United States Eventing Association

The USEA is made up of over 12,000 members, each with their own special horses and experiences. Now on Course is a new article series highlighting the many unique stories of our membership. Do you and your horse have a tale to tell? Do you know someone who deserves recognition? Submit your ideas to Shelby at [email protected].

Brigitte Aickelin and Evening Melody just completed their first CIC* last month at the Cloud 11/Gavilan North’s Carolina International. Aickelin has brought “Harper,” a 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Catienus x Night Music), along herself from the racetrack to the FEI levels. She has had Harper for three years after purchasing him from T Square Stud in Ocala, Fla.

Harper’s introduction to working was lively, but Aickelin didn’t shy from his green antics. “He bucked a lot. Just about every day for the first five minutes he would fit in as many bucks as he could,” she said of the early part of their relationship. “He was excited and happy, and it was something I just had to get through.”

Aickelin and Harper finish their first CIC* dressage test. USEA/Shelby Allen Photo.

Harper’s enthusiasm for training, and bucking, grew when the Aickelin introduced jumping. “When we started jumping, we started getting bigger bucks and bucks between fences,” she laughed, but it wasn’t long before Harper learned his job. Aickelin said that besides the excitement in the beginning, he was easy to transform into an eventing machine. “He’s a very fast learner. He isn’t super brave, but he’s also not scared of the world. He does what I ask him to do as long as I put it into a way he can understand. It was really fun to see the difference [in him] from straight of the track to a one-star,” she said.

The pair did their first Horse Trial together in 2014 at Fair Hill H.T. They continued polishing the Novice and Training level for the next year, and made the move up to Preliminary last summer.

Brigitte Aickelin and Evening Melody finish the cross-country at Carolina International. USEA/Shelby Allen Photo.

No matter the outing, Harper always seems to be camera ready. “Harper always thinks, ‘I need by best side, but all my sides are great, so start taking pictures!’,” Aickelin joked. Hanging out around his stall, it’s impossible to miss a perfect ear-pricked moment for a photo with him, and his love for the camera doesn’t end there. “He gallops through cross-country and looks for the camera, poses for the camera and keeps galloping,” she added. Last summer at the Richland Park Horse Trials, the pair nearly missed a jump on course due to Harper’s eye for the spotlight.

“I was coming to the coffin combination before the last water. We jumped through the coffin, and right on the other side he spotted the photographer. You can see [in the picture series] he had his ears back galloping. He turns one ear, then the other and gives a full head shot to the photographer, and I’m working to get his attention before a big table,” Aickelin explained. They went onto finish with a clear round and even more photo-opts.

In addition to his athleticism and canny ability to spot a photographer from a mile away, Aickelin says he’s a sweetheart in the barn. “He’s a big ham and an attention hog. He doesn’t have many flaws he just wanted you to rub his ears, take pictures of him and feed him,” she smiled. “He’s fun to be around. When he’s got the bridle on, and you scratch his face or ears you’ll be his best friend forever.”

Well-deserved face scratches for Harper after dressage. USEA/Shelby Allen Photo.

The sky is the limit for Aickelin and Harper after a smashing start to their FEI career at Carolina. “I had a blast. I didn’t feel like we struggled at all. He couldn’t have done any better. It was an overwhelming feeling of joy and happiness and all the good emotions you can imagine,” she describes. As for what’s next she continued, “I would like to move him up to intermediate and try my hand at that. I would like to progress him up the levels as much as I can and as much as he allows me to; to see how far he can really go.” Immediately, the pair is contesting their first CCI* this weekend at the Ocala Horse Properties Three-Day Event this weekend, so if you see Harper be sure to snap his photo, give him and ear scratch and wish them good luck!

"Try and get my good side here," Harper was surely thinking.