Category Archives: Catie Staszak

Schedule Released for Fieldstone Spring Festival

Highlighted by two $20,000 Grand Prix events, four separate hunter derby sections, and jumper classics and derbies from 0.90m to 1.40m, the Fieldstone Spring Festival schedule offers feature classes for exhibitors of all ages and divisions.

The Fieldstone Spring Festival, consisting of two USEF nationally-rated weeks (May 12-16 and 19-23), is the opening event of the venue’s 2021 show schedule. Pre-entries close April 30, 2021, with the Official Prize List and entry forms coming soon.

Among the weekly feature classes are:

  • $7,500 Open Welcome Stake 1.30m — Thursday, May 13 and May 20
  • $1,000 0.90m Open Jumper Derby — Friday, May 14 and May 21
  • $5,000 3’3″ Open Hunter Derby — Saturday, May 15 and May 22
  • $1,500 2’9″ Open Hunter Derby — Sunday, May 16 and May 23
  • $1,500 — 2’6″ Child/Am Adult Hunter Derby — Sunday, May 16 and May 23
  • $20,000 Grand Prix 1.40m — Sunday, May 16 and May 23

An esteemed group of officials will return to Fieldstone in 2021, headed by Show Manager Tom Hern. Hern will also serve as a course designer at the Fieldstone Spring Festival alongside Diamond Bar, CA’s Mike Nielsen, setting tracks for Fieldstone’s five all-weather GGT hybrid/felt competition arenas and popular all-grass Grand Prix Field.

David Wilbur, Brian Lenihan, Susan Horn, and Jeff Nowak make up the group of hunter judges slated for the Fieldstone Spring Festival, while judges Jay Mullen, John Bahret, and Mike Nielsen will oversee jumper competition. In the office, Charlene Brown will head up operations as Show Secretary.

Visit FieldstoneShowPark.com.

© 2021 Catie Staszak Media, Inc.

Tanner Korotkin and Deauville S Top FEI Hermes U25 Welcome at WEF 6

Tanner Korotkin and Deauville S. Photo by Catie Staszak Media, Inc.

Ranked among the country’s top 10 U25 riders, Tanner Korotkin stayed true to form in winning the $10,000 FEI Hermes U25 Welcome with Castlewood Farm’s Deauville S during Week 6 of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL.

After three weeks of U25 competition, Korotkin and the 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding have asserted themselves as one of the division’s top competitors. The win marked the pair’s third podium finish in four outings this season.

“Deauville and I had a very nice and smooth but obviously very quick round,” Korotkin said. “There were a lot of very fast horses that went before us, and I was thinking about the following day’s grand prix. I wanted to be fast enough to win the class, but I also wanted to keep it as smooth as possible. He jumped fantastic, and he’s such a naturally fast horse that he ended up just taking the win.”

While Korotkin and Deauville S are contesting just their first WEF as a pair, they are approaching the one-year mark of their partnership. It’s been one defined by a near-instant connection; in Deauville S, Korotkin found an experienced mount that shared his indistinguishable competitive fire. The big-bodied bay gelding is rarely not in motion, often characterized by his sideways canter upon the approach to a fence, but nowadays, Korotkin finds navigating the less conventional ride almost second nature.

“Since the first day I rode him, I absolutely loved him,” Korotkin. “The way he goes — even though he canters sideways at times, I just love his forward motion. He’s always with me, and he always wants to jump a clear round. I’d say, he’s the first horse in my career that I’ve had this strong of a partnership with.”

Confidence carries, and Korotkin heads toward the second half of the winter circuit fresh off a career-best week.  Just a day prior to his U25 win, Korotkin finished fifth with a double-clear performance aboard Sandalwood Farm’s Country Boy in the $37,000 CSI3* WEF Challenge Round 6.

“He jumped absolutely incredible,” Korotkin said of his top senior mount. “It was our first three-star back in a couple weeks, and I couldn’t have asked for a better result with him.”

Korotkin has additional three- and four-star competitions circled on his calendar for the remainder of the winter circuit, as well as the upcoming U25 Semifinal under the lights at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center during Week 8.

“I think the U25 series is great,” Korotkin said. “It gives you a real feel of what true FEI classes are like, and you get to compete against some very good riders without going in to compete against the best of the world, just yet. Deauville S will aim for those classes, and after WEF is over, we’ll jump back into some more ranking classes.”

© 2021 Catie Staszak Media, Inc.

Itran Inspires Nagata Sport Horses

Itran and Emma Butchard. Photo by Erik Smit/Silhouette Photo.

When Emma Butchard met Itran in 2019, she took on a new challenge. At just three years old, Itran was tall, lanky, and had a limited education. Never before had she added such a young horse to her string.

It was the first time I had a horse where I was starting from scratch,” she recalled. “Taking him to his first horse show and seeing him now as a 5-year-old with so much promise — it’s been very rewarding.”

Butchard, who operates her family’s Leatherstocking Farm alongside Andre Nagata’s Nagata Sport Horses in Panningen, The Netherlands, now finds herself surrounded by a classy group of well-bred 5-year-olds. Itran, however, remains a standout. Amidst Holland’s multiple quarantines due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Itran made his horse show debut in 2020 and is being aimed for a debut in the 5-year-old division in 2021. Butchard and Nagata agree: the brave, scopey gelding shows promise for top sport.

“We can trust him a lot,” Nagata said. “He’s brave and easy. He’s not the type where we have to do a lot of jumping and shows with him. He has the talent and all the tools that he needs to succeed.”

By Indoctro out of a Balou mare, Itran arrived late in his 3-year-old year from Andre’s brother Gabriel, who scouted and purchased the gelding from an online sales ad in England. The bay certainly had presence; he was tall with long legs and a big, kind eye. Butchard and Nagata immediately recognized the need to take their time with the horse’s development, given his size. They put a focus, instead, on ground work.

“Andre would have Itran work on a lunge line and in a circle, and he’d add an umbrella on the ground and have him walk over a tarp to have him practice braveness, bending, and learning the shape of his body,” Butchard explained.

Fitness was also paramount. Butchard and Itran spent the warmer months building endurance in their facility’s expansive grass field. When it came to jumping, much of it was done at the trot, with Butchard recreating courses in the form of ground poles. While building fitness, she inserted periodic tests for bravery. She got hints of her mount’s unflappable demeanor when he failed to bat an eye at a water tray or when taking on the area’s trail system.

A new venue failed to faze him, either. Itran’s first trip off property in September 2020 was taken completely in stride. So, too, was a second venture away from home, where Itran jumped his first full course.

“He just walked into the ring and went to the whole course, like it was nothing for him,” Butchard recalled. “That’s when we thought, ‘This horse is going to do something.'”

While horse shows were formally on pause in October, Peelbergen opened its doors for Training CSI events, where Itran made his show debut with Butchard, jumping .70m-.80m. Butchard could hardly hide the smile from her face as the gelding professionally marched around the venue’s bold indoor arena.

“He showed a lot of balance and was careful with an easy, big stride. Everything that I needed, he had,” Butchard said.

Since Itran’s arrival, an impressive group of prospects have arrived through Nagata Sport Horses’ doors, including horses by Douglas VDL, Cornet Obolensky, and Courtello Z. With a bourgeoning development and sales business, Butchard is now putting the lessons she’s learned with Itran to use on a daily basis, with a variety of young mounts.

“I’ve learned that every horse goes their own way, and you have to make a plan that’s specific to their needs,” she said. “I’ve also learned to trust them much more and to see how they are in the beginning and know that they’re going to get much better [in their technique] as they learn and grow.

“For us, we’re going slow with them and doing the whole process,” she continued. “Hopefully, this year we can get out and compete a little bit more, to get the horses some good miles and get their names out there. It’s nice to have young ones coming in, watching them grow and seeing them go on to succeed with someone else.”

© 2021 Catie Staszak Media, Inc.

Fieldstone Show Park Announces 2021 Show Schedule

Photo courtesy Fieldstone Show Park.

The 2020 show calendar has been anything but typical, but Fieldstone Show Park wants its loyal exhibitors to know, there’s much to look forward to in 2021.

The popular venue, a staple in the northeast and a Massachusetts landmark, has announced its 2021 show dates, which will feature eight USEF nationally-rated hunter-jumper competitions throughout the months of May, June, August, and September.

The Fieldstone Spring Festival, set to kick off May 12, 2021, is sure to be a celebratory occasion, after the global COVID-19 pandemic forced the rescheduling and cancellation of many of Fieldstone’s 2020 events.

“When you’re ready, come show with us” is the venue’s mantra, as Fieldstone heads into 2021 with an outlook that is equal parts centered around positivity, safety, and comfort for horse and rider.

With many exhibitors in the northeast lacking nearby show options in 2020, Fieldstone will be ready to put the industry spotlight back on Halifax, MA next year, offering a safe, spacious venue for riders to comfortably get back in the show ring. Fieldstone’s 106-acre facility features an all-grass Grand Prix field, five competition arenas and schooling areas with all-weather GGT footing.

Among the events slated for 2021 are the Northeast Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Finals, scheduled during the Fieldstone Summer Showcase (Aug. 18-22, 2021); the New England Hunter Jumper Association Derby Finals (Aug. 24-28, 2021); the Massachusetts Hunter Jumper Finals (Aug. 29, 2021); and the ASPCA Maclay Region 1 Finals at the North East Classic (Sept. 12, 2021). Scheduled between the Fieldstone Summer Showcase and the Fieldstone Spring Festival is the two-week Plymouth Rock Hunter Jumper Classic (June 23 – July 3, 2021).

Save the dates for Fieldstone Show Park’s 2021 horse show schedule, when an East Coast Tradition continues.

Fieldstone Spring Festival I —  05/12/2021 – 05/16/2021
Fieldstone Spring Festival II —  05/19/2021 – 05/23/2021

Plymouth Rock Hunter Jumper Classic I —   06/23/2021 – 06/27/2021
Plymouth Rock Hunter Jumper Classic II —   06/29/2021 – 07/03/2021

Fieldstone Summer Showcase I & Northeast Jr/AO Hunter Finals—  08/18/2021 – 08/22/2021
Fieldstone Summer Showcase II & NEHJA Derby Finals —   08/24/2021 – 08/28/2021
MHJ Finals —  08/29/2021

North East Classic & ASPCA Maclay Region 1 Finals —  09/8/2021 – 09/12/2021

© 2020 Catie Staszak Media, Inc.

Emma Butchard and Andre Nagata Earn Success in Panningen, The Netherlands

Photo: Emma Butchard and Cascada K.

Nov. 21, 2020 — The sun has set on another full day of work at Nagata Sport Horses in Panningen, The Netherlands. But Emma Butchard (USA) and Andre Nagata (BRA) can still be found in the barn.

The couple, partners in both business and in life, take the term “hands on” very seriously. After bringing home a top placing, they celebrate by cleaning stalls. Each morning, there’s an early wake-up call to drop feed, turn out the horses and clean the stalls again — all before even getting to the real work of training their string of 12 horses.

Don’t be mistaken. A quick look at Butchard and Nagata’s impressive resumes of top international placings reveals a pair that has already paid their dues in the industry. But these two riders believe in earning their success, both in and out of the saddle.

“We’re focused on the details,” Butchard said. “Andre is very much into the details in the arena, setting courses, improving groundwork with the horses, and training on the flat. I’m very detail-oriented with the management of the barn and planning for our string. We do everything together, and we complement each other really well.”

It’s a mindset that has served them especially well in 2020, as FEI competition in Holland has come to a temporary halt for the second time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The monthly FEI shows at the local Peelbergen Equestrian Center have been replaced with Training CSI shows, where local operations can school their horses in a competitive environment. Butchard and Nagata have taken advantage of the opportunity, bringing their entire competition string, including their young horses, for positive training experiences at the popular show venue. At home, they commit extra time to flatwork and even groundwork, as they work with a specialist in studying the way their horses move and use their bodies.

“We’ve been focusing on dressage work, which for me, I didn’t learn a whole lot of when I was in the U.S. Andre’s very good at it,” Butchard said. “We’ve also set several gymnastic exercises at home. It’s been great to practice.

“Peelbergen’s Training CSI shows have also been really nice,” she continued. “It’s calm and quiet at the venue, and the courses are still tough enough. They don’t go easy on that!”

Butchard and Nagata combined their respective Leatherstocking Farm and Nagata Sport Horses operations in the spring of 2019, when Butchard relocated from her longtime base in Wellington, FL. Together, the pair runs a boutique dealing barn, with a focus on developing equine talent for top sport.

“We have some horses that we’re producing and taking our time with that don’t have to be sold right away, and then some horses that are in and out more quickly for sale,” Butchard explained.

“It’s so nice to work with the horses and to see them improve,” she added. “It’s such a great feeling. We recently took our 4-year-old Itran to his first show, and it was so fun and so rewarding when he put in such a lovely round and was so professional — he acted like a saint! Then it’s nice to be competitive [with our more experienced mounts] in the international shows.”

Butchard was a regular on the international circuit in the eastern United States. She competed at the 2016 U-25 Final at the National Horse Show as well as the Open Jumper division at the historic Washington International Horse Show. The year 2017 produced many more top performances in what was surely a breakout year for the now-27-year-old: Emma and top mount Brasil (Tenerife VDL x Farrington) placed in CSI4* competition at both the Devon Horse Show and the Hampton Classic.

While Brasil took some time off in 2018, Butchard sought an opportunity to grow as a professional and set her sights on Europe. The timing was right; she met Nagata, who was in the process of relocating to Holland, shortly thereafter. A six-month stint turned into a permanent move, and both Brasil and Butchard’s other international mount Cascada K (Calido I x Lacros) have joined her across the pond.

“Cassi has really thrived over here and has benefitted from the extra dressage and flatwork that Andre has made such an important part of our program,” Butchard said. “Brasil is doing great and getting fit. I’m excited to get back to FEI shows with both of them.”

Butchard and Nagata boast a talented group of equines, ranging from 4 to 14 in age.

The 4-year-old Itran (Indoctro x Balou) is a special source of excitement. The tall gelding quickly made an impression on the Nagata Sport Horses team, displaying a poise well beyond his age and scope worthy of big things.

“He’s for sale, but we are also sort of producing him. He’s a big, young horse and needs some time to grow, but he’s capable, brave, and scopey for sure,” Butchard said.

Kara des Rosiers (Kannan x Papillon Rouge), two years Itran’s elder, stands out for her style; Butchard and Nagata think she will be a quick study. “She’s a really commercial type; she’s easy and brave,” Butchard said. “We’re not sure how high she’ll jump, but she’s going to do it well. She’s very careful. She just goes right around, nice and easy.”

Icarus (Quasimodo Z x Campbell VDL), a 7-year-old, is another exciting young prospect in the group — “very scopey,” as described by Nagata. More experienced mounts like Calviska de la Felize (Calvados Z x Papillon Rouge), currently located at Nagata’s brother Felipe’s Italy-based operation, and Cascada K are also for sale as Butchard and Nagata look to grow the sales side of their business.

There are bigger aspirations, of course. But if anything is certain during a year of unprecedented changes, it’s this: Butchard and Nagata are willing to put in the work required to achieve whatever they set their minds to.

“My long term goal is to still be able to ride for Team USA in Nations Cups and Championships, while having a successful business with Andre,” she said. “One thing that’s different about being in Europe is that in the U.S., I was always surrounded by my family and close friends, who supported me at home — training and at every show. Here, it is just Andre and me, except the one time my family visited for during Brasil’s CSI1* comeback last year. Andre and I can support each other through the good days and bad days, when we need a little extra push or support.”

Leatherstocking Farm & Nagata Sport Horses
www.leatherstockingfarm.com