Bridl Weekly Podcast – April 19, 2025
Hi Chris! Happy Saturday. I’ve got our coffees ready – and a packed equestrian news week to chat about. From big showjumping wins and Olympic updates to eventing buzz and even Bella Hadid saddling up, there’s a lot to cover!
CHRIS: Hey Marie! I’m all ears. It’s been a week of both serious competition and some fun gossip. Where should we start?
MARIE: Let’s kick off with showjumping. The international circuit had some exciting results. Over in Europe, the Longines EEF Nations Cup series just launched its 2025 season with a CSIO3* in Lier, Belgium. And get this – Team Portugal dominated the opener with a flawless victory!
Team Portugal celebrates their CSIO3 Nations Cup victory in Lier, Belgium, kicking off the Longines EEF Series 2025 with a flawless performance.*
CHRIS: Portugal, really? They’re a smaller showjumping nation, so that’s huge. How did they pull it off?
MARIE: They brought their A-game. Two Portuguese riders jumped double-clear rounds, and another had just a single rail across two rounds. They actually clinched the win with a round to spare, finishing on zero faults. The team’s chef d’equipe Antonio Frutuoso de Melo was over the moon – he said, “This is a special team that I have tried to build. I know them very well. I’m very proud of them… and to have this fantastic ambiance around us.” It was such a feel-good win for them.
CHRIS: Love that. It’s not every day Portugal tops nations like Britain and Ireland in a Nations Cup. In fact, Great Britain climbed up to finish second, and Ireland took third behind Portugal’s perfect score. Even Britain’s team had some star power – Harry Charles was on the squad, fresh off Olympic team gold in Paris, and he and his teammates fought back for the podium. So a big shake-up in Lier!
MARIE: Definitely. And speaking of Olympic vibes, there’s news on the next Olympics already. The FEI confirmed this week that Santa Anita Park in California will be the equestrian venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. That’s the famous racetrack that hosted equestrian in 1984 as well. FEI President Ingmar De Vos called it a “spectacular venue” and noted its proximity to LA should draw big crowds. So, Olympic prep is quietly underway, venue-wise.
CHRIS: That’s a significant update. Santa Anita has a historic feel – hopefully they’ll make it horse-friendly for eventing, jumping, and dressage. And on the topic of showjumping and Olympic prep, many top riders are finishing their winter circuits and heading outdoors. In North America, Wellington’s spring series in Florida wrapped up with big names in the winner’s circle.
MARIE: Right! British Olympic champion Ben Maher ended his Wellington season on a high note. He won the $120,000 CSI3* Grand Prix last Sunday with Ginger-Blue. What’s impressive is he did it while riding with a fractured foot – he’s been pushing through an injury for weeks! He joked that he’s been “breaking all the rules” to compensate, adjusting his stirrups and relying on his horses to help carry him. Talk about dedication.
CHRIS: Wow, riding a Grand Prix jump-off on a broken foot and still winning – that’s gutsy. Maher said Ginger-Blue loves the grass turf down there. And he beat a tough field, including Kent Farrington hot on his heels in that jump-off. It’s a great send-off as he and others head back to Europe. We also saw Luis Francisco Larrazabal on a hot streak in Wellington, winning back-to-back 1.50m classes in the Spring Series with his Olympic mare Condara. He said “When I have horses like these, I know they’re fast and have the experience… I always try to go for the win”. That confidence paid off with multiple wins in a week.
MARIE: It’s been speed class galore down there. And speaking of courses, we can’t forget to mention a standout course design recently. The Lier Nations Cup had a challenging track by Henk Linders – very few double-clears across two rounds. It really separated the field. Meanwhile in the Middle East, their winter tour has wound down, but earlier this season we saw some huge, technical courses in Doha and Riyadh that riders are still talking about. So course designers are really testing riders on all continents this year.
CHRIS: They sure are. Alright, that’s a good segue – since we touched on Olympic prep, let’s trot over to eventing. We’re days away from the Kentucky 5* in Lexington (April 24–27), and the buzz is intense. This is basically eventing Christmas in the US, right?
MARIE: The excitement is REAL. The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (our only spring 5-star) has its entries set – 40 horse-and-rider combinations are on the roster. New Zealand’s world #1 Tim Price will be the pathfinder on cross-country, leading off with his horse Jarillo as the first on course. He actually has three horses entered, as do a few others – so the stamina of these riders will be tested. We’ve got a star-studded field: Tim Price, Harry Meade, Boyd Martin (each with multiple rides), and even past champions like Michael Jung with fischerChipmunk FRH are coming, drawn 8th on course. It’s stacked!
CHRIS: I cannot wait. And it sounds like the cross-country course will be a thriller as usual. Course designer Derek di Grazia has shaken things up for 2025 – Eventing Nation gave us a sneak peek. They’ve reversed the direction of the course again this year, which means some famed combinations come up earlier than usual. The notorious Coffin complex will appear as early as fence 6, and riders will tackle Pete’s Hollow before they even get to the iconic Head of the Lake. It’s an ~11 minute, 20 second track, nearly maxed out on length, so endurance and accuracy will both be key.
MARIE: Sounds intense. We’ll see some tired horses (and riders) by the end of that. And in the lead-up, there have been a few changes – the 4* short at Kentucky (the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S running alongside the 5*) saw some notable scratches. Seven entries dropped, including an early favorite pair: Will Coleman withdrew Chin Tonic HS. A bummer for fans of that horse, but at least the 5* roster remains strong.
CHRIS: For sure. Now beyond Kentucky, the eventing world is buzzing at other levels too. Collegiate eventing is ramping up for the season highlight: the USEA Intercollegiate Championship in early May. Entries just closed on April 15, and the response has been huge – they expect a record turnout, potentially up to 400 horse-and-rider combos from colleges across the country! It’s happening at Stable View in Aiken, SC, which is gearing up to host an army of enthusiastic college riders.
MARIE: I love the Intercollegiate champs – the school spirit is off the charts (there’s even a coveted Spirit Award for best team spirit). This year they’re adding a cool new element: a Young Rider Mentorship Program, debuting at the Intercollegiate Championship. Essentially, collegiate riders can sign up to shadow event officials and learn the behind-the-scenes jobs that make the sport happen. Such a great idea to build the next generation of organizers and judges. It’s like a career shadow program during the competition – very “learn by doing.”
CHRIS: That is awesome. A bunch of college kids in matching team polos, screaming cheers, and also learning from officials – talk about well-rounded. And we should mention, internationally, it’s high season too. In Europe and down under, other 5-stars are on the horizon. I know the Aussies are excited for the Adelaide 5* soon, and Badminton (UK 5*) is not far off in May. So event riders are in crunch time everywhere.
MARIE: And one more eventing note – though this crosses into racing: an interesting conference is coinciding with Kentucky this year. The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) is holding its annual conference in Lexington during the 5*. It’s a nice tie-in, since a lot of OTTBs compete in eventing. They’ll be discussing thoroughbred aftercare and second careers. Kind of a feel-good thought as we watch these sport horses at peak performance – there’s life after the finish line for many.
CHRIS: That is good to hear. Alright, let’s canter on to dressage. The dressage world had its own big finale recently. The FEI Dressage World Cup Final wrapped up in Basel a couple weeks ago, and British star Charlotte “Lottie” Fry and her stallion Glamourdale were absolutely unstoppable. They won the World Cup Final with an almost ridiculous score of 88.195% in the Freestyle – unanimous first-place marks from every judge!
MARIE: Fry and Glamourdale are something else – reigning World Champions, Olympic bronze medalists, and now World Cup champs too. They had nearly a four-percentage-point lead over second place. That’s domination. Germany’s legend Isabell Werth had to settle for second on DSP Quantaz (she was pleased enough, saying “mission accomplished” with her goal being a podium). And in third, we saw Norway’s Isabel Freese on Total Hope OLD – notably the first-ever World Cup podium for Norway. Pretty cool to see new countries in the mix at the top.
CHRIS: Absolutely. Five combinations scored above 80% in that freestyle final, which shows how high the level is right now. And interestingly, last year’s champion, Patrik Kittel, debuted a new freestyle but could only manage mid-pack. It’s the era of Glamourdale at the moment. But not all dressage news has been rosy – there’s been some ethical debate lingering in the sport since the Paris Olympics.
MARIE: You’re thinking of the Charlotte Dujardin incident, right?
CHRIS: Exactly. Last summer, a video emerged of British Olympian Charlotte Dujardin – a darling of the dressage world – excessively whipping a horse during a training session while coaching someone. It horrified a lot of people, riders and fans alike. Dujardin ended up withdrawing from the Paris Games and accepting a provisional suspension. This week we were reminded of it because the FEI’s investigation results came out recently: she’s been handed an official ban (backdated to July 2024) that keeps her out of competition until this coming July 2025. Basically a one-year ban for abusive behavior.
MARIE: It was a real shock to the sport’s system. But in a way, it’s prompted a lot of soul-searching and reforms. The FEI immediately announced a series of welfare reforms after that video went public. They’re pushing for more ethical training methods, clearer guidelines on horse welfare, and even at the Olympics in Paris they had an equine welfare coordinator on site. So dressage (and all disciplines) are under a bigger microscope now for how horses are treated in and out of the ring.
CHRIS: And it’s not just dressage – remember, modern pentathlon actually dropped the riding phase entirely for future Olympics after that Tokyo 2020 scandal with a coach punching a horse. Different sport, but it shows how public perception is driving changes. In dressage circles, there’s been renewed debate over training techniques (like rollkur/hyperflexion – the age-old controversy). People are asking: “Where’s the line between effective training and abuse?” The consensus is zero tolerance for what Dujardin did – as one FEI official said, it was “completely unacceptable in every aspect.”
MARIE: The good news is most top riders are very welfare-conscious, and now they’re being vocal about it. We saw riders at the Olympics openly condemn Dujardin’s actions. It’s a cultural shift – folks are saying, “Hey, our sport is beautiful because of the horse, so we have to hold each other accountable to treat them right.” I think that will only strengthen dressage’s public image in the long run.
CHRIS: Agreed. On a lighter dressage note, culturally we’re seeing dressage get a bit more…pop? Like freestyle music choices are getting creative, and some riders are becoming social media personalities. And speaking of culture – shall we spill some gossip & lifestyle tea now?
MARIE: Yes! Time for the fun stuff. So, the horse world had a few viral social media moments this week. One of my favorites was a TikTok challenge where show jumpers were mimicking their horses’ jump styles on foot – I saw a hilarious clip of a rider “jumping” a planter in her backyard as if she were her spooky mare. It gave me a good laugh in between all the serious news.
CHRIS: Ha, I saw that too! It’s nice to remember most riders don’t take themselves too seriously. In more high-profile crossover news: Bella Hadid, the supermodel, continues to live her best horse-girl life. You know she’s been competing in Western riding, right? Cutting horses, of all things!
MARIE: It still blows my mind. Bella apparently skipped some fashion events to ride – she’s been dating cutting horse champion Adan Banuelos, and she’s all in. Last year she even appeared at New York Fashion Week with live cutting horse demonstrations – can you imagine, models and cutting horses together? It happened! Bella and Adan did a demo in Manhattan with a mechanical cow and everything. She rode a champion cutting horse in the middle of NYC to give the fashion crowd a taste of Western horse culture. That’s some serious crossover.
CHRIS: That’s legitimately cool. It’s like Yellowstone meets Vogue. And it’s not just Western – Bella has also been spotted back in English riding attire. An Instagram photo of her riding English went around, where she’s in a classic show shirt and breeches. Equestrian fashion is clearly rubbing off on mainstream style. Actually, her whole style evolution has been noted – Marie Claire even said she pivoted from “urban cowgirl” to “preppy equestrian-core” in her outfits. She’s making tall boots and hunt caps look chic on the street.
MARIE: Love it. Equestrian style is definitely having a moment. Even outside of celebrity circles, riders are trendsetters now – brands are doing collabs, and riding leggings have basically become acceptable gym-wear for non-riders. There was a market report that caught my eye: the equestrian apparel market was valued around $6.6 billion in 2024, and it’s projected to keep growing at about 5.5% annually. So all those fancy show jackets and breeches we splurge on – it’s a massive global business!
CHRIS: Believe me, my wallet knows it. But it’s true, our sport is not just niche anymore. From a business standpoint, we also saw some big sales news this week. We should mention what’s happening in the horse market:
Keeneland’s Spring Meet auction is coming up on April 25. It’s an evening Horses-of-Racing-Age Sale and they’ve cataloged about 80 racehorses. The timing is smart – end of the race meet, right before Derby week, when all the racing bigwigs are in town. There are some notable horses on offer, like Instant Coffee, a multiple graded stakes winner (and former Kentucky Derby trail horse) who’s been consigned off a recent stakes placing. It’s not often you see a five-year-old G3 winner hit the auction ring like that. Keeneland’s Tony Lacy said it’s a chance for buyers to grab ready-to-run horses for the summer season
MARIE: That’s exciting for the racing folks. And in the digital auction space – Australia made headlines. In an Inglis Digital online sale earlier this week, a 10% share in a top racehorse (Golden Slipper runner-up Coleman) sold for a wild AU$405,000! That’s just a fractional share, valuing the whole colt at over $4 million. Apparently it’s the highest-priced racehorse share ever sold online, and it was snapped up by a bloodstock group in a bidding war It shows how much the market trusts these digital platforms now.
CHRIS: Wow, $405k for 10% – talk about fractional ownership. And Coleman’s new partial owner is likely hoping he becomes a superstar stallion down the line. The horse is now in training with Chris Waller targeting big Group 1 races so that share could pay off if he wins something like the Stradbroke. It’s interesting: online sales are not just for lower-end horses anymore; you get serious investors spending six figures from behind a keyboard.
MARIE: Absolutely. And let’s not forget showjumping sales – there was a notable private sale: German rider Richard Vogel’s Grand Prix horse Cydello has been sold to the Iron Dames team and will now be ridden by Katrin Eckermann. Iron Dames is this ambitious all-female team (backed by Deborah Mayer) that even fields Global Champions League teams. So they are investing heavily in top horses. Eckermann said she’s excited to have another top mount, and Vogel had just won a 1.60m Grand Prix with Cydello in Wellington last month. It’s a big move in the showjumping “transfer market.”
CHRIS: The horsepower shuffle is real – one rider’s star becomes another rider’s hopeful. It’ll be fun to watch Eckermann and Cydello in the GCL. And Iron Dames having two GCL teams – that’s quite an investment in the sport. It shows the trend of syndicates and sponsorship groups owning strings of horses (almost like Formula 1 teams). The sport’s business side is evolving.
MARIE: Indeed. Horses, teams, auctions, apparel – there’s a lot of money and movement in the equestrian world, but it’s all fueling great sport and community growth.
Alright, Chris, we’ve covered showjumping, eventing, dressage, the market, and a healthy dose of gossip and lifestyle. What a conversation! Before we wrap up, anything you’re particularly looking forward to next week?
CHRIS: Well, Kentucky! By the next episode, we’ll know who our Kentucky 5* champion is – will it be Jung again? Or an American this time? I can’t wait to discuss that. Also, the aftermath of some of those sales – perhaps a big price at Keeneland or a surprise horse swap news. And I’ll be keeping an eye on any Olympic team rumors that tend to swirl as we inch closer to the next cycle – you never know which horse might switch nationalities or which rider might come out of retirement.
MARIE: Same here. I’m also hoping for some fun Behind-the-Barn stories from Kentucky – those always give great insight into riders (like this week’s Kentucky podcast episodes with Jessica Phoenix and Phillip Dutton dropping some fun facts). We’ll have plenty to chat about.
On that note, thanks for catching up with me, Chris! And thank you to our listeners for joining us over coffee for this equestrian weekly roundup.
CHRIS: It’s been a pleasure. Great coffee, great company, and great horses – what more do we need?
MARIE: Exactly. Tune in next week, everyone, when we’ll unpack all the results from the “Best Weekend All Year” in Kentucky and much more. Until then, happy riding and take care!
CHRIS: See you next time on Bridl Weekly! 🐎☕️