Photo courtesy of Sara Sellmer.
Today’s N&N is dedicated to Kyra Barrett, a 9-year-old from British Columbia who truly defines “eventer tough.”
Kyra is legally blind but that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing the sport she loves. From wearing an audio earpiece to help with navigation to walking her course multiple times to having a crew of spotters run alongside her on cross country, she’s found some creative workarounds to help her stay on track. And she had a landmark moment at a horse trial at Maple Ridge Equestrian Center last weekend.
Her coach, Sara Sellmer of Z Eventing, rode side by side with Kyra as she completed her first cross country event from start to finish with no spotters.
Sara says, “So excited for this girl! Rocked around her first starter cross country and full event in the pouring rain! Kyra is legally blind and the bravest little girl I know!”
Check out Heels Down Magazine‘s recent feature on Kyra here, and watch videos of her cross country ride at the bottom of this post. What an inspiration to follow your dreams and never give up!
National Holiday: National Freethought Day
Major Events This Week:
Military Boekelo CCIO3*: Website, Entries, XC Start Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Hitching Post Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Maryland at Loch Moy H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Radnor Hunt H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Majestic Oaks H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Fleur de Leap H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Las Cruces H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Your Friday News & Notes:
Voting is open for the 2018 Horse & Hound Awards, giving fans the opportunity to recognize their heroes of the year. Fans can vote for the winner in 10 categories, and naturally there are several eventers in the mix! The eventing nominees are: Ros Canter (Professional Rider of the Year), Arctic Soul (Horse of the Year), Katie Preston and Jane Buchan (Amateur of the Year), Heidi Coy (Young Rider of the Year), Jane Felton (Groom of the Year), Julia Goldbold and Keith Watkins (Volunteer of the Year), and Tim and Jonelle Price winning both British four-stars (Memorable Moment of the Year). [Cast Your Vote]
Our well-wishes are with all those affected by Hurricane Michael, horses included. Nearly 50 horses and other animals were evacuated from Hurricane Michael danger zones to Escambia County Equestrian Center, one of several shelters that have opened their doors to equine evacuees. Jacksonville Equestrian Center has also taken in horses. [Gulf Coast Horse Owners Prepare for Hurricane Michael]
The “USEA Events A-Z” series continues with Las Cruces Horse Trials in Las Cruces, New Mexico. This annual October Area X event offers Starter through Preliminary level competition, and it’s the only USEA recognized event in the state of New Mexico. Learn the history and meet the team behind Las Cruces in this week’s event spotlight. [USEA Events A-Z: Las Cruces Horse Trials]
Team North America beat Team Europe to to the top of the podium for the first time at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Show jumping riders from the five nations making up the North American team – Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and USA — had everyone on the edge of their seats, battling for the gold medal in a nail-biting jump off. Team Africa claimed bronze. [Historic Gold for Team North America at Youth Olympic Games]
Hot on Horse Nation: This woman is a genius. [Equestrian Life Hack: How to Move Stall Mats]
Just in from Jumper Nation: “I figure if I’m going to be a mess, I might as well be a hot mess.” [8 Times Dr. Mindy Lahiri Summed Up My Thoughts on My Riding]
Go Kyra! Go Eventing.
Posted by Sara Sellmer on Sunday, September 30, 2018
Posted by Sara Sellmer on Sunday, September 30, 2018
