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Oct 28, 2019
Archie Rocks (2008-2019)
The USEA is saddened to share the news that Archie Rocks (Le Monde x Unbridled Diva), an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by rider Felix Vogg, Jürgen Vogg, and Phoenix Eventing S.à.r.l., was euthanized on Saturday, October 26, 2019, following a fall on cross-country at fence 28B at the Les Etoiles de Pau CCI5*-L.
“It is with a great sadness that we announce that Archie Rocks, ridden by Switzerland’s Felix Vogg and owned by Phoenix Eventing S.à.r.l., was put down on Saturday, October 26, following a fall on the cross-country, while competing at the CCI5*-L of Les 5 Etoiles de Pau, France,” the event said in a statement. “The fall occurred on fence 28B. The decision to put the horse down was taken by the owner, in consultation with the show veterinarians."
“Archie Rocks suffered an irreparable shoulder fracture, considered to be severe by the veterinarians on the site,” Vogg said in the statement. “Despite all efforts to save him, we have had to take the difficult decision to put him to sleep. Archie was a very special horse in many respects. Special thoughts go to all his American fans, who have given him their support throughout his career. He was outstanding on the cross-country, a sweet horse who gave his best to his rider.”
Archie Rocks raced in the United States under the name Smittys Messiah, earning over $30,000 in 30 starts from 2010 to 2013. Maya Simmons purchased Smittys Messiah from Chris Talley and rechristened him Archie Rocks after her grandfather. Together, Archie Rocks and Simmons competed together through the CCI4*-S level before passing the reins to Buck Davidson. Davidson piloted Archie Rocks to top-10 finishes in their four starts together, including a win in the 2018 Plantation Field CIC3*. Vogg purchased Archie Rocks at the end of 2018 and during the last year earned top finishes at the Pratoni del Vivaro CCIO4*-S and the Strzegom CCI4*-L. They also represented Switzerland at the European Championships this summer.
The USEA extends our deepest condolences to all Archie Rocks’s connections and fans.
Aug 10, 2020
Education
How Strong is Your Novice Game?
How competitive have your Novice results been? What’s a good final score? What’s a good dressage score? What does it take to win? In our third installment of this series, EquiRatings showcases the Novice level. Use these graphs and statistics to help evaluate your Novice game.
Aug 09, 2020
Education
Conditioning the Event Horse at the Novice and Training Levels
Conditioning makes the horse fit and increases his endurance performance with less wear and tear on feet and legs. The idea is to work his heart and lungs in short intervals, let him recover a bit, then work him again. The following schedule for Training level horse provides an introduction for the horse and rider at the lower levels to the principle of interval training.
Aug 08, 2020
Future Event Horse
How to Prepare Young Horses for the Show Atmosphere with the O’Neals
Within their first few years of being born, young horses have the opportunity to get a taste of U.S. Eventing through the USEA’s young horse programs. The USEA Future Event Horse Program (FEH) evaluates the potential of yearlings, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 4-year-olds under saddle to become successful upper level event horses while the USEA Young Event Horse Program (YEH) evaluates the potential of 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds to become successful upper level event horses.
Aug 07, 2020
Course Designers/Builders
Considerations for Building Cross-Country Jumps at Home
If your farm has the space to set up a cross-country schooling course, it can be to your advantage to have cross-country jumps available for schooling purposes. Safety should be the number one priority when designing and building cross-country jumps, and an expert should be consulted whenever possible.
