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
Piggy French and AKD Corkline, winner 5YO KBIS British Eventing Young Horse Championship
UK Event Coverage
Osberton
There were some stunning horses competing at Osberton International Horse Trials and if you liked the look of them, you could even take one home thanks to the Best of British Showcase. After its success in 2014, the concept was back at Osberton in 2015 with sellers having the opportunity to showcase their horse in front of numerous potential buyers. The horses are presented twice on the flat and over fences on Thursday and again on Friday at scheduled times and an area is provided for prospective purchasers to examine and try suitable horses.
This new concept is an interesting without the pressurised auction atmosphere, just direct negotiations between buyers and sellers and, with the focus at Osberton being on young horse talent, it is an obvious place to bring together the interested parties.
Of course the KBIS British Eventing Young Horse classes are a major focus of this end of season event where Piggy French and Vicky Tuffs had a great day on Friday with their 4 and 5 Year Old horses. British riders also dominated across the board on Saturday including our 'one to watch' Oliver Townend on Cillnabradden Evo who proved to be a new star in the Townened stable with his win the next day. Kitty King also continued her cracking form, Willa Newton put the pedal to the metal and Pippa Funnell’s ‘special’ horse won again on the final day at Osberton
Just a few more events remained as the clocks changed, the days became colder and the portables were packed away, we took a look at the final two events of the British Eventing season – Aldon and Norton Disney but thoughts were already turning to the coming season with the announcement of the list of horses and riders qualified for the Mitsubishi Motors Cup, replacing the Badminton Grassroots Championships at BE90 and BE100 levels, to be held in May 2016
Australia/NZ
The Alcoa International Horse Trials in Western Australia saw a number of riders preparing to compete at the Australian International Three Day Event – one of these was Young Rider Emily Gray who won the largest CIC3* class that Western Australia has ever seen
Up and coming Victorian rider Sam Jeffree took out the top eventing class at the National Interschool Championships held at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC) while Shane Rose continued his good form with a one two in the CIC3* at Canberra International Horse Trials on a new and challenging cross country course
Callum Buczak and Joie du Lys
In Victoria Callum Buczak and Sophie Fox were just two of the winners at Candlebark Horse Trials in Victoria last weekend and both have horses with great stories and, although the Eventing Victoria Spring Horse Trials at Werribee Park may have been a last minute addition to the calendar, it certainly was not just a walk in the park
In New Zealand Emily Cammock’s winning run continued as she picked up the quinella in the CNC3* at Eventing Canterbury’s one day horse trial at the NEC McLeans Island, near Christchurch and Katharine Van Tuyl, riding Double J Sunshine took an early lead in the ESNZ Eventing Super League following their win at Taupo which she then extended with a win at the National Eventing Championships at Arran Station
NSW State Championships, Goulburn
We talked to Tim Boland and Emily McQueen, two of the CCI leaders after dressage at the Baxter Boots Lynton Horse Trials, Goulburn but the burning question of the day as we walked around the parking area was, do my ears look big in this?
Shane Rose moved into the lead of the Baxter Boots CCI3* at the NSW State Championships after the cross country phase and there was no stopping him from there as he achieved the 3* double, winning the CCI3* in fine style on his up and coming horse Another Biscuit and the CIC3* riding CP Qualified
It wasn’t just the top classes who crowned NSW champions but winners were certainly grinners in the EvA95 and EvA105 divisions and we felt that the person who rode around the cross country at Goulburn without stirrups ( a la Toddy) deserved a special mention
International
Boekelo CICO3*
There were some big outcomes hanging on the results at Boekelo and the first day of competition certainly reflected that the FEI Nations Cup Series is all about the various countries competing against each other at 3* level with six nations represented in the top ten riders
Australia led the Nations Cup eventing after the dressage but New Zealand, who were chasing a spot at Rio, were oh so close behind. Australia’s Chris Burton led the individual competition but three young guns, Cathal Daniels, Jesse Campbell and Astier Nicolas helped keep their teams' hopes alive on cross country day and the Grolsch was exchanged for Guinness at Party Central in Boekelo when Ireland won its first ever leg of the FEI Nations Cup and an influential show jumping day caused plenty of changes at the top
We had predicted that Great Britain were unassailable and, as the only nation to contest all seven legs in 2015, they easily sealed their place at the head of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing final leaderboard
Le Lion d’Angers
Each year Le Lion d’Angers draws together some of the best young horses from around the world to find the top FEI Six Year Old and Seven Year Old champions and in its 30th anniversary year it crowned two new champions to watch
Germany led both classes at Le Lion d'Angers after the dressage with Michael Jung leading the Seven Year Old FEI World Championship class on Lennox 364 and Ingrid Klimke at the top of the Six Year Old class on Weisse Duene.
Laura Collett and Mr Bass
Michael continued to dominate on cross country day but 12 faults on Lennox 364 meant that Laura Collett won the 7 Year Old Championship with Mr Bass while Michael added another title to his swag with the Six Year Old Championship going to his horse Fischerincanatas
Les Etoiles de Pau
Superman Michael Jung, still recovering from a broken tibia, continued his great form the next week in southern France, leading the CCI4* at Les Etoiles de Pau. Australia's Bill Levett was in second place on Shannondale Titan after the first day of dressage but by the end of day two Michael had moved into first and second place
Emily King and Brookleigh
However the young guns Emily King, Astier Nicolas and Tim Lips also impressed during Friday's dressage and they continued to apply the pressure on cross country day with Emily maintaining third place behind Michael’s two new stars and Astier Nicolas on Piaf De B’Neville in fourth place after tackling Pierre Michelet's fast cross country track
In the end it was a special but unexpected win for Astier Nicolas, not only his first CCI4* victory which put him into the lead of the 2015/16 FEI Classics Series, but also in front of his home crowd. The 26 year old has been based in England for a few years now but the city of Pau in the French Pyrenees is his home and the local French crowd was ecstatic with the win by their young star and his 12 year old Selle Français gelding Piaf De B’Neville, the first French winners there since Nicolas Touzaint in 2007
Videos
Check out the CCI2* cross country action from the David & Catherine Witt of Rookery Park Stud CCI 2 Star at Weston Park International
Interviews
As the eventing world waited to hear how William Fox-Pitt was faring in hospital after his fall at Le Lion d’Angers, Andrew Nicholson talked for the first time about his fall at Gatcombe, what has happened since his surgery and the future
Rebel Morrow
Injuries are just one of the hazards of this sport and Olympian Rebel Morrow told us “I’ve had massive success but I’ve had massive heartache too” as she talked about how to deal with setbacks in this tough sport of eventing
We also talked to Shane Rose, another rider who was no stranger to set backs in 2015, as he looked forward to returning to the Australian International 3 Day Event with CP Qualified and Virgil, having missed the event in 2014
News and happenings
The Mark Todd Bridging the Gap Training Series (MTBTG) has been designed by British Eventing specifically for those riders moving up to Advanced / 2* level and those working towards a more established 3* level. This year the winner was 32 year old Tim Cheffings from Tiverton in Devon, with Mary Edmundson and Sam Dempsey runners-up. What did the six finalists think of being put through their paces by Sir Mark Todd in their bid to win this year's coveted Mark Todd Bridging The Gap Scholarship?
Tina Cook’s homebred De Novo News was sadly put to sleep in October after losing his battle to recover from travelling sickness
The decision of the Court of Appeal in Brussels regarding the FEI's "exclusivity clause" enabled the 2016 Global Champions League to go ahead - could the decision have an impact on other equestrian disciplines looking to create events along a similar concept?
The prolific Oliver Townend was once again the highest placed rider in the British Eventing points table for 2015 and Tim Price’s Wesko was the top horse thanks to a great performance at Pau
Top blog of October
It may have been a little controversial but it was certainly very well received – a great blog by Elizabeth Wischer
“This is a very controversial blog and I do apologise if I offend particular people. .. I understand completely that weight gain and weight loss isn’t exactly simple. But it is very important for our health and our horses”
Top photo gallery
The NSW State Championships pipped the others to the post in October with the popular event at Goulburn getting the most hits in October
