Wednesday News and Notes from SmartPak

Gabriella Booth and Prairie Delaney, winners of Training A at Larkin Hill. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

One of my favorite things this time of year is seeing photo after photo of people having a great time out at events every single weekend. Now that school is out, all those eventing students and teachers are free to spend their summers as they please, which means the number of riding photos crossing my feed increases exponentially. While I have no problem staying inside in the air conditioning during the worst heat, seeing those pricked ears and happy hearts gives me a daily boost.

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, ScheduleLive ScoresEN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Great Vista H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

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

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

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

Silverwood Farm Spring H.T. [Website]

Feather Creek Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

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

Your Wednesday News & Notes:

If you haven’t tried a Classic Series long format event, you’re missing out. The Heart of the Carolinas event makes the Classic Series the main focus of their May event, running a T3D, N3D, BN3D. This years winners traveled as far as Georgia and Virginia to compete at this growing event. [The USEA Classic Series is the Backbone]

The latest episode of the Eventing Podcast went live this morning reviewing an influential weekend at Bramham and previewing the next CCI4* of the season at Luhmühlen. There is a Horseware Rambo Fly Buster Vamoose Fly Sheet up for grabs for the listener who correctly predicts the winner! Follow the Eventing Podcast Facebook page for the contest announcement. [Bramham Review & Luhmühlen Preview Show]

I grew up absolutely idolizing Rachel Weisz after her role in The Mummy, and it turns out she can ride too. That doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have her own scary riding moments though, as a recent incident while filming My Cousin Rachel shows. The stallion she was riding had been trained how to ‘die’ after being on the set of Game of Thrones, and Rachel accidentally cued him to ‘die’ in mid-gallop, resulting in an unplanned controlled fall while riding sidesaddle. [The Horse I Rode was Trained to Die]

The Bromont streaking tradition is back. Five years ago, Jon started a tradition for the winners of the CCI3* at Bromont by streaking in front of the famous Bromont sign. Sadly, this tradition has not been strictly upheld…until now. Jordan Linstedt bravely picks up the torch for a new generation of Bromont winners. Warning: This video is not very mildly not safe for work. [You Only Live Once]

SmartPak Product of the Day: I talk a lot about flies and fly control, and it’s because I always seem to guess wrong on what I do to control them for my boys. I’ve finally resorted to just buying all the options under the sun and handing them barn, trusting them to do what’s best when it’s best. These fly boots will help keep the stomping to a minimum on days when the bugs are more unbearable than the heat. [SmartPak]