Where there is a will, there’s a way. Photo by Tristan Francar.
Virginia finally got some rain this week after a straight up drought, which is awesome because now the ground isn’t 100% concrete. The downside is that it’s now hovering somewhere around 10,000% humidity and I feel like I’m doing trot sets in soup. Thick, hot, pea soup. Doesn’t that sound delightful? Don’t you want to live in Virginia in July!?
National Holiday: National Macaroni Day & National Strawberry Sunday Day
Great Meadow CICO3* Links: Website, Schedule, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scoring, USEF Network, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Huntington Farm H.T. [Website] *CANCELLED DUE TO FLOODING*
Old Chatham H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Maryland at Loch Moy I H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Roebke’s Run H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
41st Annual Whidbey Island H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Coconino Summer I H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
News From Around the Globe:
The Barbury Event Rider Masters class this weekend is hotly contended with top riders. The £50,000 ERM competition features 40 of the world’s best event riders, representing 11 nations at the St. James’s Place Barbury International Horse Trials. Andrew Nicholson is the hot favorite with last year’s winner and Badminton champion Nereo, as he strongly favors the Barbury course, carrying consecutive titles from the CIC3* since 2012. Who will challenge him? [Battle at Barbury]
Mourning the loss of Toytown last week, H&H found Meryl Connaughton, who sourced and produced him from four years old. Let’s just say, “Noddy” had humble and naughty beginnings. Starting as a scraggly four-year-old with a tail eaten off by cattle, he was well known for bucking, rearing, bolting and generally acting like a feral monster, until she unlocked the secret to getting along with him. [Toytown’s Early Years: He Was Lethal]
I love hearing how “famous” riders created their own journey to the top, because their stories are anything but boring. Top Hunter rider Jennifer Alfano began her career with a rag and a bucket in hand, as she became a professional groom in order to learn everything inside and out. She became the groom for Greg Best right after her years in the Junior ranks, and went all the way to the 1988 Seoul Olympics with the legendary Gem Twist. [A Rub Rag to the Olympics]
Save money on wrinkle cream in the future and get yourself an EquiVisor. Seriously, sunburnt faces and premature wrinkles don’t HAVE to define you as a horse person. Let your ghostly pale legs and your weird glove tan line have that honor, and take care of your face! [Smartpak Product of the Day]
Remember last year?
