Yvonne Lucas hacks a pair out in Sky Meadows State Park in the final stages of summer. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Lucas.
Is it fall yet? Is it fall yet? I’m so sick and tired of heat and humidity, and I’ll be the first to admit I have become a bit of a wimp since I moved here from Texas. Scratch that, I was always a heat wimp, now I just complain about it being 90 instead of 100. Where’s my cool, crisp mornings? Where are my orange and yellows leaves? Most importantly, where is my Pumpkin Spice flavored everything?
U.S. Weekend Preview:
GMHA September H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
King Oak Farm Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Bucks County Horse Park Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Poplar Place Farm CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Dunnabeck H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Feather Creek Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Flying Cross Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Area IX Championships & CCC Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
The European Championships are on this weekend. Horse & Hound has compiled a list of 10 ways you can get into the spirit, even if you aren’t headed across the pond to watch. Included are a bunch of Twitter handles for various riders, a recipe for deep-frying Snickers bars, and a dog in a kilt. Also a link to buy said kilt so that you, too, can dress your own dog in a kilt. [10 Ways to Get Into the Spirit]
In case you missed it, the Queen will present the trophy at the European Championships. This is when it’s a bonus to have family connections. The Queen of England will be on hand to view show jumping and to present the trophy to the winner of the European Championships. With personal connections to the sport through her daughter, Princess Anne, and granddaughter Zara Phillips, it’s still a surprise and honor to have her present. [The Queen is Coming!]
This week in Horse & Hound’s Numbers: Forget Burghley, Lucinda Crawford and Vattrick scored a 10 in dressage in a BE100 section at Hutton in the Forrest. That’s not a 10 on a particular movement. That’s 10 overall. (For those who are number challenged, you can also equate that to a 90% in pure dressage or a 15.0 at an FEI event.) [Eventing in Numbers]
Equestrians form the majority of older sportsmen. The Telegraph has compiled a photo album of eight of the oldest sportsmen in the world. Included in the list are eventers Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson, dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu, jockey Neville Wilson, as well as a boxer, stock car driver, golfer…and a dart player. (Also, Mark Todd appears to be giving us his best ‘come hither’ look.) [The Oldest Sportsmen in the World]
Slots are still available in a Boyd Martin clinic. Boyd will be in Stony Brook Farm in Petersborough, NH this weekend and it’s your lucky day! A few spots are still available if you’re in the area. Boyd will be teaching flat and show jumping on the first day and cross country on the second. [Boyd Clinic in New Hampshire]
SmartPak Product of the Day: I’ll be the first to admit that I have a hard time bringing myself to spend more than $40 on a belt, but after looking high and low for years, I came to the realization that 2” wide belts don’t grow on trees. I prefer the thicker belts because of the wide waistband so popular these days, so I bit the bullet and purchased this Tailored Sportman belt. [SmartPak]
Do you think the Queen will make an entrance like this one? One can always hope…
https://youtu.be/1AS-dCdYZbo
