Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

EN reader Kris Ennis gets her mare Fergie in shape by trail riding near Cave Creek in Phoenix. Photo courtesy of Kris Ennis. EN reader Kris Ennis gets her mare Fergie in shape by trail riding near Cave Creek in Phoenix. Photo courtesy of Kris Ennis.

Between the ICP Symposium with Christopher Bartle and the U25 and 18 riders having their High Performance sessions with Leslie Law, Ocala was hopping the past couple of days. Hopefully all of the auditors and riders learned something, and came away from those sessions with some new ways to teach or ride.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Rocking Horse Winter I H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

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

Fresno County Horse Park C.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Playland Farm recently had a fire that destroyed their farm house. Everyone is fine, thank goodness. If you would like to help out, they are welcoming donations of gift cards to Wal-Mart, Target, and the like to help them rebuild the farm house. Please send any help you have to Playland Farm, 12924 Molasses Road, Union Bridge, MD 21791. [Sending Gratitude and Thanks]

Rebecca Barber is making the most of her Worth the Trust scholarship. Rebecca has been making her way through college at William and Mary while simultaneously bringing her OTTB up through the levels. Now faced with the prospect of competing in a Training Three-Day and moving up to Preliminary in the same year she graduates from college, Rebecca plans to use the funds to gain flexibility in her training plans. Lessons with Holly Payne and Lynn Symansky are in her sight, along with the possibility of clinics with other ICP instructors. [2015 Worth the Trust Young Adult Scholarship Winner]

Former Grand Prix horse Gracia finds a forever home at 26. When rider Schuyler Riley retired the mare from Grand Prix, she thought she had found the mare a forever home. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, ‘Gracie’ was passed along until she ended up Gabrielle Miller’s hands, purchased for a pittance from a Craigslist ad. Skinny and underfed, she is now back to full health, and Riley is contemplating opening a retirement farm to ensure this doesn’t happen again. [Gracia Found Her Way Home]

Horse & Hound has compiled a list of 44 horse-related things for your bucket list. While some of these are British oriented, I still think they are all perfectly grand ideas. I especially like gallop in the sea with your horse and ride out for a racehorse trainer. [44 Horsey Things to Do Before You Die]

Podcast from the USEA: This episode, John Marshall discusses the events he is running this year as the organizer for Fresno County Horse Park, formerly known as Ram Tap.  Katie Coleman talks getting rid of the Florida gunk using natural remedies.  [USEA Podcast]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: The New FEI Tests. Jacky green discusses the new FEI dressage tests with Jess. Scott Keach talks with Max Corcoran and Samantha about winter motivation, show jumping and grooms’ schools. [Eventing Radio Show]

SmartPak Product of the Day: For those of you starting the competition season, you may have realized you are missing a few studs from last fall. I know I tend to throw everything in my box at the last show and deal with it at a later date. Inevitably, lost studs get overlooked and I find myself short a few upon opening my stud box the following spring. [SmartPak]

After the excitement of the Seahawks-Packers game, I was bored silly during the Patriots-Colts. As a result, I glued my eyes to this vintage video from Badminton in 1993, won by Ginny Leng and Welton Houdini.