Tetanus, also termed lockjaw, is a devastating neurological disorder that causes muscle paralysis in horses. Around 75% of infected horses will die, so ensuring you are aware of the signs and keeping your horse up to date with their tetanus vaccination is imperative for your horses health.Tetanus was first described more than 3,000 years ago in Egypt and is caused by toxins. The main toxin is tetanospasmin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. This is found primarily in spore form and is a common soil organism. Tetanus toxin binds irreversibly to nerve endings causing spastic or rigid muscle paralysis.Clinical disease of tetanus in horses generally occurs following the contamination of a wound with Clostridium tetani spores. In some cases, the wound may already have closed up and the horse owner may be oblivious to it having been there.While most cases of this deadly disease will occur within nine days of the horse suffering a wound, there have been some reports of tetanus striking months following injury. Other likely sites of infection include puncture wounds affecting the sole of the foot, injection site abscesses, the uterus in postpartum mares and the umbilicus in foals, to name but a few.Signs a horse has tetanusClinical signs of tetanus vary depending on the stage of the disease, the dose of toxin and the immune status of the horse in question. An early tell-tale sign is the temporary protrusion of the third eyelid.Signs subsequently progress to rigidity of the head and neck muscles, with affected horses developing paralysis of the muscles they use to chew and open their mouths, hence tetanus other name lockjaw.A sufferer may also have what looks like an anxious facial expression, may stand with their head and neck outstretched, and will be unwilling to lower their head to the ground. The third eyelid also prolapses during this phase. A low-grade fever may be present too.In mildly affected horses, clinical signs may be limited to the above, but in more severely affected equines paralysis extends to other muscles in the body and rigid extension of the limbs, body and tail may be seen.Affected horses will show a saw-horse, trestle-like stance, a stiff gait and the tail-head may be elevated. Hyper-responsiveness is another classical sign of tetanus, with sufferers demonstrating an exaggerated and often dramatic response to external stimuli, such as to noise.These most severe cases progress to the horse lying down, with death following due to paralysis of the muscles involved in breathing. In horses who succumb to the disease, death generally occurs within seven days of the first clinical signs. Severely affected horses, especially those not getting up, should be euthanised to prevent further unnecessary suffering.Diagnosis by a vet is based on the clinical signs, recent wound history and a lack of vaccination.Treating tetanus in a horseTreating a horse for tetanus should involve:Providing a quiet, dark and safe environment in addition to adequate supportive care.Eliminating tetanus toxin which hasnt attached to nerve endings through the administration of tetanus anti-toxin.Sedation and muscle relaxation.As horses with tetanus are likely to be in a hyper-reactive state, as part of their treatment plan the quiet, dark place they are stabled in should serve to remove any unnecessary stimulation. This stable should have a deep bed in case the horse wants to lie down.If the horse is still eating and drinking, feed and water should be offered from a height so that they dont have to bend their neck unnecessarily. In moderate to severe cases, if the affected horse is unable to eat and/ or swallow, intravenous fluid therapy with or without additional nutritional support will be given.If the source of infection is through a recent wound, this should be cleaned and the damaged tissue removed. Tetanus anti-toxin may be administered into the tissues surrounding the wound to neutralise the toxin.This tetanus anti-toxin should also be given intravenously, intramuscularly, or subcutaneously for three to five days to neutralise further unattached toxin. The vet will also start antibiotic drug therapy, probably metronidazole. Sedatives and muscle relaxants may be used to alleviate muscle spasm. These are painful and so pain relief should be provided.With 75% of infected horses dying of tetanus, factors associated with mortality include a fast incubation time, entry via the uterus in a mare, via the umbilical cord in foals, and a lack of adequate vaccination. Horses who recover generally stabilise within the first week, but they may take months to reach full health.Tetanus: prevention tipsVaccination is highly effective in protecting a horse against tetanus. Due to the success of vaccination programmes, the incidence of clinical disease is fortunately very low in developed countries.The vaccine itself, which is a toxoid vaccination (i.e. made up of the germ that causes the disease), is relatively inexpensive. In horses over six months of age, a primary course consists of two vaccinations administered intra-muscularly four weeks apart.Adequate immunity should be obtained two weeks after the second vaccination. The horses first booster vaccination should be administered 17 months after this second vaccination and at the very least every other year after that.Foals are at increased risk of infection if they are born to mares who havent been immunised, as are those who have consumed insufficient quantities of colostrum. In these cases, tetanus anti-toxin should be administered at birth. These foals should also receive an additional tetanus vaccination at four months of age, in addition to the primary vaccination course at six months.Wounds in unvaccinated horsesIf your horse sustains a wound and their tetanus vaccinations arent up to date, you must contact your vet to arrange a visit so that they can give them tetanus anti-toxin. This provides emergency cover for tetanus and immunity will last for 14-21 days.Such horses should also receive a tetanus vaccination at the same time, and they should be booked in to start their primary vaccination course four weeks later.The current equine vaccination only offers protection for two years once the primary vaccination course is complete, which is why boosters are given at regular intervals.Case study: a critical patientWhen I met a nine-year-old Thoroughbred who had become unwilling to come in from her field, I was told that her tetanus vaccinations lapsed. The mares behaviour occurred around five days after she had sustained a leg wound.On examination, she showed an increased heart rate and temperature and she was unwilling to move forward. There was no heat in her feet, or increase in her digital pulses, making laminitis a less likely, although not impossible, scenario.The mares leg wound had become infected and she had diffuse cellulitis of the affected limb, which was painful on palpation. I prescribed antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and tetanus anti-toxin.The mare was moved indoors, albeit with difficulty, to allow a more thorough examination and to enable ongoing treatment. At this point it was unclear whether her clinical signs were purely related to the cellulitis or whether something else was going on.Once she was examined inside, it became clear that the horses third eyelid was protruding and that she had become unwilling to lower her head to the ground to eat.Over the next few hours her symptoms progressed rapidly as she displayed general stiffness and the lameness in her cellulitic limb. The clinical signs became ever more suggestive of tetanus and, thinking about it with hindsight, she had probably been unwilling to move in the first instance due to the tetanus rather than her cellulitic limb.The stable environment was kept dark and quiet, and I gave her fluids intravenously. Her leg wound was cleaned, but within hours of lying down she was unable to get up and had to be euthanised.Vaccination is essentialI strongly recommend that every horse is vaccinated for protection against tetanus and that you keep on top of regular boosters. It really could save your horses life.You should also consider having your horse vaccinated against equine influenza, whether they go out competing or not.Lead image: copyright ShutterstockRelated content5 things your horses vet really wishes you wouldnt doEquine flu: symptoms, vaccination, prognosis and how to lower the risk of your horseSwollen legs in horses: why it happens, possible causes and how to manage it9 ways to cut costs without compromising your horses careThe post Tetanus in horses: signs, treatment and prevention advice appeared first on Your Horse.

Cross-country day at Aachen: a high-speed odyssey, demonstrated by Alyssa Phillips and Oskar. Photo by Tilly Berendt.If you can expect anything from the cross-country finale of CHIO Aachens star-studded, invitation-only CCIO4*-S, it is simply this the unexpected. Theres a few factors that contribute to this first, because its an enormously prestigious invitation-only competiton with a championship vibe, the pressure and the intensity is dialled up to 100 and the scores tend to be tightly packed. Secondly, course designer Rdiger Schwarzs twisty, technical cross-country track leaves very little space for making up time on the clock as such, we always, without fail, see run-outs very late in the course when riders start to take ambitious lines or push for the finish line, and because its smartly built with skinnies and angle, to avoid falls or a loss of confidence for the horses, those inevitable surprise 20s often end up being the stories of the day.But actually, in a rare twist of fate, todays Aachen finale wasnt lost from the front instead, the was passed around the houses as competitor after competitor racked up a small handful (or more!) of time penalties. But in the end, the prize would end up back where it started: with overnight leader Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21, who had stepped up into the top spot last night after the post-showjumping withdrawal of Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH.Before we get into the nitty-gritty of Julias win, though, or the final lay of the leaderboard, lets take a look back at how we got there. The day began in a slightly bewildering sort of way: Michi and Chipmunk, the frontrunners of the not-quite-yet-confirmed German Olympic team, were already out of the hunt, and very early in the draw were the other two horses and riders listed in Block One of the shortlist the ones who, in effect, are about 95% certain of a spot at the Games.After a strong start, the first of the two, Christoph Wahler on Carjatan S, put his hand up two-thirds of the way home and trotted happily off the course, a member of the German teams support system loping, Hasselhoff-style, beside him. Then, a couple of horses later, in exactly the same spot, the other, Sandra Auffarth with her Tokyo mount Viamant du Matz, did the same. Okay, fair play so it was a planned early exit for both, evidently agreed upon with the German powers-that-be, and would have no effect upon the Olympic line-up, right?Well, maybe except for the fact that before she pulled up, Sandra and Mat, who were champions here two years ago, had a run-out. That came at fence 10B, a skinny at the bottom of a short, sharp downward slope from a brush fence.[Pulling up] was the plan it was a training round, so [the goal was] to ride a little bit softer and not treat him too harsh or risk too much, she explains. [On fence 10B], I think I came a little bit too much to the inside line, and then he was not totally focused on the fence so it felt like he didnt see the fence. But I think the mistake was because I took the wrong line and I had to jump it more to the right.Will this small error see move Sandra moved out of her provisional spot in the list of three for Paris? Maybe, but also probably not: though a blip this close to the Games is unfortunate, its also sometimes exactly what a hugely experienced horse and rider need in order to sharpen themselves up for the big day. In short: we wont know until we know, but certainly, both of those withdrawals made an early impact on the shape of the day. Christoph had been overnight runner-up; Sandra and Mat had been overnight seventh. The door was opened with a bit of a bang, really for newcomers into the top ten.And then it opened a bit more: Tim Price and his smart up-and-comer Jarillo had a very late runout at 19C, the corner element of the combination just before the main stadium where the finish is situated, dropping them from sixth to 31st; Switzerlands Felix Vogg and his five-star winner Colero also had a runout at that combination, but at the A element instead, and ultimately retired at fence 20, costing them their overnight eighth place. This final combination the STAWAG complex is so often one of the main characters of Aachen; many hearts have been broken when riders in fortuitous positions find themselves down on the clock at the eleventh hour of the track and try to take a risk here. That we only saw three total issues here today Irelands Austin OConnor and Isazsa also had a runout at the C element, dropping them from 26th to 34th feels like a bit of an Aachen miracle, really.Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Because of the curious order of Aachens final phase individual competitors head out of the start box first, and then the team riders run in a nation draw that sees them head out in reverse order of merit by team and by rider we knew within the first few rounds that Julia Krajewski and her ten-year-old Nickel 21 had jumped a clear round. But what wasnt clear was whether it would be enough. Theyd begun the day with a margin of 4.1 penalties; when they crossed the finish line, they did so with 6.4 time penalties added, which gave several riders the opportunity to move ahead of her if they could catch the notoriously tough time, or come very close to it.A couple of them, late in the day, would give it a very, very good go: Laura Collett and Dacapo, who have previously been runners-up here, added 2 time penalties that cost them the win by a 0.6 point margin; Emily King and Valmy Biats, last out of the startbox today, looked on track to give it a very good bash indeed, but ultimately added 4.8 time penalties to miss out by 2.5 penalties. They finished third and fifth, respectively, instead, and handed the crown to German Olympic Champion Julia, who won here previously in 2018 with fischerChipmunk then just Chipmunk FRH before he was reallocated to Michael Jung.Two days ago I walked past the big tower [at the in-gate] where all the winners names are written down and I took a picture, and then I thought, how cool would it be to have my name on there again?, she says with a grin. But theres so much between hoping to win and actually winning.Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Julia is the first to own the fact that few people would have chosen Nickel as the obvious winner of this years Aachen, though not for lack of talent: the ten-year-old already has six four-star placings to his name, including a win at Arville last summer. But hes still often regarded as a young up-and-comer, and perhaps, his slightly unusual trajectory in the sport can take some credit for keeping him mostly out of the spotlight until the last year or so.I dont think its something many people predicted, maybe, and I really like to win but I like it even more when its a surprise, says Julia. It makes it very special when you win something big without maybe even being in contention, and especially for the owners. Its a massive team effort, and we have really fun people, and really great supporters. I think Nickels owner is still crying and cant really believe what just happened!That unusual trajectory goes a little something like this: he was originally bought by the owners of Julias Olympic champion, Amande de bNeville, to be a showjumper, but though he was nearly able to qualify for the six-year-old national championships in that discipline, he wasnt quite good enough to continue his progression. And so those owners offered him to Julia to try. As a seven-year-old he did his first event; three months later, he stepped up to two-star.But Julia suspected he may be better suited to a young rider, rather than continuing on to the upper levels, and so he was sold to Sophia Rssel, who kept him at Julias yard. When Sophia decided to take a gap year and move to New Zealand, Julia took the ride back and continued to produce him but mostly, he became the fun horse on her yard, tackling novelty classes like Aachens Ride & Drive and Stockholms indoor eventing, because, Julia says, hes such a straightforward character.And then, suddenly, he was a four-star horse and swiftly, a very, very good one, finishing on the podium in his first run at the level. And now? Hes the 2024 Aachen Champion, and continues to be the horse that defies all expectations for Julia, and for his owners, the Rssels.Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Nickel is such a genuine horse he really, really wants to do everything right, says Julia, who began her week in second place on a 23.9 with the gelding. He has always been super rideable and quite straightforward, really. Its interesting with him you always think okay, maybe we reached the limit, but then half a year later its better. Sometimes you have horses that have huge talent, like with Mandy [Amande de bNeville]. I always knew shes got massive talent, you only have to channel it. With Nickel, it sometimes feels like the talent seems to grow more: hes constantly building and getting a bit stronger and learning more.But the best thing about him, I think is, hes just super genuine. Hes never had a run out ever, I think. He just wants to do well. Whatever I present, he like, Okay, what do I have to do? Okay, lets do it, and he doesnt think of not doing it, and that also goes for the other disciplines.That meant, Julia continues, that she was actually fairly relaxed before cross country today! The thing thats stressing me most is when I know I have to ride fast, because I like to take my time here and there, and Im also not so young anymore! Then, when I know I have to go for it, Im like oh dear! But Im never really concerned that he wouldnt do something, which is a very nice feeling, because Ive also had other horses that have tended to be a bit more cheeky or maybe took the chance. But Nickel is just is like your best buddy. He really, really wants to go well with you its very cool.And so she set out on course with a plan, and an awareness of the little margin she had to play with but in the first half of the track, she was thrown a spanner in the works that required her to take a little bit more time over the moist, spongy ground.Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.I knew I had a little bit of time, but he lost a shoe quite early and felt that a little bit, and then I thought, Okay, I dont want to override too much, but bring him home as quick and safe as possible, she says. After my cross country round, I thought, maybe the couple of seconds I prepared for him there might have cost me the win. In the end luckily it didnt but there was some nerve racking minutes at the end!Julias very early draw in the class meant that she and Nickel didnt get the full hit of Aachens extraordinary atmosphere but it also meant that she had hours to wait before she knew whether shed done enough to win.In 2018 [when I won] I was, I think, last to go, she says. When you actually have something to do later, to ride your horse, its a different feeling than being done with your part and then just sitting there and watch for two hours! So I was maybe more nervous [this time] to see what happened But its a really, really nice feeling when your young horse goes out in an atmosphere like Aachen and just really does his best. Its pretty similar [to the first win in 2018] the only shame was that because I was very early, I knew the stadium wouldnt be very full yet, so I thought, hopefully I make it to the prizegiving again and get a full stadium!Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.When she returned for that prizegiving, it was to packed stands and a deafening roar of support from some 40,000 people.I think its always, always special in Aachen, she says. The full stadium clapping when you enter is second to nothing.Now, buoyed by this landmark win, Julia is looking forward to Nickels peak, which is still yet to come.I mean, going to Aachen at ten, if you said, you can win it I dont know, she laughs. I mean, hes good, but you sometimes think you need something extra special, extra big-moving to win here. But, often this consistency and reliability and to really know what you have to do and what you have is worth so much. He was always a little bit the underdog, maybe, but I think hes really starting to make his point, and I think hes far from reaching his full potential.The base is good, and hes now really starting to grow into it, which is very cool, she continues. Actually, thats also why I was so emotional after the win, because I think often people dont really believe in him, but when you look at his record, its very impressive. Itst always really, really nerve racking to do a young horses first Aachen, the first 4*, the first 4*-L you never really know before [you do it,] and if theyve done it five times then you really know what you get, so thats something to aim for.Calvin Bckmann and The Phantom Of The Opera. Photo by Tilly Berendt.When Julias not busy winning major titles and producing exceptional horses, shes also the head coach at the German federations Warendorf production line for the Olympic teams of the future and her closest competitor at the end of the day was her 23-year-old protg, Calvin Bckmann. He and his partner of two years, The Phantom Of The Opera, with whom he completed Kentucky this spring, began their week in twelfth place on a 30.9, climbed to ninth last night with their faultless showjumping round, and delivered the first and one of just two clear round inside the time today to finish on that 30.9 and climb up to a final second place. Their finish sees them just 0.6 penalties behind Julia and Nickel but Calvin, who in his Young Rider career was dubbed the young Jung by EquiRatings for his classy, competitive riding, admits he never saw todays result coming.I called a few friends and they all said, wow thats crazy!, he laughs. Im slowly starting to realize it now. I mean Aachen is just the most special show we have in Germany, I would say. The atmosphere is incredible.Calvin and Phanty have won fans around the world for their joyful partnership, which sees each bring out an enormous amount of bravery in the other evidenced best, perhaps, by the stride they left out while jumping into the Head of the Lake at Kentucky this spring. Todays course was a very different type of track to that one, but Calvin knew, too, that it would play to his horses strengths.I knew that todays cross country that time would be a big factor and Phantom can be really fast. I actually had an amazing feeling, he grins. Everything went very fluid, and I know him very well, so we were able to cut a few turns and take some strides out, and I think that was the reason why we ended up in second.Ive been to Kentucky with him at the beginning of the year, and I think we just grew so much together, so much more, he continues. I think thats what you need you need more or less blind trust, as well. You definitely need to know where you can cut the turns a little bit, where you can maybe leave out a stride because its just so, so difficult to get the time here, and I think that was just a big benefit I had with him. He fully trusts me, I fully trust him.Calvin Bckmann and The Phantom Of The Opera. Photo by Tilly Berendt.But, he says of the former Sandra Auffarth ride, Its not always been so easy with him, to be honest. A lot of people didnt want us to do 5* they were just like ah, were not sure if hes a horse for that, but he was amazing. We are dreaming a little bit about doing another 5* this year with him, although thats not really sure yet. The eyes are on Maryland, but its not so easy with the funding. That would be a dream because I think hes always a horse, that needs the galloping stretches, and I think that would suit him very well.For Calvin, whose career has already been so full of hard-earned successes even by just the start of its second chapter, the feeling of speeding through the Soers park with the full force of the home nations support behind him was both emboldening and moving.I mean, its just incredible, he says. Usually when we have eventing competitions throughout the year, you rarely have people standing on the side of the ropes like this. Its really nice for us, and a great feeling having people inside the stadium cheering for you it just motivates you a lot.Calvin and Phantom are listed in Block 3 of Germanys Olympic longlist the same Block as Julia and Nickel, and while the travelling reserve is more likely to be drawn from Block 2, which is comprised of Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K (18th this week) or Jrme Robin and Black Ice (13th), both riders at the business end of the leaderboard will have given the selectors much to think about ahead of tomorrows official team selection announcement, and its reserve and alternate lists.Third place went the way of 2021 runners up Laura Collett and Dacapo, who added just 2 time penalties to their first-phase score of 28.9 to complete their climb up from seventh to third place.Just to be at Aachen is so special, says Laura. Dacapo seems to love it here the atmosphere, the crowds, everything about Aachen is incredible. Its one of the best shows in the world and we all want to come back here year in, year out, so to have a horse that loves it here too is really special.Dacapo hasnt always been the most straightforward horse, but now, at 15, hes become much more consistent something thats been helped enormously by Lauras recognition of, and targeting of, his favourite shows. This week, that has once again paid dividends.Im absolutely delighted hes been faultless from start to finish, she says. He was absolutely on his game across country. Hes a bit of a quirky horse hes either phenomenal or he says he doesnt want to go. I dont have much say in the matter. So its nice that he seems to enjoy it here and loves the challenge of a bit of a go-kart track, with everything happening very quickly. The crowd really helped him to stay motivated. He likes the crowds, and if hes just on a big open galloping track, he just switches off. So here and Boekelo are his two favorite places, which Im not complaining about!Australias Chris Burton, whos made his return to eventing this year after a three-year hiatus and will compete at Paris with the former Ben Hobday ride Shadowman, took fourth place after delivering the second clear inside the time of the day with Clever Louis and finishing on their first-phase score of 32.1. That makes him the new record-holder of the most FODs here five, across ten runs and also gave him a sixteen-place boost up the leaderboard across the phases.Emily King and Valmy Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Emily King and her two-time Grantham Cup winner Valmy Biats, with whom she was fourth at Badminton this spring, finished fifth in their first Aachen after adding 4.8 time penalties, which dropped them down a spot from their overnight fourth. But Emilys not prone to spending too much time ruing a placing or two instead, shes delighted to make a long-held aim come true. She first came to Aachen to groom for her mother, Mary, when she was in her early teens though, she admits with a laugh, I dont think I was much use I just kept disappearing to enjoy the show! and has dreamed of competing here ever since.Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hermione dArville. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Belgiums Lara de Liedekerke-Meier continues to enjoy her extraordinary and supremely hard-won purple patch, and finishes the day with two horses in the top ten. Ducati dArville, who was tenth here last year, finished sixth after adding just 2.8 time penalties to his dressage score of 31, propelling him up from 14thplace, while Hermione dArville, who was named as her direct reserve for the Paris Olympics today, climbed from 27th to 7th, adding just 3.6 time penalties to her dressage score of 34.1.Austrias Lea Siegl and her longtime partner Van Helsing P began their week in fifth place on a 28.6, but dropped seemingly out of the hunt into fifteenth last night with an expensive rail. But their decisive round today, which added just 5.2 time penalties to their score card, sent them right back up the board to eighth place. Theyre closely followed in ninth place by James Alliston and Karma, who finished best of the US riders with just 2.4 time penalties. Thats a 24 place climb from the first phase and another demonstration of this exciting ten-year-olds extraordinary natural turns of speed.James Alliston and Karma. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Tenth place was rounded out by Dirk Schrade and Casino 80, who climbed from 19th to 12th yesterday, and a further two places today on their 6.4 time penalty round and, as Block 3 German longlist contenders, they give the selectors yet another headache. Frankly, though, by the sounds of the party now raging outside the media centre, we reckon they might find some novel ways to self-soothe tonight.Speaking of teams, the British contingent led from pillar to post to win the Nations Cup competition, thanks to Laura, Emily, Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI (19th) and Izzy Taylor and SBH Big Wall (37th). They closed the weekend out on an aggregate score of 112.8.The US team of developing horses and three Aachen debutant riders finished in an impressive second place, having climbed up from second-to-last after dressage to third after showjumping, in which all four competitors jumped faultless rounds. Their final climb today was led by James and Karmas excellent round and buoyed along by strong efforts from all three remaining riders and their horses.Alyssa Phillips and Oskar. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Alyssa Phillips and Oskar finished fourteenth, completing an eleven-place climb from the first phase after adding 8.8 time penalties today.He was awesome, and the course actually rode to plan, says Alyssa. But I think with all the crowds and everything kind of bam, bam, bam, Oskar got a little bit weary towards the end. But I was like, Come on, buddy, lets go! And he was like, Okay! and hes such a genuine horse, so he always wants to jump whats in front of him. But I did have to work quite hard to keep his focus towards the end.That weariness, she explains, was a mental tiredness: Its just having to land and keep going. A lot of people talked about how the course was so much easier than last year, but you started to see all these problems across the board, so I think people were a little quick to jump on that. Its Aachen! You still have to ride for everything thats there. And the crowds out there are crazy. Ive never ridden anything like it! You know, you jump a single fence, and theyre like, WAAAH! its like a muffled thing, but you hear them!As much as that intensity in the crowd takes careful management while on course, its a feeling that Alyssa wont soon forget.I was getting chills, and when you come into the main ring, theres a huge roar, she says. It was an amazing feeling crossing the finish line. Im so lucky to have him as a partner, and the rest of my team mates this weekend have been awesome. Were all just thrilled for each other, and for the horses and the owners, the supporters, the coaches. Its an exciting weekend for everybody.Liz Halliday and Shanroe Cooley. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Liz Halliday and nine-year-old Shanroe Cooley finished sixteenth, picking up just 7.6 time penalties and closing out their climb from first-phase 31st.Im really proud of him. Hes only a nine-year-old, and this would by far be the most intense thing hes ever experienced, says Liz. He got a little tired on me at the end, I think not so much from his physicality, but from just so much. Hes a big, tall horse, too. But he fought for me all the way to the end, and he never gave up. Hes just a really world class horse.Now, an end of season return to Europe could be on the cards for the exciting youngster: Id love for him to go to Boekelo that would be my hope for him, says Liz. I think thatd be a great education for him again. And then if hes ready for it, we will aim for a 5* next year, maybe. Right now, its just about giving him all these experiences and getting his body stronger and mentally stronger and all those things.Hallie Coon and Cute Girl. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Hallie Coon and ten-year-old Cute Girl, who were best of the US team in the first two phases, delivered 95% of an exceptional round, with the diminutive Holsteiner mare showing just how much grit and courage and joie de vivre shes developed over the last year. The inexperienced wobbles of the start of the mares four-star career are so evidently behind her in all the places where she might previously have been expected to drop anchor, she instead showed the depth of her education and class. But, as is so often the case for even the most experienced combinations at Aachen, the pair were caught out at the eleventh hour not at that STAWAG combination just before the main arena, but in the arena itself. They jumped neatly through the busy questions in the stadium and then, heartbreakingly, just undercooked their engine for an expensive moment on the way into 22B, in sight of the finish line. The new, game edition of Cute Girl tried to jump, but couldnt quite follow through behind instead, the pair did a slow-mo scramble and then put back down, picking up 20 penalties. They regrouped and finished in fine style, but although theres so many net positives to take away from their performances through the week, the disappointment of missing out on a top ten finish is, no doubt, a hard weight to carry for today.But consider: Hallie and Cute Girl were last-minute call-ups to the team; their preparation was, as such, not totally ideal, with the mare having spent some time at stud for an embryo transfer after the second of her four-star wins this season. Its a first time at Aachen for both; the biggest pressure-cooker of intensity, too, for the young horse. And none of that got to her instead, shes thrived all week, shown that shes every inch a world class horse, and, unfortunately, had a deeply frustrating, but not at all disheartening, 20 penalties. We look forward to seeing them back here, and on the US team, very soon because something big and brilliant will be on the horizon for them.Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Team Ireland spent the first two phases sitting in fifth place, but ultimately finished third after some excellent rounds today. They were led by Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis (11th), who was ably helped to the podium by Joseph Murphy and Calmaro (12th), Sam Watson and Ballyneety Rocketman (23rd), and Austin OConnor and Isazsa (34th).Its good to be here with two big nations with big budgets and then theres us, laughs Sam Watson. The point I would make is, our owners that support us, and our personal sponsors, and now we have Agria on board it makes a big difference. But for me, its the guys on the team; the attitude. Austin, we all know, winning the 5* for Ireland [at Maryland], Lucy Latta at Badminton this year, the team winning at Millstreet Ireland keeps crunching away, and when we can get the support to be as professional and have a system around us [like these teams]. You know, we didnt have our team coaches here. We have our manager who keeps us on the straight and narrow, but we couldnt have our dressage coach and our jumping coach, because we dont have the budget for it but we have the attitude and we will always be here.And so we come to the end of one of the worlds greatest events, and the end of an era, too: this is the last-ever Aachen for longtime course designer Rdiger Schwarz, who has been at the helm of the track for two decades. Well leave it to his longtime student Julia Krajewski to sum up his impact.I would like to also take the opportunity to say some words to Rdiger, she says from the winners seat at the final press conference. He probably will not like it, but he also said many things to me that I didnt want to hear when he trained me! I think for me, Aachen has always been a dream show. Its been a show where we all, I think, have to ride cross country at our best. We walked the course a few days ago, and there were quite a few said Oh, its a bit softer than usual. And then again, we look at the scoreboard and we see its just been built perfectly. Like, there were some MIMs, some run-outs and people who tried to go fast had to pay the price in the end. You have to ride smart, you have to have your horse balanced, you have to use your brain and in the end, the best riding people are in front, thats how it should be, and I think Rdiger has really shaped how many people ride cross country, and hes shaped how cross country has been built. Aachen has been his signature show for many years and Im very, very happy that I could do Aachen on his last show.Go Eventing and, forever and always, Go Aachen.ENs coverage of CHIO Aachen in 2024 is brought to you with support from Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt Real Estate, your prime choice for Aiken, SC property! World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Program All Disciplines] [Program Eventing] [Entries All Disciplines] [Entries Eventing] [Live Stream] [Results All Disciplines] [Results Eventing] [ENs Coverage]

Ocala, FL National competition is in full swing at World Equestrian Center Ocala with five more weeks remaining in the 2024 Summer Series. The highlight of the week was the $75,000 Hampton Green Farms Grand Prix, where 20 horse-and-rider combinations competed over a challenging course designed by FEI Level III course designer Peter Grant (CAN). At the end of the night, Olympic Gold[...]Read MoreThe post Will Simpson and Keminko N Come Out on Top in the $75,000 Hampton Green Farms Grand Prix appeared first on World Equestrian Center.

Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.A staple of the local equestrian community, the fields of Loch Moy Farm are covered in hoofprints of all shapes and sizes. From the local pony clubber who puts off their homework so they can attend the Twilight Eventing series to six-time Olympian Phillip Dutton, the Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm welcomes everyone.This iconic venue is stepping into the big leagues with its launch of the Maryland International, now in its second year. At its heart, however, it remains a supporter of the underdog. From the Maryland International Equestrian Foundation to its close ties to the Maryland Horse Council to the plethora of affordable lower level events held on property, Carolyn Mackintosh does a lot to support horse sport from the bottom up.Perhaps its fitting then that the winner of this years Maryland International is a horse from humble beginnings who started off the weekend in ninth place before leaping into the first place slot. Lisa Marie Fergusson and her long-time partner Honor Me (Brynarian Brenin AP Maldwyn x Dream Contessa, by Royal Chocolate) have been competing at the CCI4* level since 2014, making this their 33rd 4* completion. At 18 years young, the Thoroughbred/Welsh Cob cross galloped through the flags with 34 time penalties and no obstacle faults for a well-earned first place finish Talis first at the level.I went here last year for the four star and I loved it, Lisa Marie said. I like having one at such a lovely facility. They run it so well, the people are so nice. I went down here mostly because I wanted to run my young horse, Trinity ThankQ, around an Ian course because Im thinking of doing the 3*-L at Maryland. I thought, well if Im going for him, I might as well throw Tali on the trailer. And he was a really good boy. Tali can do whatever Tali wants, he can just cruise around at whatever speed he wants, I can just smile and jump around.After such a long career, Lisa Marie says she has no big plans for Tali. Instead, shes just enjoying every ride for as long as she can. Hes been at the 5* level for 8 years now I think, Lisa Marie said. I guess Ill keep playing with shorts and see what he wants to do. This year he was really naughty at Chatt Hills in the spring so I didnt let him run the cross country and he was very mad. I took him to Stable View after that and I dont think I could stop him for the first 10 fences. But hes not a horse Im ever going to push for time. Im just going to enjoy him. At this point, its all just gravy. Most other horses are retired at his age, but Ive slowed down his work a little, and hell still try to run off with me, so I guess hes not retired yet.Lisa Marie has worked out a schedule that suits all of Talis needs, physically and mentally. I think the biggest thing is that hes turned out with friends every night in a big 5 acre field, Lisa Marie said. Hes allowed to be a horse and I think thats helped him physically and mentally. The other thing is I try and take him out to hack or gallop twice a week. He just needs to get the piss and vinegar out. We minimally dressage. I jump him sometimes once a week, sometimes not at all. I just try and let his body tell me what he wants to do, and have fun.Hes half pony, hes too stubborn to be lame, she adds.Youll notice one thing missing from Talis schedule cross country schooling. According to Lisa Marie, cross country schooling is the one thing that she cannot add to his weekly routine. As a matter of fact, today was his first time seeing cross country fences since the Kentucky Three Day Event. I never school him cross country because he is such an orangutan that I dont get a say. At his age, he knows his job, she said. Tali is like riding a very opinionated mare. You cant tell him anything. You cant demand anything. You just have to ask him what youd like to do and hope he takes it into consideration. It taught me how to ride how HE needs to be ridden, rather than how I want him to go. And, his way is better. Its worked for us for a long time.Tali and Lisa Maries story is a nice reminder that you dont have to purchase a six-figure warmblood to succeed in this sport. Sometimes you just need a partnership with a horse you believe in.Not everyone can afford to buy those big fancy movers. Today showed that every once in a while the cross country will make or break you. It was nice to have a horse thats never been that solid in dressage, but who is a strong cross country horse. Today, it paid off, Lisa Marie said. Tali teaches you not to take yourself too seriously. Hes a good reminder that you dont need some fancy import to do the job. He is a Welsh/Thoroughbred cross bred by a lady I went to Pony Club with. He is all heart and adrenaline and he managed to do it. He was bred to do nothing. I hope that Im lucky enough to have another cross country horse as good as he is and to have another horse with the longevity he has.Courtney Cooper and her homebred R River Star (Riverman x R Star, by R Johnson) claimed second place with a score of 78.5. Bred by Courtney and owned by the rider and Neal Camens, 2024 marks Rivers first season competing at the level. So far, the Dutch/Holsteiner/Irish Sport Horse cross completed the spring 4* at Tryon Equestrian Center in May.He was super. I was really, really proud of him, Courtney said. We always had a feeling he was special. He won the Young Event Horse Championships as a four year old, but he has a bit of a challenging temperament, and so the move up to advanced has not been as easy as one would hope. But I feel like hes just starting to put all the pieces together, which is exciting.While River is starting to step into his prime, the cross country course today was not without its exciting moments. Courtney was actually nominated for the Ride EquiSafe Best Save Award after a moment that really tested her stickability at the corner fence after the broken bridge. (Find out if she wins tomorrow!)There were some less than ideal moments, Courtney said. I tried a different bit/bridle with him at Bromont and it didnt work at all. We went back to what I was using before, and it worked well today, so that was great. He was very honest.In third place, Jessica Phoenix swapped out yesterdays leader, Tugce, for her Off the Track Thoroughbred, Aeronautics (Two Step Salsa x Satin and Silver, by Silver Ghost). Nacho raced 12 times under the name Silver Salsa, earning $4,458 before leaving track life at the end of his 2017 season.Yet another underdog, Aeronautics started on a dressage score of 40.3 and was originally in 8th place at the end of day one before jumping up through the levels today to finish in third. The Maryland International was the 11-year-old geldings first attempt at the 4* level. Hes also a new partner for Jessie, as she first took the ride on the bay in 2023. His owner, Sarah Irving, produced him through the preliminary level and took him to his first FEI in 2021.I was so proud of him. He show jumped a beautiful round with just one rail down, and then definitely going into cross country, he is the horse you would want to be sitting on, especially with so many intricate lines and a lot of very influential combinations on the track, Jessie said. I was so happy with the way he handled everything. He stayed relaxed, really enjoyed it, and loved his time out there today.Next up, Jessie is aiming her newly minted 4* horse at Bromont in August. From there, she thinks the sky could be the limit for this Thoroughbred. When I was cruising around on him today I was just dreaming of doing Badminton or Burghley on him. He just feels like that class and quality of horse.The competitors had their moment in the sun today literally. With temperatures hitting nearly 100 degrees, riders worked hard to keep their horses cool, taking advantage of a cooling tent by the show jumping warm-up and another at the vet box.The heat has been unbearable for a long time and luckily, our horses have been training in it, so theyre used to it. But it was nice to have the schedule where the four star horses went first and got done with, Courtney said. I have to give a really big shout out to Carolyn Mackintosh and her whole crew for working the ground and doing everything they can to keep people hydrated and making it the best they can with the cooling area and the courses and everything. The volunteers were just absolutely amazing.Two words were used repeatedly by riders at levels to describe the courses designed by Ian Stark and Andrew Heffernan at Loch Moy Farm: twisty and turny. Second place finisher Courtney felt that while there are no long and lasting hills here at Loch Moy Farm, like you might find at Morven Park and Fair Hill, Ian used the terrain available to him well, creating a veritable roller coaster of a course.Even though Maryland doesnt have big sweeping hills, there was a lot of terrain out there. A lot of height, changes in height and size and use of terrain, Courtney said. I thought the show jumping course was up to snuff. It was a full height course, and it created enough challenges. Chris Barnard always does a really nice job with his courses.In Jessies opinion, the 4* course was testing horses and riders pretty much right from the start. I did think that the combination at fence four was quite challenging and then that coffin that was among the hardest coffins on a four star track, aside from Kentucky. That really sets people apart. And then I thought the combination at the water was actually a very interesting combination, the up-bank, bounce, and then the one stride down over the log and out through the skinny. Thats quite challenging, Jessie said.Rumor has it that course designer Ian Stark is retiring at the end of the 2024 season. Actually, hes confirmedthat rumor, but Im still holding out hope. The fact that this may be Ians last time ever designing a course for the Maryland International made the competition that much more special.Hes just such a gifted course designer, Jessie said. He has such an incredible way of making sure that were giving 100 percent all the way around, and if you do, youll really feel like you have learned something and that youre getting better and better. So Im really thankful I was here.Between the heat and the tight turns on course, not a single 4* rider made the optimum time. On average, each rider had roughly 30 time faults. Two riders withdrew prior to cross country, Jessica Phoenix withdrew her lead horse Tugce, while Hannah Sue Hollberg withdrew Carsonstown.Jessie withdrew Tugce after show jumping for a variety of reasons, especially due to the heat. Tugce has already got her qualifying score in a four star short and since I made the Olympic team, I just didnt want to take any chances, Jessie said. Honestly, we ran them so quickly that when I finished cooling down Nacho, I just felt like I needed to go sit down somewhere out of the heat and that perhaps, as hard as it was, it was not a good idea for me to run another horse around the course out there. I think I made the right decision. Its always so hard to scratch when theyre winning.The rolling hills of Loch Moy Farm are playing host to the Maryland International, Maryland Horse Trials, and USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships this weekend. Through all the hustle and bustle of a big competition weekend, the historic venue has managed to maintain what is perhaps its biggest strength: the kindness of its people. Young riders brought infectious enthusiasm to the competition, while Loch Moys volunteers had a smile for everyone who came their way.As the riders competing in the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships head into their final phase tomorrow, I hope theyll remember these words from 4* winner Lisa Marie. Go out and remember that you do this for fun, go out and enjoy the moment and have a sense of humor. Focus on getting a little bit better and keep chipping away.Top Quotes from FEI Division WinnersCCI3*-S: Kim Severson and Cooley Corraghy Diamond (42.1)He is a half brother to [Seversons former 4* horse, Cooley Cross Border]. I saw him a couple years ago as a three year old coming four at the Goresbridge sale. I asked Richard [Sheane of Cooley Farm] to go and look at him and see what he thought. He wasnt really sure. He was slow to have his technique get going, but after hed had him a month or so, Richard said ok he gets a ticket. So Bill and Ros Johnson own him with me. Hes a very sensitive horse and very introspective. Hes not an out there, go get it horse. You kind of have to let him come to you. He sort of needs time. So his history is just him needing time, but once he got going, off you go and hes really good. So weve just been bringing him along slowly as you do.CCI2*-S: Katherine Maroko and Redfield Champion (40.7)Hes so talented and smart, its just been getting to know him and figuring out what works for him. We moved up to Prelim at Fair Hill and weve been working on smoothing things out, but were starting to figure each other out and he is so enjoyable and clever. Ive been working a lot with my coaches, Hannah Sue Hollberg and Matt Hollberg, on having a really established canter [in the show jumping] so even if we get a bad stride or come to it poorly, the horse is still capable of jumping out of that. Were always working on giving him the best chance to jump no matter how we end up at the jump. I definitely did not expect to finish where we did in such a competitive division, but now with this result I think well aim for the Prelim Championships at AEC.CCI1*-S: Valerie Pride and Kiss My Jambo M (33.9)It was fun coming to this event and supporting it. Its amazing what theyve done at the Maryland International and it was fun because the 1* is still appropriately challenging until he gets a little stronger, so the rest of this season he might do a fall 2*. Hes done a 2*-Long before with his former rider, but its kind of about getting him to be my horse and doing 2* in a way thats going to be a sequential to step up to 3*. I think its worth taking the time producing horses. I think Ive gotten older and wiser and realized you can go and win some 1*s while hes gaining experience and strength. Hes a really exciting horse for the future.Looking to the USEF Young Riders Championship, the scramble team made up of Areas 1, 3 and 7 are currently leading the CCIYRC3*-S after cross country on a team score of 1124.1. All Young Rider divisions will wrap up their competition on Sunday with show jumping. CCIYRC3*-S Individual Leader: Megane Suave (CAN) and Nuance (42.9)I think when you walked [the cross country track], it could look a bit tricky, and then when you got into it if you were riding positively it worked out great and was still super safe and nice for horses to go around it. Nuance is actually my first horse, so I got her six years ago now. So weve done all of our firsts together from the first pre-Training level to the first Intermediate to now [the first] three-star course, so its just so fun to know that she can do it. She still feels like shes on a mission she gets out of the start box like okay, Mom, were going! just like she did when we were going through Training. And I just, I love this little girl and were hoping to go maybe Advanced in the next few years and Im just really proud of our progress together.In the 2*-S Young Rider division, a mixed team of Areas 1, 5, and 3 currently hold the lead on collective score of 103.7.CCIYRC2*-S Individual Leader: Annabelle Sprague and Da Vinci Code (26.4)Ontario is a small group of us, but its really good to know each other in the past few days and it feels more like a family just coming together and traveling distance. And then this is my first Young Riders and I think the team here in Maryland has done a great job of giving that team atmosphere and making it feel really sophisticated and formal. And I think its just like a really good experience for all of us.Area 2 leads the CCIYRC1*-S with a team score of 103.6.CCIYRC1*-S Individual Leader: Berkley Gardner and In Vogue (29.8)I got my horse only a few months ago. With my last horse, she was small and I did one-stars with her but we kind of got to the peak of her abilities. So we decided to move on because Im only going to ride for another year, so we really kind of wanted to get something that I could do what I wanted to get done. Shes so sweet and shes so amazing. Shes so willing to build a connection with me and I feel like we already have a connection even just a few months so every time I get out and ride her Im excited to test our connection and so far shes been just amazing with everything.CCI3*-S Winners:First place Kim Severson & Cooley Corraghy DiamondSecond place Phillip Dutton & PossanteThird place Jessica Phoenix & Obeah DancerCCI3*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leaders:First place Megane Suave & NuanceSecond place Lizzie Hoff & HSH Limited EditionThird place Caitlin ORoark & What The DevilCCI3*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leading Team:Rebecca Roth & Chapter TwoLizzie Hoff & HSH Limited EditionElizabeth Gill & Opportunity KnoxxCCI2*-S Winners:First place Katherine Maroko & Redfield ChampionSecond place William Coleman & Box ComoThird place Kristine Burgess & KBS Curious QualityCCI2*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leaders:First place Annabelle Sprague & Da Vinci CodeSecond place Saffron Klotz & Ballingowan ClarityThird place Audrey Ogan & Always CooleyCCI2*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leading Team:Addison Craig & OT BandiniAnnabelle Sprague & Da Vinci CodeAudrey Littlefield & Mr. PumpkinChloe Paddack & Hawthornstud Fortunate LoveCCI1*-S Winners:First place Valerie Pride & Kiss My Jambo MSecond place Elizabeth Swire & JagFly JSThird place Kristi Foresman & RevitaVet PerkunosCCI1*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leaders:First place Berkley Gardner & In VogueSecond place Catherine Purcell & Mystic HazzardThird place Katelyn Smith & HSH HenryCCI1*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leading Team:Berkley Gardner & In VogueClaire Allen & Crazy ChoiceLeeci Rowsell & Man of ConvictionSophia Stolley & BWE Stopping WavesENs coverage of The Maryland International is brought to you with support from Ride EquiSafe, who will also be giving away an award for the Best Save this weekend! Be sure to submit your nomination here. The Maryland International + Horse Trials (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

View this post on InstagramA post shared by CHIO Aachen (@chio_aachen) Julia Krajewski will certainly have woken up with a smile on her face this morning. She took the Individual title in this weekends CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S, with the relatively inexperienced Nickel 21 four years after the last time she took the title with the then similarly inexperienced fischerChipmunk FRH. Chipmunk was once again in the top spot this weekend this time with Michael Jung though he was withdrawn before cross country.Julia is the reigning Olympic champion, and although she wont be able to defend her medal in Paris later this month she is one of several riders in the third block of Germanys Olympic longlist, all of whom are vying for the reserve spot she and Nickel 21 have every chance of a trip to LA in 2028. There is another World and European Championships to go before then, too, and while I dont want to jump the gun, this pair have shown just what they are capable of here this weekend, and proven themselves quite the force to be reckoned with on a world stage.Back to the present day now though, and with Aachen done and dusted, all eyes are on Paris. Team announcements just keep on coming, with France, Belgium and Canada announcing their teams in the last 24 hours. Keep checking ENs Olympic pages were bringing you all of the updates as soon as they happen. Not long to go now, before we Go Eventing in Paris. Allez! U.S. Weekend PreviewArrowhead H.T. (Billings, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]Mile High Horse Ranch H.T. (Parker, CO) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]Summer Coconino HT and Western Underground, Inc. TR,N,BN 3 Day Event (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]The Maryland International + Horse Trials (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]UK International EventsAston-le-Walls International (2) (Northamptonshire) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]European International EventsWorld Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen (Germany) [Website] [Program All Disciplines] [Program Eventing] [Entries All Disciplines] [Entries Eventing] [US Eventing Team] [British Eventing Team] [Live Stream] [Results All Disciplines] [Results Eventing] [ENs Coverage]Links to Start Your Sunday:Tick, tock, tick, tock: Top tips to make the time cross country, if going fast and clearing obstacles isnt something that comes naturally to you!He might have been struggling to walk earlier this year, but even that hasnt stopped Shane Rose from being selected for the Australian Eventing Team.Always good to be able to speak the Native language: Team GB rider Yasmin Ingham is teaching herself France ahead of Paris.Dreams and Dedication: Will Coleman talks about his path to Paris Sponsor Corner: Todays the last day to benefit from Ecovets 4th of July sale! Use code ECO4THSPECIAL until midnight tonight to get 30% off on your order. Shop now. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Ecovet Fly Spray (@ecovetforhorses) Morning Viewing:Germany were certainly playing with fire this weekend, sending almost all of their long listed Olympic riders to Aachen, in a somewhat risky final selection trial type affair.Turns out they werent the only ones flying a little too close to the sun for our liking Boyd Martin has also being making some questionable life decisions, though not from the back of a horse. Can everyone please just calm down?!

The Donkey Sanctuary said a sad farewell to a favourite at the Sidmouth Sanctuary, as Dartanyan the Poitou donkey was put to sleep on the advice of the veterinary team.Dartanyan was 14 years old and was well known for his distinctive, shaggy coat and tall stature. He shared his home at Shelter Six with his bonded companion, Jump the mule.Dartanyan had a history of veterinary conditions, including an episode of cellulitis in one of his hind legs in 2022. Since then staff kept him closely monitored, ensuring he enjoyed a good quality of life and was free from pain and discomfort.Recently however, he started showing signs of becoming unwell and despite best efforts from the veterinary team, his health continued to decline. Due to his other ongoing health conditions, they recommended that the kindest decision would be to put Dartanyan to sleep.Dartanyan was truly an icon of the Sidmouth Sanctuary and his presence will be dearly missed, said Marianne Steele, CEO of The Donkey Sanctuary. It is hard to say goodbye to any donkey in our care, but our priority is always to act in the best interests of the animal concerned. Thanks to an incredible team of vet and grooms, Dartanyan was able to enjoy a long and happy life among his companions, just as he deserved.Dartanyan came into the care of the sanctuary in 2011, along with his Poitou companions Guinness, Aramis and Percy, after their owner could no longer provide the specialist care they required. The breed originates from the Poitou region of France, and they are easily identified by their thick coat which is prone to matting and tangling.The legacy Dartanyan leaves is a deep understanding of this rare and extraordinary breed of donkey, knowledge that will inform our work and help us improve the lives of many more Poitous, just like Dartanyan, in the future, added Marianne.Lead image of Dartanyan by The Donkey SanctuaryFurther readingMourning donkey given new lease of life thanks to new rescue companionWe are determined to overcome these obstacles: Donkey sanctuary desperately seeking supportRaising the status of donkeys: HETI forum held at The Donkey SanctuaryThe post Farewell Dartanyan: Tributes paid to sanctuarys gentle giant appeared first on Your Horse.

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Following their final observation event at CHIO Aachen this weekend, which saw reigning individual Olympic gold medalist Julia Krajewski take her second win in the CCIO4*-S, Germany has identified the four pairs it will send forward to Paris in a few weeks time.Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.The final team is as follows:Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz, a 15-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Nikolaus Prinz von CroyMichael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH, a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Deutsches Olympiade-Komitee fr Reiterei e.V., Klaus Fischer, Sabine Fischer, & Hilmer Meyer-KulenkampffChristoph Wahler and Carjatan S, a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by the rider & Lena ThoeniesTraveling Reserve: Julia Krajwwski and Nickel 21, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Sophia RsselChristoph Wahler and Carjatan S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.This team is absolutely full of experience and depth, with multiple Olympic and World Champions and 5* wins to their name. Sandra Auffarth won individual gold at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in France, while Michael Jung certainly needs little introduction as a two-time individual Olympic gold medalist and two time team medalist for Germany. Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Germany as a nation is the owner of back-to-back team gold medals in Olympic competition (2008 Beijing, 2012 London). They won team silver in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 but did not hit the podium in Tokyo in 2021.If you want to remind yourself of all of the other Olympic Teams named thus far, you can catch up here. View more of ENs coverage of the Paris Olympics here. We are pleased to bring you our Olympic coverage with support from Kentucky Performance Products.

Adamstown, Md. All riders in the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships have officially crossed the finish line. After a competitive day of cross country yesterday, the riders tackled Chris Barnards show jumping course today. Winners took their turns on a podium in an award ceremony full of pomp and circumstance to top off a weekend of firsts for these young eventers.In the CCI3* division, Canadas Megane Suave and her own Nuance brought home the blue ribbon with a score of 46.9. Lizzie Hoff and HSH Limited Edition finished in second place with a score of 50.4. Caitlin ORourke rounded out the top three slots with What the Devil, finishing on a score of 66.7.With only four FEI competitions under her belt, the Maryland International was Megane Suaves first time competing at the CCI3* level. Its our first CCI3*-S and it was big on cross country. I really pushed for it, and she just came out and gave me all she had, Suave said. And then this morning, she saved my butt couple times, and she was like, I got you Mom, were going for it. I gave her a better ride after that.Suave has been competing the 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare for the last six years, making this win not only her first CCI3*-S, her first win at the FEI level, and an all-around sentimental moment. Im just really proud of her. Shes like my best friend. Shes been my best friend for six years. Its just really fun to get out here and work with her and have good results and see the work pay off.Second place Lizzie Hoff dealt with a little added pressure this morning, as she didnt want to interrupt her horses clean streak of six clear show jumping rounds at the Intermediate level in a row. My horse is a very good show jumper and honestly, it makes me a bit more nervous because I want to keep up the clean rounds, Hoff said. The pressure is on for me to ride him the way he needs so he can be ready to jump a clear round. But he tries so, so hard for me at every single show. And he did that today. I am just so thrilled with how hard he tries for me every single day.Third place winner Caitlin ORourke had the opposite concerns heading into the stadium round, as show jumping is not Shannon ORourkes What the Devils strong suit. Weve worked really hard on our show jumping in the past year, ORourke said. Ive trained a lot with [Australian Olympian] Scott Keach, and thats honestly completely turned me and him around. I was really proud of him today. He had two rails down, but it was a huge improvement. He jumped quite well, and we still held on to our position. Thankfully, Ive always believed in him. He hasnt always had the perfect record, but Im so happy with him.The USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships are designed to introduce North Americas up-and-coming riders to both upper level competitions and what its like to be a professional eventer. As such, the event follows the same format as a top championship event, complete with an opening ceremony, jog, and award ceremony. Riders were also introduced to the team format of competition.This is my third time at the Young Rider Championships, but I make new friends every time, and its always so fun to be on the team and to be supporting my friends and getting to watch them, Suave said. We were all talking earlier about how so much of Young Riders is about the experience and not so much the results its not the end all, be all. Its so good to get the experience and hopefully use it for the future.The CCI3*-S winning team members were all from Area II: Caitlin ORourke and What the Devil, Maya Clarkson and Cluseo, and Megan Loughnane and Flamenco Ping.Caitlin ORoark & What The Devil on the jog strip at Maryland International in the Young Rider Championships. Photo credit to Veronica Green-GottIn the CCI2*-S division, Audrey Ogan took first place with her own Always Cooley. Canadas Chelsea Lowe took second with Donna Pledges Fernhill Malito Park and was followed closely by Canadas Saffron Klotz with her own Ballingowan Clarity.CCI2* winner Ogan said shes learned a lot from her Irish Sport Horse mare, Always Cooley. Despite some naysayers, Ogan continued to believe her horse could not only help her become a better rider, but produce results, too, making this win even more special. Some really special people, Kim Severson and Lewis Rogers, helped me get her, Ogan said. Shes the horse that I never really knew I needed. Shes been really tricky. Its been really fun to figure her out. I had been told that shes the horse that I learn on so that I can win on something else because she makes me a better rider. So it makes it really, really special to be able to come out here and win on my own horse.Ogans show jumping coach, Lynn Symanski, was instrumental in helping her improve her performance in the stadium. My coach, Lynn Symanski, has really done wonders to help us, because this is a tricky phase for my mare, Ogan said. I also get a little bit nervous in the show jumping. So as we walked the course, we talked about the places where I could take a deep breath and really know where Im going, so that as Im riding, I can just ride what I feel. And it was really incredible to go in there and have my horse feel so good.Audrey was the only rider to double medal, achieving first place as an individual and riding on the winning 2* team, alongside Luciana Hackett with As Good As Cash and Rylie Nelson with Galloway Sunrise.This is second place winner Chelsea Lowes second time at the Young Rider Championships. While she started the day with a healthy dose of pre-competition nerves, she pulled off a double clear show jumping to stay just 0.1 points ahead of third place. [Fernhill Malito Park] was a really good boy, he tries for me all the time. Im so very thankful to ride a horse like him, who just keeps trying and keeps giving his all at every show, Lowe said.Third place winner Saffron Klotz knew the pressure was on when she went into the ring. Starting the day in the lead, she had one rail down which dropped her to the third spot on the podium. My warm up was great and then in the ring, I settled a bit and got less nervous, Klotz said. [Ballingowan Clarity] tried his hardest for me the whole way around, until I couldnt see a jump, and then we had one down. So we lost the lead, but Im still super thrilled with him. He was amazing. He tries his hardest for me.In the CCI1*-S division, Catherine Purcell took the individual win on her own Mystic Hazzard, followed by Berkley Gardner and her own In Vogue. Katelyn Smith and her own HSH Henry maintained her third place position from yesterday.Purcells heart skipped a few beats throughout her round, but she managed to keep all the rails in the cups. I was riding as hard as I could and [Mystic Hazzard] just really helped me out. I felt her rub a couple rails and I was like, Ah, dang it. But they didnt fall down! She was just so good, Purcell said.The highlight of her time at the Young Rider Championships was the team aspect of the competition, according to Purcell. Its just so much fun and everyone is willing to help out when you need it. I was kind of a hot mess I mean, Im wearing Katelyns gloves. But everyone is just so kind and fun and easy to spend time with. Im really glad that I was fortunate enough to be put on a team with them.A Young Rider Championships first-timer, second place winner Smith could not believe she was on the podium. It was definitely super special. Its my first year here and [on day one] I was like, Wow, if I could be on that podium in the ceremony itd be like a dream come true.When she found herself standing on the podium, she said that It just didnt feel real to me at all. It didnt feel real.Area IIs Berkley Gardner and In Vogue, Sophia Stolley and Briana Stolleys BWE Stopping Waves, and Leeci Rowsell and Catherine Nolans Man of Conviction made up the CCI1*-S winning team.The competitors spoke highly of the pomp and circumstance around this years championships. Water balloons, a mechanical bull, and an action-packed opening and closing ceremonies added a lot of excitement to the weekend.Theyve really put a lot of effort into making it a really great team experience, having people from Canada and the teams all come together, said CCI2*-S winner Audrey Ogan. Theyve had so many activities that are team building, and its such a gorgeous venue. Its run so well, and theres so many volunteers and people that make the show run. Its just really, really special. And its a hot weekend, but they did a lot to make sure our horses were sound and happy and safe.The award ceremony was super special, Gardner said. I was kind of in a daze a little bit. We got up there and all the people were pointing their cameras at us. Everybody was smiling, everyone was happy to be there. So with all the support and everything we couldnt not be happy. It was really amazing.