Classic Eventing Nation

Six Americans Listed Among Early Burghley Entries

By on Jul 24, 2019 2:00 pm -

Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan at the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

While entries don’t close until Aug. 2, the U.S. contingent has wasted no time in entering the 2019 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials taking place Sept. 5-8 in Stamford, England. We got a sneak preview of early entries received and were excited to see that no fewer than six Americans intend to take aim at Britain’s biggest, baddest event.

Sixteen entries have been posted thus far and we expect several dozen more before closing date. Last year 98 combinations were entered at the closing date, and entries were capped at 85 pairs.

Among the early entries:

Hannah Sue Burnett is entered with Harbour Pilot, a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars. This experienced five-star partnership, who have twice finished in the top 15 at Kentucky and cracked the top 10 at Luhmühlen, last tackled Burghley in 2014. They were 7th after cross country but sadly withdrew before the final phase.

Will Coleman is entered with his 2018 WEG mount Tight Lines, a 12-year-old French bred gelding owned by the Conair Syndicate. This pair has thrice completed Kentucky, finishing 12th and 13th the past two years.

Buck Davidson is entered with Jak My Style, a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Robert and Kathleen Cuca. This horse made his five-star debut at Kentucky this year but was withdrawn before cross country.

Ariel Grald is entered with Leamore Master Plan, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Anne Eldridge. They finished 12th in their five-star debut at Kentucky this year. They are entered in the CCI4*-S at Ireland’s Millstreet International (Aug. 21-25), which also has a few preliminary entries posted — Will Faudree with Pfun and Caroline Martin with Islandwood Captain Jack are entered in the CCI4*-L.

Lauren Kieffer is entered with her 2018 WEG mount Vermiculus, a 12-year-old Anglo-Arabian gelding owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars. This pair has completed Kentucky the past two years, finishing 5th and 9th respectively.

Chris Talley is entered with Unmarked Bills, a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Unmarked Bills Syndicate. They finished 27th in their five-star debut at Kentucky this year.

With the FEI Eventing European Championships taking place the week before, Aug. 28-Sept. 1, in Luhmühlen, we’ll be looking forward to an exciting couple weeks of eventing. We’ll continue to keep an eye on entries between now and the closing date.

Entries as of July 24:

Who will you be cheering for at Burghley this year, EN? Let us know in the comments below. Go Eventing.

Burghley Links: Website, Entries, Timetable, Tickets

Michael Jung to Make German Showjumping Team Debut

By on Jul 24, 2019 1:00 pm -

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. FEI/Jon Stroud Photo.

Fresh off the back of (almost) total world domination at last week’s CHIO Aachen, the maestro of eventing has eschewed the idea of a rest day entirely, instead choosing to load up five of his showjumpers ready for a trip to the Royal International Horse Show at England’s historic Hickstead show ground. Even more excitingly, he’ll be making his showjumping team debut as a member of Germany’s Nation Cup team.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Ze Terminator tackle the coloured poles — he’s been competing at the CSI5* level for almost eight years, and took his first 5* win in a 1.40m speed class last season at Bordeaux with fischerDaily Impressed (Cartani X Impression). He maintains an enviable string of showjumpers at his base in Bad Soden am Taunus, spearheaded by eleven-year-old fischerChelsea (Check In X Argentia E) and Dante RZ (Diarado x Alabama), both of whom will compete at Hickstead.

Nor is it the first time we’ve seen him earn a showjumping squad call-up: he was selected for the German team for Abu Dhabi’s Nations Cup at the beginning of last year, but didn’t compete. His selection this week is a last-minute call-up to the squad after the withdrawal of Holger Wulschner.

“Michael Jung is an absolute legend in the horse world, and we are honoured that he is making his Nations Cup five-star debut here at the All England Jumping Course,” says Hickstead Director Lizzie Bunn. “There are very few riders in the world who are capable of competing at the highest level in eventing, showjumping and dressage, and we’re sure Michael’s legions of fans will be keen to see him in action as he jumps for the very first time.”

If you’re not at Hickstead, you can keep an eye on the competition — which includes a star-studded Eventer’s Challenge class tomorrow — online. The competition will be live-streamed on Hickstead.tv and ClipMyHorse.tv, while Friday and Sunday’s feature classes, the Longines FEI Nations Cup and the Longines BHS King George V Gold Cup, respectively, will be broadcast on FEI TV. We’ll be on-site to follow his progress and bring you all the news from the Eventer’s Challenge, too, in which Paul Tapner, Alex Bragg, Joseph Murphy and more go head to head in the iconic main arena.

17 Nations to Contest FEI Eventing European Championships

By on Jul 24, 2019 12:00 pm -

Photo by Thomas Ix, courtesy of Luhmühlen.

Yesterday 17 national federations declared their entries for the Longines FEI Eventing European Championships, to be held Aug. 28-Sept. 1 in Luhmühlen. They are as follows:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Great Britain
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

The national federations have already named riders and horses but were able to name twice or even three times as many starters as will actually be able to compete at Luhmühlen. The federations will send the definite entries, with finalized horse-rider combinations, on Monday, August 12.

As the host nation Germany will be able to nominate 12 riders; all other federations will nominate six.

In its 60 years of hosting three-day events, Luhmühlen has hosted five European Championships (1975, 1979, 1987, 1999 and 2011), as well as World Equestrian Games in 1982.

The officials have been selected for the Championships. The judges will be Martin Plewa (president), Anne-Mette Binder (DEN) und Peter Shaw (AUS), and the FEI Technical Delegate will be Gert Naber (NED). The cross country course designer is Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR), and the show jumping course designer is Marco Behrens (GER).

A total of 100,000 Euro will be awarded, with 70,000 to the individual winner and 30,000 to the first through third placed teams.

Only 35 days now, actually!

Visit the Luhmühlen website here. Go Eventing.

World-Class Entry List Announced for Ready Steady Tokyo Olympic Test Event

By on Jul 24, 2019 9:30 am -

Reigning Olympic champion Michael Jung will take part in next month’s Ready Steady Tokyo equestrian test event alongside 17 athletes from four nations: Japan, Germany, Australia and Great Britain. Photo by FEI / Arnd Bronkhurst.

We’re nearly a year out from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which means it’s time for organizers to start pressing all those buttons to make sure they work. Entries have been released for the Ready Steady Tokyo equestrian test event, taking place Aug. 12-14 at the Equestrian Park at Baji Koen and the new Sea Forest cross country venues. Run as a CCI3*, the test event will trial logistics, results, timing and data handling, footing, transport between the two venues, along with other key factors that are crucial for the smooth running of next year’s Games.

The field is impressive and includes 17 athletes from Japan, Germany, Australia and Great Britain. Among them: reigning Olympic champion and multi-medalled German athlete Michael Jung, triple Olympic team gold medallist Andrew Hoy of Australia, five-time Olympian and medallist William Fox-Pitt, and all four of Japan’s Asian Games 2018 gold medal team among an 11-strong Japanese squad.

“We have a truly star-studded cast for our Ready Steady Tokyo test event next month, when some of the world’s most decorated eventing athletes and their equine partners will have the opportunity to trial our two fabulous venues and, at the same time, provide a taster of the level of equestrian action that will be on offer at the Games next year,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “I can’t remember a time when we had such a high caliber of athletes and horses for the Olympic test event, so it’s going to be really special.”

Photo courtesy of the FEI.

The host nation has recently proven itself a real force on the international scene, with Japan taking team and individual gold at the Asian Games in Jakarta and the team finishing fourth and just out of the medals at the 2018 WEG 2018 in Tryon last September. This season, the team won the Olympic Groups F and G qualifier at Saumur in June, and Japanese athletes have claimed no fewer than three CCI4* victories: Kazuma Tomoto took wins at Chatsworth and Ballindenisk this spring, and Yoshiaki Oiwa took the top honor at Strzegom at the end of last month. Yoshiaki’s mount, whom he piloted to double gold at the Asian Games, is Bart M, a 13-year-old Dutch-bred gelding ridden by Frenchman Matthieu Lemoine to team gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Japan clearly has its sights set on a medal in Tokyo, and we’ll be following their preparations closely.

The full list of starters for the Ready Steady Tokyo equestrian test event is available here and will also be available on the dedicated equestrian page of the Ready Steady Tokyo website here shortly.

Cross country course designer Derek Di Grazia has built a special track for the test event. It will give athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Federations (NFs) a chance to assess the undulations of the terrain without giving too much away about Derek’s vision for the Olympic course. The Sea Forest cross country venue, which will host equestrian cross country, rowing and canoe sprint, will be turned into a park after the Games’ conclude. Baji Koen, site of the Olympic equestrian events at the 1964 Tokyo Games, has undergone extensive refurbishment, funded independently by the Japan Racing Association.

The test event also provides the opportunity for NOCs and NFs to take part in the official Observers Programme, which includes a session on climate mitigation protocols aimed at minimizing the effects of heat and humidity. The FEI is also conducting a study on participants at the test event (human and equine) with the goal of further boosting current research on optimizing performance in a challenging climate. Full details of the Observers Programme are available here.

The eventing format, which has been run at events in Poland, Ireland, New Zealand and Italy, will be used at the last leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup in Boekelo in October, when the final team slot on the Tokyo 2020 startlist will be allocated.

[Ready Steady Tokyo equestrian test event boasts world-class startlist]

 

 

Wednesday News & Notes from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces

By on Jul 24, 2019 12:01 am -

Pre-Rebecca vibes. Photo via Madeline Backus’ FB page.

Rebecca Farm has been on my bucket list probably since 2009, when my then-trainer and another boarder trekked up there after the now-defunct Maui Jim and came back with tales of lake swims and mountain hacks and blue skies as far as you can see. Having moved even further away since that time and now balancing a full-time job means that item on my bucket list is not terribly likely to be fulfilled, so I just have to live vicariously through the social media posts of my friends.

National Holiday: World Emoji 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]

Your Wednesday News & Notes

For anyone who thinks you have to make a team by the time you’re 25 or your career will be over, take a hard look at Tamie Smith. Now 44, Tamie started out as a corporate career type, hoping to be CEO of some Fortune 500 company. Her non-horsey husband eventually urged her to go pro and she’s now realizing her dream of representing the U.S. for the first time. [Free Rein with Tamie Smith]

A missed deadline will result in the Royal Windsor losing its CSI5* status for 2020. The paperwork for the level was submitted late, and as a result the other two CSI5* fixtures held on the same date rejected the Royal Windsor’s request for an exception. Royal Windsor expects to regain the status for 2021, and the British Equestrian Federation has put guidelines in place to prevent the mistake from happening again. [Royal Windsor Loses Five Star Status]

Don’t try this at home! Madison Penfound had quite a scare when her horse QEH Ocean Voyage locked onto a fence at his first Advanced that was actually on the Intermediate course and jumped it…despite a photographer sitting in front of it. Luckily all parties involved were totally unharmed and the photographer Tracey Wilkinson even managed a head-on shot [Behind the Photo]

Attwood Wisdom of the Week: 

Great News!Attwood Equestrian Surfaces AnnouncedOfficial Footing Supplier at Fair Hill InternationalAttwood…

Posted by Attwood Equestrian Surfaces on Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Want to know more about the most advanced footing solutions on the market today? Please call Attwood Equestrian Surfaces at 888-461-7788.

Tuesday Video from SmartPak: Bobby Is The Best

By on Jul 23, 2019 4:00 pm -

Happy Hale Bob Day or Happy Hale Bob Week? Let the celebration of SAP Hale Bob OLD and Ingrid Klimke’s win at Aachen continue! Last Saturday they became the first pair to win at the storied venue three times, and they did it with complete class, especially on the cross country, and Aachen has given us a first-hand account in the form of a helmet cam.

The commentary may be in German, but all the stats are in English, so follow their pace, heart rate and speed accuracy around Aachen’s indomitable cross country course.

Updated 7/24: English commentary, y’all:

SAP Cup with Ingrid Klimke

This year again, SAP and Ingrid Klimke invite you for a unique cross-country experience enjoying the winning round of the #SAPCup with SAP Hale Bob OLD. Through the sensors on the riders, SAP Equestrian Analytics provides you with details around the rides – both live during the SAP Cup and in this video. So fasten your seat belts and enjoy the flight. But be careful – it’s addictive 😊. #chioaachen #thebestrun

Posted by SAP Sports on Monday, July 22, 2019

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

 

Who Jumped It Best? Larkin Hill H.T. Prelim Trakehner Edition

By on Jul 23, 2019 2:00 pm -

Time for another edition of “Who Jumped It Best?” This week we head to Larkin Hill H.T. in North Chatham, New York, where 21 horse/rider combinations contested two Prelim divisions across the brand new Tremaine Cooper designed cross country track — check out EN’s course walk here.

Fence #17 was a beautifully built new trakehner. By that point in the course horses and riders were feeling confident, resulting in big, bold, out-of-stride leaps and happily pricked ears. Joan Davis of Flatlandsfoto was off to the side capturing pics and kindly shared these with us. You know what to do, EN: Cast your vote for the horse/rider combination that you think presents the best overall picture!

View final results from Larkin Hill H.T. here.

Carolyn Wehle and Edelmann. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Diane Thompson and Boston Jack. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Debbie MacConnel and Four Fours. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Ferial Johnson and Great Recession. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Jane Hamlin and Fernhill Multichance. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Jamie Fields and Stonehaven’s Puzzled. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Darrah Alexander and Delana Lady Wolf. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

If It Was Easy It Wouldn’t Be Worth It: A Mindfulness Practice

By on Jul 23, 2019 11:00 am -

Laura Crump Anderson is an Equestrian Fitness Specialist at InForm Fitness Leesburg. She is certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and specializes in working with riders of all ages and disciplines. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science, is a Certified Personal Trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine, and has evented through Training level. Read more of her EN fitness columns here. 

The author bombing a distance.

Sometimes I honestly cannot conceive how horse people do it.

The hours that are demanded of us whether you are a professional or an amateur.

The fleeting pinnacles of highs that make you feel like someone destined to be on horseback.

Then, all too quickly, the overwhelming lows that so hastily can come on but takes months to pass, which throw you in a depression so deep that you probably would not get out of bed if there wasn’t a four-legged creature that literally depends on you.

Add to it heat, cold, expense, injuries, surgeries, deaths, and the lack of understanding from people that we are closest to. Sporadically I am amazed that I am allowed to walk the streets as ‘horse crazy’ as I am.

Even as an adult I still occasionally wish that I had picked a different sport to dedicate my life to. Do divers deal with the overwhelming mental game that is riding? Or do soccer players at the age of 30-something still dream of making a team? This is where my yoga practice has come in … it is so much more than stretching for me. It fills a gap in my life that never realized was missing. I am learning that I am enough just the way that I am.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present. It took me a long time to realize it, but it is one of the reasons I love riding. Even if just for a moment during a 45-minute ride my monkey brain turns off and I feel fully present in the moment.

Three Mindfulness Hacks

1. Set a timer for five minutes. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Each time you find yourself distracted (it will happen and more than you might think) acknowledge the thought or sound and return to focusing on your breath. Work up to doing this for 10 minutes every day. You will be amazed at the time warp you witness.

2. Grab a glass of water and notice every single detail you can about the glass or bottle. Note every single detail as you drink the water, feel, temperature, can you feel it hit your stomach? Do not do anything else until you have finished with it.

3. Take a yoga class. Yoga is so much more than the postures you sit-in — it is actually an eight part process of self- awareness. Just like in riding it is so important to find the right teacher for you. If you do not like one class but are not sure why, go try another!

Mindfulness is a practice and the more you do it the better you will get at it. Like any practice consistency is a key to success. Just because it is simple doesn’t mean it is easy, but if it was easy would it be worth it?

Learn more about mindfulness and nutrition for the rider in the heart of Area II at Beverly Equestrian (The Plains, Virginia) during the Rider Wellness Series. The next session takes place Thursday, July 25th 2019 at 6 p.m. Click here to learn more and purchase your ticket.

 

Fab Freebie: Show Us Your Bad Equestrian Tanlines to Win uvex Sunglasses & Gloves

By on Jul 23, 2019 9:00 am -

You can spot an equestrian at the swimming pool a mile away. She’s trying to masquerade as a normal human, but her glow-in-the-dark tan lines are a dead giveaway: white legs, white hands, and either four different sets of tan lines on her arms or a proper polo shirt sunburn if she’s lucky. This is a person whose natural habitat isn’t a beachfront cabana but a barnyard.

There is no SPF strong enough to keep our outta-control tan lines in check, so why not just own it? Eventing Nation has teamed up with our friends at uvex equestrian USA to give away a pair of sunglasses and riding gloves to one lucky reader. Share those bad equestrian tan line photos via email (send ’em to [email protected]) or post them in the Facebook comments of this post, and we’ll put our top 10 favorites to a vote! #democracy

The winner will receive …

uvex sportstyle 802 small vario sunglasses (in black): You’ve seen top eventers sporting these glasses, and now’s your chance to own a pair yourself! Variomatic technology automatically adapts to all light conditions; features include a scratchproof outer lens and fog-free inner lens – that is technology made by uvex. It gets even better: With its flexible soft earpiece ends and nose pads, these glasses offer a non-slip, pressure-free hold and, most importantly, perfect fit. To guarantee a fog-free vision, it comes along with draft-free lens ventilation. 100% UV-protection guaranteed. Retail value: $109.95.

uvex sportstyle 802 small vario in black. Photo courtesy of uvex.

uvex ceravent gloves: “Riders are athletes” is the credo this new riding glove was tailored to. Extreme durability thanks to minimal abrasion as well as a perfect fit, flexibility, grip and innovative design – that is the new uvex ceravent. Available in full and half sizes from 6.5 to 10.5. Retail value: $59.95.

uvex ceravent gloves. Photo courtesy of uvex.

Go enter! We’ll announce finalists next Tuesday, July 30. Go Eventing.

Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feeds

By on Jul 23, 2019 12:01 am -

Christophe Bricot, Terri Miller and Ashley Neuhof. Photo courtesy of CHIO Aachen.

EN would like to wish congratulations to west coast photographer Terri Miller, who was recognized at CHIO Aachen this weekend with the Silver Camera Award for the best photo of 2018. Third place also was won by an American, Ashley Neuhof. We are very lucky to have such talented photographers in the U.S. Congratulations!

National Holiday: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day

Events Opening This Week: Course Brook Farm Fall H.T., Five Points H.T., Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T., Bucks County Horse Park H.T., Dunnabeck H.T., MeadowCreek Park H.T – The Fall Social Event, Aspen Farms H.T., Chardon Valley Horse Trials

Events Closing This Week: GMHA Festival of Eventing August Horse Trials, Applewood Farm YEH/FEH & Mini Event, WindRidge Farm Summer Horse Trials, Fair Hill International H.T., Otter Creek Summer H.T., Feather Creek Farm H.T., The Summer Event at Woodside, Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T., Spring Gulch H.T.

Tuesday News: 

Para Dressage will be broadcasted live at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games for the first time. Para Dressage was one of five to be included in the line up, which includes 21 disciplines from 19 sports in total. The Paralympic Games will run from August 25-September 6, 2020.

Great Meadow has released more doggone fun events and demonstrations for their August event. Visitors can expect two retriever demos, one detection demo and adoptable animals on site Friday-Sunday. Don’t forget if you bring items to donate to shelters (canned cat food, dry cat food, kitty litter, bleach, paper towels, trash bags, laundry detergent, and liquid dish soap) then you can get into GMI for free! [Great Meadow International]

The USEA is hiring! They’re on the hunt for a Customer Support Specialist. It’s a full time position in their Leesburg, Va office. [USEA Job Opportunity: Customer Support Specialist]

The question of mules is back in UK headlines again. Wallace, a rescue mule who has been excelling in the dressage ring, could be one victim of a proposed FEI ruling. [Don’t be an ass by banning my mule Wallace the Great, urges dressage champion Christie Mclean] [Wallace the rescue mule who beat his purebred rivals to become a dressage champion faces being BANNED from competition because his father is a donkey]

Tuesday Video: