A Look Back at Galway Downs International by James Alliston

Galway Downs in Temecula was the site of the last big show of the season. This show was huge with not only many entries from the east coast but also one competitor from the Netherlands too. All the CCI divisions had a ton of entries which was great to see. In particular the 3*, in only its second year, has clearly become a great success with the east coast riders recognizing the great footing available at this time of year, the top-class Ian Stark designed course and substantial prize money available.

The show was a great result for my horses. They went into it bang on form after Woodside so I was quietly confident but I also realized there were some top horses and riders on the start list so it was going to be a hard fought competition. The weather was far from ideal with a lot of rain throughout but thankfully cross-country day was beautiful and the ground by the time the 3*went in the afternoon was lovely.

The 3* course was substantial with questions all the way round and some big ditch fences. Parker jumped great but was pretty strong and I was pretty tired at the end of the round. Needless to say he was comfortably inside the time which gave me a nice gauge for how quick to go out on Jumbo’s Jake. Jake cruised round and gave me a fabulous ride. As I approached the brush corner four from home I realized there was no flag on it which concerned me slightly as it was pretty big anyway even with the flag. I needn’t have worried though as Jake pinged it and we went on to finish the round bang on the optimum and snatch the lead from my neighbor for the week Nate Chambers. I was on cloud nine after a great day of cross country for me with four CCI horses round inside the time; the only downside being informed that if I had been wearing the right gloves I would have won $2,000! I was a little upset with myself for not cashing in on this great opportunity offered by SSG gloves, but congratulations to Australian Kadi Eykamp for capitalizing on Sunday and pocketing $3,000 for the clear round nearest the optimum.

Show jumping day offered some thrilling climaxes to the international classes. Lots of rain throughout the jumping made for difficult conditions and, particularly in the 1* and 2*, clear rounds were hard to come by. My day started with an excitable Mojo in the 1*. He was pretty lit up and after an early rail I was concerned we might put up a cricket score in the pouring rain. However, he held it together to come home with just the one mistake and luck was on our side as those in front also had rails leaving Mojo a delighted and surprised winner.

In the 2* Tivoli jumped a lovely clear to pile on the pressure and very nearly came out the victor. Amber Levine pipped us by less than a point so many congratulations to them for a great weekend. I’m very excited about Tivoli for next year, he has all the ability in the world and the cross country round he gave me was effortless for him.

First up for me in the big one, the 3*, was Parker who jumped a great clear which boosted my confidence for Jake to follow. Jake did not disappoint, jumping clear and culminating a great weekend for myself and everyone at Graceland Equestrian Center with a win. I’m delighted for the horse and owner India Mcevoy as the horse has had a fantastic year and really deserves the recognition he got with this big win. Many thanks to Chuck and Peggy Moore for your ongoing support, Ken Nicholson for making the trip down and particularly to India and Peggy for being fabulous grooms all weekend. I must be the only rider who has his owners grooming their horses at the shows and am extremely lucky and grateful to have them.

Lastly, a big shout out to my parents John and Petey who made the trip across the Pond to support and help. I think they must be good luck charms and as always it was great entertainment having them around.

Photo of Jumbo's Jake by Samantha Clark/ Eventing Nation

The California Eventing Scene is Hot, Hot, Hot by James Alliston

The past few weeks have been busy on the California eventing scene with the events at Twin Rivers and Woodside in quick succession. Twin Rivers in Paso Robles kicked off on Thursday with the west coast Young Event Horse Finals. I rode Wimbledon in the 4 year old class and was feeling suitably terrified and under prepared upon walking the course. However, Wimbledon rose to the challenge and ended up with a third not too far behind the winners, Tamra Smith and Fleeceworks Cinco. Much to my amusement Wimbledon went on to win the Novice Horse division by 0.1 ahead of the lovely five-year old champions Maxance McManamy and Astro. I must say Max took the defeat in good spirits though and I am sure she is consoled by her haul of prizes that included a saddle in the young horse championship. To see the incredible prizes and sponsorship of this class is fantastic and makes it a real incentive and target for the future.

Jumbo’s Jake and Parker had their first run since Rolex and both went very well for 2nd and 4th in the Advanced. I was leading going into the show-jumping but a rail down cost me the win by 0.3 penalties to Canadian Sandra Donnelly so it was an exciting climax. Embarrassingly, I thought maybe I had still sneaked it as my friends had been telling me all day that I had a rail in hand but they were misinformed! A few minutes prior to this Parker jumped a clear round despite my stirrup breaking halfway round the course. This was a first for me and I give great credit to Parker for nursing me home without penalty.

Next up was a welcome return to international competition at Woodside. This show was huge with a ton of entries from all over and Robert Kellerhouse and his team did a great job of making this a real special event and handling the deluge of rain on Thursday. With a shifting of the timetable so the upper levels did cross-country on Sunday I would have to say the ground was as good as I have ever seen it anywhere in California. Also, the show jumping on Saturday seemed to attract a large and enthusiastic crowd throughout the day and the cheers of a clear round could be heard across the showground which was really cool.

On a personal note this show could not have gone a lot better for my horses. Jake led from the start to win the three star and Parker put in a massive effort for third in the same class. Parker’s 52 in the dressage shattered his international personal best by 10 marks and much to my delight and India’s (owner of Jumbo’s Jake) bemusement a few people even mistook him for Jake while I was warming up! Many thanks for this result go to dressage maestro and cool dude Gerd Reuter for flying out to California and teaching everybody in September. Derek Di Grazia’s cross country course had been given a major facelift with a lot of changes and new fences at all levels and proved a real test but both my boys jumped great and I’d have to say the result must go down as a career highlight for me so far. Elsewhere, at the same show Tivoli took 3rd in the Intermediate, Peggy Moore’s O’Reilly Factor took 3rd in her Prelim debut and four-year old Lagos won the Novice on his eventing debut.

Now we have a few quiet weeks but next on the radar is Galway where Jake and Parker will contest the 3 star, Tivoli the 2 star and Mojo the one star. My parents are traveling over from England to watch which is always entertaining as California will soon find out.

Photo of India McEvoy's Jumbos Jake at Woodside

Keeping Up with James Alliston

It has been a while since my last blog, but a lot has happened since then. Most recently, India McEvoy’s Jumbo’s Jake has made his return to the barn from his break post Rolex, and I am eager and excited to resume training with this delightful animal once again. Last weekend Woodside was a fun event, with Mojo taking second place in the preliminary class; with performances like this past weekend, it gives me hope for great things from this horse in the future. A special thanks to India McEvoy for her stellar training and her ability to work wonders with this talented but sometimes challenging horse. Best of luck to India as she continues riding and competing with Mojo this upcoming fall. Elsewhere at Woodside, the rest of the horses and students performed admirably, although I did take an unscheduled dismount from Tivoli when he pecked on landing in the water. He was going beautifully and I was more surprised than anyone, but luckily my Hit-Air vest kept me afloat. A special thanks to Shane for taking excellent care of Parker whist I was away at the show as well.

Also at Woodside at the competitor’s dinner it was brought to my attention the vast number of California based eventers representing the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico on the list of potential competitors for the Pan Am Games. Brian Sabo and Robert Kellerhouse presented the Pan –Am hopefuls with flowers in acknowledgement of the hardwork and dedication it takes to get to that level of success. I wish the very best of luck to all those making the trip east to the final trial at Richland Park, and I am sure they will represent their respective countries with pride.

The rest of the season will continue on with Twin Rivers in a few weeks, amongst those I will be riding, Jumbo’s Jake and Parker making their comeback post Rolex, as well as Wimbledon making his US Eventing debut in the Young Event Horse Finals, which should be an eye-opening experience for him. The show season will continue to build, culminating with the Galway Downs CCI*** in November.

Until next time,

James

The photo is of the newly arrived Jumbo’s Jake

A Look Back at Rolex by James Alliston

The big news over the last month was our trip to Kentucky. We arrived in Kentucky on Friday night the week before the event and stayed at Tanya Davis’s beautiful farm in Midway. From here it was a short commute to the Horse Park on Tuesday when the stables were open. It was my first time at the Horse Park and was amazed at the incredible facilities they have there. All the arenas have beautiful footing that I’m sure cost a fortune and it was really cool to ride in the main arena with the big grandstand.

I was delighted with Parker and Jumbo’s Jake in their four star debuts. Parker’s dressage was less than spectacular and I ended up second last. The cross-country proved influential though and I was elated with his fast clear that lifted us up the standings. He was very brave and galloped on very strongly right to the end giving me a dream ride. In the show-jumping he started his round very nicely but had a couple of uncharacteristic cheap rails at the end to end up 14th. He is just nine years old so I hope we can tidy up the dressage and he can be a great four star horse for years to come.

Jumbo’s Jake started with a beautiful dressage that left him in 5th place. This was pretty cool as I was riding on Friday afternoon with a packed crowd so it was nice to do well. On the cross-country Jake was galloping and jumping really well but got a little weary by the end. Unfortunately we had a stop at the rails jumping back into the water the last time which I was a little gutted about as he went so well otherwise. I hope next time if I have him a little fitter it will be a different story but overall I was delighted with him and felt like he really tried his heart out, even when tired at the end. Jake bounced back the next day and finished his weekend with a lovely clear show-jumping and 17th place.

Overall, it was a great week with a lot of family and friends making the trip to help out and cheer. This made for a really fun time and hopefully we can keep coming back in future years. A big thank-you to Jumbo’s Jake’s owner India McEvoy for letting me ride such a splendid animal and also Chuck and Peggy Moore, owners of Graceland Equestrian center, for their ongoing generosity and support.

Next on the calendar back in California is Woodside in a week or so. This is a great local event for us so we will be taking a lot of horses and students and should be a lot of fun.

A First Foal, Rolex and Competition Round Up by James Alliston

I write this in the midst of packing for my cross country trip to Rolex. I leave tomorrow with Jumbo’s Jake and Parker on what will be a grueling 39 hour haul to Kentucky. This will undoubtedly be tough on the horses and it pains me to watch the weight drop off Parker, who always seems to step off the trailer looking like a greyhound after these long drives. Other than the drive, I am very excited to be going and am relieved that the final run at Galway Downs went well. Both horses jumped very well and were competitive which is what I was hoping for heading into the big one. It will be a nice occasion for me as my Mum, Dad and brother are flying over from England to watch as well as many friends and students from California.

Meanwhile, last weekend we showed again at Ram Tap in Fresno. The weather was glorious for this event and everybody turned in great performances that made me proud. Peggy and Chuck Moore’s Luke Skywalker is a horse that we have high hopes for and he justified our faith with a win in the Preliminary. Tivoli also made a welcome return to eventing with a pleasing performance in the same class. He is a horse who has an incredible jump but a somewhat fragile mind and was ridden to great success in England with Oliver Townend. He is one of my personal favorites in the barn and I hope that in time he will relax a little more and be really cool.

Our first foal at Graceland Equestrian Center was born a few weeks ago. His name is Lincoln and he is by our lovely stallion Libero Star out of Pik Abou. He is a big boy with long legs and lots of chrome and is enjoying the celebrity status that he has achieved since his arrival with plenty of doting visitors every day.

So tomorrow I will embark on my road to rolex. My main concern at the minute is getting my gps to work and getting the horses to Kentucky safe and sound but I am sure with all that time alone in the truck the anticipation and excitement will build.

The West Coast Season Begins by James Alliston

It has been an action packed month since my last blog. The season started for me in mid-February at Ram Tap Horse Trials in Fresno. This was a really fun season opener and everyone performed really well despite the wet conditions. Peggy Moore’s lovely young horse Boston jumped particularly well and made a winning debut at the Prelim level which I was delighted with. I was also a proud owner at this event with partner India McEvoy skillfully piloting my own Mojo to a successful first Preliminary.

Next up was Twin Rivers two weeks later which is Califoirnia’s first Advanced event of the year. It attracted a classy field and was blessed with near perfect conditions. India McEvoy’s divine Jumbo’s Jake went very well for 2nd place whilst Parker jumped a great double clear for 9th to make up for a very forgettable dressage display. Before the next event Parker and I will do some homework in the dressage arena we have set up with a less exuberant performance in the first phase in mind. A special mention to my star student of the weekend Peggy Moore for conquering her dressage demons with a personal best score in the Senior Novice division.

Right now is one of the busiest times of the year at my base, Graceland Equestrian Center. We have foals on the way by our lovely stallion Libero Star which is causing great excitement but also means some late nights on foal watch. Breeding may be an expensive and time-consuming operation but the thrill and pleasure of producing horses from the very beginning is always something that has appealed to me - and the babies are very cute too.

Away from horses my main activity is tennis and my local team, the Bay Trees Warriors, play our first match in a few weeks. I love to be able to go and whack a few balls on the courts after work; I think it is great for mind and body. Elsewhere, India and I got a little dog. His name is Archie and he splits his time between Graceland with me (which he prefers) and UC Davis with India.

Next on the agenda is Galway Downs in Temecula at the end of March. This is a beautiful event and one of the jewels of the California calendar. Hosting all the levels from novice to CIC3* it is something we are all looking forward to and well worth the lengthy drive for us.

Photo of Mojo provided by James Alliston

An Englishman on the West Coast by James Alliston

My name is James Alliston, originally form England, I have now been based at the beautiful Graceland Equestrian Center in Castro Valley, California, since the summer of 2009. Prior to this I worked for a number of years on the east coast for eventing legend Bruce Davidson Sr.

I hope that 2011 will be an exciting year for me. My best horses are my own Parker and Jumbo's Jake, owned by India McEvoy. Parker is a tall thoroughbred who is a fantastic, brave jumper and was the first horse I bought in America. We have been working very hard on his dressage in the close season and I am hoping all the progress he has made translates to the competition ring this year. Jumbo's Jake was a new ride for me in 2010 and is a lovely horse to ride in all phases having been beautifully trained by his owner and former rider India. He had a great year last year with a couple of advanced wins and a 3rd place at the Galway Downs CCI3* in November and has beeen a pleasure to ride everyday. I don't like to make plans too big to avoid disappointment but if all goes well this spring I would like to have a crack at Rolex with them in April, but we will see.

My typical work day is busy with riding and teaching students. I enjoy the variety of the job and I make my living through a combination of teaching students, training other people's horses and horse sales. I am fortunate enough to have a lovely group of students and clients who make the day much more interesting than just slogging away by yourself. I take great pleasure in going to the shows and helping them to be successful and have an enjoyable experience. All the events in California tend to be spread over three days which means it is possible to coach as well as ride a number of horses myself which is nice. The cross country course is almost always a tilled track rather than grass which is a big change from the east coast or England. One thing I like about this is most of the time you don't need studs and I definitely don't miss cleaning the holes and taking studs in and out. The season kicks off this weekend at Ram Tap in Fresno so everyone is getting geared up for their 2011 debuts.

A big change for this winter is that we now have a huge roofed arena to keep us dry in the wet season. This has been a huge help in enabling us to keep practicing and training when most other barns in the area are under water. A big thank you to Chuck and Peggy Moore, owners of Graceland Equestrian Center, for making this happen and continually improving the already outstanding facility. I am fortunate to have access to two enormous arenas, a gallops and a cross country course which is a real luxury. The photo is of Parker having an early morning ride in the new roofed arena.