Photo by Julia Shearwood Photography

Issue 1 Winter 2011

Contact Information White Elm, Pudsey Hall Lane Canewdon, Essex SS4 3RY

VBEventing@yahoo.co.uk

Mobile 07889 801045

www.vbeventing.co.uk

IN THE START BOX

Sponsor opportunities for 2012Are you looking to sponsor a rider and would be interested in joining our team or are you an ownerand would like VBEventing to compete your Thoroughbred

Summary of 2011 Eventing SeasonA look back on the highs and lows of the 2011 season. With wins, 10’s , new partners, new friendsand new careers fro new horses

Racehorse Re-TrainingThinking of getting an ex-racehorse , then check out the Hints & Tips from the Retraining ofRacehorses Charity & Equine Management & Training

Featured Event - Barbury CastleVBEventing have travelled to some fantastic places during 2011. Barbury Castle and the Re-trainingof Racehorse Championships was our highlight. Plus Course photos

4

8

16

20

Throughbred EventingVBEventing - Racehorse to Event Horse and why we will only compete Ex-Racehorses

14

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE; HORSE PROFILES, VBEVENTING SPONSORS, FUTURE FEATURES

Stable Name - Crysto

Sire - Northern Crystal

Dam - Kahuna Magic

Colour / Sex - Bay Gelding

Height - 16.0hh

Foaled - 2002

Races - 25

Currently competing at BE Intermediate

Northern Crystal

BEventing have a team of Racehorses that we have re-trained and are now competing at various levels within theBritish Eventing pyramid. Victoria Bax is the rider and trainer andhas taken her Racehorses from the early stages of re-trainingthrough to CIC International events. Victoria is based in Essex andhas acquired her own facilities in which to produce and re-trainRacehorses into Event Horses which she does in between workingas a Police Officer.

Victoria is not the only person to have competed ex-racehorses,but VBEventing are the only people that solely compete Ex-Racehorses within British Eventing and we are looking forpartners / supporters

t VBEventing we only compete Ex-Racehorses and willcontinue to stay true to our passion in showing the elegance,grace, power and loyalty of the Thoroughbred, we aim to have astring of ex-racehorses that have been successfully re-trained andcompeting at the highest level of British Eventing.

Victoria is extremely enthusiastic and motivated with a passion for horses and Eventing that has led to manysuccesses which your company could share in. Victoria is most certainly a rider who is sure to achieve greatersuccesses through her commitment, skill and trust with racehorses.

t VBEventing we only compete Ex-Racehorses and willcontinue to stay true to our passion in showing the elegance,grace, power and loyalty of the Thoroughbred, we aim to have astring of ex-racehorses that have been successfully re-trained and

Victoria is extremely enthusiastic and motivated with a passion for horses and Eventing that has led to manysuccesses which your company could share in. Victoria is most certainly a rider who is sure to achieve greatersuccesses through her commitment, skill and trust with racehorses.

Top Left: Crystal Ka racing at Plumpton Racecourse asa 4yr old in 2006

Middle: Crystal Ka X-Country at the Retraining ofRacehorse Championship , which took place atBarbury Castle in July

Bottom Right: Crystal Ka on his way to a 14.5Dressage score in his last outing of 2011. Nowaffiliated to British Dressage for the winter atAdvanced Medium

Racehorse to Event Horsewith venting

Stable+ is a spray which is applied to Stables,surroundings and bedding. Stable+ applied tothe bedding and surrounds can help suppressany harmful microorganisms that could causediseases and the manure will dry quickermaking it less odorous. We also recommendapplying to your horse transport system bycreating familiar odours to the day to day livingareas.

Protect+ is a spray which is applied directlyto affected parts of your horse, taking carenot to spray directly into eyes. Thearomatherapy oils and their associatedodours create an environment that does notappeal to flies, fleas, tics,midges etc. Theproduct can also be applied to horse rugsand halters.

BenefitsEmvelo products work together to demonstrate;

• Natural suppression of the growth of harmfulmicro-organisms in your horses’ surrounds bybalancing the bacteria in the environment.

• A more pleasant stable and transportenvironment for your horse with lowerammonia levels and sweeter smelling.

• Freedom from chemicals and pesticides canoften make horses happier and far moreresponsive.

• Deter annoying flies without the use ofchemicals and pesticides.

• Lab test shows the products assist in control ofdisease such as E.Coli, Salmonella andCampylobacter.

• The manure is less offensive and can becomposted directly.

• Compost quality is excellent because it containslive beneficial micro-organisms to re-inoculate thesoil and ferment organic material.

• No harmful side effects or withdrawal.

Breathe+ is a water-soluble respiratoryspray comprising a blend of naturalessential oils which provides symptomaticrelief for breathing difficulties. EmveloBreathe+ helps to liquefy thick stickymucous and open up breathing passages.

Healthy Horses Love EmveloHorses are highly attuned to nature andthey love perfect balance. Horses’respiratory systems are extremely sensitiveand by using our products we can help youto provide a healthy comfortableenvironment for your horses to inhabit,thereby reducing factors that can causestress. Emvelo’s range of products helpempower you to allow your horses to freelydevelop their full physical potential in anatural balanced environment whilstreducing the need for chemicals,pesticides and drugs.

Emvelo Products Ltd, RoseCottage Dibden Hill, Chalfont StGiles Buckinghamshire, HP8

Tel: +44 (0)1494 875848 www.emvelo.co.uk

Ezemvelo is a Zulu word forthe ‘natural state’ encompassing

everything that is good aboutnature; abundance, growth,

beauty, balance, health, energy

To bring new horses through and to sustain the levels of competition, it takes support, andI have been blessed with the support that I receive from both family and friends and duringthe 2011 season I have been thrilled with the companies that approached me and believedin what we are doing with the racehorses. They have kindly offered their support to mewith products and equipment and in these times of austerity that support has beengratefully received.For the upcoming 2012 Eventing season we are interested in talking with perspectivepartners who believe and see value in what we are doing and wish to be associated withthat vision and become part of the TeamFor continued development, and maintaining the success of the horses, VBEventing hopesto build a team of owners and sponsors who share her passion for Three Day Eventing andthe Re-Training of Racehorses. Owners and sponsors are an essential component of anyevent riders team, particularly those who aspire to reach the very top which Victoriacertainly does. With the financial backing of owners and sponsors Victoria will be able torealise her own, her owners and her sponsors ambitions and compete their string ofhorses at the very highest level, whilst involving people with the sport of Eventing.

ike all sports at International level, Eventing is expensive and most riders need corporate or personal sponsorship to be

able to continue their careers, but there are many ways in which companies or individuals can offer their support orsponsorship, all of which are greatly appreciated as it would not be possible for me to achieve my ambitions without thathelp.

Finding out I had a dressagescore of 14.5

Supporting venting in 2012,Owners & Sponsors - Come and be part of the team

Supporting venting in 2012,Owners & Sponsors - Come and be part of the team

Eventing is a team sport - horse, rider andthe supporters. We can not achieve thesegoals without your support. For moreinformation and a full sponsorship packplease contact VB Eventing.

Owners in return for your financial,and moral support we hope to offer youa wide range of benefits and continue the investment that you made intoyour racehorse and revel in the excitement at the progress of the horse stillcarrying your racing colours.

Owners and sponsors would obtain regular updates on Victoria and thehorses progress via the website / Facebook / Twitter / E-Newsletter andhope you would join Victoria at some of the many events she attends,perhaps to join us for a Champagne picnic, walk the Cross Country coursewith Victoria or simply spectate and absorb some of the most beautifullocations in Europe.

Being an owner or sponsor provides the very best way to enjoy the socialaspects of Eventing not least the Event Horse Owners Association marqueesthat are a fixture of many of the top events! Owners will receivephotographs and DVDs of their horses in action and we would encourageyou to attend our training clinics to see your horses progress. We haveprovided commercial benefits to our existing sponsors with advertising onthe side of Victoria’s horse box, on VB Eventing clothing and the horsesequipment.

� Increase company profile through

association with strong brand values

� Align your company with a successful

sport

� Target an affluent audience

� Have exclusivity within your sector

� Extend your media coverage

� Involve your company with an exciting

spectator sport

Victoria could be competing your Re-Trained Racehorse head to head with current national andOlympic team members and ultimately taking your horse onto international teams and around themost recognisable tracks in the sport.

We are always interested in talking to new partners, and are especially interested in Racing Yardsthat would like to see horses taken into a 2nd career once there racing one has finished, and if yourinvolved in the racing industry why not support an International Event Rider that only competes onre-trained racehorses

Maintenance

For best performance, the bedding should not bedisturbed any more than necessary, as the control ofwet and odour depends on the bed remaining inplace.

On a daily basis remove solids. When doing so, besure to shake the fork lightly, any bedding picked upwith the manure will drop back on to the bed - so lesswaste. Damp patches on the surface of the bedshould be spread out across the top of the bed withthe back of the shavings fork and mixed with drybedding. If there are any saturated patches on thesurface, they should be very localised; carefully digthem out without removing any dry material.

Once removed, level the bed by filling in with anyremaining pellets and dry bedding material from therest of the bed.

For clean horses - once a week, scatter one bag ofFive Star over the bed. This should be added drywithout adding any further water.

For wetter horses - twice a week, scatter half a bag ofFive Star over the bed, adding no water. For a verywet horse, or if the horse is in the stable for extendedperiods, add half a bag 3 to 4 times per week.

Add the new bedding to the wettest part of the bed.Avoid turning over or mixing the bed too much,except when mixing dry pellets into a wet area.

Five Star will absorb ammonia, which is good forhealthy hooves and will keep the stable smellingsweet. If you can smell ammonia, this will either bebecause the bedding has been disturbed too much orbecause part of the surface has become saturated.Removing saturated areas and filling with dry bedding- or adding new bedding if required, will quickly solvethis problem.

Order your bedding from:

www.fivestarbedding.co.uk

HIGHLY ABSORBENTEASY TO USEECONOMICALSPACE SAVINGQUICK TO MUCK OUT

www.fivestarbedding.co.uk

Dust & pathogen free softwood flakes

Martin KiftFive Star BeddingEdenbridgeKentTelephone: 01732 863116 or07973 848365

Recommendation

At VBEventing we have now been using the wood pellets fromFive Star Bedding for the last 5 months. We have have foundthe quality of the pellet to be far superior to what we usedpreviously, therefore there is less waste, the beds are easier toclean, it saves me more money and most importantly thehorses are healthy due to the reduction in dust and comfort ofthe bed.

The service from Martin and his team has been excellent and Iwould not hesitate to recommend them as an organisation orproduct

Five Star benefits

Labour Saving• Heavy work cleaning stables is a thing of the past.• Maintenance reduced to daily removing of solids and

occasional removal of wet spots.

Space Saving• The volume needed to set up a bed is significantly less

than is required of shavings.• Enough bedding to start 8 beds is stored on one pallet.• One bag per week or less is all that is needed to

maintain a bed.• Less than one pallet per horse per year.

Minimizes Dust• The raw material for Five Star goes through an

extensive screening and de-dusting process.• Five Star is made entirely of small dense wood flakes.• Bed will not be kicked up or blown in a breeze.• The result is no dust in the Five Star environment.• Helps prevent COPD, benefits horses suffering from

the condition and improves aerobic fitness.

Eliminates Ammonia & Odour• Five Star is able to absorb four times its weight in liquid.• Absorbs wetness and ammonia immediately.• Reduces the risk of hoof thrush.• Gives your stables a fresh, natural pine smell.

Reduces Waste• Five Star separates from manure and remains in the

stable when mucking out.• Longer lasting than traditional bedding with a significant

reduction in waste.

100% Biodegradable• Five Star breaks down into small flakes that are ready to

go straight from your stable to agricultural fields unlikelarge shavings which can take up to a year or more tobreak down.

Cleaner, Drier, Healthier Stables• The tremendous absorbing power of Five Star traps

urine and ammonia on contact resulting in a drier stable.• With Five Star you provide a healthier environment for

your horse and foals effectively and economically.

About Five Star

Five Star bedding is made from untreated virginsoftwood wood flakes - a by-product of the timberindustry.

The flakes are screened to a 3mm particle size, dustextracted in a cyclone then treated with steam.

The flakes are then pressed into pellets under hightemperature and pressure, reducing the moisturecontent to less than 4%. These pellets are thenscreened and de-dusted twice more and then finallyvacuumed before packing.

In its dry state the 15kg bags of Five Star bedding areeasy to handle. In its re-hydrated form the bedding hasa full fluffy texture but which is firm enough to supportthe horse and will not compact down with use.

Five Star bedding is made to strict quality standardsresulting in a consistent product.

How to use

Five Star bedding is made from wood flakes withmost of the water extracted. It has a very highcapacity for absorption, but just as you need todampen a dry cloth before you wipe up a spill, FiveStar needs to be re-hydrated to maximise its rate ofabsorption.

For a half bed in a 12ft by 12ft stable you will needeight bags of Five Star. For a larger stable or a biggerbed, use one bag per square yard/metre. Theminimum depth of bedding you should aim for is 4” -5” or 100mm - 125mm. To create banks, add furtherbags - at least one per wall.

To set up the initial bed, lay the bags out evenlyacross the stable floor where you want the bed to be,leaving roughly equal gaps between the bags, thefront of the bed and the walls.

Cut an opening in each bag. Starting at the back ofthe stable, add 8 litres of water to each bag.

After about 10 minutes all the water should beabsorbed, so return to the first bag you added water

to and tip its contents outonto the floor. Repeat withthe remaining bags.

With a rake, or fine-tinedshavings fork, spread thebedding out evenly andmake up any banks.

The bedding will now havea soft, fluffy texture butsome pellets may still bevisible. This is normal, asthe remaining Five Starpellets will break downover the next 5 to 10 days,depending on how wet thehorse is.

That's the end of another Eventing season andwhat a years its been, a year that has seen our firstwin at the Nurstead Intermediate Novice, Crystomoving up to Intermediate, RoR Championships atBarbury Castle, Salto taking part in his first Eventsand the BYEH at Barbury Castle, along withwinning in his first two dressage outings and wehave also had 10's this year in Crysto's dressage atGt Witchingham. Popps was placed in 4 events and2nd in an RoR classSo all in all not a bad year for a bunch of ex-racehorses, and culminated in a 14.5 dressagescore for Cyrsto at his last run of the season

All of which could not have been achieved withoutthe help of some fantastic people:Tina Atkins - Dressage GuruLucy Thompson - Just a LegendLisa Thompson - Lucky MascotKylie Jenkins - Chief CheerleaderSharon Wadsworth - Friend in a millionFred and Rowena Cook - Help and Advice onRacehorses

Special thanks to the organisations that have supported us this andhelped with product and support, all of which has made the season whatit is:Emvelo - For a great product in Stable+ that has gone everywhere with usPatrick Saddlery - The horse and rider were good, but the saddles wereexceptionalFive Star Bedding - Wood pellets at there bestTarget Dry - Otherwise we would have got very wet this yearSwish Horse-Rugs - Quality rugs that all the team have.

Thanks for all the comments and support and to all the nice people thatwe have met this year

Review of British Eventing Season 2011

what a years its been, a year that has seen our first

Gt Witchingham. Popps was placed in 4 events and

All of which could not have been achieved without

Top Left to Right - Showjumping in the pouring rain at Great Witchingham, Popps at Nurstead, Beautiful saddle from Patrick Saddlery

Middle left to right - Crysto at RoR Championships , Salto BYEH, Cyrsto warming up on the way to our Intermdiate Novice , Crysto x-country at RoR Championships,

Bottom Left to Right - X-Country schooling at Littleton Manor, Dressage at Aston Le Walls, Crysto in orbit, RoR demo with Yogi Briesner

Review of British Eventing Season 2011

Retraining a RACEHORSE

"We believe that we owe it to racehorses, whohave given so much enjoyment and sometimesfinancial reward that their lives should not endwhen they can not race anymore"

RoR Chairman - Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles

RACEHORSE

RETRAINING OF RACEHORSES CHARITY

he Retraining of Racehorses(RoR) is a charityestablished in 2000 whose aims are, first, to raise fundswithin Racing to provide and maintain facilities for thereception, care, retraining and re-homing of formerracehorses and, secondly, to raise the profile of ex-racehorses within the wider equestrian world in order topromote their adaptability to other equestrian pursuitsand, thirdly, to work towards achieving an equilibriumbetween the demand for ex-racehorses and the number ofhorses leaving racing that are suitable for a second career.An objective of the charity is to promote formerracehorses in other sport horse disciplines. In generalthoroughbreds have an even temperament, are athletic,versatile and highly intelligent and with the right care andretraining, a former racehorse can be extremely rewarding.Many have gone on to be very successful in Eventing,Dressage, Show Jumping, Showing, Endurance and Polo orare simply hacking around the countryside

Whether you enjoy competing or simply hacking around thecountryside there are lots of success stories to illustrate thatformer racehorses can adapt to, and excel in, the equine sports inwhich you participate.

Whilst every horse is different and some will be more suitable tocertain equine pursuits than others, in general thoroughbredshave even temperaments and are athletic, intelligent and durable.These qualities together with the constant handling theyexperience during their racing career means that with the rightretraining, facilities and on-going care you will find having aformer racehorse extremely rewarding.

Remember the day the horse leaves the training yard its life istipped upside down so that is when any behavioural or stress-related symptoms will kick in. So do give your new horse time toadjust to its new lifestyle.� Be realistic about your ability and experience and don't be

afraid to seek help and advice rather than become anxious andupset if something occurs you are not sure about.� Take the time to read about the life of a horse in training so you

can gain a better understanding of why you may encountercertain difficulties at some point.� Although the horse is used to being ridden it will not really have

any idea about conventional riding techniques.� It probably won't stand still for you to mount; some will rear up

a little if you try and stop them from walking away. This isbecause lads/lasses and jockeys are more often than not leggedup whilst the horse is walking. Some will stand providedsomeone holds them.Left: Popps Princess schooling at Littleton Manor. Middle: Vic, Salto and Yogi

Briesner at an RoR Demo. Left: Godolphin horses hacking out at Newmarket

T

� Your braking system could well be limited or even non-existent especially in open spaces; and when you shorten upthe reins and undoubtedly, although probably unintentionally,incline yourself forward, you are actually giving cues to gofaster!� The horse will be used to riding out in company which means

that when venturing out alone, you could encounter problemsin relation to insecurity and nervousness. Riding in companycan also present its own issues as being in a group will beassociated with work i.e. a training gallop.� The horse may not be used to anyone riding with long stirrups

so legs draped around its sides is something it will have tobecome accustomed to.

� The horse is unlikely to understand aids be it hands, leg,seat, weight. Whilst horses do naturally respond to theshift in weight of a rider, bear in mind that when in trainingmost of the time the rider has taken their weight out of thesaddle completely.� Patience is the key. You must remain calm but confident at

all times whatever behaviour is thrown at you. The sharp-minded thoroughbred will soon pick up on any deficienciesyou exhibit in that department.

� Above all, have fun, enjoy the challenge and therelationship you are definitely going to have with your veryspecial horse. If in doubt ask

Equine Management & Training

T: 01780 740773 F: 01780 740917 M: 07801 865099 E: enquiries@equine-training.co.uk W: www.equine-training.co.uk

Both Fred and Rowena Cook have extensive experience and expertise working withall types of horses from the various equestrian disciplines. Over recent years moreand more horses off the track have benefited from their retraining and progressiveschooling programmes, subsequently taking up new lives hunting, show jumping,eventing, dressage etc.

The information provided, is from the RoR website who have given kind permissionfor its use, ROR.ORG.UK and was written for them by Fred and Rowena Cook ofEquine Management and Training (details below)

Should have any questions about Racehorse Retraining then please go to the Care& Training section on the RoR website.

We will also be happy to answer any questions you have: vbeventing@yahoo.co.uk

Barbury Castle Horse Trials

he Barbury Castle Estate comprises 2000 acres of farmland, woodland and downland just outside Marlborough inWiltshire.Horses have always been at the centre of the Estate. The name Barbury has come to be synonymous with topquality racing and training. Barbury Castle trainer Alan King now presides over one of the largest National Hunt trainingcentres in the UKRoR/NTF Retrained Racehorse Event ChampionshipThe Retrained Racehorse Event Championship is sponsored by RoR and the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and held atBarbury. All horses must be registered with RoR and have raced in the UK, or if they have raced in another country ridersmust state which country when registering.

VBEventing at the RoR ChampionshipsSo apart from all the other great things about owning, retraining and competing our ex-racehorses, we also now get tocompete in the RoR Championships that are held at Barbury Castle each year. The Championship is open to any grade ofhorse and is run as an IN which means the quality of competition is extremely strong and this year Crystal Ka only finished 2places behind a horses that 1 month later was competing at the 4* at Burghly.Crystal Ka performed an average test scoring in the mid thirties. I did think he could have gone a little better, later he put inthe best show jumping round to date and only very unfortunately took out the last part of the treble, being the very lastfence, he jumped in rather large and I just couldn't get him back enough to get his front feet out of the way for the last pole.Putting that behind me and focusing then on the tough cross country course that was to come. The course was definitelyimaginative and had caused some problems for others. Crystal however, thought nothing of it and romped home just acouple of seconds outside the time so I was absolutely thrilled to have completed our first RoR Championships

T

Course Walk

I would like to thank Lucy Thompson who helped us warm-up the horses over theweekend and as always her advice and support was invaluable.

Retraining of Racehorses X-Country Course at Barbury Castle 2011

Stable Name - Salto

Sire - Sheyrann

Dam - Joie D’Amour

Colour / Sex - Bay Gelding

Height - 16.2hh

Foaled - 2006

Races - 5

Starts in earnest next year

Sheyrann

Stable Name - Popps

Sire - Silver Patriarch

Dam - Bluebell Miss

Colour / Sex - Bay Mare

Height - 16.0hh

Foaled - 2002

Races - 3

Will be running BE Novice in 2012

Silver Patriarch

Lucy Thompson - Jumping TrainerShe had great Eventing success including 3 gold medals andrepresenting Ireland as a senior. Lucy became OpenEuropean Three Day Event Champion 1995 - 1997(pictured).

Lucy competed at Badminton nine times with her bestplacing of 8th and never being out of the top 20. She wasawarded the Armada Dish for successfully completing on 5separate occasions.

Tina Atkins - Dressage Trainer Tina is a International Grand Prix dressage rider and iswell known for her horse Swayze II, with whom shecompeted at the National Championship at every levelfrom Novice to Grand Prix

Behind the Scenes

Tina Atkins Grand Prix Dressage Rider onRetraining a Racehorse for Dressage

What are the aims of VBEventing during2012 and how we will achieve them

Updates on Winter Dressage & Showjumpingalong with New Season Schooling

Take a look at the Horse Trials thatVBEventing will be attending in 2012

Keep up to date with new sponsors andowners , supporting us in 2012

Further hints and tips fromEquine Management & Training

Holiday Schooling Training & Clinics Competing for Owners

2011/12 Price TaruffBuying & SellingFacilities

VB Eventing can be found at:

White Elm, Pudsey Hall Lane, Canewdon, Essex SS4 3RY

Lessons , Schooling or Re-Training can be booked by eitheremail or phone: vbeventing@yahoo.co.uk or 07899 801045