We take a look back at some of the highs and lows, best interviews, event highlights and top training tips of 2015 from the world of international eventing, month by month, in our series of articles. Click on the highlighted text to take you to any of the articles mentioned to read in full
Izzy Taylor was one of the Easter bunnies at Burnham Market
It isn’t just the Easter bunnies that are jumping around in April – this is the month that the FEI Classics Series kicks off in Kentucky with the first CCI4* of the year and there are plenty of events at all levels to cover around the world starting with some bacon and eggs at Burnham Market in the UK ...
Event Coverage
Burnham Market International, Norfolk, UK
The sun was out and the competitors commented on how good the going was as Nicola Todd snapped some riders on the first day of the Bacon.co.uk Burnham Market International on Good Friday and on Saturday the intermediate riders took centre stage at Burnham Market today with Oliver Townend, Andrew Hoy, Camilla Kruger and Aoife Clark taking home the ribbons
Oliver then backed that up with a 1-2 in both CIC3* and CIC2* on Sunday when it was also a case of Bacon, Eggs and The Cook for Tina Cook
You can check out the show jumping form of four of the riders at the event in our videos – two top Kiwis Sir Mark Todd riding Back to Business II in the CIC2* and Badminton bound Tim Price riding Wesko plus Pippa Funnell riding Sandman and Emily King riding one of her Australian horses, Brookleigh
Albury Wodonga International, NSW, AUS
The defending champion Shane Rose did not return to the 2015 Albury Wodonga International Horse Trials but there was plenty of hot competition with Katie Roots and Trevalgar taking the lead in the CIC3* and we spotted some cross dressing dressage going on in the boot department on the first day
Katja Weimann and BP Cosmopolitan
Stuart Tinney took the lead from Katie after 'stepping it up' on the cross country course but it was Katja Weimann’s influential clear show jumping round that won out on Sunday. Here’s what she had to say about the win on her homebred BP Cosmopolitan and how her weekend went
The biggest competing horse at Albury provided Sheridan Wilson with the biggest win of her life so far - the CIC1* Young Rider title while Christine Bates and Rob Palm also jumped clear to claim titles
Kihikihi, NZ
22 year old Jessica Woods and Defies Logic were the only combination to come home unscathed from the renowned John Nicholson 3* course at Kihkihi International Horse Trials but it was Abby Lawrence who had the win of her eventing career so far on show jumping while Amanda Pottinger won the one she has always wanted to win – the 2* at Kihikihi
WAYER, WA, AUS
Reports from Western Australia are a bit like buses - you don't see one for ages then three come along at once! In the first report from the WAYER Olga Reveler Memorial CIC event, Makayla Wood gave us a background and overview of the event then Belinda Isbister, the winner of the CIC3*, filled us in on how the event in Western Australia shaped up for the riders lucky enough to ride the John Nicholson course at Brigadoon
Equestriad, NSW, Australia
As always, Equestriad at Camden attracted well over 600 competitors for its CIC/CNC event in 2015 so what is it that the Venice of eventing so popular? We asked some of the competitors at all levels and the CIC3* leader after dressage
The guy who runs the event also won it - Shane Rose won the CIC3* but it wasn't without some 'ups and downs' and 'ins and outs' for him and several other riders on the challenging John Nicholson inspired cross country courses
Belton International, Lincs, UK
Belton International Horse Trials paves the way for the other big 'B' of an event in May - we checked out some of the competitors and who won what at this popular event in Lincolnshire
Kentucky CIC4*, USA
The sun was shining, the boys and girls had donned their best togs for the ‘jog’ at the Kentucky Horse Park as the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event got underway and after the first day of dressage it was maybe not surprising that Michael Jung was on top
Tim Price was on top after the cross country
However he was joined there by New Zealand’s Tim Price on Friday meaning that Michael and he went head to head on cross country day as equal first place getters and Tim came out on top but with no room to manoeuvre after a thrilling and wet cross country day. However the closest to optimum time prize went to US rider Will Coleman, meaning that he picked up a new ride - one with four wheels
On the final day Richard Jeffrey's demanding show jumping course at Rolex Kentucky caused rails to fall for even the best but Michael Jung still had what it takes to take home the Championship
Ballindensik, IRE
The British team repeated their feat of 2014 by winning the second leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing at Ballindenisk
Montelibretti, Italy
While all eyes were on Kentucky, Australia’s Andrew Hoy opted to take some of his new stars of the stable to the more relaxed Italian venue of Montelibretti
Interviews
Swedish eventing rider Isabelle Weber told us about the differences between eventing in Sweden and Australia, how she came to Australia and why she intends to stay
Issy Weber now calls Australia home
The 2014 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials winner Sam Griffiths talked about having his 'dream come true' and his plans for the 2015 event following health complications over Christmas
We talked horses and architecture with South Australian eventing rider, Luke Jones, a man with a passion for both (and his own boot remover for those long legs) and we caught up with Australian course designer Wayne Copping who had the exciting job of designing the cross country course for the 2015 Pan Am Games
News and happenings
The FEI Tribunal disqualified Maxime Livio (FRA) and Qalao des Mers from the Eventing competition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014, following a positive for a Controlled Medication substance and the FEI Sports Forum raised some interesting issues and created healthy debate in April.
The first session was dedicated to the FEI World Equestrian Games™, with the objective of turning the microscope on the FEI’s flagship event and outlining potential changes to the FEI disciplines and competition formats and the second of the morning sessions was dedicated to Olympic Agenda 2020, with IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell addressing delegates on Agenda 2020 and its relevance to the FEI
The Chairs of the Dressage and Eventing Committees, Frank Kemperman and Giuseppe della Chiesa presented the proposed format changes for their individual disciplines in the two afternoon sessions
Features
The story that has it all – a stunning black stallion that nearly died but is now in hot demand as a sire at only six years of age, his eventing rider Rebecca Lindwall and what her husband James Broadbent does with clothes pegs ...........
Highland Black Diamond - the story of a young black stallion
Ultimate Velocity is an eye catching horse with lovely movement and a huge jump but also can be ‘a little quirky’. Soigne Jackson saved the horse destined for the knackery but it hasn't always been an easy ride on the horse so named because of his speed in bolting!
Turning Pro Part 1 and 2. Can I? Should I? How do I? At some stage if you are any good as a rider, and if you love what you do, and simply cannot imagine doing anything else the thought comes to you: “Maybe I can become a professional at this…” Anita Marchesani runs through the numbers in Part 1 and explains in Part 2 why, if you cannot afford to be fully insured, you cannot afford to be in business
Top blog of April
Tinney Eventing survived a wet competition at Equestriad but on returning home they had to deal with flooding on their property and Stuart almost swimming the horses out of the paddocks certainly generated a lot of interest in our most viewed blog in April
Top photo gallery
Allira Fontana worked her magic despite a soggy weekend at Eventing Equestriad at Camden
View all photo galleries here
