Happy Hump Day Eventing Nation… wait, has anyone seen Coren lately?
Good morning Eventing Nation!
We’re halfway to Friday! The Monday blues are behind us, and we don’t have to work on Memorial Day Monday next week! Woohoo! Well, we here at EN do because John has no plans so clearly no one else does, and I’m sure most of us have horses to feed, but other than that, no real work. So, happy Hump Day.
Caitlin Henderson and Megan Wiseley’s weekend at Greater Dayton HT didn’t go quite as they had planned it. They rode their dressage tests and stadium rounds on Saturday and were excited for cross country the next day. They were staying on grounds in their living-quarters trailer. Unfortunately, the generator was too close to the trailer and the two got carbon monoxide poisoning. They spent Sunday morning in the hospital instead on riding cross country. Caitlin and our good friends at Cobblestone Farm (and everyone at EN too) want to make sure that as eventing season kicks off for the summer, that we are all safe. Make sure your generators are a safe distance from your trailers, you have adequate ventilation, and carbon monoxide detectors. We are so happy these gals are doing fine now, and they want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. Thank you to Caitlin for the tip, we’re sending batches of EN karma your way.
In some very good news from Peter Atkins from his Facebook Page:
“One of my students, Dr Bea Travis, organized for me to have a little surgery yesterday, they extracted bone marrow from my heel, spun the stem cells out and injected them into the area where the break is in my Fib. Dr Matt Parmenter from the Southern Indiana Surgery Center did the work and was very happy with the results, he said I should be good to go running and jumping (on Henny) well before L…uhmuhlen! I was also supplied with an Exogen bone healing system from smith&nephew.
If you are in Indiana and ever need a foot doctor Dr Matt is the man to go to. He was the first surgeon that actually believed me when I said I would be riding by the 1st of June and was willing to make a plan to help me in every possible way. Bea was my anesthesiologist, she owns Bea Hive Ranch www.thebeahive.com where I do some clinics, Bea, Dr Matt and the surgery center all donated their time and expenses which was really cool of them.I want to send a big thank you to everyone involved in helping me get back on so Henny can go running again.
Peter”
Thank you to Joan Mayfield for the tip.
It’s been raining in England. Don’t know if you’ve heard… In order to protect the royal hallowed ground of Greenwich Park, the organizing committee has built a platform covering a portion of the park that will hold spectators, arenas, and stabling. The rain has affected this construction and due to the sloppy ground, they are going to have to remove around six inches of soil and truck in gravel or use steel plates to stabilize the structure. Some of the cross country course will later be turned in to a playground area for children. [Discover Horses]
Let’s give it up for technology folks! Blenheim Horse Trials (September 6-9) is adding QR codes to their cross country fences in a virtual coursewalk. They look like this. Using your smart phone, you can scan the code and learn how the course designer and top riders would ride the fence. Super convenient especially if you can’t make the official course walk time of your favorite top rider. [Go Blenheim!]
Oliver Townend is realistic about his chances obtaining a coveted spot on Britain’s London squad. There’s WFP, Mary King, and Nicola Wilson. In an interview with The Independent, he talks about financial issues being a reason why he’s not guaranteed a spot: he’s had to sell the 10 nicest horses he’s ever sat on. The latter half of the article talks about money and making it in equestrian sports. The author, Tim Rich sums it up nicely, “Equestrianism likes those who inherit.” Although, this isn’t the rule, clearly Townend has made it from milkman’s son to #1 in the world. [The Independent]
Mark your calendars! Riders4Helmets’ International Helmet Awareness Day is in a few weeks. Riders4Helmets has teamed with retailers and helmet manufacturers to bring you a discount on Saturday, June 9. This isn’t just about saving a few bucks on a new helmet, it is also a chance to be educated on brain injuries, testing and manufacturing as well as replacement. [Horsetalk] [Riders4Helmets]
Lauren Sprieser, an upper level dressage rider, talks horse syndication and owning vs. ownership in her latest blog. For most professionals, this is a daily dilemma. If you own, you cannot lose the ride, but there’s lots of risk financially as well as performance. Can the horse go all the way? If you ride for an owner, you may lose the ride, but the financial burden is less, and so is the risk if the horse isn’t a top contender. She mentions eventing syndication as a possible alternative for the dressage world. She sums it up best, “Mostly, we work hard. We keep our heads down, ride everything that comes our way, do right by our people and our animals, and make our own luck.” [COTH]
BEST OF THE BLOGS:
Honorable Mentions:
PS There’s an Andrea Leatherman clinic in June in New York.
Well, Eventing Nation, that’s all for now. I’ll catch you on the flip side. Go eventing.
From Horse Quencher: Human athletes experience an average 2% performance loss per 1% loss in water weight, which is likely similar in horses. But unlike people, horses lose salt evenly with water as they sweat, so their thirst reflex isn’t triggered. Until you add Horse Quencher to the bucket. Proper hydration = maximum performance.
