Christmas in Middleburg parade in 2012. Photo by Maggie Deatrick.
If you are anywhere within driving distance of Middleburg this weekend, you should absolutely check out the festivities for Christmas in Middleburg. Featuring a tree lighting, a parade with a full complement of foxhunters and hounds, and a pageant on Sunday, it’s an absolutely surreal experience. I was lucky enough to be part of the crowds in 2012 and 2013, and absolutely loved every minute of it.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Sporting Days Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Your Wednesday News & Notes:
Moving day is here! Hawley Bennett-Awad has had a banner year thanks to gaining the ride on the feisty mare Jollybo, and it looks like the exciting news keeps coming. Hawley has announced she will be relocating to the Copper Meadows facility, a fantastic facility that hosts horse trials up through CIC3* a few times a year. [HBE to Relocate]
Stable View is kicking off its 2017 season by offering competitors a 30% discount on entry fees for all divisions at the Aiken Opener Horse Trials on Jan. 14-15, 2017. The Aiken Opener will run over the new cross country course as a one-day for Beginner Novice through Preliminary levels. Entries opened yesterday. [Stable View Aiken Opener Horse Trials]
And now, for your daily dose of cute. If you like photos of adorable Shetland ponies, today is your lucky day. The book ‘Shetland Ponies’ will be debuting at Olympia, and features photos of the furriest Shetlands imaginable in a 400 page book, along with their complete 2000-year history. [Sheltand Pony Book]
Best of the Blogs: Advice to Present and Future Barn Kids. Now headed off to college, Meghan Holland has made the most of her time as a working student. She’s listed a few (twenty!) tips for future working students. Quite honestly, almost every single one of her tips is quality life advice, even if you don’t have plans to become a barn fixture in the near future. [Advice to Present and Future Barn Kids]
Tim Jones has spent his career making it work. As a hand therapist, Tim has found himself quite in demand throughout the years and eventually ended up in the eventing mecca near Frederick, MD. With the help of Sharon White and Tim Bourke, he recently competed at Intermediate for the first time with his horse Ironman, while also bringing his young horse Teflon up through the levels. All this while balancing a successful therapy practice and raising two kids with his wife. [Amateurs Like Us]
SmartPak Product of the Day: I’ve plugged these blankets before, and I’ll plug them again thanks to their amazing customer service. I bought my horse a medium SmartPak Ultimate turnout about six weeks ago. This weekend, it was absolutely destroyed. Thanks to the SmartPak 10 Year Guarantee on these blankets, they are replacing with a brand new blanket, absolutely free of charge. #worthit [SmartPak]
Wednesday Video: Why do top professionals choose footing from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces?
Good Footing – Attwood Equestrian Surfaces from Bold Horse Media on Vimeo.
