Classic Eventing Nation

An Eventer’s Playground: Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L Cross Country Preview

By on Jul 26, 2019 1:00 pm -

The newest Rebecca Farm jump, made in honor of Don Trotter. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Rebecca Farm: where the only thing bigger than the sky is the imagination in the course design. There’s certainly no lack of innovation on the Rebecca Farm cross country course — from the track all the way down to the most minute details, no element goes untouched by this talented group.

But don’t let the playful nature of the fences fool you, Ian Stark’s courses are not for the faint of heart. The Flying Scot has quite a bit up his sleeve this year, and his Mad Hatter ideas come to life thanks to Bert Wood and his team. As Ian said, “What he can do with a chainsaw is unbelievable,” which is coincidentally the only compliment that suits both a serial killer and a course builder.

Fence 4ab — Hanging log to shark’s tooth. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Riders will face four–yes 4!–water complexes on course, and they get their first splash at fence four.

“Its the first of four times they’ll go into the water, so they’re going to get their feet wet quite a lot here. It’s not that difficult as far as water goes, but it is fence four,” Ian said. “All they’ve had is three gallop fences, so it’s kind of a wake up call. I do think the riders are going to have to be on their game very quickly so they’re ready for it. If they struggle here I think they’re really going to find it difficult the rest of the course.”

Fence 11abc — Corner, Step Up to Narrow Brush. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Spectators will occupy every square inch of the hillside above come Saturday, only increasing the atmosphere of what’s commonly called the “main water.” Here riders have four numbered elements and six jumping efforts.

“It’s a very intense arena. This corner (11A) is about accuracy. And then the step up to the angled brush isn’t that difficult, but it’s going to happen quickly,” he said.

Fence 13 & 14. Hanging Log to Corner. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Ian Stark does have a heart though, and he’s left the final corner out separately numbered in case everything goes upside down.

“The drop back into water is big in it’s own right, but I’ve moved a corner this time, so they run to the water in four strides and they’ve got a solid corner on the way out. I’ve made that a separate numbers, so if riders are in a mess they can circle and represent without getting 20 penalties. It’s quite intense, this area, and for me, it’s the toughest area on the course.”

Fence 22abcd — Gator, Tabasco Bottle, Swamp Log to Water Drop. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Finally, riders reach the bayou which pays homage to Rebecca and Jerome Broussard’s time spent in Louisiana before relocating to Montana in the 1980s. “Critters” including gators, snakes and Tabasco hot sauce will be there to greet them.

“It’s right at the end of the course, and horses can be getting a little tired,” Ian said. “You still want to challenge then and ask questions, but I’ve learned over the years not to make it too tough. I don’t expect anyone to be swimming, although the gator has quite a big drop in. It’s all about preserving energy in the tank for the horse and not galloping the legs off them early on. The riders have to work out how to do this.”

Keep scrolling to listen to even more insights from Ian and check out a more detailed course walk:

The Event at Rebecca Farm: Website, Schedule, Rebecca Farm Ride Times & Live Scores, NAYC Ride Times & Live Scores, Rebecca Farm Live Stream, NAYC Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

 

Who Jumped it Best: Aachen Edition

By on Jul 26, 2019 12:00 pm -

After a couple of days of processing time (read: a couple of days of driving around Germany, eating every sausage I could get my grubby little hands on and mourning the end of the CHIO for another year) I’ve reached something like terra firma, a sense of self that isn’t defined by a comically oversized accreditation pass around my neck, and a place of mental calm from which I can process, analyse, and compartmentalise the incredible week of competition.

Nah, I’m just kidding. I’m still loopy with overstimulation and as heartbroken as a girl whose long-distance boyfriend just boarded a plane home to California. I want to get straight back into my car and move into the Champions Circle, growing increasingly feral and subsisting entirely on free mojitos and Ritter Sport bars until the whole thing begins again next summer. Aachen, you have bewitched me body and soul and I, I, I … love you.

With a magnum opus of a reporter’s notebook on the horizon, I’ve got a veritable mountain of extra content to sift through and emotions (SO! MANY! EMOTIONS!) to process. So in the meantime, let’s turn to a comforting favourite. It’s time to decide which horse and rider jumped the second element of the SAP Water Combination best.

This combination came at the tail end of the tough course, just before the influential skinny tractors of the Stawag question, and featured a beefy rolltop into the water followed by a bending line to this sizeable brush. Once clear of the brush, they had to continue that bending line to the right and pop over a square house, tucked right into the heart of the crowd. With that slight bending line over the brush fence in mind, take a look at the following group of horses and riders, and then scroll down to log your vote for your favourite duo!

Pawel Spisak (POL) and Banderas. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Gemma Tattersall (GBR) and Jalapeno. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Caroline Martin (USA) and Islandwood Captain Jack. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

James Avery (NZL) and Mr Sneezy. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Michael Jung (GER) and Star Connection. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sandra Auffarth (GER) and Viamant du Matz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Malin Josefsson (SWE) and Golden Midnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Kevin McNab (AUS) and Willunga. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Julien Guillot (FRA) and Elvis. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

CHIO Aachen: Website, Entries & Start Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

This Week in Horse Health News Presented by MediVet Equine

By on Jul 26, 2019 10:00 am -

Photo by Amy Dragoo, courtesy of MediVet Equine.

Meet Marcia Kulak: event rider with over 30 years of international experience. She’s competed at the likes of Kentucky, Burghley, Blenheim, Boekelo, and Fair Hill and she knows a thing or two about what it takes to manage high performance equine athletes. To keep her string of competition horses healthy and strong, Marcia relies on the regenerative healing powers of MediVet Equine’s revolutionary product, MediVet ACS (Autologous Conditioned Serum).

Autologous Conditioned Serum — what does that do? Simply put, it blocks some of the inflammatory responses in the horse’s body and allows the body to heal itself, even during strenuous training. And unlike other therapies which just target specific areas like the joints, ACS acts on the whole body. Marcia tried MediVet ACS earlier this year and has included it in the routine care of her horses ever since.

“The first horse that I had experience using MediVet ACS with was a large bodied Warmblood that was a very good athlete. However, he had multiple physical issues that weren’t improving at a rate that I was pleased with,” she said. “Instead of resorting to steroids or routine joint injections, I feel really good about being able to help a horse help itself with MediVet ACS.

“There were definitely visible changes that are probably attributed to the fact that, as the horse got more comfortable, his posture improved and hence his condition improved!”

It’s pretty remarkable that just one type of treatment can have such a positive effect on the whole horse, but hey, it’s all made possible by science. There’s always time to learn a little something new, and with that let’s look at some of this week’s headlines in horse health news.

This Week in Horse Health News:

One lot of a compounded drug containing pyrimethamine and toltrazuril has been linked to three equine deaths. Pyrimethamine and toltrazuril are broadly classified as anti-parasitic agents and were being used to treat Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). The product was compounded by Rapid Equine Solutions, LLC of Pennsylvania and the deaths occurred in Maine and Ohio.  The product lot is no longer in distribution. [FDA]

Horse owners in Texas should be aware of outbreaks of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) across the state. VSV is viral disease transmitted by direct contact and by blood-feeding insects (such as mosquitoes and biting flies). So far, there have been 20 locations in 12 counties that have confirmed cases of VSV. [The Horse]

Did you know that laminitis is the second leading cause of death in horses? Years and years of research a have been poured into learning about laminitis, but even though we know so much more than we did a decade ago veterinarians aren’t seeing fewer cases of the disease. This may be due to horse owners not being proactive and utilizing the information available to help prevent it. Laminitis is a disease that brews over time – it doesn’t happen overnight – and horse owners are overlooking the signs.

This article, written Fran Jurga, publisher of The Hoof Blog, discusses the research and speaks with leading veterinarians in the field. If you’re looking for a crash course on laminitis (which everyone should be) and tips for disease prevention, you’ve found it. The article appears in the summer issue of the US Equestrian Magazine which is hitting mailboxes soon, but you can also read it at the link to the right — just use the slider at the bottom to turn to page 90. [US Equestrian Magazine]

About MediVet Equine:

MediVet Equine‘s mission is to bring state-of-the-art science, and principled stewardship, to performance horses, their owners and the equine industry. Following the medical model of “do no harm,” MediVet Equine, the original creators of the breakthrough MediVet Autologous Conditioned Serum (MediVet ACS), develops scientifically based biological therapeutics, enabling the horse to call on its own healing ability to achieve its full performance potential.

Specializing in regenerative treatments that help the body heal and regain strength, MediVet Equine’s products are designed to activate specific cells and growth factors within horses to encourage and enhance healing. As a result, their products are safe and suitable for all performance horses.

Piggy v. Oliver v. Izzy: British Eventing’s Top Three to Contest Burgham International

By on Jul 26, 2019 7:00 am -

Photo by Rupert Gibson Photography, courtesy of Burgham Horse Trials.

The hot ticket on the British eventing calendar this week is Burgham International Horse Trials, taking place July 26-28 in Northumberland, and this year’s competition looks to be smoking. The top three riders in Britain so far in 2019 – Piggy French, Oliver Townend and Izzy Taylor – are all coming north for a crack at the win.

Last year at Burgham, Piggy French produced the best finishing score at a British international event since 2015 when winning the CCI2*-S on Emerald Jonny, according to Equiratings. Since then, she has won a team gold medal at the World Equestrian Games and a wowed us with her brilliant victory at Badminton Horse Trials. She returns to Burgham this week with a five horses to compete in Burgham’s three international classes – what records can the popular Northamptonshire rider break this time?

Oliver Townend brings forth both of his very top horses to Burgham: Cooley Master Class, winner of the CCI5* event at Kentucky for the second successive year this April, and Ballaghmor Class. The latter, winner of the CCI4*-S class at Burgham last year, is the most successful CCI5* horse currently competing, having won Burghley in 2017 and finished second at both Badminton and Burghley in the past 12 months. Between them, Piggy and Oliver won all three of Burgham’s international classes in 2018; can they do so again? Britain’s current #3 Izzy Taylor, on the other hand, will be looking for her first Burgham win.

Other British stars on show at Burgham include Harry Meade, Izzy Taylor, local hero Ben Hobday and Olympian Kitty King, who is riding her recent Bramham CCI4*-L winner and British team hope Vendredi Biats. In all 10 nations will be represented – Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Japan.

Burgham’s cross country courses, designed by former World and Olympic champion Blyth Tait and David Evans, who is responsible for building the cross-country courses for both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2019 European Championships, are bound to provide thrilling action for spectators.

Burgham Director Martyn Johnson says, “Our entries are better than ever this year, which is great testament to the team for putting on an event which has very quickly become known as one of the best in the UK, providing great ground conditions and courses in a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Burgham gives eventing fans an incredible opportunity to see the heroes of the sport at close quarters, away from the pressures of, say, Badminton or Burghley. We have some of the most famous horses in the world coming to Burgham – come and see them and enjoy a really good day out.”

Burgham 2019 begins with the dressage phase of the international classes on Friday, July 26. On Saturday the national competitors will take their turn, with classes ranging from BE90 to Open Intermediate. The jumping phases of the three international classes (the Newton Hall CCI4*-S, the Howard Russell Construction CCI3*-S and the Metnor Group CCI2*-S) take place on Sunday, July 26.

Burgham also hosts Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse classes on Friday, July 26 and British Riding Clubs area showjumping qualifiers on Sunday, July 28.

Tickets for Burgham International Horse Trials may be booked online at www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk or bought at the gate.

This report is edited from a press release. 

[BRITAIN’S TOP THREE RIDERS TO COMPETE AT BURGHAM]

 

Friday News & Notes from World Equestrian Brands

By on Jul 26, 2019 12:03 am -

Just another wild and crazy OTTB at 6 a.m. coming in from turnout. Photo by Kate Samuels.

National Holiday: National Get Gnarly Day

Major Weekend Events:

The Event at Rebecca Farm CCI, 3DE, & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Horse Park of New Jersey II CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Hunt Club Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From around the Globe:

A handful of nations are sending riders to the test event in Tokyo next month to scope out the scene for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Dubbed “Ready Steady Tokyo”, the event runs on August 12-14, and participation will allow those countries to enter into their final preparations with more information about the climate, the facility, and other factors. England is sending William Fox-Pitt on Summer at Fernhill as well as Georgie Strang riding Halltown Harley. [British Team Sends 2 Top Riders to Tokyo]

How many horses can say they started eventing in 2018 and by 2019 are set to represent their country internationally? I think probably just one: Starr Witness. The “Ginga Ninja” began her life in the hunter ring, but it wasn’t really to her liking, so she went to Doug Payne last spring to try out eventing, and her career bloomed from there. With 1.20 meter jumper experience under her belt already, she was quick to move up the levels, and now is aimed to go to the Pan American Games in just a few weeks. [Pan Am Profile: Starr Witness]

Hickstead Eventing Challenge first-timers Nicky Hill and Kilrodan Sailorette went out of the box first and set a blistering pace that nobody else could catch. Though she is little, at 15.1 hands tall, the chestnut mare ate up the ground and has a huge jump. Unfortunately for previous winner Paul Tapner, he had to settle for second place as he came in 1.15 seconds behind the girl power pair. [Hickstead Debutante Wins it All]

Best of Blogs: 7 Skills Every Horse Should Have

Video of the Day: Tis the season to get abscesses!

Rebecca Farm/NAYC Thursday Social Media Roundup: An Action Packed Day

By on Jul 25, 2019 8:31 pm -

All systems are go at The Event Rebecca Farm! You likely have to be there to really appreciate of the size of this event, but the schedule of events might give you a good idea. Today there were six dressage arenas running concurrently, including the beginning of the NAYC competition with the three-star young riders. Plus, Novice and Training horse trials competitors ran cross country from sun up to nearly sun down. All that and most of the other FEI levels haven’t even begun yet! Take a peek at just some of today’s action:

The Event at Rebecca Farm: Website, Schedule, The Event at Rebecca Farm Ride Times & Live Scores, NAYC Ride Times & Live Scores, The Event at Rebecca Farm Live Stream, NAYC Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

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Made it to Montana #teamcheckers🏁

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Posted by Stephani Mishel Hren on Wednesday, July 24, 2019

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First group of 3* Young Riders looking real cute

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Area I/II Team Going for CCIY3*-S Gold at NAYC

By on Jul 25, 2019 3:08 pm -

William Kidwell and Tremolo. Photo by Shelby Allen.

First sub-30 FEI dressage score? At your first North American Youth Championship? No time like the present for 17-year-old William Kidwell.

Riding on the Area III/Area VII scramble team, William leads the CCIY3*-S after the first phase with Michelle Donlick’s Tremolo, a 14-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred (Sempatico x Avalo’s Rhapsody).

“It’s a great atmosphere, the biggest show I’ve ever competed at. It’s a pleasure to be here. Montana and the farm are absolutely beautiful,” he said. “I’m really glad to have the support not only from the team, but others behind the team. They’ve been a great help–it feels really good to know people are helping you out and I’m really thankful to know all of that.”

It’s well earned, too. William has been laser-focused in preparing for his NAYC debut while also working for the O’Connors. A 28 on the flat makes his 40-hour drive from Georgia seem very worth it.

“It felt consistent. He held his own in there, and it felt pretty good. I had one bobble in the counter canter, but besides that it was a fantastic ride. He’s not technically mine, but I got the ride on him thankfully. He’s been really great, and is helping me learn. He’s very self aware–he always thinks he knows what’s going on before he gets into it,” William said.

Megan Loughnane and Linford. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Second-placed Megan Loughnan leads the way for the Area I/Area II squad who currently top the team standings. Megan’s spot on the leaderboard follows Williams, and she’s on a score of 29.4 with Linford, a 10-year-old Holsteiner (Landos x Napoline, by Corleograf).

“He was super. He had a lot more energy than he usually does, which is great for him. We also had bobbles in the counter canter, but other than that he felt amazing,” Megan said.

This trip is her second NAYC appearance: “This is her I had a really good time, so I’m happy to be back. We’ve come super far since then.”

Madeline Litchen and Yarrow. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Also on the leading team, Maddie Lichten is third with her own Yarrow, a 12-year-old Canadian Sport Horse (Yvari x Amelia II, by Ali Baba). They sit on an even 30 — a personal best International score.

Megan and Madeline are joined on the scramble team by Katie Lichten (yes she’s Maddie’s sister!) with Sapphire Blue B and Sami Crandell with Fernhill Chaos. Together, they sit on a score of 91.2.

Katie Litchen and Sapphire Blue B. Photo by Shelby Allen.

“The Broussards are amazing for letting us come here. The course is awesome. I’m very excited to run it again this year. It’s a really fun group of girls–we almost have too much fun together,” Sami said.

Area III/VII’s team follows in second place on 95.1 points with William and Tremolo at the helm. The group also includes Sophie Click and Quidproquo, Grace Smith and Sir Saulsford Nazar, and Ivie Cullen-Dean and Fernhill Full Throttle.

The Event at Rebecca Farm: Website, Schedule, The Event at Rebecca Farm Ride Times & Live Scores, NAYC Ride Times & Live Scores, The Event at Rebecca Farm Live Stream, NAYC Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

Thursday Video from Ecovet: Ian Stark Breaks Down Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L Cross Country

By on Jul 25, 2019 3:00 pm -

Ian “The Flying Scot” Stark has designed another awe-inspiring cross country course at The Event at Rebecca Farm. Supported by Course Designer Bert Wood’s imaginative creations, somehow the track here underneath the Big Sky gets better and better every year.

Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Ian take a spin around the major elements and break down just what riders can expect.

The Event at Rebecca Farm: Website, Schedule, The Event at Rebecca Farm Ride Times & Live Scores, NAYC Ride Times & Live Scores, The Event at Rebecca Farm Live Stream, NAYC Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

One night of midges’ (no-see-ums’) unrestricted access to an allergic horse can take 3-6 weeks to resolve … even if the horse receives no new bites. That’s why prevention is so important. Learn more about helping allergic horses at eco-vet.com/allergic.

A Very DIY NAYC: Meet the Self-Made Area VII Young Rider Team

By on Jul 25, 2019 11:30 am -

Schoolmasters are wonderful, but there’s no education like the experience of producing your own event horse. By that measure, the Area VII team contesting the 2019 North American Youth Championships (NAYC) at The Event at Rebecca Farm all deserve a degree in self-made event horse development.

Among the six horse/rider combinations, there are few fancy pedigrees — three out of the six are off-track Thoroughbreds, and another has nary an ounce of Thoroughbred or warmblood in him. They all came to their riders green and inexperienced, and in some cases the riders were advised to sell their mounts because they were “too much horse” or would be limited in their ability to progress up the levels. But the riders persisted, and this week we wish them luck as they tackle this week’s Championships.

NAYC 2019 is underway, with a total of 48 CCIJ2*-L and 13 CCIY3*-S competitors from the U.S. and Canada representing their respective regions. On Wednesday, teams and their supporters enjoyed an opening ceremony in the morning to kick things off, followed by the first horse inspection, with all horses presented moving forward to the competition. Watch the NAYC live stream here. Scroll down for a link to ride times, scores and EN’s coverage.

Best of luck to all! Let’s meet the Area VII riders and their mounts:

Callia Englund and Xyder. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Callia Englund – 17 – Enumclaw, WA

Callia is riding Xyder, a 9-year-old Cheval Canadien gelding (DDD-Cromwell Prince 2 x Cosyland Star Kandi, by Rainville Wilfred Star). This is their second NAYC start; in 2018 they finished 15th in the CCIJ1*.

“Xyder and I have been together for five years now. I got him when he was 4 and I was 12, and together we learned the ropes of eventing. We did both of our first events at Beginner Novice in May of 2015 and have been moving up together ever since. It definitely has been a challenge when we were both green but now it has created a very strong partnership. We both trust each other immensely and that is what makes us successful at the higher levels.

“It’s also been challenging because he is not your typical event horse. He is small with short legs and a stocky body. Because of that we had many people tell us he could not go any higher no matter what level we were at at the time. He is a pure bred Cheval Canadien, with no Thoroughbred or warmblood lineage. They are not known for jumping by any means, and they used to be war horses and are now currently endangered.

“Last year when we completed NAYC it was a dream come true of the thousands of hours we spent together making this partnership successful. I’m so happy to represent Area VII again with my other teammates who also have amazing partnerships with their horses.”

Kayla Dumler and Faramir. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Kayla Dumler – 16 – Enumclaw, WA

Kayla is riding Faramir, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Capital Improvement x Princess Malaga, by Zuppado’s Prince). This is their NAYC debut. 

“Faramir (‘Ferris’) came in to my life in April 2017, just before my 14th birthday. He had just turned seven years old. Ferris is an OTTB that was purchased in 2015 by our family friend, Alyssa Jordan. Almost immediately after purchasing him, sadly, Alyssa was diagnosed with stage four liver and colon cancer. After the diagnosis, her ability to work with him became limited as she began the fight of her life. Alyssa lost her battle in April 2017. Before she passed she had made arrangements for Ferris to come to us.

“Since he had not been ridden much in the last year we decided it would be best to let a trainer work with him to get him started up again and make sure that he was safe for me to ride. After 60 days with a cowboy I got on him and immediately fell in love with him. In the fall of 2017 we competed in one Novice and one Training event. In the spring of 2018 we moved up Prelim and completed our first CCI2*~S in March of this year. Our greatest accomplishment thus far came in June of this year when we won the CCI2*~S at Aspen.

“It is such a great feeling riding him because I know where every aid is, because I put it there. It’s almost like having a custom horse. We have such a great connection and trust with each other and that is the foundation to any partnership.”

Ashley Widmer and What Are The Odds. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Ashley Widmer – 17 – Moses Lake, WA

Ashley is riding What Are the Odds, a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Cash Dash x Amanda Quick, by Hansel). This is their NAYC debut.

“Our journey began when we met for the first time during the summer of 2016. We had seen him once before and joked about him being my next horse. I knew he was the one. We brought him home and started working with him. Living in a small town meant not being able to be in a consistent lesson program. So we did a lot of traveling, studying of videos, and working student positions.

“Oddie went to his first recognized event later that fall at Beginner Novice. We could barely stay on 20-meter circles and had a ridiculous phobia of water. After a winter of schooling, we started in the spring of 2017 at Novice. Later that season we did our first Training together. Another winter went by with a lot of homework. Starting 2018 at Training, we worked our way to our first Prelim at Rebecca Farm. We continued to work through the season, aiming for the CCI* at Galway last fall. There we got qualified for NAYC.

“This spring, we had the opportunity to work with Terri Rocovich in preparation for this season. She helped us immensely. Anni Grandia, Deborah Rosen, Lindsay Uyesugi, Charlotte Roseburg, and our team coach John Camlin have all been an instrumental part of our development. I’m very excited to represent Area VII with the horse of my dreams, and a team that has worked just as hard to get here.”

Olivia Miller and Fritz Patrick for Area VII. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Olivia Miller – 18 – Lake Tapps, WA

Olivia is riding Fritz Patrick, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Regazzoni x Pandora, by Parabol). This is their first NAYC.

“Fritz and I became partners at the very end of 2014. The very first year I owned him, he then proved to be much more horse than I had the experience to handle. The first couple trainers I took him to kept telling me that I should sell him because he was not a ‘kid’s’ horse, and after I heard that over and over I started to believe them. After almost every ride I would hop off of him and hand him to my mom because it was just so irritating that I wasn’t making any progress with him. We tried just about every supplement and training tool in the book to try to make some headway but nothing really seemed to do the trick.

“It wasn’t until the latter half of the year that things started to align and make a little more sense. He became a little more rideable and I could start to take him places without it being quite an ordeal. I took him down to California during the spring of 2016 and we ran our very first Beginner Novice at Twin Riders. We then came back up to Washington to win our very first show in Area VII at Beginner Novice, being the only pair in our division to go double-clear on cross country. We then moved up to Novice shortly after that and finished the season at Novice.

“Fritz and I then made our international debut at the 2* level at the end of 2018 at Galway Downs. We put in a top 10 finish at Aspen Farms this last spring. So from Beginner Novice through the 2* level, Fritz has really proven himself to be quite the eventer.”

Lilly Linder and Tucker Too. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Lilly Linder – 17 – Carnation, WA

Lilly is riding Tucker Too, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. This is their first NAYC.

“It’s crazy how fast a partnership can grow over such a short period of time. Tucker was a lesson horse that was used in Anni Grandia’s program. I was given the chance to ride Tucker because the horse I had been riding was rehabbing from a fractured patella. I ended up entering him in the Young Rider Benefit Horse Trials not even a week later. We had successful rides that weekend and we clicked almost immediately.

“Tucker had never really had his own person and to watch the bond grow between us has been so exciting. He has always been an athletic and hardworking horse but over the months that I have been leasing him, his personality and work ethic has improved greatly and the overall transformation has really impressed and inspired a lot of people in the evening comity and at our barn. I’ve never ridden a horse like him before and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Sophie Click and Fernhill Rising at Fair Hill (sorry we didn’t get a Rebecca jog photo of you, Sophie!). Photo by Shelby Allen.

Sophie Click – 20 – Carnation, WA

Sophie is riding Quidproquo, an 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Quidado x Waleila, by Limbus). This is Sophie’s fourth NAYC.

“I started riding Rocky last spring. My previous horse Hot Wheels was injured so I took the ride on Rocky. At the time, Rocky was very green and had gone Preliminary a bit with a different professional. My family was advised to sell him, but Rocky and I quickly formed a strong relationship and since then, he has been such a hard working and impressive horse.

“We did Preliminary and 1* (now 2*) all of 2018, and recently moved up to Intermediate and 3* this spring. With the help of professionals, Stuart Black and James Alliston, Rocky has shown so much improvement and proved to be a top quality horse. He reminds me very much of Hot Wheels and is therefore very special to me. Although he has been tricky to train, he is very intelligent and learns quickly if you are patient with him!”

The Event at Rebecca Farm: Website, Schedule, The Event at Rebecca Farm Ride Times & Live Scores, NAYC Ride Times & Live Scores, The Event at Rebecca Farm Live Stream, NAYC Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

By the Numbers: Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L

By on Jul 25, 2019 9:00 am -

An event perpetually on my bucket list, Rebecca Farm is the ultimate destination event, with long hauls for almost everyone and vistas to make the drive worth it. The Broussards’ incredible support for the sport includes travel grants to offset the costs to get there — one of many things the family goes above and beyond for.

THE FIELD

Rebecca Farm in the Flathead Valley. Photo by Chesna Klimek.

  • The completion rate at the Rebecca CCI4*-L has averaged only 60.4% since its inception in 2015, compared to a North American completion rate of 68.6% over the same time period.
  • However, a full 25.0% of cross country starters have made the time on cross country, compared to 16.0% for other events of the same time.
  • In four runnings, all of the winners have been in the top three after dressage.

DRESSAGE DIVAS

Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

  • Stella Artois returns to this level for the first time since 2017, but as her recent Advanced dressage test at Essex indicates, she hasn’t skipped a beat. She and Jennie Brannigan average a 33.6 in the first phase which is equal best in the field.
  • Clark Montgomery returns to the level with a new ride, the Thoroughbred mare Caribbean Soul. In five outings they have also averaged 33.6, although their scores have floated upwards in their last two outings.

CROSS COUNTRY MACHINES

James Alliston and Pandora. Photo by Sherry Stewart.

  • Another young horse paired with an experienced rider will be expected to finish with the quickest time this weekend; in four outings with James Alliston, the mare Pandora has finished as the fastest round of the day in three of them.
  • Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul had a stop in the mare’s first attempt at the level last fall but have since made quick work of three big east coast tracks. They have finished within 10 seconds of optimum time in each of their three runs and had the fastest run of the day last time out at The Fork, with only four seconds over optimum.

SHOW JUMPING POWERHOUSES

Leah Breakey and Master Class. Photo by Aaron Sonego.

  • The majority of the field this weekend tends to have a rail, with Leah Breakey and Master Class having the best show jumping average, largely due to lack of opportunity. In only two runs at the A/CCI4*-S level, this pair has had only one rail.

PREDICTED WINNER: Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul

Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography courtesy of TIEC.

 Keep Your Eye On:
  • James Alliston and Pandora
  • Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois
  • Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy

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