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
When March comes around, we move up a gear in the eventing world as events come thick and fast and in 2015 it wasn't just the chilly weather causing red noses on course
Red Nose Day at Oasby created some fun photos ...
March 2015 Event Coverage
As UK based eventers prepare for the start of the seasonsome of them head to the somewhat warmer climes of Barroca d’Alva in Portugal to get their first hit out of the year
Sam Lyle riding JR Dirty Deeds narrowly missed taking out the trifecta in the CNC 1* class at Canberra when Jack Hayden riding Sandhills Bounce stole his thunder by placing second
Tonimbuk, VIC, AUS
Tonimbuk International Horse Trials had disappeared from the Victorian eventing calendar in Australia but in 2015 it was revived thanks to an enthusiastic committee and a quarry. Before the event started President Kate Wallis and course designer Ewan Kellett told us about plans for the future of the event
Tania Harding and Jirrima Yorkshire win the CIC3*
Megan Jones and Will Enzinger dominated the CIC classes on Saturday when we also came across some past equine stars but it was Tania Harding who scored her first 3* win on the Sunday and and in the EvA classes some impressive scores were posted by the winners who ranged from eleven year olds to Olympians
Oasby, Lincolnshire, UK
Sophie How and Bill Levett were among those who started the four days of competition at Oasby in Lincolnshire, one of the first events of the British season, with wins in the sun and the next day may have been Friday 13th but it certainly wasn't an unlucky day for Paul Tapner, Oliver Townend and Piggy French who were among the winners - but where was Paul Tapner's red nose?
Lockington's huge water complex is the focal point of the course
South Australian Championships, Lockington, AUS
Victor Harbour is a beautiful spot for an event and in 2015 the Kennards Lockington Horse Trials hosted the South Australian Championships
This is an event with a new 2* course that riders should put on their schedule (especially if you like roomy water jumps), which Megan Jones certainly did as she took out the 2* South Australian Championship along with the other Champions from all the other classes
New Zealand HOY
Over in New Zealand, Cyclone Pam created a soggy start to the NZ Horse of the Year show but cyclone or no cyclone, the show must go on and for Jock Paget, coming from the end of winter in the UK, a bit of wind, mud and rain was no deterrent. In the CIC3* Jock, on his catch ride Henton After Dark, was snapping at the heels Matthew Grayling aboard NRM Lowenberg
But it was Kentucky bound Emily Cammock that finally won the CIC3* in Hawke's Bay with her coast-bred grey Dambala
Will Enzinger doesn't stop for a drink at the new Tavern fence at Wandin
Wandin, VIC, AUS
The first day at Wandin Park saw the EA80 and Training classes complete all three phases at the scenic venue in Victoria’s Yarra Valley whilst the CIC classes were just getting going. For these guys it was a big event with the winners taking home the title of Australian National Champions. Don Skipcello, Murray Lamperd’s little black horse with the big movement led the CIC3* after dressage and we wondered, can they make it two years in a row and win the Australian National Championship?
The answer was yes, with Murray winning the class for three years out of four but he was modest about his win and the title
Wandin Park was celebrating its 35th anniversary and the Tavern fence was one of the new additions as part of the celebration but no-one in the CIC classes stopped for a drink and the traditional Grand National Shetland race that has been held for many of those years was as fast and furious as ever - watch and see
The Wandin Park Young Event Horse is another of the feature classes and is fiercely contested so when the same family take home first and second, that’s an impressive feat. We talk to Vanessa and Mark Griffiths about their two four year old stars
The French team repeated their 2014 victory at Fontainebleau as they enjoyed a comfortable winning margin of nearly 30 penalties over Australia, who finished second in the first FEI Nations Cup Eventing competition of the series. Germany did not field a team but the man who was to dominate much of the year, Michael Jung still led from the start to collect individual honours on his wonderful horse La Biosthetique Sam
Springbush, NZ
Experienced competitor, eventing mum and superwoman (looking at the photo below) Dannie Lodder won the CIC2* at the 2015 Springbush Horse Trials, New Zealand where the first international CIC classes of the year were held
Pakenham, VIC, AUS
Two eleven year old Pony Club Grade 3 riders won our 'cutie of the day' award at the Pakenham Horse Trials but the ultimate cutie was the Andalusian that leads the Grade 1 class ridden by Lily Morrison - watch how they scored 72.59% in the dressage
The cross country terrain may be steep at this event but it was well tackled by riders of all ages and levels and horses of all sizes and types on a perfect autumn day
Interviews
UK based New Zealander Alice Montgomery told us how she is enjoying the English eventing scene, while Wallaby Hill owner Alex Townsend believed that ““Sometime people have this idea that what happens overseas is always bigger and better but I don’t think that’s always the case” as she told us how plans are progressing for their 2016 CCI3* event
A much older venue was preparing for their coming event at The Mitsubishi Badminton Horse Trials where cross country course builder James Willis (above) talked about the history of course building at Badminton in his family, the challenges of preparing the grounds and reversing the course and Event Director Hugh Thomas looked ahead to the 2015 event, highlighting some interesting facts and figures about the long running event in Gloucestershire
At Tonimbuk Horse Trials a grey mare made an appearance looking as if she knew exactly where she was; we talked to Jemma Clark about the 17 year old Koyuna Tora Bora coming out of retirement
News and happenings
Equestrian events at the Olympic Games were making the news in March. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board approved the change of venue for the Tokyo 2020 equestrian events to Baji Koen, the Japan Racing Authority owned facility that hosted the Tokyo 1964 Olympic equestrian events and the Rio 2016 Organising Committee releasing the daily competition schedule with eventing one of the first sports of the Games
Christopher Bartle was presented with the inaugural British Horse Society Lifetime Achievement Award for coaching excellence at the British Horse Society's National Convention
Jumbo, the highest ranked British-bred stallion in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse eventing sire rankings, died at the age of 31
Following the recommendation of the Eventing Committee, the FEI Bureau approved a modification to Art 548.1 referring to the penalties for activating a frangible device as well as a rewording of the explanatory note on the penalties for frangible devices
Entries were in for the first two big events of the year - defending champion William Fox-Pitt and Michael Jung headed an impressive list set to compete in the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event but 14 competitors had to wait patiently to see who will withdraw as 85 horses have been accepted for the 2015 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials including the 2014 winner
The Blue Frontier, the 14 year old Irish gelding previously ridden by Sandra Auffarth has joined Andrew Hoy´s team of eventing horses
Top blog of April
Maybe it was partly thanks to the great photo that captured the moment so perfectly but Emily Rink’s blog Mastering the art of the handstand was certainly the talking point of March
Top photo gallery
It was obviously a popular return for the Tonimbuk Horse Trials with our photo gallery from this event being the most viewed of the month, just ahead of the NZ Horse of the Year
