*Actual prize may differ*
Please join us in giving Mary-Hollis Baird a big EN welcome to the team! Mary-Hollis is no stranger around these parts — perhaps you remember her illuminating Twitter commentary from the 2016 Olympics, which we shared on EN’s live updates. Her food puns were particularly poignant:
The Germans certainly aren’t the wurst at dressage #TwoHearts #EquestrianEventing
— Mary Hollis Baird (@LittleBaird) August 7, 2016
The Italian riders are just looking for a pizza of the medals #TwoHearts #EquestrianEventing
— Mary Hollis Baird (@LittleBaird) August 7, 2016
Colleen Loach is really poutine on a lovely presentation for Canada #TwoHearts #EquestrianEventing
— Mary Hollis Baird (@LittleBaird) August 7, 2016
Italians always ride the best half-pastas #EquestrianEventing #TwoHearts #punsfordays
— Mary Hollis Baird (@LittleBaird) August 6, 2016
The French riders are so smooth Paula Deen want to overuse them in a recipe! #smoothasbutter #TwoHearts #EquestrianEventing
— Mary Hollis Baird (@LittleBaird) August 7, 2016
That’s the kind of stuff they can’t teach you in journalism school. Or, perhaps you remember Mary-Hollis from our 2017 “What Is the Story behind Chinch?” contest at the Kentucky Three-Day Event, for which she pitched the hypothesis: “Chinch is a Russian spy employed by Putin to infiltrate the eventing community.” Or, from her published work in UnTacked magazine, or as a volunteer at our annual Kentucky cross country tailgate, or just from seeing her around.
In addition to being a punny conspiracy theorist, Mary-Hollis knows her stuff. She’s a two-star eventer who represented Area III at NAYC in 2011 and has dabbled in dressage and exercise-riding Thoroughbreds on the track. She currently competes her OTTB, What You Will, at the Intermediate level. After doing the horse thing full-time for several years, she returned to school to finish her degree in Agriculture Communications and is now in the real adult job hunt, cleaning stalls and hustling at yearling sales to make ends meet, and we hope a little freelance income on the side will help support her board bills and craft beer habit.
Photo by Brant Gamma.
Thank you to all who submitted entries into EN’s 8th Annual Blogger Contest, and we look forward to a few of you joining us on Blogger’s Row. We have so enjoyed your enthusiasm, humor, passion and insight into this crazy sport that unites us.
Go Eventing.
