The final leg of the Baton of Hope tour took place in London last weekend and event riders were in the saddle showing their support.
Olympic gold medalist Oliver Townend, 5* rider and mental health advocate Mollie Summerland and Eventing Performance Manager Richard Waygood rode from Wellington Arch to Horse Guards Parade with The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment as they carried the baton towards its final destination of the Houses of Parliament.
Baton of Hope is intended to “encourage necessary, open conversations” about suicide awareness and prevention. Riders Minds, an online resource dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of equestrians, is a partner to the Baton of Hope, and played a major part in the ridden leg of the London route.
Mollie Summerland has shared her own stories of mental health via her social media channels; she told British Equestrian: “It’s really important that we’re here today, and to be able to talk about a topic that needs to be raised, have more awareness of and be spoken about more. To be able to ride through the streets of London and play a small part in helping suicide prevention – I hope it shows that even in the darkest times, there is hope and they are not alone.”
Find out more about Baton of Hope and Riders Minds, and read the full story here.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Larkin Hill H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Major International Events
Haras de Jardy (FEI Nations Cup) (France): [Website] [Timing & Scoring] [Schedule]
Wednesday News and Reading
For the first time in ten years (!!), Horses Inside Out is coming to the US. Using painted horses, the lecture-demo will teach you all about musculoskeletal anatomy, posture, and the effects of saddlery and riders on our horses. It’s perfect for equine pros and amateurs alike, and it starts today at Morven Park. [Don’t Miss Out]
Aiming for the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships? Then US Eventing wants your story! Between August 29th and September 3rd, Kentucky Horse Park will host divisions from Beginner Novice right through to Advanced, and US Eventing will be warming us up with stories of some of the competitors. Fancy being part of the action? Send your 800-1200 word stories to [email protected] before Friday July 21st. [In Your Own Words]
Science and stats meet eventing as proposals are put forward to increase safety in our high-risk sport. Research into cross country falls, fence and course design and overall risk factors has concluded in four evidence-based recommendations for how eventing can be made safer for both horses and riders. Covering qualification criteria, risk-profiling of horses and courses, and a disqualification limit on dressage scores, the proposals are said to be “actionable and achievable interventions” that will “improve welfare, whilst also helping to protect the social license to operate for the sport”. [Safety In Numbers]
They say ‘a change is as good as a rest’ (or ‘a spell’ if you’re Aussie, apparently) and it turns out this is true for horses too. We’ve all hit a plateau in our gym work (or perhaps have heard that that’s a thing if you’re not of the gym-going variety). Progress seems to stall, which is frustrating, and boredom lurks just around the corner. But did you know that a repetitive routine for horses can also lead to tiny injuries accumulating? Yes, repetition is important when we’re training horses, but too much of something – no matter how good it may be – is generally a bad thing (for sure this is true for tequila and chocolate cake). So, is the answer a rest day? Not necessarily. Here are some useful ideas for how to engage your horse in ‘active rest’ (think body builder taking a day off the weights to enjoy a little yoga, for example). [Changing Things Up]
Ah, Pony Club Camp – do I have some tales to tell..! My camp experiences happened in Kenya as part of the Nairobi Pony Club. They involve horses being spooked by waterbuck, galloping alongside zebra, and long-drop toilets you should definitely never look down. Horse and Hound have gathered together some of their best memories and want you to share yours too. [What Happens at Pony Camp…]
And finally, a farewell to the planet’s biggest rocking horse. The 5,500 pound giant has been tethered in Innisfil, Ontario since 2008, but the land it stands on is being used for road development and the enormous cost of moving the wooden equine means that its destined to be demolished. [Rock-a-Bye]
Sponsor Corner
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C, owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Debby Palmer, had a fantastic run at CHIO Aachen that helped Team USA secure a silver medal in the SAP Cup. Relive the moment with this video from Liz’s Instagram.
Video Break
Inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022, Lipizzaner horses date all the way back to 1580.
Lipica, in Slovenia, is the largest Lipizzaner stud in the world, and is home to more than 300 of these gorgeous white horses.
Fun fact: Lipizzaners are born dark and lose their color as they mature.
Learn more about these awesome horses, the people who care for them, and the riders who work with them on their impressive repertoire of skills in today’s video break, and read all about this historical stud here.
