Classic Eventing Nation

Daisy Berkeley Blooms in Blair Castle CCI4*-S Dressage

By on Aug 23, 2019 1:38 pm -

Daisy Berkeley and Ballinteskin Cooper S. Photo by Douglas Lamont courtesy of Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials.

Daisy Berkeley slipped into the lead late in the afternoon in the CCI4*-S class at Scotland’s Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials, and is in first place going into tomorrow’s show jumping phase.

Riding Ballinteskin Cooper S, a 10-year-old owned by Daisy and her mother Caroline Dick, Roxana White and Mary Scott-Gall, Daisy scored 30.4 – just a fraction of a penalty more than the two riders who share second place on 30.5, Astier Nicolas and Sam Ecroyd.

Daisy, who was part of Britain’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2008 Olympics, said: “The only mistake he made in his test was jogging a bit after I got a fly in my eye, and I prefer him a bit sharp because it meant he had a lot more presence.

“He’s an awesome jumper and a lovely mover. I thought coming to Blair would bring him on before he goes to Blenheim for the CCI4*-L, and I love it here. I’ve brought my eight-year-old daughter, Mary, with me, and she says it is the best holiday ever!”

Frenchman Astier Nicolas, a narrow second in this class on the grey eight-year-old Babylon De Gamma and also in the lead in the CCI3*-L aboard Lumberton, set the standard when first to go at 9 a.m. this morning.

“Our test wasn’t perfect – he’s a bit of a weak baby – but soon he’ll be very good,” said Astier, team gold and individual silver medallist at the 2016 Olympics. “He’s very talented, and one of the best horses I’ve ever sat. He’s my biggest hope for the future.”

Both Daisy and Astier complimented the ground conditions at Land Rover Blair Castle, saying that the going underfoot was “beautiful.”

Sam Ecroyd also scored 30.5 on Davinci III, while Polly Stockton and Mister Maccondy are very close behind in fourth on a mark of 30.8.

There are no changes to the leaders of the other three international classes at Land Rover Blair Castle after the second day of dressage. Emilie Chandler sits on top in the CCI4*-L with Gortfadda Diamond with a score of 31.8, ahead of Louisa Lockwood with Diamond Ructions on  33.3.

In the CCI3*-L, Greta Mason with Cooley For Sure and Sarah Holmes with Lowhill Clover hold joint-second place with 32.2 behind Astier Nicolas and Lumberton on 31.5.

And Aberdeenshire’s Emma Murray is still at the head of the CCI2*-L with 28.6 on Wainthropp. Again, two riders share second place in this section: Germany’s Josephine Schnaufer with Ronaldo IV and Britain’s Polly Stockton with Sir Alfred II, both of whom scored 30.5.

Cross country commences shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday morning with the CCI2*-L, followed by the CCI4*-L and then the CCI3*-L. The showjumping phase of the CCI4*-S takes place tomorrow with cross country on Sunday.

Read our day one dressage report here.

[Daisy blooms at Blair: day two of dressage]

Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Cross Country Course Previews, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

CCI4*-S Dressage Top 10: 

US Equestrian Names Nations Cup Team for Boekelo CCIO4*-L

By on Aug 23, 2019 12:33 pm -

Image via US Equestrian.

US Equestrian has just named the U.S. Nations Cup team for Boekelo CCIO4*-L, which takes place Oct. 10-13, in Enschede, the Netherlands. Erik Duvander will serve as the chef d’equipe.

The following athlete-and-horse combinations will compose the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team:

  • Jennie Brannigan (West Grove, Pa.) and Stella Artois, the Stella Artois Syndicate’s 11-year-old Holsteiner/Thoroughbred mare
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp (Ocala, Fla.) and Cooley Quicksilver, the Monster Partnership’s eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding
  • Frankie Thieriot Stutes (Occidental, Calif.) and Chatwin, the Chatwin Group’s 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding

The following combination has been named as the traveling reserve:

  • Tamie Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) and Mai Baum, Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markel’s 13-year-old German Sport Horse gelding

The following combinations have been named as alternates:

  • Matt Flynn (Reddick, Fla.) and Wizzerd, A. Patrick Flynn, Kathleen Flynn, and Merry Go Round Farm’s 10-year-old KWPN gelding
  • Caroline Martin (Miami Beach, Fla.) and Danger Mouse, her and Sherrie Martin’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding

Boekelo also serves as a test event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The competition is testing the new Olympic team format, which means there are only three riders on the team and no drop score.

Under the new Olympic team format, the traveling reserve is still a very critical fourth member of the team. The way Boekelo is testing the format will differ from the Olympics, as the reserve for Tokyo will only step in should one of the three team horses be unable to continue on to the next phase (due to elimination, unsoundness, etc). For Boekelo, the traveling reserve will compete in all phases, and their score can be substituted in as a counting score should one of the three team members be unable to continue (due to elimination, unsoundness, etc.)

There are a number of rules that dictate how substitution will work at the actual Games. Full FEI Regulations for Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games are available here. Click here for a direct link to the Games rules. View more information about the FEI Eventing Nations Cup the Netherlands here.

[US Equestrian Announces Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ the Netherlands]

 

Great Meadow International CCI4*-S Cross Country Course Preview

By on Aug 23, 2019 11:00 am -

Fence 22AB.

With a new date and new divisions, the MARS Great Meadow International also welcomed David O’Connor as the new cross country course designer in 2019. He takes the reins from Mike Etherington-Smith, who served the venue in its first four years.

The track remains similar to past years, with the start and finish only slightly relocated on the steeplechase side of the property. There are 23 numbered fences with 33 jumping efforts sprinkled across the Northern Virginia countryside, well known for its rolling terrain which can make the time more challenging for competitors. Historically, around 10-12% of riders complete inside the time, so we’ll be closely watching our pathfinders to see how David’s track compares.

Previous courses here have seen a clear jumping rate trending around 70%, but last year saw that number drop significantly, with only 40% getting around without jumping penalties. Almost half the field fell victim to the brush corners inside the ring, which are featured again on this course. Just outside the Fleming arena, the MARS brush corners (11AB) are now flagged to allow a direct, more challenging line, or a longer, more curved alternate route.

Cross country for the CCI4*-S division begins Sunday at noon. You can watch it all via EQSportsNet’s live stream. Scroll on to follow our fence-by-fence preview:

MARS Great Meadow International: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

This Week in Horse Health News Presented by MediVet Equine

By on Aug 23, 2019 9:00 am -

It’s going to be a bit of a bullet-point bonanza This Week in Horse Health News, presented by our friends at MediVet Equine, because we have two big, multifaceted topics to cover this week!

First up, since summer isn’t quite over yet all those nasty mosquito- and fly-borne diseases are still running amok. That means cases of infectious diseases are still popping up around the country and it’s our due diligence to keep tabs on them. Here is your quick-and-dirty update on what’s happening:

  • Louisiana has had a wet summer and is subsequently seeing an increase in mosquitos and mosquito-borne diseases. Since June, 18 horses in Louisiana have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE). One horse also tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). None of the affected horses were vaccinated. [Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry]
  • Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) has been confirmed in 7 states since late June: Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, and most recently, Utah. Texas and Colorado have been the hardest hit, but fortunately the number of new cases seems to be winding down and the number of facilities being released from quarantine is going up. [USDA Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) Situation Report – August 19, 2019]
  • A horse and a mule on the same property in Wisconsin recently tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). These are first cases of EIA in Wisconsin in the last 15 years. [The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection]

Next up, the 15th Conference of the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) took place at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada earlier this week and The Horse was on hand to bring readers some tidbits from the latest research discussed. Here are some of the most interesting highlights of of the conference proceedings that pertain to sport horses:

  • A researcher from Aarhus University in Denmark studied how increased rider weight affects horses during a dressage test. She found that adding up to 25% more weight to the rider’s bodies, so that the rider-to-horse weight ratio reached up to 23%, did not increase stress indicators in the horse. The study only looked at the acute effects of weight increase, not long term effects. More detail about the data collection can be found here.
  • Also out of Denmark, a veterinarian found an easy way to check your balance in the saddle — take two bathroom scaled and stand with one foot on each. Is there more weight on one side? Using a pressure mat placed under the saddle, the study found that riders who stood crooked on scales also sat crooked in the saddle and the average difference between side was 7 lbs.
  • A horse’s body weight is just one of many other factors that affects how footing surfaces act on the body. A researcher from the University of Guelph found that softer footing might put more stress on a heavier horse’s musculoskeletal system than firm footing during the mid-point of the horse’s stride.
  • Another researcher from the University of Guelph is investigating how strain on a horse’s leading limb varies depending on whether the horse is galloping on a straight line or a curve. Most catastrophic injuries to North American racehorses occur to the left forelimb — could this be because North American races are run counterclockwise? We’ll have to wait until the research is finished to find out.

[The Horse]

Friday News & Notes from World Equestrian Brands

By on Aug 23, 2019 12:03 am -

Photo by Matt Brown.

Want to be a working student for one of the top riders in the country! Now is your chance to be that girl sweeping hay out of the loft! Matt Brown is looking for an enthusiastic young person to join his team in Pennsylvania, just a few days a week. You can part time it there and learn a ton, while still doing your own thing. Don’t miss this opportunity!

National Holiday: National Sponge Cake Day

Major Weekend Events:

MARS Great Meadow International [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Millstreet International Horse Trials – Ireland [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] [Event Rider Masters]

Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials – Scotland [Website] [Schedule] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Town Hill Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. II [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

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

The Event at Archer [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Sadly due to lack of entries, Five Points Horse Trials has been cancelled. The event announced yesterday that they will still be providing combined tests for all of the levels, and a derby cross event for select levels, as well as their FEH and YEH classes, but no horse trials this year. [Five Points HT Cancelled]

Equestrian pursuits are often labelled as being only for the super rich, but is that really true? A recent study into the socioeconomic status of equestrians across five countries (US, UK, New Zealand, Canada & Australia) found that almost all of the respondents identified as middle class, with only 10% reporting more than $100,000 a year income. Three quarters of respondents said they feel emotionally supported by family and friends, but not financially. [Socioeconomic Status of Equestrians]

Who is *officially* the world’s most handsome horse? I mean obviously I think it’s my horse, but apparently it’s this Friesan stallion Frederik The Great, who resides in Arkansas and competes in dressage. Known as the Real Life Black Beauty, Frederik has insanely long mane that reaches his fetlocks, and has also appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. His earnings from media appearances, social media ads, and photoshoots are about $20,000 a month, which is certainly more than I can say for any of my lazy bum horses. [The Most Handsome Horse in the World]

Best of Blogs: TB Makeover: The Intersection of Courage and Fear

 

Phillip Dutton & Fernhill Pick Pocket Power to Great Meadow CCI3*-S Dressage Lead

By on Aug 22, 2019 6:36 pm -

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Pick Pocket. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Phillip Dutton is no stranger to the pressures of riding for owners, but he’s got an extra special one to impress this weekend: his stepdaughter Lee Lee Jones. She, her grandmother Annie Jones, and Caroline Moran are the proud owners of the MARS Great Meadow International CCI3*-S dressage leader, Fernhill Pick Pocket.

“Ollie,” the 8-year-old irish Sport Horse (Chacco Blue x Bracklin Mystique, by Solitair), produced the only sub-30 score for the top of the class with a first phase result of 29.8.

“He’s very correct and beautiful mover and does everything well. It actually wasn’t mistake free — we broke in the counter canter, but the exciting part is that he’s going to be pretty spectacular one day when he finally gets a bit more education in him,” he said. “We’re all excited because he’s improving each week and we’re going to take our time. He’s not that mature a horse. Because of Lee Lee’s accident and all that he’s missed a bit of training. But I think he’s going to be a top of the line horse.”

Phillip says Great Meadow is another important stepping stone in the horse’s career, so he’ll be thinking of the future when he heads out on cross country later in the weekend.

“He’s a good jumper, but he gets a bit strong. He’s probably not up to going as fast as I need to at this stage. I don’t want to go fast and lose the rideability of him because I don’t think that’s good long term. I’ll give him a good run, but won’t break any records,” he said.

Lee Lee bought Ollie as a 4-year-old from Carol Gee and produced him up to the training level before her accident in 2016. The following spring, Phillip took over the ride, bringing the horse along slowly and methodically. For a man who rides many, many nice horses it’s hard to miss the twinkle in his eye when he talks about Ollie’s potential.

“He’s a real athlete, and there’s a not a jump too hard for him,” he said. “He’s careful, he can jump a big jump. He’s actually pretty quick on the cross country — it’s mainly the rideability. He’s also naturally really gifted on the flat. Those are all good traits to have.”

Caitlin Silliman and Ally KGO. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Caitlin Silliman put the polish on to pilot Ally KGO to a personal best International score on 30.2 points for second place.

Morgan McCue produced the 8-year-old Trakehner (Hirtentanz 2 x Annabel Lee, by Butow), who is owned by her Q-Brook Stables, through the training level before handing over the reins to Caitlin. She admits it’s been a “slow climb” up the levels, but with the big picture looming, the mare shone in a big way today.

“I haven’t had her at a big competition, so we’ve been working a lot on her focus and being confident in a big atmosphere. She was very focused in there — lot’s of little mistakes, but nothing huge,” Caitlin said. “It’s been a slow climb up the level, but we’ve got big plans for her. She loves the sport and tries very hard.”

Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Favian. Photo by Shelby Allen.

“It was a hot day to be a Black Beauty,” said Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride of her own 11-year-old Oldenburg (French Kiss x Risiko, by Relevant), Favian. This pair also joined the PB club today, earning a 30.8 on the flat for third place.

Valerie, who splits her time between playing judge and competitor, bought the horse from Tamie Smith three years ago, challenging her with an entirely different kind of ride. “I’m used to all of my Ferrari Thoroughbreds. It took me a long time to figure out how to deal with his massive stride. It doesn’t have the Thoroughbred anxiety as an engine so you have to create that,” she said, but today it looked like she cracked the code.

“It was a super accurate test. He was so steady, I could go for everything. I knew he would probably come back easily too — he’s 60% warmblood. The conditions were in my favor today.He didn’t have a whole lot of pizzaz for his trot, but everything was super steady. I’m so proud of him for putting in such a mistake-free test.” she said.

Clayton Fredericks and FE Cold Play. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Clayton Fredericks took hold of fourth place with his own FE ColdPlay. He and the 7-year-old German Sport Horse are breathing down the neck of our top three with a current score of 30.9.

Sharon White and her up-and-coming Claus 63, a 7-year-old Holstiener (Catoo x Tina II, by Levisto), sit fifth on 31.5 penalty points.

Boyd Martin and Contestor. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Contestor leads the Windurra pack in 6th as Boyd Martin’s top-placing horse after dressage. Denise Lahey’s 12-year-old KWPN (Contango x Jer’s Princess, by Killer Jer) earned a score of 31.6.

Boyd is also 7th with Ringo Star (31.9), 12th with Bonito (32.7), 14th with Carlsburg (33.4), and 25th with Maya (35.7).

There’s a hot race for 8th place with a three way tie shared between Daniel Clasing & MW Gangster’s Game, Buck Davidson & Electric Lux, and Emily Bradford & The Disco Traveler all on a score of 32.2.

These guys enjoy a day off tomorrow before Saturday’s show jumping.

Go eventing.

MARS Great Meadow International: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

Thursday Video from Ecovet: The Other European Championships

By on Aug 22, 2019 4:30 pm -

While the eventing community eagerly awaits the start of the Eventing European Championships next week, our friends in other disciplines are right in the heat of it in Rotterdam. Here’s your newsflash for all (other) things Europeans:

Germany’s dressage team took their 24th team title:

Belgium clawed their way up from 8th into gold medal position today in the show jumping:

Go Eventing (and Jumping and Dressage, too)!

Ecovet is non-toxic and pesticide-free … and it works! Find out more at eco-vet.com.

Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend: Day One at Blair Castle

By on Aug 22, 2019 3:12 pm -

Emilie Chandler & Gortfadda Diamond. Photo by Douglas Lamont.

Emilie Chandler of Great Britain is in the lead in the CCI4*-L class at Scotland’s Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials after dressage.

Riding Gortfadda Diamond, Emilie scored 31.8, with Louisa Lockwood in second on 33.3 aboard Diamond Ructions.

Of her mount, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Water Valley Cool Diamond x Panda, by Glacial Storm) owned by Maria Doel, she said, “He is a really classy horse who has just stepped up to this level this season. The loudspeaker crackled really loudly during our test, which unsettled us both, but I’m thrilled to be in the lead, even if it wasn’t our best test.”

Blair Castle is a nine-hour drive from Emilie’s Leicestershire home, but she said, “I love Blair, and have been coming here for many years.”

France’s Astier Nicolas, the reigning Olympic individual silver medallist, tops the leaderboard in the CCI3*-L with seven-year-old Lumberton, owned by SARL Ecurie Jean Louis Bouchard.

Astier’s last visit to Land Rover Blair Castle was in 2014, when he won the CCI4*-L on the mare Quickly Du Buguet.

“My owners liked the idea of coming here because it is so beautiful, and the surety of finding good ground in the summer season was another big reason,” explained Astier.

Located in Perthshire, the Horse Trials take place against the stunning backdrop of Blair Castle and the Highlands. Not too shabby a backdrop! Photo by Alistair Lamont.

He bought Lumberton from German rider Kai Steffen-Meier in November 2017.

“Lumberton’s a very cool bloke – very laid-back in all three phases. I’d like to take him to Le Lion d’Angers [for the world young horse championships] and I want to test him round a big and bold track like this beforehand.”

Astier scored 31.5, giving him a small lead over both Greta Mason with Cooley For Sure and Sarah Holmes with Lowhill Clover, both of whom have a mark of 32.2. Sarah has made the long journey up to Blair from the Isle of Wight.

Olympic Gold & Silver medallist Astier Nicolas is reigning supreme at the head of the CCI3*-L at the end of day 1.

The Frenchman rode a stunning test for 31.5 from the ground jury.

Aberdeenshire rider Emma Murray tops the CCI2*-L with a very good score of 28.6 on Wainthropp, owned by her husband Shaun. He took over the ride on this nine-year-old mare after Emma finished 12th on her in this class in 2017, but he broke his collarbone in May and Emma decided to take her through to the end of the season.

“Blair is my favorite event so I thought we’d come here and have a nice time,” said Emma. “She’s good at dressage – we are going to the British Dressage National Championships at Stoneleigh at elementary level in two weeks’ time – but I didn’t expect to be out in front. It would be lovely to stay there!”

Again, two riders share second place in this section: Germany’s Josephine Schnaufer with Ronaldo IV and Britain’s Polly Stockton with Sir Alfred II, both of whom scored 30.5.

International dressage continues tomorrow with the CCI4*-S, which features stars such as William Fox-Pitt, and also the Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival commences. Dressage starts at 9 a.m. local time.

Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Cross Country Course Previews, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

CCI4*-L Dressage Results – Top 5: 

CCI3*-L Dressage Results – Top 5: 

CCI2*-L Dressage Results – Top 5: 

Bonus pic … ponies! In addition to the International event classes, Blair Castle hosts the Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival, British show jumping and pony classes.

By the Numbers: MARS Great Meadow CCI4*-S

By on Aug 22, 2019 2:00 pm -

Now in its fifth running, Great Meadow International in Virginia is solidly ensconced as a top destination for summer eventing on the East Coast. A new August date sets pairs up nicely to kick off the fall season, as well as providing a well-timed final prep for any headed over to England to contest Burghley or Blenheim.

Photo courtesy of Great Meadow.

The Field

  • Although the first two runnings saw the dressage leader also taking top honors, in the last two years the winner has been in sixth after dressage.
  • The winner of this division has never finished on their dressage score; those who have finished on their dressage score have at best finished second.
  • Last year’s running saw 12.5% of the field finish inside the optimum time, an all time-high for Great Meadow. However, the clear jumping rate plummeted from 75% in 2017 to 40% in 2018.

Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

DRESSAGE DIVAS

  • Carlevo and Buck Davidson are the pair to watch for the first phase; these two have scored over 70% for 12 consecutive A/4* starts.
  • Harbour Pilot had an uncharacteristic test at Kentucky but is likely to rebound this weekend under Hannah Sue Burnett. Less consistent than Carlevo, they’ve also managed to break 75% in one of their last 10 starts at this level and flirted with that score again earlier this year, scoring a 26.4 at Red Hills.
  • Lynn Symansky has formed a formidable partnership with the mare Under Suspection and their lone start at this level in 2019 indicates that, with an impressive mark of 26.8. Their personal best of 25.7 was also at The Fork, but in 2018.
  • Vandiver has been no slouch in this phase under Doug Payne, despite some underlying tension at Kentucky. In three of their five A/4* starts in the past two years, they’ve broken 70%.
  • Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Revelation have had an abbreviated partnership, but in six starts at the level together, they’ve averaged 30.9 and broken into the 20s on two occasions.

Lauren Kieffer and D.A. Duras. Photo by Shelby Allen.

SHOW JUMPING POWERHOUSES

  • D.A. Duras has had limited runs under Lauren Kieffer in 2018 and 2019, but has continued his strong stadium record with two clear rounds in that time. They’ve jumped clear in 10 of their last 11 consecutive rounds at the level.
  • TKS Cooley has only two rounds at this level but has jumped clear in both under Will Coleman. His stablemate DonDante has clocked in clear rounds in all three of his starts as well. Their more experienced stablemate Tight Lines hasn’t had a rail at A/4*-S in the last two calendar years and has been six for six clear rounds in that time.
  • Doug Payne‘s ride Quantum Leap has jumped three clears in three rounds in his first year at this level.
  • Under Suspection has jumped clear in four of her five rounds at A/4*-S under Lynn Symansky.

Erika Nesler and Right Above It. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

CROSS COUNTRY MACHINES

  • Right Above It has had some time off in the last year but is back at it with Erika Nesler. In their three runs, they have finished an average of 1.67 seconds over either optimum time or the fastest time of the day.
  • Vandiver is another who can show great turn of foot, finishing inside optimum on two of his four A/4*-S starts in the last two years with Doug Payne and finishing only four seconds over optimum time on another occasion.
  • DonDante has finished no more than thirteen seconds slower than either optimum or the fastest ride of the day in all three of his starts under Will Coleman.
  • Prince Renan (Anna Loschiavo), Landmark’s Monaco (Kim Cecere), and Covert Rights (Colleen Rutledge) have all shown turn of foot when running clear on cross country, but have struggled with consistency over the fences.

PREDICTED WINNER: Doug Payne and Vandiver

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Keep Your Eye On:

  • Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection
  • Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Revelation
  • Lauren Kieffer and D.A. Duras
  • Buck Davidson and Carlevo
  • Will Coleman and DonDante

MARS Great Meadow International: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Order of Go, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage

Mark Phillips to Pass Burghley Baton to Derek di Grazia in 2021

By on Aug 22, 2019 10:30 am -

Captain Mark Philips and Event Director Elizabeth Inman. Photo courtesy of Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

The 2020 edition of Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials will mark Captain Mark Philip’s final course after some 30 years at the helm of the event’s cross country design. For 2021 forward, the baton will be passed to Derek di Grazia.

“Whilst I am still enjoying every moment of work with Burghley’s fabulous team, I’m not getting any younger and want to retire while I still feel at the cutting edge and on top of my game,” he explains.

2019 marks Phillips’ 15th consecutive year working on the Burghley course, with stints prior to that as well from 1989-1996 and 1998-2000. Mark recalls his early years at Burghley, and then-Event Director Bill Henson telling him to “make Burghley, Burghley” — which he has certainly done, earning the event its reputation as the ultimate cross country test. “I am grateful to the Event Directors Bill and latterly Elizabeth Inman for all their support, which has helped me, to help them, make Burghley the event it is today,” he says.

Inman praises Phillips’ legacy of delivering creative, challenging and continuously evolving courses year after year. “Mark knows how we wonder every year at his ability to keep ‘pulling it out of the bag’ and next year (2020) will be particularly poignant as his swan song,” she says. “Undoubtedly our cross country track — acknowledged as probably the most technically challenging test of all the five-star events, both from a competitor’s and designer’s perspective — has benefitted hugely from the superlative all round experience and skill that Mark Phillips has brought to the event.

“So yes, difficult shoes to fill, but softened by the good news that we are appointing Derek di Grazia into the role of course designer in 2021.”

Di Grazia is recognized for safe, sensible, yet tough courses and has been one of the top cross country course designers in the U.S. for over 15 years. As the appointed course designer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he is at the top of his game on the international front as well.

Di Grazia says, “It is a great honor to be appointed course designer for this very special competition and I’m truly excited to have a chance to design the cross country phase within Burghley Park’s very unique landscape. It is a fantastic project to have in my sights following on from the 2020 Olympic Games.”

Inman concludes, “We look forward with enthusiasm and confidence to this next chapter in the history of the event and to Derek continuing to ‘make Burghley, Burghley.'”

The 2019 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials takes place Sept. 5-8 in Stamford, England. Check out our preview of this year’s course here.

#LRBHT19: Website, Entries, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

[Captain Mark Phillips to Pass on the Burghley Baton in 2021]