Good morning! I hope your holiday hangover is receding. I’m still working on mine! Great news coming out of the Colleen Rutledge camp today. Colleen’s husband, Brian, sent us our lead photo today, where you can see that Colleen has officially been cleared to ride by her doctor. As we all know, as soon as we hear those words, we make a beeline for the saddle, which is exactly what Colleen did!
Friday News:
Are you as overwhelmed as I am when shopping for a new cooler? I used to think wool was the best option, but then I discovered that there were countless other options for styles and material. Thankfully, I stumbled upon an article on Practical Horseman that gives some tips on what to look for when choosing a cooler. [How Do I Select a New Cooler?]
In some sad news, 2009 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird has passed away. The 7-year-old Thoroughbred suffered a bout of colic that proved too difficult to overcome. Summer Bird was standing at stud in Japan at the time of his death. [Summer Bird Passes Away]
Showjumper Georgina Bloomberg has given birth to her first child. Born on Christmas Eve, Jasper Michael Brown Quintana was born in New York weighing 7.7 pounds. The child almost certainly has horses in his future, as Georgina’s boyfriend is Argentinian showjumper Ramiro Quaintana. [Welcome Baby Bloomberg]
New Zealand is the latest country to hop on board with Express Eventing. Currently, the Equestrian Sports New Zealand is working on a set of rules and guidelines to govern the compressed version of the sport. Express Eventing started in Britain and has been a hit, especially in areas where space is more limited and spectators are needed. [Express Eventing Coming to New Zealand?]
Andrew Nicholson certainly is having a good holiday. He finished another impeccable season in 2013 atop the HSBC Rankings. He received a $50,000 HSBC Rankings bonus, his second bonus in as many years. Can anyone stop him? I’m beginning to think not! [Nicholson Celebrates HSBC Bonus]
Best of the Blogs:
Deanna Castro writes about three simple training techniques for your horse.
Lauren Keeton: Will you make it happen?
Friday Video Break:
This makes my artistic skills look non-existent. Ok, maybe they were non-existent to begin with, but this makes me feel even worse!
