The UK is a quiet place to be this weekend. Everyone has hopped aboard the party boat to Tattersalls, leaving nothing behind but a couple of tumbleweeds and a few crates of empty prosecco bottles. Those of us left behind wait at the windows like army wives, desperate for signs of life on the horizon.
JOKES. The Tatts FOMO might be a real affliction, with symptoms to include obsessive live streaming, score refreshing, and social media prowling-and-scowling, but there’s still plenty for eventing junkies to sink their teeth into on this side of the sea, with four events underway, including the National Pony Championships at Brand Hall. (Hi, my name is Tilly, and I am an almost-reformed pony addict. My struggle has been long and arduous, but I am grateful to be able to share my recovery with you.)
We’ve also got plenty of opportunities for alcohol-fuelled entry sprees, including the seriously exciting new Osborne Horse Trials, set to take place at the end of July in the grounds of Queen Victoria’s stately Isle of Wight former residence. Designed to create a spectator-friendly competition, Osborne will hold four classes, each at the Intermediate level, and each offering different eligibility requirements, so inexperienced horses or riders at the level will compete against their equals. With a shortened dressage test, choose-your-own-adventure showjumping, and a one-seat-sees-all cross country course, it promises to be a great weekend whether you’re on a horse or on the terrace. Oh, and there’s also a cheeky little prize pool of £60,000 on offer. NBD.
UK Weekend Preview:
Little Downham [Website] [Ride Times]
Belsay [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Ascott Under Wychwood (2) [Ride Times]
Brand Hall [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Events Opening This Weekend:
1st: Buckminster Park – BE100-N, plus 5yo – [Enter] Lincolnshire (July 7-8)
1st: Osborne House – OI showcase – [Enter] Isle of Wight (July 25-26)
1st: Kirriemuir (2) – BE80-N, with 4/5yo classes – [Enter] Angus, Scotland (July 8)
2nd: Tweseldown (3) – BE80-IN, with 4/5yo classes – [Enter] Hampshire (July 7-9)
Events Balloting This Weekend:
1st: Alnwick Ford – BE80-IN – [Enter] Northumberland (June 23-24)
2nd: Keysoe (2) – BE80-N – [Enter] Bedfordshire (June 23-24)
2nd: Skipton – BE80-N – [Enter] North Yorkshire (June 23-24)
Friday video: the concept of contact
Want a little bit of education with your Friday feelings? Lainey Ashker is delivering this week, with a short but sweet video explaining how the way you hold your hands might be affecting the quality of your horse’s contact. We love a simple fix we can incorporate into our schooling sessions, and that’s just what this is – a positional adjustment requiring no massive overhauls of your training ethos, no risk, no fuss, and best of all, no tack changes or gadgetry required. Give it a go this weekend, and let us know how you get on!
#LÆ training tip: Narrow Hands ➡️ the concept behind the contact
Posted by Lainey Ashker on Friday, June 1, 2018
Want to make some more small, easy changes that could have huge positive effects at the barn this weekend? Check out World Equestrian Brands‘ education section on their website, which explains the science behind many of their products. Having a spring clean and replacing moth-eaten, mud-mangled bits of kit? This could help you find the product that works for you and your horse.
Go eventing!
