EquiRatings Eventing Podcast

Badminton is officially underway, and if day one is anything to go by, this week is going to deliver. From the buzz of the first horse inspection, to honest post-trot-up debriefs in the car with Sam Watson , behind-the-scenes chats with riders, vets, and some of the sport's biggest names, this first edition of the Badminton Tour Diaries has a bit of everything. There's a special catch-up with Cass...

At Badminton, it's easy to focus on what happens inside the ropes. But some of the biggest stories this week are happening beyond the start box too. In this special episode of the EquiRatings Eventing Podcast, Nicole and Sam catch up with Laura Collett and Will Rawlin on the Holland Cooper stand, talking Badminton nerves, five-star preparation, dressage expectations, and what it really feels like...

Sam Watson sits down with world number three Eventing Manager player Ali Barrett, to build their Badminton teams live, debate the biggest calls in the game, and work through the strategy behind building a five-star team that can actually score. From whether you still spend big on Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo , to doubling up on Harry Meade , finding value with Caroline Powell and High Time, a...

One of the biggest contenders is out and suddenly this year's Badminton looks very different with the spotlight now firmly on Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne, Sam Watson, and Ali Barrett to react to the late withdrawal of Oliver Townend's Cooley Rosalent. They dig into what this means for the competition, from Graffalo's win chances to the unpredictabili...

A shot at history. A rival ready to challenge it. And one of the deepest Badminton fields in years. Can Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo become the first horse-and-rider combination to win Badminton three times? Or is this the year Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent go one better after leading Badminton for almost all of last year's competition? Nicole Brown, Diarmuid Byrne, Sam Watson, Catherine...

From a $50 pony in Australia to the heart of Badminton coverage, Amy Parks has taken anything but a conventional route into the sport. In this episode of When Nicole Met , brought to you by Bedmax , Nicole Brown sits down with Amy for a conversation that goes well beyond television. From growing up in Melbourne with big dreams of performing, to building a career in journalism, breakfast TV, and en...

Badminton is around the corner, and for Joseph Murphy , it feels personal. Nicole Brown sits down with one of Ireland's most experienced championship riders to talk about Belline Fighting Spirit, going back to Badminton with unfinished business, and the mindset shifts that have shaped the last few years of his career. From rider mistakes and hard lessons, to equalling his best ever five-star dress...

The Inside Burghley series returns for 2026, and this first episode goes behind the scenes at one of the sport's most iconic events. Nicole Brown heads to Burghley HQ in Stamford to sit down with Event Director Martyn Johnson and get a look at what it really takes to build a five-star. From the day after one event finishes to planning years ahead, this is a full-time operation, shaped by feedback,...

There is nothing quite like the Monday morning after a five-star, and this one had plenty to talk about. Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne and Annie Bishop, fresh from Kentucky, to bring the raw reaction to a weekend that felt special from start to finish. From a dressage leaderboard packed tighter than usual, to a cross-country day that looked one way early and then quickly showed its teet...

Diarmuid Byrne, Annie Bishop, and Spike the Vet live on Friday night, as dressage wraps up and the leaderboard looks wide open going into cross-country day. With no dominant force in the field, up to 12 combinations could still win - from the leading Kiwis to Tom McEwen and the strength in depth just behind. They break down a more intense cross-country track, a tighter time, and why the winning sc...

Defender Kentucky might be one of the most iconic stops in the sport, but this year's five-star feels wide open. Nicole Brown is joined by Diarmuid Byrne and Annie Bishop, with Spike the Vet calling in from Heathrow on his way to Kentucky, to preview a field with only one previous winner, leaving the door open for there for someone new to step up. From Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality at the top...

Eventing Manager meets Kentucky… and yes, you will change your team at least three times. This one kicks off with a live call to Will Coleman, straight from the build-up, giving a quick insight into Diabolo ahead of his five-star debut, before things quickly spiral into team picks, swaps, and second guesses. From squeezing big names into the budget to convincing yourself your value pick is about t...

Kentucky week is here, and this Inside Kentucky show brings you straight into the final stages of preparation. Nicole Brown is joined by world number one Harry Meade and world number two Boyd Martin , two of the leading contenders heading into this year's five-star. With multiple horses between them, the conversation goes inside the decisions, the systems, and the reality of getting to the start l...

Badminton is getting close, and on this week's British Eventing Showin partnership with  Zebra Products , the focus turns to preparation. Nicole Brown is joined by Simon Grieve and Megan Elphick for a look at what the final weeks really involve, from five-star systems to grassroots goals, and everything in between. Simon heads back to Badminton with Autograph, four completions behind him and a com...

Burnham Market has become Oliver Townend territory. A remarkable record here, a system that works, and Cooley Rosalent back again - it's a combination that's hard to look past. But it's never that simple here. This is a track that consistently produces top-level performances, and when horses run well at Burnham Market, it usually stands up against anything else in the calendar. Add in Banzai du Lo...

Rider fitness is something we all know matters, but it's often the first thing to fall down the list. In this episode, Cameron is joined by Katie Bleekman to break down what rider fitness actually looks like, from strength and mobility to nutrition, recovery, and the habits that make it stick. It's not about doing more. It's about doing the right things, consistently, and understanding how it all...

Andy Heffernan didn't grow up in horses, and he didn't have an obvious path into the sport. What started with a riding school in England quickly turned into something more, and from there he built a career the hard way, riding whatever horses he could, learning on the job, and figuring out how to make it work. That journey has taken him to the Olympics, into coaching the Dutch team, and now into c...

The overview show is back, and this time it's all about the big picture. Which nation is actually in the strongest position heading towards Aachen 2026? We talk about it all the time, but this is putting numbers behind it. Strength, depth, and what the data is really saying at the top of the sport.  While there's a lot of movement across the board, one thing is clear. Great Britain isn't going any...

Thoresby is done and dusted, and it delivered. A big win, a few messy moments, and a proper reminder that even the best riders have to fight for it. Gemma Stevens did exactly that, bouncing back from a tough start to take the Grantham Cup with Cooley Park Muse . Elsewhere, the form is starting to show. Tom Jackson looks full of confidence, and Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo had the kind of run...

Lucienne Bellissimo begins the 2026 season with a new flag beside her name, now officially representing the United States. It is a change that reflects where life and sport have taken her. From riding ponies in the New Forest to building businesses, surviving serious injuries, and returning to the top level of eventing, Lucienne's journey has been anything but straightforward. In this episode she...

The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park brings together one of the strongest early-season fields, with Badminton entries, returning champions, and a mix of horses at very different stages of their spring campaigns. This episode previews the Grantham Cup and the wider four-star divisions, looking at who could win, who's likely using it as a prep run, and which combinations are starting to sho...

Buying a horse is one of the hardest things to get right in this sport. Not because there aren't options, but because the right ones aren't always visible. The best horses are often off-market, spread across global networks, and difficult to compare without real context. This episode breaks down how the EquiRatings Horse Sourcing process actually works, building a global pool of horses, filtering...

The 2026 Defender Kentucky entries are out… and suddenly, everything feels very real. There's something about seeing the list in black and white. The names, the horses, the matchups. The ones who have come close before, the ones building toward something bigger, and the ones who might just change the story this year. At the top, Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality arrive as the standout favourite. T...

The first real marker of the 2026 season has been laid down. The Setters' Run Farm Carolina International always brings a good field, but this year it was stacked. Margins tight from the first phase, no one making the time, and a track that kept shifting the leaderboard right to the end. Tamie Smith and Lillet 3 didn't lead it from the front, but when it mattered, they were the ones who delivered....

Yorkshire tea in hand, Nicola Wilson sits down for a conversation that reflects exactly where she is now. A winter focused on getting stronger, small milestones that matter, and a return to the sport that looks different, but still feels the same at its core. Since 2022, her role has evolved, with coaching now at the centre. Working with riders like Katie McGee and Gabby Dickerson, and as part of...