount’s attention was diverted and he left a leg at the second element, catapulting Ginny out of the saddle. She put her arm out to break her fall, her elbow locked into place — and as her horse smashed down on top of her, her arm shattered into 23 pieces, from wrist to shoulder.

After some deliberation over cups of tea in the medic’s van, Ginny was taken to the Royal Naval Hospital. A preliminary examination offered little hope, and she was solemnly told that the nerves in her arm had been damaged so badly that amputation was likely and, if not removed, the arm would be paralysed. But the head surgeon, Commander Bertram, decided to give surgery a go anyway. Five operations later, Ginny had an arm that bent at the correct angle — but it didn’t unbend, it couldn’t complete simple tasks, and it didn’t have any feeling.

Still, remarked Ginny, “I learnt to count my blessing through encountering a young girl with Parkinson’s disease and a poor old lady, who had broken both her legs a year earlier and was still in hospital with both limbs encased in plaster. My problems seemed miniscule in comparison and, after taking to them, I used to think to myself: you don’t appreciate how lucky you are.”

With her release papers and no follow-ups or physiotherapy booked in, Ginny set herself a target: she would ride at Burghley just a few months later. She started small, challenging herself to lift a toothbrush, or undo a button, but while she was slowly regaining dexterity and some small, tingling feelings, her arm still wouldn’t straighten. She mentioned her struggle to the vet, Don Attenburrow, and he quite simply yanked it straight. Ginny would go on to compete at Burghley that year after all.

Tough, tenacious, and glamorous, Ginny — who once finished third at Badminton with a broken ankle after Murphy Himself hurled her from the top of the ski jump — helped bring the sport of eventing into the public eye. She continues to give back to the sport, acting as a high-profile trainer, working with the media, and always, indubitably, being rather cooler than anyone else.

Pippa Funnell

Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street take top honours at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Pippa Funnell made sporting history when she became the first-ever winner of the Rolex Grand Slam — and the only person to win it at the long-format — in 2003. But her profound influence on the sport is more human than that.

Pippa struck a chord with the British public when she launched onto the scene. She was young, and scrappy, and she’d made it to the top level on her Pony Club mount — a tick in the box for the nation that invented pony novels. Before too long, she became a poster girl for sport, and in taking the Grand Slam, she proved that she was one of the best the world had ever seen. So when she was brave enough to be candid about her internalised struggles, the world sat up and took notice.

Never afraid of a hard truth, Pippa has been candid about her ongoing struggles with her confidence, which have affected her in myriad ways throughout her career. When she won the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in 2019, fourteen years after her last top-level win, she admitted how close she’d been to giving up in the years previous. Though she’s an almost universal heroine, she also treads an enormous amount of common ground with her fan base, many of whom have dealt with the same issues in some way.

Time and time again, Pippa proved that toughness and emotional vulnerability aren’t mutually exclusive: she’s quick to point out that she ‘isn’t brave’, and when she became one of the first equestrians to use a sports psychologist, she didn’t shy away from admitting it. Now, sports psychologists are as commonplace as gym memberships in our sport.

These days, the conversation around mental health is free-flowing and constructive, and the stigma around dark days, confidence crises, and crippling insecurities has diminished enormously. In a sport where being as hard as nails is often valued above all else, this was never going to be an easy progression — but we have Pippa to thank for bringing the conversation to the table. She’s also a great proponent of female friendship — and we’re a great fan of that.

Ingrid Klimke

“This necklace the reason all of my dates been blind dates…” Ingrid Klimke channels Jay-Z with some podium bling. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

For so long, eventing has seemed like the ultimate one-note sport: although it’s made up of three disparate phases, to be truly successful, a rider must commit all their time and attention to eventing, right? Wrong. Ingrid Klimke certainly isn’t the first person to dabble in multiple disciplines, but in this highly specialised modern era, she’s one of the most successful.

The daughter of late dressage supremo Reiner Klimke, it was perhaps inevitable that Ingrid would inherit an almost preternatural feel for a horse. Though her discipline of choice is eventing — at which she’s a five-time Olympian and a back-to-back European champion — she’s also followed in her father’s footsteps, demonstrating a formidable ability in the sandpit. In 2002, she finished second in the dressage World Cup final and this year, she was named to the potential squad list for the German dressage team at this summer’s Olympics. She’s also one of only two women to be named a ‘reitmaster’ — a special honour within the German Equestrian Federation.

Though Ingrid often feels like she’s attained an untouchable level of celebrity, she remains committed to sharing her training philosophies with anyone who’s interested — and as it turns out, that’s a lot of people. She travels the world giving masterclasses and demonstrations, has written several books and has her own magazine, and she even offers monthly open days at her yard, in which 50 people enjoy a barn tour, the chance to watch two training sessions, and then a coffee break and discussion session with Ingrid. The gospel of thoughtful horsemanship is spreading fast.

Piggy French

Piggy French takes Badminton. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Has a Badminton winner ever been quite as popular as Piggy French in 2019? It would mark the start of an incredible year for the rider, who had never won a five-star before but who would finish 2019 holding the record for the most international wins in a year. But her journey to superstardom hasn’t been straightforward — a spate of terrible luck before the 2012 Olympics nearly bottomed out her business and sent her spiralling into a black hole that she didn’t believe she’d ever come out of. But the eternal grafter persevered, ditching the detritus of a bad break-up and replacing those who hadn’t believed in her with a circle of supporters and friends who always would, and after a while, everything began to put itself back together again.

The rags-to-riches story isn’t a new one, but what makes Piggy so special is the person she’s remained — or even become — through it all. She could be forgiven for having sharp edges these days, but there remains a very relatable softness to her, a sense of humour and a simple love for the horses that translates to every woman in every stable yard across the world. She’s also one of several top-level riders to succeed as a young mum, proving that it really is possible to have it all (but that trophy shelves should probably be built high, lest a sticky-fingered toddler get his paws on a certain bit of silverware!).

We could fill many thousands of words with women who’ve helped to shape this sport — the riders, grooms, coaches, owners, journalists, event organisers, and even the mares who steal our hearts have innumerable stories of their own to tell. We hope that, in time, we can unearth as many of them as possible for you, archiving their achievements in our digital annals. But for now, we raise a glass to these eight women and thank them for what they’ve given us.

Go women, and Go Eventing.

Sharon White & Cooley On Show Crowned Red Hills CCI4*-S Winners

Sharon White and Cooley On Show. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Sharon White was the big winner this weekend at the 2020 Red Hills International Horse Trials, topping the feature CCI4*-S class with her striking grey Cooley On Show.

“Louie,” a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ricardo x Jogantina, by Grand D’Espange), went clear over Chris Barnard’s show jumping course to finish on a result of 44.2.

“I’m thrilled for him. He deserves this,” Sharon said. “It’s so easy for him. he was a little quiet in the warm up — he’s so funny. He can be dead lazy and then like someone just pushes a button, but I know how the push the button now, so I can make it happen when I want. He’s just such a good horse, so the fact that we put it all together is super.”

Leslie Law and Voltaire De Tre. Photo by Shelby Allen.British gold medalist Leslie Law finished in second place with Voltaire De Tre, a 11-year-old Selle Francias (Gentleman IV x Jasmina du Fresne, by Socrate de Chivre) owned by Tre Brooks. The pair knocked one rail for a three-day score of 49.8.

Hallie Coon and Celien. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Third place went to Hallie Coon and Celien. Hallie and her mom, Helen, own the a 13-year-old KWPN mare (Tenerife VDL x R Quicksilver, by Hamlet) who saw two poles fall today. They finish on 50.6 points.

Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Karl Slezak was the top-placed Canadian rider coming in fourth with Fernhill Wishes, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Chacoa x KEC Galway Bay, by Gildawn Diamond) who Karl owns in partnership with Kirk Hoppner. They jumped clear to finish on a score of 50.7.

Chris Talley and Unmarked Bills, an 11-year-old off-track Thoroughbred are fifth. Riding for the Unmarked Bills partnership, the two dropped one rail to finish with 51.5 points.

Jessica Phoenix was sixth with Pavarotti. Her 18-year-old Westfalian (Pavarotti van de Helle x Fidelia) added four jumping penalties for a final score of 51.7. Jessica was also 8th with Watson GS, 21st with Wabbit and 22nd with Humble GS.

Emily Hamel and Corvett. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Seventh place with to Emily Hamel and Corvett, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Corrido x Tina XII, by Clearway) owned by Black Flag Option LLC. They leveled one fence for a score of 52. Maya Black took 8th place with Laurie Cameron’s Miks Master C, an 8-year-old Swedish Warmblood (Mighty Magic x Qui Luma CBF, by Flyinge Quite Easy958).

Overnight leader Brandon McMechan rounds out the top ten with Oscar’s Wild. The pair saw two rails come down before an unfortunate stop at the final fence, a liverpool oxer, to finish with a score of 54.4.

Of the 25 finishers, seven went double clear for a clear jumping rate of 28%.

Liz Halliday-Shrarp and Cooley Be Cool. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Be Cool were awarded the blue ribbon for the CCI2*-S division. This was the 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s (Heritage Fortunus x HHS Carlota) International debut. Owned by Ocala Horse Properties and The Monster Partnership, the newly-minted superstar finished on his dressage score of 27.7.

Liz was also third with Ocala Horse Properties’ Cooley Seeking Fortune, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Heritage Fortunus x Jade Des Cotes), after dropping one rail for a final result of 31.8

Alex O’Neal took second with Pauldary’s Arctic Tiger, an 8-year-old British Sport Horse (Pauldary’s Funky Tiger x Pauldary’s Tigers Touch of Fro, by Pauldary’s Top Tiger) owned by Gayle Davis. The pair jumped clear today to finish on a score of 31.3.

Red Hills International: WebsiteRide TimesLive ScoresEN’s Coverage, EN’s TwitterEN’s Instagram

Two Held, One Spun in Red Hills CCI4*-S Horse Inspection

Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Twenty five CCI4*-S pairs advance to the final phase at the 2020 Red Hills International Horse Trials after this morning’s horse inspection.

Two horses, Unmarked Bills and Clifford M were held by the Ground Jury of Judy Hancock (GBR) and Robert Stevenson (USA). Fifth-placed Unmarked Bills, who is ridden by Chris Talley, was accepted on representation. Charlotte Collier’s Clifford M, who was 10th after cross country, was unfortunately not accepted.

The CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S fields are also smaller by one. Savannah Blackstock’s GarryNdruig Albie was held and ultimately not accepted by the Ground Jury of Vanda Stewart (IRL) and Debbie Rodriguez (USA).

Connor Rollin’s On Target withdrew from the hold box in the two-star division.

The CCI2*-S show jumping is underway now. They will be followed by the four- and three-star divisions.

Red Hills International: WebsiteRide TimesLive ScoresEN’s Coverage, EN’s TwitterEN’s Instagram

Sunday Links from One K Helmets

Who says Brits can’t yee haw? When Tom McEwen’s martingale was causing problems this spring, he obviously undid his reins mid-ride, took it off and rode a few fences with it in his mouth?? Sure, right. What else would you do.

National Holiday: International Women’s Day

U.S. Weekend Action: 

Red Hills International H.T. (FL) [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm March H.T. (SC) [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Southern Pines H.T. (NC) [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

Brandon McMechan and Oscar’s Wild Take the Cake

US eventing community acts to improve safety after rider’s death

Beautiful Bargain: Red Hills competitor shares the story of her $750 horse

Red Hills Trials competition underway in Tallahassee

Hot on Horse Nation: 6 Things You Can Say About Your Horse (but Not Your Girlfriend)

Red Hills: Kyle Carter & Gaillard Lancer Lead the CCI3*-S Class

Kyle Carter and Gaillard Lancer. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Spectators couldn’t have asked for a prettier Saturday at the 2020 Red Hills International Horse Trials, home to the mecca of Tallahassee tailgating. Horse enthusiasts and eventing regulars alike crowded around water jumps to whoop and holler for their favorite combinations.

Kyle Carter and Gaillard Lancer 9-year-old KWPN (Diardo x Urlanto) emerged as the leaders of the CCI3*-S division after battling David O’Connor’s cross country.

“I brought him here last year to do the one-star and we didn’t get around the course,” Kyle laughed. “So we had a lot of regrouping to do last year. Coming into this the plan was to go out on cross country today and not help him as much and try to let him see the combinations and deal with them a little more on his own.”

Luck was more on their side this year. They jumped clear with 4 time penalties to take control of the division on a score of 32.6. Gaillard Lancer is owned by Savannah Blackstock, who is currently sixth in the division with GarryNdruig Albie. The horse is now going on the market, but Kyle confirmed to EN that his dream would be to put together a partnership to keep the ride.

“We bought the horse for her, but she’s just a bit strong and cheeky, so I started riding him and he pretty much went from strength to strength,” Kyle said. “I think he could win a medal at the Worlds or Olympics.”

Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Christina Henriksen is second on a score of 33.9 with her own JTH Zest, a 9-year-old British Sport Horse (Zamboucca x Maybee Baybee). Lauren Nicholson was third and fifth with Landmark’s Monte Carlo and Vermiculus, respectively.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Seeking Fortune. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Photo by Shelby Allen.Liz Halliday-Sharp had a classic switcheroo in the CCI2*-S division. Her dressage winner Cooley Seeking Fortune, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Heritage Fortunus x Jade des Cotes) owned by Ocala Horse Properties, dropped into second, by her second-placed Cooley Be Cool, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Heritage Fortunus x HHS Carlota) owned by Ocala Horse Properties and The Monster Partnership, took over the lead.

Red Hills International: WebsiteRide TimesLive ScoresEN’s Coverage, EN’s TwitterEN’s Instagram

Brandon McMechan & Oscar’s Wild Motor to Red Hills CCI4*-S Lead

Brandon McMecahn and Oscar’s Wild. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Today was Os(k)ar’s day as we saw two horses of the same name leading the feature classes at the 2020 Red Hills International Horse Trials. Brandon McMecahn and Oscar’s Wild lead the CCI4*-S and Alyssa Phillips and Oskar lead the Advanced.

Brandon proved that speed was king today on Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross country track. He and Oscar’s Wild, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred (Whiskey Wisdom x Rax) owned by Michael and Glenn McMechan laid down the fastest trip of the day, coming home just three seconds over the time. Their red hot performance launched them from 18th after dressage into the top spot.

This is the pair’s second season at the level, having made their four-star debut here last year where they finished seventh.

“I have a great horse – today is his birthday, so he wanted to celebrate by putting in a nice, fast round for me,” Brandon said. Happy Birthday, Oscar!

Hallie Coon and Celien. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Tied dressage winners Hallie Coon and Sharon White both settled into second and third place, respectively.

Similarly to the first phase, they were again close to identical today. Hallie was only just faster, finishing four seconds ahead of Sharon, for second place with Celien, a 13-year-old KWPN mare (Tenerife VDL x R Quicksilver, by Hamlet) owned by Hallie & Helen Coon. They added 11.2 time penalties for a two-day score of 42.6.

Sharon White and Cooley On Show. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Sharon White and Cooley On Show are third. She and the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ricardo x Jogantina, by Grand D’Espange), who Sharon owns herself, accumulated 12.8 time penalties for a score of 44.2.

Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre saw themselves move from 14th to 4th after cross country. He and Tre Brook’s 11-year-old Selle Francias (Gentleman IV x Jasmina du Fresne, by Socrate de Chivre) added 10 time penalties to sit on 45.8 points.

Chris Talley and Unmarked Bills. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Chris Talley and the adored 11-year-old off-track Thoroughbred Unmarked Bills also benefitted from a speedy trip. The second fastest of the day, they jumped 17 spots to land fifth with 8 time penalties added for a score of 47.5.

With five rides in the division, Jessica Phoenix’s best trip was aboard her own Pavarotti for sixth place after adding 14.4 time penalties. She’s also 8th with Humble GS (48.2), 12 with Watson GS (52.7), and 22nd with Wabbit (61.5). She retired with Bentley’s Best on course today after having a stop at 14B.

Emily Hamel and Corvett. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Emily Hamel sits in seventh with Corvett, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Corrido x Tina XII, by Clearway) owned by Black Flag Option LLC. They added 12.4 time penalties for a score of 48.

Maya Black piloted Miks Master C. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Maya Black piloted Miks Master C, an 8-year-old Swedish Warmblood (Mighty Magic x Qui Luma CBF, by Flyinge Quite Easy958) owned and bred by Laurie Cameron to 9th place on a score of 49.6, and Charlotte Collier and Clifford M, her 14-year-old Holsteiner (Cristo 5 x Naomi IV, by Carpaccio), hold 10th on 50.5 points.

Alyssa Phillips and Oskar. Photo by Shelby Allen.

The time was equally influential for the Advanced division, and once again we saw the fastest pair — Alyssa Phillips and Oskar — take over the lead.

At 7 minutes and 9 seconds, Alyssa and the 11-year-old Holsteiner owned by the rider and Julie Phillips added 14.8 time penalties to sit on a score of 38.9.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Overnight leaders Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, a 14-year-old Oldenburg (Carry Gold x Richardia, by Lario), owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars and Phoebe and Michael Manders, took an easy, confident trip around today, picking up 21.2 time penalties. That drops them to second place on a score of 41.2.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Flash Cooley. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Liz Halliday-Sharp cruised around with Flash Cooley to hold their third place position. The 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Pru Dawes and Liz had 15.6 time penalties for a two-phase result of 46.1.

As predicted, the clock was the most significant obstacle riders faced today. Of the 29 horses in these two divisions, only three had jump penalties. Of the majority who went clear, only Brandon had less than 10 time penalties.

More quotes from the top

Brandon McMechan: “It really started to click in the last few years. I don’t have to take a lot of time setting him up. I think that’s probably the biggest think – we aren’t out there arguing. We’re out there as a team… after years and years of practice. I was hoping for a better performance yesterday after the dressage, but he won’t win the dressage. Today is the day he makes up ground.”

Hallie Coon: “She was a bit sleepy. We weren’t really set up timing-wise because of what was happening because of the holds, so I got out a bit too early. It was a hurry up and wait situation. Her warm up is so fine tuned at this point – we’re an old married couple, so I know exactly how long it takes,” she said. “I struggled to get her out in front of my leg, but she was such an honest horse. She picked up on the questions and takes care of it no matter where she is as long as I get her there and give her a decent ride.”

Sharon White: “He’s so much fun to ride, so it was definitely a good time. I think the time is just hard, but everyone is in the same boat, so it’s hard for everybody. I wouldn’t have wanted to go any faster on my horse. Mike ES said it best. He designed the course to have riders knock some cobwebs off, and that was perfect. It rode very well.”

Go eventing.

Red Hills International: WebsiteRide TimesLive ScoresEN’s Coverage, EN’s TwitterEN’s Instagram

 

 

 

Red Hills CCI4*-S/Advanced Cross Country Live Updates

The B element of fence 18 on the CCI4*-S course. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1… GO! Have a great ride! Chinch is on site and ready for an exciting cross country day at the 2020 Red Hills International Horse Trials. While there is no live stream, EN will provide minute-by-minute updates of the CCI4*-S and Advanced classes right here. The four-star begins at 11:00 a.m. followed by the Advanced at 12:56 p.m.

The CCI4*-S track is 3795 meters to be run in 6 minutes and 29 seconds, but beating the clock is famously difficult here, so expect time penalties to be influential today. Check out our full course preview at this link.

Red Hills International: WebsiteRide TimesLive ScoresEN’s Coverage, EN’s TwitterEN’s Instagram

2:32 Here’s your top ten from both divisions. The CCI3*-S division has just gotten underway, stay tuned for reports later today!

 

1:55 Alyssa Phillips’ time as 7:06 — that puts her into the lead in the Advanced division with Oskar! Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous are currently second.

1:52 Will Coleman and Don Dante are hunting the fences. They’re clear through 18.

1:51 Clayton finishes clear with FE Stormtrooper.

1:50 Liz Halliday-Sharp zooms through the upper water with Flash Cooley.

1:49 Clayton Fredericks and FE Stormtrooper are clear through the upper water.

1:48 Marilyn Little finishes clear. We eagerly await their time.

1:44 We’ve got three left in the Advanced as Marilyn heads toward the finish.

1:42 Marylin Little and RF Scandalous are clear through 7.

1:38 Lucia Strini and MTF Cooley Classic have a stop at the Boathouse Water at fence 10C, the brush heading out of the water.

1:37 The force was with Meg and Anakin. They finish clear in a time of 7:55

1:33 Steph Cauffman is home clear with a time of 7:43. Meg Kep is clear so far through the upper water with Anakin.

1:30 Beautiful riding through the upper water for Steph Cauffman!

1:29 Jennie Brannigan lays down a clear round with Twilightslastgleam with a time of 7:12.

1:27 Steph Cauffman and Chatsworth Third Revolution are clear through the coffin.

1:25 Jennie Brannigan and Twilightslastgleam are the first out on course in the Advanced.

1:20 Brandon McMechan and Oscar’s Wild are our CCI4*-S leaders after cross country with the fastest trip of the day! Hallie Coon & Celien are second and Sharon White and Cooley On Show are third. The Advanced will start NOW with no break between divisions.

1:19 Jessica Phoenix finishes her fourth jumping clear of the day with Humble GS. Her time of 7:08 giver her a score of 48.2.

1:13 Last pair are on course! Here goes Jessica Phoenix and Humble GS.

1:12 Bobby Meyerhoff and Fotuna finish with a time of 6:54. They add 9.2 time penalties.

1:07 Gabby Ruane finishes clear with a time of 7:26 that gives her 22.8 time penalties.

1:00 Emily Hamel and Corvett go clear through the upper water. Gabby Ruane is on course now. 6th overnight, she’s the only one left who could go ahead of Brandon.

12:59 Leslie Law QC First Class finish clear with a time of 7:14
12:56 Jessica Phoenix is out on the course again with her fourth entry, Wabbit.

12:54 Karl finishes 33 seconds over the time.

12:52 Alex Green and Fernhill Limited Edition are clear through the Boathouse water  Karl Slezak is clear through the upper water at 18

12:48 Leah Lang-Gluscic and AP Prime retire at fence 17.
12:44 Kyle Carter and Reddy Or Not finish clear with a time of 7:25.

12:36 Third-placed Jennie Jarnstrom and Calicia C have scratched. Jennie had a fall earlier in the day, she is ok but out of caution withdrew this 4* ride.

12:31 Hallie Coon and Celien have finished clear! She finished 28 seconds over, just beating Sharon White, who was 32 seconds over. That puts her in second a score of 42.6  Brandon McMechan is our new leader!

12:30 Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre Finish clear. They added 10.4 time penalties.

12:27 Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain  Jack finish clear with time penalties added.

12:24 Chris Talley and Unmarked Bills finish clear with just five time penalties.

12:20 Jessica Phoenix has a stop with Bentley’s Best at the corner at 14B. She elects you retire.

12:16 Good riding from Jennie Brannigan. Bliss III takes a flier into the upper water.

12:12 Sharon White and Cooley On Show finish clear! They have a time of 7:01. That gives them 12.4 time penalties tentatively.

12:08 Ashley Kehoe finishes with a time of 7:47. Everyone is clear so far, but the time is once again proving difficult to achieve.

12:07 Overnight leaders Sharon White and Cooley On Show now on course!

12:06 Maya Black narrowly avoids disaster at the Boathouse Water. She comes out of the tack, but sticks the landing. Nice save!

12:05 Nilson da Silva finished 22 seconds over with a time of 6:51.

12:03 13th-placed Ashley Kehoe and Kiltealy Toss Up are clear through the double banks at Pebble Hill.

12:02 Brandon McMechan comes home clear with the fastest round of the day so far at 6:35

11:59 Brandon McMechan and Oscar’s Wild are clear through the upper water. Riders cross through this complex twice, and it’s riding well so far.

11:57 Holly Jacks-Smither and More Inspiration are tearing around the course. They’re clear through 16 so far.

11:56 Bobby Meyerhoff finishes clear. He does have time penalties. Tentative time TBD.

11:53 Jessica and Pavarotti finish clear with a time of 7:05. That tentatively gives her 14.4 time penalites Bobby Meyerhoff and Albano are clear through the upper water at 18.

11:45 Jessica Phoenix kicks things off for the four-star group with Pavarotti. We are 45 minutes behind the schedule, but will continue to run horses at three minute intervals.

11:26 a.m. Due to holds during earlier divisions, we are running about 30 minutes behind. Stay tuned for an estimated 11:30 start time.

Tour the Red Hills CCI4*-S Cross Country Course

Pebble Hill, fence 10 ABC on the CCI4*-S course. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

It’s cross country day at Red Hills International Horse Trails and we have a very exciting lineup for you today. Mike Etherington-Smith returns for the fifth year as course designer for the CCI4*-S folks, laying out a test that will surely keep tailgaters on their toes all afternoon.

Exploring the magic of Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, it’s easy to forget that we’re here for a competition. The flagged fences weave and dart through gorgeous, established Live Oaks dripping in Spanish Moss like garland hung for a year-round celebration. The park is maintained by the City of Tallahassee, Leon County and the Northwest Florida Water Management District, whose top crew has produced a fabulous surface for galloping.

The Big Leap In, fence 16. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

The entire track is 3795 meters to be run at a 570 meters per minute. There are 23 labeled fences and 35 jumping efforts. Riders will be aiming to come home in 6 minutes and 40 seconds, but the time is famously difficult here, with only five riders finding it possible in the event’s 21-year history. Last year, Selena O’Hanlon became the first to beat the clock three times.

The first of two angled tables jumping into the Boathouse Complex. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

This year’s course shares similarities with the 2019 edition, following it the same direction. For fence-by-fence insider tips,scroll down for a tour of the course from CrossCountry App featuring commentary from Mike ES. It also includes beautiful photos from Shems Hamilton, who has served as the fabulous volunteer photographer for Red Hills for many years. You can view all the Red Hills courses on CrossCountry App’s website.

The CCI4*-S cross country starts at 11:00 a.m. There is no live stream, but EN will be providing live updates, so tune in here for the minute-by-minute action.

Red Hills International: WebsiteRide TimesLive ScoresEN’s Coverage, EN’s TwitterEN’s Instagram

Saturday Links from Nupafeed USA

Don’t forget to mind your melon today and every day! Photo via EN archives (because why wouldn’t we have an archived photo of a cat with a melon on its head?)

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month and the Jockeys’ Guild will be raising awareness for this super-relevant cause by declaring today Brain Injuries Awareness Day and having jockeys in major stakes races across the country wear blue arm bands. Here at EN, we’re strong proponents of wearing your helmet every ride, every time. We also hope that the research being done to increase the safety of our sport will extend to further develop even safer, more effective helmets. Mind your melons, everyone!

National Holiday: It’s also National Flapjack Day, which is what your brain will be if you don’t wear your helmet.

U.S. Weekend Action: 

Red Hills International H.T. (FL) [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm March H.T. (SC) [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Southern Pines H.T. (NC) [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

USEF Letter to the Members Regarding the Coronavirus Outbreak

US eventing community acts to improve safety after rider’s death

Coronavirus: Smaller FEI Sports Forum goes online; what about the Olympics?

Revealed: The secret to getting your horse on the bit, naturally

Mary Quarles: USEA’s Volunteer of the Month presented by Athletux

New grassroots eventing team competition introduced

From Untacked: From Stable To Shelf (Breyer Animal Creations)

Saturday Video: