Classic Eventing Nation

European Championships: Hopes, Hiccups, and Heartbreaks on Cross-Country Day

By on Aug 31, 2019 3:43 pm -

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by William Carey.

And then there was Jung.

After a whirlwind day of high hopes and heartbreaks at the Longines FEI European Championships, the undisputed champion of modern eventing didn’t just rise to the top of the pack – he stayed there. Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH were our dressage leaders yesterday after a phenomenal test that earned them a 20.8. Today, they were the hot favourites as they left the start box, but even so, the questions percolated and circulated – could this new partnership best the tricky track that Mike Etherington-Smith had set, after only nine months together? Would we see some of the magic of the La Biosthetique Sam days shine through once again?

As it turned out, we would. Michael and Chipmunk sailed through the finish flags with eighteen seconds to spare – and they did so despite a bizarre incident in the middle of the course.

“There was a strange situation – I galloped around the corner to fence 17 [the Rathaus table] and a guy was walking slowly into my way and shaking his hand,” he explains. “I was confused because he didn’t have a flag, I didn’t know, was he trying to stop me? But because I was looking to him, I lost my distance and I had a shit jump. I looked back after the fence and the crowd was screaming, ‘you have to go on!’ I lost my rhythm; it was a stupid situation.”

Though it’s unclear whether the mystery man was a fence judge attempting to stop Michael because of a previous faller, the fence in question isn’t one of the marked stopping points on course – in part because it directly precedes the tough final water.

Just a hack through the heather – Michael Jung makes light work of a tough day’s sport. Photo by William Carey.

Despite that blip, Michael and Chipmunk executed a masterclass across the country, setting the German phenom up to become the first rider ever to win four European titles.

“The cross-country is fantastic [with Chipmunk],” he says. “It was a nice dressage test yesterday, but today was really an amazing feeling. In the first minute, I thought I was much too fast so I just went slow, slow, not too much canter, and he gave me a really good feeling. He just kept jumping for me.”

The home crowd urged Michael around the course, not just at fence 17, but across its nearly 6km length.

“It’s nice to see how many people are supporting our sport – we had super conditions and a super competition, and it’s nice to see so many people are here,” he says with a smile.

Though Chipmunk’s showjumping remains his one question mark, Michael insists that all he can do is take each step as it comes.

“I need to concentrate on my job, and on my horse, and then we can think about all the other things,” he says.

Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD. Photo by William Carey.

There was nothing defending European Champions Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD could do but their best, and that’s exactly what they delivered. They added nothing to their 22.2 dressage to remain in silver medal position overnight, and for Ingrid, it was a very Happy Hale Bob Day indeed.

“Bobby was really full of himself in the warm-up, so I made sure I could hold him,” she says with a laugh. “It was good for him that we had a long gallop through the woods [between fences 3 and 4] – it was pure fun.”

Ingrid and Bobby, too, benefitted from the support of a home crowd: “every time they cheered him on, he was like, ‘okay, I’ll go faster!’ I was like, ‘no, Bobby – we’re right on time!’ At the bird at 20B I had my distance, and I thought I was on a straight, clear line, and the crowd screamed ‘hop!’ So I’m laughing as we came to the corner [at 21], thinking, ‘do I need to scream ‘hop’ as we jump?

As the last German team member to head out on course, all the pressure was on Ingrid – not just to help her team to win back the title, but to try to retain her own, too.

“Hans [Meltzer, Germany’s chef d’equipe] told me only to pet him when I came into the finish – don’t smile, just focus,” she laughs. “Sometimes I pat him so much, and I spend so much time saying, ‘Bobby, you are my hero!'”

As for the day’s oppressive heat, that, too, was something of an advantage: “I hate the winter! This was perfect for me,” she smiles.

Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot ENE HN. Photo by William Carey.

France’s Thibaut Vallette and his Rio and WEG mount Qing du Briot ENE HN stepped up into bronze medal position from equal fourth after dressage after executing one of the day’s 20 fault-free rounds.

“Today was a really great round for the horse and me,” says the rider, who is part of the Cadre Noir at Saumur. “This is the first time I’ve come to Luhmühlen and my horse was very nice all the way around. He’s a great horse and my best friend, and it’s very good for the team – I have high hopes for a good day.”

Tim Lips and Bayro. Photo by William Carey.

Though it was a tough day in the office for the Netherlands (see Nations’ Standings, below), it was a good one indeed for the Dutch National Champions Tim Lips and Bayro. They stepped up from sixth to fourth place, and currently sit on an overnight score of 26 – just a fifth of a penalty away from the bronze medal contenders.

“I was very pleased; on the course I was all the time on my minute markers, although I lost a little bit at the last two waters, so I had to push a bit,” he says, before admitting: “After our second [Dutch] rider fell, I thought maybe I won’t run – I could go to the Nations Cup instead for those points. But my dad said, ‘are you mad? You’ve had this horse so long, and he’s thirteen already’ – I’m glad I listened to him.”

Oliver Townend leads the British team, who sit in overnight silver medal position, after a faultless clear with Cooley Master Class that belied the fact he’s missed nearly two months due to a badly broken wrist. So, too, did it bely the fact that Cooley Master Class – who won his second Kentucky title this year – only runs at a couple of internationals per season.

“He doesn’t need run after run, and it’s proof that he’s better than ever,” says Oliver, who jokes that he became a full-time horse dealer ‘rather than a part-time eventer’ during his time off. “He’s very special, and he needs very little preparation – he’s just grown in confidence every event that he comes to. It’s a very special feeling and a huge credit to the massive team behind him. We always thought he was this good, and now he’s showing it again and again.”

Oliver was the last British team member to run, and after a surprise run-out was added to Tina Cook‘s scoresheet, the pressure was on. But did it affect him?

“I’m a bit strange – it doesn’t worry me too much. I know what I have to do. I sometimes question how relaxed I feel in terms of the cross-country warm-up; I think it’s very calm and very relaxed, and then as soon as I get across the finish line I’ll laugh or cry or do something embarrassing.”

Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua. Photo by William Carey.

Ireland’s Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua recorded a typically speedy round to step up from thirteenth to sixth place overnight.

“She was super,” he says. “She started off a little bit hot, but she was amazing to jump. I overrode the right rein in the combination in the arena, and she was amazing to jump the corner where she did, but the rest of the round was unbelievable and she’s finished very strong and looks in very good nick.”

Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo. Photo by William Carey.

France’s Christopher Six and Totem de Brecey lie in seventh overnight, followed by Italy’s Pietro Roman and Barraduff. Great Britain’s Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo move from 17th to ninth after coming home six seconds inside the 10:10 optimum time, and despite a hairy moment at the second water.

“He’s fabulous on this day, but the one thing he can be wary of is water,” explains Piggy. “But he was super brave at the first, and while I’d normally give him a tap beforehand, I didn’t at the second. He was genuine through it, but he was hard work, and I had to keep turning the key. It was laboured and he started to spook, so I had two give him two sharp taps and then he was away again. You can’t be defensive on a course like this, but you’ve got to be clever, too – you have to keep thinking and stay on your A game, and always think of your plan A, B, and C. The time, though is disappointingly easy, which is a shame for my horse. If I keep a gun to his head he’s so much better – if we’re ten, fifteen seconds up and I drop the pace, then he drops behind the bridle and thinks he’s finished. He’s a twisty, quick track horse all day, but I don’t want to come in 40 seconds under the time because it looks like an unnecessary risk.”

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by William Carey.

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, competing as individuals for Great Britain, sit tenth after adding just 2.4 time penalties to their 27.9 dressage.

“I’m just delighted with I’m – he’s only ten,” she says through tears. “I watched the beginning [of the cross-country] and then I stopped watching because it wasn’t going very well. It’s really exciting what the future’s going to hold for him – it’s just lovely. Top ten was my aim coming out here – I wanted a personal best in the dressage, but didn’t manage it, and I wanted a clear in the time, and we were just over.”

It would be amiss not to mention the great efforts of British pathfinders Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope, who skipped home inside the time and sit 21st overnight.

“Last night and all this morning I was thinking, ‘why haven’t I retired yet?!'” she laughs. “But it felt great today.”

The top ten after cross-country.

We knew this would be a tough course, but it still caused its share of surprises – namely, that the time proved far less influential than we expected it to be. In total, 20 combinations sailed home clear and inside the time – owing, in part, to the fast ground and the superb conditions.

“We saw a lot of world-class riding all around the course; there was some spectacular riding and good decisions being made by everyone, not just the top guys,” says course designer Mike Etherington-Smith, though, he admits, “I didn’t expect quite so many to get the time. When you get good ground and good weather conditions like we saw today, then it becomes easier to get the time – but you have to wheel it for 570mpm over the distance, and so it is what it is.”

Plus, as Mike points out, conditions like today’s aren’t guaranteed – particularly at Luhmühlen, which was struck by torrential rain and flooding in June.

“You have to build for any weather conditions – it could have poured,” he says.

As predicted, the course caused problems across the board, with glance-offs and stops from 5D, the latter part of the first water, all the way through to 25, the second of the offset hedges at the tail end of the course. But the colourful bird in the water at 20B – the, erm, tit, as Harry Meade pointed out – caused the most problems through the day. In total, it was responsible for eight faults – two refusals, two rider falls, three horse falls, and one subsequent retirement – including that of bronze medal contender Laura Collett, whose gutsy round was full of the gumption that London 52 needed. But a slight misjudgement of the distance to 20B saw the horse catch his front legs, and some quick thinking and a last minute backwards scramble was all that stopped him from having a rotational fall. But it was too late for Laura, who tipped out the front door and had to make the long journey to the finish on foot.

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by William Carey.

“Luckily, he’s absolutely fine – in a way, it’s good to have that long walk back, because it means I can make sure he’s okay,” says an understandably heartbroken but perennially pragmatic Laura. “He felt amazing, and he was taking everything on, but he just got confused by all the twists and turns at the end of course. We ended up getting to 20B on no distance at all. I’m gutted – I came here with huge expectations. But we have to take the positives; he’s never seen a track like that, or crowds like that. He’s only ten years old and he has a bright future ahead of him. He trusted me out there today – it just didn’t come off.”

20B was also a major architect in the defeat of the Dutch team, who saw Merel Blom retire there and Ilonka Kluytmans fall.

10A – the first of the upright gates after the arena – was also a surprise culprit, resulting in the fall of Polish rider Jan Kaminski, two refusals for Spain’s Maria Pinedo Sendagorta and Carriem van Colen Z, and broken frangible devices for Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon and Spain’s Esteban Benitez Valle.

In something of a freak drama, Germany’s Nadine Marzahl and Valentine 18, who were placed in the top twenty after dressage, were eliminated for missing a fence – they skipped nine, the hedge after the arena, and continued as far as the second water before they were pulled up.

71 combinations left the start box – the withdrawal of Finland’s Sanna Siltakorpi and Bofey Click diminished our numbers by one – and 59 crossed the finish line. Of those 59, 44 would return without having incurred jumping penalties, flag penalties, or frangible penalties. That’s a clear rate of 62% – about right for this level – but a whopping 28% double-clear rate.

Germany continue their hunt to regain the team gold medal, despite having to drop the score of Kai Rüder and Colani Sunrise, who were equal fourth after dressage. This is due to an issue in the start box, which saw the sometimes tricky gelding rear and refuse to go forward. Ultimately, it cost the pair 16 time penalties – or 40 seconds on the clock.

“That was, of course, a bad start – he went very well in the cross-country and would for sure have been in the time,” says Kai. “He’s never been quite like this; he gets nervous, sure, but this time, the entry for the start box was quite narrow. He’s a big horse, and I should have gone around, but I didn’t see it until the last second.”

Kai Rüder and Colani Sunrise. Photo by William Carey.

But with a horse like Colani Sunrise who, Kai noted after his dressage test, needs to be filled with confidence, it wouldn’t have been productive to have forced the start.

“You have to stay quiet and just pat him,” he explains. “He’s done so many good rounds that I thought it would be a good day – but that’s horses, just as that’s life.”

With Kai’s score discarded, the German team sits on 78.5 – but this still offers them a considerable lead over Great Britain, who sit in the silver medal position. Their overnight score is 92.8 – 14.3 points behind the leaders – after a shock blip on course dropped Tina Cook and Billy the Red out of contention. Their otherwise fast and classy round was marred by a drive-by at the C element – a skinny triple brush – out of the second water.

Tina Cook and Billy the Red. Photo by William Carey.

“I’m really disappointed,” she says. “I was having a good round up to them, and he jumped into the water super – he just took his eye off the fence. I have no explanation for it. He knows his job and he’s a fantastic cross-country horse – he’s jumped clear around the Europeans and the WEG.”

Though Tina was individually placed in the top ten after dressage, and thus in the hunt for a podium finish, her thoughts were solely with her team.

“I’m so disappointed for the team. When we walked it, I knew it would cause plenty of problems – it’s a real championship course, and it’ll be a real champion that wins it.”

From then on, the team standings are tightly packed: France sit in bronze medal position on 93.6, just 0.8 penalties behind the Brits, and helped along by the fact that all four riders went clear. In fact, the only combination to add anything to his dressage score was Alexis Goury and Trompe de l’Oeil d’Emery, who added just 0.8 time penalties, but it was Karim Laghouag and Punch de l’Esques whose score was dropped. They remain on their dressage score of 38.4 overnight, giving France something of a safety net for tomorrow’s competition.

Italy now leads the way for the teams not yet qualified for Tokyo. They lie fourth on a score of 99.2, having discarded the score of Vittoria Panizzon and Super Cillious, who added nine time penalties to their 31.5 dressage. Like France, this is a drop-score that could be used to their advantage – it’s not so far out of the hunt.

Sweden follows Italy in fifth place on 101.1, with two double-clears and two rounds that only added time penalties. Ludwig Svennerstal and El Kazir SP lead the way for their country, lying 11th overnight on their dressage score of 31.

Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco over the bird at 20B. Photo by William Carey.

Behind them, Ireland sit sixth after three clear rounds and one unfortunate twenty on course. Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco – just a ten-year-old – were the last team members to go, and were one of many combinations to run into trouble at fence 20B, the colourful bird in the water.

“He was having a magic round; he was fantastic,” says Sam. “But then he jumped a bit dead into the water, and I had to pick him back up. I lost my killer instinct in that turn – I thought about doing the turn to the inside, but I knew that people had fallen there earlier, but when I turned back, I felt the angle was too much to ask him for. In hindsight, maybe he could have done it.”

Like Tina before him, Sam’s thoughts were entirely on the fate of his team.

“I’m delighted with the horse – he’d have been inside the time otherwise, so there are a lot of big positives for him,” he says. “But it was a soft 20, and it was a tough one to get when the team was in a medal position. Right now, I’m just gutted for my teammates and for the horse’s connections.”

Belgium, down to three riders after the early fall of Laura Loge and Absolut Allegro at an inconspicuous table at 17, languishes behind in seventh on a score of 146.6, while the Netherlands are down to just one rider: Tim Lips and Bayro are the only Dutch competitors left in the hunt.

We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning for the final horse inspection, which kicks off at 9.00 a.m. local time. Stay tuned for a full report and gallery, before we head into the action-packed finale of the 2019 Longines FEI European Championships. Until then – so long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!

 #FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

#EventerProblems Vol. 194, Presented by Haygain: A for Effort

By on Aug 31, 2019 1:29 pm -

You eventers are a tough bunch. No matter what gets thrown at you, you just keep on kicking! While this latest edition of #EventerProblems may not win style points, we’ve officially awarded them all full points for effort.

Go eventing.

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AEC Beginner Novice Cross Country Preview: Yellow Is the New Blue

By on Aug 31, 2019 10:24 am -

3, 2, 1 … Beginner Novice cross country is underway at the 2019 American Eventing Championships! They don’t call this the Beginner Novice Olympics for nothin’, and Derek di Grazia’s beefy track does not disappoint. Riders will be tackling 18 yellow-numbered jumping efforts over a distance of 1,762 meters, running at a speed of 350 meters/minute — optimum time is 5 minutes and 3 seconds.

The course starts off with this inviting log, beautifully decorated with flowers by EN’s good friend Aidyn Degitz. Well-done, Aiden!

Photo courtesy of Krista Amos Degitz.

Fences #2 through #4 are nice galloping fences to get everybody in the mood to rock and roll. Fences #5-#6, Bannister to Fandango, and #7-#8, Brush to Brush, challenge riders to sit up and think about their lines and strides.

Photo via CrossCross App.

Horses will get their hooves wet at fence #9, a splash into the first water. Fence #10, Pallisdade Roll and the course’s halfway point, awaits on the other side. And then it’s on to #11 — the infamous Fiesta Table. It’s a rider-scarer with those bright colors, but don’t worry, it jumps really well!

Photo via CrossCross App.

Competitors are rewarded with a long galloping stretch to #12, The Bench, and then it’s on to this no-joke ditch. Eyes up, leg on, riders!

Photo courtesy of CrossCountry App.

Next stop: Head of the Lake! What a thrill.

Photo courtesy of CrossCountry App.

Onward and upward to another couplet of fences at #15, Red Top Cabin, and #16, Oxer. After that they’ll be on the homestretch, with just two fences to go: #17, Roll, and #18, Blue Top Barn.

The Beginner Novice Rider division is first out of the box at 8 a.m. followed by Amateur at 9:32 a.m., 14 & Under at 10:44 a.m., Master Amateur at 12:18 p.m., Junior at 1:36 p.m., and Horse at 3:52 p.m. Best of luck to all!

Many thanks to Ivy Johnson of Equestrian Events Inc. for the photos, and to CrossCountry App for sharing each and every course from the 2019 AEC!

#AEC2019: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, USEA’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

Rain, Rain Go Away! The Sun Came Out for Dressage at Foshay CCI

By on Aug 31, 2019 8:00 am -

Horses and riders ready for the first horse inspection at Foshay International. Photo by Joan Davis/ Flatlandsfoto.

Amidst the excitement of the American Eventing Championships and the FEI Eventing European Championships, we look northward to Jemseg, New Brunswick where the second iteration of the Foshay International CCI is being held this weekend.

Last year’s inaugural running was praised as being a great addition to the east coast fall calendar, bringing new FEI options including the 1.05-meter Introductory level, now known as the CC1*. Additionally, Foshay offers a CCI2*-L, EV 105 (an Equestrian Canada national level that also jumps 1.05 meters) and, new this year, the familiar Preliminary level.

Held over Labor Day weekend, Foshay is the perfect end-of-summer showcation for U.S. riders as well. Honestly, it’s not that far — just less than 8 hours from Boston, Massachusetts, which is a similar haul to from the same area to many Area II events.

The Foshay ground jury Kellie Towers, John McPherson, and Lynda Ramsay do their best to stay dry. Photo by Joan Davis/ Flatlandsfoto.

While the competition in earnest was set to begin on Thursday with dressage for the CCI1* division, mother nature had other ideas, unleashing a veritable downpour and giving everyone a proper soaking. Organizers opted to move all dressage to Friday to give competitors, spectators, and volunteers alike a drier, warmer and probably slightly more enjoyable experience.

The first horse inspection for the FEI divisions was still held that morning, however. Hats (or, rain jackets?) off to these tough ladies who said ‘what the heck’ and opted to show off their trot-up flair regardless of the weather!

As hoped, the sun came out on Friday offering everyone much better conditions under which to enjoy some fancy prancing. After dressage, Mireille (Mimi) Bilodeau and her own 8-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding Make My Day scored a 30.20 and are leading the CCI2*-L. This is both the horse and rider’s FEI debut, so surely that score made Mimi’s day, indeed.

Holly Jacks-Smither is making a return trip to Foshay with Favonius Nite, a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Mark Marquis, who’s known to his fans as the One Eyed Wonder Pony and to his friends as “Favy.” As winners of the division last year, they’re looking to defend their title and currently lead the CCI1* on a score of 29.30.

Rob Stevenson — yes, the same Rob Stevenson also serving as event organizer for Foshay — is actually the only rider in the Preliminary division. Needless to say, he and the 10-year-old Irish Sport horse mare Sportsfield Two Doors Down are currently leading. Their score of 28.30 is nothing to sneeze at though; in fact, it’s the lowest of the day. Watch their test here:

Rob Stevenson and Sportsfield Two Doors Down put in a lovely test in the Preliminary division! So great to have this horse back on Canadian soil 😊 #Mary

Posted by Foshay International on Friday, August 30, 2019

Rounding out the competition is the EV 105 division, in which Philippa Hambly of Fergus, Ontario and Jay Hambly’s Captain Midnight, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, are leading the charge with 34.10 penalty points.

Speaking of Jay Hambly, cross country for all levels kicks off today over the courses that he designed and built. All levels run an out-and-back style track parallel to the St. John River — it’s quite picturesque, really. The CCI2*-L course measures 3796 meters, has 19 numbered fences and 30 jumping efforts, and the optimum time is 7 minutes 18 seconds. The CCI1* is an even 3000 meters long with 18 numbered fences and 25 jumping efforts, for an optimum time of 6 minutes even.

Thanks to the always amazing Joan Davis of Flatlandsfoto, official photographer for Foshay, we have a peek at a few of the complexes on the various courses and it’s thanks to her for capturing the above soggy but stunning jog photos as well. You’re the awesomest, Joan!

Keep it locked right here on EN for more coverage of Foshay International, as well as all those other big events happening this weekend!

Foshay International CCI: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage

Saturday Links from Nupafeed USA

By on Aug 31, 2019 12:01 am -

Gary Francart gives Boyd a little “help” dropping into the water on course at the AECs yesterday.

EN’s Dream Team is actually #TeamNoSleep this weekend, with concurrent AEC and European Championship madness happening, plus a little Foshay International coverage sprinkled in good measure. Actually, we were kind of Team No Sleep last weekend too with Great Meadows, Millstreet, and Blair. And Burghley is coming up next weekend … Hmm. No complaints here though — just bring on the coffee!

National Holiday: National Matchmaker Day

Major Weekend Events:

#AEC2019: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, USEA’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

North American Weekend Preview:

Foshay International CCI [Website][Entry Status][Ride Times][Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Silverwood Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Your Everything AEC Saturday Links:

Training Riders Taste Victory at the AEC

ATC Team In It To Win It Lives Up To Its Name

Novice Riders Take on AEC Cross-Country

Martin and Long Island T Tee Up for the Win at the AEC

Jodie Potts Is Seeing Spots At The AEC

Saturday Video: Kimmy Cecere had the save of weekend (so far?) aboard Hindine. They finished the cross country course double clear and then went on to win the Training/Modified Training championship after show jumping double clear the next day.

Save of the Day at #AEC2019

Save of the day‼️ Kimmy Cecere Eventing almost went swimming today at #AEC2019 but held on to finish double-clear and move into 2nd in the Modified/Training division! 🙌

Posted by United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) on Thursday, August 29, 2019

 

Friday #AEC2019 Quotes From the Top: Here for the Party

By on Aug 30, 2019 11:50 pm -

Photo courtesy of Julie Pate.

The week-long party that is the 2019 American Eventing Championships continued to thrill and excite on Friday at the Kentucky Horse Park. The day kicked off with Advanced cross country, followed by Novice; Training took to Rolex Stadium for their show jumping finales; and Beginner Novice brought dressage to a close.

Here are links to all sixteen (16!!) of 23 total leaderboards that saw action today:

With the exception of a sprint out to cross country for Advanced (relive the action via our live blog, updated with quotes from the top three riders, here), I spent most of my day bumming around the Beginner Novice dressage rings — particularly my favorite division, Jr. Beginner Novice 14 & Under. I mean, not only are these kids are the future of our sport, they also have the best style AND the cutest ponies. Check out my recap here.

While I was chatting up the wunderkinds of American eventing, the USEA media team was hard hustling to interview all the day’s division leaders. Check out the Training winner interviews and photos they posted to Instagram (@useventing).

EQUISTRO MODIFIED TRAINING 

Final top 5: 

TRAINING AMATEUR

Final top 5:

TRAINING JUNIOR

Final top 5:

TRAINING HORSE

Final top 5:

TRAINING RIDER

Final top 5: 

For more “Quotes from the Top,” check out the USEA’s daily reports on each level — click here for the complete newsfeed:

Training Riders Taste Victory at the AEC

Novice Riders Take on AEC Cross Country

Best For Last: Beginner Novice Brings AEC Dressage to a Close

Martin and Long Island T Tee Up for the Win at the AEC

Will tomorrow be any less insane than today? Nope! And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Red on right, white on left …

Go Eventing.

#AEC2019: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, USEA’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

We Are All ‘In Our Feelings’ for AEC Jr. Beginner Novice Rider 14 & Under Dressage

By on Aug 30, 2019 11:02 pm -

Move over, Advanced, with your fancy dressage tailcoats and show-boaty jumps. For one glorious week each year, we shove the Big Name Riders out of the limelight and focus instead on the cutthroat ranks of … Jr. Beginner Novice 14 & Under.

This year 38 of the country’s most formidable junior riders are facing off over the toughest yellow numbered jumps in the land right here at the Kentucky Horse Park  for the 2019 American Eventing Championships. The field is wide open but this much is certain: The competition is fierce.

Maren Hanson and In My Feelings. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Maren Hanson and In My Feelings are our dressage leaders heading into cross country tomorrow on a score of 28.3. You might recognize “Mighty Maren” from EN’s 2028 Olympic Talent Watch series — we featured her back in 2017. Now at the ripe old age of 12, Maren and “Drake” — who at 24 is twice her age, although you wouldn’t know it from watching him strut his stuff in the sandbox — are making their debut on the national stage, well, in eventing at least! The pair is coming off a big 6th place overall finish at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions last weekend at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois, which coincidentally hosted the AEC from 2007 to 2009.

Today’s result was an emotional one for Maren, who rode with the late, great Ann Haller. Her mother, Christie, got a little teary-eyed when recalling, “I told her before her test to ride her best for Ann.” We think Ann would be proud, Maren.

Indeed, there were a lot of feels out there today. One of my favorite tests belonged to Connor Stegeman and Zip’s Bangee which, while it may not have topped the leaderboard board, was one that Connor will remember forever. It was their final dressage test together, as Connor has outgrown her 21-year-old Appaloosa Pony of Americas and will be moving on to a bigger horse after the AEC. Overwhelmed by love and appreciation for her beloved pony, Connor burst into tears after the final salute.

Connor Stegeman and Zip’s Bangee. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Bonus: braid check! Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Every combination in this division — in every division, really — has their own unique story they carry with them up the centerline. For instance: Riley Jones‘ pony Señor Santana was a rescue from a farm seizure situation wherein several horses of the 30 horses Santana lived with were already deceased. He’d been restarted as a western pony when Riley brought him into her life about five years ago, and she’s since shown him the ropes of eventing.

Riley Jones and Señor Santana. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Can we get a closer look at those sparkly blue braids? And we hear that there is much more where those came from on cross country … he even sports a unicorn horn! Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Riley kindly took the time to tell us about their test and their partnership.

For these young riders, their horses and ponies are much more than competition partners — they’re friends. Kloie Hicks describes her pony Sugar Rush as “fun, loving and caring.”

Kloie Hicks and Sugar Rush. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

It’s neat to see mounts of all shapes, sizes and colors out there — truly, any horse can Go Eventing! Among the less orthodox breeds represented: a Norwegian Fjord, an Andalusian/Appendix Quarter Horse cross, Haflinger, Nokota, Morgan, and a Canadian Sport Horse.

Isabella Craft and Marcato, a Leopard Appaloosa Hungarian Warmblood (Double Helix by Bold Pizazz) gelding. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Nothing wrong with a good-looking classic bay, though:

With the top 13 competitors in the division separated by less than a rail, the jumping phases are bound to be nail-biters. A few cross country machines and show jumping powerhouses to keep an eye out for:

Macie Sykes and Delilah’s Boy, her own Connemara gelding, have gone clear in both jumping phases in their past five events. They sit 7th after dressage, not quite replicating the winning score of 19.5 they posted at Pony Club Championships earlier this summer but certainly still in the mix! Love that smile, Macie.

Macie Sykes and Delilah’s Boy. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

More pairs with super jumping records to keep your eye on:

Marin Swyers and Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Sierra Thomas and Chambery. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

A job well done to all these young riders!

Sydney Langley & Pocket Change. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Make no mistake — these kids are coming for us all, and we can’t wait to follow all the dramatic twists and turns of this year’s Jr. Beginner Novice 14 & Under showdown. And here’s some great news from the USEA!

Great to see our lower levels getting the royal treatment — they deserve it! Much more to come. Go Eventing.

#AEC2019: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, USEA’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Junior Beginner Novice 14 & Under top 10 after dressage (view complete leaderboard here):

AEC Social Media Roundup: Smiles, Smiles Everywhere

By on Aug 30, 2019 8:15 pm -

Day four at the American Eventing Championships seemed to be filled with smiles. Smiles after a good dressage test, smiles after a great cross country ride and smiles at the completion of the event — even if it didn’t turn out as dreamed. The love and respect for their horses that the riders at the AECs have (and everywhere else!) is palpable through the computer screen; you simply have to scroll down and see for yourself.

Today the Training and Modified competitors wrapped up their competition, Advanced and Novice galloped out of the start box and the Beginner Novice divisions rode the last dressage tests of the event. Here’s what today at the AECS looked like:

#AEC2019: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, USEA’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

The Fast and the Furious: The European Championships Track, Broken Down

By on Aug 30, 2019 5:00 pm -

When they build championship tracks, they really don’t mess around – and true to form, Mike Etherington-Smith has provided us with something truly special this week.

“I was quite nervous to get feedback from the riders,” he admits. “The world’s best are here, and there are plenty of people stepping up to championship level too, so I wanted to create a mix that would challenge and support. There are lots of long routes to get people out of jail, but they’ll take up a lot of time.”

The time, which is set at 10:10 for the 5790m-length track, is something that Mike hopes will be influential.

“The good guys now are so good that it’s becoming a challenge to design for them,” he says, citing his myriad tricky combinations and direct routes as having been designed for medal contenders. “You can’t just build for the top ten – you have to build for everyone. We’ll all certainly be wiser come Saturday night!”

The track runs in the opposite direction to that used at June’s CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L, which is significant for one major reason: that long pull up the hill after the final water is now a downhill sprint to the first major combination on course. And while that might sound like it makes the job easier, it certainly won’t. The first three fences on course – simple, but maxed out single fences, designed to get horses up in the air and riders thinking forward – come up in the first 30 seconds, there’s then a yawning gap of over a minute before 4, which serves as a wake-up call before the major question at 5abcd, the first water on course. That minute-and-a-bit meanders through the woods, with few significant landmarks, so riders will have several jobs to do: they’ll need to keep a militant eye on the time, and they’ll need to keep their horses thinking, focused, and rideable. After making their way through the trees, they’ll need to maintain control without killing impulsion down the hill, popping the house with its colossal drop on landing side. Getting the right jump here is imperative – too big a leap, and they’ll struggle to set their horses up for 5abcd.

The first water is also the first combination on course, and as we’ll see throughout the track, it offers a tough direct route designed for the top-tier combinations as well as a friendlier, but much slower, long route designed to support less experienced combinations. This also means that there’s a plan B if something goes wrong – or if team orders change.

The direct route consists of a brush into the water (5a), after which they’ll power forward on four strides to an angled boat in the water (5b) and out to a narrow brush, which sits at the peak of a small slope (5cd). The longer route consists of four efforts, situation on a circuitous route around and through the water complex – and it’s guaranteed to be a time-sucker.

After popping the maximum-dimension table – complete with oversized wooden goblets – at 6, we head into the main arena. Two major challenges await our riders here: first, they’ll have to contend with a packed and vocal house, which shouldn’t be an issue for more experienced championship and five-star horses, but which could back off more inexperienced ones. There’s also a change of footing to bear in mind, as they gallop from grass and dirt tracks onto sand, but that’ll be but a blip on the radar in comparison to the question contained within.

Fence 7 – a maximum-dimension table fitted with MIM devices – is a single fence, but it’s set on a related to 8abcd, a corner-spread-corner combination on a curving right-handed line. The final corner (8cd) becomes almost unjumpable if the line and the approach to 8a and 8b aren’t correct, but if a rider gets into trouble here, they can reroute to the alternative 8c and 8d – two corners on a curving line at the other end of the arena.

Fence 9 is a let-up fence, and it’s a Luhmühlen classic – this steeplechase-style hedge has bright rail in front of it, which makes it more visible. But it’s meant to be respected – as 5* winner Tim Price pointed out to us earlier this summer, it doesn’t usually inspire a fantastic effort from horses.

After that, there’s another combination at 10ab, although it shouldn’t be one of the influential ones – although the questions are both upright gates fitted with MIM clips, so we could see one or two pick up 11 penalties here. Once again, there are options – there’s a direct two strides on a slight downhill slope from the first gate to the second, or a slightly longer three strides for those who need the extra space to compensate for a scrappier first effort.

There’s scarcely time to breathe – although there’s half a minute or so of galloping to help efforts – before we head to the second water complex. Fence 11 is yet another maximum-dimension table, and it’s designed to set our competitors up for 12abc, which will likely be the architect of several fortunes – both good and bad. The straight route takes horses and riders down over an angled hanging log and drop. Then, it’s a forward four strides to a triple brush in the water, and on to another triple brush on the slope out. Or, for those who don’t fancy their chances against those skinnies – and that inarguably terrifying drop in – there’s another option, which requires them to make their way all the way around from one side of the water to the other. Not only is this option incredibly slow, it also pops them out at the wrong end of the water – so they’ll need to get themselves back around to the other side to jump 13. Anyone who opts for this route will likely be found weeks later, still circling the water like a lost, confused shark.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that fence 13 might be a little bit of a let-up after the technical test of the Meßmer water, but it’s not – yes, it’s a single fence, and yes, it should jump well, and yes, these are experienced horses and riders so they’re much braver than your faithful EN reporter, but this angled table over a water-filled ditch looks truly frightening. It’ll be a good test of riders’ ability to pick and hold their line, but we aren’t likely to witness any heartbreak here.

14abc is a different story. The fischer Wellenbahn is an old Luhmühlen standby that’s been revitalised and revisited for this championship – and visually, it’s probably the most impressive combination on course. The first element is an airy birch rail upright, followed by three strides downhill to an imposing – read: colossal – drop topped with brush. On landing, riders will have just three strides to get organised before the corner at 14c, which has both a left- and right-handed option. The left provides the more obvious line, but the right has a slightly wider jumping area. Commitment will be key.

After popping the yawning ditch-and-hedge at 15, there’s a clever coffin question at 16abc. Once again, we find two options here: the straight route is a one-and-one line over the upright frangible rails at 16a, over an angled ditch, and finally, over a reasonably skinny angled log at 16c. The angle of the final fence is the most significant factor in this question – riders will need to make sure their horses don’t overjump or drift over the ditch, otherwise they risk a runout. If they foresee this being an issue, though, they can pop the first two elements and then swing around to the left to pop another log, wasting precious seconds.

The rathaus at 17 is another big table, which acts as a ‘gimme’ fence before we head to the final water, which contains two separate questions. The quick route at 18abc takes our riders over two offset brushes on a one-stride line – and the second of these drops them into the water, where they’ll need to regather the knitting quickly for a left-handed turn to a skinny arrowhead. At this stage, we’ll see horses and riders hitting the fringes of fatigue, so they’ll need to assess their situation honestly: are they committed, confident, and able to make the forward lines, or do they need to take the long route and avoid an expensive 20?

Once they’re clear of the final element, they need to embark on a big swing around the field that will bring them back for 19 and 20a – a related distance of two boathouses – and then 20b, a brightly-coloured bird on a nest in the water. The long option here is a different choice for 20a, which takes out the related distance and allows for a longer, straighter approach to the bird.

Following this, there’s a single fence – but this, too, has an option. The straight route over 21 involves a gaping dip, at the upper lip of which is a not insignificant brush corner. Or, they can drop into the dip, nip around to the right, and pop over a friendly house.

While the trakehner at 22 might look scary, it’ll be a small mercy to our hard-working horses and riders, who should get a great shot over it as they gallop out of the woods. Then, there’s one more big question before they head for home: the enormous oxer at 23, which is followed by two offset brushes at 24 and 25. Though they’re separately numbered, these two brushes are designed to be tackle on a direct line, but they’ll require a really positive ride – expect to see more than a couple of side-door escape manoeuvres here.

After that, there’s just one more fence to go, and the Longines Final Jump, shaped like an enormous rosette, should allow them to sail home and chase that final half a second or so en route to the finish line.

What do the riders say?

A star (*) by a rider’s name denotes a team rider.

Michael Jung* (GER, first): It’s a nice, tough course – it’s a very nice build, with many different questions, but it’s very clear, very fair, and with super conditions. The water jumps are always spectacular and interesting at Luhmühlen, and the questions at the end will be interesting – if you’re riding for the time, you can have a runout.

At a championship you’re not just riding for yourself, so you have to be prepared for anything so you don’t get a 20. You have to know all the ways to go at each of the fences in case the trainer tells you that you can’t go one way, you have to go another.

An hour before the cross-country starts the atmosphere is growing – but I don’t do anything special, I just try to concentrate. Sometimes you can get stressed or nervous, but if the warm-up goes to plan and feels good, then you can feel good.

Ingrid Klimke* (GER, second): There are plenty of questions, particularly at the water complexes, but the ground is perfect, the jumps are beautiful, and you have nice galloping tracks where you can really go for it and have fun.

 I’ve walked it four times already, and I’ll walk it again in the morning on my own or with one friend or rider. Then, I’ll watch as much as I can, but thirty minutes before I get on I’ll go to my lorry to be alone and think about my plan. Then, I’ll go to the box and spend a bit of time with Bobby.

Laura Collett (GBR, third): It’s clever to have the first three fences come up quickly and then a long gallop – you’ll feel like you’ve gone hacking. All the waters are very serious; there’s no let-up. We had a bit of a joke with Tina after she fell after the last fence at Hartpury, thinking she was about to win – you’re not finished until you’ve crossed the line.

It’s a massive ask for [London 52] as he’s so inexperienced – he only started eventing three years ago – but he’s super talented, so hopefully I can show him the way and he’ll come up with the answers. For me, at the moment, it’s about going direct everywhere – obviously plans can change when you’ve seen a few go, but I don’t think you can be in with a shout if you go long.

Tim Lips* (NED, sixth): I think it’s really important to read it very well, because I think the whole course is designed to make you think between all the combinations. As you approach each fence, you always have to be thinking ahead to the next.

Oliver Townend* (GBR, seventh): It’s a proper job – the course is beautifully designed and built. I’m a big fan of Mike Etherington-Smith’s courses; you get a lot of gimmicky courses where they try to catch horses out, but here, if you’re on the line and your horse is 100% switched on, they’ll do their job and it should look nice.

Kitty King (GBR, eighth): I’m glad I came here last year [with Ceylor LAN] so I have a feel for the place – it helps to know where you are with all the twists and turns, otherwise you can lose your bearings. There are plenty of accuracy questions out there; it’s a true championship test but it’s fair and not there to trick horses. If you ride good lines, it’ll be clear – but you have to keep riding all the way to the last fence. 

Tina Cook* (GBR, ninth): It’s a different course, with lots of different questions. I’ve ridden at lots of Europeans, but I think this could be one of the toughest. It’ll take a proper gold medal performance to go clear in the time. The terrain will come into play, and team orders, too.

Karin Donckers* (BEL, =eleventh): It’s a beautiful course as always. The fences are very clear, but you have to respect them. It’s very fair to horses, and if you have problems, there’s always a plan B or C. You’ll still have to use your brain to ride it, though – but that’s just what we want.

Cathal Daniels* (IRE, thirteenth): It’s a brilliant course. There are lots of combinations and places you can go wrong, but the track is very fair and a good horse will find it very jumpable. Now that dressage is over, I can get excited about it!

Sam Watson* (IRE, sixteenth): There are more than ten proper championship questions out there, which means there’s a lot of cumulative risk, so it’ll be about precision and consistency. The time isn’t going to be easy. It’ll be a big test for anyone – you could isolate any of the questions and lose sleep over them, but we’ll have to deal with them all and all the factors. Hats off to Mike Etherington-Smith – we can always talk about courses after the fact, but he’s designed a track that’s a brave, very fair championship course. And that’s what we want – we want to see the very best being tested.

Piggy French* (GBR, seventeenth): It’s tough – it’s a proper championship track. There’ll be plenty of problems everywhere, and it certainly won’t be a dressage competition. You’ll have to think – it’s quite a quick track, and you have to keep your foot to the metal the whole way round. The waters are very decent. We’ll have to fight for it.

 Pippa Funnell* (GBR, forty-second): You have a long gallop after the first three and then an intense first water – it’s more of a question because you haven’t got going yet. It’s very technical the whole way around, with plenty of narrow fences that you need to have gone on a diet to get through. The time will be tight – we’ll have to be switched on and crack on. The distances are fair – I hate when they’re open and it’s a bit of a ‘is it, or isn’t it?’ question.

Want more insight? Here’s a full run-down of the course, with audio notes from Mike Etherington-Smith:

 #FEIEuros2019: Website, Entries, Form Guide, Live Scoring, Live-Stream Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

 

Friday Video from SmartPak: If Horses Were People – Fly Season, Part 2

By on Aug 30, 2019 2:49 pm -

SmartPak’s “If Horses Were People” series is back and more painfully true-to-life — and hysterically funny — than ever. The latest series imagines what it would be like if horses were people during fly season, with Sara and Sarah acting out all the summer dramz that are basically your life right now: ripped fly sheets, MIA fly masks, fly spray sagas … the dreaded SWATTING HORSE TAIL TO THE EYEBALL. And if you loved Part 1, strap in because this hot-off-the-presses part 2 is even more hilarious.

(Speaking of fly spray, SmartPak’s OutSmart® Fly Spray is THE BOMB. Not only is it free from nasty chemicals, it smells delightfully pepperminty and … drumroll … it really works! Go order yourself some right now; you can thank us later.)

Be sure to subscribe to SmartPak’s YouTube channel for all the latest videos. Go Eventing!