Dressage Day One News & Notes from Kentucky Equine Research

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Day one is upon us!! The best weekend all year! I’m not lucky enough to be attending Rolex this year, but all week there’s an extra skip in my step and I can almost feel the collective excitement of my community radiating around the world as all eyes are on Kentucky. This special weekend in April is always delightful, but as an Olympic year, this can truly be a make it or break it occasion, with some dreams truly manifesting on Sunday. Mostly, we want to know, will he or won’t he? Michael Jung. Two time champ? Back to back?

#RK3DE: WebsiteScheduleEntry List & Ride TimesLive StreamEN’s CoverageEN’s Rolex GuideEN Tailgate InfoTwitterInstagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

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

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

News From Around the Globe:

Rolex course walk with the master of Kentucky himself, Bruce Davidson Sr? Sign me up! If I was there, I would be all over this. Bruce is taking everyone and anyone on a course walk starting at Friday at 4 pm sharp to benefit the Area VIII young rider team, so meet him at the cross country start box!!

Four Rolex riders took time out of their busy schedule to visit the Kentucky Children’s Hospital prior to the start of the event. Doug Payne, Jessica Payne, Lauren Kieffer and Allie Knowles, met with the young patients at the children’s hospital to bring them souvenirs from the event.“It was just amazing to come here and meet these incredibly brave young children, who are dealing with physical issues that make my worries about competing this weekend seem tiny,” said Doug Payne, of New Hill, N.C. “I don’t know how else to describe it, except that their courage was inspiring. They’re amazing kids who we’ll all be thinking of from now on. It was an unforgettable experience.” [Eventers Visit Children’s Hospital]

Majyk Equipe is raffling off Blackfoot Mystery’s 2016 Rolex cross country boots directly following the action on Saturday. The company has been working hard on a new design for boots, and they are debuting this weekend! “The new Color Elite boots will allow eventers to be color coordinated from head to toe while still relying on the quality and technology that Majyk is well known for.”  The boots will be available in four signature colors: Atomic Orange, Azure Blue, Scarlett Red and Tiffany Turquoise. The new styles are made from high grade lightweight TPU bonded with a fine mesh material designed to repel dust and dirt. The inner, proprietary bio foam liner is fused with an impact protective layer and is perforated to keep cool. The ‘four way flex’ inner strike guard is designed to flex with a horse’s natural movement but form a hard wall when struck. Added to this, the boots feature a new ‘Forever Clean’ coating that helps to preserve the boot and allows mud and dirt to be quickly rinsed off. Boyd will be picking the winning ticket on Saturday night! [Details on Entering Here]

EN is delighted to host an online auction on behalf of Carolina International for a beautiful custom jump, with proceeds benefitting Hearts 4 Heroes United States. H4HUS provides equine-assisted and canine-assisted therapy to U.S. veterans and active duty military suffering from physical and psychological impairments. [Auction]

Retired Racehorse Project is throwing a hoedown after Rolex cross country, and you’ll want to be there.  Hagyard is hosting the hoedown for the benefit of the RRP, where a $50 admission (or $35 for RRP members) will get you an open bar and live music from the Steve Norman & Shades of Grass band. Starting at 6 pm just a few short miles from the Horse Park, the Hoedown promises to provide a full-evening’s worth of entertainment alongside the likes of Phillip Dutton, Rosie Napravnik, Chris McCarron and Graham Motion. [Hoedown for Hagyard] [RRP Rolex Activities]

 

KER Service of the Week – Nutrition Advisors

Nutrition advisors at Kentucky Equine Research (KER) have an abundance of resources available to help you with your horse’s nutrition.  They provide educated insight into horse management and are able to fine-tune diets for your horse and troubleshoot any feed-related problems that may occur, such as tying-up, lack of appetite, and delicate hooves.

Have a question about your horse’s nutrition? Just share a few details here and a KER nutrition advisor will be in touch.

 

Ze winner?