Good morning EN! This weekend there will be a new cardiac study taking place at Waredaca Farm Horse Trials. Veterinarian Catherine Kohn and a crew of assistants will be testing two prototypes for monitoring ECGs on horses during the cross country. According to a post on Waredaca’s website, the farm is very excited to be able to help Dr. Kohn with her research, and the study has been endorsed by USEA CEO Jo Whitehouse. If you are competing this weekend and would like to volunteer as a participant, make sure to let the office know. More details will be forthcoming. [Waredaca Cardiac Study]

Weekend Preview:

The Event at Santa Fe [Entry Status/Times]

Erie Hunt and Saddle Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Waredaca Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Full Gallop Farm August H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

The 2014 Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships are officially open for entries! And it gets better- the first 100 competitor to enter and pay via Xentry will be entered into a drawing for a gas card to help ease transportation costs. In addition, there is a $100 discount for entries completed by August 19. If you aren’t qualified for the AECs, remember that the Adult Team Challenge will run simultaneously. You can see qualification requirements for it here. [USEA]

How to “hobnob with the horsey crowd,” by British socialite Celestria Noel. The guide is meant to help those who have been “invited to attend a horse trials or a polo match” but do not “know how to behave, what to wear or the right words to utter.” Noel’s advice, first and foremost, is actually really helpful: don’t frighten the horses. She also warns you to totally ignore royalty and celebrities that may be attending the show, and that “another real faux pas is to call eventing and horse trials ‘showjumping.’ Showjumping is one of the disciplines within three-day eventing.” Overall, her advice is pretty on point, if a bit tongue-in-cheek. Click to read the entire piece. [WPTZ Burlington]

The Colorado Horse Park is for sale. After 21 years of leadership, founder Helen Krieble has decided that it is time to sell the facility. She is in her seventies, so it is totally understandable that she is ready to retire. According to Horsetalk, the “148 acre facility has three barns, 11 arena and 300 stalls and welcomes more than 35,000 visitors per year and hosts more than 40 competitions annually.” [Horsetalk]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Ulcers and Jock Paget. This week Jock Paget joins hosts Jess and Samantha to discuss his vindication, then Dr. Lydia Gray from SmartPak talks about gastric ulcers. This week’s trainer tip comes from Ariel Grald, who describes an exercise to help with your horse’s adjust-ability over fences. [Eventing Radio Show]

A Swedish study of horse-riding accidents has left researchers wondering if safety equipment has reduced the number of serious human injuries in recent years. In Sweden, riding is the eighth most popular sport with 200,ooo participants. Researchers investigated the records of all patients admitted to the emergency room for horse-related trauma at Linköping University Hospital over a two-year period. In total, 147 adults and 141 children came to the hospital for horse-related injuries during that time. 63 of those patients were admitted to the hospital, and 19 of those were classified as having “serious injuries.” Four patients needed intensive care treatment. In comparison with other research, the incidence of serious injuries was much lower. [Horsetalk]

And today’s video, via Horse Nation, is the second installment of everyone’s favorite equine-themed exercise routine: Prancercise.

The prize for the winner of GMHA's inaugural CIC1*. Photo via the GMHA Festival of Eventing Facebook page.

Good morning EN! The GMHA Festival of Eventing is in full swing up in Vermont, with a three day clinic wrapping up today. Bonnie Mosser, Peter Gray, and Bobby Costello were all in attendance teaching groups, this weekend a recognized Novice-Intermediate level horse trials will take place. This is all on top of the classic three-day that took place at GMHA last weekend. Finally, GMHA will host its first 1* this year, and give away the beautiful saddle you see pictured above to the lucky winner. 21 combinations are entered in the FEI division, including Bruce Davidson on Mr. Bojangles. Good luck to all competitors! [GMHA Facebook]

Weekend Preview:

GMHA August H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Otter Creek Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

The Summer Event at Woodside [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Hunters Run H.T. [Website] [Times]

Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

British Eventing will host a two-phase arena Eventing series in 2015. According to Horse & Hound, the series aims “to provide more opportunities to BE members, as well as attract new ones.” There will be two finals in order to allow riders from each end of the country to participate, one at Blenheim and one at Blair. Classes will be at the BE90 and BE100 levels, open to both BE members and non-members. [Horse & Hound]

The French team swept the podiums at the FEI European Pony Championships over the weekend. France took home team and individual gold in both Eventing and Jumping at the games, which took place in Ireland. Unsurprisingly, Germany took home double gold in Dressage. Mike Etherington-Smith designed a brand new cross country course for the event at Drishane Castle, which neighbors the 350-acre Green Glens equestrian complex where the main event was based. Sixteen-year-old Victor Levecque took home double gold in Eventing, riding his 10-year-old pony, Qualitat des Bourdons. Germany took home team silver, followed by Italy for team bronze. [Horse Canada]

Three foals were granted elite premium status at The Baileys Horse Feeds/ British Breeding/British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Futurity in Gloucestershire. The top-ranked foal, Jumbelissa (Jumbo x Monte Carlo), finished with a score 9.06 in the eventing section. She is one of the first foals bred by Nicky Carmichael, who is obviously very excited. Another foal Nicky bred this year also did very well at the competition: Florissa (Floriscount X Wolkentanz I), who scored a first premium of 8.67.  Click to read a full recap and see photos of the foals. [Horse & Hound]

This week on SmartPak’s Ask the Vet: Tying up. A reader writes to Dr. Lydia Gray about how to prevent her young event horse from tying up. Dr. Gray discusses the mechanisms of tying up and supplements that could potentially help prevent the condition from occurring. [SmartPak Blog]

Today’s video comes from the aforementioned FEI European Pony Championships, and features sights and sounds from cross country day.

A new Advanced cross country jump on Tremaine Cooper's Millbrook course- Hope Nicyper-Meryman is pictured. Photo via the Millbrook Horse Trials Facebook page.

Good morning EN! Riders up and down the East Coast are heading up to Millbrook, NY over the next couple days to compete at Millbrook Horse Trials. Known for being the big Advanced division of the summer and where many horses who competed in spring/summer CCIs get back into the competitive swing, it’s definitely going to be an intense weekend of competition. All levels feature tough courses, and judging from the above picture this year will be no different. Keep checking back for updates, as Jenni Autry will be on the grounds and Kate Samuels is competing in Advanced. Good luck to all competitors!

Millbrook H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Times]

River Glen Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Times]

Olney Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Rocky Mountain H.T. [Website]

Catalpa Corner Charity H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. [Website]

WEG hopefuls are warming up at Gatcombe’s Festival of British Eventing this weekend. Zara Phillips, William Fox-Pitt and Tina Cook of Team GB will be riding as well as Sam Griffiths, Andrew Nicholson, Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon. In addition, Oliver Townend will be there to defend his 2013 championship title that he took with Armada. [Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard]

Leesburg Today featured CH-J* winner Allie Nelson. Under the tag line “Underestimated Duo,” the publication wrote about Allie and Total Eclipse’s journey from total beginners to championship winners. It also mentions that Allie currently works three jobs to help support her horse habit. Read more about Allie and “Casper” here, in a profile Jenni posted last week. Congrats again to Allie and Casper! [Leesburg Today]

Check out coverage of the Rebecca Farm CIC3* in the local paper. 3* winner Matt Brown is interviewed, and he told the paper, “After you’ve had two really good days, you almost wish that the weekend could be over and that you didn’t have to have this last phase… but I really felt like (Super Socks BCF) tried his heart out.” The paper also included some great photos of the event that have a link for purchase underneath them in case riders featured want a copy for themselves. [Flathead Beacon]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: The Triple Crown Mentor Series. The episode features several up-and-coming riders and their professional mentors, including recent NAJYRC gold medal winner David Ziegler and his coach Missy Ransehousen. Tamie Smith and her daughter Kaylawna are also featured on the show. Tamie recently blogged for EN about her experience as the mom of a NAJYRC competitor. [The Eventing Radio Show]

So you want to be a groom? Read this article written by longtime groom Liv Gude. She gives you the inside scoop on what your job will entail, and also how to protect yourself from unsavory or unsatisfactory situations. [The Chronicle]

In anticipation of this weekend’s competition at Gatcombe, check out this video of Advanced Division A at the Festival of British Eventing last year.

"Lucas" is ready to welcome competitors to Rebecca Farm. Photo via the Rebecca Farm Facebook page.

Good morning EN! The Event at Rebecca Farm is in full preparation for its event to begin tomorrow, and the decorations are clearly going to be as beautiful as they have in the past. West Coast correspondent Chesna Klimek will be bringing us reports from the ground as the festivities get going, so make sure to keep checking back for more coverage of the competition. Good luck to all competitors! 

Weekend Preview:

Event at Rebecca Farm [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Cobblestone Farms H.T. [Website]

Stoneleigh-Burnham Summer H.T [Website]

Horse Park of New Jersey H.T. II [Website] [Entry Status]

Valinor Farm Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Germany took home the top three spots and the team title at Aachen CICO3* last weekend. Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo took home the top spot and €31,000 as winners of the DHL Prize, Ingrid Klimke came in second on FRH Escada JS, and Michael Jung finished third on longtime partner La Biosthetique-Sam FBW. Great Britain finished second in the Nations Cup competition, and France finished third. After five of nine Nations Cup events, Great Britain leads the series overall, France is in second, and Germany is in third. [Horsetalk]

Queen Elizabeth’s racehorse tested positive for morphine. The horse, Estimate, won last year’s Ascot Gold Cup, and tested positive along with other horses. The cause is believed to be contaminated feed, but according to Horsetalk that has yet to be confirmed.  [Horsetalk]

Tickets for the 2015 FEI European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle will go on sale August 21. Beginning August 1, British Eventing members have the chance to buy tickets early at a discounted price. According to a press release on British Eventing’s website, Alec Lochore, Event Director said, “We felt it was very important to ensure all members of British Eventing had the opportunity to secure tickets for this Championship event and we hope that as many people as possible will book early and benefit from the offer.” [British Eventing]

Check out these seven unusual GoPro videos of horse adventures. From a bronc ride to a girth cam, they are pretty impressive. Scroll to the end of this post to see one of the videos featuring a barrel race round. [Horse Nation]

Best of Blogs: Rosie Fry writes about her experiences at Barbury and Tweseldown for Horse & Hound.

How the newly launched Horsetrailers.net will look on your devices.

Good morning EN! Today’s exciting news is that a brand new horse trailer sales website launched yesterday. HORSEtrailers.net is the brainchild of Nicole Robertson, who realized the need for a better horse trailer sales website after she tried to find a new horse trailer online. The site already has trailers from more than 55 dealers in its catalogue, and Robertson hopes that it will help to shake up the trailer buying experience in a serious way. Check out the site here.

Coconino Classic 3-Day Event & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

NAJYRC [Website]

Fitch’s Corner H.T. [Website]

The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm II [Website] [Entry Status]

Hunter Oaks H.T.[Website] [Entry Status]

Aspen Ridge H.T. [Website]

USPC Festival [Entry Status/Times]

Phillip Dutton will take over the ride on Fernhill Cubalawn, previously competed at the 3* level by Alexandra Green. Tom Tierney and Simon Roosevelt recently purchased the horse for Phillip to ride from Paul Green. Phillip and “Cuba” competed at Stuart Horse Trials last weekend, winning the CIC2*. Phillip told The Chronicle of the Horse that he is excited about the horse as a prospect. “I rode him in the intermediate at Surefire [(Va.), in June] and just took him around quietly to get to know him. But [at Stuart] I tried to push a few of the buttons and go a bit quicker. I couldn’t be more pleased with him. He looks like he might be a nice horse for the future.” [The Chronicle]

Liz Halliday-Sharp had a great weekend at Brightling Park International. She finished second in the CIC2* with Fernhill by Night, third in the BE100 with Cooley Cruise Control, and fifth in the CIC1* on Cooley Ground Control. After a few blips marred Fernhill by Night’s spring season, Liz was pleased with his performance in the jumping phases. She will take him out at the CIC3* level at Camphire International Horse Trials later this month. [Box Score]

Southern California Equestrian Sports (SCES) has announced that Sinead Halpin and Allison Springer are the organization’s 2014 award winners. Both will receive $1,500 each for their “exemplary fundraising and competitive efforts.” [Press release, via USEA]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Canadian Eventing and Bridging the Gap Scholarship winners. Hosts Jess and Samantha chat with Max Corcoran and Jackie Green, who both recently took on new roles for Team Canada. Bridging the Gap winner Franky Reid-Warrilow updates everyone about the scholarship, and Kate Chadderton gives this week’s training tip. [Eventing Radio Show]

Our final four blogger contestants have spoken! We will be posting their final round entries on Bloggers Row today, and we want your feedback! Who will be named the newest EN blogger? We will put up a voting post this week, and the results of your votes will be taken into consideration when choosing our winner. [Bloggers Row]

Interested in working for Boyd Martin? Windurra USA is looking for two new working students. Minimum of six month commitment. Click for more information. [Boyd’s Blog]

In honor of this week’s NAJYRC competition, check out this EN throwback video of the 2010 CCI2* cross country. Good luck to all the competitors there this week!

Thanks to Joan Mayfield for the adorable photo.

Good morning EN! The perfectly timed photo above features Dorie Mayfield and her mount Junior, who won a division at the Indiana Eventing  Association’s schooling show Leg-Up last weekend. Dorie’s mother Joan snapped this cute photo of Junior going in for a sip of celebratory beer after his big win- we all know that feeling. Congrats to Dorie and Junior! 

Weekend Preview:

Cosequin Stuart H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

37th Annual Whidbey Island H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Champagne Run at the Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Huntington Farm H.T. [Entry Status/Times]

Coconino Summer I H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm I [Website] [Entry Status]

Powder Basin H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Riga Meadow H.T. [Website]

Florida attorney Robin Trupp is calling attention to problems with FEI rules and quarantine regulations. FEI rules require all competitors to deposit syringes with competition veterinarians at the beginning of competition for safekeeping. Trupp argues that “almost every horse in a quarantine travels with an emergency kit, which may include a syringe, needle and medication.” His main point: if an FEI horse is stabled in a non-FEI secured quarantine facility on a day when competition is not occurring, no vet is required to be present. Critical treatment could be delayed because caretakers would not have a syringe to administer drugs. This appears to apply to shows at which quarantine barns are located far from the FEI-secured stabling, where a vet is required to be available at all times. [Horsetalk]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Paul Tapner, Lynn Symansky, and US WEG prep. Hosts Nate Chambers and Joe Meyer talk with Paul Tapner about his successful weekend at Barbury Horse Trials, and then US WEG team member Lynn Symansky stops by to chat about her selection. Finally Robert Banner discusses the US WEG prep event at Great Meadow in Virginia. [Eventing Radio Show]

Allison Springer is looking for a new working student to start immediately. Interested in working for her? Email  [email protected] to find out more.

Want to win a Tipperary T2 helmet to call your own? In honor of Riders4Helmets International Helmet Awareness Day, our awesome sponsor Tipperary is giving one of these helmets away! Send us the story of why you #mindyourmelon, every ride every time, along with a photo of you rocking your helmet to [email protected]. Please keep entries to 200 words or less and send them in no later than Monday, July 14 at 5 pm EST. [Tipperary T2 Helmet Contest]

Horse Nation is now in Instagram! Click to check out the article about the ensuing hashtags and find a link. [Horse Nation]

Best of Blogs: Area I Young Riders have started an NAJYRC blog. Click to check it out. 

Today’s video comes from RNS Video, and features the Preliminary Road Crossing complex at Groton House Horse Trials.

Jackie Gilbertson minding her melon in a Dom schramm clinic at Kate Chaddertons farm in MD. Thanks to Rhiannon Bosma for the photo.

Good morning EN! While it’s a bit of a slow weekend in terms of recognized competitions, Sharon White is hosting her annual Jump! fundraiser at her farm in West Virginia on Saturday. From the sound of things, it’s going to be quite the event- complete with a tiki bar stocked with free drinks, costume awards, and a new stick horse challenge. The mounted portions of the show include show jumping and cross country classes, and there will even be a horse stationed out on the cross country course to help the green beans who need a lead over the more scary fences. All proceeds will go to help Sharon fund her overseas competition trips. Click to find the entry form and more information about the weekend. [Jump! Entry Form]

Weekend Preview:

South Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Mary King tells the Exeter Express & Echo that she’s not quite ready to turn the business over to her daughter just yet. Her 18-year-old daughter Emily has already created an impressive riding resume, as she currently holds the under-21 national and Premiership League championship as well as a junior European individual silver medal. Mary told the paper, “[Emily] wants to be better than me so she is competing and working hard to go far in the sport. I have obviously been competing for a long time and I am waiting for that feeling when I want to just put my feet up. But it hasn’t come so far and I am enjoying it still and as long as I am fit and healthy and have good horses to ride I will compete.” [Express & Echo]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: a Stuart H.T. preview and David O’Connor. Hosts Jess and Samantha are joined by Stuart organizer Heidi Vahue to talk about the upcoming event, and then David O’Connor joins in to discuss the USEA Safety Task Force. Dee Lee talks about her experience at the O’Connor Event Camp, and finally Dr. Lydia Gray from SmartPak talks about reducing colic risk factors. [Eventing Radio Show]

As we wrote yesterday, The USEA has posted an update on Amy Barrington’s recovery. Amy, a trainer from North Carolina, sustained a traumatic brain injury in September 2013 after falling from a horse while riding at home. According to the article she is doing very well, though still experiencing some issues with speech and vision. Click to read the whole piece and check out of photo of Amy riding again for the first time! [USEA]

Team USA won team bronze and an individual silver at the World Para Equestrian Driving Championships Sandringham over the weekend. The team consisted of Diane Kastama, Virginia (Boo) Fitch, and Bob Giles. Bob also won the individual silver medal at the event. Congrats to all! [Results]

Equine Disease Quarterly indicates that New Zealand has recorded its first case of neurological disease related to equine herpes virus-1 (EHV-1). The journal released a list of equine disease outbreaks reported to the International Collating Center in Newmarket, England, and other sources. The US also reported a significant number of cases of EHV-1 during the same period. [Horsetalk].

Scotland’s Blair Castle will host the European Eventing Championships in 2015, and they have put together an awesome new website for the occasion. The video below is their teaser for the event, and it features some really beautiful shots and slow motion takes. If you’re interested in attending the event, tickets go on sale in August! [Blair Castle 2015]

Good morning EN! Can you see those cool polo shirts in the photo? You can look just as cool and Julie and Nora by heading over to the EN shop and getting your own EN gear! Julie sent us this photo of the unintentional fashion show that occurred last weekend at IEA Classic 3-Day and Horse Trials. She writes, “Nora Endzel and I both accidentally wore our EN polo shirts on the same day so we couldn’t resist getting a cute photo together with our horses Asti & Tilly.  It was an excellent event as usual, and we are very lucky to have a long format opportunity in the Midwest. Go Eventing!”

Weekend Preview:

Bromont International Three Day Event [Website] [Entry Status]

River Glen June H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Derbyshire Farms H.T. [Website]

Arrowhead H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Plantation Field H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Queeny Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Texas Rose Horse Park Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Copper Meadows H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

The Middleburg H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

TVNZ reports that Jock Paget’s tribunal hearing wrapped up on its first day after ten hours. According to Chris Hodson, the President of Equestrian Sports New Zealand, the hearing would continue for another half day and then the outcome would be announced in the coming weeks. The hearing is confidential and riders are presumed guilty until proven otherwise. [TVNZ]

Erica Seas reflects on the Worth the Trust Scholarship she received from the USEA. Erica was the 2012 recipient of the award, but was granted an extension when she lost her horse Jammy in a tragic barn fire that claimed the lives of 18 horses. She now has a partner, Rollando, and is hoping to show him in the 5-year-old Young Event Horse divisions and eventually completing a one star or more. Good luck Erica and Moose! [US Eventing]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Chattahoochie Hills and a Saumur wrap-up with Doug Payne. Hosts Samantha and Jess talk with Doug about his experience at Saumur, and then analyze Chatt Hills with Hugh Lochore and Leslie Law. FEI commentator John Kyle comes on next to discuss how he gets into the lounge, and this week’s training tip comes from Dana Cook. [Eventing Radio Show]

The writers over at the official Rio 2016 blog put together a series of articles about the Olympic equestrian sports. With five full articles and an introduction, they really went in depth to describe the history of equestrian sport and its place in the Olympic Games. One article focuses on the fact that the sports are not restricted by gender like nearly all others, making them “beacons of gender equality.” There is also one article that describes the National Equestrian Centre, which will host the equestrian sports in 2016. [Rio 2016 Blog]

Do you want to write for EN? Enter the Fourth EN Annual Blogger Contest for a chance to join the team that brings you your daily eventing fix. Round 1 entries are due Monday, June 9, at 8 p.m. EST. [How to enter]

Today’s video comes from Wallace Eventing, who are once again documenting their journey to Bromont with Jon Holling. This episode features Jon doing what everyone does while trying to pass time on a long drive… rapping.

Thanks to Helene for this great photo of Buck and Andrea at Flora Lea Horse Trials in NJ last weekend.

Good morning EN! It’s going to be a busy weekend out at the Colorado Horse Park, as all three Olympic disciplines will be hosting concurrent shows on the property. This weekend will also be important for another reason- memorializing Claire Davis, the high school student and equestrian who passed away due to injuries she sustained during the Arapahoe High School shooting.  If you are going to be there this weekend, be sure to check your packet for a pin-on ribbon created in her honor. Click here to read more about the memorial effort.

Weekend Preview:

Waredaca H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

GMHA June H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Poplar Place Farm June H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

The Colorado Horse Park H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club Spring H.T  [Website] [Entry Status]

IEA Horse Trials, Classic Training & Novice 3-Day  [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Lara de Liedekerke won the CCI2* at Houghton International in the UK. The field contained many of the biggest names in eventing, but Lara held onto first place from start to finish aboard an eight-year-old stallion named Averouge des Quatre Chênes. Click to see photos and a full event report from Eventing Worldwide. [Eventing Worldwide]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Liz Halliday on Saumur.  British-based American rider Liz Halliday joins hosts Samantha and Jess to talk about her weekend at Saumur. Then up-and-coming Irish rider Elizabeth Hayden talks about eventing in Ireland. Gavin Makinson gives this week’s trainer tip. [Eventing Radio Show]

Have you seen SmartPak’s funny new “If Horses Were People” videos yet? If not, you’re in luck, because all seven episodes have been put together along with a few still shots over on the SmartPak blog. Click to check them out. [SmartPak Blog]

Two US journalists have been selected as of the winners of the Alltech “Hoof Beats” media competition. Horse Illustrated, Horses USA and HorseChannel.com editor in chief Lesley Ward and equine journalist Maurine Webb will both be given the chance to attend and report on the WEG Championships in France later this year. The third winner is an Australian journalist named Anna Sharpley. The three winners were chosen by members of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists (IAEJ) and Alltech officials. [Horsetalk] 

Reminder: Vaccinate your horse against mosquito-borne diseases. South Carolina horse owners are urged to be particularly careful this year- that means you Aikenites! Last year the state recorded 49 cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, the highest number of EEE cases in the US in 2013. EEE is preventable by vaccine, and according to vaccination records none of the horses infected in SC last year had been properly vaccinated. The disease is nearly always fatal, and 48 of the 49 horses infected last summer died. [Horsetalk]

Today’s video comes from YouTube user Dream Maker, who put together some great clips from the FEI event at Houghton International in the UK last weekend.

The ground jury inspects the Saumur cross country course. Photo from the Saumur Complet Facebook page.

Good morning EN! The Saumur CCI3* officially kicks off today with the first horse inspection at 2PM this afternoon. Americans Doug Payne and Liz Halliday-Sharp are both on grounds preparing to compete this weekend, Doug aboard Crown Talisman and Liz aboard both HHS Cooley and Fernhill By Night. You can check out Doug’s blog from yesterday here, and Kate’s preview of notable pairs competing this weekend here.  Also you can scroll down to the end of this post to see this year’s teaser trailer, featuring footage from last year’s competition. Keep checking back for all the latest updates from the competition.

[Saumur Official Website] [Saumur Complet Facebook Page] [Entry List] [Schedule]

Weekend Preview:

Virginia CIC2*/CCI* and H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Times]

May-Daze at the Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

The Spring Event at Woodside [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Corona del Sol Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Flora Lea Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Coconino Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Equestrians Institute H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

A former Young Event Horse winner graced the CIC3* podium at CHC International last weekend.  Muggle, a ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Obediah x Isn’t She Nice), finished second at the event, which was his first 3*. He was piloted by Nilson Moreira da Silva, his partner of a year.  Earlier in his life, Muggle was first ever USEA Future Event Horse Champion as a three-year-old. He also won the 5-Year-Old division at the Serra Valley Farms in 2009, and was fourth in the East Coast Championships for Five-Year-Olds. Muggle was bred by Judy Jefferis of Laurel Hill Farm. [USEA]

The MDHT Spring Starter Trial #3 needs more volunteers. According to an email from organizer Sandy Felker,they still “need several scribes and dressage warm up… and now you can do just a half day. All afternoon scribe spots are still available.” Volunteers will receive a schooling pass for a free cross country school on MDHT’s course, worth $50. You can signup for a time slot by clicking the link. [MDHT Volunteer Signup]

The Irish Sport Horse “Brock” bloodline is proving itself to have winning class. Irish horses have had a good few weeks, with Bay My Hero winning Rolex Kentucky and Paulank Brockagh winning at Badminton. The sires of both horses have produced many successful sport horses. In 2011 Bay My Hero’s sire Cult Hero was ranked second in the British Eventing Top 50 sires of seven and eight-year-old event horses in competition, and  Paulank Brockagh’s sire Touchdown sired several world-class show jumpers, including the 2002 world champion mare Liscalgot. Touchdown also sired High Scope, who represented Ireland at the 2000 Olympic Games with Trevor Smith. [Independent.ie]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Badminton Past, Present, and Future. Hosts Jess and Samantha are joined by guest Nick Gauntlett to go over the news,  and then Jackie Green and Rodney Powell discuss Badminton’s past and future track. Tik Maynard gives this week’s training tip. [Eventing Radio Show]

SmartPak has revamped its online SmartPak Manager. The new manager is simplified and faster, meaning you will be able to edit your horse’s supplements, shipping schedule, and billing information all in one place, with just a few clicks. Now you can see when your changes will take effect and when your horse’s SmartPaks will arrive, all in the order details. Click to see a tutorial video explaining the new system! [SmartPak Blog]

Congratulations to Sarah Kate Kangas, the readers’ choice as winner of the EN Show Us Your Flags Rolex contest. Sarah might be EN’s youngest fan at only five-years-old, but that doesn’t mean she’s any less enthusiastic! Her prize is a feature article about her pony, and it will be coming soon. Click to see her winning submission (and adorable pony shirt!) in the meantime. [Show Us Your Flags Submissions]

As stated above, the video below is this year’s teaser trailer for the Saumur CCI3*. Good luck to all competitors this weekend!

Map of the fire area as of yesterday evening. Photo from CBS San Diego's Twitter.

Good morning EN, today we are sending all our thoughts and well-wishes to those affected by the Bernardo Fire near San Diego. As The Chronicle reported yesterday, several horse farms in the area have already evacuated as a precaution, including Steffen and Shannon Peters’ Arroyo Del Mar farm. Shannon Peters told The Chronicle that they moved their 65 horses to the nearby Del Mar racetrack until the fire is under control and the danger has passed. As of last night, the fire had engulfed roughly 800 acres and was less than five percent contained. Updates can be found on KPCC’s Fire Tracker.

Weekend Preview:

Otter Creek Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Hitching Post Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

CCC Spring Gulch H.T. [Website]

Kelly’s Ford H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Greater Dayton H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Kent School Spring H.T. [Website]

Flora Lea Horse Trials in NJ (scheduled for May 24,25) is accepting post entries. From organizer Debbie Adams: “We have terrific footing and quality XC fences making for an ideal one day experience for horses and riders at each level.  This family run event has been offering the sport every year since 1975!  Offering competition at Prelim and Training on Saturday and  Novice and Beginner Novice on Sunday.”

Royal eventer Zara Phillips made an appearance at the opening of Warwickshire College’s new state-of-the-art Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation Centre.  The facility will offer the UK’s only water treadmill to assist with rehabilitation, as well as hydrotherapy spa, treatment bays and new stables. Click to see photos of the new center. [Leamington Observer]

Reminder: It’s time to vaccinate your horse against mosquito-borne diseases. Recommended vaccines include those for West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), both of which are most often transmitted during the summer months when mosquitos are active. You can also take steps to reduce the mosquito population around your farm by eliminating stagnant bodies of water. [The Horse]

Two British equine organizations, World Horse Welfare and the British Equine Veterinary Association, have come out against the EU’s new draft proposal for equine passports. The passport system proposes that all horses must be microchipped and that anyone who accepts the carcass of a dead horse must check its electronic ID before taking the body. Intended to protect the food chain, BEVA argues the new rules as written will lead to the same problems that already exist. [Horsetalk]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Sam Griffiths and Buck Davidson. Fresh off their respective wins at Badminton and Jersey Fresh, Sam and Buck join hosts Joe Meyer and Nate Chambers to talk about their victories. Max Corcoran guest co-hosts, and and Sham Wordley gives this week’s training tip. [Eventing Radio Show]

Today’s video features Sharon White and Under Suspection storming around the Jersey Fresh CCI3* course. Thanks to RNS Video for the link.

Chinch made it to England and is ready to get to work. Photo from the EN Instagram.

Good morning EN! It’s a busy week for eventers both here in America and across the pond in England. Stateside we have Jersey Fresh International, which hosts the US’s only spring CCI3* as well as three other CIC and CCI divisions (check out a CCI3* competitor preview here). A whopping eight other events will also be running around the country this weekend, making it one of the busiest of the year so far. The rest of the world’s eyes will be glued on Badminton, where the second four star of the year kicks off today with the initial jogs. As you can see from the photo above, Chinch has dragged Jenni along with him to bring you on-the-ground coverage of the entire event, so stay tuned for lots more from England over the next few days.

[Badminton Website] [Schedule] [Entry List] [Official Facebook]

Weekend Preview:

Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event [Website] [Rider List]

Galway Downs Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

NWEC May Classic [Website]

Winona H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

WindRidge Farm H.T. [Website]

King Oak Farm Spring H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Mill Creek Pony Club H.T. at Longview [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Plantation Field H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

The Event at Galisteo [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

For the first time ever, one nation’s riders hold each of the top positions on the FEI leaderboards for Dressage, Jumping, and Eventing all at once. And you guessed it, that nation is Great Britain. Currently Scott Brash tops the Longines Rankings in Jumping, Charlotte Dujardin the FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings, and William Fox-Pitt the FEI World Eventing Athlete Rankings. What makes this even more impressive is that Scott and Charlotte (both members of their respective Olympic squads in 2012) are only 28 years old. Clearly the years of British domination are only just beginning. [Horsetalk]

Check out Horse and Hound’s “Top Tips for Badminton 2014.” Lucky enough to be making a trip to watch the competition in person? This article will have you covered with helpful information like trade fair hours and warnings of poor cellular phone signal. [Horse & Hound]

Marcia Kulak will be teaching a clinic at Bridlewood Farm in Aiken, SC on May 13 & 14. Email [email protected] to reserve your spot!

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Prepping for Badminton. Canadian competitor Rebecca Howard joins hosts Jess and Samantha to talk about current events, followed by Jacky Green with an in-depth look at the Badminton competitor field. Emilee Libby gives this week’s training tip. [The Eventing Radio Show]

Pop quiz: Can you name the rider who have successfully completed all six four star events? Spoiler: it’s Clayton Fredericks. Another Australian, Wendy Schaeffer, has started all six but has not completed Pau. Recent Rolex finishers Alice Dunsdon and Fernhill Present are on a quest to complete all six together as a pair, and have only Badminton and Adelaide left. And we all know that American favorites Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz currently hold the record for most four stars completed as a pair- they have done all but Adelaide. [Horse & Hound]

In case you weren’t already excited for Badminton, you can watch this event teaser trailer from 2009:

Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz at Badminton in 2013. Photo courtesy of Nico Morgan Photography.

Good morning EN! While we are all still digesting Rolex Kentucky results, those across the pond are gearing up for the next four star on the list: Badminton, which kicks off next week. The Badminton Facebook page is posting nearly daily updates about changes to the entry list. Yesterday Sam Watson withdrew Horseware Bushman and has been replaced by Neil Spratt and Upleadon from the wait list. Pippa Funnel & Or Noir de la Loge have also been accepted from the wait list, meaning that she will have to choose two of three entered horses (previously entered: Billy Beware & Redesigned). Other changes include the withdrawal of Irish Olympian Aoife Clark and Fenyas Elegance, and the addition of another Irish Olympian, Austin O’Connor, aboard Ringwood Mississippi. Check the Badminton Facebook page for the latest updates. [Official Badminton Horse Trials Facebook]

Weekend Preview:

Greenwood Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Penny Oaks H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

MCTA H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Poplar Place Farm May H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Princess Haya’s campaign to remove term limits for FEI presidents has been victorious after a landslide vote in favor of her proposal.  According to The Telegraph, Princess Haya said, “I’m very honoured for the opportunity to be available as a future president of the FEI for a third term. I don’t want to go further than that because there’s the possibility there’ll be other candidates.” Her statement comes after she previously insisted she would retire this December.  Member nations voted 103 to three in favor of allowing her to run for another term. Holland, Lichtenstein and Switzerland opposed. [The Telegraph]

Boyd blogged about his experience at Rolex as a spectator. Though he was disappointed at first to not be riding, once he arrived he “enjoyed the weekend immensely” and stayed busy coaching, watching Trading Aces, and catching up with sponsors. [Boyd and Silva Martin]

It’s fly season, and SmartPak has you covered. Literally, in some cases. Check out this helpful list of must-haves for summer fly control, compiled by the knowledgable staff at SmartPak. Their fly sheets ship free right now! [No Fly Zone]

Don’t forget to get your entries in for the Design Your Dubes contest! Celebrate the $20,000 Dubarry Nations Team Challenge and design, draw, fake, bake or otherwise create the ultimate nation-themed Dubarry boots. If readers love your boots best, you get brand new pair. The deadline for entry is today, April 30, at 11PM. Click for the full rules and a link to the submission form. [Design Your Dubes]

Best of Blogs: Sophie Jenman is gearing up for her first Badminton with Geronimo, and is blogging about her preparation for Horse & Hound. [Nine Days to Go]

Rest in peace Kibah Tic Toc, Australian eventing legend. Kibah Tic Toc carried Matt Ryan to double gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, and placed second at Badminton in 1995. He was euthanized on Monday at the age of 36. His half-brother, Kibah Sandstone, took Ryan to another team gold medal at the 2000 Sydney games. Both horses were bred by the late Australian Olympian Bridget “Bud” Hyem.  [Horsetalk]

Check out this video of a 1992 newscast featuring Kibah Tic Toc and Matt Ryan’s winning show jumping round at the Barcelona games. Bonus footage of the 1960 Olympics at 1:40!

"Lillian Heards Share Option and Jon Hollings Zatopek B discussing strategies for their first 4****! #RK3DE #newbieselfie!" Photo and caption courtesy of Savannah Kilpatrick.

Good morning EN! The  2014 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event officially begins today with the first horse inspection at 3 p.m. Competitors have been arriving all week to settle in, and the EN troops are on the ground to bring you photos and coverage throughout the entire weekend. Don’t forget to keep up with all our Rolex contests here. Keep checking back for all things Rolex-related, including a jog report later today.

[RK3DE Website] [Event Schedule] [Entry Status] [Official Facebook Page]

Weekend Preview:

Fresno County Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

University of New Hampshire Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Today’s News:

Have you entered any of EN’s contests for Rolex yet? Contests currently open are The Point Two Protect YourSELFIE Contest, Design Your Dubes, SmartPak’s Too Fun To Have Just One, Show Us Your Collection Contest, Omega Alpha’s Pick ‘Em. Keep up with all the currently open contests here. [Rolex Giveaway Insanity]

Once again Andrew Nicholson and William Fox-Pitt will face off as the two of the top riders in the world. Fox-Pitt is back with last year’s Kentucky runner-up Seacookie TSF, who went on to win Les Etoiles de Pau last October. Nicholson brings his popular mount Avebury, who was second-placed at Burghley last year and the winner of the same event in 2012. William Fox-Pitt does currently lead the 2014 FEI Leaderboard, though it is still too early in the season to make much of his nine point lead over eighth-placed Nicholson. [Horsetalk]

EN sends best wishes and lots of good karma to Kelly Pugh, who sustained a serious knee injury recently. Shannon Lilley sent us an update saying that Kelly was accidentally kicked by one of her horses and the force of the impact tore her meniscus off the bone. She will undergo surgery on May 5, and will then continue with rehab for the next 4-6months. Here’s to a speedy recovery!

Badminton will welcome Grassroots Championships once again. The competition began in 2002, and enables amateur riders to compete at the famed Badminton estate. Qualifiers are held around the UK throughout the eventing season, and the championships will feature two classes: BE90 and BE100. They will run on May 6-7, just before the big event kicks off. [Horse & Country]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: All eyes are looking to Rolex. Doug Payne joins hosts Jess and Samantha to talk about his upcoming trip to Europe to compete at Saumur. Rolex first timer Ellen Doughty talks about her wedding plans on the Friday of the event, and Ruy Fonseca gives the seasoned competitor perspective. Clark Montgomery gives this week’s training tip. [Eventing Radio Show]

Best of Blogs: PRO Riders competing at Rolex continued their tradition of visiting children at the UK Children’s Hospital yesterday. Buck Davidson, Jennie Brannigan, Lynn Symansky and Jon Holling and joined reiner and Lexington resident Lyndsey Jordan at the hospital. Click to see photos and read more. [PRO Blog]

Part of the homepage of Phillip Dutton's new website.

Good morning EN! Check out the above screenshot, which comes from the homepage of Phillip Dutton’s brand new website. Designed by EN friend Athletux, the site looks pretty snazzy and has lots of great information about Phillip’s services, facilities, equine partners, and past accolades. Click to check out the full site in all its glory. [Phillip Dutton Eventing]

Weekend Preview:

Holly Hill Spring H.T. [Website]

Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

River Glen Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website]

Longleaf Pine H.T. [Website]

FEI President Princess Haya’s husband, Sheikh Mohammed, will be barred from funding an international task force that aims to “clean up” problematic practices that have arisen in Endurance. In addition, two of his senior employees have been dropped from the newly-announced task force. The announcement of Sheikh Mohammed’s diminished role comes after both the Dutch and Swiss equestrian federations criticized “what they called ‘collaboration’ between the Sheikh and the [FEI],” according to the Telegraph. Sheikh Mohammed was suspended for doping for six months in 2009, and more than 24 horses from his stables have tested positive for drugs in the past. [The Telegraph]

The FEI is allowing athletes to vote for the direct election FEI Technical Committee athlete representatives for the first time. Each sport governed by the FEI has a respective FEI Technical Committee, and athlete representative candidates submitted applications for the election earlier this year. Karen O’Connor has put her hat in the ring to run for a position on the Eventing committee, and she is the only US candidate on the Eventing ballot. Only FEI registered athletes 18 years and older who are included on their sport’s respective Ranking List as of December 2013 are eligible to vote. Voting opened yesterday and will run through June 1. [FEI Athlete Elections 2014]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: A Rolex preview. Hosts Nate Chambers and Joe Meyer are joined by guest co-host Max Corcoran to preview Rolex. Competitors Sharon White, Michael Pollard, and Kevin Keane join in to talk about their preparation for the event. [Eventing Radio Show]

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite creative interpretation of the EN logo! There are three finalists, and the winner will receive two four-day passes to Rolex next week. Voting closes at 10PM tonight, so get those ballots in! [EN Logo Rolex Pass Contest]

This week on SmartPak’s Ask the Vet: Can you combine supplements? A reader writes to Dr. Lydia Gray to ask about combining her horse’s supplements together in several days in advance of feeding in order to better organize her feed room. After consulting several specialists, Dr. Gray advises that combining supplements is not a good idea, as different compounds could interact with each other over time and render the individual supplements less effective. Click to read her full explanation. [SmartPak Blog]

Today’s video comes from Horse Nation, and features a new occupation for OTTBs that I bet you’ve never heard before: Rhino conservation.

It's not from the CIC event, but it's my favorite Twin Rivers photo and it's worth reposting: Taylor McFall celebrates her second place finish in March 2013 on Mighty Maybelline in the Intro division at Twin Rivers. Photo by Jenny McFall.

Good morning EN! Twin Rivers Horse Park is preparing for it’s CIC and Advanced event this weekend out in Paso Robles, California. In addition to all the usual levels, the event will also feature Young Event Horse and Future Event Horse divisions, which begin tomorrow. Several big names have up-and-coming horses in the Young Event Horse class, including James Alliston, Jolie Wentworth, Hawley Bennett-Awad, and Tamra Smith. Click to check out a full list of entries.  [Twin Rivers Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Weekend Preview:

Ocala Horse Properties International 3-Day Event [Website] [Entry Status]

FENCE H.T. [Website]

St. Johns H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Pine Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Zara Phillips will compete for the first time over Easter weekend since giving birth to her first child, a daughter born on January 17. Zara has seven horses entered in the Symm International Horse Trials, ranging across the levels. She will be campaigning her Olympic partner High Kingdom in the Open Intermediate, along with another horse named Black Tuxedo. [Horsetalk]

Philippa Humphreys has acquired Sir Donovan from Peter Barry.  Sir Donovan competed through the four star level with Katie Frei before being sold to Peter last year, and Boyd Martin had been campaigning him this spring until he broke his leg at Carolina International. We broke the news on the sale in this post last week, and the Chronicle also has a story on it this week. [COTH]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Mentors and their Students. Samantha and Jess talk to Kyle Carter and Karen O’Connor and their respective students, Libby Head and Lisa Barry. Sinead Halpin also stops by to give a news update, and this week’s training tip comes from Allison Springer. [Eventing Radio Show] 

Check out Lauren Kieffer on the cover of the April/May issue of The Arabian Sport Horse. The magazine featured Lauren, who has competed several Anglo-Arabs, in an article this month. You can see the photo and read the whole article for free by clicking the link. [The Arabia Sport Horse]

This week on the SmartPak Blog: Horse Insurance 101. While no one likes discussing worst-case scenarios, SmartPak has put together this helpful post about the basics of horse insurance. It covers mortality and major medical insurance policies, as well as several important points to think about when shopping around for the ideal plans. [SmartPak Blog]

Help Young Rider Sarah Braun with the cost of her Young Rider mount’s colic surgery. Sarah’s mount Candy, who carried her to a team gold medal at the NAJYRC, underwent colic surgery on March 1. Sarah’s insurance is only covering a portion of the costs, and she is seeking donations to help her cover some of Candy’s remaining expenses. Best wishes to Candy and Sarah as they go through the recovery and rehab process together. [Candy’s Surgery Fundraiser]

Best of Blogs: Ellen Doughty blogs about how she is using her USEA-awarded training grant

Today’s video comes from RNS Video, and it is a supercut of the CIC3* water at the Fork last weekend. You can see a lot of upcoming Rolex combinations practicing their corner skills!

The new Caesar Guerini that will be on the Prelim course at the Fork this weekend. Photo via the Fork Stable's Facebook page.

Good morning EN! Today competitors are settling into stalls at the Fork Stables where festivities are set to begin tomorrow. Nearly 60 combinations are entered in the CIC3* and you will find many top pairs among the entries. While dressage begins tomorrow, unofficial competition kicks off today with the “Shoot for the Stars” contest: teams of four people will compete in a clay shooting contest, and their final scores will be added to the riding scores of two CIC3* riders preselected for each team. On Sunday a winning team will be announced, and the winners will receive awards after the CIC3* awards ceremony. Keep checking back for more updates from North Carolina, as it will definitely be a busy and exciting weekend. [The Fork Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Facebook Page]

Weekend Preview:

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Spring Bay H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

CDCTA Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

A New Zealand paper reports on Jock Paget’s “limbo” as he waits to defend himself at an FEI hearing later this spring. According to the article, Jock has yet to receive a hearing date yet, and is incredibly frustrated by the entire situation as he sits on the sideline. Equestrian Sports New Zealand boss Jim Ellis said that the time off has been very damaging to Jock in terms of missed financial opportunities, and also that ” there is a strong case to explain why ”he’s done nothing wrong, or he’s morally innocent.'” [Southland Times]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Mother-daughter teams in honor of Mother’s Day in the UK. Hosts Jess and Samantha are joined by Mary and Emily King and Laine and Valerie Ashker to talk about their family partnerships. Simon Tucker then stops by to introduce everyone to his product, Mojo Wristbands, and Liz Halliday gives a training tip. [Eventing Radio Show]

A record 72 countries are entered to compete at this year’s WEG in Normandy, France. The competitions will the greatest number of entered countries are show jumping (57 total) and endurance (50 total). Nine countries have entered horses in all of the FEI divisions, and 12 countries will make their WEG debut. Click to see a full list of countries entered and the sports they have declared intent to send athletes for. [Horsetalk]

After Wellington’s withdrawal from consideration, Kentucky and Canada are the sole remaining candidates to host the 2018 WEG. If held in Kentucky, there would be a large positive economic impact on the surrounding area. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the state has submitted a signed  signed host agreement with an undisclosed financial guarantee in order to secure its position as a finalist. Official bids will be presented by both Canada and Kentucky, and the decision will be announced afterwards. [Lexington Herald-Leader]

Best of blogs: Meet Sophie Jenman, a British rider who will be contesting Badminton for the first time this May aboard her mount Animo.

Springtime in Maryland.

Good morning EN! As bland as it is to talk about the weather, I am going to.  Yet another winter (spring??) snow storm moved up the east coast yesterday, blanketing the DC area with about 3 inches of the white stuff that has been all too commonplace this year. The storm has continued to move north and will eventually end up in Canada, but luckily it appears that most of the accumulation will be less than six inches. I think I can speak for a lot of Area II riders in saying that I am very jealous of those California eventers who are entered in the event at Galway Downs this weekend. Their forecast looks much more uplifting than my front yard does right now.

Weekend Preview:

Galway Downs International H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Website]

Full Gallop Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Morven Park Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Ariel Grald events her CIC2* winner LBF O’Leagh’s Image in honor of her late mother. The Chronicle posted a new interview with Ariel about her win at Carolina International and how she came to ride “Leah,” her winning mount. Ariel’s mother, Carol Rittenhouse, picked Leah out of a field of several other horses in 2005 before tragically passing away in a car accident last year. Ariel continues to compete the mare with her mother listed as the owner to honor her memory. [The Chronicle]

France currently leads the FEI Nations Cup Eventing Series after bringing home the team win at Fontainebleau last weekend. The event served as the first leg of this year’s Nations Cup Series, and five countries competed with teams in the CIC3*. France was the only team to have four clean cross country rides, and Nicolas Touzaint finished in fourth place overall. The teams from The Netherlands and Great Britain followed in second and third places, respectively. [Around the Rings]

Paul Tapner had a stellar start to his season at Gatcombe last weekend. He won an Advanced Intermediate division with Indian Mill and came in fourth in the same class with Kilronan, who will head to Badminton later this spring. In addition, Tapner won an Intermediate division with Up In The Air, and placed with another Intermediate mount, Yogi Bear VIII. [Stroud News & Journal]

Land Rover will remain the title sponsor of Burghley Horse Trials through 2017. The car company has been affiliated with Burghley since the early 1990s, and has been the title sponsor since 2005.  The managing director of Jaguar Land Rover, UK, Jeremy Hicks told the Odisha Diary, “Our commitment to equestrian sport is well established and will certainly continue into the future as Land Rover enhances its range of family-suited vehicles bringing versatility and capability to customers and competitors alike.” [Odisha Diary]

The week on the Eventing Radio Show:  All things Carolina International. Hosts Samantha and Jess interview CIC3* winner Marilyn Little about her weekend, as well as Carolina International executive committee member Marc Donovan. Tiana Coudray gives this week’s trainer tip, which focuses on jumping. [Eventing Radio Show] 

Is anyone near Poplar Place Horse Trials missing a sweet little kitty? This young black female cat with white paws and chin was found at Poplar last weekend by Dorothy Crowell’s daughter Julia. She is very tame and house broken. She is a pet to someone because she is well taken care of. If you know anything about who might own her, please call Autumn Schweiss at 1-320-894-4924 or message her on Facebook.

The video below was filmed and edited by EN favorite Thehorsepesterer, and it depicts Carolina International CIC2* winners Ariel Grald and LBF O’Leagh’s Image jumping one of the large tables on the course in slow-motion. Check out that form!

Marc Donovan and Hugh Lochore hard at work improving the cross country course. Photo via the Carolina International Facebook page.

Good morning EN! The festivities are officially kicking off for the inaugural Carolina International CIC and Horse Trials in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Jenni and Sally are going to be on hand all weekend bringing you coverage from the event, which everyone is expecting to be a tough one. The brand new cross country course was designed by Red Hills designer Hugh Lochore, and I have it on good authority (because I jumped it myself) that a lot of Aikenites have been practicing tough brush corners this week in preparation for what is rumored to be a very challenging Advanced and CIC3* track. Make sure to keep checking back for on-the-ground updates as the weekend progresses. Good luck to all competitors! [CHC International Website] [Rider Information]

Weekend Preview:

Poplar Place Farm March H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

The Land Rover Gatcombe Park Horse Trials has drawn a big international crowd of competitors this year. Riders from fifteen nations will compete there this weekend in both Novice (Prelim) and Intermediate divisions, including North American favorites Rebecca Howard and Clark Montgomery. The entry list reads like a who’s-who of international eventing, with names like Blyth Tait, Paul Tapner, Laura Collett, William Fox-Pitt, Andrew Nicholson, and Lucinda Green. Countries represented include Brazil, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, and of course all the usual suspects like France, Germany, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. [Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard] [Gatcombe Entries]

Doug Payne argues that eventing needs “new bones and a facelift.” In a blog for COTH, Doug articulates his concern over the rising cost of competing in horse trials and the impact that will have on eventing as a whole (I mean seriously, have you seen what they charge for stabling these days?!). He explains an idea for a tiered system of pricing for events that would allow for some events to be cheaper than others. What do you think, EN? Should we move to a system where some events cost less? Would that incentivize you to compete more? [The Chronicle]

A company in Europe is working to develop a GPS alarm system to improve rider safety. The company, called Equisafe, is funded by the EU’s 7th Framework Programme and aims to help prevent riding injuries. Equestrian activities accounted for 15% of all sports-related deaths in the EU in 2009, and the hope is this system will help riders identify “abnormal and undesirable behavior” that could lead to a riding accident. In addition, the system encompasses rider monitoring and is capable of sounding the alarm to a instructor or barn if a rider falls or exhibits distress. [Horsetalk]

Know a superstar eventing Thoroughbred? Tell us your story! EN is looking for more thoroughbreds to feature in our “Thoroughbred Legends” series. If you know of a rock star Thoroughbred who has had a successful eventing career, email [email protected].

This week on SmartPak’s ‘Ask the Vet:’ determining optimal Cosequin doses. A reader asked Dr. Lydia Gray to help her decide what dosage of Cosequin is best for her elderly, arthritic horse. Dr. Gray explains that there is no benefit to divvying up Cosequin throughout the day, and giving a large dose all at once will be fine. [Ask the Vet]

Get into the Carolina spirit with this video of the Advanced water complex from last year, shot by RNS Video.

A photo of the construction of Copper Meadow's new water complex. Photo via the Copper Meadows Facebook page.

Good morning EN! This week out in California Copper Meadows will host its first Advanced event of the year, featuring a brand new water complex. In addition to regular prizes, there will also be several other contests going on at the event- including one that may be my new favorite promotional event: a make your own glittery quarter marks booth. Four Star Eventing Gear and Jacks Manufacturing are supplying everything you need to make your artistic creation- all you have to do is show up. The horse and rider pair who sports the best quarter marks will win $100, not to mention look snazzy while galloping around the course. Consider this a challenge, EN readers, and send us lots of photos! [Copper Meadows Facebook]

Weekend Preview:

Feather Creek Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Copper Meadows H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Pine Top Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Several top eventers will once again try their hands at reining as part of the Kentucky Reining Cup over the Rolex weekend. The reining competition is held at the Kentucky Horse Park at the same time as Rolex, and the event riders will take to the ring on Saturday evening. Defending champ David O’Connor will be back, and he will be joined by Bruce Davidson, Will Faudree, and Lynn Symansky. Better get your tickets for Saturday night before they sell out! It will definitely be a stiff competition. [KY Forward]

Famous baby watch! Several foals out of very famous parents have been born this month, including three very elegant babies out of Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags. Click for a full list of celeb babies, and to check out lots of photos. [Horse Nation]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Event recaps. John Holling and Allie Knowles join hosts Jess and Samantha to talk about their recent top finishes, and Liz Halliday chats about her recent win in Portugal. Finally Laine Ashker gives this week’s trainer tip, which focuses on correctly riding skinnies. [Eventing Radio Show]

Dubai is adding riding into the classic triathlon. Instead of requiring the usual running, swimming, and cycling legs, organizers of the Dubai Desert Triathlon are replacing swimming with a 25km endurance ride through the Dubai International Endurance City. Prizes will be awarded to to the fastest team, individual, rider, runner, and cyclist in each division. [Horsetalk]

This week on SmartPak’s Ask The Vet: Should you feed a fat supplement with grain? Dr. Lydia Gray answers a reader’s question about fat supplements and when they are appropriate. Bottom line: while there are several types of horses that would benefit from fat supplements, like those who are “hard keepers” and horses who have tied up before, others will be fine without them. [SmartPak Blog]

Best of Blogs: British Eventer Lauren Shannon is never bored with a  barn full of mares

Remember those great Rolex commercials that featured different horse sports? Horse Nation found two newly released horse-related commercials made by Longines, an FEI Top Partner and the new title sponsor of many equestrian competitions. One of the commercials centers on racing, and the other on show jumping. Check out the racing video below, and click to watch the show jumping one here. 

)

Kathy Rivera and Royal Lufttanzer waiting out the traffic in Louisiana. Thanks to Amanda Merritt for the photo.

Good morning EN! Well at least I hope it is a good morning for you…or a better one than a lot of eventers that are attempting to make the trek to Red Hills from areas west of the Mississippi River are having. That huge snow and ice storm that hit Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana a couple days ago has made a total mess of the interstate highways and there are a lot of horse trailers that have been stranded in hours and hours of backups. 1* competitors Kathy Rivera and Royal Lufttanzer, pictured above taking a break at a gas station, spent four hours on the 18 mile bridge outside of Baton Rouge, and managed to travel only 30 miles in 7.5 hours (!!). In the photo they are waiting for I-10 to reopen. Good luck to Kathy and we all hope the rest of her journey passes quickly!

Weekend Preview:

Red Hills International [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Full Gallop March HT [Website] [Entry Status]

Southern Pines HT [Website] [Entry Status]

The British eventing season is already off to a disappointingly wet start. Somerley Park International, originally scheduled for March 25-26, has officially been canceled due to rain. Organizer Suzannah Cotterill told British Eventing, “The water levels at Somerley Park have reached such a point that we cannot access the ground to finish event preparations which unfortunately leaves us with no option other than to cancel.” The event was supposed to feature a CIC2*, and the organizers hope that by canceling early competitors will be able to reroute to other events. [British Eventing]

Individual tickets for WEG events are now on sale. They come at a range of prices depending on the event, from €5 to €90. If you are still planning on buying, you better do it fast- over 210,000 tickets have already been sold.  [WEG Ticket Sales]

Area IV is hosting an online silent auction in conjunction with its annual meeting. The auction will features entries to area events, clinics, course walks, lessons, and specialty equine items. If you are interested in attending the meeting itself, it will be held on March 15 in Bloomington, MN, and will feature Meghan O’Donoghue & Lindsey Taylor as speakers. [Area IV Silent Auction] [Area IV Annual Meeting]

Do you like window shopping? Check out these preview videos of young German-bred horses that will be offered for sale this Saturday as part of the 2014 Top Eventers Sales Day. A total of 18 horses have made it through the sale’s selection process, which appears to be fairly stringent. If you would rather see photos, you can find a PDF file of all horses that will be up for purchase on the sale’s website. Happy drooling! [Top Eventers Sale Videos]

Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event has named Partners for Youth as its first official charity. Partners for Youth is a nonprofit organization based in Lexington that aims “to promote positive youth development and to prevent juvenile delinquency through collaboration and capacity building.” [KY Forward]

This week on SmartPak’s Ask the Vet: How cold is too cold to ride? It’s been a frustrating winter for many of us, and this week Dr. Lydia Gray tackles a the question many are thinking. The good news is that there is no temperature too cold for horses to be ridden in as long as they are adapted to it. Click to check out the rest of her cold weather riding advice. [SmartPak’s Ask the Vet]

Best of Blogs: Meredith Thomas is spending this week in Southern Pines, NC training with Bobby Costello before competing at Southern Pines HT. Check out her  blog about her experiences.