S2, E01: Go Eventing with Emily Hamel, presented by Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt Real Estate

“Where Eventing Lives” Welcome back to Season 2 of Go Eventing, the podcast where the heart, soul, and stories of the eventing world come to life. As the 2026 season kicks off, join us as we explore major developments shaping the sport — from the highly anticipated $100,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase in Aiken to structural changes within US equestrian leadership and the ripple effects of Olympic funding. The start of a new season is always about possibility, and this episode captures that forward-looking energy! Whether you’re following high-performance competition, navigating your own partnership with a single upper-level horse, or curious about the evolving structure of the sport, this conversation explores how structural decisions at the top level filter down to everyday competitors. ----more---- 🔎What’s Inside Season 2, Episode 1? Host Sally Spickard sits down with 5* eventing icon Emily Hamel to dive into the realities of building a partnership with a single top-level horse, the patience required to develop trust over time, and what it means to manage expectations while pursuing competitive goals. After their recent completion at Les 5 Etoiles de Pau in October 2025, Emily and her 5* partner Corvett (known as Barry to his friends and fans) became the first North-American horse and rider pair to finish all six Northern Hemisphere CCI5* events — a huge achievement for not only their partnership, but eventing as a whole. With reflections on community, opportunity, and the vibrant equestrian hub of Aiken, this episode sets the tone for a season full of growth. 🔥In This Episode, We Cover... 02:38 - News & Notes: New FEI Leadership & Department Merge, Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase at Bruce’s Field, and Billionaire US Olympian Funding Sally and Emily discuss the upcoming $100,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase, considered the "season opener" in the heart of eventing country in Aiken, SC. Recent news highlights include Great Britain’s Molly Day joining the FEI as the Director of the newly-merged Eventing and Driving departments, vacating her former position of Event Director of EEI, a position subsequently succeeded by Vanessa Coleman, the former Competition Director for the Kentucky 5*. Sally and Emily also discuss an article highlighting billionaire Ross Stevens and the fund he created to provide $200,000 to every US Olympic and Paralympic Athlete over the next 6 years. [RSVP for the EN x Optimum Time 'Win the Warmup' Experience at Grand-Prix Eventing] [Watch the Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase live on ClipMyHorse.TV] 19:45 - One Big Thing: Barry & the One-Horse 5* Journey Emily guides the listeners through her journey from meeting Barry to completing their 10th CCI5* together, and what the path looks like when climbing the levels to 5* with just one horse. She touches on mistakes she's learned from and lessons she'll take into partnerships with her up-and-coming horses. Emily places a big emphasis on goals, stressing the importance of a strong partnership while making sure to approach each horse as an individual, without trying to force your goals where they may not fit. She and Sally laugh about Barry's character quirks that have brought him such a devoted fan base, and how Emily has had to adjust her mindset over the years to cater to Barry's rather particular needs. [Video of Barry going to his room all on his own] 54:32- Sponsor Segment: "Emily in Aiken" with Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate While Emily may have moved to Aiken rather recently, she now considers it her home. Her home base of Good Fortunes Farm was scouted out by EN's amazing sponsor Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt Real Estate. 59:49 - Equestrian Keyboard Warriors ft. Emily's Kentucky Infamy If you enjoy Jimmy Kimmel's "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets", you'll love Emily reading some of the more opinionated comments on EN's first million-view reel from the Kentucky Three-Day Event last year, featuring Emily's infamous recovery after a particularly enthusiastic jump by Barry in show jumping! While many comments applauded her impressive save, the keyboard warriors -- as always -- came out to make sure Emily was informed on how they would do it differently! 1:10:54 - Finish Flags We have a wealth of exciting cohosts planned for this season, including recent Maryland 5 Star winner Felix Vogg, Olympic medalist Kim Severson, FEI Dressage Judge Peter Grey, and Belgian Olympic eventer Lara de Liedekerke-Meier — just to name a few! Go Eventing will also be debuting a new format in some future episodes, designed to provide a deep-dive of important topics we think deserve a more focused discussion. Stay tuned for our first discussion focusing on safety and technological advances in Eventing coming your way soon. 🎧 Tune In to Eventing Everywhere with EN Head over to EventingNation.com to read all the latest from all levels of eventing across the globe. Connect with us @goeventing, or you can reach us ...