Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

The infamous tunnel. Photo via Madeline Backus.

The infamous tunnel. Photo via Madeline Backus.

If you’ve never been to Fair Hill, you’re probably wondering why there are all these pictures of this weird metal tunnel. It’s a bizarre feature of the event, and somehow part of the charm while also being creepy as hell and just plain weird. Somebody, sometime, decided that in order to get the horses from the stabling side of the road to the competition side of the road, we should have a giant underground tube, just tall enough to fit a large horse with a cautious rider, and probably not two abreast to be safe. There are more than a few horses that take a disliking to the ominous sounds inside, and the path to and fro almost always ends up being absolutely revolting. Because, it’s Fair Hill, and it’s gonna rain.

In other news, Fair Hill received its first ever visit from a television camera crew yesterday, so don’t miss this news report from WBAL TV.

#DuttaFHI: WebsiteEntriesDressage Ride TimesLive ScoresScheduleColdren’s CornerEN’s Coverage, @eventingnationEN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

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

News From Around the Globe:

Thursday at Fair Hill:

[Peter Barry & Kim Severson Lead CCI2* and CCI3* After Dressage Day One]

[Kelli Temple Rules 4-Year-Old YEH Champs]

[Kelli Temple ALSO Rules the 5-Year-Old YEH Champs]

Sharon White reported yesterday that her back surgery was a success and she’s cheering everybody on for Fair Hill as she recuperates. Sharon suffered two herniated discs and a fractured pelvis earlier this year, and in a superhuman feat, continued to ride most of her horses. She just got her back surgery, and is doing well. “Just out of surgery for my back and it’s a miracle how much better I feel!! The boys and I want to wish everyone great success at Fair Hill, we will miss being there, but will see everyone next spring!” [Sharon’s Facebook]

D.A. Duras has made the trip successfully to Le Lion d’Angers, the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships in France. Duras passed the jogs, and is slated to do dressage today in the CCI2*, and his owner Debbie Adams is blogging about the entire experience straight from France. Duras is the first recipient of the Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Lion d’Angers Grant, having earned it by being the highest scorer of the 2013 USEA Young Event Horse 5-Year-Old Championships at Fair Hill. [21 Nations and 110 Dreams]

German dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl thrilled spectators at a freestyle demonstration this past weekend with her stallion Unee BB without a saddle and in just a snaffle. Using only a saddle pad, von Bredow-Werndl and Unee BB performed at the Gut Ising Chiemsee Festival of dressage in Bavaria. Also, she performed to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, so that makes her super cool. Check out the video! [German Rider Performs Bareback Freestyle]

Let’s get real about the grossness of blankets during the winter: the poop strap ALWAYS gets disgusting. And, as a responsible horse parent, it’s your job to clean said poop strap every day (or every other day) and you usually have to remove it and soak it or something. It’s definitely one of my least favorite jobs. That is, until I discovered these Rambo Replacement Bungee Tail Cords, because they’re incased in plastic, and I can just squirt that sucker off from a distance. No grappling required! The poop strap (or tail cord) doesn’t get all crusty and awful, and it’s super easy to clean. Seriously, this will change your life. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

I think my favorite Fair Hill, but I’m just biased because Jan won 🙂

https://youtu.be/uQwBLMD4foA

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