Five-star eventer Kristin Bachman taught a show jumping clinic earlier this month at Milestone Sport Horses in Lovettsville, Virginia where she instructed riders on how to use the counter canter to improve balance and rhythm. Bachman explained to participants how the use of outside leg to inside rein to create the counter canter helps balance the horse and improve his rhythm by “standing him up” off the outside leg, giving him a better jump over the fence. Within the exercise, Bachman asked participants to alternate jumping out of the counter canter and the true canter to demonstrate how the counter canter affects the horse's jump overall, even from the true canter.
Originally from the West Coast, Kristin Bachman first came to the East Coast with her superstar event horse Gryffindor and decided to stay. Along the way they competed at the Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4* three times. Now based in Virginia, Kristin enjoys teaching riders of all levels and showing them how to be successful at any level.
Thank you to Milestone Sport Horses for hosting the clinic and thank you to Event Clinics for connecting riders and organizers by simplifying the registration and payment processes for equestrian activities.
Thirty-five five-star horses presented today under sunny skies at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.
If all goes according to plan in the first part of the extended weekend, we will see 36 horses galloping across Derek di Grazia's CCI5*-L cross-country course at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (DK3DE). We partnered up with the team at CrossCountry App to bring you a preview of both the five-star and CCI4*-s tracks this year.
Lights, cameras, action! The first formal horse inspection (which some might informally refer to as "the jog") at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE) takes place this afternoon at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. While this part of the event is a fan-favorite historically based on the impeccable turnout of the horses and the stylish and forward fashion choices of the riders (we are looking at you Boyd Martin in hopes that you bring back the American flag suit circa 2022), it serves a very important purpose: ensuring that each horse is fit, sound, and ready to compete at the five-star level.
There are so many things to love about the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event and the opportunity to peruse the booths of so many amazing vendors is definitely one of them! Don’t forget to stop by the USEA booth, located just behind the Rolex Stadium next to the large Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event booth, to stock up on all of your favorite USEA apparel.