Saturday Links from Nupafeed USA
https://ift.tt/2lJ6W9A How ironic is it that right before National Save Your Photos Day my iPhone yelled at me because I’m running out of storage? I don’t think us equestrians really need a special day to remind us to save our photos — we’re pretty darn good at that on our own. I’m betting a fair few of you out there have a similar problem as me. Do I really need multiple near-identical photos of my horse begging for a cookie or my dog (adorably) sleeping? I guess not … but they’re SO CUTE. National Holiday: Save Your Photos Day Major Weekend Events: #Stable View: Website, Schedule, Entries, Times, Live Scoring, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram U.S. Weekend Action: FEH East Coast Championships [Website] [Live Scores] Jump Start H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] University of New Hampshire H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] Surefire Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] Sundance Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] Larkin Hill H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores] Saturday Links: Babington Transferred To Rehabilitation Center How ‘Cooley’ Became One Of The Most Desired Prefixes In Eventing Researcher Identifies Lack of Risk Management in Horse Industry Three Years Of Rehab Brought Harmony’s Boitano To Dressage At Devon Win Safety warning after horse smashes through trailer window on motorway Recognizing Pain in Stoic Horses Saturday Video: Doug Payne and Baymax sit in third place in the Stable View CCI2*-S Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 28, 2019 at 12:21AM
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Phillip Dutton & Fernhill Singapore Sail to Stable View CCI4*-S Dressage Lead
https://ift.tt/2mhdQDw A pulled hamstring sustained at Brandywine Polo Clubs’ Chukkers For Charity earlier this month put Phillip Dutton on the sidelines for his hometown event at Plantation Field last weekend, but he’s back in the saddle, and just in time, too, as he’s leading the feature CCI4*-S class at Stable View’s Oktoberfest in Aiken, South Carolina aboard Fernhill Singapore. “Singapore,” a 10-year-old KWPN (Singapore x Riedellia, by Animo) owned by Ann Jones, Thomas Tierney and David Vos, started on a four-star personal best of 29.4 for judges Kelli Towers (CAN) and Valerie Vizcarrondo (USA). “He’s obviously a great mover and a pretty impressive horse in the way he goes. It’s just a case of getting the training into him and making it so that this level looks easy. He’s starting to get pretty seasoned now, so his scores are starting so show that,” Phillip said. “I’m just trying to make it so that he can stay through and forward and be able to get the movement down and coordinated. There’s no magical remedy there — just the day to day training is what it boils down to.” He can also credit a few other riders for additional help while he was out of the saddle. Boyd Martin competed both Singapore and Z in the dressage and show jumping phases at Plantation Field, Emily Hamel schooled him at home, and Tamie Smith polished the flying changes while Phillip was overseas at Aachen this summer. Teamwork makes the dream work! Not to be completely outshined, stablemate Z, an 11-year-old Zangersheide (Asca X Bellabouche, by Babouche VH Gehucht Z) owned by the Z Partnership, secured fourth place on a score of 30.6. “I was really pleased with Z. I though he went particularly well. He didn’t change his demeanor from warm up to the ring, so I was pleased with that. Boyd did him at Plantation last weekend as well, so it’s been good to get him out a lot this fall. I think we’re starting to see the benefit of that,” he said. Second place is set to be fiercely contested across tomorrow’s jumping phases as it’s shared between Sydney Conley Elliot and Lynn Symansky, who are tied on a score of 30.4. Sydney Conley Elliot and QC Diamantaire, a 9-year-old Oldenburg (Diarado x Lantana, by Sandro Hit) owned by Carol Stephens, are riding the momentum of their appointment as team alternates for the 2019 Pan American Games, and carrying it straight into their autumn performances, starting here at Stable View. “This year has been pretty exciting with him being named to the Pan Am team and stepping up to the four-star level as well,” Sydney said. “We have really worked on lighting him up because he gets so quiet. He’s so obedient and lazy, so the test can be boring. All spring we have been working on getting him forward and in front of my leg. I do feel that all the help preparing for the Pan Ams has just pushed us that extra step. He was actually a little more expressive than he usually is, so I was very happy. A few mistakes in there, but overall he’s always just so lovely to ride.” Fresh off their win at Great Meadow one month ago Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection, Mary Ann Ghadban’s 15-year-old Holsteiner (Contender x Naomagic I, by Exorbitant xx), posted a strong test, but not without a little extra flair from the mare despite the heat of the day. “I thought she was a little hotter in the ring than she was a few weeks ago, so it wasn’t the absolute best test. It was a clean test though. She didn’t do anything wrong, she was just a little more tense than normal,” Lynn said. Clayton Fredericks and and his own FE Always In Time sit fifth on a score of 31.5 — the 8-year-old Trakehner’s best FEI score to date. Jacob Fletcher follows in sixth place after scoring 31.6 with Fletcher Farms’ Van Gough, and 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Wivollet Vanbeek x Woodlands Flight, by Laughton’s Flight). Seventh place goes to Will Fuadree and Caeleste. He and the 12-year-old Holsteiner (Contender x Happygolucky, by Lucky Lionell) owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables, sit on 33.1 penalty points. Less than four points separate the first seven placings, which means even one pole in tomorrow’s show jumping could prove influential. The rest of our top ten positions are filled by: Leslie Law and Tre’ Brooks’ Voltaire De Tre’ (8th; 34.5), Clark Montgomery and the Caribbean Soul Syndicate’s Caribbean Soul (9th; 34.9), and Waylon Roberts with Michelle & John Koppin’s Lancaster (10th; 35.1). Lynn Symansky also had a banner day with her Pan American Games partner RF Cool Play. In their first outing since team gold, the pair top the CCI3*-S standings on a score of 24.8. “Coolio just came back from the Pan Am games. I was planning on coming here and playing around with a few tack changes and having a school around because he hasn’t really done that much since Lima — so not planning to run him in a very competitive position,” she said. Phillip Dutton is second with his newest import, Carlchen, an 11-year-old Oldenburg owned by Caroline Moran. This is Carlchen’s US debut, but he’s got miles of experience through the top levels of the sport with riders such as Francis Whittington and Stuart Tinney. This weekend is a “get to know you” experience for the pair, Phillip said, and they’ve begun on a score of 26.9. Jenny Caras and Trendy Fernhill sit third on a score of 27. The CCI2*-S was extremely competitive on the flat today, with the top three separated by less than one point. Leslie Law was the best of the bunch after the first phase with Tout De Suite, a 12-year-old British Sport Horse (Catherston Liberator x Welton Edwina, by Welton Crackerjack) owned by Beatrice Rey-Herme, on a score of 23. Clayton Fredericks is second with FE Money Made on a score of 23.5 and Doug Payne sits third with Baymax on a score of 23.9.
Stable View CCI & HT: Website, Schedule, Entries, Times, Live Scoring, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Ultimate Guide, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram
Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 27, 2019 at 06:49PM
Friday Video from SmartPak: What’s That Teddy?
https://ift.tt/2lHSuyE By this point, most of you will have encountered one of the most omnipresent faces on the global eventing circuit – the diminutive, wide-eyed face of Wilberry Wonder Pony (and his ever-expanding herd of Berry brethren, of course). But if you haven’t, you might have found yourself wondering why on earth some of the best riders in the world leave the start box with a stuffed animal attached to their number bib. This season, the Event Rider Masters series has been a committed patron of the Willberry Wonder Pony charity, which helps to support vital research into the osteosarcoma that its remarkable founder, 17-year-old Hannah Francis, suffered through and ultimately passed away from. While pouring its resources into this research, Willberry also helps to grant wishes for equestrian enthusiasts suffering from serious illnesses. The best bit? Eventers around the world have enthusiastically jumped on board in their support of the charity, which has snowballed in its reach since Hannah’s passing. Check out the ERM’s video, explaining their involvement with the charity this year and some of the riders who never leave the startbox without their own Berry pony on board. With the 2019 ERM series finale just a week away, we’ll be on Berry-watch — will you? Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 27, 2019 at 06:19PM
Fab Freebie: ‘Diamonds in the Dirt’ Travel Self-Care Collection
https://ift.tt/2ngKqFy We eventers don’t pack lightly for our horses when we head to shows: two if not three entire sets of tack, a complete equine wardrobe, tack trunks full of every imaginable item for every imaginable scenario, all the trimmings to make a temporary stable into home for the weekend, plus hay, grain, and a 1,000+ pound animal loaded into a truck and trailer purchased exclusively for carting all this stuff around. And yet, why can’t I remember to pack even the most basic of essentials for myself? At horse shows, my self-care goes down the drain: I end up washing my face with a bar of crappy hotel hand soap and, despite the fact that I own at least 20 lip balms, I can never find a single one. My horse looks and feels like a million bucks, yet I’m hobbling around a three-day old ponytail and dark circles under my eyes. We can take better care of ourselves than this, eventer friends. Last week we introduced you to Diamonds in the Dirt — “small-batch, hand-crafted skin care with a focus on organic ingredients, simple formulas, and earth-friendly packaging.” Formulated with hardworking, hard-playing equestrians in mind, it’s a sent-from-above answer to our special skincare needs. This week, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Diamonds in the Dirt and their distributor, World Equestrian Brands, to give away a collection of travel size items that are perfect to just throw in a bag and go. Hotel bar soap, never again! Included in the travel kit: Fresh Cucumber Facial Wash for gritty women Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter, and then check back in next week’s Wednesday’s News & Notes to see who won! Shop the Diamonds In The Dirt product line here, and keep an eye on their Facebook page for all the latest! You can also shop the line via World Equestrian brands here. Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 27, 2019 at 05:19PM
Friday Fashion Forecast: Devoucoux Cross Country Rubber Reins
https://ift.tt/2nfnqXD Do reins REALLY make a difference in your performance? Absolutely. I am currently campaigning two very enthusiastic event horses, plus two super green ones. If you tend to lose your reins when a sweaty horse’s neck makes them slick, or compete in hot/wet/rainy/humid conditions, or need to maintain control on a bold mount, then these reins are exactly what’s missing in your tack room. What struck me immediately was the thickness of the rubber, and how it never becomes “sticky” in hot weather. I was extremely hesitant to use rubber reins, as over the years on client bridles I have endured inexpensive rubber reins that appear to develop this uncomfortable sticky film on them. I could not bring myself to even try rubber reins for myself. But I knew something had to be done when I kept having my reins ripped from my fingers by my strong event horses. It’s very unnerving in the middle of a tricky combination to be fumbling with retrieving your reins. The rubber on the Devoucoux Cross Country Rubber Reins has never gotten that “icky” feeling, while providing excellent grip in the most grueling conditions. This year we competed in torrential downpours, 100 degree baking sun, and everything in-between, without once having to worry about a lost rein. They are quite thick (16mm), and the connections are made of a single piece of leather for strength. The buckles on the Devoucoux Cross Country Rubber Reins are extremely easy to switch from different bridles. I have been able to swap them out from Hummingbird’s River’s bridle to Hummingbird’s Mendacium’s bridle in, say, two minutes, as they have had back-to-back cross country rounds at the same level! The built-in leather rein stop adds extra convenience. The reins themselves are quite long. This is perfect for drops, and horses with longer necks. The only drawback is when I am galloping my enthusiastic OTTB on cross country, that they are a bit too long and hang down by my foot. This is not a major issue, however, since most of the time when he is listening my reins are a few inches longer in the contact. For a petite horse or pony, or in stadium rounds, you might have to simply knot the end. Overall, I absolutely love these reins! I will never go back to traditional leather on cross country, and I love the security they give me so much, that I use them for stadium rounds and fox hunting as well. Final Review – out of 4 stars Cost: $$$ Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 27, 2019 at 01:18PM
Stable View Oktoberfest CCI4*-S Course Preview
https://ift.tt/2nPECTH Aiken’s only CCI4*-S is back and competitors have a lot to look forward to come Saturday. Captain Mark Phillips returns again as course designer with his track build by Eric Bull and beautifully decorated by Millie Maney. The course takes a similar route to previous years, including the stretch added in 2018 that brings riders through the additional fields where the schooling series Eventing Academy is run. No one should get too comfortable, though, as CMP has carefully tweaked a few key combinations — a corner changed to a chevron, a boat relocated, etc. Take a look around fence-by-fence and let us know what you think. First CCI4*-S rider is scheduled to leave the starbox at 2:47 p.m. on Saturday. We’ll be there to bring you all the latest. Many thanks to Sammy Keats for the photos from this virtual course walk. Stable View Oktoberfest: Website, Schedule, Entry List, Ride Times, EN’s Ultimate Guide, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 27, 2019 at 11:17AM
This Week in Horse Health News Presented by MediVet Equine: Racehorse Edition
https://ift.tt/2nPEuDH It’s been a fascinating week for racehorse-related geekery, friends, and the neat thing about research into racehorses is that much of it is translatable to our beloved sport of eventing. This week we’ve gathered up some interesting information that all centers around racehorses: from using them as a model for a human and horse disease, to new research about genetics and breakdowns, plus a great synopsis of injury prognoses for Thoroughbreds coming off the track. As horse owners and competitors, we want to give our equine athletes every opportunity to feel and perform their best. Keeping up to date with the latest news in horse health and medicine is an important part of that, and it’s why Medivet Equine is bringing you the latest in horse health news each week. Following the medical model of “do no harm”, MediVet Equine develops scientifically based therapeutics enabling the horse to call on its own healing ability, thus achieving its full performance potential. MediVet Equine provides effective, all natural, drug free products and lab services designed to optimize the overall health of performance horses. They specialize in regenerative treatments that help the body heal itself to get stronger naturally. Boyd Martin has several of his top competitive mounts on MediVet ACS, and has had terrific results! This Week in Horse Health News … Racehorses are being used to study atrial fibrillation by creating a 3D map of the heart –video above! Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to heart-related complications such as blood clots, stroke, and heart failure. It’s a condition that can develop in both horses and humans with a long history of athletic training as scar tissue accumulates on the heart. Collaborating researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Adelaide are using ultrasounds and echocardiograms while trotting horses exercise on a treadmill to create 3D maps of their hearts. This cardiac mapping will provide insights for both clinical management of both human and equine patients with the condition. Results will be presented at a conference later this year and two publications from these data are excepted to be released within the next year as well. [HorseTalk] So there’s this thing called the Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) mutation and it’s not a genetic risk factor for catastrophic breakdown in Thoroughbred racehorses according to a recently published study from researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. WFFS is a fatal genetic condition that is characterized by abnormally thin or fragile connective tissue. The mutation is recessive and only presents at a very low frequency in the breed. The UC Davis researchers showed that carrying a copy of the mutation did not increase the risk of catastrophic breakdown. Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome is named as such because it was first studied in Warmblood horses, though it is also present in Thoroughbreds and crosses. [UC Davis] When purchasing an off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTTB), it’s important to understand their medical history and how it will affect their limitations in a second career. Dr. Janik Gasiorowski of Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in New Jersey answered questions in a recent Chronicle of the Horse article about the prognosis of some racing injuries and suitability to go on to another athletic career. From fractures, to soft tissue injuries, to feet — this is a must-read for anyone thinking of getting involved with OTTBs. Some injuries may not be as hopeless as you might think! [Chronicle of the Horse] Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 27, 2019 at 11:17AM
Thursday Video from Ecovet: Happy Retirement, Shannondale Titan!
https://ift.tt/34XFoze The partnership of Australian eventer Bill Levitt and Shannondale Titan is a pretty epic one, tracing all the way back to 2011. Since then they’ve ticked all the big “B” boxes together: Badminton, Belton, Bramham, Blenheim, Burnham Market, Blair Castle, Burnham Market, Barbury Castle … and a few nbd non-“B” events too, like the 2016 WEG in Normandy. (Seriously though … WHY SO MANY “B”s?! I digress. In the past couple years, this old married couple has become a staple of the Event Rider Masters series — and by staple, I mean they’ve completed a whopping 11 ERM CCI4*-S events, finishing in the top 10 in half of them. Millstreet would prove the swan son for “Alfie,” unfortunately, as Bill announced the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s retirement earlier this month.
A retirement well earned, sir. Cheers to you, Alfie! And thanks to ERM for sharing this tribute. Go Eventing. Ecovet fly spray creates a vapor barrier around your horse that confuses and overwhelms an insect’s normal directional ability. Thanks to this Ecovet barrier, the insect is unable to locate your horse as its next victim. Watch Ecovet in action: http://bit.ly/ecovetvideo Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 19, 2019 at 05:59PM
Thursday at Blenheim: Will Rawlin is the VIP
https://ift.tt/34UI1BR It’s only fitting, really, that Will Rawlin should take top billing in our report today – after all, it was just a year ago at the SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials that he made his first appearance on Eventing Nation. Then, his top ride VIP Vinnie showed off all the wrong sorts of dance moves, nearly mowing Will down on the trot strip and garnering us many of those sweet, sweet likes on social media. We sheepishly promised him at the time that one of these days, we’d shout his name from the rooftops for less comical reasons – and almost exactly a year later, he’s given us all the reason we need to do just that, delivering a level personal best of 24.2 with Vinnie to sit atop the CCI4*-L leaderboard at the end of the first day of dressage. “He’s been going really well, and I felt confident coming into this, but in the warm-up he got tense – and when he gets tense, it’s quite difficult to actually ride him forward and get him going,” says Will of the expressive eleven-year-old. “A couple of times in there I was like, ‘oh god, oh god, keep going!’ – but he kept a nice outline and a good rhythm, and he was with me most of the way. It’s more about me getting the corners and really preparing him for each movement.” 20 penalties across the country was the only black mark on their result here last year, where both made their CCI4*-L debut, but the pair have proven themselves an exciting combination to watch this season. In June, they finished third in the hotly-contested – and enormously difficult – under-25 CCI4*-L at Bramham, and they finished just shy of the top ten in a strong field at Burnham Market’s CCI4*-S at the dawn of the season. Despite a blip at Chatsworth, which was swiftly followed up by that Bramham result, Will feels ready to tackle a hot competition against a top field – and rightly so. “Although it’s a very strong field, and full of very good riders, I did feel confident coming in in my ability and my horse’s ability,” he says. “This year we’ve had a couple of silly blips, which have been down to me not setting up right for the fence – and actually, the last time I rode him, I fell off, but it was all me! I know if I stick to my plan and ride him properly then we should be home safely. I just need to do my best on each day and then hopefully, we’ll all be smiling at the end.” For the 25-year-old up-and-comer, a top result would be understandably special – but it would be made even more so by his long partnership with his horse. “He’s more like a pet – he’s the first horse I bought as a four-year-old, and my mum and dad own him wholly. We’d never sell him; he’s our baby,” he says with a smile. Piggy French holds second place overnight with Brookfield Inocent, the ten-year-old Irish Sport Horse on whom she took the ride in 2018. Though it’s the gelding’s first CCI4*-L, he demonstrated professionalism and pizazz – the right kind, fortunately – to post a 25.4. “I’m so pleased with him, and I know I made a couple of mistakes as well,” says Piggy, who finished second with the horse at Hartpury CCI4*-S last month. “But the thing I’m so pleased with is that he’s such a spooky horse, but going in there with the atmosphere and the flower pots – believe it or not, they seem to be the most terrifying things! – he just stayed with me the whole time. This is his first three-day with me, and I’m just over the moon. It’s so exciting for the future. I messed up the first flying change – that was my fault – and I did something radical in the halt, so there’s a couple of bits I thought I could have done better, but overall, I’m delighted. I just rode him like he’s an old one that’s done it plenty of times and he hasn’t.” For Piggy, who is building up a multilayered and formidable string, Brookfield Inocent is a welcome addition. “You hate to put the touch of bad luck on them, but he’s such a cool horse and an amazing cross-country horse,” she says. “At the beginning I thought, would that spookiness let him down, or am I going to find it difficult to manage or find him difficult to ride? But I’m starting to figure him out, and if I do figure him out and find the key to it all then there’s no reason he can’t be as good as any of them. I think he’s definitely a five-star horse because he’s got a lot of blood and he loves to gallop, and he’s easy to ride across the country. I’ll be interested [to see how he goes] on Saturday – it’s always a different game when you get to a three-day, because you haven’t had the other two phases first, but I’m hoping he’ll be as good as I know he can be.” Brookfield Inocent’s former rider, Australia’s Kevin McNab, sits third overnight on a score of 25.7 with Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend, also making his CCI4*-L debut after a clear round in the eight- and nine-year-old class last year, and top-ten finishes in CCI4*-S classes at Hartpury and Millstreet this year. Burghley winner Pippa Funnell holds fourth with her Rio mount Billy the Biz, with whom she posted a 26.3. “He’s a bit lacking match practice,” says Pippa of the fourteen-year-old, who last ran a long-format in 2017, when he finished tenth at Luhmühlen’s CCI5*. “He was so fresh yesterday that I had to give him enough work, and then with the sunshine today I thought that maybe I’d just overdone it a bit. His trot was very good but I felt that he just got a bit flat in his canter. But I have to be pleased with him; he’s not been on this sort of stage for a while. No, it’s not a winning test, but I’m happy enough.” The experienced gelding’s preparation for Blenheim has been somewhat scuppered by Pip’s recent absences, which have seen her head to Luhmühlen as part of the silver-medal winning British team at the European Championships, and then straight on to Burghley, where she took the top spot with stablemate MGH Grafton Street. “It’s made it a little bit difficult, because then they come out and they’re so fresh, and they’re fit, but obviously they haven’t had me on the flat so I have to give them a bit more work than I’d like to here,” she explains. It’s certainly been a special day for local rider Kylie Roddie, who took an early lead and finished the day in fifth with Carden Earl Grey after scoring a 27.4. “He’s so naughty at one-day events,” she laughs, “but he’s amazing at three-days – it just doesn’t play in his favour if you can’t work him in and relax him. But secretly, you always know what they can do at home, and I’ve always known that in the big picture, the test is there. He’s just a bit opinionated, and can be a bit wild – but they’re all the things you expect from a true three-day horse. The proper ones event horses have got to be a bit edgy.” For Kylie, who runs a busy livery and competition yard, that it all came together in the shadow of Blenheim Palace is poignant for a number of reasons – not least because the thirteen-year-old British-bred gelding, who was piloted by Nick Gauntlett until 2015, has been something of a labour of love. “He’s a fragile horse to manage from a veterinary standpoint, and he’s had injuries that have stopped him from coming out,” she explains. “He’s actually been in my yard for quite a while – over three years now – but it was only last year that I started to compete him, because he was rehabbing.” When the horse’s longtime owner Madelaine White had to sell the horse, a group of Kylie’s close friends stepped in to secure him for the hard-working rider, who hails from a totally unhorsey background. “I’ve had to tell them that [horse ownership] isn’t always like this,” she laughs. Carden Earl Grey’s debutante ownership group aren’t Kylie’s only supporters on the ground this week: “I’ve been teaching my Riding Club and Pony Club groups all week, because they’re coming for the arena eventing,” explains the rider, who holds a BHSI qualification. “That’s why the event is so special for us – it’s so nice for them to be able to come here, have a great ride, and hopefully enjoy seeing someone who helps them, too.” Buck Davidson heads up the American efforts at this early stage with the first of his two rides, the experienced Park Trader. They sit tenth overnight on a score of 29.2, setting the second leg of Buck’s autumn UK tour off to a promising start. “He’s so experienced now, and he’s been putting up some good scores,” says Buck, who competed at Burghley a fortnight ago with Jak My Style. “He’s not a big mover, and in his younger years he was fairly temperamental, but he knows his job now and we get along. I let him be him, and then he has to go in the ring and pay attention for five minutes, and then he can screw off. He’s my favourite and it’s a treat to have him.” Park Trader’s mercurial nature means that Buck has had to refine his system to allow the gelding to perform at his peak. “I would never ask him to be perfect two days in a row,” he explains. “I’m almost happy when he’s bad the day before – then he gets it out of his system! The day before, I just hack him and let him gallop, and buck, and play, and have a kick out at my leg – whatever he wants. Then I work him for about twenty minutes before the test and it works pretty well.” Though Park Trader went to Burghley last year, Buck opted to aim him at Blenheim this season to allow his owners, the Segals, the experience of joining the fun. “They weren’t able to go to Burghley this year, and they called me to tell me they couldn’t but if I’d like to take him I could go – but part of why I like doing this is doing it with them, so I said ‘no, we’ll do something else,'” he explains. “Then they said they’d never been to Blenheim – and I’d been here in 2008 and it got rained out after dressage, so we decided to come. Carlevo was supposed to come here last year but banged himself, so he came along too.” Lexi Scovil and Chico’s Man VDF Z have spent a busy season with William Fox-Pitt with one big goal in mind: a trip to Blenheim. They begin their week in provisional equal seventeenth on a score of 31.7 after producing a confident, expressive test that just lost out on marks at the end when the gelding offered up a lead change in the counter canter. But for Lexi, who makes her debut at the level this week alongside her horse, his calm, professional attitude in the ring was the real victory. “Normally he goes in and just holds his breath a little bit,” she explains. “He typically scores anyway, because he’s quite fancy and round and correct, but he went in and let me ride him today. That’s such an exciting feeling – at Blenheim! In my experience, the big events like this are the ones where it all falls apart, so for him to go in and have one mistake the whole test was unbelievable.” Lexi credits her season in the UK with helping to revolutionise her mindset towards competing – and the results along the way are tangible. “I rode a little bit of a safe test, because I didn’t want to risk it, so for him to still score 8s is amazing. I didn’t expect it at all. In the past, [the big ones] are where I fail,” she says. “We’d always do well at the lower levels, but then we’d go to an international and it would all fall apart a bit. But being over here, there’s such a relaxation in the preparation – there’s attention to detail, but it’s also just another day of riding. You just do the same thing you’re always doing, and there’s no need to get worked up about it. Because I’ve been like that earlier in the season and it’s been proven to work, I’ve realised that as a rider, self-confidence is so important for success. That’s all I can say that’s changed – I don’t know that I have more skills, but I’m in a different place mentally. Normally I’d go into a three-day thinking, ‘oh my god, I’m so scared, why am I doing this?!’ But now, I’m walking the course thinking, ‘I’m capable of this!’ There have been big questions at all our prep events, so we’ve been building to this.” CCI4*-S If the CCI4*-S level of competition is a college degree for up-and-coming top-level superstars, then Blenheim’s eight-and-nine-year-old iteration is the Ivy League – and its alumni line-up would make Harvard weep, frankly. So how good are we talking? Think five-star winning and flag-carrying good: William Fox-Pitt’s Pau winner Oslo, Mark Todd’s Badminton winner NZB Land Vision, Andrew Nicholson’s Kentucky-winning Quimbo, and Laura Collett’s Europeans ride London 52. And this year – Calling Card? The Year of the Pig continues in fine style, as Piggy French holds onto the overnight lead with Calling Card. Owned by Jayne McGivern, also boasts ownership of the remarkably consistent Quarrycrest Echo, the debutante is quickly proving himself a star of the future. “He’s a really beautiful horse – he’s stunning,” says Piggy. “Bar his changes, which he’s still a bit green at, he’s very impressive on the flat. He was beautiful to ride in there.” But despite his promising early start, Piggy remains pragmatic and forward-thinking. “He is green – this will be his first Advanced competition – and so I’ve come into the competition just really interested to see how he goes, and not really thinking that running flat out and getting the time will be what he’ll do this weekend,” she explains. “It’s more about the stepping stone. However, if he comes out of the start box and he feels really good, I am always quite competitive, so I’ll probably half have a go! But it’s a stepping stone rather than thinking this is his one to get. I really like the horse and I want to do what’s right for him at this stage in his career.” Australia’s Sam Griffiths sits in second place aboard Freestyler, owned by Lady Rothermere of the Daily Mail empire. “I’ve done about a season with him now – she bought him for herself to ride,” he explains. “She hadn’t had him that long and she asked me to do some events on him to get him some mileage, and it went from there.” So will Sam have to relinquish the ride on the horse once the season ends? “We’ll see how things go,” he says with a smile. “He’s a really good jumper, so he’s a really nice horse to have!” We’ll be back tomorrow with the final wrap-up from the first phase – stay tuned, and Go Eventing! Blenheim: Website, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 19, 2019 at 01:59PM
Volunteer Nation: 4 Events That Need Your Help This Weekend
https://ift.tt/2LEs4Z1 The bases are loaded for another big weekend of U.S. eventing, with horse trials taking place from coast to coast. And they need YOUR help! We’re exited to team up with eventingvolunteers.com each week to spotlight volunteer opportunities still available (at time of publication) for the upcoming weekend. For more details, click on the event name to be taken to that event’s eventingvolunteers.com portal. Here are four USEA events that need your help this weekend! Visit eventingvolunteers.com for more opportunities to lend a hand including schooling events.
Event: Marlborough Horse Trials Event: Equestrians Institute Horse Trials About eventingvolunteers.com: It’s often said that volunteers are the backbone of our sport — because it’s true! Thanks to the USEA’s creation of eventingvolunteers.com, it’s easier than ever before to connect volunteers with organizers. A smartphone app, available for both iOS and Android devices, is available as well. Prospective volunteers can use eventingvolunteers.com to sign up for open shifts and duties, check in with organizers and track their hours for the Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP). After a simple sign-up process, volunteers can select a specific event and easily see which assignments and shifts are the most needed and which are already filled. Organizers can use the website to track the status of filled or open volunteer positions with at-a-glance visualization of which assignments still need to be filled. They will be able to tell very quickly if they are short a dressage scribe for the day, or perhaps three more fence judges are needed. They can also more easily get in touch with a specific group of volunteers, rather than sorting through individual emails. Go Eventing. Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 19, 2019 at 12:28PM |
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