EquiRatings Eventing Podcast

This week's Cup of Tea is with Sam Lissington, and she's arrived with news that's still sinking in: her first senior call-up, earned inside a fortnight that could easily have gone the other way. Second at Bramham with Sooty, then the setback nobody saw coming when he came home from the vet with an injury that ended his season. So how do you show up for the next horse when everything feels uncertai...

For many horse lovers, becoming a professional rider is the dream, but it's far from the only way to build a fulfilling career in eventing. In this episode of the USEA Official Podcast, host Nicole Brown is joined by organizer and licensed official Emily Holmes, championship groom, organizer, and former USEA President Max Corcoran, and Eventing Nation co-publisher Sally Spickard to discuss the man...

Forget the selectors. We've picked the teams. Nicole is joined by Sam Watson, Annie Bishop and Spike the Vet to take on one of the toughest jobs in eventing, selecting the combinations they'd send to Aachen. There are easy picks. Then there are the horses keeping everyone awake at night. Who has done enough this season? Does five-star form still carry the most weight? Which riders are impossible t...

From sourcing young horses to producing future five-star talent, Andrew Williams and John Tilley have helped shape the careers of some of the sport's biggest names, including Tim Price's Jarillo, Georgie Goss' Kojak, Ballycoog Breaker Boy and more. In this Red Mills Special, Nicole sits down with the pair to discuss what they look for in a young horse, how they produce horses for the top of the sp...

Luhmühlen delivered one of the biggest results of the season so far and with championship selection getting closer, Nicole and Ali have plenty to unpack. This week they look back on Caroline Harris and D. Day becoming two-time five-star winners, why that performance could matter far beyond one result and which combinations helped themselves as team announcements edge closer. There's also discussio...

There are some stories that stay with the sport forever. This week, Nicole shines a light on Hannah's Willberry Wonder Pony charity as it celebrates 10 years of making an extraordinary impact. At Badminton, Nicole catches up with Hannah's mum Rachel Francis and trustee Miles Toulson-Clarke to reflect on Hannah's story, the community that rallied around her and the legacy that continues to grow tod...

One withdrawal and suddenly the whole conversation looks different. This week Nicole, Annie and Ali preview Luhmühlen, build their Eventing Manager teams and try to work out where the value now sits in a five-star that suddenly feels much more open. There's debate over strategy, discussion around combinations arriving with form at the right time, and plenty of disagreement over where to spend the...

Bramham feels like one of those moments in the season where things stop being hypothetical. Nicole and Spike look back on a weekend that answered some questions, created a few more, and left plenty of combinations heading into the second half of the year with momentum. There's reaction to Bubby Upton and It's Cooley Time defending their title after a difficult few months, a brilliant result for Se...

He's had the highs. He's had the heartbreak. Now comes the next chapter. Josh Levett joins Nicole to reflect on a season of near-misses, breakthrough moments, and why sometimes the weeks that almost happen stay with you longest. From a first top-level campaign, to Young Rider highs and lows, to preparing to step out on his own and build a business, Josh shares what life looks like behind the resul...

A course that riders dream about. A poem nobody saw coming. And one of the strongest Bramham fields in years. Nicole, Sam and Spike are back to preview a huge week at Defender Bramham, from championship ambitions and under-25 selection pressure to the horses and riders they think could shape the weekend. There's a deep dive into the four-star long and short fields, Eventing Manager team selections...

A horse coming into her own. A summer that wasn't really the plan. And a trip to Europe that suddenly feels like it could mean much more.  Nicole Brown sits down for a cup of tea with Tamie Smith after a flying start to 2026 and ahead of a big summer campaign in the UK. With Lillet 3 arriving in England off the back of major wins and World Championship conversations becoming harder to ignore, Tami...

He's usually the one behind the microphone, helping tell the stories of the sport through data, insight, and conversation. This week, the spotlight is on Brayden Lissington. Nicole Brown welcomes the Kiwi sports marketer, Eventing Weekly co-host, and EquiRatings commercial lead into the Strawmax Stable for a conversation about storytelling, sport, and the people who have inspired him along the way...

Badminton may be in the rear-view mirror, but the season is only just heating up. Nicole Brown is joined by Rosie Williams to reflect on a huge spring for British Eventing, from record grassroots participation numbers to the growing impact of the Eventing Together campaign and the launch of the new official training programme for volunteers and officials. Plus, hear from some of the people helping...

Kentucky, national titles, and a horse called Piglet. Nicole Brown sits down with one of Britain's brightest young riders, Elizabeth Barratt, to talk about a whirlwind start to 2026, from flying horses to America for the first time to defending her Young Rider National title at Bicton. Elizabeth reflects on the scale of the Kentucky experience, learning alongside Europe's top five-star riders, and...

Millstreet delivered exactly what it always promises, proper eventing. Tough ground, big questions, and a four-star leaderboard packed with quality. Nicole Brown and Sam Watson review a huge weekend in Ireland, from Senor Crocodillo stamping his class ahead of Aachen, to Sam's own exciting young talent Ballybolger Goldman finishing fourth on his four-star debut. Plus, the story behind one of the f...

There are now only six horses in history to have recorded an EquiRatings Elo above 900. The latest to join the club? London 52. On this episode, Nicole Brown and Sam Watson break down what the 900 Club actually means, why London 52's consistency is almost unmatched in modern eventing, and how his recent performances compare to some of the greatest horses the sport has ever seen. From Le Lion d'Ang...

Millstreet week is here, and with it comes one of the biggest fixtures in Irish eventing. On this special Connolly's Red Mills preview show, Sam Watson joins Nicole Brown to look ahead to the four-star at Millstreet International Horse Trials , where championship contenders, rising stars, and experienced campaigners all collide. From Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo, to Joseph Murphy's Aachen ho...

Cross-country speed. Everyone wants it. Very few riders really understand how to build it. On this episode of the Grassroots Podcast, Cameron Beer sits down with Sam Watson to unpack what actually makes riders fast across country, and why speed has far less to do with bravery than most people think. From cruising speed and balance, to transitions, footwork, stamina, and course walking, Sam breaks...

What a week at Mars Badminton Horse Trials . As the dust settles on another extraordinary Badminton, Nicole Brown is joined by Catherine Austen , with Spike Milligan dropping in, to reflect on the performances, the pressure, and the moments that defined the week. From Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo delivering one of the great five-star performances, to standout weekends for Tim Price , Harry Me...

By Saturday night at Mars Badminton Horse Trials , the leaderboard looks different, and so does everyone who's been part of it. On today's Badminton Diaries, we start the day with Simon Middleton from Zebra Products and the team behind Simon Grieve's Autograph, sharing the emotional story of a homebred who has gone all the way to five-star. Then Marcus from Fairfax & Favor reflects on 13 years at...

Nicole and Diarm preview the biggest day of the week before being joined by British Performance Manager Dickie Waygood for one of the most insightful conversations of the week. From Ros Canter's record-breaking dressage lead to what separates great cross-country riders from good ones, Dickie breaks down the art of riding Badminton. This year's Badminton Diaries are brought to you by: Fairfax Saddl...

Before the first horse leaves the start box at Mars Badminton Horse Trials , Nicole Brown sits down with the man behind the questions, Eric Winter . From the lake to the Vicarage Vee, from camera angles to ground conditions, Eric opens up on what really goes into building a Badminton cross-country track, and why obvious doesn't always mean easy. He talks inspiration from places like Luhmühlen  Int...

In a special live edition of the podfrom the Ramsbury Gin Pavilion, Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne and Sam Watson to break down what a 23.7 from Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo really means, and whether we could be watching history in the making. Then two five-star winners join the stage. Gemma Stevens and Laura Collett talk nerves, routines, start box moments, and what really goes thr...

Dressage is done at Mars Badminton Horse Trials , the leaderboard is set, and now all eyes turn to cross-country. On Friday's Badminton Diaries, Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo head into Saturday with the biggest dressage lead at Badminton in modern history, but behind them, it feels as open as ever. We catch up with Austin O'Connor on bringing Sixmilewater back to Badminton, what it takes to bu...

On Day 2 of the Tour Diaries, we catch up with riders and familiar faces around the park as the first centre lines are ridden.  Tom Jackson talks pressure, preparation, and why Badminton still gives him goosebumps. Lucy Jackson joins us ringside with her take on the first day of dressage, the judging, and what Eric Winter's track could bring later in the week. Bubby Upton opens up on the emotional...