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Eventing News and Notes: May 2010 Archives

Memorial Day cookout reader

By John on May 31, 2010 7:17 PM, Filed Under
We said it this morning and we'll say it again, thank you to all of the fine folks defending our country around the World tonight, and thank you to the many men and women who have served before them.  Please take a moment to check out this video to remind yourself what today is all about.  Courtesy of KSR


--As a brief news note, The Jurga Report is reporting that Anky Van Grunsven has withdrawn from WEG consideration due to an ongoing injury to her top horse, Salinero, who injured his withers in a "trauma in his stall."  Salinero has been healing from the injury for a couple of months, but he apparently will not be fit to go in time for the WEGs.  This is disappointing news for anyone hoping to see them in Kentucky, where they would have been favorites.  Believe it or not, Anky has a chance of competing in WEG reining with her horse Whizashiningwalla BB, on which she placed second at a Dutch reining show on Saturday.  Video of Anky and Salinero


Now, why are you inside looking at a computer screen on a beautiful evening like this?  Get outside, spend some time with your friends and family, explain to a child why freedom is important, and do something to honor a fallen vet.
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Ashdale Cruise Master is excited for weekend news and notes

By John on May 30, 2010 9:10 PM, Filed Under
I'm back home from my friend's wedding this weekend which was a beautiful southern celebration with incredible southern hospitality.  All I'll say is that South Carolina has a lot of beauty.  I should also mention that the celebration got slightly too rambunctious and now I'm no longer allowed in the state of South Carolina, so I guess it's Ocala for me next winter.  Meanwhile, here are some notes from events this weekend:

(1) Oliver Townend won the CIC3* at Tattersalls (Ireland) this weekend aboard Ashdale Cruise Master, the horse Oliver fell from at Rolex just 5 weeks ago.  It's an incredible achievement for Oliver to overcome the mental fears and doubts and ride to win a CIC3*, especially upon the horse he fell from.  After the event, Oliver said "This is what I do, and this result is very definitely business as usual. I am back on course for hitting the targets I set myself at the start of the summer."  Read more from Sporting Life or read the FEI Tattersalls press release


(2) Beth Temken and Jude's law won the advanced division at Woodside in California.  Jennifer Wooten Dafoe and The Good Witch were second, and Andrea Baxter and Estrella were third.  For more info, check out the Chronicle's recap.  According to the article, Jennifer Wooten-Dafoe is planning to take The Good Witch to Rebecca Farms CIC3* in July, which may indicate that they are no longer planning to go to Luhmuhlen although the Good Witch is still on the Luhmuhlen entries list as of Sunday night.

(3) As reported by The Carrot, Princess Haya has formed a new FEI developmental task force.  If you're into FEI politics, read the formal press release or check out The Carrot's take.


(4) Video from last weekend at Samur (France) has been posted.  Check out the CCI3* Samur video and the CIC2* course.  Frank Ostholt of Germany won the CCI3*.  Thanks to Pegasus44 for sending us the link.

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May-Daze at the Park (KY): Homepage

Waredaca (MD): Results

Arrowhead (MT): Results

The Spring Event at Woodside (CA): Results

Briar Fox (KS): Homepage

Mystic Valley (CT): Homepage

Full Gallop (SC): Results

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The worst, worser, and worsest horse people

By John on May 26, 2010 8:47 AM, Filed Under
The past week has been a tough one for our four-legged companions.  Unfortunately, all too often horses are the victims of humanity's weakness.  

The worst--A man was arrested on Tuesday for starting a fire that killed 12 horses in Colorado.  Apparently the man argued with the stable's owners earlier in the day and was seen fleeing the fire.  As a heart-wrenching twist to the story, one man heard about the fire as it was happening, rushed to the stables, broke through the line of police and firemen, charged into the blaze, and attempted to rescue his horse to no avail.  

Worser--Attempts to halt the Bureau of Land Management's wild horse roundups in Nevada were set back on Monday when the lawsuit to prevent the roundups was dismissed by a federal judge.  I'm not sure if the horses need to be relocated, but the way the roundups are performed is absurd; the BLM uses helicopters and trucks to herd the terrified horses.  According to reports, nearly 100 horses have died during the roundups and more than 50 pregnant mares have miscarried a a result of the stress.  We can put a man on the moon, but we can't find a way to safely move a herd of horses?

Worsest--Investigators continue to get reports of animal abuse at the infamous Spindles Farm in England, where the infamous James Gray was convicted of neglecting and abusing more than 100 horses.  When investigators originally searched the property, they found bodies of 32 horses at the farm.  Yet somehow, the idiot is allowed to still keep animals other than horses at Spindles Farm.  Link: video of the original search


I'm not sure how we can better protect against people who set fires to barns, kill horses with helicopters, or abuse hundreds of horses, but by the time we read about these stories and the law is getting involved it is often too late for the horses.

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In a developing story, the two horses injured in the Ohio trailer accident have been transported to Lexingon (think Rood & Riddle or Hagyard) for "treatment of a developing abdominal issue secondary to the trauma."  Whichever hospital they are at, the horses are in the best of care.
7

Tuesday night reader

By John on May 25, 2010 7:41 PM, Filed Under
We are in the middle of an upper-level eventing lull after Jersey and before Bromont and Luhmuhlen.  I'm taking advantage of the time to rest up a bit and be a groomsman in a wedding for one of my close friends from college this weekend in SC.  It's a scary thing when your friends start getting married.  

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 'fireside chat' post regarding sponsorship on EN.  I'm not sure if there's more consensus that the 2012 Olympic mascots stink or that advertising is good for Eventing Nation.  If your company is interested in advertising on EN, shoot us an email.

Another thank you goes to Sarah Beatty of the Chronicle for linking to our Luhmuhlen entries post.  We appreciate the publicity and the spirit of camaraderie.  

Lainey just got back to VA from visiting her mom and teaching a clinic in California.  Anthony Patch still has a few days off before starting back into work.  Read about it in Lainey's blog.

Leslie is headed to the Caribbean for a much deserved vacation.  Have fun Leslie!

Get ready for an upcoming EN contest where the prize is brown and has four legs.

Until next time, I leave you with the best video ever.
16

4 US pairs entered at Luhmuhlen CCI4*

By John on May 24, 2010 6:21 PM, Filed Under


Jennifer Wooten-Dafoe and The Good Witch
Will Coleman and Twizzel
Michael Pollard and Wonderful Will
Allison Springer and Arthur

(1) Each of these pairs has submitted a WEG application to the USEF.  The Good Witch, Wonderfull Will, and Arthur are all looking for redemption after tough weekends at Rolex.  Will and Twizzel were on the A-list this Spring and are likely to be top team contenders if they rebound from Will's collar bone injury with a good performance in Germany.

(2) Amy Tryon and Coal Creek, and Kate Hicks and Belmont were approved by the USEF to travel to Luhmuhlen, but are not on the Luhmuhlen entry list.  If Coal Creek doesn't compete at Luhmuhlen, it essentially means that Amy only has Leyland targeting the WEGs.  


(4) Great Britain has by far the most Luhmuhlen entrants with 17.  New Zealand has an impressive 7, and Ireland and Germany both have 5.

(5) Oliver Townend is set to compete on either Ashdale Cruise Master or Carousel Quest.

(6) In a recent interview, Luhmuhlen course designer Mark Phillips said: 

"The course runs a very similar route to last year but I've tried to create more flow for the horses and riders. Also the fences are more inviting and user friendly than last year."

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As part of reader appreciation month, Visionaire asked our readers to break news in the comments of our posts.  Today, Tate did just that in our Monday N&N post by letting us know that Luhmuhlen had posted its entry list.  Thanks Tate!
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Oli is excited for Monday afternoon news and notes

By John on May 24, 2010 12:10 PM, Filed Under

(1) Welcome back to eventing Oliver Townend!  Oli rode 15 horses at the Bridgstock International horse trials over the weekend in Northamptonshire.  Oli won one division, placed 10th in the intermediate on Unsteelable (a horse formerly ridden by Mike Winter), and withdrew after the dressage on Ashdale Cruise Master in the advanced.  

When I saw Oliver's fall at Rolex, I thought it would be a miracle if he survived and it seemed certain that he was severely injured.  It's great for eventing that he has rebounded from the fall so quickly, and we look forward to seeing him give the Kentucky course another shot this autumn.

(2) A horrible trailer crash just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio sent five people to the horpital, and two horses to the nearby Lebanon Equine Clinic.  Reportedly, the left front tire of the truck blew out, sending the trailer up a steep embankment and into the median.  Courtesy of The Jurga Report.  Link: Article, Photos


(3) Allison has written on her blog that she plans on taking Arthur to Luhmuhlen.  No surprise here since Allison was one of 6 applicants to compete at Luhmuhlen, but it shows that at this point, as they say at NASA, 'all systems are go.'  Allison explains that the trip to Luhmuhlen will cost approximately $23,000.

(4) As part of our commitment to the most comprehensive eventing coverage anywhere, but mostly just as an excuse to show another ridiculous video, check out eventing in Mexico from this weekend:

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Search committee formed to find CMP's replacement

By John on May 19, 2010 6:19 PM, Filed Under
The USEF has issued a press release forming a search committee to find Captain Mark Phillips' replacement when the current US coach retires after the 2012 Olympics. 

The committee: 
Chairman: Eric Straus, New Canaan, CT 
Robert Costello, Southern Pines, NC
Kevin Freeman, Portland, OR 
Mike Huber, Bartonville TX
George Morris, Wellington, FL
Katie Prudent, Middleburg, VA 
Amy Tryon, Duvall, WA

According to the PR, the committee's initial responsibility will be to develop a job description and timeline which will then be posted. Interested individuals will then be invited to apply.  So get your resume's ready folks.

There are a lot of questions to be answered before the search even starts:

-Does the US want a coach who will give lessons to the riders himself/herself, or more of a manager who coordinates the efforts of several discipline specific coaches and helps the riders decide who to work with?

-Do we want a foreign or US coach?

-Do we want a coach who will be more likely to invest in young talent or do everything to win immediately?

I don't have a lot of time right now to delve into the issue (see below), but this is the first step in a long and exciting process that will shape the future of US (and perhaps Canadian) eventing for many years to come.  Go eventing.

24

Riding a fine line

By John on May 12, 2010 5:38 PM, Filed Under
In the the latest developments of the FEI's attempt to police hyperflexion, the FEI has sent out a press release trying to clarify acceptable neck positions in the warmup that are definied in the new dressage stewards manual.  Three neck positions that are permitted:
Snapshot 2010-05-12 17-01-45.jpeg
How would we interpret the acceptable LDR position diagram differently if the horse has its ears pinned and the rider was leaning back? 

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of what is not permitted.  Instead, the press release explains:
"Any head and neck position obtained through the use of aggressive force is not acceptable. Movements which involve having the horse's head and neck carriage in a sustained or fixed position should only be performed for periods not exceeding approximately 10 minutes without change.  Deliberate extreme flexions of the neck involving either high, low or lateral head carriages, should only be performed for very short periods."

The stewards manual explains that the steward will intervene should he observe:
 ● Neck stretching achieved through forced, or aggressive riding 
 ● The use of extreme flexion
 ● A rider deliberately maintaining a sustained fixed head and neck carriage longer than approximately 10 min
 ● In cases when the horse is in a state of general stress and/or fatigue

Admittedly, I don't have any experience as a steward, but I have concerns about the potential ambiguity of the rules.  For example, the press release states that "extreme flexions" should only be performed for "very short periods" but the manual instructs stewards to intervene at the use of any extreme flexion.  We're not talking about measuring dressage whips and spurs--the rules are based on how "aggressive" and "deliberate" a rider is being and the "stress" level of a horse.  How soon will it be before there's a major controversy involving a disqualification based on such subjectivity?

We can all see the difference between the "low, deep, and round" diagram above and the absurd Kittel video (below), but remember that the FEI concluded there was "no reliable evidence that the warm-up techniques used by Mr Kittel were excessive."  Under these circumstances I think we need some sort of diagram or video to tell us what exactly would be considered excessive.

Patrik Kittel and the infamous 'blue tongue' video. 
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