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Thursday, August 06 2020 / Published in Weekly Feature

Brooks Hull: From Pony Finals to Grand Prix

By Summer Grace

On the opening day of the FEI Children’s Nations Cup at the Palm Beach Masters, 12-year-old Brooks Hull mounted a borrowed horse he had only ridden three times. Despite an obvious shiner on his left eye along with the challenge of competing on an unfamiliar horse, the young rider and his new mount headed into the ring for his very first class at the international level. 

Trainer and mentor Dustin Durham was a spectacle for the media crew surrounding the event as he kicked and grabbed at the fence-line, riding the course with his young student the entire way. 

A Bump in the Road

When the invite to be a part of the Children’s team had come two weeks prior, it seemed four years of intense daily training had finally paid off and Brooks would get the opportunity to represent his country in his first internationally-recognized equestrian competition. However, what should have been a celebratory moment was one of frustration and disappointment as his only horse was put on 30 days of stall rest that very same week. 

As this was an opportunity of a lifetime, and a goal they had been working toward for a year, Dustin immediately began making phone calls to find a possible short-term lease for the following week. Two days later, they were on the road to Wellington, Florida, with the goal of securing a ride. 

But shortly after mounting what everyone was sure would be their comeback horse, a disagreement at an oxer resulted in a nasty fall and an immediate black eye after one of the rails landed on his face.

Knowing how much this competition meant to Brooks, as well as to himself, Dustin picked Brooks up off the ground and, once cleared medically, put him right back into the saddle. 

“After the fall, I was convinced I couldn’t handle getting back on or riding any more horses that day,” Brooks said. “My eye was swollen almost shut and I was banged-up, bruised and feeling like garbage. But my mom and Dustin helped me to realize that if I was going to have any shot at the Nations Cup, I needed to keep going.”

“I knew this was a pinnacle moment for growth in his riding career,” Dustin explained. “How we recovered from this accident would stick with him for the rest of his life, so there was no way we were giving up.”

Despite his apprehension, Brooks put his trust in Dustin and they worked through his fear to successfully navigate the same horse over a full course of big fences 30 minutes later. 

Finding The One

While Brooks ultimately completed several successful rounds on this horse, Audrey Robison of Anvil Ridge Farm, mentioned one other horse she thought might be a better all-in match for the tenacious young rider. 

The group made a trip back to Audrey’s Loxahatchee-based farm and out came Gorky, a brave but strong grand prix horse that was proven to get over each fence. A single lap around the arena and Brooks confidently announced, “This is the one!”

The team had found the horse for the job, but there were still big hurdles to be overcome. 

This was one of the few times in FEI history that a horse swap would occur after names were announced for competition. USEF representatives’ main concern was the lack of results for the new pair — after all, competitors were chosen based on points and accomplishments with a specific horse in their show career over the past recognized year. Brooks had acquired a decent record as one of the younger riders in the country competing at the low junior jumper height on Cascal E. But with an entirely new mount, Brooks was a complete wild card to the team.

 Walk-Trot to International Competition

Like many other successful equestrians, Brooks began riding shortly after walking. He spent his beginning years at a local farm that catered to the basics of the sport. At the age of 8, he teamed up with his first partner, a 16-year-old Welsh mix named Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog (Froggy).

The two competed in monthly schooling shows at the walk-trot and crossrail level. But within the year, Brooks’ parents began to realize that their options for quality training in a small area such as Fort Myers, Florida, were limited. That is, until an encounter of fate put them in the path of the young and passion-driven rider and trainer Dustin Durham at a local friend’s barbecue. 

After watching Brooks, a complete stranger at the time, fall off while trying to jump a single crossrail in the backyard, Dustin couldn’t help but intervene. When asked what it was that made him step in, Dustin simply says he immediately saw the young boy’s potential. With proper training and time in the saddle, Dustin knew he could fast track the young rider into a successful athlete.

“He kept getting back on that horse even when he fell off,” Dustin recalled. “I just immediately saw a young me in him, in that he had the same passion and desire I’ve always had for this sport, and to be a part of that incredible journey in a young rider’s life was something I had thought about for many years.” 

Brooks’ riding routine quickly escalated to many hours a day, five days a week in the saddle, sometimes riding as many as seven horses a day. His mounts included some top-notch hunters, jumpers and sale horses, as well as Dustin’s own horse, a retired grand prix jumper.

“I put him on everything in the barn I could find,” Dustin said. “He rode most, if not all, of my own horses each day and then I would call my clients to see if I could put him on their horses too. There were many days that he had to be pushed way out of his comfort zone to do something that he felt was impossible but I’m always aiming high.”

In his first several years with Dustin, Brooks credits his most intense learning to an off-the-track Thoroughbred named Leroy Brown. The now-14-year-old gelding sat in a field for quite a few years after a short racing career and was green to the sport of jumping when Brooks, at the age of 9, took him over.

“Leroy and I basically grew up together,” he said. “Whenever we moved up a division or tackled something new, we were both doing it for the first time, so it was a unique experience because we helped train each other.”

At the age of 11, Brooks competed in the jumper ring with Leroy, and the same year qualified his 18-year-old pony, Froggy, for the USEF/Collecting Gaits Farm Pony Finals in the large pony hunter division. It was an idea that Brooks and Dustin had discussed but one that had seemed out of reach considering Froggy’s conformation and movement — he was not your classic hunter type. Still, a single successful weekend at Fox Lea Farm in the large pony division gave the pair the points they needed to head to Kentucky a few months later.

Brooks and his original walk-trot mount ticked off another goal and made their debut in the prestigious Walnut ring against almost 200 other horse-and-rider combinations. However, his real experience and development came with the investment in Cascal E in 2019.  

Brooks and Cascal got to know each other for a few months while competing in the high children’s jumpers before moving on to the low junior jumper division. The transition from competing ponies and small jumper classes to larger and more technical courses was a turning point for Brooks as he came to realize the necessity of all of the hard work put in.

“I hit the dead end of talent when I began showing Cascal in the 1.10m to 1.20m divisions,” he said. “I had to figure out how to really, truly work and put in an honest effort. That’s when I started to have better overall results and become more consistent.”

Just Getting Started

After intense competition in the team Nations’ Cup, the U.S. Children’s team jumped to a gold medal finish, a feat that Brooks contributed to by securing the first clear round in phase 1. His biggest success came with double-clear rides and a fourth place finish in the $3,000 Bainbridge CSIOCH Grand Prix. 

Shortly after their incredible weekend, the horse show industry — and much of the world — came to a screeching halt with the invasion of COVID-19. Despite stepping away from the show ring, Brooks and Dustin have taken full advantage of their time at home and have new goals for the coming fall season. 

“We’ve been working towards a new goal for Brooks to compete in the regional grand prix during the Central Florida Hunter Jumper Association show in Tampa in the fall,” Dustin said. “While disappointed to have a break in the show season, we’ve been training hard and keeping things moving at the farm. Actually, I think the quarantine has been a bit good for us all to take a step back and be able to prepare at home more without the pressure of competition. That being said, we’re definitely excited to get back into the show ring.”

Brooks’ family also purchased Colloway Farms, a 17-acre property in the heart of Fort Myers where he now lives and is part of the daily care of his horses. Meanwhile, Dustin has been able to expand his training business at Colloway and continues to develop young talent consisting of both horses and riders.

“At the end of the day, we’re all here because we love horses,” Dustin said. “There’s nothing more fun than working with them and creating an environment where young riders can accomplish their dreams.” 

Photos by Roger Prehoda, unless noted otherwise

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Tagged under: grand prix, horse show, pony finals, pony week, weekly feature

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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

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Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
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An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
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For more information, you can contact 
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You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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