The International Eventing Forum, 2012 @eventingforum was held on 6th February at
Hartpury College and chaired this year by former CCI**** rider and now coach, Eric Smiley. Hartpury is a centre of excellence of land-based, animal, equine and sports education but also a world-class equestrian venue across the board, hosting UK and FEI level show jumping, dressage, eventing and more.
The theme of this year's forum was 'Focus on Success' and as host Eric Smiley put it in his opening speech, 'in this Olympic year we have brought you Olympic coaches.' Each of the four coaches present, and also Eric himself and Alec Lochore who updated us on FEI and London 2012 matters are deeply involved either as chefs d'equipes, coaches or in an organisational capacity for London, 2012.
The four key speakers for the day were German Eventing Team Coach Christopher Bartle (UK), French Eventing Team Chef D'Equipe Laurent Bousquet (FRA), New Zealand Eventing Team Show-Jumping Coach Luis Alvarez Cevera (ESP) and Canadian Event Team Coach David O'Connor (USA). Each hosted a 60-90 minute session with a selection of riders, most of which either horses or riders were real contenders, or had horses in the running for the forthcoming London Olympics.
Chris Bartle FBHS: It's Fundamentally easy. What makes the difference?
Christopher Bartle (FBHS) started us off. He worked on two combinations of horse and rider. The first was Japanese team prospect who rather unfortunately had a very limited grasp of Chrstopher's english. That said, the session was incredibly interesting. The horse, Pretty Darling, was a previous German CCI*** horse which had been bought by the Japanese as a London qualified prospect and it was fascinating watching Chris work with the pair, as much to see how he handled the language barrier as anything else.
One thing that became clear across the whole day was just how similarly we all work our competition horses. There was an overwhelming emphasis on keeping training simple and clear, with albeit minor differences in taste, head position (though not in competition), warm ups, and test riding style. Christopher was very keen to have 3 distinct phases to any day's work... a very clear warm up/loosening phase with uninterrupted forwards movement, allowing the horse to play and diffuse spare energy, mostly working low (but not curling) and with a swinging back. Then, a very clear 'test frame/ work phase' which should reflect the head and neck position that will be used in any test, then another loosening phase to finish off.
The first mare showed consistent, if a little under-energised work in the trot but had a tendency to hold her breath in the canter, with a slight head tilt. Christopher was clear that canter work should always go back to an 'every second stride' rhythm which ties in with the horse's breath which in turn should lead to greater relaxation and better quality work.
He was also clear that the hind leg should always be given a job to do - in terms of every transition, gear change and movement using or imagining flexion to make it clearer to the horse which hind leg needs to work for the movement ahead.
Laura on Rayef at Badminton last spring. Photo used with permission by the equally amazing Nico Morgan: check out
more of his photos here.
The second guinea pig was British rider, Laura Collett on board her Badminton and European championship horse, Rayef. He is, and was at Badminton a 'wow' horse that everyone would like to take home with them, and he was looking every bit recovered from his blood disorder at the 2011 European Championships and perhaps a real contender for an 'individual' London 2012 run. Christopher commented that because the horse was so uphill, it was important to make sure that the horse always was relaxed at the wither, but otherwise was very complimentary, and (no surprise considering Laura's Badminton and European's test) said he was quite concerned with how much competition Laura might provide for his German team riders.
Laurent Bousquet: The Winning Platform - Coaching with the Future in Mind
Laurent Bousquet (FRA), worked over fences with three combinations of horse and rider. All were horses working at CCI* or below. Personally I felt this session was fundamentally under horsed and under ridden. In some ways it was valuable to see less experienced horses and riders but with a largely professional audience it seemed that Laurent might have been better working with younger horses, but with more potential to progress to CCI**** level.
That said, Laurent echoed Christopher's ethos of keeping things clear, and fun for the horse to encourage and guarantee confidence. No fences got bigger then 90 cm, but a lot of time was spent on establishing straightness, using poles on the floor to leave the horse in no doubt as to the right way to get over a skinny or angled combination, and setting up the basics to allow the horse to progress through the levels. Emphasis was given on a lack of pressure, and that control of a horse does not mean domination of the horse. Energy should be channelled and directed, not quashed.
Alec Lochore spoke briefly about proposed FEI changes, and the 2012 Olympics. He discussed the ongoing problems for FEI eventing and the current issues, namely the discrepancy, similarity and confusion of CIC and CCI events. He suggested that with the various options available, the FEI were heading in the direction of keeping both classifications of events but renaming them 'short' and 'long format' events in the interests of owners, sponsors and those not necessarily au fait with the finer language and rule book of the sport. He explained the committee thought it had gone long enough since the abolishment of the steeplechase, and roads and tracks to borrow back the 'long format' description of a new modern format CCI event as opposed to what they would term a 'short format' one or two day CIC event.
He also spoke about a new worldwide standard for deformable fences. Previously he explained that the various worldwide regions have had their own methodology and construction for deformable construction, but that a worldwide standard was being developed and tested.
There was also an update on the London Olympics. He was very clear that Greenwich is the right venue for equestrian sport at the Olympics (and having been only two weeks ago, I have to agree). He acknowledged the fact that no long term legacy or course will remain post London, but was keen to point out the more important legacy that the IOC is impressed and enthused by horse sport in London, and we've left them with a very real idea that equestrian sport can happen right in the heart of whichever Olympic city is hosting. Not something that can be underestimated considering how far from the host city and how questionable horse sport has been in recent Olympics.
Luis Alvarez Cervera: Jumping Clear - How to give your horse the best chance of jumping a clear round.
After a short lunch, Luis Alvarez Cervera took to the floor. He had the benefit of 4 horse and rider CCI** and CCI*** combinations, two from New Zealand and two Japanese. The two NZ riders, Lucy Jackson and Caroline Powell (but without her Lenamore), and the two Japanese were all combinations that had something different to offer in terms of long term potential and ability, but was further proof that there is no one type of successful event horse. Effectiveness does indeed come in all shapes and sizes as event horses go. It was particularly interesting to see horses that seemed impressive in the warm up look less impressive over fences, and once more to see horses that were impressive over basic exercises struggle over bigger fences, whilst horses that misread or disrespected smaller exercises shine over big fences.
With Luis' impeccable English and gentle, charming manner it was hard not to be impressed. He has a way of teaching and explaining that make you want to listen and also desperately want to be one of the guinea pigs on the floor. His work started off with a very clear and consistent warm up, one which he said would ultimately carry a horse through a familiar routine and enable it to know that it was going to show jump and allow it to compress and also remind the rider of the eye required after a previous day cross country. After the warm up he started very small and basic in terms of fence size, but ultimately mentally involving for the horse. We had lots of repetitive serpentines over 9" verticals to keep the horse responsive, active and coordinated before any horse progressed to a 90cm fence.
Luis was particularly clear to emphasise the importance of clarity, simplicity and like Laurent before, was very keen that riders kept a forward seat at all times if possible. He also echoed the need for a soft seat, soft knees and an energising lower leg and soft hand. He had no place for 'CONTROL,' but only control of the horse through confidence and trust. Throughout a 75 minute session the horses all improved, progressed in confidence and all jumped clear up to 1.35m by the end, which came as something as surprise considering how differently each horse had started.
David O'Connor: Clear but Fast
David O'Connor (USA) took the final session of the day at the IEF12. It was a masterclass in leaving nothing to chance, and as David mentioned from a cultural background, how to educate riders in skills that might be learnt in the traditional UK background in hunting, pony club, and associated equine sports. David had the pleasure of working with four of Britain's leading younger riders, all on the UK's WORLD CLASS programme...
All of the riders involved (Mike Jackson, David Doel, Laura Collet and Tom McEwen) have had the pleasure of representing GB at Young Rider level, yet from a personal perspective it was encouraging to see all of the riders making fundamental mistakes, despite 2 out of the 4 riders having cleared a CCI**** in the last few months.
David was particularly good at quantification: at what point should you leave the horse alone, at what point should you have made your final decisions, when you should know and spot something is right or wrong, as a rider. He explained that having worked with Luis from session 3 many years ago, they agreed that in the last five strides of the approach to any fence, the horse had it's only opportunity to realise it was about to jump and thus the last five strides should not be those of preparation, but of reaction to the horse's own reaction to the fence.
In very real terms, he was keen that all stride adjustments and braking/steering issues be done before the last 5 strides and that riding a horse cross country should be like driving a car to an experienced driver... in that all attention to brakes, steering and speed should be autonomous, and the conscious part of the brain should be able to concentrate on whatever problems occur specifically in or ahead of the moment. He was also keen to point out (for the first time in more than one case) of the different seats required for technically good XC riding... That a balancing seat is different from a galloping seat, which is different from a jumping seat and from a drop-fence seat etc... and that speed and balancing were different things. Perhaps the best sound byte was that the fastest horse XC at a CCI**** is the horse that is quickest to adjust from galloping to balancing, minimising the change before those last crucial 5 strides, than the horse that has the biggest stride or speediest gallop. It perhaps identified a feel that many British riders take for granted, but especially in their younger years and until they start teaching aren't quite aware of to our International counterparts who have to learn their skills from scratch.
All in all the day was a wonderful success. The facilities and base at Hartpury are undoubtedly wonderful and the day hopefully gave much inspiration to those watching and riding, despite the fairly treacherous weather around the UK this week. The day will have given much inspiration and there will be undoubtedly some 'thrilled' horses this week trying out some new and some not so new ideas in the 3 1/2 weeks remaining until the UK event season starts (cold spell permitting)...
--Gavin James Makinson.
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I'm booking my ticket for next year already, but we may try and keep Gavin on a permanent retainer anyway. Many, many thanks to Gavin again for taking the time and effort to keep Eventing Nation so fantastically informed, and thank you as always for reading. Go International Eventing (Forum)!
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