Wednesday News & Notes from SmartPak

Someone likes to eat on the road! Photo via Kate Samuels' FB page. Someone likes to eat on the road! Photo via Kate Samuels' FB page.

The days are long, the flies are buzzing, and I’ve officially already acquired at least three awkward tan lines. We somehow skipped from mid-spring weather to summer, and I’m mourning the loss of the beautiful seventy degree days where the sun shines just enough to warm you up. Don’t mind me while I sweat buckets over here, I promise it’s normal.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

GMHA June H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Waredaca H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Poplar Place Farm June H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Camelot Equestrian Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

IEA H.T. & N/T3D [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Colorado Horse Park CCI/CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Today is the final day to bid on a County saddle, generously donated by Ryan Wood and County Saddlery to raise money for Millie Humphreys’ college fund. We’re hosting an auction, running through today, of a County Solution Monoflap (or, a County saddle of the winner’s choosing), with the proceeds, including the retail value of the saddle, going to Millie’s fund. Please help support a worthy cause. [County Saddle Auction]

The Micklem bridle has been selected as part of the Global Irish Design Challenge Exhibition. The Global Irish Design Challenge showcases and celebrates the best of Irish design innovation and they’ve picked William Micklem’s innovative bridle as part of their showcase. The Micklem bridle was developed to be more comfortable and effective than traditional bridles and has caught fire with riders world-wide. [Accolades for Micklem Bridle]

Former eventer Claire Lomas has accomplished her goal of walking 10k in one day. Paralyzed from the chest down in 2007 from a fall during the corss-country portion of Osberton, Claire has walked many miles for charity in her robotic suit. Claire has made waves in the past for walking the route of the London marathon in her suit, and continues to raise funds for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. [Claire Lomas Completes 10k Challenge]

The Virginia Horse Trial’s Course Design Mentorship Program completed it’s first test run this past weekend. John Michael Durr was chosen by a group of panelists to be the first beneficiary of the Course Design Mentorship Program and designed the Beginner Novice through Preliminary levels at Virginia last weekend. John Michael will continue to work with John Nicholson, the FEI designer for VHT and also the course director for the FEI International Course Designers Seminar in Ireland, for the next two years under the program. [John Michael Durr Develops His Techniques]

SmartPak Product of the Day: My new horse has a massive overstep, and must wear bell boots 24/7. Of course, he also gets rubs from everything except a straight-forward pull-on rubber bell boot like this one. But of course he also tears one up about ten days on average. I should probably just buy stock in Centaur and SmartPak, to make up for having to keep a small mountain of these on hand. [SmartPak]

Santano won the Bramham CCI3* last weekend with Christopher Burton in the irons, and it was only his first attempt at the level. Check out his dressage test.