About Blue Horizon Eventing
The Green Barn is home to Blue Horizon Eventing, a full service lesson and training business operated by our barn manager Ainsley Slicker.
We have a deep love and respect for the sport of eventing, often considered the ultimate equestrian triathlon. Eventing (or horse trials) is a comprehensive discipline where a single horse and rider combination competes across three distinct phases: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.
Rooted in historic military cavalry trials designed to test a master charger’s obedience, speed, and endurance, eventing is one of the few Olympic sports where men and women compete head-to-head as equals. Competitions are held as a one-day event or over multiple days, culminating in a test of total horsemanship.
Each phase tests a completely different aspect of the partnership between horse and athlete:
- Dressage: Held first, this phase showcases the horse’s obedience, suppleness, and harmony with the rider through a pre-memorized sequence of movements in an arena. Judges award marks that are converted directly into penalty points.
- Cross-Country: The heart and signature highlight of eventing. It requires extreme bravery, physical fitness, and speed. The pair gallops across open terrain to jump solid, natural obstacles (like logs, water complexes, and ditches) within an optimum target time.
- Show Jumping: The final test of precision and agility. After the exhausting cross-country phase, the horse must prove it is still careful and supple enough to navigate a timed course of delicate, knockable arena fences without pulling a rail.
Blue Horizon Eventing specializes in bringing along both horse and rider to their fullest potential while maintaining a “horse first” mentality because as we know, keeping the equine athlete healthy, sound, and happy is the absolute foundation of any successful partnership. At the Green Barn we prioritize optimal nutrition and adequate turnout for both the physical and mental well-being of your horse!