Thursday News & Notes from Professional’s Choice

Meet Yeezy and Yoncé, twin chinchillas! Photo by Devon Olivier.

Meet Yeezy and Yoncé, twin chinchillas! Photo by Devon Olivier.

Exciting birth announcement! No, its not another professional rider, it’s the official UGA Eventing Team mascot, Fetty, who became a mother! A surprise mother, to be exact. Fetty turns out to be a girl, and this week she popped out twins, dubbed Yeezy and Yoncé. Congrats to the proud new mother and all her fans. If you’re not sure what the hell I’m talking about, be sure to check out our article on the UGA Eventing Team here, and also give them props for totally showing us up with taking ACTUAL CHINCHILLAS to events.

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Orders of Go, CCI4* Live Scores, CIC3* Live Scores, Course Preview, Facebook, Twitter

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Great Vista H.T. [Website]

Seneca Valley H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Bucks County Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Full Gallop Farm June H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Silverwood Farm Spring H.T. [Website]

Golden Spike H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

Andrew Nicholson is contesting his first four-star competition since his fall at Gatcombe last August. He is competing this weekend at Luhmuhlen on Perfect Stranger, making his four-star debut, and Qwanza. After a win last weekend at Bramham International Horse Trials, Andrew his hoping to get a good result in Germany. [Nicholson Goes to Luhmühlen]

Speaking of Luhmühlen … did you miss the course preview? [Luhmühlen Video Course Preview]

New research shows that the timing of food can greatly affect the performance of a horse when it comes to strenuous exercise. Dr. Gary Potter, a consulting nutritionist and professor of equine science at Texas A&M, has been studying the effects of food on racehorses and how the digestive system and the locomotive neuromuscular system interact. The key is, he says, to make sure that these two systems aren’t competing for blood supply by removing hay and grain three to four hours before a race, and only feeding hay after the horse has been fully cooled out. He also debunks the popular myth that horses should be refused water when they are hot directly after a workout. [Timing of Pre-Race Meals Has a Huge Impact]

We’re giving you a chance to win a brand new Tipperary Sportage 8500 helmet! All you have to do is share your summer selfies with us to be entered. Put on a Tipperary vest and/or helmet and snap a selfie with your horse. Post it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with with the hashtag #ENsummerselfie, or email your photo to [email protected]. You’ll receive one entry for wearing a Tipperary helmet or vest and double entries if you wear both. [Tipperary Sportage 8500 Contest]

Elite Daily pulled a hilarious stunt at the Belmont Stakes by sending a short comedian roughly dressed as a jockey into the crowd of intoxicated non-horse people, and totally convinced them all that he was riding “Hillar-neigh Clinton” in a race. Insert eye rolling here. He seems to have been outfitted with a pair of rubber boots and a Troxel helmet, but they all bought it anyway. Check out the video over at Horse Nation. [Elite Daily Sends Fake Jockey to Belmont]

Listicle of the Day: 11 Reasons Your Horse Secretly Hates You