Classic Eventing Nation

Volunteer Nation: 6 Events That Need Your Help This Weekend

By on Oct 3, 2019 12:30 pm -

Jump judge briefing at O’Dark:30, at Plantation several years ago. Photo by Holly Covey.

If you’re looking for a way to spend some time at a show even if you don’t have a horse, wanting to watch an event run in real life and be a part of making that a reality, or you simply want to find a way to do some good this weekend, we’ve got just the ticket! Events all over the country are seeking volunteers just like yourself this weekend. Even if you are riding or coaching, consider offering up a couple hours to volunteer — even a small contribution of time can be invaluable for making an event run smoothly.

We gathered the needs for volunteers from EventingVolunteers.com, where you can sign up for spots or find ways to help out in your area. Get out there and volunteer, y’all!

Event: Woodside Eventing Fall International Horse Trials 
Date(s) volunteers needed: Friday, October 4 – Sunday, October 6
Address: The Horse Park at Woodside, 3674 Sand Hill Road, Woodside, CA, 94062
Positions available: SJ Timer, Dressage Paddock, Dressage Scribe, SJ In Gate, SJ Warm-up, XC Cart Runner, XC Jump Judge, XC Crossing Guard, General Help (Lunch pick-up)

Event: Kent School Fall Horse Trials 
Date(s) volunteers needed: Sunday, October 6
Address: 30 Westwoods Road, Kent, CT, 06757
Positions available: XC Crossing Guard, XC Finish Timer, XC Score Runner, XC Starter, XC Steward, XC Warm-up, Dressage Test Runner, Scorers, Parking Steward, SJ Jump Crew, SJ Score Runner, SJ Warm-up

Event: Spokane Sport Horse Farm Fall Horse Trials 
Date(s) volunteers needed: Today through Sunday, October 6
Address: 10710 S Sherman Rd, Spokane, WA, 99224
Positions available: FEH Conformation In-gate Steward, YEH In-gate Steward, YEH Jump Crew, YEH Score Runner, Parking Steward, Office Help, SJ Warm-up, Dressage Bit Check, Dressage Check-in, Event Takedown – Dressage, XC Crossing Guard, Phase A & Checkpoint Judges, Phase A Start Timer, Phase A Finish Timer, Phase B Judge and Phase B Finish / C Start Timer, Phase B Start Timer, Hospitality Steward, SJ In-gate, SJ Scribe, Vet Box Check In, Vet Box Scribe, Vet Box Timer

Event: Heritage Park Horse Trials 
Date(s) volunteers needed: Today through Sunday, October 6
Address: 16820 Pflumm Rd, Olathe, KS, 66062
Positions available: Event Prep – Dressage, General Help, Dressage Score Runner, Dressage Warm-up, Parking Steward, XC Jump Judge, XC Warm-up, Dressage Bit Check, Dressage Score Runner, Dressage Scribe, Dressage Warm-up, Event Takedown – Dressage, Event Takedown – SJ, Jump Crew, Secretary – Awards, SJ Additional Help, SJ In-gate, SJ Scribe, SJ Warm-up

Event: Morven Park Fall International Horse Trials 
Date(s) volunteers needed: Friday, October 4 – Sunday, October 6
Address: 41580 Sunday Morning Lane, Leesburg, VA, 20176
Positions available: Dressage Bit Check, XC Jump Judge

Event: Majestic Oaks 3 Phase Schooling Show 
Date(s) volunteers needed: Saturday, October 5
Address: 17500 N US Highway 441, Reddick, FL, 32686
Positions available: XC Steward, XC Warm-up, Dressage Check In, Dressage Scribe, Hospitality Steward, Floater, SJ Jump Crew

Be sure to keep an eye on EventingVolunteers.com​ for more upcoming volunteer opportunities!

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

By on Oct 3, 2019 6:51 am -

Josephine Buller and Zanzibar. Photos courtesy of Chelsea Spear and Diana Rowland.

Last month I said goodbye to my first event horse, Mishka. Longtime readers may remember him from a story I wrote a few years back, “You Become Responsible, Forever, for What You Have Tamed.” He was a 15.1-hand grey Arabian, who came into my life when I was 12 and he was 3. We evented through Training and he went on to show several more young riders the joy of the sport. At age 29 he was still living his best life, tackling crossrails at a local horse show just two weeks before he passed, and I counted him as my oldest friend.

So it was a little like seeing a ghost when I was sent an email this week about four-star rider Fylicia Barr’s first horse, Zanzibar, another plucky grey Arab who took Fylicia through Training and is now showing the ropes to her student Josie. With “Z” as her partner, she won her very first Baby Beginner Novice trial over the weekend at Olney Farm in Maryland. By all accounts it was pretty special — Z kept an eye on Fylicia during their dressage test and was clearly happy to be out again, doing what he loves.

Who was the first horse with whom you left a cross country start box? Whether they’re still in your life or have crossed over the rainbow bridge, take a moment to feel gratitude — how generous these animals are to share with us their wings.

National Holiday: National Taco Day🌮

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Kent School H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Morven Park CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

WindRidge Farm Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Middle Tennessee Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Heritage Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Willow Draw Charity H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Woodside CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Spokane Sport Horse H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Jenna Jack and Katano have the overnight lead in the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover eventing division. She reflected on her day’s ride: “We were very relaxed in the Rolex Arena for dressage. He was a little ‘looky’ in the show jumping in the atmosphere there, but we worked through it … and cross country is his favorite, so that was a lot of fun.” Jenna, a professional from Canton, Georgia, acquired Katano in November last year. The horse that she calls “Otis” is a 2015 gelding (Justin Phillip x Shining Prospect, by Lycius) bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate. He ran in Florida and at Arlington Park, earning $20,731 in 11 starts with two wins. The preliminary Makeover eventing competition continues today with about half the division still to compete.

Thoroughbred Makeover links: Website, Schedule, Entries, Stall Assignments, Ride Times, Marketplace, Seminars, Finale Live Stream, Live Scores

Congrats to Jax Maxian, winner of the Area I leg of Charles Owen Technical Merit Award. The award is presented in each of the 10 USEA areas, recognizing junior and adult amateur riders for their safe and effective cross country riding technique. Jax was awarded the honor at the Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club Horse Trials (GVRDC), August 17-18, 2019. [USEA: Maxian is Masterful in the Charles Owen Technical Merit at GVRDC]

Woodside International Horse Trials is welcoming 400-plus horses this weekend. This year’s CCI4*-S field includes some exciting match-ups: fan faves James Alliston and Pandora will go up against James’ business partner and fiancée, Helen Bouscaren with Ebay. Amber Levine will vie for the 4*-S title on two horses, Carry On and Cinzano, and Tamie Smith will bring a new star up to this division in En Vogue. Best of luck to all! [Woodside Eventing]

Amie Collins is the winner of our Fab Freebie for a Diamonds in the Dirt travel self-care collection! Shop the Diamonds In The Dirt product line here, and keep an eye on their Facebook page for all the latest! You can also shop the line via World Equestrian brands here. Keep an eye on EN for future weekly giveaways. [Fab Freebie]

Featured Video: This flashy pair went all out on the pink at Twin Rivers Ranch H.T. last weekend! Fiona VanBuhler and Confetti’s Cottontail placed 8th in the Jr. Novice A division. If your horse is pretty in pink too, check out these limited edition breast cancer awareness breeches and saddle pads from our friends at SmartPak.

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: The Importance of Thoroughbred Aftercare

By on Oct 2, 2019 5:00 pm -

Graham and Anita Motion talk about second careers.

Horses race for just a few years, but can live to 30 years old. Graham and Anita Motion are working hard to make sure that their ex-racehorses find good homes after their racing careers, and they're doing it in an equine discipline–eventing–in which they excel, with the help of two-time Olympic Gold medalist Phillip Dutton.

Posted by Thoroughbred Daily News on Sunday, September 29, 2019

For top race trainers Graham and Anita Motion of Herringswell Stables, their business is all about the horses and that’s why they’re dedicated to finding the best situations possible for their charges once their race career is over.

With the competition at the 2019 Retried Racehorse Project (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover officially beginning today, it seems fitting to share this video of the Motion’s philosophy on Thoroughbred aftercare. Graham and Anita have been strong industry proponents of aftercare, themselves sending horses to Phillip Dutton for retraining. Perhaps their most storied off-track Thoroughbred to this point has been Icabad Crane (Jump Start – Adorahy, by Rahy), who went on to win the title of America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred in 2014. The competition was held at Pimlico racecourse that year. Prior to then, the last time the gelding had been to Pimlico was for his third-place finish in the Grade I Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

Since Icabad Crane, Graham and Anita have sent several other OTTBs to Phillip, including the now CCI4*-S level Sea of Clouds (Malibu Moon – Winner’s Ticket, by Jolie’s Halo) and, more recently, the Grade I winner Ring Weekend (Tapit – Free The Weekend, by Cryptoclearance), to begin the next chapter of their lives. Get to know Graham, Anita and Ring Weekend in this video from the Thoroughbred Daily News!

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Who Jumped It Best? Larkin Hill H.T. Intro Edition

By on Oct 2, 2019 2:00 pm -

Time for another edition of “Who Jumped It Best?” This week we head to Larkin Hill H.T. in North Chatham, New York, where 16 horse/rider combinations tackled the Introductory cross country course.

Good luck with this one, EN! IMO, they all “jumped it best” in their own unique ways: best smile (Stella), best game face (tie between Ellie and her horse), most grabbable mane (Charlotte’s Thales), best horse name based on tv/movie character (tie between Peewee Herman and Princess Fiona), highest jump (Julia’s Good Mark). Decide for yourself and vote in the poll below!

Many thanks to Joan Davis of Flatlandsfoto for the pics!

Julia Slater and Good Mark. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Stella Morrison-Eaton and Qui C’est Moi. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Cassidy Howard and Pewee Herman. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Charlotte Clark and Thales. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Ellie Blass and Cookies ‘n’ Cream. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Lucy Anstey-Pape and Princess Fiona. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Morven Park, Twin Rivers to Host CCI4*-L Events in 2020 Pending FEI Approval

By on Oct 2, 2019 12:57 pm -

Morven Park will host a CCI4*-L in 2020 pending FEI approval. Photo by Valerie Durbon Photography.

Two U.S. events will host new CCI4*-L divisions in 2020 pending FEI approval: Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia (Oct. 1-4, 2020) and Twin Rivers in Paso Robles, California (April 9-12, 2020). The divisions were approved by the USEF Board of Directors on Sept. 16; now the 2020 FEI Calendar goes forward for the final round of approvals at the FEI General Assembly in Moscow on Nov. 16-19 with all new FEI levels/dates for 2020 to be made official at that time.

Morven Park CCI4*-L 

The addition of a CCI4*-L at Morven Park is a response to the loss of Fair Hill’s CCI4*-L, which will no longer run starting in 2020 due to the addition of the CCI5*-L. Fair Hill, which will be run under a new name, the Maryland Five-Star at Fair Hill (Oct. 15-18, 2020), will continue to host a CCI3*-L.

In addition to the CCI4*-L, Morven Park will host CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S, CCIYH3*-L (7-year-old) and CCIYH2*-L (6-year-old) competitions, as well as Beginner Novice through Advanced horse trials.

Twin Rivers CCI4*-L 

The West Coast will gain a much needed spring CCI4*-L by way of the addition of this competition to Twin Rivers. In addition to the CCI4*-L, Twin Rivers will host CCI4*-S, CCI3*-L, CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S divisions as well as Future Event Horse/Young Event Horse classes and Beginner Novice through Advanced horse trials. (Note: the CCI4*-L is included in the FEI Calendar but not yet in the USEA Calendar).

The 2020 U.S eventing calendar will see a number of other updates, which the USEA has outlined here. Of particular note:

  • The following events will add CCI*-S divisions: Grand Oaks Horse Trials (January 17-19, 2020 and November 20-22, 2020), Stable View Spring Horse Trials (March 26-28, 2020), Virginia Horse Trials International (May 21-24, 2020) and Spokane Sport Horse Farm Sixth Annual Fall Horse Trials (October 1-4, 2020). Stable View will also offer CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S divisions. Spokane Sport Horse Farm will also offer CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S divisions.
  • Other calendar changes include Jersey Fresh adding a Prelim, Essex moving to mid-July, the Wellington Showcase is back, Stable View will hold a big CCI spring event the weekend after Carolina, and Ocala will run Advanced in October.

Links: USEA Calendar, FEI Calendar

Weekly Training Tip from Kate Chadderton: Why Does Your Horse Spook?

By on Oct 2, 2019 9:00 am -

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!

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

Why does your horse spook?

We’re entering that magical time of the year with cooler temperatures and witches and goblins behind every tree! If you’re into Halloween and pumpkin spice then you’re probably in heaven. If you ride young or ‘spicy’ horses, then you’ve probably been wearing sticky spray on your boots, and tightening your helmet a little extra, for a week or so now! I thought now would be a good time to look at some of the reasons a horse will spook.

In my experience there are a few factors and it’s your job as a rider to isolate which applies to your horse. Spooking is one of your horses most effective ways to communicate with you — it’s instant, it’s obvious and it certainly catches your attention. With this said, I welcome (note I said welcome, NOT enjoy!) a horse spooking as it gives me a chance to respond and further our relationship. I’ve listed below the main reasons I’ve found horses spook.

Fear

This is your typical go-to reason for spooking. It’s a very honest and genuine reaction from your horse to a stimuli over which he has no control. There is no amount of ‘showing him who’s boss’ or ‘telling him to get on with it’ that will improve this response. No matter how strongly you ride your horse, he will always find something he’s more afraid of than your aid. Your response in this situation needs to be kind and allowing but firm. Ie.. I understand you’re afraid of that liverpool, so I’ll show you that the ground on either side is safe and allow you to look at/touch it but you must trust me that you’re safe. You should comfort and show your horse leadership in this situation.

Physical

This is probably the second most common reason your horse sees a goblin behind every shadow in the indoor. If he’s in pain he A) loses confidence and doubts himself and B) will use spooking to avoid the work he finds painful. Sometimes the source of pain is obvious depending on your horse’s history. Look for any changes in his gait or other behaviour then narrow it down from there. Of course you want to involve your vet if you have any serious concerns. It can be helpful to ride your horse in the presence of the vet as his symptoms can present differently under saddle.

Dietary

Horses’ stomachs are very sensitive and greatly effect the how comfortable they are in general. Ulcers are a huge issue in performance horses (which is why I feed all natural grain plus alfalfa) and can be really painful. Like soundness, they can spook when ulcers are bad from the discomfort. You’ll note other signs like girthiness and a dull coat in this instance. Another dietary reaction is too much of a good thing! I.e. your horse is getting WAY more energy from his feed than he’s expending through work, similar to a little kid at school who gets more sugar than exercise! This is a simple fix, cut or change his feed until he can concentrate.

Work

Performance horses are bred, conditioned and trained to work. Most are intelligent and interactive partners. With this being said the type of work you’re asking your horse to do can lead to spooking. If an intelligent horse doesn’t understand, or is bored with, the work you’re asking of him the most effective way for him to communicate with you is a to create a diversion. In this situation you should assess whether you’re asking too much OR too little of your horse. This is a trial and error situation. I often see very bored horses make their own fun (both jumping and on the flat) by creating their own ‘problems’ to solve. You can generally recognise this type of spook as they pick the same spot to spook at. Then once you’ve worked through that, it’ll be the chair that’s been sitting in the corner of the ring for two years which becomes scariest thing in the world!

Sense of Humour

Yes, I honestly believe some of the more intelligent horses have the ability to have a sense of humour! Like I said in the beginning, I don’t mind if a horse spooks as they’re showing you an emotion. Sometimes they just feel great and want to have fun! Hang on and go with it! And be thankful you have an honest, expressive horse!

Again, I don’t see spooking in general as a negative — it’s a piece of information you can use to understand your horse better. Not everything is pain related, not everything means your horse hates you and not every spook is doom and disaster! Learn your horse and listen to your horse. And maybe get a good grab strap to get your thru the frosty morning and chilly evenings!

Wednesday News & Notes

By on Oct 2, 2019 12:01 am -

Belarusian eventing. Photo via Diamond Horse FB page.

A large portion of my work with Eventing Nation involves tracking scores of the Advanced, 4* and 5* scores not just in North America, but also worldwide. This means I spend an inordinate portion of my lunch break tracking down websites that present scoring that doesn’t show up in the FEI database; in particular cross country finishing times and judge percentiles. Some events are easy; Eventing Ireland and Rechenstelle provide all the information I could possibly want. The US and GBR results are middling with some of the information available but others proving elusive for judge percentiles or finishing times. However, a lot of countries have been downright impossible.

Well, this week I finally located the Facebook page for the Minsk event, which usually runs a 4*-S and 4*-L a couple times a year. And it is a gem. By all means, enjoy Belarusian eventing, courtesy of Diamond Horse.

National Holiday: National Name Your Car Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Kent School H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Morven Park CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

WindRidge Farm Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Middle Tennessee Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Heritage Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Willow Draw Charity H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Woodside CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Spokane Sport Horse H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Your Wednesday News & Notes

USEA has very casually dropped the news that Morven has applied to hold a CCI4*-L at their fall event (Oct. 2-4) in 2020. The intent is to replace Fair Hill’s CCI4*-L, which will no longer run starting in 2020 due to the addition of the CCI5*-L. Twin Rivers also applied to host a spring CCI4*-L on April 9-12, which would give the West Coast a much needed spring CCI4*-L date. These new CCI4*-L competitions were approved by the USEF Board of Directors on Sept. 16, and now the 2020 FEI Calendar goes forward for the final round of approvals at the FEI General Assembly in Moscow on Nov. 16-19. Other USEA calendar changes include Jersey Fresh adding a Prelim, Essex moving to mid-July, the Wellington Showcase is back, Stable View will hold a big CCI spring event the weekend after Carolina, and Ocala will run Advanced in October. [Planning Your 2020 Calendar]

To continue on the CCI4*-L news, Morven plans to finance the event by continuing to run the national levels. They’ve also added a Le Lion style young horse CCI2/3*-L to the show, in an effort to showcase the young horses in North America, and are on the hunt for a title sponsor for the CCI4*-L. [Morven Park to Hold Fall CCI4*-L]

The hunt for a trainer can be a delicate act of learning a new language. Lauren Sprieser suddenly found herself thrown into that search due to unusual circumstances and made a major effort to engage people whose styles complemented her previous trainers. [Changing Mid Stream]

Wednesday Video: 

German Depth on Display at Poland’s Baborówko Horse Sale Show

By on Oct 1, 2019 1:30 pm -

CCI4*-S winners Nadine Marzahl (GER) and Valentine 18. Photo by M&R Photo courtesy of Baborówko Horse Sale Show.

German riders accounted for eight of the top 10 CCI4*-S finishers at Poland’s Baborówko Horse Sale Show over the weekend, with Nadine Marzahl topping the leaderboard on Valentine 18.  Germany’s Leonie Kuhlmann and Hidalgo 179 led the CCI3*-S from start to finish, and Stephanie Böhe won the CCI2*-S with Ashanti de la Ribiere.

The CCI4*-S was a dynamic competition with lots of scoreboard movement from start to finish — for our international readers, here’s a summary of the action.

Yoshiaki Oiwa (JPN) with Bart L JRA. Photo by M&R Photo courtesy of Baborówko Horse Sale Show.

On Friday Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa and Bart L JRA claimed the dressage lead on a score of 24.5, followed by Nadine Marzahl with Vally K on 29.6 and Valentine 18 on 30.1 respectively.

Nadine Marzahl (GER) with Vally K. Photo by M&R Photo courtesy of Baborówko Horse Sale Show.

The tides turned on cross country day, across the course designed by Lars Christensson. Yoshiaki picked up 20 on course, dropping down to 24th position, leaving the door open for Nadine to take the lead, which she did with her third-placed horse Valentine 18 thanks to a double-clear cross country round, one of only four in the 31-strong division. Germany’s Sophie Leube with Jadore Moi had just 0.4 time to move from 6th into 2nd, and fellow countryman Dirk Schrade with Dajara 4 had 2.8 time to hop from 4th into 3rd.

Nadine Marzahl (GER) with Vally K. Photo by M&R Photo courtesy of Baborówko Horse Sale Show.

Nadine kept the lead through show jumping on Sunday, posting a clear round. Nadine had three horses in the class and finished 5th with Vally K and 18th with Victoria 108. Nadine and Valentine 18, a 12-year-old Hanoverian mare (Valentino x Vienna, by Varus) owned by Martina Paulus and Heike Kikuth, particularly, are a competitive pair who represented Germany as an individual at last month’s FEI European Eventing Championships at Luhmühlen — unfortunately, they missed a jump cross country and were thus eliminated, so their win at Baborówk was surely a welcome redemption.

Sophie retained second with Jadore Moi, and another German, Beeke Jankowski, finished third with Tiberius 20.

Visit the website here. View complete results here.

Photo by M&R Photo courtesy of Baborówko Horse Sale Show.

In addition to the competition, the fourth annual Baborówko Sport Horse Auction took place on Sunday. The catalogue included 19 horses from stables across Poland, 12 of which found new owners. The most expensive horse sold was Little Cartier, a Polish-bred gelding (Cartier II x Landwind II) who was purchased for 95.000 PLN (about 24,000 USD).

“Although we did not break the record this Saturday, we are very pleased with the auction results,” Henryk Święcicki Jr., the director of Baborówko Horse Sale Show, said. “Many horses found new homes in foreign stables. We also received a lot of positive feedback from
the buyers, and we see more and more interest in horses bred and trained in Poland.”

Final CCI4*-S Top 10: 

Final CCI3*-S Top 10: 

Final CCI2*-S Top 10: 

Clare’s Road to the Makeover: An Ode to the Ammies

By on Oct 1, 2019 12:00 pm -

For 673 accepted trainers, the 2019 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover has entered the homestretch! From the beginning of the year until the Makeover, to take place Oct. 2-5 at the Kentucky Horse Park, four of those trainers have been blogging their journeys, including their triumphs and their heartbreaks, successes and failures, for Eventing Nation readers. Read more from EN’s 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover Bloggers: Lindsey Burns, Hillary McMichael, Clare Mansmann, Jennifer Reisenbichler.

Kim O’Donnell with Roseau, yours truly with Make It Right, and Ellen Dry with Walk Away Slow (aka the only adult in the bunch). Photo by Allison Howell.

A client once asked Tom how he learned to control show nerves, to which Tom responded something like, “You do this a few thousand more times.” #helpful

The journey to the Makeover is very different for professionals and amateurs. We’ve had a slew of horses come and go this year alone, we changed horses and divisions, and we’re driving as I write this with three horses behind us, 11 shoes (don’t worry, Soft Rides and Animalintex are
also on board).

Many people have had to opt out of competing this week for a variety of reasons, but more are actually en route to Kentucky, and THAT IS AMAZING. Let’s be honest, to get any horse to anyWHERE at any TIME you choose is a feat in and of itself. Our background in eventing has certainly taught us this, particularly in the long-format days, when you’d work all year for that one three-day with no other option, only to have your horse abscess two days before shipping, sending you into a well of despair and tears, only to have your farrier work magic so then you’re happy crying and you spend the next week of your life in a blurry glass case of emotion and thank goodness there’s video footage because otherwise you remember nothing.

Just me?

Ah, teenage angst…

I digress…

Anywho, we learned from those experiences, and what we learned is that drama is unnecessary and unfun. The world has enough problems of its own, and there’s no need to add to that. So this morning, while Tom pried my horse’s sprung shoe off at 4 a.m., I gathered the bandaging
supplies and sent up a blessing to Soft Ride for sending us boots that fit him perfectly, and off we went.

We strive to live in such a way as to impart this attitude to all of our clients (*most* of the time we do okay), but especially to the two who have been training for the Makeover with us all year. They’re amazing, but they will not brag about themselves, and so I must brag on them.

There’s a big commitment to horses when you make them your career, but it’s no less of a commitment when you do it for fun, it’s just different. Horses are humbling creatures who take our time, our money, a bit of our bodies, and a lot of our minds, but we have a responsibility to care for them, and a large part of that is, of course, their training.

When Kim got Rose (Roseau), she knew she was head over heels for the horse, and she knew her own preferences, and she knew she wanted help with the process. But she didn’t know how much sass was in those twinkle toes, and she didn’t know the mare had a firecracker for a tail. She didn’t know that she’d be taught how to add to her fences, emphatically. She didn’t know that she’d have an extremely capable jumper, and she didn’t know there was a hidden hunter in there (if the jumps got big enough). She didn’t know that she’d learn a new position, but she also probably didn’t know how just strong she was (Kim, not Rose). She also didn’t know that the mare would hack on the buckle like a sedated donkey.

When Ellen got Hank (Walk Away Slow), all she knew was that she wanted a horse to do the Makeover, and she knew she was attracted to the war horse type, and and she knew he’d need a great farrier, and she knew (from us) that Sarah Hepler had a knack for finding horses with great brains. What she didn’t know that Hank actually did have a great brain (fortunately). She didn’t know that he’d go through an awkward balancing stage that felt like he actually was Hank the Septopus, but she also didn’t know that his lanky limbs would learn to snap up over fences. She didn’t know that they’d learn to nail their leads. She didn’t know that he’d get even bigger, and she did not know about the droopy lower lip. She didn’t know how challenged she would be, but how capable she is.

When you make a commitment to do right by a horse, whether it’s a horse you keep forever or one you are preparing for someone else, you might be surprised by what you learn, and not just about riding.

And so, once again, in true sappy-Clare fashion, I present the Year One journeys for Kim and Roseau, and Ellen and Walk Away Slow. Please enjoy these video peeks into their processes, and join me in congratulating these teams, and all those working their way to the Kentucky Horse Park. It has been a tremendous amount of focus, development, and hard-earned but very rewarding accomplishments for everyone involved. We have been honored to be a part of it, and we are looking forward to Year Two as much as they are!

Here’s Rosita!

And here’s Hank!

We’re here in Kentucky and we’re here for the pictures and the parties (which are, evidently, all in barn 9), ‘cause we’ve all already won.