EquiRatings Eventing Podcast

It starts with a seed. It ends with a bag. Every stage in between matters.
In Chapter 2 of the documentary series, Nicole Brown steps inside Connolly's Red Mills to follow the full journey from raw ingredient to finished feed. From seed plants and grain stores to laboratories and production lines, this episode shows how consistency is built long before a product ever leaves the mill.
The people behind each stage explain what their roles really mean. Grain is grown with trusted local farmers, tested on arrival, analysed again before release, and tracked through a system designed to remove uncertainty. Technology supports it, but detail drives it. If something does not meet the standard, it does not move forward.
The scale is global. The operation is local. And everything still comes back to the same place where the story began.
Highlights
From seed selection to harvest, how the raw materials are sourced
The intake process that tests every delivery of grain
Inside the lab screening for nutrients, contaminants and prohibited substances
Technology that supports consistency across every batch
The logistics behind supplying more than 80 countries worldwide
Why full in-house production remains central to the philosophy
Guests
Gareth Connolly – CEO of Connolly's Red Mills and fifth-generation family member
Martin Bolger – Seed Plant Manager at Connolly's Red Mills
Mike Shields – Chief Technical Officer overseeing quality and compliance
Paul Connolly – Project and Systems Engineer
John Connolly – Chief Operating Officer responsible for operations and logistics
Jane Davis – Head of Marketing at Connolly's Red Mills
Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here.
Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs.
If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.

What does it take to build a global equine brand from a small village in rural Ireland?
In Chapter 1 of this three-part documentary series, Nicole Brown sits down with CEO Gareth Connolly at the heart of Connolly's Red Mills in Goresbridge, County Kilkenny. From a bakery in 1908 to a world leader in equine nutrition, this is the story of how a family business evolved through innovation, adversity and a relentless focus on performance.
Gareth traces the journey from canal trade routes and grain monopolies to the chance conversation with Paddy Mullins that changed Irish racing history. There are sliding doors moments along the way. Two world wars. Foot and mouth. A devastating fire. Covid lockdowns. And through it all, each generation stepping up as caretakers rather than owners.
At its core, the philosophy remains simple. Put the animal first. Never compromise. And make sure what's on the bag is in the bag.
This is where the Red Mills story begins.
Highlights
The 1908 origins of Connolly's Red Mills
How a bakery became a national feed manufacturer
The Paddy Mullins moment that shaped Irish racing
Innovation through adversity, from war to Covid
Why every product is still manufactured in County Kilkenny
The meaning behind "no compromise" nutrition
Guest
Gareth Connolly – CEO of Connolly's Red Mills and fifth-generation member of the Connolly family.
Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here.
Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs.
If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.

A new season. A new host. A fresh start.
Cameron Beer steps in to lead the 2026 Grassroots Show, bringing his experience as a British eventing coach and self-confessed grassroots enthusiast to a series built around practical tools for real riders. 
In the first episode of the year, Cameron is joined by fellow coach and five-star rider Jo Rimmer to tackle one of the most important parts of eventing that often gets overlooked - planning. From setting honest long-term goals to working backwards from key events, they discuss how to structure a season, how to cope when plans change, and why developing your own "system" is the foundation of consistent performance.
And this season, you are part of it.
At the end of every episode, Cameron will set a weekly training task for listeners to try at home. This week's jumping exercise focuses on rhythm and control through a simple three-cavaletti line. Try it, post it, and tag your efforts using #GrassrootsChallenge so the team can follow along.
Highlights
How to plan a season by working backwards from your goal
Tactical vs technical skills and how to identify your weaknesses
What "sticking to your system" really means in competition
Managing nerves and building mental resilience
This week's jumping training challenge
Guests
Cameron Beer – British event rider and coach focused on developing riders through the grassroots levels
Jo Rimmer – Five-star event rider and one of British Eventing's lead regional coaches
Presented by Foran Equine, part of the Connolly's RED MILLS family.
Listen to our last Grassroots Show with Lucy Robinson and Jesse Maye here.
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Follow the EquiRatings Eventing Podcast for more data-led insight, top-tier guests, and everything you need to keep up with the 2025 season on Instagram and Facebook.
Don't miss The Red Mills Rider Bursary 2026 — a chance for two amateur riders to receive a year of performance support from the Red Mills team. Head to redmillshorse.com/become-the-2026-red-mills-rider/ for details and to apply.

Valentine's Day on the Eventing Podcast means one thing. Power couples, a quiz, and very little mercy.
We've teamed up with the USEA Podcast for the annual Valentine's Special as eventing couples Ryan and Lillian Wood, and Sam and Brayden Lissington go head to head across general knowledge, eventing trivia, and the questions that really matter, how well they actually know each other. With flags flying for Australia, the USA, Britain, and New Zealand, expectations are low, rules are flexible, and bragging rights are firmly on the line.
For the latest in U.S. eventing—competition highlights, rider interviews, expert insights, and more—follow the USEA and subscribe to the USEA podcast channel to stay up to date!
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast
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After a career defined by volume, grit and longevity, Izzy Taylor sits down to reflect on evolution, perspective and what still drives her heading into 2026. She talks openly about stepping back from being "Busy Izzy", reframing success, and learning when change is not a threat but a necessity.
Izzy reflects on injury, recovery and mindset, the realities of motherhood at the top of the sport, and how experience reshapes the way she trains, competes and builds a team. There's a close look at the horses shaping her season, led by Barrington Alice, and why heart, brain and trust still underpin everything she believes about eventing.
Highlights
Reframing ambition and stepping away from being "Busy Izzy"
Injury, recovery and the mental side of coming back
Motherhood, longevity and evolving priorities at the top level
Barrington Alice, Bramham and shaping a 2026 campaign
Why heart and brain still matter more than raw talent
Guest
Izzy Taylor – British five-star event rider, championship team member, and one of the sport's most experienced producers of elite event horses.


Sponsors:
Connolly's Red Mills are offering 15% off Foran Equine products to Eventing Podcast listeners! Use the code EquiRatingsPodcast15 to receive your discount. View the full collection here.
Note this does not apply to the already discounted Pre-Fuel & Refuel combo packs.
If you have any other questions regarding feeding click here to ask the Connolly's RED MILLS experts.
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.