EquiRatings Eventing Podcast

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:
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The first big preview show of 2026 is here, and it's all about the US horses you might not be talking about yet. Nicole is joined by Annie Bishop and Diarmuid Byrne to dig into the four-star pipeline, the age profiles that matter, and the combinations quietly putting their hands up as LA edges closer.
From familiar names with depth in their strings to genuinely under-the-radar horses flagged by the data, this is a season-setting conversation about where US eventing is heading and why now is the moment to start paying attention.
How Paris Proved the Power of Data in Eventing: Lessons for LA 2028: https://news.equiratings.com/stories/how-paris-proved-the-power-of-data-in-eventing-lessons-for-la-2028 
Highlights
Why four-star is the proving ground for future championship horses
The age groups that historically point toward Olympic success
Under-the-radar US combinations with standout data profiles
East Coast and West Coast storylines worth following
How the US Equestrian Open is changing the way fans track form
Guests
Diarmuid Byrne, EquiRatings co-founder
Annie Bishop, producer and US eventing specialist
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
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The Eventing Podcast inbox has been overflowing, and since we couldn't get to them all during the last episode, here's a full listener-powered question episode for you. From season plans and LA 2028 predictions to Badminton memories, German dominance, and the rising stars reshaping 2026, nothing is off-limits. It's opinions, insight, and a few unfiltered tangents from the people who see every side of the sport.
Highlights
What 2026 could mean for the world number one battle
Who the team are backing for LA (and why the case isn't straightforward)
Early-season plans for Rocket, Goldman, and the horses coming through
The British vs German storyline heading into Aachen Worlds
Rising nations, U25 strength and the next generation of medal contenders
The big events they'd actually choose to spectate this year
Plus a few listener curveballs… from profile pictures to strange foods
Guests
Diarm Byrne, co-founder of EquiRatings and data analyst for elite sport
Sam Watson, five-time senior championship rider for Ireland
Spike Milligan, FEI team vet with decades of championship experience
Hosted by Nicole Brown
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
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The A-Team is back and somehow January already feels long. Between Diarm's medical misadventures, Spike's family odyssey to Cape Town and Sam getting ID'd at 40, it's a suitably unhinged reunion… before we finally get to the sport.
From why flag penalties moved from 15 to nine, to what really separates a championship horse from a five-star horse, to Ireland's new high-performance era under Sam Griffiths, it's a state-of-play start to 2026 with perhaps more questions than answers...
Listeners sent in plenty of those questions, so this is Part One - the Q&A show follows next!
Guests
Nicole Brown (Host)
Sam Watson, five-star rider and EquiRatings co-founder
Diarm Byrne, EquiRatings co-founder
Spike Milligan, FEI team vet with decades of championship experience
EquiRatings Eventing Podcast:
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On today's episode of When Nicole Met, supported by Bedmax, we sit down with five-star rider and producer Kate Rocher-Smith to unravel a career built as much in the sales yard as in the start box. From a first Badminton to eight- and nine-year-olds at Aston le Walls and a stable full of rising prospects, Kate explains how Dassett Eventing has become one of the sport's most influential pipelines for top horses and top riders.
Highlights
Badminton 2025 and the first-five-star learning curve
How Dassett Eventing reshaped the sales + production model
The traits that matter most in young horses today
Why team culture drives performance and longevity
Ones to watch for 2026 and the next generation
Guests
Kate Rocher-Smith, five-star rider and founder of Dassett Eventing
Hosted by Nicole Brown
This show is kindly supported by Bedmax, purpose-made, natural horse bedding designed to protect respiratory health, support hooves, and provide a clean, comfortable stable environment.