"The calm before the storm" (photo by The Horse Pesterer, who is on site at Plantation already!)
Good morning Eventing Nation! As I’m sure you’ve figured out already, today marks the official start of the Plantation Field Horse Trials 2013. It is being hailed as the “Best. Event. Ever” and while the weekend will tell the truth, it certainly seems to be shaping up to be phenomenal. If you missed my Plantation Preview, including an in depth look at all the horses and riders in the CIC3*, be sure to have a read through before Friday. Today, the CIC2* and the Advanced begin their dressage tests at 2:00 pm and all the other divisions are held on Friday. Jenni will be there stalking keeping track of everybody, and I’ll be competing while also planning my outfit for the Downton Abbey themed competitor’s party (hint: I’ll be wearing lots of tweed).
Plantation Links:
[Website] [Entry Status] [2013 Schedule]
[Ride Times] [Live Scores] [CIC3* Preview]
Events This Weekend:
Twin Rivers Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]
Northwest Equestrian Fall Gala H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]
Otter Creek Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Marlborough H.T [Website] [Entry Status]
Stone Gate Farm H.T. [Website]
Stoneleigh-Burnham School Fall H.T. [Website]
Tryon Riding & Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Coconino H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]
News from Around the Globe:
Rio 2016 is already taking shape, especially for the equestrian sports. Thanks to the 2007 Pan American Games, much of the facilities used for the equestrian portion of the Olympics has already been built and tested. Brazil’s National Equestrian Center will be refurbished and expanded for the Games, but it already seats 20,000 people in the main arena. Possible cross country course designers are being debated, but the short list is: Derek Di Grazia, Mark Phillips, Pierre Michelet and Rűdiger Schwartz. [Rio 2016 Underway]
Are you going to Morven Park HT this fall? Get your tickets for the Thoroughbred Makeover Party on the EN PARTY BUS!! I’ll be there handing out swag with cool EN designs, and not only that but you’ll get to go to a dinner party with music, food, booze, and stories on fabulous thoroughbreds in sport. Thoroughbred lovers from across America will gather at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland on Oct. 5 and 6 for two full days of educational seminars, meetings, demonstrations and the culmination of the Thoroughbred Makeover. Twenty-six trainers from 15 states in 10 equestrian disciplines will demonstrate what their off-track Thoroughbreds have learned in just three months of second career training. [How To Get Your Tickets]
The next time you lament about the rising prices of good event horses, keep this story in mind. Hansueli Sprunger just sold his chestnut Show Jumper, Palloubet d’Halong, to Jan Tops for a record 11,000,000 euros ($15,000,000). With his daughter Janika Sprunger, the gelding was the best horse in the Furusiyya Nations Cups this year. He always jumped double clear. In Aachen he was second in the Grand Prix and at the European Championships in Herning the pair was seventh. [Did I Mention It’s A Gelding??]
Not only is Kaitlin Spurlock a groom extraodinaire (as demonstrated at Blenheim recently) but she is literally one of the nicest girls around and she can darn well ride. Her story with her chestnut Thoroughbred mare Expedience, or “Spedy”, is one of the most heart warming you could possibly read. Check out her blog about Spedy bringing back her joy for the sport and tell me that it doesn’t make you feel like a warm hug and hot chocolate combined. [Expedience is Spurlock’s Saving Grace]
The International Equestrian Federation’s World Cup Finals in show jumping and dressage will return to Las Vegas in 2015. The city hosted the jumping finals of the FEI World Cup in 2000 and 2003 and jumping and dressage in 2005, 2007 and 2009. The event will be sponsored by Longines and Reem Acra, which guarantees worldwide exposure. [Horses in Vegas?]
An Eagle Helmet Cam, you say???
