Horse about to get quenched.
Good Morning Eventing Nation and welcome to Wednesday! I have to say the week really flies by when the only thing my agenda entails is sitting on the couch, watching TV, and eating bon bons. I’m only kidding, as my week of vacation has been a little more productive than that, but only just a little. I hope you have gotten to spend some quality time on the couch over the holidays, without too much hassle and strain from holiday celebrations, shopping, and visiting relatives. Before we know it, the calendar is going to start heating up and we will be well on our way in 2012. It’s only three days after Christmas and the news is even starting to pick up again!
The big news from yesterday is that Mike Etherington-Smith will design the three-star course for the 2012 Sydney Three-Day Event in Australia, scheduled for April 26-29. Mike is no stranger to the Sydney course, after all he was the designer of the 2000 Sydney Olympic cross country course. Prue Barrett, Australia’s National Performance Director, said of the announcement, “Mike Etherington-Smith is one of the most well respected course designers [in the world], so for our Australia-based riders to have the opportunity to ride over his course prior to the Olympic Games will not only give them invaluable experience but also ensure they are well prepared to take on the rest of the world in London.” [Horsetalk]
Being almost into the New Year and all, we’re approaching that time in late winter/early spring, when the broodmares are at their largest and nearing their foaling date. Breeding horses is not for the faint of heart, or for those who cannot commit themselves to the incredible amount of work involved in raising a young horse. One of the staffers at TheHorse.com wrote a great article about the raising of foals, along with some links to further articles on a wide variety of topics involving foals. [TheHorse]
Anyone that follows the horse world news outside of Eventing even to a moderate degree would know that for the past seven years, fox hunting (with the exception of ‘drag’ or scent hunts) in England has technically been banned. Hunting aficionados have continued about their business and taking part in the sport they love, even with the hunting ban in place. It seems that support for hunting is only continuing to grow, over the weekend on the traditional Boxing Day Hunt, over 2,000 people came out to support a single hunt and see it’s 70 or so riders off. I know the argument on the Hunting Ban goes both ways, but it is pretty incredible to see the support garnered for one of England’s greatest passions. [Yorkshire Post]
Lauren Sprieser wrote a great blog entry for the Chronicle titled “Incredible Amateurs.” She writes about a few of her ‘after five’ clients, who diligently come to their lessons each week even in the face of full-time jobs, running farms, and raising children. According to Lauren, it is their enthusiasm for learning and their horses that keeps her going late into the evening teaching lessons after a long day at the barn. She also reiterates that ever important and seemingly often forgotten truth that the amateurs are really to credit for this sport’s existence and professionals livelihoods. [Incredible Amateurs]
Denny Emerson is at it again, educating all of us about horse breeding and lineage. I don’t know about you but I’ve been finding his articles fascinating! Here’s another, this time about Mr. Prospector. [Denny’s blog]
Cherie Chauvin wrote a great blog that is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and do some reflecting at the same time. Great thoughts, especially for the winter coming into a new season. [Go Lightly Blog]
Jack and Jill have been busy this December, attending an Eric Dierks clinic in the beginning of the month and are learning about important things a horse should know- like direction, speed, rhythm, and balance. [Jack and Jill]
The character of Sherlock Holmes may have been proficient at many things, but I don’t think horse back riding was one of them. Check out this clip from the latest Sherlock Holmes movie:
As a final note, our wonderful sponsor Horse Quencher picked the winners of the December contest. The Grand Prize winners of a 20 pound bucket of Horse Quencher are: Pam Barnum from Virginia, Katie Ochs from Pennsylvania, and Staci Roberts from Texas. Winners of the First Place prize and a 3.5 pound bucket of Horse Quencher are: Carol Hewitt from Tennessee, Laurie Defries from Mississippi, and Julia Brucker from Pennsylvania.
The Horse Quencher Team would like to extend their thanks to all those who participated in our contest and they wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. And, remember Happy Healthy Hydrated Horses use Horse Quencher!
That’s all for now, Eventing Nation. Have an great day, I’ll catch you later!
