EN’s Got Talent is Eventing Nation’s newest series. We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? This series introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].
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Garth cruises in the galloping phase at the YEH Championships. Photo by GRC Photography.
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Last week we met Katie Murphy’s Esccord RGS, known around the barn as Garth, who won the 4-year-old Young Event Horse East Coast Championships at Fair Hill last month. Garth had never been exposed to an atmosphere quite like Fair Hill, so Katie was very pleased that he was able to focus, especially during the dressage. “He was very good considering all the stimuli,” Katie said. “It was his first time being in an atmosphere that big and that electric. You had other rings nearby, the judges sitting in big pick-up trucks, cross-country jumps parked right beside the arena, a massive spectator tent and flapping flags. He just handled it so well.”
Katie noted Garth did have a bit of a “goose moment” coming down the centerline to start off his dressage test; but, overall, she thought he maintained his composure very well. “Aside from the tension in his top line, he was pretty darn good,” Katie said. “The quality of his canter has really built tenfold from where he was earlier this year. I’ve really been pushing for more power and engagement in the canter. He was able to show expressive movement in the big ring, so the extra space was greatly appreciated. The judge actually said ‘possible FEI dressage prospect’ in the comments.”
Garth competes in the jumping phase at the YEH Championships. Photo by GRC Photography.
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While Garth shows great potential in his flatwork, he also impressed the judges during the jumping phase of the competition. I will never forget standing in the pouring rain at Fair Hill, trying to take pictures of the YEH jumping with a plastic bag wrapped around my camera. Luckily for Katie, by the time the 4-year-olds went out to jump, the skies had cleared, although the footing had definitely been compromised. “Hearing everyone come back and talk about the footing was worrying me, because Garth didn’t have studs,” Katie said. “I purposefully had chosen not to put studs on him, because I want him to learn where his body is and how to react to slippery conditions. Plus, to have that torque with studs worried me when it came to his joint health.”
When Kelli Temple returned from her ride and said putting in her “biggest bullets” wasn’t enough, Katie really started to worry. But Kim Severson told her to go hack Garth near the course and see how it felt. “I thought it was fine,” Katie said. “Our last horse trial before the YEH was at the University of New Hampshire, and it was an absolute downpour. It was just as bad as at YEH, so having that experience with some of the bad footing was great to prepare us for the conditions at Fair Hill.” When Katie actually started her jumping round, Garth’s traction wasn’t a concern at all. “In the last third of the season he gained a huge amount of confidence,” Katie said. “We’re now at that teetering point where he’s like an excited teenage boy who thinks he knows how it should be done and is not as willing to listen.”
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pi3xaV67gQ
Katie’s helmet cam of the YEH jumping and galloping phases
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While Garth was a bit “bullish” to the fences, Katie loved that he showed boldness, especially through the water complex. “Now that he’s gained confidence, he’s not quite as keen and tight through his knees and his bascule,” Katie said. “Hopefully next year, if we qualify for the 5-year-old championships, his jumping capability will be more apparent.” In all, Katie is thrilled with how Garth performed at Fair Hill and has her sights set on continuing to advance Garth’s career next season. “He’ll do a full season of training next year with a potential move up in the fall, and then continue on at preliminary the year after that,” Katie said. “Depending on how his gallop progresses, he may be a good candidate for a long-format one-star in spring 2014.”
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Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll meet Kelli Temple and Scirocco, another YEH standout who finished second to Kim and Jackie Severson’s Cooley Cross Border at the 5-year-old East Coast Championships. In addition to his standout performance at the YEH Championships, “Rocco,” a Holsteiner gelding imported from Germany in July, also won his first training-level event on an 18. Sarah Delaney tipped me off to this future superstar: “He is a little horse with a lot of heart and he and Kelly have a really great partnership.” Thanks for the tip, Sarah!
