EquiRatings Eventing Podcast
Sam Watson sits down with world number three 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, and uncovering the under-the-radar picks that could separate your team from everyone else, this is full of strategy, second guesses, and a few picks Ali maybe shouldn’t have shared. Play Eventing Manager here: ...
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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 unpredictability of five-star sport, and why this still isn’t a foregone conclusion. From pressure and performance to the reality of flags, pins, and fine margins, the team explore how quickly everything...
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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 Austen, and special guest Adam Short break down the head-to-head everyone is talking about, the horses building behind them, and the names that could blow this wide open, from Harry...
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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 entertainment, to interviewing everyone from Tom Cruise to Daniel Craig, Amy shares the unexpected path that eventually led her to equestrian sport, and why she believes horse sport can dream much bigger....
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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 dressage score at Burghley, Joseph opens up about what it really takes to keep evolving at the top of the sport. The conversation goes far beyond one horse or one event. Joseph reflects on missing...
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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, detail, and constant evolution. They talk through what’s been happening over the winter, how the team balances tradition with change, and what’s new for 2026, including a significant shift to...
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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 teeth, this was a five-star that kept unfolding. At the centre of it all, Will Coleman and Diabolo. A first five-star win, delivered across all three phases, and a performance that answered the biggest...
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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 score could land around 30 - setting up a Sunday where everything could change. Check out the Defender Kentucky Fan Guide: Highlights Friday Night Lights: live from Kentucky Why this is one of the...
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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 of the market, to Boyd Martin and Commando 3 leading the US charge, to Will Coleman’s Diabolo bringing one of the most exciting profiles in the field, this is a line-up full of depth and...
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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 to have the week of its life, this is exactly what playing Eventing Manager looks like at a five-star. You’ll have a plan. You’ll ignore it. You’ll build a new one. And then you’ll watch it...
info_outlineSam 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, and uncovering the under-the-radar picks that could separate your team from everyone else, this is full of strategy, second guesses, and a few picks Ali maybe shouldn’t have shared.
Play Eventing Manager here: https://manager.equiratings.com/
Highlights
- Where should your money go now at the top of the market?
- Why Ali is doubling up on Harry Meade
- Caroline Powell and High Time, the biggest value in the game?
- Sam’s no-Graffalo strategy
- The 1.8 million picks that could change everything
- Team structure, risk, and how top-ranked players actually build a five-star team
Guests
- Sam Watson — Olympic event rider, analyst, and co-founder of EquiRatings
- Ali Barrett — EquiRatings own, and current world number three in Eventing Manager, known for bold picks, value hunting, and sharp five-star strategy
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
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