I think Sinead's got a new fan! Photo via Sinead Halpin on Twitter.

Good morning, Eventing Nation! I apologize for some of my post last week, first for the general wrongness (read: trying to fact check while my boyfriend tried to burn down my house while cooking “dinner) and poking fun at an innocent horse’s name (read: my horse’s name is Plaid’s Honey, please don’t take me seriously). So, now that we’re all back on good terms, here’s your Monday news!

Weekend Results:

Poplar Place November HT

Texas Rose HT

Monday News:

It’s Veteran’s Day, and while we cannot say enough about the sacrifice that all members of the armed forces have given over our country’s history, we must not forget the equines that made a difference as well. One of the most well known is Sergeant Reckless, a a Mongolian mare who carried ammunition for the United State’s troops in the Korean War. She was the only animal to ever hold official rank in any military service. [New York Times]

In case you missed it, John Marshall, a 60-year-old amateur eventer and property developer, has committed to saving Ram Tap. He bought the jumps and equipment to keep the area running, which will now go under the name of Fresno County Horse Park, and aims to make it even better than before. He plans on accomplishing this by eventually running Intermediate divisions as early as 2013, and forming a timeline to offer Advanced divisions. [Adult Amateur Steps in to Save Ram Tap Property]

Horse Channel has some tips to keep your horse fit over the winter. One of the most interesting? Walking. They also say you should ride at least three times a week to keep your horse’s fitness up. [Horse Channel]

One of the greatest racehorse’s of our time, Frankel, has left to start his new life at stud. Frankel retired last month after winning his 14th straight race, and will stand at Juddmonte Farms at Banstead Manor near Newmarket, England, the same place he was born. “In the foaling unit on February 11 2008 at 11.40pm, little did we realise that we were witnessing the birth of a phenomenal racehorse” [Horse and Hound]

Kent Farrington and the stunning Uceko won the Big Ben Challenge at the Royal Winter Fair Horse Show in Toronto against a talented field. Other coolness from the show? Vindicat W, the ride of Jessica Springsteen, ditched Jessica and jumped an oxer backwards. By himself. Obviously this is only cool because both horse and rider are fine. [Horse Junkies United]

A terrible story from Mississippi, where a family’s three pitt bulls attacked and killed their horse. Now, I’m no pitt bull hater whatsoever, in fact I’ve never met a mean one, but it just goes to teach you how careful we as horse owners need to be when keeping any animals together. [WMCTV]

Top tweet:

And here I was thinking that I’d had an ordinary 2012 Eventing season … err only my best damned annual ranking ever!britisheventing.com/section.asp?se…

— Paul Tapner (@TapnerEventing) November 8, 2012

James Alliston and Tivoli won the CCI*** at Galway Downs. They're shown here at Twin Rivers. Photo by Taren Atkinson.

Go-ood morning Eventing Nation! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend, and all the coverage from Galway Downs. I personally enjoyed the article Kate wrote about blanketing, as my wookie got clipped this weekend, and spent the first days of the fall with a blanket on. I opted for a high trace clip, as I usually do, and my lack of patience and my horse’s alleged ignorance on the concept of ‘standing still’ left my boy with a pretty hack job. That’s okay though, maybe it will give my instructor something else to focus on, and he won’t even notice that Plaid is above the bit and lacking impulsion.

Weekend results:

Virginia CCI* and Fall HT

Galway Downs International

Rocking Horse 3-Day and HT

Monday News:

James Alliston went one-two in the Galway Downs CCI** with Tivoli and Jumbo’s Jake. James continues his dominance over the West Coast highlight; he reversed the order in May in the CIC*** when he won with Jumbo’s Jake and placed second with Tivoli, and won this competition in 2011 with Jumbo’s Jake. [Galway Results]

Lauren Billys won the CCI** with Ballingowan Ginger, and hopefully enough money to buy some Dubarrys. She moved up from 3rd after Dressage after leaders Barbaro and Over Easy encountered problems on the cross-country. [Galway Results]

Will Coleman won the Virginia CCI*, yes I know that’s not neccessarily the most breaking news. However, he did it on a horse named McLovin. If you’ve never seen Superbad, go rent it so you know why this is funny. [Virginia HT Results]

An absolutely fascinating article by Jon Pitts, where he examines what it takes to be a top rider. I found myself reading so many points out loud to my significant other, and wanting everyone in my life to read this, so no one will ever ask me, ‘doesn’t the horse do all the work?’ My favorite? ‘Elite riders show an ability to process information at an immense rate similar to that of Formula 1 drivers, which is something that sets them apart.’ [An Eventful Life]

Wise Dan won the most compelling race yesterday of the Breeder’s Cup card, the Breeder’s Cup Mile. This is sure to help in his Horse of the Year campaign. The biggest run of the race came from 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, who endured a nightmare of a trip to come storming up the backstretch to finish second. [USA Today]

Fort Larned, a 9-1 outsider, won the Breeder’s Cup Classic in a flat out battle to the wire with Mucho Macho Man. The Bill Mott-trained colt led wire to wire, and held off a challenge from the Bob Baffert colt to upset the richest race in America. 9-5 favorite Game on Dude finished a disappointing seventh. [ESPN]

Clayton Fredericks gave his first interview on Canadian soil at the Toronto Winter Fair, where he competed in the indoor eventing challenge. Clayton placed fourth with Wild T’Mater. [Horse Junkies United]

Live in England? Then you’re lucky enough to know when you can compete next year. British Eventing has released the fixture list for 2013. [British Eventing]

Black Beauty is given a re-read by NPR’s Backseat Book Club on All Things Considered. Jane Smiley, author of Horse Heaven shared her thoughts with the radio program. ‘Black Beauty was born at a time when horse power fueled almost everything: wars, agriculture, transportation, construction and factory work. Horses pulled barges. They hauled coal and granite. And they were also seen as a measure of wealth; the way one rode atop a stiffly controlled horse could convey style and stature. All of this meant horses were both exalted and often pushed past the point of exhaustion.’ [NPR]

Waylon Roberts and Evil Munchkin (why would you ever name a horse that?) won Indoor Eventing at The Royal.

Sandy is coming! Hold on to your freakin hats.

So it seems that there were other things going on this weekend besides the gloom and doom rhetoric of those around my parts. Apparently the mother of all storms, Sandy (I’ve heard her called much worse in the past 48 hours) is scheduled to touch down in the northeast sometime tomorrow or Tuesday. I have water, wine, and canned soup. I kissed my horse goodbye this morning, left detailed blanketing instructions, and am planned to be holed up for the next day or two. To everyone living in the storm’s path, take extra precaution so you and your equine friends will be safe in the coming days.

Weeekend Results:

Waredaca HT and Classic Three Day

Chattahoochee Hills HT

Heritage Park HT

Holly Hill HT

Monday News:

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is reminding horse owners to include horses in their emergency plans. Some of their advice? Move horses and livestock to higher ground, make sure all feed and water containers are covered, and board glass windows so they don’t break onto animals. [The Horse]

Andrew Nicholson won the Pau CCI**** with Olympic mount Nereo, and his Kiwi compatriots didn’t do too shabby either. Three of the riders on the New Zealand Olympic team (Jonathan Paget, Caroline Powell, and Andrew) placed in the top 10. [Pau Results]

Christopher “Burto” Burton won the CIC** at Pau with On Q For Gold, with Michael Jung placing second with Fischerrocana FST (say that five times fast). American Jules Stiller and Enjoy Me placed ninth. [Pau CIC** Results]

Reed Kessler and Cylana won the President’s Cup at the Washington International, she placed first in a class of 28 very talented riders. [Chronicle of the Horse]

Two teenagers are being charged in Chicago for endangering animals when they let loose 27 horses at a mounted police stable. The individuals attacked two horses by spraying one with a fire extinguisher, and beating another with said extinguisher. [Chicago Tribune]

There is something called the ‘Eventing Ball’ and tickets are on sale now! All you have to do is live and compete in Scotland and have an affinity for evening wear. Okay, this isn’t news, I just really like the sound of an Eventing Ball. [British Eventing]

World of Show Jumping visited Shutterfly in retirement; I’m sure we all have those horses we remember, love, and still wonder about. [WoSJ]

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot held their lead from dressage to win the Fair Hill CCI***. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hello people! Thought I’d take this quiet moment before the CCI*** show jumping starts at Fair Hill, where I’m sitting in the press tent (which is very civilized, equipped with snacks and heaters). I can see why Jenni was reluctant to hand over the reins.

Weekend results:

Fair Hill International

Paradise Farms Fall HT

Ram Tap HT

The Event at Kelly’s Ford

Monday news:

Hannah Sue Burnett Goes Wire to Wire in the Fair Hill CCI*** with Harbour Pilot. On a beautiful day in Maryland, Hannah held it together to take home the last big prize of 2012. [Hannah Sue Burnett wins Fair Hill CCI***]

Connor Husain wins the Fair Hill CCI** with Piece of Hope, and at 19, makes me feel pretty inadequate about barely finishing a Novice event. Connor is adorable, humble, and a pretty good rider. I’m thinking he has a bright future ahead of him. [Connor Husain Wins Fair Hill CCI**]

A couple of Young Horse Championships were given out at Fair Hill with Kim Severson’s unbeaten 5-year-old Cooley Cross Border claiming the 5 Year Division. Esccord RGS won the 4-year-old division with Katie Murphy. [Cooley Cross Border, Esccord RGS Triumph in YEH Championships]

The Washington International Horse Show starts tomorrow, so if you’ve ever wanted to see horses stabled adjacent to one of the busiest downtown’s in the country, head on down! I went last year (seeing as how it’s a 5 minute metro ride from my house) and watching the horses warm up in the basement of the Verizon Center, weaving around support beams, is a sight to see. [The Washington Post]

The Horse is back with it’s second installment on horse’s eyes and this time covers infections and injuries to the eye. They all sound awful. [The Horse]

Hannah Sue and Harbour Pilot at Poplar Place, photo by Samantha Clark

I’m back to give you updates on the CCI*** show jumping. Only 22 riders featured in the divison, so we’ll start with the top 15. Hannah Sue Burnett has a rail in hand over second placed Marilyn Little on RF Smoke on the Water. The course features a couple extra jumps not seen on the 2* course, so we should be having some fun!

2:17 The judges have adjusted the optimum time from 96 to 98 seconds.

2:21 Kristen Schmolze gets the top 15 started with a 10 fault round. I’m a big fan of matching the coat to the ear bonnet.

2:28 Marilyn Little rides out of turn on RF Demeter (currently in 4th) and finishes with a double clear. Think these jumps look small to her?

2:32 Buck Davidson’s Park Trader has an…interesting style. Big canter, big jump, doesn’t like going straight. They finish with 8 faults.

2:35 Rails are falling much more freely in the 3*. Probably due to XC conditions of the ‘3 1/2 star.’ Sara Kozumplik has 4 down. Time for the top 10 to jump!

2:40 Jan Byyny and Syd Kent have the first clean round in a whiiiile. They stay in the top ten, and finish on a 63.4.

2:44 You’d think Sir Donovan, at 17.2 could step over all these, but he brings 2 down to finish on a 69.2.

2:47 Daniel Clasing couldn’t replicate his double clear yesterday; he and Houston finish with 7 faults.

2:50 And Laine Ashker DOES get another clear. She’s the only rider in the top 10 to finish on her dressage score so far.

2:53 Phillip rides an absolutely foot perfect stadium round with Fernhill Eagle to also finish on his dressage score.

2:55 Marilyn Little eases the pressure on Hannah Sue by adding 4 faults to her score.

2:58 Hannah Sue Burnett executes a flawless round with Harbour Pilot. They’re your CCI*** Champions!

Connor Husain started the weekend tied for 5th with the lady he would eventually have to beat in the the end; Jennie Brannigan. On cross-country day he added just 0.8 time penalties, on a horse he’s only had for a year. Connor and Piece of Hope were part of the Area II Young Riders team who won the 2* competition earlier this year.

“It’s unreal. I’m so lucky. I dont know how to describe it. I’ve been working towards it for a long time,” Connor said. Connor is a full-time student at James Madison University, and also rides multiple horses at their Morningside Farm in Virginia.

“I get nervous but I know my plan-Jimmy Wofford was telling me to tape my round in my head and make sure they looked the same.”

Jennie Brannigan was on top with Indie going into the final phase, but a rail down slid her down to third. Clayton Fredericks, on his first visit to Fair Hill, finished in second with Pigrela Des Cabanes. Doug Payne clinched the fourth spot with Crown Talisman (how he got back on after having to jog three times this morning I’ll never know), and Boyd Martin finished 5th and 6th on Master Frisky and Crackerjack.

Clayton Fredericks came in second in the Fair Hill CCI**

“I wanted the horse to go and have a good round,” Jennie said. “He’s very green and very spooky, I figured Connor would grab a clear round, and I just wanted the horse to be brave. He made me ride for it a bit, but you know, if you would have told me he was 3rd in this kind of field, I’m happy.”

Rounding out the top 10 was Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive (7th), Danielle Ditching and The Graduate (8th) Lauren Kieffer and Cosima (9th) and Susan Beebee and Wolf (10th).

Photo via Phillip Dutton's Twitter. We're ready for more jumping!

We’re down to the final day of competition at Fair Hill.  Jennie Brannigan leads the way at the 2*, but 19-year-old Connor Husain isn’t far behind. I’ll try to keep you updated as the top 25 jump in this afternoon’s competition.

[Live Scores]

11:07 Kaitlin Spurlock is first to go in the top 25 and she doesn’t disappoint with a clean round. She moved up 27 places yesterday with her fantastic cross country round.

11:11 Tik, I used to read all your COTH blogs and I want to say I wish I could ride (and write) like you. Tik Maynard and Saphire with another clear.

11:17 Hannah Sue Burnett gets familiar with the Fair Hill ring with Danio in the 2*. She jumps a clear round and will be back to contest the 3* Championship with Harbour Pilot later this afternoon.

11:23 Boyd is riding out of sequence with Crackerjack (he’s also got Master Frisky), he rides a clear round that will keep him in the top 10.

11:28 The clear rounds are really stacking up. Mara Depuy and Checkers Moon get one, followed by Holly Payne and Santino.

11:30 You can see why they call him Wundermask. Sharon White’s adorable bald face Oldenburg comes home with a double clear.

11:35 Clark Montgomery was having a truly lovely round with Garrison Flash…until he knocked 2 jumps down.

11:37 Marilyn Little and RF Azarah take OUT the last jump, but don’t feel too bad, she’s got 2 more to come in the 3*

11:42 Am I the only one blinded by Will Colemans helmet? He and Zipp finish with 4 faults. Top 10 to jump next!

11:47 Clear rounds from Danielle Ditching and 1 time fault for Susan Beebee keep them in the top 10. Boyd and the not so frisky looking Master Frisky are next to go.

11:50 American helmet, Irish horse, Australian accent. Boyd and Master Frisky go clear. Both his horses finish in top 10.

11:54 Clayton Fredericks gets some big cheers at the end of his clear round, his first time show jumping at Fair Hill.

12:02 A rail down for Jennie means that Connor Husain wins the  2012 Fair Hill CCI**. Woot! Congrats to Connor for being way too good for a 19-year-old, and to Jennie, 3rd place ain’t too shabby.

Jennie Brannigan and Indie are the overnight leaders in the CCI2*

Good morning, Eventing Nation! I’m taking over for Jenni today at Fair Hill. Jenni has been doing a fantastic job of bringing you all the latest news from the weekend’s events, and I hope to continue that trend.

The 2* and 3* horses jogged this morning. You can see live scores HERE.

[Sunday Morning Jog Photos via COTH]

In the 2*, both of Caroline Martin’s horses, Quantum Solace, and Petite Flower, were held. Quantum Solace was withdrawn, while Petite Flower passed upon re-inspection. Kelly Sult and Montgomery withdrew before the start of the jog and Robin Walker’s Freedom’s Light was held, but passed the second time around. Wolf, Susan Beebee’s mount, was held as well, but also passed after seeing the jury for a second time. They made Doug Payne jog Crown Talisman three times before accepting him. Doug says that Tali was jogging funny due to some girth sores from the mud and cross country yesterday.  Kudos to Doug, I would have had to have someone else take over by round two. Charles Plumb withdrew Ard Denzil from the holding box as well.

Boyd Martin and Crackerjack are in seventh.

In the CCI***, Marilyn Little had RF Smoke on the Water held, but passed upon re-inspection. Jan Byyny had one of her rides, Syd Kent, held, but he too passed the second time around. Jennie Brannigan’s mount for the 3*, No Objection, also made a trip to the holding area, but passed as well. Heather Gillette withdrew Our Questionnaire before the beginning of the jogs.

Hannah Sue Burnett leads the CCI*** with Harbour Pilot

Laine Ashker jogged a very enthusiastic Anthony Patch. They're currently in fifth.

Marilyn Little is in fourth with RF Demeter (shown) and second with RF Smoke on the Water.

Show jumping for the CCI2* begins at 10, followed by the PRO Bareback jumping contest during the lunch break, and after that we will have the CCI3* show jumping. All divisions will be in reverse order of standing, for extra nail biting action!

One of my coworkers emailed me this photo from The Chive with the message 'This is what I picture you and your horse doing.'

Good morning, EN readers! Can you feel autumn in the air? Apparently my horse can, because in the span of a week he went from being sleek and shiny to resembling a wookie. I think we might go as Han Solo and Chewbacca for Halloween, what do you think? Hairiness makes me think about clipping and clipping makes me think about blanketing, and how much is too much. Last year my trace-clipped boy was the least blanketed horse in the barn. For the life of me I’ll never know why all the furry unclipped horses had 12-stage blanketing systems.

Weekend Results:

Maryland Horse Trials

Greenwood Farm Fall HT

Pine Top October HT

Grass Ridge HT

Course Brook Farm Fall HT

Monday News:

Andrew Nicholson won big at Boekelo this weekend, taking the top spot from Michael Jung after Michael dropped two rails in stadium. Clarke Montgomery was the highest placed US rider with Universe; he finished the weekend in 22nd. [Boekelo Results]

Karen O’Connor is back at home, and while she might not be comfortable, she’s already starting in on her physical therapy. If I were her I’d take the time in bed to rediscover a love for peanut butter straight from the jar and perhaps watch the first season of Revenge. It’s JUST a suggestion. [Welcome Home Karen]

A horse show in upstate New York is garnering interest for lacking, well, horses. The ‘riders’ are judged just like they would be in the jumper classes, but they have the advantage of not having to tell a horse what to do. Some of them jumped over four feet in the high jump. I’m pretty sure I don’t even want to do that with my horse. [Wall Street Journal]

Possibly one of the best photo series EVER, Riders 4 Helmets demonstrates why you should always wear a properly fitting helmet. The photographer caught French rider Phillipe Fournier lose his helmet not once but TWICE on course, once during a nasty fall that also revealed his airvest was not attached to his saddle. Come on people, you’re smarter than this. [Riders 4 Helmets]

The Patriot News of Pennsylvania sat down with Reed Kessler to preview the upcoming Penn National. Her favorite part of the Olympics? Trying on clothes. Disappointed to not win a medal? Only kinda. What’s it like being in sync with a horse? Like having a girlfriend or boyfriend. Hmmm… [The Patriot News]

Oh boy, Cesar Parra is in trouble again. After skipping out on court ordered mediation after charges were leveled on him over a horse sale gone awry, another suit was brought up by a former client claiming negligence after her horse was injured in training. THEN Parra counter-sued for claiming she was scheming to keep him out of the Olympics. DRAMA! INTRIGUE! It’s all part of ‘As The Horse Pirouettes,’ a new soap opera premiering this week. Hopefully on Univision. [NJ Star Ledger]

A quick look at the Horse of the Year candidates. ESPN claims it’s down to three: Game on Dude, Wise Dan, and I’ll Have Another. I just hope it’s not Mucho Macho Man, ’cause I bet on him in the Belmont last year and lost 20 bucks. He’s dead to me. [ESPN]

Top Tweet:

I don't know so many things.

This is a series written by me, about me, and my return to eventing. We’ve (that’s me and my horse Plaid who has been chronically lame for 5 years) been away awhile, so sometimes we need a little help with the unknowns. Read Part I and Part II.

Well, it’s that time again. The time that I ask stupid questions that I don’t really expect you to answer. Since we last spoke, I competed at Marlborough, and narrowly avoided complete humiliation when my horse, that would be the guy I’ve had for almost a decade and who I love and trust with all my heart, thought that elimination and I hadn’t talked for awhile, and maybe it was time for a reunion. Well, HA! I didn’t fall off. I might have offended the five people that gathered to watch my disaster of a round with the creative curse words I used, but I made it!

1. When the TD informs you that you broke a rule, is the correct response ‘S*** I didn’t know that was a rule!?’

2. If I almost fell off when my horse took a nasty spin off of the 2^nd jump in stadium, shouldn’t they stop the clock while I try to get my feet on different sides of the horse?

3. I know that fancy warmblood has a big trot and floaty canter, but was his dressage test REALLY 18 points better than mine?

4. Isn’t it a little rude to put a 3 stride bending line on cross country right next to the trailers?

5. Why don’t ribbons go up to tenth place?

6. When you were already in last thanks to a 28 fault stadium round, is it worth it to try to argue about the 15 time penalties on cross-country that could not have happened in a million years because my horse bolted around the whole course and never stopped and pulled my arms off and oh I kind of hurt thinking about it?

7. Is it advisable to tell the dressage warm up attendant to beat it when she asks if you’re ready to go when you JUST walked into the warm up? Kudos for being like, an hour ahead of schedule but I haven’t even trotted yet.

8. Where is the Novice horse/Novice rider/not a chance in the world division?

9. Is it ok to wear ear bonnets in October, because they kind of pull the whole look together?

10. Why did I think I could pull off white breeches?

Karen O'Connor's scan after she and Veronica fell at Morven Park. Apparently that shows a burst fracture and compression fracture of two vertebrae. Ew.

Isn’t traveling great, guys? I’m currently sitting in an overheated Miami airport, watching all the people on my flight find out, one by one, that it’s delayed two and a half hours. Oh well, it gives me time to take advantage of the awesome free wifi and write this post. I’m sad to leave my family, who I only get to see once every year or so, but am extremely happy to finally dive head first into fall clothing. Blazers, tights, boots, why, it’s all a girl could wish for! Not to mention no more grimy tank tops at the barn. Now it’s going to be Ariat vests, full seat breeches and maybe that awesome new Alexus fitted jacket from Smart Pak. Mmmmhmmm.

Weekend Results

Morven Park Fall HT

Woodside International HT

Roebke’s Run Fall HT

ESDCTA New Jersey Fall HT

Kent School HT

Events Opening This Week

Pine Top Thanksgiving H.T. (GA, A-3)

Monday News:

One of my favorite bloggers Catherine Haddad Staller writes for The Chronicle on how to keep American dressage moving forward. Catherine always says exactly what she’s thinking, and this time is no different. She proposes looking to successful systems in Europe and tailoring them to American riders. [The Chronicle of the Horse]

Karen O’Connor will have a new fall fashion accessory; an upper body cast. She and Veronica fell at Morven this weekend, and we’re all thankful that it didn’t turn out much, much worse. Veronica is none the worse for wear, but Karen will have a few months on the sideline. Get well soon, Karen! [Update on KOC]

Joe Meyer is looking for a working student! Joe is looking for someone to work and train at his farm in Ocala, Fla., for the winter, or longer. Stop complaining about riding in an indoor all winter long and apply! [PRO Riders FB]

The Horse is making it easier to understand what your horse sees. For instance, horses see things better when they’re elevated 70 cm off the ground, and see all colors but red, however in slightly washed out versions. I’m going to go tell the girl at the barn that’s convinced her horse hates red flowers this RIGHT NOW. [The Horse]

Michael Pollard and Jimmy Wofford teamed up to talk about US eventing, the Olympics, and further about Michael’s recent article about the future of eventing in The Chronicle. [Chris Stafford Radio]

Three show-jumping greats were honored in Gladstone this weekend. Members of the 1960 Olympic silver medalist show jumping team George Morris, Bill Steinkraus and Frank Chapot were recognized for their immeasurable contributions to the sport in a ceremony at the USET headquarters at Hamilton Farm in Gladstone, NJ. If anything, just click on it for the photo. [NJ Star Ledger]

New details have emerged regarding the closing of Ram Tap, and apparently the allocation of land for California’s new light rail system is not the only factor. Most of the land will instead be used for a new ponding basin, a project that has been in the works for over a decade. The cost to relocate the stables away from the basin proved to be an expense that Ram Tap could not afford. [The Fresno Bee]

Zara Phillips has launched a new equestrian line for British brand Musto, and apparently it’s received the royal stamp of approval. Zara tests every piece that’s being released, and had a hand in designing most of the items. [Hello Magazine]

Top Tweet:

If you told me right now that if I put my hair into pigtails and got someone to sign as my ‘legal guardian’ I could get a free week of training with Will Faudree, I would say someone show me to the Junior aisle and get me a Justin Beiber cd. However, to win that I would also have to be a really good rider, be going Training Level, and procure enough points on the PRO  Professional Junior Young Rider Training Level Scholarship Award Program.

–

That’s just what Grace Fulton of Finksburg, MD, Kaylin Medlin of Charlotte NC, and Hailey Patno of Jackson, WY did over the course of a year. Fulton and Medlin both qualified as being the top contenders from the East Coast, and Patno qualified on the merit of being the only West Coast rider to compete in the number of required events. However, it wasn’t just results that mattered. Riders were also judged on their horsemanship skills.

Grace Fulton, shown here in 2010 on the Full Moon Farm beginner novice steeplechase phase. Photo Courtesy of Mike J. McNally

Fulton was the leading rider overall in the series, and chose to train with Marcia Kulak. She placed second in the first qualified events at Southern Pines, and fourth at Surefire Farms HT. “I was so thrilled to learn of the scholarship—something where you weren’t judged on results alone, and got helpful feedback from known professionals,” Grace said. “Leo and I had a great time and were pretty pleased with how it turned out! I think it will be a great chance to meet new people, and can’t wait to get started!”

The three lucky riders won a week of training and board for them and their horses at the farms of Will Faudree, program founder Marcia Kulak, and Tamra Smith.

“It’s been a really busy summer for me, but I really wanted to participate in the scholarship program because it is a great way for riders to inspire the next generation,” Faudree said. Kaiylin Medlin will join Will at his farm in North Carolina.

Kaylin Medlin

“I read about the scholarship in 2011 and wished that I was eligible to participate then,” Medlin said. “Once I started going training, I made that part of my goals—to compete for and win one of the scholarships. I’m very excited about the training week I’ll have with Will Faudree. Thank you, PRO, for putting things like this and the mentorship program together for juniors.”  You may remember Kaylin from our winter Working Student guest blogger series, where she and her friend Katellyn spent the winter in Ocala, FL training with Rebecca Howard.

Patno, the lone West Coast rider, will train with Tamra Smith in Temecula, Calif. “Receiving the PRO Junior Training Scholarship is such an amazing opportunity. It was very special because it was not just based on your performance at shows, but also turnout and horse care that goes on outside of the ring. When I got the letter that I received the scholarship I was ecstatic! Horse care and turnout are an important part of showing and owning a horse, and it is something that is often overlooked at shows. Riding is my passion, I take great pride in the way I present my horse and myself, and it feels great to be recognized!” she said.

Smith, who will host Patno, is also a big advocate of the program. “This is such an important program. We all had special people mentor us over the years. This is a way we, as professionals, can give back to the equestrian community, and it’s a great opportunity for kids to work at achieving a worthwhile goal,” she said.

Each rider will keep a journal that will be posted on the PRO blog.

Happy Monday everyone! I’m looking down the barrel of a relatively horse-free week. I’m heading to Florida today to visit the paternal side of my family, and will be gone until Sunday. Between Gulfrstam, which is close to where my grandparents live, and the Palm Beach Equestrian Center, five miles away from my aunt and uncle, I’ve always managed to fit something equestrian into my visits. This time, however, I think I’ll stick to sunning, eating, and okay, finishing a stack of training manuals so that when I get back my horse and I have a lot to work on!

Weekend Results:

Colorado Horse Park Fall HT

MeadowCreek Farm Fall HT

University of New Hampshire HT

Jump Start HT

Events Opening This Week:

 Ram Tap Horse Trials (CA, A-6) Ocala Horse Properties Fall Event (FL, A-3)  Las Cruces H.T. (NM, A-10) River Glen Fall H.T. (TN, A-3)

Monday Morning News:

24 police departments competed in the North American Police Championships this weekend. The event, held in Gaithersburg, Md, was a two-day affair that tested the police officers’ equitation and their ability to navigate an obstacle course. [ABC 2 News]

Lauren Sammis has a new horse she’s gearing towards the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Sammis’ seven-year relationship with Sagacious HF, who she competed with in the Olympic Trials, came to an end this year. However, she’s got a new prospect in Lombard V, a horse that she got the ride on by being persistent enough with his owner. Now, if Caroline Powell would start answering my e-mails regarding Lenamore…[Star-Ledger]

The Chronicle sits down with Plantation Field organizer Dennis Glacum and landowner Katie Walker about the past, present, and future of the horse trials. Both admit that the turnout of the event has surpassed their own expectations, and that they’re eager to make the necessary improvements to make it even better in the future. [The Chronicle]

A horse has been euthanized in Loudon County, Va, after contracting West Nile. Scary news for us around the area. My horse used to live in Loudon before I moved him to Maryland last spring. The 9-year-old Morgan was the first horse infected in Virginia. [The Washington Post]

William Fox-Pitt talks Olympics, his massive string of horses and Burghley 2012, as well as his CCI record of wins and being: “especially relieved to have won the 50^th before I’m 50!” [The Chronicle]

Another British eventing great, Tina Cook, sat down to talk about her experience since the Olympics. Tina talks about her children, both under 10, her tumultuous years with Olympic partner Miner’s Frolic, and the Zara circus in London. [Sussex Life]

Bad news for breeders in the Midwest; the IDHSNA USEA Future Event Horse Central Championships was canceled. The event, scheduled for October 11 at Willow Draw Farm in Weatherford, Tex., was canceled due to lack of entries. The East Coast championships took place Saturday at Morven Park in Va., and the West Coast will kick off October 19 at Ram Tap in Fresno, Calif. [US Eventing]

Tweet of the Week (remember, I’m judging, not you!)

@WeirdHorse: Reading Fifty Shades of Neigh, a novel about a horse who can’t make noises in the sunshine

And now for a Preliminary helmet cam from Poplar Place last weekend:

Will Faudree won the Plantation CIC*** on Pawlow. He also featured in the poem I wrote about Rolex when I was 16. Well done Will!

Good morning EN! While you were all watching and waiting for results from Plantation, I was riding at Marlborough HT in Maryland on Saturday. I narrowly avoided humiliation when I stuck to a bad duck-out at the second fence of stadium. As I saw the ground rising up to meet me, I saw the faces of my friends who came to see me, my credit card statement from the entry fee, and all the time I spent braiding a squirrely Throughbred at 7 a.m. And I thought “oh HELL no!” Actually no, I didn’t think that, I said it. Plus a few other expletives. I stayed on, we completed and went on to have an amazing cross-country round. So, yay!
Here’s your Monday news:

Weekend Results

Plantation Field HT

Twin Rivers Fall HT

Poplar Place HT

Otter Creek Fall HT

Events Opening This Week

CDCTA Fall H.T. (VA, A-2) Poplar Place Farm November H.T. (GA, A-3) Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (TX, A-5)

The horses gracing the final jump at the London Olympics are for sale. The two leaping horses sculpted by Tom Hill out of recycled horse shoes, will go up for auction in November at Christie’s, and falls in the $50-80,000 range. [Horse and Hound]

Racewood Equestrian Simulators have a simulator for everything it appears, including dressage, polo and show jumping. The sensors on the horse make it necessary for you to apply the correct aid to get the desired result. I think regular horses also have this feature, but with the technology it’s a lot harder to blame the simulator for ‘misbehaving.’ [Poughkeepsie Journal]

Buddhist monks ride like crazy people on ponies in the world’s highest horse race every year in Nepal, where they ride hardened ponies through a rocky streambed for honor and glory, and it turns out, as many ruples as you can pick up without getting off your mount. [Daily News]

Clayton Fredericks is moving to the US, well not really. He’s opening a new facility in Ocala and plans to bring four of his mounts over after Fair Hill. The facility, which boasts 36 stalls and 750 acres, will also have the potential to hosts events as well. [Chronicle of the Horse]

Because I love Hamish Cargill so very much, here’s a repost of his advice for William Fox-Pitt on how to enjoy Australia. The mental image of WFP on a lounger soaking up the sun is almost too much for me. That’s a whole lot of pasty English man to take in. [An Eventful Life]

Team Wallace has released Part I of ‘Eventing in the Digital Age,’ a guide to how technology and social media has expanded the world of eventing. One thing I didn’t know? Doug Payne was in engineering school when he developed the helmet cam. The man has talent. [Eventing USA]

A mysterious horse named Rusty has been living in a condemned Bronx stable, and now residents and a city councilman are fighting to save it. I say ‘it’ because no one knows anything about Rusty. The article says ‘they don’t even know if it is male or female.’ Seems like it wouldn’t be too hard to check…[New York Times]

Handsome Mike beat Travers Stakes winner Alpha in the Pennsylvania Derby. He went off at 19-1 odds and won the $1 million purse by two lengths. [Philly Burbs]

Oktoberfest, combining two of my great loves, horses and beer. Photo via Anna Kranz on Twitter.

Good morning, EN readers. I’m in a little bit of a post-weekend funk. The sad news is my good friend, and EN writer extraordinaire Abby Gibbon is leaving for London today. She’s leaving me behind for the hallowed halls of Hogwarts Oxford, and I’m going to miss her terribly. As I get older, I feel that it’s harder to make true friends, and she certainly falls under that category. To top it all off, I’m truly having a white breeches crisis. Here’s your Monday news!

Weekend Results:

Feather Creek Horse Trials
GMHA September Horse Trials
Coconino Fall Horse Trials
Dunnabeck Horse Trials
Twin Rivers Fall Horse Trials

Events Opening This Week:

Pine Hill Fall H.T. (TX, A-5) The Virginia CCI * and H.T. (VA, A-2) Rocking Horse Classic 3-day & H.T. (FL, A-3) Galway Downs International Three-Day Event & H.T. (CA, A-6)

Ram Tap will host its final horse trials Nov 16-18. The event, held in Fresno, Calif., is the second-longest running event in the United States. Land has recently been purchased away from the event organizer, Bill Burton, to build California’s new light speed rail. [Chronicle of the Horse]

Seriously, don’t touch police horses. Ex-NFL lineman Ian Beckles was arrested for doing just that in Tampa this past weekend. Apparently he was ‘drunk and disorderly’ and decided to heckle the police, and touch some horses. He was arrested then released on bail. [USA Today]

An equestrian author in England has been formally charged after three of her horses had to be put to sleep following neglect and cruelty. Lesley Skipper and her husband Brian Skipper have been charged with six counts of neglect and cruelty. The RSPCA came to inspect their stables and found the horses in incredible displays of neglect. She writes books on horse behavior, and trust me, I would love to know what’s in them. [Horse and Hound]

The Thoroughbred Times filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Sunday, and officially ceased all publication and operations. According to the article, the 27 employees were notified of their termination via Fed Ex. I guess that’s better than a text. [The Saratogian]

And that concludes a drug-free Games! After the conclusion of the Paralympic Games, it was announced Saturday that all samples, both human and equine, tested negative for banned substances. [HorseTalk]

Monty, one of the Queen’s Corgis, and co-star of the James Bond skit in the opening ceremonies, died. Monty was 13, and was named after Monty Roberts. Did you know that Monty Roberts is the official corgi correspondent to Buckingham Palace? Well, he is. [Belfast Telegraph]

Top Tweets: Seriously, Paul Tapner might be my favorite twitter-er ever.

@PaulTapner : Who wants to go eventing in Australia? Unique hazards exist!

Video of the Day: When I was 11, my mom bought the computer game Equestriad 2001 for me. I literally spent summers getting pasty so I could play this game. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get it Mac-compatible for YEARS. I always played as Kerry Milliken and Out and About.

Did you expect the lead-off picture to be anything else but Courageous Comet? Everyone’s favorite event horse retired this weekend in style; he won the Advanced division at the American Eventing Championships in Georgia. Anyone with a soul has a favorite Comet moment, and I’m no different. This is one horse that never fails to put a smile on my face. Whether it was his extremely un-OTTB dressage tests, his pricked ears on cross-country or his obvious relationship with rider Becky Holder, he always impressed everyone who saw him go.

Weekend results:

American Eventing Championships
Bleinhem Palace International
Aspen Farm Horse Trials
Copper Meadows HT/Area VI Championships
Bucks County HT

Events Opening This Week:

 Holly Hill Fall H.T. (LA, A-5)  Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (GA, A-3) Waredaca H.T. and Classic Training 3 Day Event (MD, A-2)  Heritage Park H.T. (KS, A-4)

Open September 18, 2012

The AEC’s concluded on Sunday and Becky Holder and Courageous Comet were the big winners in the Advanced Division. They added 4 faults to their dressage score of 23.7 to finish above Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. There were only 3 winning scores over 30 this weekend, which further reinforces the idea that I will never be able to compete at the AEC’s. [AEC results]

William Fox-Pitt won the CCI*** at Bleinhem with Seacookie, further proving that he can win with any horse on any day. William retired Seacookie on the Burghley XC last weekend because the nimble bay wasn’t ‘enjoying it,’ but looked like he was having fun with the Bleinhem course. Mark Todd finished 2nd, and the North American contingent of Rebecca Howard and Emily Beashar placed 11th and 24th respectively. [Bleinhem Results]

Andrew Nicholson topped the CIC*** at Bleinhem with Quimbo, the same horse he won with at Barbury. WFP was 2nd with Bay My Hero. Bettina Hoy continued her run of top 10 finishes with a 4th place run with Designer 10. [Bleinhem Results]

Eric Lamaze is stepping out of the limelight for awhile; the former Olympic gold medalist is looking forward to more time golfing, and less time in the competition arena. Lamaze tells CTV that ‘The London Olympics were supposed to be Hickstead’s Games, and I never imagined that I would go without him.’ We wish Eric the most relaxing of vacations, and hope to see him back soon. [The Canadian Press]

I’ve always wanted to win 500,000 by jumping 3’3″ and Patricia Griffith did just that when she won the $500,000 Hunter Prix aboard Sienna. [HITS]

McLain Ward won the coveted $1 million Pfizer Grand Prix in Saugerties with Olympic partner Antares. Jill Henselwood and George were second. Six riders hit the deck during the difficult course, and did not receivev any of the $1.75 million that was up for grabs on Sunday.
[Chronicle of the Horse ]

Great Britain won the FEI Junior European Eventing Championships held in Poland this weekend. Team Ireland claimed the silver, and France the bronze. Two GBR riders also took gold and silver in the Individual competition; gold went to 17-year-old Sophie How and Pebbly Aga Khan, and silver to 16-year-old Emily King and Minimee. Irish rider Harold Megahey and Chuckelberry took home the individual bronze. [British Eventing]

War Horse is set to close in January, which means that my subtle hints to my boyfriend like, “Have you heard about War Horse?” “War Horse is supposed to be so good,” are going to turn into  “I bought War Horse tickets with your credit card.” [New York Times]

The Independent takes a look at the Olympic Eventing Legacy, and draws comparisons to “the moment football became the middle class sport of choice.” As a footie fan myself, I don’t see much comparison between Paul Gascoigne and WFP, but hey, to each their own. [The Independent]

Top tweet: “If horse riding were easy they’d call it football.” @JenniRudall

Allie Conrad blogs about Burghley, saying that the UK spectators were “truly rooting for Sinead to win.” Her favorite overheard phrase? “It’s big. It’s Burghley.” [Chronicle of the Horse]

Awesome/extremely unsettling video from the 1978 World Eventing Championships in Lexington, KY. Most of these horses aren’t even wearing galloping boots.

Natasha Baker winning her second gold medal for Great Britain. Baker set a Paralympic record with her win in the Grade II Individual Championships. Photo via FEI twitter.

The Paralympics have concluded, and as the familiar tune goes, ‘Great Britain swept the competition.’ While I’m not the most familiar with Para-competition (I still have to look up the Grade I, II, etc) I know enough to know that I could never be a Paralympian. Besides the obvious, the fact that I’m lucky enough in life to have full control and ability in my body, although not always of my mouth, there are other reasons. Here they are:

1. I have never, I repeat NEVER come close to scoring a 82.75%. That was the gold-medal winning score of Sophie Christiansen in the Grade Ia championships. The closest I ever came was a 68 in Training 3, and that’s only because I think the judge was sleeping when I did my trot-walk transitions.

2. My horse isn’t well trained enough. These horses are straight up amazing, folks. They are trained to the highest degree, keen to pick up the slightest cues. My horse, on the other hand, forgets how to leg yield, pick up a canter lead, go over ground poles, and walk in a straight line on a daily basis.

3. I hate working out. Not only do Paralympians have daily strength training, they have to go to a variety of physicians to work on the parts of their body that are lacking. For instance, Para-dressage rider Emma Sheardown says she goes to get her ‘hips loosened.’ I don’t know what that is, but it sounds painful and unlike Emma, I like my hips just where they are. [Horse Answers]

4. I have a bad attitude. Even after being born with, or obtaining a disability, they still have a sunnier outlook than I do on my best day. They see a never-ending supply of doctors, push through the pain of surgeries and physical therapy, and constantly have to explain what Grade II is, and they do it all with a smile. I’m in absolute awe of them.

Congratulations to all of the Paralympian Athletes, and all equestrians competing with a disability. You all are amazing!

Springer, the new celebrity name I just made up for the two awesome-est ladies in American eventing right now.

How to recognize the signs of a Burghley hangover:

1. You’ve bookmarked Sinead’s cross-country round as evidence of how you want your horse to go around Novice next week.
2. You tried to order ‘Avebury cobbler’ at dinner.
3. You immediately hired a show-jumping trainer to get you prepared for what appears to be a startling trend in eventing.
4. You locked yourself in your room and refused to come out when someone told you exactly how many more months it is until Rolex.

As most of us are coming down from the post-Sinead and Allison complete bubble of awesome-ness buzz, I’m here to remind you that other things actually happened this weekend. Feel that rain? There’s a hurricaine. Turn on your tv? There’s an election.

Weekend Results:

KY Classique HT

Loudoun Hunt HT

South Farm Fall HT

Steepleview Labor Day HT

Events Opening Tomorrow:

Hagyard Midsouth Three-day Event & Team Challenge (KY, A-8)  “The Event” at Kelly’s Ford (VA, A-2)  Ram Tap Horse Trials (CA, A-6)  Paradise Farm H.T. (SC, A-3)

PSYCH more Burghley! As inspiration, and video evidence of why I hate stadium go over to Burghley tv, where you can watch every phase on demand until September 30. [Burghley TV]

Andrew Nicholson won his third Burghley title. Personally, I think he should share the wealth a little. [Horse and Hound]

Two horses didn’t get to jump at Burghley, most noticeably was Geoff Curan’s Crecora, who was in 10th place before the final phase. Also eliminated at the trot-up was Nicolas Wettstein’s 45th placed mount Nadeville Merze. [Horse and Hound]

The British are killing it at the Paralympics. Natasha Baker won GB’s first gold in individual dressage at the Games, Sophie Christiansen won gold in the Ia, and Sophie Wells won silver in the Grade IV. Baker’s score of 76.87 was a Grade II Olympic record. [Independent] [Daily Mail] [BBC]

When I think trail horse, I normally don’t think Ravel. Which is why seeing Ravel enjoying his retirement with owner Akiko Yamazaki is so refreshing. The tail still definitely belongs to a Grand Prix dressage horse though. [Dressage Daily]

The USEF has a new president, and it’s a lady this time. Christine Taurib will replace David O’Connor starting in January 2013, leaving David to explore other…endeavors. [Star-Ledger]

Zara Phillips reflects on the Olympics, said the support from the home crowd was ‘unreal and wonderful.’ [Telegraph]

Michael Pollard launched a campaign focusing on trailer safety. After the tragic accident that took three of his top-level horses, Jude’s Law, Icarus, and VDL Ulando H, Pollard hopes to stop anything happening like that again. [USEA]

Karen O’Connor and Marilyn Little-Meredith both competed at Breda CIC** this weekend in the Netherlands. KOC finished 4th with Cosima 201, and Little-Meredith ended up in in 11th with RF Azarah. [Breda Leaderboard]

Paralyzed eventer Claire Lomas lights the Paralympic torch in Trafalgar Square. Photo via @charliecoffee on Twitter.

The eventing world is a small one, readers. Yesterday I won an epic Ebay battle for a beautiful Pikeur coat, and turns out the seller lives three blocks away from me! Good news for us, she didn’t have to go to the charming people at the DC post office, and I got to meet a fellow eventer on Capitol Hill! When I walk in to pick it up she asks me, “you don’t write for EN by any chance do you?” Shout out to Katherine for selling me an amazing coat I could never have afforded otherwise!

Events this weekend:

Richland Park HT: [Website] [Live Scores]
Powder Basin HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Results]
Shephard Ranch HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Results]
Caber Farm HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Results]
Genesee Valley HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Results]
Difficult Run HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Results Page]
Valinor Farm HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Results]

News And Links:

Richland Park Videos
Travers Stakes Results in Dead Heat
KY Horse Park Killing it Financially, Won’t Need State Funding in Eight Years
British Eventing Announces Winner of ‘Eventing Cinema’
34-Ft Tall Horse Head Moves from
London to PA
Clayton Fredericks Wins Haras Du Pin
Claire Lomas Lights Paralympic Torch

I feel like this a lot, Tabitha

This is a series written by me, about me, and my return to eventing. We’ve (that’s me and my horse Plaid who has been chronically lame for 5 years) been away awhile, so sometimes we need a little help with the unknowns. Read Part I here.

I look pretty happy for someone who just slotted into 9th place of 10 riders.

Well, we did it! That’s right, we made it, AND without anyone having to reference my will that I put in my medical armband before SJ.

The dressage was not as good as it should have been, admittedly. I was so happy about him being calm (and by calm I mean falling asleep in his hay bag) that I didn’t push for the amount of contact we usually have at home. As a result, the horse I’ve been competing in dressage for the last two years had a not great dressage result. Oh well, who cares? I’m learning to be an eventer again and not give a hoot about dressage anyway.

My mantra in show jumping was ‘get through it get through it then you go cross country.’ Plaid was a little spooky, but I rode aggressively enough, and when his feet touched down after the last fence, I was so freakin happy because that means I get to go CROSS-COUNTRY!

Which, was awesome. Coming up that last hill, with 13 jumps behind us, legs pumping to the tune of the voice in my head saying ‘we’re going to make it, we’re going to make it,’ and finally flying over the last, having to pause for a minute before I went back to my people, a minute to pet my horse and take a breath and have a moment where I thanked him for bringing me home safely. That, was awesome.

BUT I still have questions. Maybe even more. So, here they are:

1. Smoothie lady, how do you do it?

2. When you fall off in the warm up for stadium, how the hell do you get back on to jump not only a clean show jumping round but a clean cross-country one as well?

3. Can someone please come help me read my horse’s tattoo number so we can compete in those OTTB things?

4. Can we ban 10-horse trailers at events so Buck Davidson can’t compete 3 horses in every division?

5. Does anyone know the number of the cross-country lady who tried to hand me a training level course map so I can apologize for laughing at her? She was about yay high and had blonde hair.

6. Did you know that if you go around telling food vendors, ‘hey I didn’t die today!’ they’ll put extra whip cream on your smoothie and maybe not charge you for a hot dog?

7. How do you convince your horse not to refuse jumps in the warm up ring because that’s not a great confidence booster when you have to go jump 16 fences in a row?

8. Is ‘We finished on our dressage score!’ the proper way to describe a good result that didn’t necessarily result in a good result?

9. Is the announcer supposed to announce your horse’s age after you finish your stadium round?

10. When can I do it again?!

Guess what readers, I’m not dead! Why would you be dead, you ask? Well, besides the millions of things that could literally kill you on a daily basis, I didn’t die during my return to eventing at Waredaca this weekend. In fact, we finished on our dressage score (albeit not a good dressage score), and even got a ribbon! My favorite part? At the end of our showjumping the announcer said “A double clear for Victoria and her 19-year-old Thoroughbred Plaid.”

Events This Weekend:

Waredaca Farm HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Erie Hunt and Saddle Club HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm August HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

The Event at Santa Fe: [Website] [Live Scores]

Great Vista HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Catalpa Corner Charity HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Penny Oaks HT: [Website]

Links:

Boyd Blogs About Remington’s New Rider

The Reason Behind Charlotte Dujardin’s Helmet

Burghley Course Walk (Otherwise Known As 40 jumps I would never jump)

Jockey Club Announces New Thoroughbred Game for Social Media

Horses Injured in Italian Bareback Race

Carl Hester Plans Ride With Spanish Riding School

AAEP Wants To Castrate YOUR Horse

Paul Tapner Cleaning House in his Underwear

Top Riders Heading to Blenheim

Oh yes, EN readers, it’s Part I because there WILL be more parts. This is a series made up, conceived and written by me, about me and my return to Eventing. Write what you know, they say. Well, there are some things I don’t know.

First off, a little back-story (everyone switches over to TMZ). This coming Saturday, August 18, will be my first event in five years.

‘Five years?’ No one asks. ‘But why? You seem to have such a grasp of it in your writing/always say such smart and insightful things!’

Well, let me answer your question, and thank you for that compliment. I have had the same horse for 8 years, since I was 16 years old. When I was 18 he tore a suspensory ligament, and crushed all my hopes and dreams. I know, that’s heavy. The prognosis wasn’t too bad, but after a year off, when I started exercising again, it just wasn’t right. He was slow to warm up, and never really hit his stride. He backed off of 2’ jumps, when he never used to blink an eye at anything under 3’6”. So, at a young age, I made the decision to take jumping out of the equation. Forever. Hardest thing I ever had to do, coming terms with that. Harder even than giving up carbs last summer.

Two years ago I took up dressage with him. He got good and strong at first level, so much so that we didn’t even feel the need to move up to second, and I think the increased workouts and strength he’s gotten has made him, incredible, unexplainably, sound. Sound, in the 8th year I’ve had him, at age 19. It’s a miracle.

Anyway (back story’s ALMOST over), now, I’m thinking, it’s time. It’s time to get his darling, old butt out to an event. My good friend, and fellow EN contributor Abby Gibbon has been helping me, and even took us to school at Waredaca, and having her confidence in us has been HUGE. Having someone I trust tell me ‘He looks awesome,’ and pushing me to enter competitions with him has been immense. So, my calendar’s marked. Waredaca, August 18.

Anyway, that brings me to the burning questions segment of the post. Like, you guys, I’ve been out of the game awhiiile. I wash my saddle pads monthly. Something goes missing (polo wraps, galloping boots, martingale, show coat, rat catcher, shipping boots, do I need to go on?) and I don’t need it because where do I ever go. I follow the world of eventing religiously, but have been cross-country with my horse twice in the last half-decade. So please, help me out with my questions.

1. Does neon need to be in the equation for cross-country?
2. Will I get penalized for not wearing a skullcap with the visor flipped up?
3. Is my wallet supposed to feel lighter, or my credit card heavier after entering into an event?
4. Can’t my horse and I get a joint USEA membership? We’re basically the same person anyway.
5. How hard would it be to convince them I’m a Junior, so I don’t have to compete against Phillip Dutton?
6. The USEA wants to know my blood type for my medical armband. Do you know my blood type?
7. I’ve only evented in the Midwest. Do they serve walking tacos up here?
8. Will I still make the time if I trot around cross-country, and stop for a breather and a walking taco? How important is the time realllly?
9. So you’re telling me if (when) I fall off at fence 1, I can’t even get on to get a ride back to the barn?
10. If (when) I fall off at fence 1, can I get my money back?