On the Line

With all of the celebrity-horse-selling drama going on lately, it’s nice to remember that sometimes, happily ever after does happen.

Not in the case of Edward Gal, who lost his ride on Moorlands Totilas to a multi-million euro price tag. And not so for Michael Jung, the German eventer who barely had time to enjoy his individual WEG gold medal before his co-owner in La Bisothetique Sam decided that she’d be better off selling the horse, right now, even if it meant violating their partnership agreement (Details here, thanks COTH.)

But, it doesn’t always have to end that way! As Sidelines prepares for its annual stallions/breeding issue, I thought it would be fun to look in on an equine celebrity and her rider who are spending their retirement together.

Brentina was retired almost two years ago amid great fanfare. As one of the most decorated U.S. dressage horses ever, every self respecting dressage fan (and horse fan, really), knows her name. During her long career with Debbie McDonald, she made history and won hearts around the world. Today, she’s nearly 20 years old, and enjoying the retirement that every horse deserves, whether they’re an international superstar or not. She’s even embarked on a second career in the breeding shed. Well, in a way.

Be sure to pick up the January issue of Sidelines, which will include an article on Brentina’s day-to-day life in retirement, and answer those rumors about her foal(s) by Totilas.

And until then, enjoy this sneak peek of Brentina, Debbie, and life at River Grove Farm in Hailey, Idaho. Special thanks to talented photographer Justin Clark for capturing these images for Sidelines.

Brentina and Debbie McDonald, November 17, 2010. Photo ©Justin Clark

Debbie still rides Brentina every morning. Photo ©Justin Clark

Photo ©Justin Clark

Brentina spends most of every day in turnout, even when there's snow on the ground. Photo ©Justin Clark

Photo ©Justin Clark

The great chestnut mare has a home with Debbie McDonald and owners Peggy & Parry Thomas, for life. Photo ©Justin Clark

It’s a good thing, no, an amazing thing that a half-million dollar hunter class is being offered next year, right? During the 2011 HITS “Million Weekend” at Saugerties next September, the $500,000 HITS 3’3” Hunter Prix Final will become the biggest purse ever offered in hunters.

Wait. Hold on a minute there. A 3’3” hunter “prix” ? Hmmm, let’s back up for a sec.

Just what is a hunter prix? Is it like a hunter derby, but with better jumps? No, apparently not. HITS’ Hunter Prix specifications note that a) fences will be set at 3’3” with no higher options b) jumps will be “beautifully decorated without any spooky intentions” and c) no bonus points will be rewarded.

So the biggest purse ever offered in hunters will be for a class that is lower in height and less interesting than a hunter derby. Now, a “prix” usually refers to a “grand prix”, and whether you’re talking jumpers or dressage, a grand prix means the highest level of that given discipline. Somehow, calling a 3’3” hunter class a “prix” just doesn’t seem right.

But there are a lot of smart business people running things over at HITS. One must qualify for the Hunter Prix Final by earning points in at least five Hunter Prix classes held at HITS shows throughout the year. And while riders can compete in the hunter prix classes with several horses, they can only qualify for the Hunter Prix Final with one. So as everyone runs from HITS circuit to HITS circuit to qualify, HITS will be collecting extra entry fees and filling more stalls.

And, good for them. A huge pool of riders will look at the height and think “I could do that.” Who isn’t going to want to qualify for a 3’3” class where 1st place payout is $150,000??? Give me a horse and I’ll line up with everyone else!

It’s the amateur’s shot for glory, and let’s face it, it’s the amateurs who pay the bills.  Such a lucrative class for riders and horses at the 3’ and 3’3” level is unheard of, and with one horse per rider allowed in the Final, there’s no assumption that 1-3^rd place could go to the same person.

But does the Hunter Prix “bring it back to the hunters”, as HITS President Tom Struzzieri said? Um, I don’t think so.

Bringing it back to the hunters would mean solid coops, 4’3” jumps and a whole lot of galloping. Throw in some old-school Thoroughbreds and then we’d be talking.

Hunter derbies bring it back to the hunters. Remember a mere three years ago, when the hunter divisions had devolved into side-diagonal-side-single rote courses of boredom? Then, with the magical invention of derbies (thank you, George Morris and USHJA), hunters suddenly had qualities many thought were lost forever; excitement! flash! interesting jumps! The course for this year’s USHJA International Hunter Derby Final was awash with big fences, technical questions, and that round hay bale thing.

And it was a $100,000 class.

There are more sides to this debate. But most of all, I’m wondering where hunters can go from here. The 3’6″ – 4′ Working Hunters are suddenly seeming paltry compared to the HITS Hunter Prix. The price of a good 3′ horse just doubled – again. If a trainer is motivated purely by dollars and cents (who isn’t?), are they going to shoot for a $100k hunter derby, or the half-million hunter prix?

No, we are definitely not bringing it back to the hunters.

Thoughts?

Photo ©Lauren Giannini

Photo ©Cheval Photos

While the rest of the country shivered, Southern California shone today as the first-ever West Coast CCI 3* three day event wound up at Galway Downs under sunny skies and 70+ degree weather. Jennie Brannigan finished a great weekend by jumping clear and winning the 3* with Cambalda, who she’d brought all the way from Virginia to compete with here. Twelve riders passed the jog and competed in the stadium jumping round, with Alexandra Slusher riding to 2nd place and James Alliston taking 3rd.

And yesterday’s drama became yesterday’s news, as Alison Springer’s 20 penalty points were upheld for her run out on cross country. Alison and Arthur finished in 6th place, but even if the penalty points had been reversed, the 4 time faults they racked up on stadium wouldn’t have beaten Jennie’s clear round for the win.

Flying through the air, literally, Jennie and Cambalda finished the weekend on their dressage score. ©Cheval Photos

But photographer Selena Frederick couldn’t have found a frown at Galway today if she’d tried; those nutty eventers, with their funny tack and affinity for solid jumps were just so happy to be out there doing their thing. If the rest of the horse world has fun, eventers joyfully embrace the privilege of galloping about with their horses on any given day. And when they’re not galloping about, they’re holding blindfolded golf cart races through the water complex (scroll down for photos), encouraging good-natured sabotage and recruiting the sport’s most famous riders to take part.

In this way, Galway Downs became the shiny happy place for eventers this weekend. And once again, eventing was the shiny happy place among horse sports. Hmmmm. Perhaps it wouldn’t kill this h/j snob to give eventing a try. Sheer joy might just outweigh sheer fear when galloping off a down bank, jumping a coffin or attempting one of those crazy angled two stride coop combinations. I’ll keep mulling that over while you enjoy the smiles:

Yeah! High five! 2nd placed rider Allie Slusher in the awards ceremony. ©Cheval Photos

James Alliston celebrates after jumping clear to a 3rd place finish. ©Cheval Photos

Jennie and Cambalda are originally from California, and rode to the win in front of many friends and family members. ©Cheval Photos

Allie Slusher and Jennie Brannigan make a bff pact during the awards ceremony. Or simply give each other congratulatory props. ©Cheval Photos

Galway organizer Robert Kellerhouse, in brown sports jacket, did a fantastic job bringing a 3* to California. Horray for him! ©Cheval Photos

And then there were the golf carts. $5 if you can pick out Buck Davidson, Jr., Hawley Bennet-Awad or Jennie in the fray. All three top event riders took part in this madness:

©Cheval Photos

©Cheval Photos

©Cheval Photos

Well done Galway! ©Cheval Photos

Full results from all divisions are available here. And be sure to check out Cheval Photos in the coming days, many more photos from the weekend’s competion at Galway Downs will be available for purchase there.

Zenyatta may not have won the Breeders Cup Classic this afternoon, but at least her loss (by a nose!) isn’t up for protest. Unfortunately, yesterday’s leader in the Galway Downs CCI3* can’t say the same thing. Fence #14 became a point of contention for Alison Springer today, after she circled by, no ran out, no circled by, a skinny whale jump going out of the water. The jump judges called it a run out, and the 20 penalties they handed down dropped her to 8th place. Alison has lodged a formal protest and is adamant that she deliberately circled before the fence. . . but who knows. Alison and Arthur didn’t have the best ride over the fence before, a big down bank into the water, and she wasn’t going to have a super ride over Fence #14 if she’d galloped on. I know if I were coming off a sticky down bank and riding three open strides to a log painted like a killer whale, I’d have known to. . . oh, who am I kidding, I’d be screaming like a little girl and closing my eyes while grabbing mane and hoping for a quick death.

Says I, hunter/jumper snob for life. Eventing is fun – to watch. Best of luck to Alison on the protest and congratulations on getting home safe.

Despite the drama, it was another fabulous day in the Southern California sunshine, and without any major falls or injuries, it was a very good day for eventing. East Coaster Jennie Brannigan moved up from 2nd place to take over the lead, followed by California-based Tamra Smith and Corner Street, who moved up from 3rd into 2nd. All but five of the 19 3* starters completed the course, and word on the street is that everyone is very, very thrilled to be competing in the West’s first CCI3* event. Cheval Photos was there again to capture it all – enjoy!

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda are the new leaders in the CCI3* at Galway. ©Cheval Photos

At left, just another jump judge doing her job. Hmmmmmm. . . . . as Alison and Arthur come out of the water. ©Cheval Photos

Tamra Smith is based in nearby Murrieta - let's hear it for the West Coast eventers! And for palm tree backdrops! ©Cheval Photos

Doesn't the walk back to the cool out area just make you go, ahhhhhhh? ©Cheval Photos

A little bathtime. . . . ©Cheval Photos

. . . A little handwalk, and we're good. On to show jumping! ©Cheval Photos

Current results are here, and the show jumping phase begins tomorrow at 9am!

Can I have three cheers for the West Coast? Can I now? As a born and raised Californian, it’s with great pride that I write of California’s first ever CCI 3-star three day event, making history this weekend in the southern part of the state. Held at Galway Downs near Temecula (about two hours southeast of Los Angeles), this event kicks West Coast eventing up another notch and betters the sport for all.

No matter that for me, eventing is a spectator sport. Even as a self-confessed hunter/jumper snob, I fully enjoy watching those nutty eventers gallop at brush and ditch, soap their horses’ front legs and generally carry on in a far more bad ass style than I could ever hope  to match. My appreciation towards eventing, combined with the five years I spent living in Southern California, only grows my fondness for the region. If you’ve been to Galway on a late fall day and felt the dry, hot breeze on your face while the rest of the country shivers and watches for first frost – you know what I’m talking about.

It was almost 90 degrees today at Galway as the relatively small 3* field of 19 rode their dressage tests, with Alison Springer and Arthur placing first on a score of 41.0%. Alison is one of five East Coast-based riders who flew West to compete at Galway this weekend. That’s right, five East Coast eventers thought this event worthy of a plane ride allllllllll the way from their bases in the cold, cold East to compete in sunny California! Just thought I’d point that out.

And so, without furthur ado and thanks to the immeasurable talents of Cheval Photos (be sure to follow them on Facebook, too), we bring you phase one of the Galway CC13*.

The dressage court at Galway Downs, November 5, 2010. ©Cheval Photos

Alison Springer and Arthur made the WEG short list earlier this year. ©Cheval Photos

Arthur arrived in California by plane just four days ago! ©Cheval Photos

2nd after dressage, Jennie Brannigan is another East Coaster who brought her horse Cambalda (owner Nina Gardner) to Galway for the 3*. ©Cheval Photos

Tamra Smith and Last Call are 3rd after dressage on a score of 46.6% ©Cheval Photos

They'll have moved by tomorrow, don't worry. ©Cheval Photos

I could call this 'going to the dogs', but that would just be cliche. Ah well. . . ©Cheval Photos

Course walk time! ©Cheval Photos

Despite the World Series victory parade that took place outside my office window today in downtown San Francisco, this week feels like a quiet one. Fall riding in California is relaxing; chilly mornings don’t last long enough for the horses to stay fresh, and by 11am it’s 70 degrees and everyone’s sweating through their layers.

This billboard’s backdrop is the San Francisco city skyline – love it!

Speaking of San Francisco, what better sight is there than being greeted with the larger than life image of a mud-splattered Thoroughbred while driving into a concrete metropolis? If you haven’t been to see Secretariat yet, go. You might not get to see it with Diane Lane herself, like I did, but I’m sure your local movie theater is almost as cool as the Kentucky Theatre was that night in downtown Lexington. Almost.

Since I’ve already seen the movie, I’ll be following the real live horse shows going on around the world this week. The National Horse Show in Syracuse NY, and the Sacramento International in Northern CA are the two hunter/jumper hot spots, and eventing has the Galway Downs CCI 3* in Southern CA and the Pau, France CCI 4*.

Go here for Syracuse’s live feed, and watch on Sunday when the Maclay Finals winner is determined.

And:

Sacramento

Galway

Pau

If reading horse show websites doesn’t do it for you, It’s also possible to troll the interwebs until one comes across video of Totilas in his new German home. I was planning to write something witty about that continuing saga, but then Karen Robinson compared Paul Shockemöhle to Dr. Evil. And really, what could possibly top that?