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Sunday, May 07 2023 / Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature

Reflecting on the Grand Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field

By Liz Halliday-Sharp

At the beginning of March, we headed off to Aiken, South Carolina, for the Grand Prix Eventing Festival. This was the fifth running of the showcase-style event and my fourth time there, and it’s a competition that I always look forward to. What makes this event so unique is that it’s held in the compact grounds of Bruce’s Field and is run through a mixture of grass and surfaced arenas, making it an ideal venue for spectators to enjoy all three phases of our sport.

This year was no exception, and many of the best riders in the country came to compete. I was thrilled to have three of my best horses there, who all performed well, and it was especially great to take the win with Miks Master C. This was my third time winning the competition on three different horses, which was very exciting!

I find that our sport keeps changing all of the time, and I do believe that these “showcase” style events are a fantastic addition for spectators, riders and horses. I would like to see a few more of them throughout the season, and while I still love the traditional version of eventing, these shorter, more compact competitions could have a real place going forward.

From my standpoint, there are many benefits to shows like the Grand Prix Eventing Festival in Aiken. The venue provides a lot of atmosphere for the horses and it’s a fantastic opportunity to ride through a four-star/five-star test early in the season. The show jumping is also always challenging and up to height, and again provides a lot of atmosphere for the horses thanks to the hospitality tents and the large number of spectators.

The event is run over two days, which keeps things exciting and efficient for everyone, and with the cross-country taking place in such compact space, it gives people a chance to really experience eventing. While the course is still challenging and the time is very tight, the distance is shorter so the wear and tear on the horses is significantly less while the intensity and focus required is still very high.

It’s important to find new avenues to get people excited about eventing, and I know that every person who came to watch the Grand Prix in Aiken was instantly hooked and enjoyed some great days of sport. I also believe that in these more compact venues with live streaming, there are more opportunities for bigger sponsors to get involved where they can get greater coverage than they typically would during a standard eventing competition. It’s necessary to find ways to bring more money into the sport as well, and I think these showcase events are a great way to make that more achievable. For the riders and owners, it’s also important to have competitions available where good prize money can be won. I find that there are so few events that offer much financial gain for top placings, so it provides a real incentive to the best riders to bring top horses and compete for something substantial at the end.

I believe that these shorter showcase events could be an excellent avenue for some of the older horses that still enjoy competing but maybe don’t need the wear and tear of the longer cross-country courses. When Fernhill By Night was reaching the end of his career, I really enjoyed competing at Bruce’s Field and in the Wellington Showcase with him because he was still able to be competitive without needing the heavy fitness work required to run a longer course with more terrain. It was such a wonderful option for a talented, older horse that still loved his job.

I want to be clear that it’s my hope that these competitions become a supplement to our normal eventing season rather than a replacement. There are so many ways that we can use these shows as preparation for bigger events and also generate more money and recognition for riders, owners and the sport as a whole.

We all need to be open to finding new ways to help eventing grow and continue going forward, and I think with competitions like the Grand Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field we can get more people involved and show the public what a great sport eventing really is.

Photo by Christine Quinn Photography

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Tagged under: Bruce’s Field, Christine Quinn Photography, Grand Prix Eventing Festival, Liz Halliday-Sharp, Wellington Showcase

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Yay for June! We have another great edition for yo Yay for June! We have another great edition for you all that we can't wait for you to read. Up first are Evan and Ashley Donadt a dynamic duo that has won the hearts of many! Stay tuned for many great stories like this by following us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribing to get your very own copy of Sidelines Magazine!

What happens when a horse-crazy equestrian girl meets a never-touched-a-horse-before guy? If you’re Ashley and Evan Donadt, it might just be the beginning of a happily-ever-after that includes a solid dressage program and extremely popular social media channels featuring good-natured humor and horses.

Ashley, a lifelong equestrian, began her horse experiences with the local 4-H club, progressed to lessons with the local dressage trainer when she was 10, then her own pony when she was 11. Conversely, Evan grew up in Massachusetts, without any horse experience to speak of. The odds of them meeting were fairly low, until fate landed them both in Southern California.

Evan knew from the start that spending time with Ashley meant spending time at the barn. In fact, Ashley told him straightaway, “The horses come first always; you’re going to be second!” Evan wasn’t deterred, and instead found the loophole: spending all his own free time with her at the barn.

Read Ashley and Evan's full article in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! You can also click the link in our bio. Don't forget to subscribe to get your very own copy delivered right to your door! Thank you Evan and Ashley for allowing us to share your story!
📸Portraits by Jeni Jo Brunner

#sidelinesmagazine #sidelines2023 #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
As we head into June we wrap up our May women entr As we head into June we wrap up our May women entrepreneur, edition. We were so lucky to be able to feature so many amazing women within the Horse industry. We have one more to share with you, and if you missed any of the women entrepreneur stories head to our website for all of our past issues! Enjoy! 

Hurry Up and Wait” is a familiar saying at hunter-jumper competitions. Unlike other disciplines, where 
riders are assigned specific ride times, hunter-jumper riders typically must check in with the starter at 
the in-gate throughout the day to determine when they will show. In 2019, Emma Fass decided to put 
her computer science background to use in the show industry and created RingSide Pro to allow riders 
to be “ringside” wherever they are.
Throughout high school, Emma competed at horses shows on her horse Son Of A Sailor, aka Ernie, 
oftentimes trailering Ernie into the show for the day with her mom. “That was stressful because we 
didn’t know how the show was running until we got there. Even once we were on the show grounds, we 
struggled to find information. It’s a hike to the rings and the speakers in the barns tend to be 
unreliable,” Emma said. “I would think to myself, There’s got to be a better way.”

For more information, visit www.ringsidepro.com

Read Emma’s full story at sidelinesmagazine.com, and never miss an edition of Sidelines magazine by subscribing. 

@ringsideproinsta @emmafass 
📸Photos by Kirsten Konopnicki, kkonophoto #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! G The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! 
Get ready to meet the cutest, funniest and very talented equestrian couple from California - Evan Donadt and Ashley Donadt. Thanks Jeni Brunner for the great cover photo! 

Evan is a Tik Tok and social media star, along with several of their horses and ponies. So get ready to laugh, and also be inspired by their relationship and Ashley's dressage goals - she's headed to the top! You will love them and their story will make you want to follow them on social media! 

We also feature hunter-jumper rider Will Baker who has a new farm near Ocala, Florida, complete with a cute donkey (and lots of amazing horses of course), equestrian artist Jan Lukens of Jan Lukens Fine Art (if you were a fan of Gem Twist you will love his paintings!), talented Texas dressage rider John Mason who has a great story, hunter-jumper rider Addison Reed who is now showing in the Grand Prix, and we catch up with the amazing Kate Egan and her larger-than-life horse and her story about how she won a car!

Former eventing groom Courtney Carson tells us about her new career, eventer Nicole Zardus shares her story of retraining racehorses for the eventing and foxhunting world, and we catch up with the very talented rider Luke Jensen who is now a professional rider for North Run's Missy Clark and John Brennan. Don't miss Luke's touching story about the horse Jamaica! 

We feature Robert Crandall in our Unbridled column, along with our great columnists who share their wisdom: eventing with Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing, dressage with George Williams, hunter-jumper with Rob Jacobs R.L. Jacobs and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. Also enjoy the Show Time pages from The FEI World Cup Finals and the American Equestrians Got Talent competition. It's another great issue!!

Don't forget to visit our website and order a subscription - one year for $14.95 - you can't beat that! In the meantime, enjoy the June issue. Link in bio! 
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
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