Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
The USET Foundation has announced Ariel Grald as the 2019 recipient of the Jacqueline B. Mars International Grant and Ellie MacPhail O’Neal as the recipient of the Jacqueline B. Mars National Grant.
Ariel Grald of Vass, North Carolina, has had a super year with Anne Eldridge’s 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Leamore Master Plan, finishing 12th in their five-star debut at Kentucky. The pair is contesting the Millstreet CCI4*-S this week in Ireland in preparation for Burghley in September.
“It is an immense honor to receive the Jacqueline B. Mars International Grant,” says Ariel. “I’ve dreamed of competing in Europe and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity from the USET Foundation and Jacqueline Mars to make this goal a reality. It means a lot to have their support and faith in me and my horse. This trip will help us gain valuable international experience as we build towards representing the USA in the future. Grants such as this are crucial for Americans to compete abroad and I’m very thankful for this exciting and educational opportunity.”
Ellie MacPhail O’Neal and Zick Zack. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
Using the Jacqueline B. Mars National Grant, Ellie MacPhail O’Neal of Reddick, Florida, plans to compete in the Fair Hill International CCI4*-L with Zeta. Ellie and the 12-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Sally Cox finished 8th in the Bromont CCI4*-L in June.
“Receiving the Jacqueline B. Mars National Grant is such an honor,” says Ellie. “I am really excited to have the opportunity. It makes me so excited and appreciative that the USET Foundation provides funding for riders. I would also like to thank Sally Cox, who owns Zeta, and my mother for their support.”
Best of luck to these riders in their fall season pursuits! And a huge thank you to Jacqueline Mars and the USET Foundation for give deserving athletes a leg up.
Bit of a size difference here. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Why is it that at the end of August, when it’s supposed to be entering into the delightful fall weather, that I am not experiencing a terrible second summer from hell? I don’t need to be this hot anymore, I feel like I’m too old for it. Can I start a protest against sweating for twelve hours every day? Will anybody join my picket line for that?
Two young rising stars were announced yesterday as recipients of Jacqueline B. Mars Travel Grants. Ariel Grald was given the international travel grant with Leamore Master Plan, and the two are using it this weekend to compete at Millstreet. Ellie O’Neal was given the national travel grant, and plans to use it at Fair Hill later this fall for her mare Zeta. [Jacqueline Mars Travel Grant Recipients]
Charlotte DuJardin was eliminated from the European Championships this week. The latest in riders to fall prey to the blood rule, Charlotte’s horse Mount St John Freestyle was found to have blood marks on her side following her test. The test was a personal best, scoring a 81.91% but the stewards found blood and eliminated her thereafter. [Charlotte DuJardin Eliminated from European Championships]
Showing horses can be stressful, even under the best of circumstances. No matter what your discipline or how big/small the show, packing up and preparing feels a lot like a cross-country move. Dealing with showing nerves is one of the biggest goals of any rider, and learning to do so is a life long work in progress. [Getting a Grip: Dealing with Pre-Show Nerves]
Video: Millstreet International Horse Trials kicks off today in Co. Cork, Ireland, hosting CCI2*-S to CCI4*-L level competition as well as the fifth Event Rider Masters leg. Lots of USA representation! Liz Halliday-Sharp is tackling the ERM with Fernhill By Night; in the CCI4*-L we’ve got Caroline Martin with Islandwood Captain Jack and Will Faudree with Pfun; and in the CCI4*-S Ariel Grald with Leamore Master Plan, plus Liz with Deniro Z, Cooley Quicksilver and Carpe Diem IV.
For 673 accepted trainers, the journey to the Retired Racehorse Project‘s 2019 RPP Thoroughbred Makeover is underway! Between the beginning of the year and 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.
I saw it on a church sign, not far from my house on a little country road: “Courage is Fear, after you’ve said your prayers.”It’s stuck with me ever since. I don’t think people grasp this when they first start riding horses. Riding is scary, and it takes a heck of a lot of courage. And if you think riding is scary, try training a horse from the ground up, or from “the track” up. The fear of getting seriously injured is only part of the battle. I think a lot of times the fear of failure, the constant wondering if you’ve made the right training choices, and the regret of a bad ride where you put your horse two steps back instead of half a step forward is louder in my head. But as my boss likes to say, you gain confidence in doing things right, and you CAN turn fear into courage.
I’ve been “going” with my horses since early March. Liam and I have had a bumpy ride through our spring season, starting with a lovely Novice run at River Glen, a complete disaster at our Training move up at IEA, and then another lovely Novice run at Fox River Valley. George and I have been plugging along, working on the basics and showing off his amazing natural jumping ability at the local mini trials. I am so lucky to have both horses in my barn. Liam and I butt heads two rides out of every five, but we’re developing quite the bond. Hey, drinking beer and watching your horse eat cause you really needed a cold one after “that ride” counts as bonding right?
George giving me the side eye after finishing 6th going Beginner Novice at the Flying Cross mini trials in June.
I had a big place holder on my calendar this July, going to Alaska on a cruise with my husband Nic and his family. His grandmother passed away last year and sent the whole family on a cruise in her will. See what happens when you don’t own horses? Accordingly, I planned to give the horses 10 days off while we were gone. OMG, 10 days. In July. With the Makeover less than 90 days away.
When I was running Prelim with my mare Callie, we ALWAYS had our worst show of the season in August. And I always regretted not giving her a little time off over the summer. It’s HOT here in Kentucky and the ground is rock hard. I don’t usually get to go South for the winter, but I feel like at this point, my horses have been going for awhile. Liam is seven and is very much a teenager and George has changed so much in his body since we started this spring. So after a great week of rides on George before we were scheduled to leave where the light bulb went off in the canter, and an amazing school after Champagne Run on Liam where we jumped the WHOLE Training course and a Prelim jump on accident, I made the decision. They were going to get a little over two weeks without me messing with them. We were ALL THREE going to get some time off.
You never know who you might meet on vacation.
Yes, I know I am a bit crazy. And no, my horse is probably not much further along than yours is. And yes, I realize the Makeover is in 60 days, I promise! And yes I swear, I realize so many people are freaking out because Kentucky is ONLY FIVE WEEKS AWAY! But I have decided to not worry about it. I felt like we needed a break, and so we took a break. I tend to second guess myself a lot because I’m an amateur, who does most things on my own. But I’ve learned through observation that the best horses are the horses that people listen to. I watched a good friend of mine win the 2*-L at Fox River Valley on a horse she produced herself. And then the next weekend I watched another friend finish out of the ribbons on a horse she had been working with for two years. If you had put those two ladies side by side after their shows, you wouldn’t have been able to tell whose horse won and whose horse didn’t. They were both equally proud of what their horse accomplished on that day, given their goals.
Liam hamming it up at the Fox River Valley Horse Trials.
Producing a happy, sound, sane horse, while also producing a horse that can win and be marketable is not as easy as it looks. Doing the Makeover sale this year has added that little bit of extra pressure to look good on the score board and to check off some boxes. And don’t get me wrong, I am working diligently to accomplish all of the above! Ahead of our first ride back from our “summer vacation” I entered two clinics, and a recognized event. We’re ready to take the fall season by the horns and kick some butt! But first, I’ll enjoy sitting here, writing this, while sipping a beer. Because tomorrow is back at it, so wish me, and all of my fellow RRP Makeover competitors a successful, safe and happy final five weeks! Cheers!!
He’s perfect – George’s sale photo for RRP. Photo by Clare Pinney.
CROSS COUNTRY SNEAK PEEK Mike Etherington-Smith has something up his sleeve… 😊Julis Eventer hat versucht, unserem Course Designer ein paar Informationen zu entlocken…
We’re in the home stretch before the 2019 European Championships at Luhmühlen, and that means Mike Etherington-Smith is putting the last touches on his masterpiece that is a championship cross country course.
Mike ES promises that this track will be challenging — we’re expecting some of the best riders in the world to take it on — but with lots of options, he’s hoping to finish as many teams as possible. Here’s your first preview of the Euros cross country course.
Fight back against an energy crisis that can impact condition and performance.
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The fat found in rice bran is an extraordinary source of dietary energy. In fact, fat contains more than two times the energy that carbohydrates and proteins do, thereby fueling horses more efficiently. Fat is considered a “cool” feedstuff because it does not cause the hormone spikes that lead to excitability. Adding Equi-Jewel rice bran to your horse’s diet allows you to decrease the amount of starchy concentrates (grains) you feed, reducing the risk of colic and laminitis resulting from grain overload. Equi-Jewel is an excellent source of calories for horses on low-sugar and low-starch diets.
The horse that matters to you matters to us®.
Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? Kentucky Performance Products, LLC is here to help. Call 859-873-2974 or visit KPPusa.com.
Much like the binge appeal of Mindhunter or Orange is the New Black on Netflix, podcasts have collected a sort of cult following among media consumers. And for good reason — podcasts make for a great way to reduce road rage during your commute or to make your trot sets a bit less monotonous.
As an eventer, I’ve always gravitated towards more eventing-centric podcasts. The fact remains, though, that the number of horse or equestrian podcasts available now is a bit astounding. For that reason, I’m focusing primarily on shows that have some sort of eventing tie in at least some episodes for this guide.
Did I miss a podcast that needs to be on this list? Comment with the name and I’ll check it out!
Subject: In-depth eventing analysis Best for: Eventing nerds and number junkies Frequency: Several episodes each week/month Review: Equiratings surely needs no introduction here on EN. We’ve become big fans of the work these number crunchers are doing, and the intensity with which the Equiratings team approaches their subject matter really resonates with me as a true eventing nerd. My personal favorite offering from this podcast, which offers a wide varietal of eventing-centric topics, is Alphabetti Spaghetti. In these fun episodes, the team discusses everything under the sun that begins with the letter of the hosts’ choosing. Think Horseware Hale Bob, hangovers, and horse flies all in one go.
Subject: All things eventing Best for: Eventing news junkies Frequency: Twice a month Review: Super hosts Max Corcoran and Joe Meyer are always entertaining and candid in one of the longer running eventing-centric podcasts available. The Eventing Radio Show is great if you’ve got an hour or so to spare, and well-known guests frequent the airwaves to share their take on the sport of eventing. Other names such as Liz Halliday and Paul Tapner also join in as hosts on some episodes. If you’re looking for the perspective of multiple respected professionals in the industry, look no further!
Side note, the Eventing Radio Show lives on the Horse Radio Network, which is full of horse-themed shows for every interest and discipline. Check out their full roster of shows here.
Subject: Amateur friendly topics and discussion Best for: Amateur riders or those looking for a fun and casual podcast Frequency: Twice per month Review: Hosted by 5* eventer Jessica Payne, journalist and amateur hunter rider Justine Griffin, and Western rider Ellie Woznica, listeners can be sure to hear a discussion on just about any horse topic there is. I personally love this pod as I did a short gig as one of the hosts, but aside from that I love the genuine discussion of topics that matter to everyone. Think horses on a budget, judgement in the show ring, and horse care tips for all.
Subject: Rider interviews Best for: Eventing fans who love to connect with riders Frequency: Once per week Review: Rob and Karen Bowersox first got into eventing when their son, Joe, packed his bags and got a job working for Boyd Martin. Rather than sailing happily off into retirement (let’s face it, having a kid in eventing is enough to push off retirement for most!), Rob and Karen jumped in with both feet and started producing their own podcast intended to connect riders and fans with the sport they love. Listening to Major League Eventing feels like sitting around at happy hour with your favorite rider — you’re sure to hear some candid stories and plenty of laughs!
Subject: Industry insights and interviews across English disciplines Best for: Fans of all equestrian sports Frequency: Once per week Review: Hosted by Practical Horseman editors Sandra Oliynyk, Emily Daily and Jocelyn Pierce, this newer addition to the equestrian podcast world has already hosted interview sessions with riders such as Matt Brown, Selena O’Hanlon and William Fox-Pitt. You’ll also find a smattering of fascinating interviews with other industry leaders such as Anne Kursinski and Margie Engle. I’ve dabbled in this pod in my attempt to branch out of my eventing bubble, and I wasn’t disappointed. This podcast is best if you prefer to hear interviews!
Subject: Education and news from the eventing world Best for: Event riders of all levels who want to learn more about the sport Frequency: 3-4 episodes per month Review: One of the other heavy hitters in this line-up, USEA’s flagship podcast is perfect for the active eventer who wants to learn more about the inner workings of the sport. From the Intercollegiate Championship to how to avoid show jumping time penalties, and everything in between, host Chris Stafford does a fantastic job bringing us all things we need to know. Periodically, guests will stop in to reflect on their competition experiences and provide advice for other riders. Definitely a must listen!
Two summers ago, EN readers followed the story of Andrea Glazer, an eventer among Grand Prix show jumpers at the 2017 Maccabiah Games. She catch rode an unfamiliar horse over 1.20-meter (3’9″) and above show jumping courses to help Team USA earn the silver medal, and was selected to represent the team once again at the 2019 European Maccabiah Games in Budapest, Hungary. Today, she reports on how the Games went — spoiler alert: Andrea is a bada$$. Read more at her blog, Dre the Zookeeper.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Glazer.
Thank goodness for my parents, cousin, coaches, and teammates, because without them, I would not have gotten through the Nation’s Cup (rounds 1 and 2). After the completion of the first day of competition, to say I was disappointed, confused, and absolutely dreading the following day would be a polite way to put it.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Glazer.
I had to go to the Maccabi hub to the see the physical therapists for my leg because it was pretty painful – you could see exactly where the rail hit my leg. Half of my leg was numb because of the swelling (despite my parents being doctors, I’m not good at explaining medical stuff), and the other half of my leg was in a considerable amount of pain. When I went to get my leg checked, I asked if I was just being a wimp or if she would have been in a lot of pain too, just to make sure I wasn’t milking it. She assured me that it looked very, very painful and I wasn’t being a baby – thank goodness. We iced my leg and then she wrapped it up with an ace bandage that made me feel very cool, I won’t lie, and off I went back to the hotel, completely exhausted emotionally and physically from the series of unfortunate events that occurred that day.
You could say I didn’t sleep much before the next day of competition – I had never felt so nervous to jump a course in my life. Not even that I was concerned about it going well, I was nervous that if I fell again, I could really injure myself since I’m already down a leg.
After achieving a whopping 4 hours of sleep, Arly and I went to the stables early to flat both horses and get them out of the stall. Arly told me to canter Nando, for at least 20 minutes because he was probably going to be wound up from yesterday, and she saw how strong he was, so any energy we could exhaust, could help me.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Glazer.
Limping my way to the barn, I could barely zip up my ripped boots. It was my inner calf that was the major pain point – not the best area to be hurt since that’s a vital body part you use when jumping a horse. Anyways, I tried not to think about how much pain I was in, got on Nando and off we went to the warm up ring.
The venue wasn’t buzzing since the competition wasn’t starting until the afternoon. Nando was so quiet, listening to my aids, and rideable – similar to the version of him I rode during the practice round. I knew this wouldn’t be the case later in the day, so I still had a nice 20-25 minute canter, despite my leg feeling like it could fall off at any minute, and doing everything I could to get him listening to me with the hopes that this training could carry into our ride the afternoon, despite the change in atmosphere.
After our flat ride, I went to attempt to eat some food before watching them begin to construct the course. I immediately lost my appetite after seeing them build the jumps, hiking them up to a height way past my comfort zone. I watched in horror, noticing a double (oxer one stride to a vertical), a triple combination similar to the one he stopped at yesterday, and a massive triple bar 5 strides to a liverpool. There were multiple square oxers much bigger than the day prior, and #5 was probably the biggest vertical I had ever been asked to jump in a competition. I thought I was going to puke – are they trying to kill me?
Jump #5 – pictures don’t do it justice!
I walked up to the Israeli Chef d’Equipe as she was looking at the course and said, “I’m not a quitter, I never quit, but I really want to quit right now.”
She saw everything that happened the day before and goes, “I know you can do this, but if you really aren’t comfortable jumping it, then you don’t have to.” Maybe not the pep talk I was looking for…
I thought to myself, okay, if you can get through the first 4 jumps maybe you can just do a nice victory gallop, wave to your parents, and politely leave the ring. I went up to David, Carly’s coach, and told him my fictitious plan and he looked at me like I had two heads and goes, “nope, you’re doing this. You can jump this course.”
One of the many massive oxers
Next thing I knew, I was walking the massive course and planning my ride – David told me that I had to get the proper strides in each line because the jumps were bigger and I can’t take flyers at big oxers. On any other horse, this is so obvious – why wouldn’t you get the correct striding? Duh. Except I had little to no brakes on Nando, so fitting in the correct strides seemed nearly impossible. I was most concerned about the triple bar to the liverpool – how was I expected to get him back to fit 5 strides in?
The triple bar – hoping not to miss my distance to this one!
I couldn’t look at the course any longer – I had to get on or else I truly was going to throw up. I couldn’t believe I was actually going to attempt this – I went back to the stables to get Nando and start my warm up.
A major downside to falling off in the first day of competition was that I was the first competitor in the ring.
Yup, that’s me, first in the ring..
Are. You. Kidding. Me.
This is the last thing you want because you have no idea how the course rides, if the lines ride like they walk, etc. To give you a better idea of how daunting this course looked, my mom was crying while I started my warm up – I’m not even kidding; I was absolutely terrified.
I started trotting and cantering around before heading towards the jumps. I again, checked to see what minimal brakes I was working with, doing everything in my power to get him to pay attention to me before I started jumping.
Starting over the warm-up jumps, I made sure to sit so tall to every jump, like there was a string connecting my pony tail to his tail, with my legs wrapped around him as much as I could bear (so painful with my bummed leg) – if he tried anything, I was hanging on with every fiber of my being. I jumped a few verticals and even some oxers (thank goodness) and it was like yesterday didn’t even happen. We found our groove again which was the only comforting thing I kept reminding myself before prancing into the ring (remember, he is ring sour #blessed).
Photo courtesy of Andrea Glazer.
I did 3 canter-halts before starting my course; one of them being next to the huge triple bar, getting his nose as close to that enormous jump with the hopes that familiarizing him to the monstrosity would better my chances of making it to the other side. The bell rang and I could feel the nerves from the spectators, but the 45 second countdown started, so I took a deep breath and headed towards the first jump.
Over the oxer we went and then he jolted in the turn to #2, the same thing he did yesterday when I was heading for the triple combination. I made sure to get him back as best I could to set him up to the next fence that was off a turn, which we jumped beautifully! Then we jumped our first related distance line – a big vertical, 6 strides to a massive oxer. I got him back in the line – it was perfect!
The vertical into the line to the 6 stride line.
The vertical into the line to the 6 stride line.
Just to prove how determined/terrified I was, please enjoy the following close-up of the previous photo:
Landing after the oxer at #4 was the first time I remembered to breathe before a rollback turn to the 5th jump, that I previously had no intentions of jumping. I got him there perfectly, and with a half of a second of feeling relieved, off we went to the first combination. I had to ride very aggressively (for obvious reasons) to the big oxer, so he hit it behind, but we made it through the combination!
Next was the triple bar line – he got very strong after the combination and I was yelling woah, along with some tugs on the reins to try and get him to listen; I wouldn’t say he totally came back to me, but I saw my distance to the triple bar in the turn, and we got there great. Despite using everything I had in me to try and get him to slow down in the line, he ate up the line and we got very deep to the liverpool, but I stayed so far back, preparing for the worst, and kicked him off the ground – he jumped it! Hitting it upfront because of the distance – I didn’t even care – I made it through the line!
Then we had the triple combination – we jumped it so well that even the crowd cheered! I’m still not sure if they cheered because we jumped it so well or cheered because they were in disbelief that I actually made it through on the first attempt, but nonetheless we cleared it with ease.
I turned to the last 3 jumps that included a square oxer, a vertical and then a bending line to an oxer to finish. I was absolutely determined to get this horse through those finish flags, and we managed to get all of our distances and fly though the finish flags!
Everyone cheered and I still got to do that ‘victory gallop’ around the ring! The truth is with that – I was so exhausted from holding him through the whole course, I couldn’t stop him so I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Glazer.
Once I could finally catch my breath and slow him down, all I could hear was my mom screaming, “I’M SO PROUD OF YOU! I’M SO PROUD!!!”
That was when it really sunk in – this was that once in a lifetime feeling – I was so overjoyed, relieved, and just absolutely ecstatic – I DID IT!
I come out of the ring patting and hugging Nando, giving Arly a high five, to then jump off Nando (on my right leg because my left leg felt like it might fall off) to be greeted with the biggest hug from my mom, still screaming about how proud she is of me.
I watched the rest of the riders go and realized how difficult the course was. Rails were flying, people weren’t getting around – I’m telling you that triple bar was huge! Arly and Carly were the last in the ring because they had jumped clean up until this point. I was able to cheer them on, with the other families and Carly had the quickest jump off to take home the gold, with Arly taking home the silver – GO USA!!!
Cheering for Carly after she won the individual gold medal!
After the completion of the event, my mom, cousin, and I ran out into the ring and took pictures next to all of the jumps. Yes, I looked like a complete idiot being the only one doing this, but I mean, you have to do it for the blog!
Photo courtesy of Andrea Glazer.
That night we headed to the Maccabi hub for the medal ceremony. I got to limp my way onto stage for that team bronze medal. The blood, copious amount of sweat, and lots of happy and sad tears that got me this bronze medal is actually impressive. I mean, bronze looks better with my skin tone anyways!
Thank you to everyone for reading my blogs and going along this wild journey with me. Representing 3-Day Eventing, the Jewish Community, Louisville, and the United States is an unbelievable opportunity that I am so lucky to have experienced. It may not have gone as planned, but I am still very thankful to have ridden for the USA, and I mean, if you’re going to fall off, you might as well do it in your pinque coat in Budapest, right?
Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
We all dream of an ideal, rose colored life. A gorgeous farm on hundreds of acres of lush green land. A barn full of elite, upper level horses. Access to the greatest coaching and competition opportunities money can buy.
This used to be Caroline Martin’s life.
But over the last few months, life’s looked a bit different for Caroline, 25. She’s the first to acknowledge the privileges she grew up with and the opportunity her parents’ successful business ventures afforded her.
Nothing lasts forever, though, and at the end of 2018 Caroline found herself with a decision to make: sell the horses and go to college, or strike out on her own dollar and see what she was made of. She chose option B.
Some riders are able to get a leg up — an earlier start, a nicer horse, a more flexible schedule — on their riding career, while others’ lot in life would leave them scraping for every penny, taking any opportunity cast their way. But it isn’t a competition — whatever the start you get, what you do with it and the end result is entirely on you.
Caroline knew her end result included horses and a career in the industry, so she put her head down and got right to work. “I knew I needed to find work, and quick, so I started making calls to everyone I had a connection with,” she recalled.
The opportunity that would start the next chapter of Caroline’s career came when she spoke with Emil Spadone and Paul Hendrix, who both source horses under the Redfield Farm and Stal Hendrix monikers. Emil and Paul were looking for help selling horses, and they gave the eager young rider a chance to move some of their horses as a test run.
“I started with a couple of four- and five-year-olds and brought them to my farm and got right to work,” she said. “I made sale videos, I called everyone I knew of who might be shopping, and showed them to interested riders. I had them sold within about 15 days.”
Caroline had found her new niche, and 2019 started in earnest with a whole slew of new names added to her entry forms for the early events of the year. To date, she’s sold just under 30 horses and has more in the pipelines. Any endeavor like this takes a village, and Caroline calls herself lucky to have a business partner in Casey McKissock who is closely involved in all of the workings of her business. It’s made for much busier days — I needed a nap after she regaled me with the tales of multiple trips to the airport for clients, showing horses, and casually showing in Welcome Stakes in the evenings — and a shifting of both priorities and perspective.
Caroline Martin and Danger Mouse. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Balance Rules All
Much of Caroline’s time now is spent sourcing horses, training them up and competing them to be well-prepared for their next rider, marketing each listing, and handling the showing of each horse as much as she personally can.
It’s enough to keep anyone’s day planner full, but Caroline hasn’t lost sight of her original ongoing goal of representing the U.S. internationally at the top levels.
I asked Caroline how her priorities had shifted since her undertaking of this booming sales business she created.
“I was really lost,” she admitted. “It was sink or swim, and it was scary. I wanted to keep riding at the top level, but it was overwhelming. So I learned to just shut up and go to work. There is never a day off when you’re trying to make it in this sport. I am really grateful for the support my parents were able to give me, and I take pride in my work ethic.”
She’s become the queen of juggling, managing to run her sales business and compete her three remaining upper level horses who are members of a newly formed syndicate, Team Living the Dream LLC.
“I put my three top horses into the syndicate,” Caroline explained. “I wanted to create a special opportunity where some people could be involved with three horses at the top of the sport without having to spend the amount it would typically cost to buy and campaign them.”
Forming the syndicate, Caroline says, has been instrumental in helping her juggle the sales as well as the competition ends of her business. The three horses — Islandwood Captain Jack, Danger Mouse, and Cristano Z — are all already going at the 4* levels with plans in the works for 5*.
With the help of Athletux Equine, Caroline has also recently created a more forward thinking syndicate approach, with shares available at more accessible rates. Instead of the syndicate pricing of years past, Caroline is offering a limited number of opportunities for people to be involved with Team Living the Dream for as little as a $5,000 tax deductible annual membership. Never before has anything similar to this affordable and exciting opportunity been offered like this with three horses.
It’s a way in which Caroline hopes to add new people to her team, and with her recent nomination to the most recent US Equestrian eventing training list and success overseas, it’s certainly a prime time to get behind a next generation rider.
With the addition of so many younger sales horses in her barn, Caroline saw the opportunity to give her top horses a bit more flexibility in their competition schedules. “When it comes to competing, Emil and Paul are incredible,” she said. “I can really customize the competition schedule. I can pick and choose their events with the intent to keep them happy, sound, and competing for many years.”
Longevity and sustainability are the name of the game for Caroline. “I try to be smart about competing my horses,” she explained. “We see the Europeans out there year after year with their horses, and I think a lot of that comes from picking and choosing their schedule with their best interests in mind.”
Caroline Martin and Cristano Z. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
A Life Well Curated
If you asked Caroline where she thought she’d be now this time last year, her answer would likely have been much different than what her life looks like now. But she wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I wasn’t sure how good I would be at the selling process, and I was worried it would be too hard to part with the sales horses,” she said. “I want to differentiate my program from other sales programs with quality and well-trained horses. I am very up front and I pride myself in making matches over making a quick sale. I do my best to train my horses so that when people take them home, they are the same horse that they tried before. I take a lot of pride in that part.”
As she prepares to tackle the Millstreet CCI4*-L this weekend with Islandwood Captain Jack, Caroline is proud of what she’s been able to build and looking forward to the next steps.
“This time last year, I never thought I would have been able to do this,” she said. “Emil and Paul as well as my business partner Casey McKissock are the reasons why I’m here doing this, and I owe them a lot. I wouldn’t say I’m the best rider out there, but I showed up every single day and I believe in every single horse that comes through my program. I’ve learned a lot and my biggest advice is to never turn down an opportunity, because you never know when you might need it later down the road.”
Mmmm … Irish grass. Photo via Will Faudree Eventing on Facebook.
Best wishes are in order for Will Faudree and Pfun, who are making their competition debut in Ireland this week at the Millstreet International Horse Trials. They’ll be contesting the CCI4*-L alongside fellow Americans Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack. We also have some fellow countrywomen to cheer for in the CCI4*-S sections as well in Ariel Grald and Liz Halliday-Sharp. Between this overseas action and everything going on stateside (we see you, Great Meadow International!) it’s going to be a jam-packed weekend of eventing and we can’t wait!
Going eventing and raising money to help cancer patients at the same time? Sounds like a win-win! Now in it’s fifth year of running, the Eventing for the Cure Starter Horse Trials at Hunt Club Farms in Berryville, Virginia is open for entries. All proceeds from the event benefit the Angel Trust of the Oncology Foundation at Winchester Medical Center which helps pay the bills of those who cannot afford their cancer treatments. The event offers Intro through Preliminary/Training levels and entries close August 27th. [Starter Horse Trials Eventing for the Cure]
Charlotte Dujardin was eliminated from the Grand Prix competition at the FEI Dressage European Championships due to the FEI “blood rule”. During a routine post-test inspection by the FEI stewards a small trace of blood on the flank of her horse, Mount St John Freestyle, was found thus resulting in elimination in accordance with Article 430.7.6.2 of the FEI Dressage Rules. Britain was in silver medal position with Charlotte’s score, but her elimination dropped them to fourth place. [British Dressage Statement on the elimination of Charlotte Dujardin] [Statement from Charlotte Dujardin on Facebook]
Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) will once again be the title sponsor of the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, which will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 2-5, 2019. The TCA’s mission is to raise and distribute funds to Thoroughbred-related non-profit organizations for the benefit of the horsed and people involved with the Thoroughbred racing industry. [Thoroughbred Charities of America Named Title Sponsor of 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover]
What’s not to love about western Montana? Glacier National Park, white water rafting, kayaking, eating lots of huckleberry pie… and of course The Event at Rebecca Farm. Mallory Stiver celebrates the super week that the Julie Wolfert Eventing gang had with a video chronicling the journey.
From Mallory:
“Rebecca Farm is truly the most breathtaking venue any of us have ever gotten to experience; what the Broussard’s have created in Western Montana is unbelievable and pretty hard to try and explain… it was so much more beautiful than I had even dreamed about, and you genuinely have to go for yourself to experience what all the hype is about. One will definitely not regret it and will be hooked for sure once they go. I definitely know that we will be back next year!”
The vet box at The Event at Rebecca Farm, which hosts USEA Classic Series Novice and Training Three-Day Events. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
In our last equine management piece with Kirsty McCann of Foran Equine, we looked at what constitutes optimal best practice when traveling horses to and from competitions. This time, we are covering the areas of further management, warming up, cooling down and recovery after strenuous exertion.
Many championship events or upper level competitions take place during the summer, in countries with hot or humid climates. Horses competing at an elite level require a high standard of management to enable them to perform at their best, and those management practices must be adaptable, depending on both the environment and the individual needs and requirements of each horse.
Being stabled away from home becomes quite normal for many horses, and for the most part the horses do cope quite well. Given that horses are out of their ‘home’ routine and environment, Kirsty recommends that they are taken out of their stables at least every four hours during the day. Hand walking, hand grazing or free lungeing are all excellent ways of maintaining gut mobility, and of keeping the horses mentally and physiologically stimulated. In warmer weather or in hotter climates, Kirsty has observed that many riders use a quite prolonged amount of walking as their initial warm up, and as their cool down. Rather than getting stuck into a lengthy or heavy schooling session or a demanding warm up, it can be better overall to use plenty of walk intervals during exercise to optimize performance and recovery.
Looking at the areas of the overall management of the performance horse, the post-cross country cool down and also recovery, Kirsty offers us some invaluable tips and advice:
Immediately after the cross country phase, dropping the horse’s heart rate and body temperature as well as slowing the rate of respiration, is the main focus. Getting the horse stripped off and washed down-whilst keeping it walking-begins the process. At International competitions, a vet will also be observing and monitoring each horse. From here, icing and claying will begin. Rehydration is vitally important, although it is advised that horses do not receive electrolytes until they have fully recovered and are taking in or being administered with fluids. This can be up to three hours post exertion.
Antioxidants are as important as electrolytes in recovery management. The physical chemical reactions created by strenuous exertion create oxidative stress, by virtue of an altered physiological balance of antioxidants and free radicals. This imbalance creates an excess of free radicals, which in turn causes an inflammatory response within the athlete. Oxidative stress can contribute to conditions such as Exertional Rhabdomyolys (a.k.a. tying up), Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (aka ‘bursting’ or ‘bleeding’), damage to the airway or Sore Muscle Syndrome, amongst others. Using supplements with a high vitamin E content can be hugely beneficial, as the vitamin E ‘mops up’ excess free radicals. This helps to stabilize or re establish a more regular balance of antioxidants and free radicals, and promote optimal recovery for the athlete.
Using a Ubiquinol Co Q 10 supplement year round can be an excellent help to the performance horse. It is a ‘super antioxidant’, and also aids cellular and metabolic energy-vital for recovery from exertion, and also from injury. Horses are naturally low in Co Q 10, due to their high grain diet.
Many riders struggle with finding the best work-feed ratio when it comes to managing fitness levels and individual temperaments. If you are unable to feed a horse the recommended amount for any reason, then you must supplement with a balancer. Optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, protein and amino acids are vitally important for any horse expected to perform well during strenuous activity. For horses that are prone to carrying weight, a low calorie balancer can work very well. Additional energy sources such as fibre and oil can help to provide slow release energy through the diet.
When planning your competitive schedule, it can be extremely useful to incorporate havinga forage test done for each new batch of hay or haylage that is ready for use. A forage test will look at the standard nutritional content, as well as minerals, antagonists and hygiene. For horses that are under-performing, a simple forage test can provide clues and answers. Supplementing for imbalances created by the forage being used can be transformative for performance horses.
With sincere thanks to Kirsty McCann and Foran Equine for their generous contributions.
