Team DF Riders Amanda Blake, Caroline Dein and Stephanie Nicora
One of the things I love most about eventing is that we’re all family. It doesn’t matter what barn you ride with or how far apart you live. We’re all tied together through the love of the horse and this goofy sport. We see one another sometimes at our worst, but more often at our best. It’s funny that something non-horse people likely think of as a “weekend activity” has such a profound influence on who we are. While I’m bummed that the FEI season in North America has come to an end it’s starting to be time for barn-parties and other end of year activities – more opportunities for us to see one another at our best, or at least our most festive.
North American Weekend Wrap Up:
Virginia CIC2*/CCI1* and H.T. [Website] [Scores]
FEH Qualifier and Championships at Loch Moy [Website]
Rocking Horse Fall H.T. [Website] [Scores]
Full Gallop Farm H.T. [Website] [Scores]
Pine Hill H.T. [Website] [Scores]
Galway Downs International and H.T. [Website] [Scores]
Monday News and Notes:
Trick or treat! Did you dress your horse up for Halloween? If so, Cavalor wants to see! Post a photo on the Cavalor North America Facebook page for your chance to win a box of Cavalor treats. Contest ends on Tuesday November 4. [Cavalor FB]
In addition to eventing, I also play on the Morgan circuit from time to time and have a few friends who are devotees of the breed. This has made the Beth Hoskins cruelty case show up on my radar from time to time. It’s been an interesting saga that has taken some twists and turns that include a Youtube Video of Hoskins singing Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ in a theater partially owned by her lawyer. What? Yes, you read that correctly. Most recently Hoskins was found to have violated orders from her neglect case and has been ruled in contempt of court. [More from buffalonews.com]
The end of the show season and Halloween are usually my two joint reminders that it’s time for fall shots. Folks in Texas may want to get vaccinations handled sooner rather than later as a horse has tested positive for Equine Encephalitis in Smith County. Encephalitis is spread via mosquitos and while the area has been sprayed for mosquitos, authorities are still urging concerned horse owners to contact their vets. [More from kltv.com]
Speaking of vaccinations, researchers are attempting to establish an international norm by evaluating the effectiveness of three different vaccination schedules. The research was based around equine influenza and showed some interesting results in the three test groups. [More from thehorse.com]
I feel very lucky to have UC Davis less than an hour’s drive from my barn. Not only is it a top-rate surgical facility, but they’ve now launched an equine ophthalmology service. The service was launched in response to increased demand for specialist consultations on equine eye cases. Horses with eye problems will be seen by Mary Lassaline, DVM, PhD, MA, Dipl. ACVO. [More from thehorse.com]
Getting back in the saddle after a break is hard enough after a few days back. After having children, many women leave the sport behind due to time constraints. Zara Phillips is working on getting back to the top of the game in hopes of representing Britain in Rio. [More from cnn.com]
So, remember how the poor North American finishes at the WEGs has made our Olympic selections a mess with a show-down to be expected at the Pan Ams? A similar scene is playing out on the racing circuit with regards to the Horse of the Year awards due to a debatable call at the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Bayern, the horse who would ultimately go on to win the race, broke left at the start and potentially bumped or herded six horses between him and the rail. Very often, a start like that would have resulted in Bayern’s disqualification. However, after eight minutes of reviewing the tapes stewards let the win stand – but was that the right call? [More from dailynews.com]
Monday Video: One 4* event remains this year – Adelaide. Lets take a peek at the action from last year!
