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Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Anneli Drummond-Hay and Merely a Monarch, 1961

It’s officially Burghley Fever season, and horse people aren’t the only ones with the bug. Over the weekend the Telegraph published an article written by Anneli Drummond-Hay, who won Burghley way back in 1961 when the prize money amounted to £100. She originally entered her six-year-old mount Merely a Monarch without any intention of actually running him around the track, but when her more experienced mount “fell by the wayside” she went ahead and rode him. She goes on to describe how Burghley cross country was the first time she had ever jumped the horse into water (!!!) but she still managed to finish clear and in first place. Click to read her full diary, and stay tuned to EN for much more Burghley coverage in the coming days. [The Telegraph]

Burghley Links: [Ways and Means to Stay Connected to Coverage] [Top 10 Reasons to be Excited for Burghley]

Weekend Preview:

Copper Meadows H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Aspen Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm [Website] [Entry Status]

King Oak Farm Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Five Points H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Bucks County Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Defending Burghley Champion Andrew Nicholson is heading the Kiwi assault this weekend. He will field three horses: Nereo, Calico Joe, and last year’s Burghley winner Avebury. If he wins this year, it will be his fourth Burghley title and the honor of being the only Kiwi rider to win back-to-back titles since Sir Mark Todd did so in ’90 and ’91. [Yahoo Sport New Zealand]

Over 150,000 visitors are expected to flock to the Burghley show grounds this weekend.  The event regularly attracts large crowds, which will come this year to watch 86 combinations from 11 different nations contest the famous track. [Bourne Local]

Thanks to H.E. “Tex” Sutton Forwarding Company, there is a new travel grant available to riders who wish to compete in one of the four CCI3* competitions that are on the PRO Tour Series calendar. Tex Sutton is the famed air transport company that flies horses domestically (and performed the much-covered flights to Rebecca Farm from the East Coast in past years). The four CCIs that are part of the tour are Jersey Fresh and Bromont in the spring, and Fair Hill International and Galway Downs in the fall. PRO riders will be able to apply for the grant, as well as a discounted equine airfare that is available to all PRO riders from Tex Sutton. [PRO]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: The Burghley Preview and Will Faudree’s Tip. Alice Fox-Pitt joins Jess and Samantha to preview Burghley and give an update about Fox-Pitt Eventing. Afterwards, Will Faudree gives his tips for making time on cross country. [Eventing Radio Show]

The 2020 Olympic host city will be decided this week as the IOC convenes for its annual general meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The three finalists are Istanbul, Tokyo, and Madrid. The IOC also visited the Rio venues last week, and announced that there has been definite progress since its last checkup. Even so, a large amount of work remains to be done and timelines remain tight. [Horsetalk]

Want to win a Deluxe Cross Country No-Slip Saddle Pad from Success Equestrian? Enter the “How Do You Spell Success?” Contest! Click here to view last year’s entries for a little inspiration, and click here to view all the contest entry details. Entries are due TODAY at midnight EST! [Success Equestrian]

Today’s video, filmed by VideosByPatrick, features Erin Sylvester and one of her young horses, Paddy the Caddy, tackling the Prelim course at Loudoun Park PC HT last weekend.

 

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Can you believe that the AECs are less than 30 days away?! I don’t know about you but to me it feels like 2013 has flown by abnormally quickly. According to the US Eventing website, the USEA is finalizing preparations for the big event which will be hosted at the Texas Rose Horse Park for the first time. This year $90,000 in prize money will be distributed among winners at all levels, along with the hundreds of prizes that have been collected from event sponsors. In addition to the competition there are a lot of non-riding activities planned, including the big Saturday night competitors’ party (two words: beer truck). Over the last year Texas Rose has added 48 new cross country fences (that total includes a newly constructed Advanced course) and they are prepared a large turnout. Already 350 entries have been submitted from riders coming all the way from states like Maine and Washington. Typing all this makes me depressed that I can’t go. Click for more info, and remember to get your entries in ASAP. Go (championship) Eventing. [US Eventing]

Weekend Preview:

KY Classique H.T. [Ride Times] [Website]

Town Hill Farm Horse Trials [Website]

Steepleview Labor Day Horse Trials [Website]

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Fall H.T.  [Entry Status/Times] [Website]

Corona Del Sol H.T. [Entry Status/Times]

Northern Colorado H.T. [Website]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Entry Status] [Website]

Stanton Farms H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Website]

Silverwood Farm Fall H.T. [Entry Status] [Website]

Last weekend Lucinda Fredericks won the CIC3* at Blair International Horse Trials in Scotland. She rode her Olympic partner Flying Finish and lead the division start to finish, as they were the only pair to earn a dressage score in the thirties (38.6, to be exact). They added only 5.2 time faults to secure the win over Lucy Wiegersma and Mr Chunky.  Nicola Wilson was third aboard Opposition Buzz, and William Fox-Pitt finished fourth on his newish mount (and Doug Payne’s former 4* partner) Running Order. [Horse and Country]

Blenheim is shaping up to be quite a competition this year. The Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials will run from September 12 to 15, and so far there are more than 150 top riders representing 16 nations entered between the two main events. These are the feature Blenheim CCI3* event and the increasingly competitive Blenheim 8/9 year old horse championship, a CIC3*. Pippa Funnell is vying for her fifth Blenheim win, and William Fox-Pitt will ride either Running Order (who finished 4th in the CIC3* at Blair last weekend, as mentioned above) or Before Time. [Horsetalk]

This week on Ask the Vet: understanding the importance of carb consistency. Dr. Lydia Gray explains why controlling the sugars and starches in your horse’s diet is important, particularly for horses with certain medical conditions like gastric ulcers and equine metabolic syndrome. Click to read her full answer. [SmartPak Blog]

A new study undertaken by University of Guelph researchers finds that equine ear position while jumping may be an indicator of the jump’s outcome. The study found that horses that kept their ears forward while in the air cleared the obstacle cleanly more often than those who had their ears pointed backwards or turned towards the rider. Ear position on approach to the jump did not appear to indicate any clear pattern. [Horsetalk]

While Miley Cyrus has devoted herself to somewhat scandalous extracurriculars, her sisters have picked something a little closer to all of our hearts: riding. Wylie got the scoop from a Teen Vogue interview with thirteen-year-old Noah Cyrus, who dreams of riding in the Olympics one day. She credits her love of horses to her older sister, Brandi, who competes in hunter jumpers as an adult amateur. [Horse Nation]

Save the date: the 2014 International Eventing Forum will take place at Hartpury on February 3. This year the forum will join forces with British Eventing in order to create “an even deeper learning experience.” The IEF’s demonstrations will be combined with a selection of coaching seminars, under the banner “Raise the Game.” [British Eventing]

Best of Blogs: Tamra Smith discusses eventing in the Northwest.

Check out video highlights from Richland Park, courtesy of the USEA.

 

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Tom Gadsby, center. Photo via Uptown Eventing.

In the wake of Tom Gadsby’s tragic death last weekend at Somerford Park, the Waikato Times in New Zealand wrote a very nice piece about his life and riding career after interviewing his family and the chief executive of Equestrian Sports NZ. His mother Louise was en route home to New Zealand at the time of his death after spending two weeks traveling with him to London and Paris. She told the paper that riding had always been Tom’s calling. “It’s been his passion since he was a very little boy. He’d be 5 years old, out in the dark, brushing and plaiting, and packing up all the gear,” she said. According to the interview, days earlier she had been able to watch him compete and she told the reporter how proud she was of his riding accomplishments. Our hearts continue to go out to all those who knew and loved Tom. Click to read more about his life and riding career. [Waikato Times]

Weekend Preview:

Richland Park H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Caber Farm H.T.[Website] [Entry Status]

Valinor Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Difficult Run Fall H.T. [Website]

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

Patrick Wall, Chairman of Horse Sport Ireland, has called for “a fundamental rethink on course design” taking the danger of rotational falls into more seriously consideration.  His remarks comes days after Tom Gadsby was killed after suffering a rotational fall in a CIC1*. While Wall acknowledges that new technologies like frangible pins have helped make eventing safer, he argues that it is not enough. ““Simply arguing that it is a high risk sport is wrong and all preventative initiatives need to be exhausted before we reach the acceptable level of risk,” he said in a Horse Sport Ireland press release.

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Mark Todd, Gill Watson, and Tami Smith. The legendary Mark Todd joins Samantha and Jess along with Gill Watson to discuss a successful training program in Britain called “Bridging the Gap,” a series of training days for riders who are at two and three star level. Tami Smith also comes on to discuss how to assess a horse. [Eventing Radio Show]

It’s summer, which also means it’s electrolyte season. With all the different electrolytes available today, it can be hard to choose the right one for your horse. This week on the SmartPak’s “Ask the Vet” blog, Dr. Lydia Gray walks readers through what they should look for in a good electrolyte supplement- including what vitamins and minerals are most beneficial. [SmartPak Blog]

The team championship Grand Prix competition begins today at the 2013 European Dressage Championships in Herning, Denmark. Yesterday riders had a final opportunity to school their mounts in the main stadium, which is a soccer field that has been converted for the championships. Olympic gold winners Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro are in attendance, along with 2013 World Cup Dressage Final winner Helen Langehanenberg and last year’s European Dressage Champion Adelinde Cornelissen. [EuroDressage]

Best of Blogs: Meika Decher of Pole Start Farm embarked on a 100-day OTTB Challenge sponsored by a local racetrack at the beginning of July. The challenge is currently in its eighth week (so about halfway over) and Meika has been tracking her OTTB’s progress through weekly blog posts and videos. Click to check out her mare, “Ellie,” and watch her progress. Good luck to both! [Pole Start Farm]

 

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Photo from HN, via Spruce Meadows Media

So it’s no secret we all pretty much dream of waking up as Reed Kessler one morning, complete with a barn full of top horses and an Olympic debut under our belts before turning 20, but unfortunately we do not live in a world where this is possible. Luckily for all of us, over on Horse Nation Wylie is making sure we have enough Reed materials to aid the daydreaming. The above photo was taken at Spruce Meadows, where Reed won the $50,000 Lafarge Cup 1.50m aboard Wolf S earlier this summer. Want to see more photos of Reed winning things with style? HN has you covered.

Weekend Preview:

Colorado Horse Park One Day HT [Website] [Entry Status] [Times]

The Event at Santa Fe [Website] [Entry Status]

Waredaca Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Great Vista H.T. [Website]

Erie Hunt and Saddle Club H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status]

Huntington Farm H.T.  [Website]

Located in VA and interested in riding with Phillip Dutton?  Hunt Club Farms in Berryville, VA will be hosting a Phillip clinic from August 31-Sept. 1. Hunt Club Farms has recently installed cross country jumps with the help of Tremain Cooper, and the clinic fees include a copy of Phillip’s new book, Modern Eventing with Phillip Dutton. [Hunt Club Farms]

Zoe Adams won this year’s Amlin Plus Eventing Grand Prix at Hickstead. The Eventing Grand Prix is a special event held yearly at Hickstead that is similar to Indoor Eventing competitions- except in this class eventers ride against show jumpers around a course of show jumps that then opens up to the cross country jumps on the Hickstead property. Zoe rode Satonamillion and added only 5 time penalties to their fast time of 185.66 seconds for the win. The third time was apparently the charm, as Zoe finished seventh in the class in 2011 and fifth in 2012. [Essex County Standard]

Top British rider Laura Collett is  jumping again after suffering a serious injuries in a rotational fall on July 8. Accompanying the Horsetalk article is a photo of the helmet she was wearing at the time of the accident, and it’s clear it saved her from a serious head injury. According to the article, after jumping the horses Laura said “Can’t actually explain how good it is to feel normal again.” [Horsetalk]

Our hearts go out to the family of 16-year-old British eventer Lucinda Woolley, who died after falling from her mount while on a hack at home. According to Lucinda’s mother, the horse was spooked by a tractor and threw Lucinda off. She was airlifted to a hospital and underwent immediate surgery, but died the following day due to serious head injuries. [Express]

Canter Mid-Atlantic is hosting another online auction fundraiser and it begins today! Bid on a variety of great entries, including lessons with US event riders and famed dressage trainer Linda Zang. The auction will run for a week until August 21 and all proceeds will directly benefit the care and training of ex-racehorses donated to Canter Mid-Atlantic. [COTH] [Canter Mid-Atlantic]

 

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

One year and roughly one week ago, our US team riders were taking on the cross country course in Greenwich Park. And roughly three years from now (or 1093 days, 20 hours at the time of this posting) another team will be in Rio awaiting their chance at competing in the Olympics- or at least that’s the plan. It’s no secret that Brazil is struggling to get itself together ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Games, but it’s looking like there will need to be some Herculean efforts to make things happen in the coming months in order to prepare properly for both events. Last week an equestrian test event intended to be hosted at the Olympic venue in October was canceled due to worries that crucial infrastructure at the site would not be ready in time.  According to the AP, had the event been held it would have had nearly 100 participants and would have been broadcast live to more than 80 countries. Fingers crossed that preparations have hit only a momentary snag rather than a roadblock, and in the mean time you can check out the Rio Equestrian website, which is up and running. [Rio Equestrian]

Weekend Preview:

Hunters Run H.T. [Website]

The Summer Event at Woodside [Website] [Times]

Otter Creek Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

GMHA Festival of Eventing August Horse Trials [Website] [Times]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. [Website] [Times]

Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Colorado Horse Park One Day H.T [Website] [Entry Status]

Badminton winner Jock Paget continued his run of success at Gatcombe last weekend, where he won the British Eventing Open Championships aboard Clifton Lush. Oliver Towend and Armada finished on their dressage score of 43.1 to place second, and Australian Sam Griffiths was third on his Olympic horse, Happy Times. [Horse and Country]

Roebke’s Run Horse Trials will add a CIC2* to its competition schedule in 2014. The two star will be added on following this year’s one star, which will be held in October. Roebke’s Run is in Area IV, eight miles south of Hector, MN. [Roebke’s Run Website]

A new article points out the sport horse industry is quickly growing in Kentucky and beginning to boost the state’s economy. While racing and thoroughbred breeding has long been the focus of many who call Lexington the “Horse Capital of the World,” Frank Goad argues that sport horses are bringing more and more visitors, revenue, and attention. An economic impact study undertaken by the state of KY after the 2010 WEG supports his argument- it  estimated a $201.5 million impact on the local economy from the games. [The Lane Report]

British tabloids won’t leave Zara alone. This time it’s the Daily Mail, which seems to believe that setting warm-up fences is too difficult for an apparently dainty pregnant equestrian. [Daily Mail]

Good news from Adequan manufacturer: Adequan products will return to the shelves in late August.  Originally the company, Luitpold Animal Health, estimated that Adequan products would be unavailable until early 2014, but it has continued to work with the FDA with the hope that the products could be returned to market sooner due to shortages.  Due to these efforts, the release date has been moved up. [COTH]

Best of Blogs: Ever wonder if there have been scientific studies on the efficacy of joint supplements? SmartPak has you covered with both links and summaries of key findings. [SmartPak Blog]

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Fox and hound jumps that were used in the water complex last year. Photo via the Millbrook Facebook page.

Tomorrow the festivities begin at Millbrook Horse Trials in Millbrook, NY, where WEG hopefuls will be competing along with over 500 other horses in every level recognized by the USEA. It is also one of the special FEI Targeted CN events, which means that completing the Advanced, Intermediate or Prelim with qualifying results will be the equivalent of completing a CIC. AND the event is part of the NY Second Career Circuit, so if you are competing make sure your register your TB for a chance to win prizes! There are a lot of big names competing this weekend in both the Intermediate and Advanced- several Rolex horses are making their competition debut after a long vacation in preparation for the fall season. Dressage begins tomorrow. Keep checking back for more updates and coverage! [Millbrook Website] [Ride Times] [Millbrook Facebook]

Weekend Preview:

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Snowfields H.T [Website]

River Glen Summer H.T. [Website] [Times]

Catalpa Corner Charity HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Rocky Mountain HT [Website]

Kristi Nunnink had a fabulous weekend on her mare R-Star at Rebecca Farm. The pair jumped double clear in the CIC3* show jumping to move up from fifth to first and take home top honors. Second-placed Katie Ruppel and Houdini took down only one rail to move from fourth to second. [COTH]

Zara Phillips is making sure the world knows she is not retiring from upper level competition. While she is taking a break during pregnancy, she told BBC that she is aiming for the 2016 Olympics and hopes to have a few more good years left as a top event rider. Though she is not currently competing, she is still riding and will take part in a dressage exhibition this weekend at the Festival of British Eventing. [BBC Sport]

British equestrians have continued to build on the momentum they gained from last year’s Olympics. British riders are making their presence known at competitions all across Europe and there have been record entry numbers at shows in country. And it looks like success is here to stay: Britain’s next generation of top eventers just won double gold at the 2013 FEI Pony European Championships last week. [British Eventing]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: the Rebecca wrap-up and an interview with Dan Jocelyn about fitness in lower level horses. Hosted by PRO riders Joe Meyer and Nate Chambers this week,  guests include Sarah Broussard and Katie Ruppel. Katie finished second in the CIC3* at Rebecca with Houdini. [Eventing Radio Show]

Need help shortening your horse’s thin mane? Emma Ford can help you out. Emma, who was previously the head Phillip Dutton’s barn operation, wrote a blog for SmartPak about how to shorten a mane that is already very thin without taking out too many precious hairs. Click to check it out. [SmartPak Blog]

A blogger for The Horse breaks down the interesting results of a study that evaluated the psychology of riders in competition. Notable conclusions were that female riders were typically more negative in their thinking than male riders, and there was a marked difference between amateurs and pros when it came to the concept of automaticity. The study was undertaken by Dutch researcher Inga Wolframm, PhD, MSc, of Wageningen University and Research Centre, who became interested in the subject after watching Michael Jung keep his cool during the Olympics. [The Horse]

Best of Blogs:

Team FLAIR rider Alexa Ehlers wrote a post about her experience competing at Young Riders and her preparations to take part in the USPC Inter-Pacific Exchange. [Alexa Ehlers for FLAIR]

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Rebecca Farm organizers prepare for 600 competitors to arrive. Photo via the Rebecca Farm Facebook page.

Today festivities will begin in Montana as the The Event at Rebecca Farm kicks off with the YEH and FEH competitions. As the photo above demonstrates, the Rebecca Farm staff and volunteers have been busily preparing for 600 competitors to arrive on grounds. In addition to today’s YEH and FEH divisions, the event will run a CCI*/**, a CIC***, novice and training three days, and every recognized horse trials level from novice up. It’s beyond impressive what the Rebecca staff has organized in terms of logistics in order to accommodate such a large number of competitors at so many levels! Keep checking back for updates as the week progresses.  [Rebecca Farm Website] [Facebook] [Entry Status/Times]

Weekend Preview:

Horse Park of NJ [Website] [Entry Status]

USPC National Championships [Website] [Eventing Program]

Stoneleigh-Burnham School [Website]

Three generations of one family will compete on a team together this weekend at Rebecca Farm. 14-year old Brennan Kappes will join his father, John, and grandfather, Randy, to make up a novice team aptly named “XYBoom.” Brennan’s mother and John’s wife Stephanie will also compete in the training division. According to Sarah Broussard, the Kappes are the first three-generation team to compete at Rebecca Farm, which isn’t exactly a surprise. EN wishes the best of luck to the Kappes family and all other competitors saddling up this weekend. [Ravalli Republic]

At the USEF Mid-Year Meeting, board members voted to drastically restructure the organization’s management. The Board of Directors will be reduced to 20 members from the current 54, and the current four working groups will become three councils. The changes will go into effect on January 9, 2014. Thirty-three board members voted in favor of the changes, two against, and several abstained. Several other rule changes were debated and approved, including new rules related to drugs. [COTH]

Know someone competing at the AECs? You can show your support by purchasing ad space in the 2013 program! The program will be given to all competitors as is a great souvenir. Click to find out more about prices and ordering information. [US Eventing]

Remember Talia Czapski? We posted about a fundraiser which was launched to help with her barn expenses after she was injured in a car crash and broke both her femurs, a foot, and a hand. The fundraiser ended up raising $10,000 and will completely cover the expenses of Talia’s mare, Aria, while Talia recovers. The Chronicle’s Haley Burton followed up on the story and talked with Talia about her recovery process, which is still ongoing. [COTH]

British Young Rider Yasmin Ingham has been selected to the British Pony Eventing team for the second year running. Yasmin will travel to Arezzo, Italy next week with six other British riders ranging in age from 12-16 to compete in the FEI Pony European Championships. The 16-year old recently won the final selection trial aboard Craig Mor Tom to secure their place in the team. [IOM Today]

Best of Blogs:

SmartPak’s tips on long distance shipping

Head over to Windurra this afternoon for another stadium schooling day

Today’s video was featured on yesterday’s Horse Nation “Oh Crap” Moment of the Day. It shows Robert Meyerhoff and Smooth Rider at the 2008 Middleburg Horse Trials, where Smooth Rider certainly lived up to his name. The great Buzzterbrown is behind the camera.

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Jamie and Nicole at NAJYRC in 2012. Thanks to Sheryl Kursar for the photo.

It’s every equestrian teenager’s favorite season: NAJYRC has officially kicked off in Lexington at the Kentucky Horse Park. Pictured above are Jamie and Nicole Doolittle, two sisters who are competing in dressage and eventing, respectively. Nicole rides for Area III and will be competing in the CCI1* aboard Tops. Jamie is an eventer as well (and was recently named to the Eventing 18/Advancing Athletes list), but will be riding Wild Tiger in the dressage competition. Good luck to the Doolittle sisters and all other competitors!

Weekend Preview:

Coconino Classic 3-Day Event & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Fitch’s Corner [Website] [Entry Status]

Olney Farm [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Aspen Ridge [Ride Times]

Good news from Britain: Laura Collett walked down the hall of the hospital she is recovering in on Monday.  Laura suffered serious lung injuries after her mount Tis A Beauty had a rotational fall at Tweseldown a week ago. She was kept under sedation for much of the week to help her lungs heal, but from the sound of things she is on track to getting back to normal. [Yahoo Sport]

Moves are being made to allow Princess Haya a third term as FEI President. Under current FEI rules, presidents must step down after serving two four-year terms, but Horsetalk reports that regional group chairs had submitted “a formal unanimous request that the FEI statutes be modified so that the term of the president may include one additional four-year term.” Under current rules, Princess Haya would have to step down in 2014. [Horsetalk]

Kentucky Performance Products is hosting a “Trail Riding Rocks Contest” and lucky winners will receive KPP products. All you have to do is submit a photo of you and your horse hitting the trails and tell KPP why your horse is a great trail buddy. Be sure to have your friends vote on your entry because the top 10 highest vote-getters will move into the finals, from which the KPP judges will pick the winners. The deadline for entry is July 31. [KPP Trail Riding Rocks Contest]

There was a royal presence at Brightling Park in Suffolk, England, last weekend. Zara Phillips competed in the CIC2* days after announcing her pregnancy, placing 29th and 35th on Mr Murt and CG Master Lu. Her husband Mike Tindal was in attendance and told reporters Zara is working with her doctors and will keep riding as long as possible. In addition, Sir Mark Todd also competed. [Weekly Times]

Australian equestrians are gearing up for Normandy. The 7th annual WEGs are roughly 13 months away and riders are anxiously awaiting the announcement of elite training lists to know who is in the running. Eventers were told that the Normandy Elite List would be announced after the Sydney CDI held in May, but as of yet no announcement has been made. Currently there are five horses on the preliminary Normandy list. [Weekly Times]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Samantha and Jess preview Rebecca Farm. Ian Stark, upcoming young competitor Zach Brandt and organizer Sarah Broussard Kelly join them as guests. [Eventing Radio Show]

As you may have read, The Chronicle has been purchased by Mark Bellissimo and his family. Kat Netzler writes about her own reflections on the sale, backlash from readers, and the future direction of COTH. [The Chronicle]

Today’s video: check out footage from the inaugural Kilguilkey House International Horse Trials, which took place from July 6-7 in Ireland.

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Tik making sure Sinead doesn't get too sick of hospital food, photo via Sinead's Twitter

As we reported on Sunday, Sinead Halpin suffered a fall this weekend at Chattahoochee Hills, breaking several ribs and her shoulder blade. Yesterday she reported on Twitter that she is still in the ICU but is hoping to be moved to a normal room soon. Everyone at EN is sending healing thoughts her way for a speedy recovery! [Sinead’s Twitter]

Weekend preview:

The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm II [Website] [Entry Status]

Champagne Run at the Park [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Coconino Summer I [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Roebke’s Run H.T [Website] [Times]

University of New Hampshire HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Riga Meadow H.T. [Website]

Any Florida riders looking to do a hunter/jumper show this weekend? Ocala Horse Properties is sponsoring Horse Shows Under The Oaks At Longwood Farm in Ocala. [Entries] [Longwood Equestrian Games]

British superstar Laura Collett remains in a medically-induced coma following a rotational fall that occurred on cross country at Tweseldown. According to her website, she woke up briefly yesterday and responded well, but was put back under anesthesia to allow damage to her lungs to heal for another 24 hours. [Collett Eventing]

Big congrats to the young riders selected for the 2013 Eventing 18/ Advancing Athletes training list. 10 riders from around the country have been chosen to participate in this new initiative that aims to build a foundation for future success of high performance riders. The riders were selected by their “talent, competitiveness, commitment, potential, willingness to learn, quality of application and recommendation.” [USEA]

The Australian contingent put down a great performance at Barbury last weekend. Lucinda Fredericks took second place in one of the CIC2* divisions aboard The Navigator, and Chris Burton and Graf Liberty finished in fifth in the same class. In another CIC2* division, Burton finished fourth with Tempranillo, directly followed by fifth-placed Paul Tapner and Yogi Bear. [Weekly Times Now]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Catching up with Brits abroad.  Jess and Samantha catch up with Tiana Coudray. [Eventing Radio Show]

Zara Phillips plans to keep riding and competing while pregnant.According to UPI.com, Zara is planning to compete next month at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park and has three events planned for July. [UPI.com]

Best of (HN) Blogs: Check out Amelia Bayer’s new series for HN about her life as a working student for Sinead Halpin Eventing.

Mandiba was back in action last weekend at the Maryland HT at Loch Moy Farm with Alexa Perkiel, who is getting ready to represent the US at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel. Check out the video of their XC round, courtesy of Video By Patrick.

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Clark and Loughan Glen at Barbury in 2012

This weekend while Americans are celebrating Independence Day, riders from across Europe will be heading to Barbury International. It is shaping up to be quite a huge event with two packed CIC3* divisions and three CIC2* divisions. The three-star dressage begins on Thursday and judging from the entry list competition will be tough. The three-star fields includes Andrew Nicholson, Lucinda Fredericks, Pippa Funnell, Karin Donckers, Bettina Hoy, Mark Todd, Lucinda Green, and many more. Three American pairs are competing in the three-star: Clark Montgomery on Loughan Glen, Jules Stiller on Pandora Z, and Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp on Red Letter Day II. [Barbury Website] [Entries] [Schedule]

Weekend Preview:

The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm I [Website] [Entry Status]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Powder Basin H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

South Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

ENYDCTA/Old Chatham H.T. [Website]

Huntington Farm H.T. [Website]

Due to the massive amount of rain the East Coast has gotten during the past week and a half, the 59th annual Genesee Valley Hunt Horse Trials set to run this weekend has been canceled. At this time there is no rescheduled date. The organizers will refund USEA and USEF fees and schedule a free schooling day for entered competitors as soon as the ground dries out. [Genesee Valley Hunt]

Now that the FEI has re-opened the bidding process for hosting the 2018 WEGs, interested cities have until September 30 to register their candidacy. After that, they have until March to complete a Host Agreement, and the final announcement of the host city will be made at the FEI Bureau’s spring meeting in 2014. As previously reported, Bromont will still be a candidate. [Horsetalk]

With only two months left until the event kicks off, Burghley organizers have launched new “All Roads Lead to Burghley” rider blogs on the Burghley website. The blogs will follow New Zealand rider and 2013 Badminton winner Jock Paget, Australian Olympic rider Sam Griffiths, and highest placed first timer at Land Rover Burghley in 2012 Isabelle Taylor. [All Roads Lead to Burghley]

Check out cross country action photos from Aachen, courtesy of Paul Richards/Lewis Harding Images. [Horsetalk]

Former Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School Karl Mikolka has launched a new website aimed at educating riders about classical dressage training. According to the homepage, the site “is dedicated to a new generation of riders wishing to becoming better, more educated horse persons who place the well being of their partner, The Horse, as the highest priority.” So far over 60 articles and training exercising are available for purchase and download. [COTH] [Mikolka Dressage]

Best of Blogs: Plantation Field is hosting a schooling jumper day on Wednesday, July 10.

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Yesterday the IOC 2020 Evaluation Commission released a report after visiting the three potential host cities: Madrid, Tokyo, and Istanbul. Horsetalk reports that the equestrian competition areas for each city have been mapped out. In Istanbul, the equestrian events would occur in the Esenier area, where basketball and golf would also take place. In Tokyo, they would be held in the Tokyo bay area, and in Madrid they would be northwest of the city about 15km from the main arena. The Candidate Cities will have an opportunity to present reports supporting their bids to the IOC in Lausanne early next month, and the final election to choose the location will occur on September 7 in Buenos Aries. [Horsetalk]

Weekend Preview:

Horse Park of NJ HT [Website]

Groton House Farm HT [Website] [Ride Times]

Inavale Farm HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Entries are open for the St. J Auto Festival of Eventing at GMHA. The festival will feature a three-day clinic, two horse trials and a $10,000 Intermediate division. As a press release notes, GMHA has been hosting horse trials for longer than most competitors have been alive, the Festival was launched last year as a showcase of the historic facility and surrounding Vermont countryside. Bobby Costello, Allison Springer, Bonnie Mosser, John Holling and Peter Gray will all be teaching over the week. [GMHA Clinic Entry] [Omnibus]

Career2, a state-wide program in New York aimed at promoting eventing as a second career for race horses, will be suspended this year due to lack of funding. Unfortunately the program was unable to raise enough money to continue its efforts. According to press release posted on the USEA website, it takes about $40,000 a year to keep the program going. Last year the program registered 250 thoroughbreds at USEA competitions across New York from June through September. Career2 organizers hope to secure the funding to resume activities next year. [US Eventing]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: Phillip Dutton and Amber Heintzberger speak about their new book “Modern Eventing with Phillip Dutton.” Phillip’s long-time barn manager and head groom Emma Ford co-hosts with Samantha and Jess Montgomery, and Dr. Kevin Keane talks about what it’s like being Phillip’s veterinarian. [Eventing Radio Show, Episode 254]

With an eye towards next year’s World Equestrian Games, Katherine Bateson-Chandler has a new Grand Prix dressage mount. The Chronicle reports that the 10-year old Dutch Warmblood mare, Hexagon’s Wellnetta, was purchased by Jane Forbes Clark. The mare was previously ridden at by Dutch rider Laurens van Lieren and earned scores as high as 75 at Grand Prix. [COTH]

The Dominican Republic‘s Isabel Sanchez won the 12th annual FEI World Jumping Challenge Final 2013 last weekend. The competition, held at the Caracas Country Club in Venezuela, attracted riders from 21 countries. Sanchez secured the win just three days after her 20th birthday. Thailand’s Siengsaw Lertratanachi finished in second, and Philippe Burckel from Mauritius was third. [Horsetalk]

Today on HN: The cutest game of fetch you’ve ever seen. [Horse Nation]

Best of blogs: Meet Emily and Dizzy, contestants in Team CEO’s 2013 Young Event Horse Challenge.

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Talia and her mare, Aria.

Good morning EN!  Today we have a special announcement sent to us by EN reader Laura concerning her friend and fellow eventer Talia. On June 9, Talia was riding in a car that was hit by a drunk driver and sustained serious injuries including two broken femurs, a broken hand, and a broken foot. She has a mare named Aria that she supports by working two jobs, but she will not be able to work until she is fully healed. Therefore, Talia’s friends have launched an online fundraiser in order to cover Aria’s expenses while Talia is recovering. Click to read more about Talia and to support the fund. [Talia Czapski]

Weekend Preview:

Midsouth PC  [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC  [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Great Vista  [Website]

Abbe Ranch  [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Inavale Farm HT and Gallops Saddlery Classic 3-Day [Website]

Surefire  [Website] [Entry Status]

Encore HT  [Website]

Fox River Valley PC [Website]

Irish Sport Horses put on a winning show at Luhmühlen last weekend. First-placed Mr Cruise Control and second-placed High Kingdom are both Irish Sport Horses, and their success helped cement the Irish Sport Horse Studbook’s current first place position in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses) eventing Studbook rankings. Five other Irish horses (Rathmoyle King, Tubber Rebel, Highland Ford, Sportsfield Othell, Sligo Luckyvalier) finished in the top 20 as well. [Horsetalk]

Mark your calendars: the AECs are only 100 days away. The USEA has announced that there will be many prizes and over $90,000 to give away to the top finishers in each division. The 10th annual AECs will take place in Tyler, TX at the Texas Rose Horse Park from September 26-29. [US Eventing]

Point Two is giving away a brand new airvest. Want a chance to win? Send us a photo of a vest you make yourself. Creativity is highly encouraged, so think outside the box. Email your entries to [email protected] by midnight Wednesday, June 26. We will post contest finalists on EN and a reader poll will determine the winner. [Point Two Contest]

This week on the Eventing Radio Show: how to syndicate an event horse. Samantha and Jess cover the syndication process from beginning to end, speaking with a current owner, lawyer, and the mastermind behind the USEF Eventing Owners Task Force. [Eventing Radio Show]

 Irish Olympic showjumper Damian Gardiner has announced that he has terminal cancer. Damian, who is 43, has already undergone radiation treatments but has turned down chemotherapy in order to enjoy time with his family and friends at his San Diego home. He is planning to continue riding and competing as long as he can. EN sends our best wishes and thoughts to Damian and his family. [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs:

Calling all Area II riders: Head over to Windurra next Wednesday, June 26th, for a schooling jumper day

Team CEO has kicked off its second annual Young Event Horse Challenge

The lives of movie stars aren’t all fun and games. The video below, which Wylie posted on Horse Nation yesterday, shows a behind-the-scenes clip from the making of Johnny Depp’s newest film, The Lone Ranger. In the clip Depp falls from his horse and is accidentally stepped on while wearing a full Native American costume. Luckily he was not hurt, and the film will be in theaters on July 3.

 

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

 

Good morning EN! Our American riders across the Atlantic in Germany are making their final preparations for their weekend at Luhmuhlen. Marilyn Little posted the following update on her Facebook page yesterday: “Demi and Pearl have arrived safely at their layover location in Bavendorf where we met with David O’Connor today for a dressage school before the girls head over to the Luhmuhlen event grounds tomorrow. Smoke came along for the ride too, so that he can stay with me to prepare for Aachen in two weeks. Still, somehow he knows it’s his week to relax and let the girls do the work…” Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda have also made the trip, and we are looking forward to reading about their experience via Jennie’s groom Jackie Imholte. Jackie kindly agreed to send us updates and photos throughout the weekend. Read about her flight with Ping, and keep checking back for more updates and coverage. [Luhmuhlen Website] [Entries]  [Schedule]

Weekend Preview:

Aspen Farms [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Golden Spike HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Silverwood Farm Spring HT [Website]

Round Top HT [Omnibus]

Seneca Valley Pony Club [Website] [Entry Status]

Lost Hounds HT [Website] [Entry Status]

Valinor Farm [Website] [Entry Status]

Full Gallop [Website] [Entry Status]

Larkin Hill [Website]

Bucks County [Website] [Entry Status]

Help a team of Pony Clubbers raise money to participate in the USPC Inter-Pacific Exchange. Each rider has to raise about $4,000, and in order to reach their fundraising goal the team members have put together a silent auction that will take place at Seneca Valley HT this weekend. In addition, individuals can make tax-deductible donations through the USPC website. The team of four riders were selected by Pony Club and will be spending two weeks representing the US in Australia. Check out their team Facebook page for more information. [USPC Inter-Pacific Exchange Donations] [Team Facebook]

William Fox-Pitt set a new record last weekend, when he won the Bramham CCI3* for a record seventh time. After coming in second to Pippa Funnell after dressage, William and Chilli Morning put down a double clear cross country round that secured them the lead going into show jumping. The pair jumped double clear even though they had a rail to spare. [Horse & Country]

Mark Todd and Leonidas 2 also had a stellar weekend, coming in second behind William. Mark also put down two double clear jumping phases, but it was not enough to catch William. He finished behind by 5.2 penalties. France’s Didier Dhennin and his mount Opi de Saint Leo pulled one rail to finish in third. [3 News]

 As was reported last week, Karen O’Connor’s former mount RF Amber Eyes is now enjoying a second career in the hunter ring as “Commentary.” However, her career and name change has raised some questions about USEF registration numbers. It appears that when the mare’s name was changed, she was registered under a new USEF number, which is expressly illegal under USEF rules. The Chronicle asked her new rider about the incident, and it appears that the entire incident was just a case of misunderstandings. [COTH]

 The 24th Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials takes place next month, and the organizers have announced that this year there will be significant prizes in both the Intermediate and Preliminary divisions. The Intermediate division will have $7,000 in prize money, and the Preliminary $3,000. In addition, first place winners will receive Maui Jim sunglasses, Ariat breeches, and an embroidered Stuart sheet. The Irish Draught Sport Horse Award and Thoroughbred Incentive Program Award will also be offered. [USEA]

Below is a video of Obos O’Reilly’s winning CCI3* show jumping round from Bromont, courtesy of Will Coleman’s YouTube page. Thanks for reading EN, enjoy your Wednesday.

Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian

Pippa Funnell and Redesigned at Badminton earlier this year, photo taken by Jenni

As Jenni reported earlier, Pippa Funnell had a great weekend  at Tattersalls International this weekend, winning the Irish Field CCI3* aboard Billy Beware and finishing third in the same division on Billy Landretti. Bill Levett, who recently won the Saumur CCI3* with Shannondale Titan, came in second with Improvise. According to Horsetalk, a record number of 21,895 spectators came to watch the event this weekend, which is the biggest in Ireland. Congrats to all the riders who competed this weekend. [Tattersalls International Results] [Horsetalk Recap]

Weekend Results:

Colorado Horse Park CCI

IEA HT and Classic 3-Day

GMHA June HT

Poplar Place June HT

Waredaca June HT

Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club HT

As was reported last week, PETA has called for eventing to end after the death of King Artus at a German horse trials last month. Germany campaign manager Jennifer Kirchner said in a statement that “horses are sensitive animals. Rushing for time on dangerous obstacles is animal cruelty. Again and again it causes serious accidents to horse and rider.” She also called on “animal lovers” to stop attending horse trials and three day events. [Horsetalk]

In honor of International Helmet Awareness Day, over 200 retailers worldwide will offer discounts on new helmets on June 22.  Riders4Helmets, the groups that sponsors the awareness day, will also be streaming “Get Educated” webinars via their website on June 22. Viewers will be able to ask an expert panel questions in real time. Panel participants will be announced later this month. [Horsetalk]

New research conducted at Louisiana’s McNeese State University confirms that lavender aromatherapy eases stress in horses.The study tested the ability of lavender to reduce the heart and respiratory rates of horses after “induced acute stress,” which was produced by blowing an air horn.  After the air horn was blown by the horse, the experimental group was placed in an environment of humidified air infused with lavender oil essence. The study demonstrated that 15 minutes of aromatherapy treatment reduced the heart rate of the horses in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. [Horsetalk]

Looking for ways to beat the bugs this summer?  SmartPak has you covered (literally, if you are talking about fly sheets). From fly spray to fly predators, they have everything you might need to help keep your horses as fly free as possible. [SmartPak Blog]

Leaving you with a video of Andreas Dibowski’s dressage ride aboard FRH Butts Avedon at Strzegom Horse Trials, which took place over the weekend.

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Dewy, one of the horses lost in the tornado. Photo via the Plain As Bay Facebook.

It is with a heavy heart that I introduce today’s post with the story of Plain As Bay Eventing. Owners Sky and Randy Weidner lost twelve horses, their barn, apartment, and truck and trailer in the tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma on Monday afternoon. If you would like to help with their recovery from this devastating event, there has been a relief fund set up through Wells Fargo called the “Randall Weidner catastrophe trust” and donations can be made via PayPal to the email address [email protected]. Everyone at EN is sending our deepest condolences and prayers to Sky, Randy, and all others affected by the tornadoes on Monday. [Plain As Bays Eventing Facebook]

Weekend Preview:

Virginia CIC**/* [Website] [Entry Status]

May-Daze at the Park HT [Website]  [Entry Status/Times]

Woodside HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Paradise Farm HT [Website] [Entry Status]

Mystic Valley Hunt Club HT [Website] [Ride Times]

Corona Del Sol HT [Website]

Flora Lea HT [Website] [Entry Status]

The Orr Family Farm also took a major hit from Monday’s tornadoes. According to the farm spokesman as of yet there is no accurate count of how many animals were lost, though it is estimated that 75-100 horses were killed in the area. An adjoining training facility, Celestial Acres, was also badly hit, as well as several neighboring farms. Again, EN sends thoughts and prayers to all affected, both equine and human. [Horsetalk]

As reported earlier, Dirk Schrade’s 2012 London Olympic team gold medal mount King Artus died after completing the CIC3* cross country at the Wiesbaden Three-Day Event in Germany last weekend. The pair won the Pau CCI4* in 2009 and fourth individually at the FEI European Championships at Luhmühlen in 2011. King Artus was 17. [COTH]

Florida Governor Rick Scott has approved $2 million in funding to expand the Florida Horse Park in Ocala. In addition, today it will be officially announced at a press conference that a capital campaign will be launched with the goal of matching the new state funding. [COTH]

Listen to this week’s episode of The Eventing Radio Show. CHC International CIC3* winner Lauren Kieffer is in studio to discuss her win and super mare Veronica. Irish eventer Austin O’Connor, who rode Ringwood Mississippi around Rolex last month, is featured. [The Eventing Radio Show]

Looking for an internship in Kentucky? New Vocations Racehorse Adoption is now accepting applications for its third annual Olivia M. Saylor Internship. The position is intended to give college students hands-on experience in the Thoroughbred aftercare industry. It is a five month paid position at the New Vocations Lexington, KY facility. [COTH]

Racing superstars Kauto Star and Denman will make a joint appearance at this year’s Barbury International on July 7.  The two horses were both trained by Paul Nicholls and shared a stable during their illustrious careers. Kauto Star is now pursuing a dressage career with Laura Collette, and Denman is enjoying a life of hunting and team chasing with rider Charlotte Alexander. [British Eventing]

Today on HN: A Bad Jumping Clinic With George Morris, Pt. 2. [Horse Nation]

Best of Blogs: Next Level Eventing’s Lane Clarke clinic report

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

The main barn and a cross country rider, via the Chatt Hills Facebook

Good morning EN! Tomorrow down in Georgia as the CHC International officially kicks off its CIC3*/2*/1* with vet inspections. The 3* field looks competitive, including Susan Beebe and Wolf, Kyle Carter on Madison Park, Lauren Kieffer on Veronica, Phillip Dutton on two mounts, and Eventing 25 rider Lizzie Snow on Coal Creek. Like other CICs this year, the event will run in the FEI-preferred format of dressage and show jumping on one day (in this case, Friday), followed by a day of cross country. Good luck to all competitors there this weekend, as well as those elsewhere around the country [CHC Website] [Entry Status] [Times]

Weekend Preview:

Otter Creek [Website] [Times]

CCC Spring Gulch [Website]

Hitching Post Farm [Website] [Entry Status]

Fair Hill [Website] [Times]

Greater Dayton [Website] [Entry Status]

Kelly’s Ford [Website]

Kent School [Website] [Entry Status]

Andrew Nicholson is back on top at the Chatsworth International Horse Trials. Last weekend he won the CIC3* Challenge feature class with Mr Cruise Control, Advanced Section K on Qwanza, AND the CIC3* Section I with Viscount George. Oliver Townend and Zara Phillips followed him in the CIC3* challenge in second and third place on Imperial Master and High Kingdom, respectively. [Full Results] [British Eventing]

Back in the US, Jessica Phoenix topped the CCI3* at Jersey Fresh. As you probably know from Jenni’s amazing coverage, Jessica and Exponential added only one rail to their dressage score to win the top prize last weekend. Jessica told Nancy Jaffer that Exponential would get a long vacation, and will probably come back into competition in Florida next year. [NJ.com]

Now you’re really going to wish you lived in Britain. British Eventing has announced that Mark Todd will work with them to launch a new scholarship program. The recipient will get three individual training sessions from Todd, a year’s worth of Keyflow feed, and clothing, tack and horse-wear from the Mark Todd Collection to the value of £1500. As an extension of the British Eventing Mark Todd Bridging the Gap Training Series, those riders who participate MTBTG training sessions throughout 2013 are eligible to apply. [Horsetalk]

Hear David O’Connor’s thoughts about the 2013 season so far on this week’s episode of the Eventing Radio Show.  EN’s Samantha Clark and Jess Montgomery talked with David about his goals as US coach and get his opinion about the extensive training sessions he held earlier this year. [Eventing Radio Show]

British breeders are on the mark this season. British-bred horses won both of the BE90 Badminton Grassroots Championships this spring, as well as the BE100 Championships. Several other horses placed well at FEI events around Europe, and the best performance came from Sarah Bullen’s Borough Pennyz by Cevin Z, who won the a three star at Belton. Click to read more about their bloodlines and see a downloadable list of top British-bred performers. [British Eventing]

Today on HN: A bad clinic with George Morris, as interpreted by Wylie. She critiques photos of some less-than-stellar moments in the spirit of his commentary. As you can imagine, it’s highly entertaining. [Horse Nation]

Today we leave you with a helmet cam video of Ben Vogg’s ride on Bellaney Castle from the Marbach CIC3* that ran last week. Thanks for reading EN!

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

The 2012 Jersey water complex

Good morning EN! Today the who’s who of upper level eventing is descending on the  Horse Park of New Jersey in preparation for the Jersey Fresh CCI/CIC. The first horse inspection for the CCI competitors takes place today at 2pm, and dressage begins Thursday morning with the CCI 3 star. The CIC 3 star also competes on Thursday, and both 2 star divisions do dressage Friday. I took a glance at the entry list and there are a lot of big names and top horses on the entry list this year, including Buck, Will Faudree, John Holling, Jessica Phoenix, Phillip Dutton, Leslie Law, Marilyn Little, and many more. Click to find the schedule and entry status, and keep checking EN for updates. [Jersey Fresh Website] [Entry Status]

Weekend preview:

NWEC May Classic [Website] [Entry Status]

Galway Downs [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Plantation Field [Website] [Entry Status]

Winona HT [Website]

King Oak Farm [Website] [Ride Times]

Windridge Farm [Entry Status]

Mill Creek Pony Club [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Do you have an OTTB in Michigan or the surrounding area? This year Encore Horse Trials will be offering TIP combined training divisions along with its regular event and wants your OTTB!  The horse trials will have divisions from Beginner Novice thru Prelim, and the combined test goes from Pre-Beginner Novice to Prelim. Did I mention the brand new water complex? The event will run from June 22-23 in Ann Arbor. The opening date was yesterday, make sure to send your entry in to ensure a spot. [Encore Horse Trials]

Apply now for the 2014 Worth the Trust Educational Scholarships. These scholarships honor up-and-coming eventers by helping to fund their training expenses—clinics, working student opportunities, private, or group instruction. There is a $3,000 Amateur Young Adult Scholarship is available for riders between the ages of 16 and 25, while the $2,000 Adult Amateur Scholarship is available for eventers 26 and up. The deadline for application is October 1. [US Eventing]

New Zealand is very excited about Jock Pagent’s win.  And nearly every media outlet has picked up the story. Here is a rundown of the links. [3 News] [One News] [Horsetalk] [NZ Herald]

Good news from Lexington. Dr. Larry Bramlage, a world-renowned surgeon at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, has been released from the hospital after sustaining a head injury after he fell from a golf cart at Churchill Downs. He is resting at home and is expected to make a full recovery. [Paulick Report]

British Eventing interviews the top three Badminton finishers. Not only was this Jock Pagent’s first four star win, but also the first time “Promise” has finished on his dressage score at a three day event. And it’s clear from his answers that Michael Jung is just as classy when he comes in second as when he comes in first. [British Eventing]

Best of Blogs: Rick Wallace and Ultimate Decision win the Novice Horse Championship at Poplar Place Farm

If you thought it was impressive that horses can jump around the Badminton track, you will be even more impressed with this video of a guy who took it upon himself to jump the jumps all on his own. Make sure to watch until at least 1:45, when you get a nice helmet cam-style shot of him jumping the double corners. [Courtesy of Horsetalk]

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

The winning entry, drawn by Abbie Galie

Congrats to Abbie Galie, the winner of Dubarry’s Rolex competition to win a pair of new Longford boots! Entrants were asked to take (or draw) a funny, creative picture to illustrate how much they wanted to own a pair of Dubarry boots, and Abbie drew the piece above, titled “Art Girl Loves her Boots!” Congrats again to Abbie, we are all very jealous of your cool prize. [Dubarry Announcement]

Weekend Preview:

Heart of the Carolinas 3-Day [Website] [Entry Status]

Greenwood CIC [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Riga Meadows CT [Website]

Poplar Place [Website] [Entry Status]

MCTA [Website] [Entry Status]

Penny Oaks [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Badminton is upon us! The first horse inspection takes place tomorrow at 4:30PM (local time). From the looks of things it’s going to be quite a weekend with fierce competition. Andrew Nicholson and William Fox-Pitt are both going for the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, though Michael Jung is going to do his best to prevent either of them from taking home the title either this weekend or in the future. US riders Clark Montgomery, Colleen Rutledge, and Tiana Coudray are all competing as well. The Badminton organizers are doing a wonderful job keeping everyone updated on the happenings via the event’s official Facebook page, and make sure to keep checking EN for more updates and coverage. [Official Site]

Jock Paget has his eye on a win at Badminton. Currently sitting fourth in the world rankings, he has slipped below the radar while the world focuses on Nicholson, Fox-Pitt, and Jung. He will ride both his top mounts, Clifton Promise and Clifton Lush, this weekend which will be his first time to contest the course. Last year he was sixth at Kentucky, 10th at the Olympics (also taking home a team bronze) and fifth at Burghley for the second year in a row. [Stuff.nz]

Daniel Stewart answers a question about staying focused while riding.  His “Question of the Month” this month deals with how to handle distractions and keep your mind on whats productive instead of what’s destructive, like  previous bad rounds. This is apt timing, as yesterday our own Kate Samuels wrote about her take on mental toughness in eventing. [US Eventing]

The Disciplinary Panel of the British Horseracing Authority banned racing trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni for eight years over the use of anabolic steroids on horses.  Al Zarooni was responsible for nearly 200 horses at Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Moulton Paddocks Stables in Newmarket. The barn was part of the sheikh’s prestigious Godolphin racing enterprise. [Horsetalk]

Ever heard of a Grand Prix Dressage Pony? Now you have. North Forks Cardi, a Welsh Cob stallion that stands at 14.3 hands,  made Grand Prix debut and won the freestyle at the Golden State CDI*** in early April. “Cardi’s” rider Jessica Wisdom met him as a two year old and began riding him at age three. Now, at age 12, the pair has climbed up the competitive ladder together. According to Jessica, Cardi’s compact body actually makes some movements easier. Click to read the full interview and see photos of the newest wonder pony of elite equestrian competition.  [COTH]

Best of Blogs: Buck is this year’s Rolex Kentucky National Champion

Leaving you with a video about miniature horses who have found a career visiting patients at Shands Rehab Hospital in Gainsville, Florida. Thanks for reading EN!

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Happy birthday to Andrea Leatherman from everyone at EN! Students Sonja Bayer and Riley Gallagher with Andrea and Kristen Noble at a PA clinic Andrea taught last weekend. Thanks to Helene for sending us the photo.

Good morning EN! The great talents of our sport (of both the two-legged and four-legged variety) have converged in Lexington over the past few days in anticipation for today: the first official horse inspection for Rolex 2013. Samantha, John, and Jenni are all on hand to bring you coverage and photos from the festivities today.  Of course it wouldn’t be a proper Rolex Kentucky jog without the annual Dubarry Best Dressed Contest. Dubarry will be judging stylish riders by their duds today and the winner will be announced at the Spindletop Party tonight.  If you are lucky enough to actually be attending the event this weekend make sure to stop by the Dubarry booth in the vendor village to preview their brand new Longford Boot (and have the chance to purchase a pair before they become the next horse show staple) Follow Dubarry on Facebook both to find out the best dressed winner and other updates all weekend.

Weekend Preview:

Fresno County HT [Website] [Times]

UNH Spring HT [Website] [Times]

Loudoun Hunt PC [Website] [Times]

You are by now aware that Rolex is upon us, and you can find all information related to the event on the right hand side of the EN homepage, directly under the main banner. Keep checking back for updates, interviews, and photos.

The world is watching Andrew Nicholson.  Andrew is defending his title as #1 on the 2012 HSBC FEI Rankings this weekend at the first four star of the year. While his top two mounts, Nereo and Avebury, have remained in the UK to contest Badminton, he has brought Quimbo and Calico Joe to the states this weekend. If Nicholson wins this weekend, he will head to Badminton already 1/3 of the way to winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. The 2012 FEI runner-up William Fox-Pitt only needs one final win at Badminton to become the second rider to ever win that title. No matter the outcome, the competition is fierce with a lot on the line. [NZ Herald]

Marilyn Little has suffered an injury after a fall from a young horse, but still plans to ride this weekend. As Jenni reported yesterday, she has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 separation of her right shoulder. She will meet with USOC Medical Consultant Dr Mark Hart on Thursday in Lexington to assess the injury, but remains optimistic and feels better by the day. [US Eventing]

Don’t forget to enter the annual Omega Alpha Pick ‘Em Contest before competition begins tomorrow!  Send in your name along with the name of the horse/rider combination you think will win and your best guess at their overall score. As a tiebreaker, include your guess for who will finish 2nd (score not required). The contest entry with the correct horse/rider, closest score (and correct runner-up, if necessary) will win a prize package from Omega Alpha, worth at least $150! Email your entries to [email protected] with “Pick Em” in the title by 8AM Thursday morning. [Omega Alpha]

The Chronicle has posted a Q&A with William Fox-Pitt. In it he talks about his season, up-and-coming prospects (including his thoughts on his new ride Running Order, who was produced by Doug Payne), and life with his three children, including six-month-old Chloe Rose. [COTH]

Are you attending Rolex? Stop by the Bit of Britain tent and try on Tredstep Ireland’s new line of breeches! They are part of the new symphony clothing collection, inspired by the extraordinary beauty and precision of symphonic music. They have both full-seat and knee-patch styles in a variety of colors and are a perfect addition to your spring riding wardrobe. [Tredstep Ireland]

Listen to the Eventing Radio Show. This week covers Rolex and features NZ rider Jonelle Richards who will be riding The Deputy around the track this week. [Eventing Radio Show]

Best of Blogs:

Doug Payne’s new podcast and Fair Hill rundown

Boyd, Hawley, and Philip visit sick children in the hospital

While this week is all about Rolex, don’t forget that Badminton is just around the corner! Check out this video preview from the organizers.

 

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

The Rolex Trade Fair is being assembled, photo via the RK3DE Facebook page

It’s almost here: one week from today Rolex officially begins with the first horse inspection and as you can imagine preparations are in full swing at the KY Horse Park. According to the Rolex Kentucky official Facebook page, tickets for Rolex stadium seating on Sunday for show jumping have sold out. In response they have opened a section of the south stand bleacher seating, and if you are planning on going I suggest snapping yours up quickly. Keep checking EN for updates about all things four star, it’s going to be a busy week!

Weekend Preview:

Fair Hill CIC [Website] [Entry Status]

River Glen [Website] [Ride Times]

Holly Hill [Website] [Ride Times]

Long Leaf Pines [Website]

Redland Hunt PC [Website] [Entry Status]

 Badminton organizers are gearing up for a big year. Between last year’s bitter disappointment over the event’s cancellation, leftover equestrian excitement from the Olympics, a star-studded field of entries that includes superstar Michael Jung (not to mention William Fox-Pitt riding for a shot at the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing), and a brand new water complex called Mirage Pond, organizers are expecting a record crowd at this year’s event. [Gazette Series]

Horse&Country TV will be expanding its coverage of Badminton. The network is producing preview episodes as well as event coverage this year. In addition to this, cameras are also following rider Francis Whittington during her preparation and run at Badminton n a special documentary called Badminton: A Rider’s View. We will keep EN readers updated on whether any of this programming will be available online. [British Eventing]

Robert Dover will be the next chef d’equipe/technical advisor for the U.S. Dressage Team. While he still has to sign an official contract with the USEF, the organization has announced his appointment in an official press release. [USEF]

Attention Area II: there are still spots open at the 2013 Adult Eventing Camp, which is scheduled to take place May 22-26 at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, MD. The camp includes stabling, lodging, meals, lectures, two lessons a day, and entry in the 5/26 starter horse trial at Loch Moy with coaching. [Area II Eventing Camp]

Listen to the Eventing Radio Show: This week’s episode features an update from England from Jess Montgomery, an interview with Rolex first-timer Emily Renfroe and her coach Kyle Carter, and John Nunn’s tips on how to navigate the Rolex Vendor Village and have a successful sales weekend. [Eventing Radio Show]

Rest in peace Alberto Valdés Ramos. The 93-year-old Mexican showjumper was the last living member of the “dream team” that won the gold at the 1948 London Olympics.  His teammates claimed individual gold and silver in an unforgettable day for Mexican sports. In 2011, Ramos was honored by the Mexican Olympic Medalists Association and the Mexican Olympic Committee as one of the best riders in the history of equestrian sport in the country. [Horsetalk]

The results of the horse meat scandal are in. 4.66% of all tested meat labeled as beef in the European Union contained traces of horse DNA. The European Commission said that there were no safety issues and risk of contamination with phenylbutazone was very low, but there will be tougher penalties for fraudulent labeling in the future. [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs:

Sinead writes about ups and downs of life and her summer plan for Tate

Own a top horse, get cool team gear

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Allison and Arthur at last year's event

If you haven’t been following Jenni and Samantha’s excellent event coverage from the Fork you might have missed that we have entered the final countdown stage to Rolex. Just two weeks from today the first horse inspection takes place at the Kentucky Horse Park. The draw was announced this weekend via the Rolex Kentucky Twitter, but you can also find the list of riders and numbers on the event’s official website. EN will be keeping you up to date on all Rolex related news and coverage as we get closer to the event. Today is the last day to purchase advanced tickets at a special discounted price, so if you’re planning on attending get your tickets while they last! [RK3D Official Site] [RK3D Facebook]

Weekend Preview:

Ocala Horse Properties CCI2*/1* [Website] [Entry Status]

Twin Rivers CIC3* and CCI2*/1* [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Plantation Field Spring HT [Website] [Entry Status]

St. Johns HT [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

FENCE HT [Website] [Entry Status]

Pine Hill [Website] [Ride Times]

The USEA has posted the application form for the 2013 Rebecca Broussard Travel Grants. These grant, intended to help defray travel expenses, will be divided between riders who will compete at the Rebecca Farm CIC3* and riders who are looking to travel to Europe to contest either a CCIO3* or CCIO4*. The announcement comes on the heels of the USEF’s announcement of this year’s Samur travel grant recipients. The deadline for application is June 1. All advanced riders who have not represented the US at a CCIO3* or 4* are eligible. [USEA]

Speaking of travel, the FEI is concerned that the recent growth of equestrian competitions will not be sustainable if various governments do not adopt regulatory standards that allow for easier movement of sport horses. The FEi is working with the World Animal Health Organization to establish a global protocol for the movement of top horses, categorizing them separately from other horses and other animals and allowing for easier importation. [Horsetalk]

Our friends at SmartPak posted a blog update detailing how their team riders are prepping for Rolex. Jennie, Phillip, Jan, and Boyd’s head groom Lindsey were all kind enough to write an update on their horses and plans, and from the sound of things they are all well prepared. The post also features some of Samantha’s competition photos from Red Hills and Pine Top. [SmartPak Blog]

British Eventing has announced it will be debuting a new line of horse and rider wear at Badminton this spring. The line includes fleece and show blankets, summer sheets, saddle pads, and bandages as well as competition and casual wear for riders. [British Eventing]

This week’s episode of The Eventing Radio show features Lynn Symansky discussing her win at The Fork and upcoming run around Rolex. Allie Knowles also shares her thoughts on her run in The Fork Advanced division and contesting a four star for the first time. [Eventing Radio Show]

Best of blogs: Will Faudree wraps up a great weekend at  The Fork

Today I leave you with a video I found on HN of the Cavalia’s Odysseo performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I think doing a dressage test by myself is hard enough, which makes it difficult to imagine how long they had to train these horses in order to fit a routine featuring five into a twenty meter circle. Thanks for reading and enjoy your Wednesday!

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

Photo via The Fork Stables Facebook page

Good morning EN! Today things are officially kicking off down in Norwood, NC at the beautiful Fork Stables. This weekend is one of the last big runs before Rolex and the CIC3* is full of big names who will be at the KY Horse Park later  this month. Riding isn’t the only competitive activity on the schedule this weekend- tomorrow the Fork is hosting its second annual clay shooting competition, “Shoot for the Stars.” Two participants will combine with two CIC3* riders to form a team of four. The riders will not shoot, but their final riding scores will be added to tomorrow’s shooting results, and the winners of the competition will be announced on Sunday.  There is also a Ladies Champagne Brunch on Friday during the three-star dressage, as well as opportunities to purchase VIP tickets. Make sure to keep checking EN for coverage of the competition this weekend.

We want to post a special reminder that the third annual Course Builders and Designers Cookout will take place Thursday night at the Fork, presented by Travers Schick and Joe Stylos of Cross Country Hardware and Tremaine Cooper of Cross Country Designs. They will be roasting an entire pig and feeding anyone who shows up on a first come basis. It is BYOB and dinner will be served at 7pm. Follow the pigs from the stabling area to find the festivities.

[The Fork Horse Trials] [Ride Times]

Weekend Preview:

CDCTA [Website] [Entry Status]

Sporting Days [Website] [Entry Status]

Chattahoochee Hills [Website] [Entry Status] [Times]

Spring Bay [Website] [Times]

Mary Hirsch, who was kind enough to send us reports from Texas Rose last weekend, wrote a recap of the event’s first Advanced for the USEA Website. Mary writes about owners Kathy and Kim Brunson’s motivations behind building an Advanced course. Besides hosting this year’s AECs, the Brunsons hope that their expanded farm will allow Midwestern riders, far from the usual upper-level events, to use Texas Rose as an integral part of their training and preparation for years to come. Click to read her recap and see photos of cross country.  [USEA] [Texas Rose Saturday Update]

Do you have a Young Event Horse? If you do, and you are near Ocala, consider entering your mount in next weekend’s YEH/FEH competition held in conjunction with the Ocala Horse Properties International CIC**/*. The program is a great way to introduce young horses to eventing and the show atmosphere. Electronic entries will be accepted via Event Entries through April 8. [Omnibus] [Website]

Costa Rican showjumper Mónika Villalobos has become the first rider from her country to win a gold medal at an international show jumping competition. She won the title aboard Wrathlin VDL at the Central American Games, held in San Jose. At the games, which ran from from March 3 to 17, riders from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama competed in dressage, eventing, endurance and jumping. [Horsetalk]

London’s equestrian kick is continuing past the Olympics. The first leg of the Global Champions Tour will take place from June 6-9 at The International Quarter, adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, only a few weeks before the Olympic facilities officially open to the public. It will be one of the first international sporting event to be hosted in the Olympic Park since the games. [COTH]

The Chronicle’s Kat Netzler recently returned from a trip to Doha, where she traveled to report on the show jumping, dressage and endurance competitions that were part of the inaugural Al Shaqab CHI.   As you can probably imagine, it was unlike anything we see here in the US or even Europe. Click to read more about her trip, but I will warn you it will make you question why you ever agreed to taking a job where free trips to Qatar aren’t part of the package. [COTH]

The US Equestrian Team Foundation has announced the inaugural George H. Morris Gladstone Program for talented show jumping riders, which will take place in May. The program is similar to Eventing’s Under 25 training list, focusing on riders over the age of 18 who are competing successfully at 1.45m or above. The program intends to “continue to educate, support and guide potential team riders on the overall knowledge and expertise required to succeed at the top level of show jumping internationally.” 10 riders will be chosen to participate. [COTH]

Best of blogs:

Lauren Shannon had a good trip at Burnham Market.

Bruce Davidson’s breeding program is producing future stars.

 

Wednesday News and Notes from MDBarnmaster

MacKenna Shea and Landioso at yesterday's High Performance training session, photo via the USEF High Performance Facebook page

Good morning EN! The High Performance social media team is at it again this week, providing updates from lessons with David out at Galway Downs. Today riders will again have the chance to get in one last training session before the event begins this weekend. MacKenna and Landioso, pictured above, will be competing in the CIC3* along with Hawley Bennett-Awad, Kristi Nunnink, James Alliston, and many more. Check out the USEF Facebook page for more photos and information. [USEF High Performance]

Weekend Event Preview:

Galway Downs CIC [Website] [Entry Status/Times]

Rocking Horse [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Morven Park [Website] [Entry Status]

Texas Rose [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Full Gallop [Website] [Entry Status]

The inaugural Chattahoochee Hills Country International Horse Trials will run from May 17-19 this year. The competition will feature a CIC3* for the first time at Bouckaert Farms, where last fall’s American Eventing Championships also took place. “Our goal is to showcase the historic equestrian Olympic sport known as eventing or as an equestrian triathlon, as a true festival in the country, while introducing it to new fans and emphasizing its uniqueness with new added entertainment and amenities,” says Michael Pollard in a press release posted on the USEA website. Check out the CHC website and Facebook for more information about the competition. [CHC International] [CHC Facebook]

The Germans won the first leg of the FEI Nations Cup Eventing at Fontainebleau. To no one’s surprise the Germans led both the team and individual competition at the French event, where top pair Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam won the CIC3*. Apparently there were only five double clear cross country rounds in the three-star, and two of them came from Jung. France placed second in the team competition, and the Italians rounded out the top three. The next leg of the Nations Cup takes place in May at Houghton Hall in Britain. [FEI Press Release, via USEA]

 Rest in peace William Miflin. Miflin, 44, was a popular event rider-turned-coach in Britain. He was shortlisted for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and longlisted for the Atlanta games in 1996.  In 1997, he was awarded the Armada dish for five Badminton completions, all achieved with mount Passadena II. He died on Saturday after fighting cancer for several years. EN sends our deepest condolences to his family and students. [Horse and Hound]

British weather is still dismal. Due to the number of competition days lost in March due to bad weather, Aston Le Walls has announced it will be hosting extra competition days in hopes of regaining lost opportunities. British Eventing said it is still looking for other opportunities to expand the competition calendar. [British Eventing]

Best of Blogs: Boyd’s Southern Pines recap

Thehorsepesterer was at Southern Pines last weekend capturing rides in all three phases. Below is a video of Sharon White and Don Sheffield tackling the Intermediate water complex at the end of the course. Check out Thehorsepesterer’s channel for more videos.