EquiRatings Eventing Podcast

The Cup of Tea series returns for 2026, powered by Carr & Day & Martin, proudly part of the Connolly's Red Mills family. Nicole catches up with Irish event rider Esib Power to talk winter training, producing the next generation of horses, and plans for the season ahead. Based at her family yard in County Meath, Esib has an exciting group of horses ready to step up this year, with her nine and ten-year-olds targeting four-star level and long-term aims later in the season. She reflects on a disrupted 2025 season after breaking her collarbone early in the spring, why patience is often the key when producing young horses, and why trips to England for events like Barbury and Thoresby are such a valuable way to start the year. Highlights Guest This series is supported by Carr & Day & Martin, globally trusted equine care products since 1765 and now proudly part of the Connolly's Red Mills Group. Learn more about their full range at: https://www.carrdaymartin.com/ EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

The new season is coming into view, which means one thing. It is time for the horses to watch in 2026. Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne and Catherine Austen to pick the horses they think could define the season ahead. From potential five-star winners to the young horses you might not know yet but will soon. Could Cooley Rosalent add another five-star? Will Lordships Graffalo, London 52 and fischerChipmunk FRH battle it out again at the World Championships in Aachen? And is Annaghmore Valoner the horse to finally give Harry Meade that long-awaited five-star victory? Plus the team share their dark horses for a five-star podium and the young names to keep firmly on your radar this year. If you want a few storylines to follow as the 2026 season begins, this is the place to start. Highlights Guests EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

International Women's Day lands right as the season comes back into view, and this British Eventing Show opener, in partnership with Zebra Products, feels like the perfect moment to celebrate what makes the sport so special. Nicole Brown is joined by British Eventing CEO Rosie Williams, five-star winner Gemma Stevens, and Belsay organiser Laura de Wesselow, for a behind the scenes look at how British Eventing sets competitors, organisers, and officials up for the year ahead. From the energy building towards opening day, to Belsay stepping up as a full four-star fixture, to British Eventing's BE Prepared campaign, this episode looks at the people, preparation, and collaboration that help the sport move forward. Plus, Gemma goes "In the Zone" with Zebra Products and shares three simple, practical ways to set yourself and your horse up for a strong start. Highlights Guests This episode is brought to you in partnership with Zebra Products. Zebra Products are proud to distribute some of the world's leading equestrian brands across the UK, partnering with companies that prioritise performance, innovation and horse welfare. Their portfolio includes premium saddle makers Amerigo and Equipe, anatomical bridle specialists Menetics, bit experts Nathe and Sprenger, performance apparel brands EGO7, Cavalleria Toscana and RG, alongside trusted names in protection, nutrition and care including Veredus, Cavalor, Bucas, Mattes and Uvex, supporting horse and rider at every level of the sport. Find out more at: www.zebraproducts.co.uk Learn more about the Veredus E-VENTO cross-country boots, designed for lightweight protection and ventilation: https://www.veredus.com/jumping-eventing?lang=en_US Explore the Sprenger equestrian range, known for innovative bit design and precision engineering: https://www.sprenger.de/en/collections/equestrian Inspired to get more involved? Find out how you can support training, education and the eventing community: 👉 British Eventing Training Foundation 👉 Volunteer with British Eventing Follow @britisheventing on Instagram to stay up to date with all the action.

The next generation is about to get its own world stage. For the first time, the FEI Under 25 Eventing World Championships arrive this summer, with Millstreet set to host a championship that genuinely bridges the gap between young rider success and senior championship pressure. So… who's ready? Nicole Brown is joined by Diarm Byrne and Ali Barrett to look at the numbers, the standout performances, and the combinations already making noise at four-star short level. From established names like Calvin Böckmann and Alice Casburn, to emerging contenders from Australia, the US, Ireland, France and beyond, they start to piece together what this first edition could look like. Highlights Guests EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Phillip Dutton is on the board. The 2026 season opened at the LiftMaster Grand Prix Eventing Showcase presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services, and it was Phillip Dutton and Denim who walked away with the $100,000 win. A brand new four-star test caused early drama. Rails reshuffled the leaderboard. And Jay Hambly's cross-country track built pressure right to the final rider. Nicole Brown and Annie Bishop review the action from Aiken, from Humble Glory's podium climb to Elisa Wallace's statement performance, and what this result means as the road to Kentucky begins. Plus, Annie chat's with Phillip on his Showcase win and what it means for the rest of the season. Highlights Guests EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Ownership in eventing rarely follows a straight line. For Alex Wakeley, it has been shaped by family history, a first tentative run at BE80, and a young grey bought quietly after the Rio Olympics who would go on to win at Le Lion d'Angers. In this episode of Through the Owners' Eyes, Nicole Brown sits down with Alex, owner of Cristal Fontaine and Chairman of the Event Horse Owners Association, to talk about what ownership really looks like. From the highs of a six-year-old World Championship title with Kitty King to the realities of injury management, long seasons, and knowing when a horse owes you nothing more, Alex reflects on the full ownership journey. Highlights Guest Alex Wakeley For more information on the Event Horse Owners Association, including membership, owner hospitality at events, and grassroots initiatives, visit the Event Horse Owners Association. This episode is powered by EquiRatings Horse Sales,the data-driven way to find your next superstar. From performance metrics to potential and price, EquiRatings helps take the guesswork out of buying and selling horses. Find out more here. EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

We've set the scene at Bruce's Field. Now it's time to turn to the field itself. Nicole Brown is joined by Frankie Thieriot-Stutes, Annie Bishop and Diarmuid Byrne to break down the contenders for the $100,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services. And the numbers matter here. Winners almost always come from the top three after dressage. No one has ever won with a rail down. And if you're leading after show jumping, history says you are very hard to catch. So who fits that profile in 2026? This is your full preview before the action begins in Aiken. Highlights Guests Frankie Thieriot-StutesAnnie BishopDiarmuid Byrne EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 🎟️ Be there when it happens. Tickets on sale now.

The season starts here. The $100,000 LiftMaster Grand Prix Eventing Showcase presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services returns to Bruce's Field, and with it comes one of the most unique tests on the calendar. This episode is a behind-the-scenes preview of how it all comes together. Course designer Jay Hambly and Event Director Joanie Morris explain how the track is built, how the format is structured, and how Bruce's Field transforms into a spectator-driven production that feels closer to a championship arena than a traditional cross country field. Highlights Guests Jay HamblyJoanie Morris EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 🎟️ Be there when it happens. Tickets on sale now.

What happens when you look beyond the feed room door? Across three episodes, this series takes listeners inside Connolly's Red Mills. From the grain stores of rural Ireland to world championship warm-ups, it follows the journey of a brand built on one idea: better performance through better nutrition. In this episode, top riders including Tom Rowland, Kirsty Chabert, Alex Bragg, Aoife Clark and Sam Watson step inside the mill to see the process for themselves. They talk about clean sport, confidence in testing, the scale of the operation, and what it means to stand behind the product you feed your horses every day. There are surprises along the way, yes, including camel feed, but the consistent theme is attention to detail and a culture built around solving problems for horse performance. From grassroots riders to five-star champions, the message is the same. Quality matters. Trust matters. And the details count. Highlights Guests Tom RowlandCameron BeerKirsty ChabertAlex BraggAoife ClarkSam WatsonGareth Connolly Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here. Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs. If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.

It starts with a seed. It ends with a bag. Every stage in between matters. In Chapter 2 of the documentary series, Nicole Brown steps inside Connolly's Red Mills to follow the full journey from raw ingredient to finished feed. From seed plants and grain stores to laboratories and production lines, this episode shows how consistency is built long before a product ever leaves the mill. The people behind each stage explain what their roles really mean. Grain is grown with trusted local farmers, tested on arrival, analysed again before release, and tracked through a system designed to remove uncertainty. Technology supports it, but detail drives it. If something does not meet the standard, it does not move forward. The scale is global. The operation is local. And everything still comes back to the same place where the story began. Highlights Guests Gareth ConnollyMartin BolgerMike ShieldsPaul ConnollyJohn ConnollyJane Davis Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here. Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs. If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.

What does it take to build a global equine brand from a small village in rural Ireland? In Chapter 1 of this three-part documentary series, Nicole Brown sits down with CEO Gareth Connolly at the heart of Connolly's Red Mills in Goresbridge, County Kilkenny. From a bakery in 1908 to a world leader in equine nutrition, this is the story of how a family business evolved through innovation, adversity and a relentless focus on performance. Gareth traces the journey from canal trade routes and grain monopolies to the chance conversation with Paddy Mullins that changed Irish racing history. There are sliding doors moments along the way. Two world wars. Foot and mouth. A devastating fire. Covid lockdowns. And through it all, each generation stepping up as caretakers rather than owners. At its core, the philosophy remains simple. Put the animal first. Never compromise. And make sure what's on the bag is in the bag. This is where the Red Mills story begins. Highlights Guest Gareth Connolly Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here. Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs. If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.

A new season. A new host. A fresh start. Cameron Beer steps in to lead the 2026 Grassroots Show, bringing his experience as a British eventing coach and self-confessed grassroots enthusiast to a series built around practical tools for real riders. In the first episode of the year, Cameron is joined by fellow coach and five-star rider Jo Rimmer to tackle one of the most important parts of eventing that often gets overlooked - planning. From setting honest long-term goals to working backwards from key events, they discuss how to structure a season, how to cope when plans change, and why developing your own "system" is the foundation of consistent performance. And this season, you are part of it. At the end of every episode, Cameron will set a weekly training task for listeners to try at home. This week's jumping exercise focuses on rhythm and control through a simple three-cavaletti line. Try it, post it, and tag your efforts using #GrassrootsChallenge so the team can follow along. Highlights Guests Cameron BeerJo Rimmer Presented by Foran Equine, part of the Connolly's RED MILLS family. Listen to our last Grassroots Show with Lucy Robinson and Jesse Maye here. EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Follow the EquiRatings Eventing Podcast for more data-led insight, top-tier guests, and everything you need to keep up with the 2025 season on Instagram and Facebook. Don't miss The Red Mills Rider Bursary 2026 — a chance for two amateur riders to receive a year of performance support from the Red Mills team. Head to redmillshorse.com/become-the-2026-red-mills-rider/ for details and to apply.

Valentine's Day on the Eventing Podcast means one thing. Power couples, a quiz, and very little mercy. We've teamed up with the USEA Podcast for the annual Valentine's Special as eventing couples Ryan and Lillian Wood, and Sam and Brayden Lissington go head to head across general knowledge, eventing trivia, and the questions that really matter, how well they actually know each other. With flags flying for Australia, the USA, Britain, and New Zealand, expectations are low, rules are flexible, and bragging rights are firmly on the line. For the latest in U.S. eventing—competition highlights, rider interviews, expert insights, and more—follow the USEA and subscribe to the USEA podcast channel to stay up to date! EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

After a career defined by volume, grit and longevity, Izzy Taylor sits down to reflect on evolution, perspective and what still drives her heading into 2026. She talks openly about stepping back from being "Busy Izzy", reframing success, and learning when change is not a threat but a necessity. Izzy reflects on injury, recovery and mindset, the realities of motherhood at the top of the sport, and how experience reshapes the way she trains, competes and builds a team. There's a close look at the horses shaping her season, led by Barrington Alice, and why heart, brain and trust still underpin everything she believes about eventing. Highlights Guest Izzy Taylor Sponsors: Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here. Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs. If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts. EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

The first big preview show of 2026 is here, and it's all about the US horses you might not be talking about yet. Nicole is joined by Annie Bishop and Diarmuid Byrne to dig into the four-star pipeline, the age profiles that matter, and the combinations quietly putting their hands up as LA edges closer. From familiar names with depth in their strings to genuinely under-the-radar horses flagged by the data, this is a season-setting conversation about where US eventing is heading and why now is the moment to start paying attention. Highlights Guests EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

The Eventing Podcast inbox has been overflowing, and since we couldn't get to them all during the last episode, here's a full listener-powered question episode for you. From season plans and LA 2028 predictions to Badminton memories, German dominance, and the rising stars reshaping 2026, nothing is off-limits. It's opinions, insight, and a few unfiltered tangents from the people who see every side of the sport. Highlights actually Guests Diarm ByrneSam WatsonSpike MilliganHosted by Nicole Brown EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

The A-Team is back and somehow January already feels long. Between Diarm's medical misadventures, Spike's family odyssey to Cape Town and Sam getting ID'd at 40, it's a suitably unhinged reunion… before we finally get to the sport. From why flag penalties moved from 15 to nine, to what really separates a championship horse from a five-star horse, to Ireland's new high-performance era under Sam Griffiths, it's a state-of-play start to 2026 with perhaps more questions than answers... Listeners sent in plenty of those questions, so this is Part One - the Q&A show follows next! Guests Nicole BrownSam WatsonDiarm ByrneSpike Milligan EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

On today's episode of When Nicole Met, supported by Bedmax, we sit down with five-star rider and producer Kate Rocher-Smith to unravel a career built as much in the sales yard as in the start box. From a first Badminton to eight- and nine-year-olds at Aston le Walls and a stable full of rising prospects, Kate explains how Dassett Eventing has become one of the sport's most influential pipelines for top horses and top riders. Highlights Guests This show is kindly supported by Bedmax, purpose-made, natural horse bedding designed to protect respiratory health, support hooves, and provide a clean, comfortable stable environment.

On today's Connelly's Red Mills Special, we've got a brilliant double act: former European Champion Tina Cook and one of the most exciting young names coming through, her daughter Izzy. With the 2026 season in sight, we look back on a year that included Boekelo, Young Rider medals and a first full run at four-star, and ahead to under-25 Worlds, Bramham ambitions and the next crop of homebreds coming through the yard. From the call that cost an individual medal at Strzegom to the seven-year-olds they both hope to take to Le Lion, the Cooks open the door on what's to come. Highlights Guests Tina CookIsabelle Cook Presented in partnership with Connelly's Red Mills Sponsors: Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here. Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs. If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.

Welcome back to the Eventing Podcast. We have teamed up with the USEA and for this New Year special, we're taking on one of the biggest conversations in equestrian sport: social license. What it is, why it matters, and how every one of us plays a role in the future of eventing. Olympic champion, five-star winner, USEF Chief of Sport, and USEA EA21 Director of Coaching David O'Connor joins the show to unpack trust, education, safety, and responsibility, and how the sport can evolve while keeping its core values at the center. For the latest in U.S. eventing, competition highlights, rider interviews, expert insights, and more, follow the USEA and subscribe to the USEA podcast channel to stay up to date! EquiRatings Eventing Podcast Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.