Good Morning Eventing Nation! I hope you have been taking the time to enjoy one of the most prime times during the summer. The classic American summer holiday is approaching (Fourth of July of course), the weather is as cool as its going to be until September, and the days are their longest. The only thing I don’t like about this time of summer is the lack of news filing into the headquarters. Maybe its because the pulse of the nation slows down during the summer and the news follows that pattern. Did you know that compared to other times of the year, productivity in the office slows on average a whopping 13 percent during the summer months? I read that in Cosmo the other day. I don’t know how to solve the lack of productivity, but here’s my solution for the lack of news: do something interesting, write about it, and send it to me. Emphasis on the interesting part, but seriously, if you come across some person, thing, or event in the coming months that fellow EN readers would enjoy hearing about, don’t hesitate to send it on in.
Anyway here are some lazy summer’s day notes for you this morning:
— The organizers for next year’s Olympic Games (to be held at the famous Greenwich Park) have resorted to giveaways and bribery in an attempt to keep Londoners happy about horses coming to the park for the Games. Since it was first announced that an entire temporary stadium and full length cross-country course would be erected in the Park, local residents have been campaigning long and hard for the equine competitions to be held elsewhere. The residents didn’t win, but in an effort on the committee’s part to make amends and keep feathers down, they have given away free 4,500 tickets to the upcoming test event to prove that the horse competition will not damage or be of detriment to the park. So if any horses or riders get egged while completing their dressage test at the upcoming test event, you’ll know why.
–This year’s Hickstead Derby was as big a success as it ever has been for many reasons. A female rider winning for the first time in many years is a big deal. Hickstead recently revamped their international arena, putting over £500,000 into the construction. The improvements were highly praised by the competitors, many saying the going this year was the best it’s ever been. The third tier of the Hickstead success was an increased number of spectators. Ticket sales were up to 38,000, 1,000 more than last year. I think its safe to say that on every level this year, Hickstead was a success. [Horsetalk]
— The Jurga Report has published an in-depth report on the prognosis of Miner’s Frolic. For those that may have missed it, Miner’s Frolic was entered in Badminton this spring, but ended up withdrawing from the competition due to a mysterious swelling on the horse’s withers. The problem never resolved but rather turned into a series of life-threatening complications, and last week the horse was admitted into the Arundel Veterinary Hospital. The update on his condition as of June 27th states he is “stable but seriously ill.”
— Ruthie Mathieson, a British rider who was seriously injured in a local event earlier this spring, is slowly but surely taking steps to a full recovery. She is now in what is surely the hardest part of recovery– the physical therapy and all the time spent relearning the muscle function and regaining strength. Ruthie has been a good patient through it all and has become an avid ‘tweeter’ in the wake of her injury. We wish her the best in her recovery and hope to see her back in the saddle soon. [Horse and Hound]
–Our friends at FLAIR are sponsoring the Pony Club Festival July 18-26. In addition to providing financial support, they are also providing Strips to the winners in Eventing, Polocross, and Show Jumping and they will also be doing 4 seminars (July 25th and 26th) on equine respiratory system and the how FLAIR Strips work to keep horses healthy. The Festival is held at the Kentucky Horse Park once every 3 years, and it includes the USPC National Championships.
