Tamie Smith is your overall FEI division winner the Woodside International Horse Trials. Smith continues to prove she is a force to be reckoned with and this weekend was no different. With nine horses in the FEI divisions and one horse in Training, she was non-stop all weekend. We were able to catch up with Tamie to get her thoughts on the weekend and also hear about the behind the scenes that keep Next Level Eventing (NLE) performing at the top level. Smith is headed to the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event and Tyron International Three-Day Event to finish out the year and if her results here are any indication she will be the one to watch.
Tamie Smith shares thoughts on her weekend:
Erin Kellerhouse and her own Woodford Reserve (Tinaranas Inspector x Laharns Laughton), a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, finished right behind Smith to secure second place at her first-ever CCI4*-S! Kellerhouse and "Woody" came out of the start box on a mission - "He came out of the box wanting to go fast, I didn't have to push him he wanted to run," Kellerhouse said. Despite one green moment in the corner combination, it was a textbook round for the pair. This was the pair's last run before the CCI4*-L at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event in a couple of weeks, and with a little fine-tuning in the coming weeks, it's safe to say you will see this pair at the top of the leaderboard there as well.
Rebecca Braitling and Arnell Sporthorses' 9-year-old British Sport Horse gelding Caravaggio (Vangelis-S x Courtesan) had a great weekend, only adding 3.6 time penalties to their dressage score to finish second in the CCI3*-S. "I am thrilled with 'Ernie' - he's such an exciting horse to produce," Braitling conveyed. "I can't speak highly enough of the competition here this weekend, it was top class and the cross-country was seriously impressive." This pair is also headed to the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event in a couple of weeks and we look forward to seeing their success there as well.
Lauren Billys and her own and the Can Be Sweet Syndicate's 8-year-old German Sport Horse gelding Can Be Sweet (Candyman x Tres Belle) were one second over the optimum time to knock them down to second place in the CCI2*-S. The pair had a practically foot-perfect weekend and they will also be headed to the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event in a couple of weeks. Billys also had her own and the Purdy Syndicate LLC's 18-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Castle Larchfield Purdy (Karistos x Hallo Purdy) in the CCI4*-S and finished competitively in fourth place. This event qualified Billys and "Purdy" for the Toyko Olympics and we could not be more excited for this team. We caught up with Billys to hear her thoughts on the weekend.
Lauren Billys weighs in on the weekend at Woodside:
Preliminary through Introductory finished up their divisions Sunday in what was sure to be a great way to wrap a great event. We want to thank everyone who came out to compete, all of our volunteers, stewards, and officials. We could not do what we love without all of you! Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing everyone at Galway October 28 - November 1.
Make sure to follow along with all the excitement on our Facebook and keep up with live scores on EventEntries.com.
With 2025 just days away, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the top moments for the USEA across the 2024 season. Take a trip down memory lane with us and relive these high-performing moments from our online news, the USEA Podcast, and our Instagram account!
Eventers who are new to the sport may feel a little overwhelmed by the often-misunderstood world of saddle fitting. Riders are often bombarded with information from peers online or self-described experts, putting them at risk of following bad advice related to equipment that impacts horse welfare perhaps more than any other piece of tack. Finding a qualified expert to answer these questions is crucial. Who better to turn to than both a qualified Master Saddle Fitter and a fourth-generation saddle designer to answer some of these questions?
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.