Samantha Clark photo
Good morning Eventing Nation! You have made it to the better half of the week. With Thursday comes the start of dressage at Burghley! The North American excitement will get under way with Hawley Bennett and her lovely mare at noon local (7am ET). Following her will be Will Coleman. Boyd and Neville will take center stage at 3:15 local time (10am ET). Finishing up the day will be Colleen Rutledge. Remember, there are tons of ways to get in on the Burghley action. But in case you have forgotten, feel free to re-visit John’s post. We all love more time with John. [Get in on the action]
Here is the start of the US (and Canada) weekend eventing stalking:
OHTA Championships at Wits End [Live Scores]
Steepleview Labor Day HT [Live Scores]
Aspen Farm HT [Live Scores]
Feather Creek HT [Live Scores]
Stony Brook Farm [Live Scores]
5 Points HT [Website]
Hawley Bennett has done a fantastic interview with Three Days Three Ways. I must admit, I usually get bored when I read rider interviews. They all seem to share the same information. But Hawley really gives a great interview. She doesn’t just answer the questions, she shares the stories behind her answers. Hawley has a great career, and incredible horse, the perfect husband, and who knows, maybe a baby in the future. This west coast girl is the real deal. Best of luck to Hawley today at Burghley. [Hawley Bennett]
Beware, the Kiwi’s are out in force at Burghley this week. With 13 Kiwi pairs competing, there is bound to be some variety at the top of the leader board. With the likes of Andrew Nicholson, Clark Johnstone, and Caroline Powell, there are some real potential winners. Andrew is on a winning streak. But oh wait, so is Clark. And well Caroline, I believe she and the lovely Lenamore have already won at this level. But let’s not forget Mark Todd. I mean come on, it’s Mark Todd. And what about the comeback kid, Blythe Tait. The Kiwi’s are a serious force to be reckoned with. [Kiwi invasion]
And just in case you didn’t know, all horses passed the first inspection at Burghley. Three horses were held and passed upon re-inspection. [Trot up]
Best of Blogs: Jon Holling
Ten years ago, in the warm up for XC at Rocking Horse HT, Jon Holling spoke to me. It was right then and there that I developed my first true love. Jon, and his wife Jenn, are two of my favorite people on the event scene. They have both been a big part of my career with horses from a young age. They are incredibly hard workers and I can’t think of a team that is more deserving of a US team spot. Go Hollings!
Learn a little more about the six American’s at Burghley [USEF]
As we know, hurricane Irene took a huge toll on GMHA. Please help out a great event by donating. And if you are in the area, please swing over for an afternoon of helping. What better way to contribute to the event community! [Donate now]
The stunning grey, Ringwood Cockatoo, has found a fine place to retire in the UK. After spending some time at the lower levels with a Thai rider, Cockatoo will now enjoy life as a dressage ride. Claire Llewellyn will be taking over the reins. Claire also has Leslie Law’s former 4* mount, Shear H20. Not a bad ride to pick up in the dressage world, I’d say. [Ringwood Cockatoo]
Boyd Martin is having a good start to Burghley. With a sweet Land Rover to cruise in for the weekend, Boyd sure is looking fly. He’s had a dressage lesson with Bettina to get things tuned up. And, it even seems that talkative Boydy may have gone silent when he hit fence four of the cross country. [Boyd Martin takes on Burghley]
Tom McEwen’s Burghley Diary- Day 1
Go eventing.
