Classic Eventing Nation

Weekly Training Tip from Kate Chadderton: Selecting the Event Horse

By on Nov 18, 2019 1:00 pm -

Kate Chadderton is an Australian native who operates her competition and training business in Annapolis, MD and Aiken, SC. She’s back again to share weekly tips and advice with EN readers. Keep an eye out for a new tip each week from Kate!

Ask 10 different people, and you’ll get 10 different opinions about what qualities make a good event horse! And each of those 10 people are probably correct. Everyone chooses their preferences based on their experiences with what has and hasn’t worked for them in the past.

For example, if your first horse was a giant monster who ate up cross country for breakfast and scored 28 on the flat plus retired sound at the age of 25, then you probably favour giant monsters of horses! Conversely, if your first horse was a giant monster who was afraid even the tiniest jump, never put his head down and was lame 6 months of the year, then it would be a safe bet that your preferences would go more towards smaller, braver horses.

My first advanced/4 Star horse was 17hh and the kindest most genuine soul on the planet. I couldn’t have thought of a better horse to learn on, and to this day I rate heart and desire above any other trait. My next five or six advanced/4/5 Star horses varied in size from 15.2hh to 16.3hh, but again they all had a desire to please and a willingness to learn.

Conformation

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

This is the first and most obvious quality to look for in a horse. When you first arrive to see a horse that’s thing you see, the horse itself. A trained eye takes in the angles of the horses shoulder and feet, the length of cannon bones and pasterns, the way the neck is set on, the back, etc. etc.

These measurements are important previews of both a horses ability and soundness. For example a horse with a long back will likely have a more difficult time with collection while a horse with crooked looks can be more prone to soundness issues due to increased pressure on their joints and ligaments.

Breeding

Billy Congo, one of the Billy Stud’s top stallions, is by the AES & Irish Horse Board Approved stallion Vechta, who is by the famous sire Voltaire. Photo by Samantha Lamb, courtesy of The Billy Stud.

I find bloodlines pretty interesting, I love seeing what characteristics are passed down thru to progeny. I personally love Thoroughbreds, but there are particular lines which are more suitable for eventing than others. I also love Hanoverians, again some sires (and dams) throw more suitable eventers than others.

I’m a big believer that you need a good jump and a good gallop on a horse for the higher levels, after all two thirds of eventing is jumping! Regardless of the level you ride, I think it’s a great idea to familiarise yourself with your horses lines and perhaps also identify relatives, even just for fun!

The mare is a super important, not only does she provide half of the genetics, she also imprints the foal with temperament characteristics. She’s the first trainer of a foal, so will have a big influence.

Soundness

Kate Chadderton and Collection Pass. Photo by Kasey Mueller.

Soundness in an event horse is huge. Without a sound horse, you don’t have a horse! Going back to conformation, you can give yourself a better shot by choosing a horse with strong, straight legs. Environmental factors have a big influence, how the horse grows up, what he does work wise.

I’m happy to see a horse who starts young with a gradually increasing workload. That helps develop the bones and ligaments. Too much too soon is bad, as is too little!

There is a hereditary component to soundness, although I’ve found that to be limited and worth only a very brief consideration. There are many preferences and ‘forgiven’ sins in horse soundness, but a pre-purchase exam will HELP with information that gives you an idea of a horses soundness. I respect veterinary exams but also use horsemanship and experience to balance them out. There are plenty of horses out there who ‘fail’ their exams but are very much suitable for their intended job.

Heart

Kate Chadderton and VS McCuan Civil Liberty at the 2015 Blenheim Palace CCI3* Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

For me this is the single most important part of a horse! A horse with a big, kind heart will do anything for you with the correct training! Heart trumps all the other areas when looking for a suitable horse. How do you predict that? It’s hard just with one look at a horse.

Their eye can definitely provide a preview, you’re looking for a soft, kind, intelligent look. But you won’t really know about heart until you’re galloping at a difficult fence and you feel the horse size up the situation and rise to the challenge! Heart makes up for all other faults a horse could have (in my opinion!)

Relationship

Clare Abbott and Euro Prince at Badminton in 2018. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors.

Relationship is right behind heart for me. We’ve all seen that tiny horse jumping around Badminton defying gravity. They’re running off heart and their relationship with their rider. And that same horse probably wouldn’t make it past novice with anyone else! Relationships with horses are generally built thru shared experiences where you’re both up for an adventure! Like minded individuals looking in the same direction. This is probably my favourite part of training and competing, discovering a horses personality and developing a relationship.

At the end of the day you have to trust your gut feeling, just like with human relationships. I’ve had perfectly proportioned horses with clean vettings, who had no heart and didn’t make it. Picking a horse is like picking a friend, sometimes you choose them, sometimes they choose you! But it takes all types, so go for the horse YOU love!

Nupafeed Weekend Winners: Fun at Fresno

By on Nov 18, 2019 11:00 am -

We’re reaching that point of the season where we begin to see fewer events running — but that doesn’t mean that the Weekend Winners fun has to stop! This week we’re looking back at Fresno County Horse Park, which ran its Fall horse trial with divisions ranging from Intro through Intermediate.

Long known by longtime Area VI competitors as Ram Tap, Fresno County Horse Park has become a top destination for West coast eventers since 1957. Fun fact, the “Ram Tap” name actually originated from founding members Pat and Marian Humphrey, who decided on the name as it was the first three letters of each of their first names spelled backwards.

And while Ram Tap would eventually close its doors in 2012, Fresno County Horse Park would continue on under new owner John Marshall. Thanks to the efforts of all dating back to those early days in 1957, Fresno is the second longest continuously operating eventing venue in the U.S. For much more on the rich history of Fresno, read up on the USEA’s Events A-Z profile here.

Congratulations to all of this weekend’s winners at Fresno! A special shout-out goes to this week’s lowest scoring finisher, Jolie Wentworth and Friendly Game, who earned a score of 23.1 to win the Open Novice.

Fresno County Horse Park: [Website][Final Scores]

Open Intermediate: Bea di Grazia and Ringwood Isabelle (40.2)
Open Preliminary: Mikayden Weise and Excellence (31.5)
Jr. Training Rider: Willa Laski and Gutsy Call (37.7)
Open Training: Joseph McKinley and Duke HW (28.4)
Sr. Training Rider: Becky Leisz and Gold Lumierre (33.5)
Jr. Novice Rider: Gabriella Yuschenkoff and Paloalto (24.1)
Open Novice: Jolie Wentworth and Friendly Game (23.1)
Sr. Novice Rider: Meghan Lewis and Ringmaster (29.3)
Jr. Beginner Novice Rider: Nicole Petersen and Armi (26.8)
Open Beginner Novice: Lisa Sires and Even More Impressive (28.5)
Sr. Beginner Novice Rider: Audrey Zgraggen and Carbonado (32.0)
Introductory A: Eliza Mutz and Auzzie (33.9)
Introductory B: Lotte Swauger and Maurice (35.8)

Here’s a look around social media from Fresno:

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The team had a great end to the 2019 season at Fresno County Horsepark! Belle and Blanco finished their first show with Davis in 9th in a very competitive training division. Christina and Fifi finished 2nd in BN with two double clear rounds. Maria and Gracie made a great effort but unfortunately parted ways at the coffin but had other wise improved dressage and stadium rides (both horse and rider are un-injured). And Lulu and Cassie got a personal best dressage score adding only one rail to their dressage score to finish in 8th in open Novice. Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors for keeping us looking our best and safe through the whole weekend! Thank you Fresno for another fun show! We can’t wait for the 2020 season to start! • • • • • • • • • #ucdavis #ucdaviseventing #ucdeventing #goags #kasteldenmark #samshieldamerica #equiprism #marysbotanicals #areavi #intercollegiateeventing

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Newly minted training rider 🎉🐎@ky.eventing

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Good days. 🦄❤️🐮 #fresYes

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Duke & Doc 🥰

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Holly Jacks-Smither is Reaping the Benefits of Staying True to Herself

By on Nov 18, 2019 9:15 am -

Holly Jacks and More Inspiration. Photo by Kingfisher Media Services.

Holly Jacks-Smither says she’s the happiest she’s been in years right now, and she has many reasons to feel that way. She’s fresh off of a gutsy performance in the Les Etoiles de Pau CCI5*-L, where she ended her weekend in 12th place among some of the top riders in the world aboard her off-track Thoroughbred, More Inspiration. She has a thriving business and a healthy support system in her friends and family back home in Canada. She has a handful of up-and-coming horses waiting to step up in the coming seasons.

But for Holly, perhaps the biggest harbinger of happiness this year has been her decision to ride for no one else, but herself.

The Best Laid Plans

Holly and More Inspiration’s roundabout path to Pau began two years ago, when the pair earned their qualification and set about making plans to head to France. Why Pau? I asked her. “(More Inspiration) is a really good technical, twisty horse,” Holly explained. “He’s always done well at Red Hills, for example. I just thought the track at Pau would really suit him.”

The flywheel was set in motion, and all systems were go for Holly and “Morris” to make the trip in 2017. But then, two days before Holly was set to take off, her father, Terry, suffered a stroke. Not wanting to be anywhere but by his side, Holly’s French plans were put on hold.

The following year, Morris was sidelined with a minor injury and would once again miss the fall five-star. Then in 2019, the stars seemed to be lining up once more, and Holly would finally get her shot.

Holly Jacks Smither and More Inspiration. Photo courtesy of Laura Dupuy.

“It’s just been one of those situations where things just kept falling into place, even though there were some hoops to jump through,” Holly said of the last few months leading up to Pau. “Morris didn’t go to Kentucky this year but he ran two four-star shorts and felt amazing. Jessica Roberts put on this huge fundraiser for the trip and paid for half of my trip. It was pretty incredible how it just kept moving forward.”

It was no coincidence that Holly says she feels the best she’s ever felt and the most confident in her riding. What’s changed? I asked her. Holly talks freely, as if she can feel the weight that’s been lifted from her shoulders. Taking the pressure off of herself and, more importantly, off her horses has made a world of a difference. It’s liberating, she tells me, to feel that she is a thousand percent riding only for herself and not under pressure to make a team.

Of course, it hasn’t always been this way for Holly who like any hungry and talented rider believed that making a championship team for Canada would mean she’d finally “made it”. But this is no longer the case. Holly is a proud Canadian who is honored to represent her country — but not at the expense of her sanity and her horses’ wellbeing.

“We see a lot of people chasing teams,” Holly explained. “Myself included. It’s made me made poor decisions and it’s made me distracted. I have a really nice young horse that I was trying to chase the Pan Ams with last year, and I made some decisions that I’m not proud of under the pressure — and at the end of the day, we still weren’t on the team.”

Holly understands the complexities of the team selection process and the difficult job that selectors have on their hands. But when she took a step back, she realized that her burning desire to be on a team was making her lose sight of the horsemanship that’s required to bring a horse along at any level. That, she says, was an eye-opener for her.

“I feel like I’m in a better place now that I’ve said my goal might not be the Olympics,” she said. “My horses owe me nothing, and I need experience at the five-star level, but they’re only going to do what they need to do. It’s like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.”

This shifting of priorities has made Holly unendingly grateful for the opportunity to go to Pau, this time on her own terms, on her own making. “I’m a big believer in making the best out of what you have,” she said. “A lot of people said Morris wouldn’t go Advanced, but now here he is. I get a lot of students who don’t have the money to go out and buy a nice horse, and I want them to see that it’s still possible.”

An Eventing Family Affair

Holly Jacks Smither and More Inspiration. Photo courtesy of Laura Dupuy.

The outpouring of support from her community still leaves Holly a bit speechless. She tells me the story of her fellow riders handing her small amounts of money at shows or of a parent supporting her trip because Holly had walked cross country with her daughter years ago. Little gestures of support, all because of the impact Holly leaves on those around her.

“I’ve never been one of the ‘cool kids’ or really played the game,” Holly continued. “I’ve done my best to stay true to myself, and a lot of time it kicks me but sometimes when it really mattered, people have stepped up and helped me.”

Holly’s uncertain as to her plans for the upcoming seasons — she’s adamant that her horses will never do more than necessary and that she’s no longer going into the pressure cooker in the name of making a team. For her, it’s no longer the end all, be all, and she wants others to understand that there are other defining factors of success.

“I’ve always wanted to do the best by my horses,” she said. “Riding with (coach Buck Davidson) has made me realize that by taking the pressure off my horse, it allows us to work together in a better way. I just want others to see that being in a good personal place can have such a positive effect on your riding.”

Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks

By on Nov 18, 2019 12:01 am -

Photo by EquiRatings.

Over the weekend, a new name has been added to a prestigious list: that of horse and rider pairs who are three-time winners of the same CCI5*-L. Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford cliched their third victory of the Australian International Three-Day Event. They’re the first pair to do so at that particular event and they’re amongst royal company of those who’ve ever managed the triple-winner feat.

National Holiday: National Vichyssoise Day

Major International Events:

Australian International Three-Day Event: Website, Final Scores

U.S. Weekend Results: 

Ocala Jockey Club International: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Monday News & Notes:

Complete a survey, contribute to science! Jill Thomas, a Canadian Advanced-level eventer who is based in Virginia, is completing her MSc in Equine Science through the University of Edinburgh and undertaking a research project on the fitness programs of upper level eventers and how they correlate to injuries. She’s looking for people who have ridden at the Preliminary level or above to complete a survey. [Fitness regime management of upper level event horses and the incidence of distal limb injuries: A survey of upper level riders across the globe]

ICMYI, venues for the 2022 FEI World Championships were announced this weekend. The concept of hosting all disciples as at a single venue has been benched for this next iteration of the championships. Eventing and driving will be held at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy. Jumping, dressage, para dressage, and vaulting will be held in Herning, Denmark. Venues for reining and endurance have yet to be voted on. [World Equestrian Games concept parked for 2022; several venues to be used]

How long have you been an eventing fan? Not as long as Lady Kingsley, who recently celebrated her 100th bithday! She’s seen the sport change and grow over the years, originally as a competitors, then as a breeder, and now and an owner and supporter. She has a great-grandson who is actively competing at three-star level and she regularly travels to spectate. [‘A wonderful owner’: eventing supporter still follows competition aged 100]

Monday Featured Video/ Photo Montage: Erin Sylvester and Campground nearly splashed down during their cross country round, but they saved it!

Thoroughbreds Take CCI3*-L and CCI4*-L Wins at Ocala Jockey Club

By on Nov 17, 2019 6:09 pm -

This weekend at the Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event has rewarded cross country speed and final phase stamina, and so it’s no wonder that a Thoroughbred — Campground, ridden by Erin Sylvester — finished on top in the CCI4*-L. Another Thoroughbred, Arden Wildasin‘s mount Il Vici, won the CCI3*-L. An impressive 30 Thoroughbreds total contested the event, which takes place in a working race facility and offered $16,500 in cash prizes across the four divisions to top-placed representatives of the breed.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous won the CCI4*-S from pillar to post in their comeback to international competition, with another OTTB, Jessica Phoenix‘s mount Bogue Sound, finishing 2nd. Will Coleman with Chin Tonic HS also enjoyed a wire-to-wire win in the CCI2*-L. Let’s recap the day’s action!

Erin Sylvester and Campground. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

CCI4*-L

Erin Sylvester and Campground, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Forest Camp x Kneel) owned by Marnie Kelly, were in 3nd heading into today’s show jumping competition. The top two after cross country, Lauren Kieffer with Landmark’s Monte Carlo and Phillip Dutton with Sea of Clouds, both had a tough day over the colored rails, relegating Lauren to 2nd and Phillip outside the top 10. Erin and “Gideon” picked up four faults but had enough of a margin to take the lead.

“He’s a really special horse, but he is a Thoroughbred and every event isn’t his special day — and this was his special day,” Erin says. “He’s got a heart of gold.”

His big Thoroughbred heart and engine were evident yesterday when they clocked the second fastest round of the division, picking up just 0.4 time faults. Erin notes that he’s never had a cross country jump penalty. She wasn’t sure what she was going to have in the arena today, however, as she was trying a different bit and a different warm-up. Clearly the gamble paid off.

“He didn’t get as nervous as he has in the past,” she says. “I got a great feeling over the first few jumps and I thought, ‘All right he’s going to do this.’ I tried to pilot him the whole way around and get him to the distances he wants to be in. He just really tried out there. We had one down that I could’ve ridden differently and given him more space. I’m just super happy for him. It’s not in the bag for him to have a good show jumping — he has to try really hard and he did that today.”

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Erin and Gideon have a long history together. He’s owned by her longtime client, Marnie Kelly, who bought him in Kentucky as a 3-year-old when she went to watch the World Equestrian Games in 2010. He was trained as a racehorse, though he never made it to the gate. Marnie rides Gideon regularly and he humors her with the occasional Training level event.

“His owner rides him a lot and does a lot with him,” Erin says. “She loves to take him out grazing. I think that relationship he has beyond being a competition horse really keeps him relaxed and keeps him a bit of a pet which is nice. When they’re like that and you let them have a personality, I think they really try harder for you when it comes to the pressure of the competition because they’re trying for a person — and that’s exactly what he does.”

Marnie sadly missed being here for Gideon’s big win, but she and her mother watched it all on the live stream and were cheering the pair on from Pennsylvania and Virginia. Go Thoroughbreds!

It was an exciting day of show jumping over Chris Barnard’s turf course. There were only two double clear rounds in 22 CCI4*-L show jumping starters: Ema Klugman with Bendigo, who moved from 10th to 3rd, and Hallie Coon and Celien, who moved from 17th to 9th.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

CCI4*-S

Two horses made the time in CCI4*-L cross country yesterday, and none caught the clock in today’s CCI4*-S.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare (Carry Gold x Richardia, by Lario) owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars and Phoebe and Michael Manders, had 16.8 time, but when the scoreboard shook out their final score was within the margin they needed to win.

After an injury sidelined “Kitty” in the lead-up to the 2018 World Equestrian Games, this pair has been MIA while the mare rested and, ultimately, recovered. Ocala Jockey Club marks their international comeback, and it’s great to see the pair come roaring back to form.

Of Kitty’s injury, Marilyn reflects, “Those kind of things really bring you to your knees. Every rider knows what it’s like when your partner gets injured — it’s terrible and you’re gutted for the horse.”

The mare did her rehab at Dr. Haynes Stevens Equine Service LTD, a clinic in Wellington. “He’s a close friend,” Marilyn says. “He knows the horse, he loves the horse and she’s comfortable at his farm.”

“Putting her on the truck to take her to the clinic in Florida, I felt so badly for her because she was ready (for WEG). She just loves it so much. The horses that we have out here that are good at it — they do it because they love it.”

Not knowing if or when Kitty would recover, Marilyn says the period before WEG was “a dark time … I went home for a couple days to try to just pull things together then I realized I needed to come back to Tryon and support the team. I needed to see this through and do whatever I could do to help.”

Leslie Law and Voltaire De Tre were 3rd in the CCI4*-S. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

The time off had the unexpected silver lining of giving Marilyn, who has been going full-speed ahead since she shifted her focus from show jumping to eventing a few years ago, some space to reflect.

“It’s been a quiet year, but sometimes those things aren’t the worst,” she says. “I’ve come to it this year very differently mentally. Nobody else would know that, but I do. Why I was so nervous today? I don’t know. I have been trying to take a different approach for the sport. I’m here because I’m passionate and I like it. I’m not here because I’m earning a living here. I just love it and I love that horse. I’ve had to focus on making sure that the most important thing is that I love what I do here and I enjoy the time with her. I had to really get ahold of the question, ‘why do I event?’ The pendulum swings so hard. There are great days and then there are absolutely horrible painful days. Is it worth it?”

Alex Baugh and Mr. Candyman. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Marilyn has had a successful year in Grand Prix jumping but missed eventing. She came to Ocala with the caveat that they get the all-clear from Dr. Stevens: “He hasn’t seen her in quite a while, so he flew up before this event. I said, ‘I can’t go cross country unless you put your eyes on her and I know she’s ready.”

“Really I came back to the fact that I do love the sport and I have an amazing horse to go back and do it with,” Marilyn says. “She was well enough to go to an event in the summer, but the idea wasn’t to just go compete and do events, but to say ‘OK how can we showcase her the best so that she can have a shot at the big days?,’ and save her for those. That’s hard on me because I can’t practice as much ,but I think if you do right by what the horse needs then you’re making the best plan.”

Peter Gray congratulates Arden Wildasin. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Jessica Phoenix and Bogue Sound steadily climbed the leaderboard throughout the week, from 8th after dressage to 7th after show jumping to 2nd after the final phase. They came closest to making the time in their division, picking up just 2.4 time penalties.

Amara Hoppner purchased the 12-year-old Kentucky-bred OTTB from Dorothy Crowell, who had bought him from the track. Amara produced him to the Young Riders level. When she switched over to jumpers Jessie took on the ride.

“He’s such an exceptional cross country horse,” Jessie says. “He’s just so quick and efficient off the ground. He’s really had a great season. He had a great Kentucky in the spring so he was qualified for the Olympics already, so we really wanted to give him a really good run and make sure we were in a good position for next year.”

As for whether he would be her top pick for the 2020 Tokyo Games, to represent Canada as an individual, Jessie says, “That’s a decision I think you have to make right before you leave and see how they’re all going. Right now he’s the most efficient cross country horse I have in the barn. He’s all heart and he’s just such a pleasure.”

Arden Wildasin and Il Vici. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

CCI3*-L

Arden Wildasin took the CCI3*-L win with yet another Thoroughbred, Il Vici. Arden and the 16-year-old gelding (Galileo x Ladyeri, by Salieri), owned by the rider and Sarah Wildasin, hopped from 8th to 5th to 1st throughout the competition.

“I still can’t believe it. It’s going to be a great ride home I can tell you that,” Arden says. “The cross country was one of my best rounds on him. I was so in the moment. We were just speaking together. He saved me in there multiple times, but hard work and practice definitely pays off. I am so thrilled to have him. And this course, even with the rain the footing held up.”

Arden and Il Vici started the Fair Hill CCI4*-L, but withdrew after dressage and rerouted to Ocala. “He saw the Jumbotron in dressage and he didn’t like the horse in the sky,” she says. “I said, let’s end the year off strong and get our confidence back, and it paid off.”

Getting the win at Ocala Jockey Club on a Thoroughbred made it even more special. “Every single day he wants to try,” Arden says. “It’s a partnership. I will say having a Thoroughbred that they can run and they have the thrill of running, but he’s so careful and quick with his feet and agile.”

Arden got the horse from Australia and has been developing him up the levels. “It’s a partnership that’s still coming,” she says. “He’s 16 now but he keeps on coming foot forward everyday — he wants to work. To wake up every single day and have the horses that I have in the barn, it’s an honor.”

Leslie Law and Zick Zack were 2nd; Lauren Lambert and Fantastique were 3rd.

Will and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

CCI2*-L 

Will Coleman enjoyed a wire-to-wire win with Chin Tonic HS, a 7-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Chin Champ x Wildera, by Quinar) owned by Hyperion Stud LLC. The pair added nothing to their dressage score to 24.2 and jumped a class show jumping round today.  “He was great all weekend,” Will says. “It’s his first long format and we’ve taken a long time developing him, but I think he’s got a bright future and I really couldn’t be happier with him, he did everything we asked for.”

Hyperion’s Vicky Castegren watched her horse’s win from afar — she’s getting married (congrats, Vicky!) and having her dress fitted this weekend. “She really wanted to be here,” Will says. “This event is hopefully just a stepping stone for this horse, though, and she’ll be at a lot of other downs the road.”

Will went into show jumping tied for second on his other ride, Steam Engine, but had an unfortunate few rails to fall down the leaderboard.

“They are two different horses and that was very uncharacteristic for the other horse,” Will says. “I think he just froze, I really can’t explain what happened in there. But I wasn’t thinking about it at all on (Chin Tonic HS). I could light the jumps on fire and he would jump them — he’s very brave and super quality and I knew he would jump a clear round.”

Next stop for Chin Tonic HS: they’re aiming for a CCI3*-L in the spring. But first, a well-deserved holiday. “He’s earned it, he’s had a long year and I think we’ll give him a nice break. His shoes will come off and he’ll have a little downtime into December. We give ours a good break; every horse is a little bit different, some of them don’t really like it, but I think he’ll enjoy it for at least a while.”

Buck Davidson and Cooley Candyman finished 2nd on their dressage score of 27.9; Jacob Fletcher and 5o1 Wyly Girl finished 3rd. This was a division full of super jumpers, with 11 double clear rounds across show jumping and cross country.

Congrats to all. Go Eventing!

#OJC3DE: Website, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

CCI4*-L Final Top 10: 

CCI4*-S Final Top 10: 

CCI3*-L Final Top 10:

CCI2*-L Final Top 10: 

#OJC3DE Sunday Social Recap: We Are The Champions

By on Nov 17, 2019 5:01 pm -

That’s a wrap on another huge weekend in Eventing-not-so-sunny Florida. Today ribbons were happily earned at the Ocala Jockey Club Three-Day Event in a sweet finale. Congratulations to this weekends many top finishers. Let’s take a tour of the day’s events through your social media posts:

#OJC3DE: Website, Schedule, Entries,  Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

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#landing

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Stretch up to to be tall. #squidspam

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Sunday funday at the Ocala Jockey club ❄️❄️❄️

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The scoreboard doesn’t reflect it today, but I’m SO proud of both of these boys and their efforts on the XC at #ojc3de. Kilkenny Mile has grown up so much in the year that I’ve had him, and until today we haven’t had a XC jump penalty. Unfortunately I made a bad decision that resulted in an irritating and unnecessary 20. My error aside, he breezed around the course and made it feel ridiculously easy. #xcmachine Really not the end of the season that I was hoping for with Lismakeera Brewski in our CCI4*L debut, and I learned a hard lesson. He was absolutely FANTASTIC on course today, and we were having our best XC ride yet. Sadly I walked the wrong line all week and ended up jumping the wrong “B” element at fence 15, which resulted in a TE. I’m so unbelievably disappointed, as he was giving me a great feeling and I know he would have made easy work of the rest of the course. Luckily Carlo thinks he won, and that’s what’s important. ❤️

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What today looks like #jumpallthejumps #🥶

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Shannon Brinkman’s Sunday Morning Snapshots from Ocala Jockey Club

By on Nov 17, 2019 12:00 pm -

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

There are show photos, the kind that clinically portray horses and riders going through the motions: an extended trot, a cross country effort, a smiling awards ceremony shot.

And then there are Shannon Brinkman photos. Her work is equal parts art and documentary, the result of both years of experience and innate intuition. It captures something beyond the physical action of galloping, jumping or jogging before a ground jury —  it captures the intangibles that propel those kinetics: emotion, ambition, interspecies partnership.

Sometimes, a candid portrait of a horse and rider sharing a quiet moment speaks louder than any dramatic, high-speed action pic. It’s important work she’s doing, reminding us with her lens what a dynamic and three-dimensional sport this really is. And, like eventing’s own top athletes, she says she never stops learning and improving her craft.

It’s always a pleasure to work alongside Shannon and an honor to publish her photos. She’s played an invaluable role at EN this year, bringing us ringside from Kentucky to Peru. And now, to round out the year, Shannon (and her sweet, precocious, talented daughter Roya!) are here with all of us in Reddick, Florida, capturing the essence of this special event against the mossy-green backdrop that is Ocala Jockey Club.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

A roundup of the final horse inspection:

In the CCI4*-L, Nilson da Silva did not present Rock Phantom, his own 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Spirit House x Ballycroy Rose).  The pair was in 18th place overnight. Twenty-two CCI4*-L horses passed before the ground jury of Christian Landolt (SUI), Helen Brettell (GBR), and Gretchen Butts (USA) and will move forward to show jumping.

In the CCI3*-L, 27 horses were presented and passed before the ground jury.

In the CCI2*-L, Kimberly Keeton‘s mount Evita-Veron, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Veron x Tomlow) owned by the rider and Hope Thomas, was sent to the hold box and did not re-represent. Sara Kozumplik Murphy did not present Delta Queen, a 10-year-old warmblood mare owned by Edith Rameika. Sixty-four CCI2* horses will move forward to show jumping.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Here are a few more of Shannon’s photos from Sunday morning here in Ocala — view more at the Shannon Brinkman website and be sure to follow her on Instagram. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion!

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Show jumping starts at 9:30 a.m. EST with the CCI2*-L, followed by the CCI3*-L and the CCI4*-L. All show jumping will stream live here on EN and on EQTV Network. CCI4*-S cross country takes place from 11:30-12:40 p.m. EST.

Go Eventing.

#OJC3DE: Website, Schedule, Entries,  Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Adelaide Royalty: Hazel Shannon & Willingapark Clifford Claim Record Third CCI5* Win

By on Nov 17, 2019 11:32 am -

Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford. Photo courtesy of the Australian Equestrian Team.

It’s official: Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford are the first combination to earn three CCI5* wins at the Australian International Three-Day Event. Their achievement permits their entry into an elite five-member club of horses who are triple winners at the same venue, a club that includes the likes of Avebury and Winsome Adante.

A scattering of rails through the division muddled the standings considerably, all while giving Hazel three poles worth of breathing room with Terrance Snow’s 14-year-old Thoroughbred. She ultimately used eight penalties worth of that with two rails failing, but still secured in her win on 38.7 penalties.

“Us competitors are always striving to be better, I would have like to have had a clear round today but that didn’t happen so I will be going home to work on that next. So much work has gone into this for years, so it is nice for it to pay off,” Hazel said, admitting that she was shocked to have won.

Stuart Tinney and Leporis. Photo courtesy of the Australian Equestrian Team.

A one pole round moved Stuart Tinney from fourth to first with five-star first-timer Leporis, an 8-year-old Holsteiner (Lasino x Miss Danny, by Heraldik) owned by Stuart and Karen Tinney, on a score of 45.9.

“He is just such a sweet personality, it was tough for him all week but he knuckled in and gave me his all and he is a super horse,” he said.

Lauren Browne and Sky’s Da Limit. Photo courtesy of the Australian Equestrian Team.

Hailing from Western Australia, Lauren Browne and her own Sky’s Da Limit 12-year-old Thoroughbred (Hurricane Sky x Our Cutey, by Carry A Smile) saw two fences fall with an additional 0.4 time penalties for a final result of 47.4 to finish in third place.

Amanda Pottinger and Just Kidding dropped from second to fourth with three rails down for a score of 48.1. Hamish Cargill earned third aboard Legolas KPH on a result of 54.9.

Thats a wrap. Highlights of our final day of action, what a day of jumping. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the athletes over the last 3 days. 🎥 by @this_esme #mmaus3de #adelaide #eventing

Posted by Australian International 3 Day Event on Sunday, November 17, 2019

Click here for results.

Watch the Ocala Jockey Club International Live Stream

By on Nov 17, 2019 10:20 am -

We’re lucky once again to have a free live stream available this weekend for those of us who can’t attend Ocala Jockey Club International in person. Thanks to the hard work of EQTV, the CCI4*-L dressage as well as the jumping phases for all Long divisions will be shown this weekend. The schedule is posted as follows:

Friday – Dressage [See updated ride times here]
11:30 am ET – CCI4*-L

Saturday – Cross Country

8 – 10:54 a.m. ET – CCI2*-L
11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. ET – CCI4*-L
2:10 p.m.- 3:31 p.m. ET – CCI3*-L

Sunday – Show Jumping
10:30 a.m. -1 p.m. ET – CCI2*-L
1:30 p.m. -2 p.m. ET – CCI4*-L
2:30 p.m. -3 p.m. ET – CCI3*-L
3:30 p.m. -5 p.m. ET – Thoroughbred Demo

#OJC3DE: Website, Schedule, Entries,  Ride Times, Friday Dressage Order of Go 1, Friday Dressage Order of Go 2, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

#EventerProblems Vol. 202, Presented by Haygain: Hot Mess Express

By on Nov 17, 2019 7:35 am -

“Sometimes an angel earns her wings, and sometimes a mare earns her draw reins.” – An old Irish proverb, probably.

There’s regular #EventerProblems and then there’s chestnut mare sized #EventerProblems. Enjoy your latest batch, and if you’re out and about at the Ocala Jockey Club today, go visit our Haygain friends in their vendor booth. They’ll have the live stream running all weekend!

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#eventerproblems

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