The first jumps!

Good morning EN! Today Fair Hill officially kicks off with the trot-up at 1:00. Ride times will be available soon after the jogs, and dressage begins tomorrow morning. If you missed it, be sure to check out Jenni’s preview of the CCI*** that was posted yesterday.  Unfortunately one anticipated entry, newest American-based rider Clayton Fredericks, scratched after Walterstown Don strained a muscle earlier this week. Clayton writes on his Twitter that he will give him a rest and aim for Rolex in the spring. Keep checking back for more updates from Fair Hill.  You can also check out the official Fair Hill blog, where there are pictures and updates from set-up over the past few days. [Official Fair Hill Blog] [Schedule] [Scores]

Our second headline comes from the O’Connor Event Team: unfortunately, Karen has had a bit of a setback during her healing process and will be undergoing surgery tomorrow at John Hopkins to stabilize one of her vertebrae that has slipped since her fall. The OCET Facebook page writes: “She was admitted immediately yesterday for prep for surgery. She will go under the knife tomorrow afternoon – her surgeon is known as the best of the best in the field of thoracic surgery and the prognosis is excellent for a full recovery – Karen is humbled and touched by everyones notes and well wishes….”  We are all sending lots of good thoughts and EN karma her way as she undergoes her procedure. [OCET Facebook]

Your weekend preview:

Hagyard Midsouth Team Challenge [Website] [Ride Times]

Ram Tap HT [Website]

Paradise Farm [Website] [Entry Status]

Event at Kelly’s Ford [Website] [Entry Status]

Onto your links:

Mike Etherington-Smith, British Eventing’s Chief Executive, will take part in the 2013 International Eventing Forum, entitled “Journey to the Top” in England in February. He will be joined by David O’Connor in a session called “Course Designer vs Coach,” in which Mike will pose questions to David as a course builder, and David will respond as a coach.  Mike designed the courses at both the Beijing and Sydney Olympics and the 2010 WEGs, in addition to many others. Mark Todd will also present at the forum, specifically on key tools to improve your horse’s showjumping. [British Eventing]

The Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage series kicks off this weekend in Odense, Denmark. Riders will be collecting points at shows throughout the series, building up to the final next April in Gothenburg, Sweden. A star-studded lineup will be riding this weekend, including London individual silver medalist Adelinde Cornelissen and the legendary Anky van Grunsven, whom won nine out of 13 World Cup titles during a 13-year-period running up to 2008. It will be something of an Olympic reunion for many riders, as many countries’ representatives will be riding in the series. [Horsetalk]

Speaking of dressage, international riders are out on a quest to increase the number of dressage riders at the Rio Olympics in 2016. According to Horse and Hound, members of the FEI dressage committee have called for the number of riders at the games to be increased from 50 to 60. However, because IOC rules dictate that only 200 horses are allowed to be present at the games, in order to increase the number of dressage horses there would have to be a reduction in the number of show jumpers and/or eventers. Currently 75 horses compete in each discipline, and according to London Olympian Richard Davison, “it is totally illogical that at an Olympics you have 75 riders in both showjumping and eventing but only 50 in dressage.” FEI dressage director Trond Asmyr says that a change in the breakdown of numbers is “doubtful.” [Horse and Hound]

Equine charities and British authorities are warning against a coming equine disaster this winter. Six charities have released a crisis report called “Left On the Verge: the approaching Equine Crisis in England and Wales” that predicts another harsh winter and such a large increase in the number of horses abandoned or neglected that they will not be able to handle all of the cases. The organizations say that there are 6,000 potentially at-risk horses that they will be unable to care for, and that owners need to take responsibility for their animals instead of putting them off onto local governments. The report also calls upon the government to proactively prevent cases of abuse and neglect, and make several recommendations for how to control the growing horses population. Click for a link to the full text. [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs:

Lara and Colleen are safely across the pond! Colleen and Shiraz will compete at the Pau CCI**** next weekend from October 24-28. Click to read about Lara’s adventures flying over the ocean, including getting to sit in the cockpit for takeoff. [Destination Pau]

An Eventful Life asked Australian “performance coach” Jon Pitts what it really means to be a “performance coach.” Basically a performance coach uses “research, analysis and technology in a multi-disciplined approach to help riders to optimize performance.” The post is the first in a series that will give more detail on what it takes to be a performance coach and the research behind the role. [An Eventful Life]

EN sends condolences to Calypso Farm on their loss of Impulsive, the AHSA 1997 Champion Zone Horse of the Year for Intermediate with Jane Brownlow. She was euthanized due to complications from old age on October 8 at the age of 22. [Rest in peace Impulsive]

Leaving you with a video detailing what it’s like to be a steeplechase horse…their life looks like more fun than mine. Thanks for reading, enjoy your Wednesday!

From Horse Quencher: Before you reach for your electrolyte, consider that it’s the water + electrolyte balance that means so much to a horse’s wellbeing. Horse Quencher does one thing and one thing only: get your horse to drink water. Then you can add the electrolyte brand of your choice with confidence that your horse is well-hydrated. After all, athletes lose 5% performance per 2% lost in water weight. Get water on board first with Horse Quencher, to ensure health and performance.

Eight days and counting!

Good morning EN! Today’s top story is a crossover from the show jumping world, as the USEF has named the US team that will compete at the CSIO-W Buenos Aires in Argentina. The riders will  be Charlie Jacobs, Quentin Judge, Catherine Pasmore, and Alison Robitaille. The show will take place from November 7-11 at Haras El Capricho. Charlie Jacobs attended last year and won the 2011 Ericsson Grand Prix with Leap of Joy, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding that is one of two mounts Jacobs will be returning with this year to defend his title. According to the USEF website, “the CSIO Buenos Aires has historically provided valuable Nations Cup experience for many riders as they climb through the ranks of the sport.” Good luck to all US team members as they prepare for their journey. [USET] [Haras El Capricho]

The FEI has released its updated prohibited substances list that will take effect on January 1, 2013. According to the USEA, the five following substances were added to the list this year: Cyclosporin, a systemic immunosuppressant; Tropicamide, which affects the central nervous system and has a potential for abuse; Pitcher Plant preparation (Sarapin), which is reputed to have analgesic properties, a potential to affect performance and its use is considered to be a welfare concern; Delmadinone acetate and Chlormadinone acetate, synthetic steroidal progestins that decrease testosterone concentration and have the potential to affect performance. Two previously banned substances, Fentanyl and Morphine, have been moved to the controlled medication list, and Deslorelin, which was on the Controlled Medication list, has been removed completely. Click the link for a full summary, courtesy of the USEA. [USEA]

And you thought our elections were rough: British foxhunters are being urged to get to the polls to vote in an unexpected by-election to ensure the return of a conservative MP that favors repealing the country’s ban on fox hunting. Vote-Ok, a lobby group dedicated to supporting pro-repeal politicians, is urging foxhunters to get to the poles as the seat is contested. The lobby’s leader, George Bowyer, told Horse and Hound that “hunting people need to regain the sense of the outrage that we all felt in 2002-03″ and that in order to get the repeal they all want, they have to get the right people in. [Horse & Hound]

This fall Galway Downs has upped its game by planting 500 new trees around the property and installing 14 acres of grass polo fields in the infield of its racetrack, The Chronicle reports. According to organizer Robert Kellerhouse, these are just part of the new features that the event will have during its November 1-4 CCI. On cross country day there will be four “entertainment stations” set up around the course with seating, food, and live acoustic music for spectators to enjoy, and a larger live band will play in the evening.  Land Rover is sponsoring a test drive track, and thanks to their generous sponsorship along with many others, the total prize money will be a whopping $33,000, including a $21,000 purse for the CCI***. Get your entries in now! [COTH] [Galway Downs]

Galway isn’t the only California event that’s looking good for fall- Derek di Grazia has done a big redesign of the CIC cross country courses for the Woodside International Horse Trials, which will take place this weekend from October 5-7. The Woodside course features something not seen often out in CA: hills. Di Grazia isn’t letting those go to waste, and incorporated them into his course design and jump placement. He said that the course will keep the same flow that it has in previous years, and while “the questions will be somewhat different, they still should ride with same amount of difficulty.” 60 riders will be attempting the FEI levels, and more than 300 will compete in the national division spanning the levels from Beginner Novice to Advanced. Thanks to generous sponsors, total prize money for the event stands at $20,000. Good luck to all competitors this weekend! [COTH] [Entry List]

Speaking of Woodside, James Alliston is out to defend his title as CIC*** champion. [COTH]

Andrew Nicholson and  Avebury have been awarded the 2012 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials breeder’s prize for the highest placed British bred horse by British Breeding. Avebury, who also won the overall event, is a  homebred owned by Mr Mark Barlow and Mrs Rosemary Barlow. [British Eventing]

The Fall Horse Trials at the Ark, scheduled for October 13, has been cancelled due to lack of entries. All riders who already submitted payment will receive full refunds minus the office fees. [USEA]

Cologne racecourse in Germany has been put under a quarantine after a horse was found to have Equine Infectious Anemia, aka swamp fever. A four-year-old filly based at the stables there was a favorite to win this weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but will no longer be able to run in the race. The quarantine will last for 90 days, and horses there will be unable to travel until it is lifted. [Horse & Hound]

Feel good story of the day: Two years after rescuing 115 wild mustangs from a livestock auction in Fallon, Nevada, Ellie Price watched them take their first steps onto Montgomery Creek Ranch, a 2000-acre wildlife refuge she established outside of Willows, CA. While she is very happy to see these horses get a new life and plans to continue to add rescued animals to the preserve, Price understands that “rescue and re-homing is not an ideal or sustainable solution to wild horse management.” She is working with American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign to encourage other techniques of population control, such as birth control vaccines, to ensure wild horses can stay wild. “It’s the most humane and, in the long run, cost-effective way to manage wild horses on the range – so that both they and we can continue to enjoy their freedom.” [Horsetalk]

Want to have dinner with Boyd? On October 23, Brandywine Ace Pet & Farm and Oxford Feed & Lumber host a special event with Boyd and Silva Martin at Stone Barn, a restaurant in Kennett Square, PA.  Drennan brothers, owners of both businesses and Boyd’s Purina feed supplier, are hosting the evening “so that our local equine enthusiasts can meet and hear first hand from Boyd about his preparation and experience at the Olympics.” Tickets cost $20. [Unionville Times]

Best of Blogs:

It’s October, and you know what that means: Fair Hill is coming.

Chelan has a new blog, and we appreciate the EN shoutout as her first post.

As mentioned before, James Alliston is defending last year’s CIC*** win at Woodside this weekend- watch his 2011 winning show jumping round aboard Jumbo’s Jake is below. Thanks for reading EN, have a great Wednesday!

Caitlin and Hoku last Friday at Plantation, photo via Samantha.

Good morning EN, today our lead story is to send lots of EN Karma and get-well wishes to Caitlin Silliman, who suffered a fall yesterday and is in the hospital with a fractured skull. According to Schramm Equestrian’s Facebook update, she is stable but being kept overnight so that doctors can keep an eye on her. This weekend Caitlin finished third in the CIC** at Plantation with Remmington XXV, and 16th in the CIC*** with her superstar mare Catch A Star. We are all sending good thoughts and prayers her way for a speedy and easy recovery. [Schramm Equestrian]

As you may have noticed due to the extensive (not to mention great!) coverage Samantha provided over the weekend, the Plantation Field CIC was last weekend. The Chronicle’s Joanie Morris sat down with landowner Katie Walker and organizer Denis Glaccum to talk to them about how they grew a cattle-grazing pasture into a three-star event, and their plans for the future. Denis and Katie emphasize the historical import of Unionville as a horse-centric area (also the site of the famed Chesterland horse trials), and its current status as a magnet for Olympians and up-and-comers alike.  After adding many new features this year like tailgating, mechanical bull rides, and an expanded vendor village, in the future Denis would like to highlight Chester County’s agricultural character by getting the local 4-H and Amish community involved.  Their goal is to continue to work to make Plantation a true “destination” for spectators, riders, and owners alike- even attracting international competitors, Denis says, because “the way to get competitive is to compete against those that are.” And the best part? The event is not going anywhere. Unionville and Chester Country are part of a huge land conservancy with strict anti-development codes, and according to Katie this is what sets Plantation truly apart.”Talk about something rare: On the Eastern Seaboard to have 30,000 acres of contiguous conserved and preserved acres of land—to never be changed—is something that isn’t going to exist in 10 or 20 years. This is a Mecca now, and it will be even more so in the future.” [The Chronicle]

Breaking news from across the pond today: Hickstead Derby winner Paul Beecher has had €20,000 worth of tack stolen from his yard. Beecher told Horse & Hound that his tackroom was cleaned out while he was out in a field filming for a television program. 14 saddles were taken, as well as all of his show bridles. The saddles included Prestige and Jaguar models, and some even have his name embroidered on them. Beecher, who is based in Ireland, thinks that the tack is probably in England by now, and is urging everyone to keep an eye out for any saddles that match his descriptions. [Horse & Hound]

Also over in England, Chinese Olympic eventer Alex Hua Tian tried his hand at hunter shows for the first time. He entered the National Hunter Show at Bury Farm with a five-year-old that he has also evented for owner Rosemary Penn, who wanted the mare to also get some traditional show ring experience. According to Alex, while hunter divisions are very much out of his comfort zone, he had a lot of help and advice from veterans along the way, and that prevented him from making “some terrible faux pas — my white numnah and black tack.” Substantial research by this blogger has revealed that a “numnah” is a saddle pad. Congrats to Alex. [Horse & Hound]

Nominations are now open for the The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award. The award was jointly established by the USEF and The EQUUS Foundation in 2009 in order to honor members of the equestrian community for humanitarian actions, specifically to ” spotlight and exalt the selfless dedication one individual or a group of individuals has made, whether on a regional or national scale.” The award is presented at the USEF’s annual Pegasus Awards Dinner in January, and the recipient will receive a $5,000 grant from The EQUUS Foundation to be awarded to the equestrian or horse-related charity of his or her choice. Nominations will be accepted through November 9. [Horse Channel]

You may remember the story of Rita Crundwell, a top quarter horse breeder who is accused of wire fraud and of stealing $US53 million from the city of Dixon, IL, where she worked as financial controller for 22 years. The two-day auction of her trucks, trailers, equipment, and seized horses took place over the weekend and brought in a whopping $4.78 million. This is on top of the $1.64 million raised in an online auction of 80 horses formerly owned by Crundwell that were spread over several states. The most expensive purchase of the weekend was that of world champion stallion Good I Will Be, who sold for $775,000 to a Canadian buyer. The money from the auctions is being held in a trust that will be turned over to the city of Dixon if Crundwell is convicted, or back to her if she is acquitted (minus the cost of caring for the horses since her arrest, which is estimated at $1.3million). She has pleaded not-guilty. [Horsetalk]

Weird news of the day: A Florida man is in jail after riding his horse down train tracks while intoxicated, forcing police to stop a train to avoid killing him. Apparently officers approached him before he reached the tracks, but he refused to stop and talk to them because he was on his way to his grandmother’s house. When they persisted, he galloped off and found his way to the tracks and proceeded to follow them. Eventually he dismounted and ran into the woods, where he was subsequently Tased and subdued. He has been charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest without violence, fleeing police, cruelty to an animal, and interfering with railroad equipment. [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs:

Team Wallace continues training for the Extreme Mustang Challenge.

Harriet Walker, a British rider who has just finished her A-levels, is taking a gap year before going to college to be a working student at Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris in Botswana. She leaves in three days and will be blogging about her experiences for Horse & Hound. Read her first entry here, and be jealous. 

Steve Haskin, editor of Blood Horse Magazine and a famed racing industry journalist/author, asked his daughter Mandy to write a guest post on his personal blog about her experiences growing up surrounded by many of the most famous racehorses of the past twenty years- among them Seattle Slew, Affirmed, John Henry, Mr. Prospector, Northern Dancer, and Secretariat. The coolest part of the blog is at the bottom, where Haskin has included photos of his young daughter and many of the four-legged legends. Click to read Mandy’s reflections and see the photos yourself.

That’s all for now EN, thanks for reading and enjoy your Wednesday!

A screenshot from HorseHub

Good morning EN! I have great news for all of you on the Apple bandwagon- the Talking Horse’s Dominic and Paul Tapner have officially launched the newest horsey app to hit iTunes.  Called HorseHub, according to its website it will feature audio and video training tips from the world’s top riders, reference materials from the world’s biggest equestrian brands, and entertainment content from the world’s best events and media companies. Paul Tapner had already recorded 3 hours’ worth of training videos (aptly called “Training With Taperz”) that are broken down into convenient chunks- so if you want to know how to jump a ditch, you can just download the video about jumping ditches, rather than have to search through a DVD that features two hours of dressage and gymnastic exercises before it gets to cross country. While the app itself is free, some individual videos do cost money- but think low prices, like $2-3. Dominic reports that Boyd will also be posting videos soon, and they are looking for more content from anyone that has something great to share. Read more on the HorseHub website.  [TalkingHorse] [App Store]

Michael Pollard wrote an analysis of the this year’s US Olympic performance for The Chronicle. He starts out by stating that his comments are in no way meant to detract from the performances of any of our top riders, and his main point is that at the moment our best is still not good enough.  As he notes, “Luck is nice to have, but it’s better not to depend on it.” He calls for several steps: a new selection process, more emphasis on detail in dressage, and having a horse that can be in the top five in every phase- not just two. He also suggests that one reason eventing sees so few elite riders emerge is that unlike other Olympic sports, there is little support for our athletes at the collegiate level. Pushing a program that supports collegiate riders could be an answer.  He also notes that his experience riding on the Pan Am team (which was picked farther out from the competition than the Olympic team) was wonderful, and that having time to build a team bond was extremely beneficial. Finally, he thinks that David will be a breath of fresh air to the program and that with patience and hard work, the US will be able to create a world-class team capable of finishing in the top three once again.  This is a long summary, but the article itself is really worth a read; Michael’s analysis is articulate, well reasoned, and insightful, and he does it all while never bringing down any of his friends and fellow competitors. [COTH]

Later this year Hickstead, Eric Lamaze’s world-class mount that sadly passed away at the height of his career last November at a competition, will be inducted into Jump Canada’s Hall of Fame. Attendees will honor Hickstead along with Ian Millar, this year’s only other inductee, at a black-tie ceremony in Toronto on November 4, nearly a year to the day after Hickstead’s death. This summer Ian Millar became the only athlete in any sport to ever represent his country at the Olympics an incredible 10 times. To honor his accomplishment Jump Canada is awarding him with a Hall of Fame trophy, even though it is usually reserved for athletes who have retired from competition. According to Mark Samuel, Chairman of the Jump Canada Hall of Fame, “Ian Millar and Hickstead have both served Canada on the international stage with great distinction, and we look forward to joining our community as it turns out in force to pay tribute to these two show jumping champions.” [Horsetalk]

Laura Kraut and Cedric are taking names in Switzerland, where they won one of the “most electrifying grand prixs of the Global Champions Tour season.” [COTH]

Police in Chicago are on the lookout for a burglar who freed 27 of the city’s 30 police horses on Saturday night. Lieutenant Paul Bauer told CBS Chicago, “They did not enter this to commit a theft; rather, they entered this to maliciously harm our horses.”  Two horses were injured, one in the eye after being apparently sprayed with a fire extinguisher, and the other in the flank and right leg, after apparently being struck with said fire extinguisher. [Horsetalk]

FLAIR has launched a new Master Class Video Series, this time featuring Phillip Dutton. The videos feature Phillip on a course walk at Rolex earlier this year. [USEA]

Good news or bad news, depending on your perspective: Morven Park has too many entries, and can’t accept any more at this time. [USEA]

Successful conservation efforts to save New Zealand’s endangered Przewalski’s horse are being held up as an example of how intervention can prevent extinction. The Zoological Society of London and the International Union for Conservation of Nature released an updated list of the world’s 100 most threatened species this week. [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs:

Amanda from Between Clever and Stupid reminds us that the last fence on course is just as important as all the others

Wallace Eventing has only four weeks left to train up Fledge for the Extreme Mustang Makeover Competition.

I leave you with a video of Mandiba and Karen blazing around the OI cross country at Seneca Valley last weekend, courtesy of Video by Patrick. Thanks for reading and enjoy your Wednesday!

Sinead, Allison, and Isib Powers arrived at Burghley yesterday. Image via @allisonspringer

Good morning EN! Today top horses and riders are descending upon Stamford, England for the first horse inspection at Burghley, commencing at 4PM. Americans Sinead Halpin, Allison Springer, Erin Sylvester, Kate Hicks, Will Faudree, Marilyn Little-Meredith, and Kristi Nunnink are all on the entry list (as was Sharon White, who unfortunately had to scratch Raffertys Rules earlier this week). The field also includes German team Olympic gold medalist Dirk Schrade, four members of New Zealand’s Olympic bronze medal winning team, and three of Britain’s silver team medalists. Horse and Hound will once again be running one of their popular live chats during competition, and yesterday the horse trials announced that their partnership with the BBC will continue this year. If you live in Britain you will be able to watch cross country highlights and show jumping from 3:15-5:15PM on September 2. Otherwise, you can watch individual rounds via Burghley TV, beginning on Thursday. Keep checking back for updates, photos, and more! [Horse and Country]

[Entry List]  [Official Site]  [Burghley TV Coverage]  [Horse and Hound Coverage Guide]

Found on Facebook, from Kristi Nunnink: “Wow hacked by Burghley house this afternoon amazing its so grand. The course looks wonderfully, footing couldn’t be better, perfect weather. Rosie really seems at her best looking forward to the weekend. Bruce got here before me its great to have someone with so much experience at this sort of thing. Randy gets here tomorrow.“

Horse and Hound also has enlisted 22 year old Burghley first-timer Emily Parker as an official blogger for the weekend, and her first entry went up yesterday. Emily is English but works with (and for) Ian Stark, and will be riding her 12 year old Trevor this weekend. Emily and “Trev” have been together for six years and, while he sometimes like to “show his belly on rather important occasions” such as in the middle of European dressage tests, he “has won [her] three gold medals, a place on the World Class program, the chance to go up and work for Ian Stark, and now a crack at [their] first four star.” Go Emily and Trev. [Horse and Hound]

The Paralympic Games officially kick off today with the opening ceremonies, and tomorrow the equestrian portion of the competition begins. Seventy-eight riders from 27 countries will compete on 77 horses for six days, from Thursday until next Wednesday, September 4. Riders are divided into five grades (Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, V) and two sets of medals are awarded in each division, as well as overall team medals. The age span of riders is similar to what is seen in the Olympics, ranging from Singapore’s 16 year old Gemma Rose Jen Foo to Canada’s 60 year old Eleonore Elstone. Britain’s Lee Pearson, the world’s most successful Para-Equestrian to date, will be competing this weekend as a favorite to win; his gold medal tally stands at an impressive nine, with three medals won at three different games. This year will be his fourth time at the games. [Horsetalk]

Lee Pearson isn’t the only British rider that is looking good for a medal at this year’s Paralympics- expectations are high for the entire team. Britain leads the overall medal count in Paralympic riding, and hopes that their dominance will continue this year even after a rule change means countries can only send five total riders, instead of the previous seven. Britain chose to send one rider from each grade, maximizing their changes of winning medals. Rider Sophie Christiansen, who won individual bronze in Athens and gold in Beijing, joked that the para riders were “not used to having to emulate” the able-bodied dressage team. The British team will be defending team gold, so it appears that they won’t have much trouble. [Horse and Hound]

The Olympic links just keep coming, this time all the way from Alaska. Heather Lende, Karen O’Connor’s sister-in-law, wrote about her experience at the games on dressage day, detailing the stresses of finding tickets, Britain’s democratic seating arrangements (no VIP for you, Princess Anne), and her attempt to engage Captain Mark Phillips in conversation.  “This is London,” she writes, “the city of royals and regular folks rubbing shoulders, with the Olympic games smack in the middle of all of it.” [Alaska Dispatch]

After earning three top 10 places at Haras du Pin (FRA), Karin Donckers has officially added the 2012 FEI World Cup™ Eventing championship title to her impressive list of honors. She is the first rider to win the title after scoring all her points at only one outing, finishing two points ahead of Swiss rider Felix Vogg. [Horse Canada]

Aspiring writers, take note: Equine Guelph, part of the University of Guelph, will be offering a 12-week online course on equine journalism. According to Barbara Sheridan, the course instructor, “this course takes the students’ passion for horses and provides them with the necessary tools to become published, not only in traditional media such as equine magazines and trade publications, but in the booming online sector as well.” Courses at the university run from September 10 to December 2, 2012. [Horsetalk]

Strange news of the day: A burger van exploded at National Pony Society Summer Show in Yorkshire, injuring eight people. Four were treated on show grounds, and four were taken to the hospital. It appears two propane tanks caused the explosion. [Horse and Hound]

Don’t feed the trolls: Jana Harris, a professor at the University of Washington, wrote a piece about dressage for the Slate Magazine. Harris and her husband breed dressage horses in the Cascade Mountains, and in the piece she talks about the labor and time it takes to train an upper level dressage horse.  Read the comments at your own risk, and bring the popcorn. [Slate]

Dunnabeck horse trials is accepting late entries. [USEA]

Correction: Seneca Valley PC HT did not actually close yesterday- they will be accepting entries through September 10. The farm will also be hosting a starter HT (pre-BN and BN) on September 23, and co-sponsoring a derby cross with the Potomac Hunt on September 30.  If you’re interested in some low-stress fun, check out their website for more information. [Seneca Valley]

For your viewing pleasure, here is a mash-up of Richland moments from our friends at Cavalor:

Thanks for reading EN! I leave you with a message from our friends at Horse Quencher, who work to make sure your horse gets to wherever you are headed hydrated and healthy:

Heading to AECs? Want to have your horse on film? Horse Quencher is looking for a few horses who need a drink. Email [email protected] to get on the schedule to have your horse featured on a YouTube video enjoying a drink of Horse Quencher. (Slurp slurp!) Also, if you want to WIN some Horse Quencher, register at the same booth for a daily gift basket giveaway, including product and cool swag from Horse Quencher, plus swag from MDBarnmaster and Jamco Trailers (couldn’t fit a barn or a trailer into an itty bitty basket. Darn.) See you there!

Cheers EN! This morning’s post is dedicated to Team Great Britain, who has officially nailed down a team medal in every equestrian event at the Olympics. This is a great year for Britain, and not just because one team rider is a member of the royal family, or that the country has earned its first gold in team dressage, or even because the Olympics are taking place on English soil. It is special because Britain’s riders have worked incredibly hard to get to where they are (as have all Olympians, don’t make any mistake) and their dedication and training has paid off. It’s impossible to disparage anyone for achieving their dream in the horse world, where one simple misstep can derail a career, and everyone at EN is sending lots of kudos and carrots across the Atlantic to our British compatriots. BEF Performance Director Will Connell posted the following quote from British Dressage team manager Richard Waygood about yesterday’s dressage win following the show jumping medal: “It’s absolutely fantastic – the showjumpers yesterday… well the whole of Team GB, it’s fantastic, it’s like a snowball falling down a hill, getting bigger and bigger. Great medal count, great for equestrian sport. Yesterday really egged these guys on for today, it’s a fairytale story.” Congrats GBR and British Equestrian! [Will’s Blog]

Today’s Olympic Trivia: The Brits are giving the Germans a run for their money in total equine dominance this year- right now the tally for team medals stands at two team golds and a team silver to just one team gold and silver. However, they have a ways to go, as the Germans have won at least two equestrian team medals at every Olympics since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and West Germany won at least two from 1968-1984, the years when the country competed as two separate entities. Actually, it might be easier for me to list the years when Germany (or some manifestation thereof) didn’t win at least two team medals: 1960 and 1920 (when Germans only won jumping and dressage team golds, respectively). This year is no exception, and from the looks of things the Germans aren’t going to come off their winning streak anytime soon.

When you put the IOC, FEI, talented athletes, and world-class horses in one small area, there is bound to be drama, and this week it reared its ugly head in show jumping. Yesterday you may have read that Canadian show jumper Tiffany Foster was disqualified on Monday after her horse, Victor, failed a hypersensitivity test when a small cut on his coronet band caused a positive reaction during the test. You also may have read that Eric Lamaze, her teammate and coach, felt that her disqualification was extremely unjust and unfair, because “within a period of perhaps six minutes, five people poked at this horse’s leg 50 times. Yes, he does have a little superficial cut… [but] this was a simple injury that would not have put this horse in danger in any way and would not have made her gain any advantage in the ring. In such a short period of time, without watching a horse jog, without taking him out of the stall, without assessing him in the warm-up ring—you can just come to a conclusion and say the horse is hypersensitive?” Yesterday Lamaze put his money where his mouth was and announced that he will no longer ride as a representative of Canada on any team until the Equine Canada retracts an official statement it made supporting the decision of the FEI and IOC and declares support for Foster. Lamze clarified that his ultimatum includes national teams he has already been named to at Spruce Meadows and the Sunshine Tour (Spain). So far there has been no official reply from Equine Canada, but keep checking back for more updates. [COTH]

More Olympic links:

The British take first Olympic Dressage medal ever. [COTH]

Emotional victory for the British in Team Show Jumping. [COTH]

H&H salutes Britain’s Golden Boys: “Sixty years it’s been since we last won a showjumping team gold and at times it seemed we might have to wait at least another 60. There has been much hand-wringing and soul-searching in the years between when, yet again, our showjumpers failed to make it on to the podium. But no more.” [Horse & Hound]

Horsetalk aggregated comments and reflections from dressage riders after the team finals. Fun fact: Carl Hester learned to ride bareback and on a donkey. [Horsetalk]

Horsetalk also wrote up an overview of hypersensitivity rules and testing procedures in the wake of Foster’s disqualification. [Horsetalk]

Back in the US:

Area II’s Rubicon Farm has hosted its final event. The November event for this year has been cancelled on the heels of the cancellation of the June event, and farm owners and organizers Eric and Sheryl Williams told the Chronicle that demands from work and travel have become so great as to prohibit them from running a successful event.  After a serious soul-searching, they have put the farm on the market. Sheryl is the full-time manager at Morven Park, another popular Area II event, and she is excited to move forward with “Morven Park’s ambitious new plan for the Equestrian Center, where she’ll oversee the implementation of a master plan, development and fundraising.” While it is sad to see one event disappear, it is very exciting to see that another may be expanding in its place- and if you’re looking for a farm with cross country jumps check out Rubicon. [COTH]

Shopping item of the day: the USEA Regatta polo is back in stock. [USEA]

Humane officers are in desperate need of information regarding six neglected horses that have gone missing from a property in Oregon. The horses are sought in relation to an ongoing animal cruelty case against their owner, who was cited in May after investigators found a dead horse on her property. It appears that the owner has taken them to a different location, as she has disappeared along with the horses. [Horsetalk]

The Humane Society has written a letter to the organizers of this year’s Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, outlining five propositions to prevent horse abuse in a sport widely known for painful and abusive training methods. The society has offered to work together with the organizers in order to implement the changes that it hopes will “curb horse abuse and ensure that the show competition could continue in a way that dramatically improved the public transparency and the welfare of horses.” [Horsetalk]

Best of blogs: Lauren Sprieser is inspired

Last but not least, our friends at Horse Quencher have a message for their rider Hawley Bennett, featured in the banner below. “Get well soon Hawley!! So glad you’re on the mend, and that our friend Ginny is doing fine. We look forward to seeing you in Normandy and Rio!”  EN echos their sentiments. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Photo swiped from Erin’s recap post– definitely the coolest shot I’ve seen so far!

Good morning EN! Can you believe the (eventing) Olympics are already over for another four years? The past few days have passed in a complete internet whirlwind that doesn’t seem to be slowing down even after the medal ceremony.  I’m still waiting for my boss to haul me in to ask why I was watching the live video feed instead of doing work for the past two days. Take it from an intern: you never look as sneaky switching tabs when you hear footsteps coming towards your desk as you think. And just when you thought your job was safe, the gymnastic finals begin…obviously this week will not be the most productive.

Kate did a good job rounding up most of the Olympic links in her afternoon post, but we have an update on Hawley Bennett straight from her Twitter account saying that she is resting well and will be released from the hospital tomorrow.  Big cheers for Hawley and fingers crossed for a quick recovery! [HBEventing]

Horsetalk picked up the news of Hawley’s improvement, and also posted an update on Ireland’s Portersize Just a Jif (Camilla Speirs’s mount), saying that he is resting comfortably under observation at the Olympic Veterinary Clinic. The horse suffered some bruising to his ribs and chest in the fall, and will be moved to another clinic to “make absolutely sure he is fine” tomorrow. Camilla was not injured in the fall. [Horsetalk]

General Olympic links:

The London Telegraph posted a video interview with Zara, who says she was relieved to win silver.

The Montreal Gazette’s Photo of the Day features Thailand’s only Olympic eventer, Nina Ligon

The USEA breaks down the final day

Never fear, dressage starts tomorrow!

Eventing has garnered itself quite a bit of mainstream media coverage in the past week on major media outlets, and surprise! not all of it is annoyingly uninformed or biased against equestrian sport. The New York Times posted an article yesterday that gave a nice picture of what it was like to attend cross country at Greenwich and explained the sport in layman’s terms, highlighting the fact that this year’s competition was of historic significance because of the setting (in the middle of the city, not 40 miles outside) and Britain’s rich equestrian tradition. While many in attendance were experts in equine affairs (one “lamented” that “Burghley is much harder”), the reporter also brought attention to eventing’s mainstream appeal. “We don’t speak posh like the horsy people,” one attendee told her. This article was followed by another that reported on the outcome of the team competition (can you find the KOC quote??)- and of course Zara’s royal connections. Big thumbs up for the NYT! [The New York Times]

Speaking of mainstream media coverage, another Rafalca story is brewing: and once again this one actually tries to be fair to horse sports and the athletes. In the wake of Stephen Colbert’s good-natured declaration that dressage would be the “Sport of the Summer,” and other less-good-natured reviews of the sport and the cost of Rafalca, owned by Anne Romney, NBC is attempting to set the record straight with a profile of Team USA and Jan Ebeling, Rafalca’s rider. NBC’s Health correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman, a dressage rider herself, will conduct the interview, which will be posted on the NBC olympic site. Dr. Snyderman is an amateur rider who has successfully competed through Prix St. Georges. [Horsetalk]

For those who follow the latest barn fashion trends, prepare to get out your credit card: Joules has launched an official Burghley 2012 collection of that includes polos, sweatshirts, hats, jackets, vets, and even silk scarves. If you are trying to save money, definitely don’t click on this link, and don’t even think about looking at the all-weather jacket. [Joules]

The USEA posted a nice wrap-up of the games, including quotes from all five US riders. Each evaluates their performance this weekend, and all seem to have come out of the experience a little wiser. At the end of the article, Karen gives her thoughts on what we need to do to bring our team up to international par: spend more time overseas. “It’s really important to spend time here and on the continent – the Germans have an incredible program. I know that in the United States we have the talent and horse power, we have the hunger but it’s still in my opinion slightly fragmented and it needs to all come together and utilize that talent and really get on a program with the best young talent and young riders and give them a way forward.”  [USEA]

Also from the USEA: Flair has renewed its AEC sponsorship for 2012. All riders will receive a Flair strip before cross country, applied at the Flair booth by a company representative. Top six finishers will take home Flair strips in their prize packs. Thanks to companies like Flair, our events stay funded and running- make sure to stop by the tent if you attend in September! [USEA]

The first 2012 case of West Nile has been reported in Stanislaus County in California. An two-year-old filly was diagnosed and subsequently euthanized. She was not vaccinated. [Horsetalk]

Equestrian Sports Psychologist Daniel Steward posted his sixth “Tip of the Month” for the USEA. This time, he highlights the importance of “mental multi-tasking.” [USEA]

Best of Blogs:

SmarkPak recaps the end of the Eventing, and gears up for dressage and show jumping.

The US Show Jumpers prepare for London- with ping pong.

The following video is also from the SmartPak blog, where Colby and Sarah are staying on their toes bringing us updates from across the pond. Thank you all for reading, happy live-streaming!

Good morning EN! Today one of my favorite events kicks off in Lexington, KY, at the Kentucky Horse Park: NAYRC. Young Riders, while not relevant to most of the adult eventing world, is the holy grail of competition for junior and young adult riders and an important stepping stone into the upper levels of our sport. Repping the US this year are seven one star teams and three full two star teams. I can’t get through this post without a special shoutout to the riders from my old stomping ground, Area V- the only area to supply two full teams (and individuals!), one at each level. I know all the riders competing this weekend have been preparing for many anxious months, and EN is sending lots good karma their way. Today the first jog commences at 3:00pm, and dressage beings Thursday morning.  Keep checking EN for further coverage! [US Teams] [Schedule]

The FEI broke down Olympic Eventing by the numbers in a final preview as we get down to the wire- just 10 days to go! 22 nations will compete for gold with 13 teams and 75 total competitors. This year Andrew Hoy will be matching Mike Plumb’s record for Olympic appearances, riding at his 7th games and vying for his fifth medal.  New Zealand’s Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson have been competing at Olympic level for 28 years. The Cross-Country course is approximately 5,700 metres in length. The time-allowed is 10 minutes and the maximum number of jumping efforts will be between 42 and 45. And last but not least, the USA holds the record for most Olympic team gold medals in Eventing – 4 in total, secured in 1932, 1948, 1976 and 1984. [FEI]

Our friend JER was kind enough to send over a link about the ground conditions at Greenwich Park, and big surprise, it’s going to be muddy. Lord Coe, the chairman of the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games, warns spectators to wear appropriate footwear, but long term forecasts tentatively predict better weather during the games themselves. As a last resort, Lord Coe says, there are extra days built in for the equestrian and rowing competitions should the weather deteriorate. [The Telegraph]

Horsetalk did a story about Nina Ligon, one of ten individuals representing a country that does not have a team in the Eventing portion of the Olympics. Nina was last year’s winner of the FEI’s HSBC Rising Star Award, and she hopes that she will inspire other Thai riders to follow their dreams. According to Nina, “to know I was selected from a pool of incredibly talented young equestrians gave me the confidence that I can hold my own on the competition field and the reassurance that I could make my goal of the London 2012 Olympics a reality.” She will ride Butts Leon, who won a team gold medal for Germany at the 2008 Olympics. [Horsetalk]

Wrapping up today’s Olympic news (at least until we get to the blogs) the USEA posted a breakdown of equestrian competitors that will compete in London. Whoever can name all the countries listed by their abbreviations without using Google or their smart phone gets a high five from me. [USEA]

California’s Tamra Smith had an unlucky fall at Rebecca Farm this weekend that resulted in a fractured fibula. After cross country Smith was leading the CCI** on Top Secret, but she fell from her CIC* mount Rafflasia Z after the horse spooked. The fall itself was insignificant, but Rafflasia Z kicked out and caught Smith’s leg once she was on the ground, breaking her fibula. Everyone at EN is wishing her a speedy recovery! [COTH]

Are you interested in becoming a Cavalor Champion? As a participant in the program, you will receive benefits ranging from discounts to promotional support, and in return you are asked to enthusiastically rep Cavalor products and feeds in participating states. One catch- you have to live in one of the following cities: Fairhope, AL; Archer, FL; Grayslake, IL; Hardwich, MA; Williston, SC; Sealy, TX; Benson, AZ; High Springs, FL; Lexington, KY; Walpole, MA; Camden, SC; Ashland, VA; New Port Richey, FL; Lake City, FL; Louisville, KY; Tryon, NC; or Chattanooga, TN. If you are interested, please email [email protected]. [Cavalor]

In the wild American West, this summer’s epic drought is causing problems for wild horse populations. Wild Horse Education predicts intervention will be necessary to help wild horses in parts of the Diamond herd management area in Nevada if the drought continues to last. Domestic overgrazing and fencelines that cut through the herd management area are compounding the problem, and Wild Horse Education founder Laura Leigh is calling for immediate action. “It’s plain and simple. Regardless of how we got here, we are here,” she said. [Horsetalk]

The kind of Action Leigh is calling for is already being taking in California, where the Bureau of Land Management is planning to relocate 12 wild horses to a water source within their herd management area. The horses are staying close to a water source that has dried up due to drought conditions in the Fox Hog Herd Management Area and their condition is deteriorating. The bureau has been trucking water in troughs to the herd, hoping that it would eventually move to the new water source, but since they have not the more drastic measure will be taken. The horses will be caught using a water trap and will be transported to a nearby with a constant water source and adequate foliage. [Horsetalk]

Weird news of the day: A virtual racehorse has been sold at a virtual auction for a very real $5,225. Digiturf.com, a virtual racing website where users maintain their own training operations and race their virtual steeds for real cash stakes. There’s even a $79,000 Championship Series. Five trainers started competing against each other in an aggressive bidding war that drove “Demonic Hamonic’s” price up to its impressive level. [Horsetalk]

Eventing isn’t the only horse sport suffering from the incessant rain in England. [Horse & Hound]

Best of Blogs:

Will Coleman is staying busy in England, “cranking out sets of one-handed push-ups in the driveway, Terrell Owens-style” with “Spartan Martin” and “Papa Phil” after daily morning runs. They also do yoga and ride a few horses. [Will Coleman Equestrian]

Need a horse? Courtney Cooper can help. Courtney is making lemonade from lemons after an injury sidelined her riding for the rest of the season, and she also looking for a new working student.  [C Square Farm]

CDP Stables posted a summer update for PRO. [PRO Blog]

Will Connell, the Performance Director for British dressage, showjumping, eventing, para-equestrian dressage, driving, endurance, reining and vaulting teams, is writing an eclectic blog about the Olympics. In his most recent entry, he describes the Olympic Village, volunteer uniforms, the drama surrounding hooking the horses to the athlete’s minibus, his dislike of anonymous internet forums, and odd construction projects around the park. [Will’s Blog and other thinkings from Equestrian Team GBR]

From Cavalor:

Finally I leave you with a word from Horse Quencher; thanks for reading, and as always have a wonderful Wednesday!

Water is the stuff of life. And being properly hydrated make all the difference in performance. In the words of Tiffany Clemons of Terra Wynne Stables, “I had to say thank you for existing. We recently went to a show and our horse stressed more than usual. He was sweating horribly and we were fearing he was going to colic badly. We tried to get him to drink and he wouldn”t touch it. Luckily we had picked up a few samples of Horse Quencher. We put them in a bucket and got him to drink almost 2 full buckets before he showed. He ended up taking his rider to champion that night! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!”

Doug Payne and Running Order will compete in the CIC** at the Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials this weekend.

You may be wondering why Michael Whitaker is our title headline today when he isn’t an eventer (in fact he is a British show jumper who has been nominated as a non-traveling reserve for the British Olympic team), but trust me, this one is a good one. So last Sunday Michael competed in the Aachen Grand Prix- and the night before he went out to the bar. Sounds like a normal horse show weekend, right? It was, until “after a few beers” Michael declared that he was “not going to stop riding, not until [his] name was on the winners’ board,” and promptly grabbed a marker and wrote his name on the winners’ plaque. Michael (or at least the beers) proved to have a sixth sense, because the next day he made good on his pledge and won the £350,000 class. Unfortunately for Michael, he was only half right, because he rode Beatrice Mertens’ GIG Amai instead of the mount he wrote in on Saturday evening- Totilas.  Hopefully the marker wasn’t permanent.  [Horse & Hound]

This weekend the Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials and CIC takes place up in New York, and today competitors begin arriving. Tomorrow the Novice and Beginner Novice divisions do dressage and cross country, and the remaining levels begin on Friday. There are some big names in the CIC**, like Rolex competitors Doug Payne and Running Order and Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries. Doug’s sister Holly Payne is also in the division, riding both Madeline and Santino. Good luck to all competitors this weekend! [Schedule] [Ride Times/Entries]

There is a lot of Olympic drama flaring up as final team selections are announced and the following are today’s headlines:

Two dressage riders lost appeals to the Court of Arbitration of Sport this week: Australia’s Hayley Beresford and the Dominican Republic’s Yvonne Losos de Muñiz, who along with the Dominican Republic Equestrian Federation after Brazil’s Luiza Tavares de Almeida was chosen as Latin America’s individual representative at the games. Hayley Beresford appealed after being named as a reserve rider, rather than as a team member. Both appeals were dismissed. [Horse & Hound]

Irish show jumper Denis Lynch is also considering an appeal, after being named as one of two riders to represent Ireland in London and then removed from the team. Lynch was told that he would no longer be going to the Olympics after he was disqualified in Aachen last week, when his horse Lantinus 3 failed a hypersensitivity test. According to Lynch, Latinus sustained a minor injury on his left fore and right hind during competition earlier in the week, and on Friday was found to have “increased sensitivity” and subsequently disqualified. A meeting at the Dublin Airport between Lynch and Horse Sport Ireland yesterday resulted in Lynch being dropped from the squad. HSI confirmed the meeting to Horse & Hound, and said, “The group was unanimous in its concerns at the number of horses Denis Lynch had had disqualified for hypersensitivity in the previous 12 months and these concerns were not allayed at the meeting.” [Horse & Hound]

And on that note, Cian O’Connor has been named to take the place of Denis Lynch at the London Olympic Games. O’Conner was stripped of the individual gold medal after the 2004 games due to a drug offense, and he has been working to get back to the games for the past eight years. [Horsetalk]

In a tragic turn of events, Saudi show jumper Khaled Al Eid’s ride Presley Boy has developed colic and laminitis and is in intensive care in Holland. Presley Boy became ill the night of July 5 and has been in the hospital since then. Yesterday Saudi Arabia announced their team, and Al Eid and Presley Boy were not on the list. However,Al Eid was one of the two Saudi riders suspended by the FEI in May after their horses tested positive for Bute, and a Saudi spokesman said that because of the recent controversy Al Eid was not a sure thing for the team even before Presley Boy became sick. [Horse & Hound]

The German Dressage team has a decidedly new look this year, as all three riders are making their Olympic debut. Multi-Olympic gold medal winner Isabell Werth did not make the squad, and she declined to take the first reserve spot. [Horse & Hound]

The German show jumping team was also announced this weekend, after several hiccups during the selection process: Marco Kutscher was a shock omission after a below-par performance in Aachen, dropping 4 rails in Sunday’s Grand Prix. This comes on the heels of Ludger Beerbaum ruling himself and top horse Gotha FRH out of selection,  saying that the mare is not fit enough to compete. Finally Carsten-Otto Nagel withdrew Corradina before Aachen due to a tooth problem. The pair were team gold medalists both at WEG in 2010 and at the European championships in Madrid in 2011. Even without the omissions, the team is still looking like a strong competitive force in London. [Horse & Hound]

Dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu will be the oldest Olympic competitor. At 71, he will compete for Japan. [DW]

Onto the rest of your links:

On Monday morning COTH contributor Sarah L. Greenhalgh is suspected to have died in a fire at her house. Firefighters saw smoke around 8am and after putting out the flames found a body they suspect to be Greenhalgh in a bedroom. According to the fire department, the fire appeared to be “suspicious” in nature and they are investigating the cause. Our hearts go out to Greenhalgh’s family and friends, as well as the staff at The Chronicle as they mourn the loss of their colleague. Rest in peace Sarah. [COTH]

Andrew Nicholson will ride against top Irish jockey Robbie Power in the Amlin Plus Eventing Grand Prix at Hickstead next week. Last year, Nicholson placed third in the event, and this will be Power’s first year competing. Don’t let that make you think he’s a rookie though- the son of Irish show jumper Con Power, Robbie Power won the Grand National in 2007 and before switching to racing was a professional show jumper. [Horsetalk]

Britain’s biggest police horse, topping the charts at 19 hands, is retiring. [Horsetalk]

Over seventy days of competition have been lost due to rain in Britain this year, and accordingly Blenheim is relaxing the qualifications for the BE100 challenge later in the year due to this year’s weather patterns. [British Eventing]

Several women will attempt to break the record for the highest sidesaddle  jump at the Leaping Ladies competition at the National Showing and Showjumping Show at Aintree later this month. Among the mounts will be a former three star eventer-turned-foxhunter and a borrowed grand prix jumper. [Horse & Hound]

Best of blogs:

Sara Gumbiner was first loser at Maryland last weekend

Laine Ashker recaps Rolex, Jersey, and her summer.

Dear Competitor, I am your fence judge

I leave you with a Rebecca Farm preview. Thanks for reading, EN, and enjoy your day!

Good morning EN! Today I am excited to introduce the newest inductee to eventing’s (Irish) blogging sphere, Power Eventing’s head groom Emily Dunn. Esib Power will be at Barbury competing for a spot on the Irish Olympic squad with September Bliss (“Seb”). Emily’s first post, “Harry Potter and the Tentative First Blog,” covers her decision to be a groom (made while she was riding with Paul Tapner, after realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Mary King and learning that she was “blessed with OCD, military style organization skills and a love of well turned out horses”) and taking the plunge from being part of a team to leading the charge at Power eventing.  Currently Esib and Emily are based at Maizey Manor Farm, where they will remain until winter when they head back to Esib’s home in Ireland and the comfort of an indoor arena. They will be heading to Barbury with six horses. Go Power Eventing. [Anecdotes by Emily]

Sinead Halpin wrote a new blog post for the Chronicle and talks about why she chose to forgo Bromont in favor of giving Tate more time to settle into a routine in England before Barbury. Apparently she was ready to head to Bromont until she got home from Rolex, found herself with a very fit horse, and decided at the last minute to run at Jersey instead. She also gives readers a sage piece of advice: ultimately, it’s all on you. “There’s no point in blaming your result on the weather, the coach, the final warm-up, the saddle or 100 other things… When your feet are in the irons, the responsibility is yours.” [The Chronicle]

Veteran dressage rider Anky van Grunsven has been once again named to the Dutch dressage team, riding Salinero. She will head to London along with Edward Gal and Adelinde Cornelissen. This is Anky’s seventh consecutive Olympics and 18-year-old Salinero’s third. They will be defending individual gold and team silver. [Horse and Hound]

The only female rider with the potential to ride for Saudi Arabia at the Olympics is out of the running due to horse injury. 20-year-old Dalma Rushdi Malhas would have been the first female rider for Saudi Arabia to ever go to the games. Earlier this year Malhas spoke at the IOC Women and Sport conference in Los Angeles and said, “I cannot yet compare myself to the riders of the Saudi first team, but I am determined to give my best to reach their level one day, and prove that all women athletes, all over the world, should be given equal opportunities.” Go Dalma. [Horsetalk]

Going to Young Riders? HorseShow.com is offering free judging of a test ride video to all eventing and dressage riders headed to NAYRC.  Submit a video of your test to HorseShow.com and international international dressage judge and renowned eventing dressage coach Natalie Lampinge will judge your ride. In addition, any area or region team that submits at least three individual riders’ videos to HorseShow.com will receive $500 towards their travel expenses for NAYRC. Videos must be submitted by July 15. [USEA]

Ohio’s Gemwood Horse Trials has been cancelled due to the heat, drought, and lack of entries. On Gemwood’s website, organizer Laura Beaver wrote, “With entries slow to come in, I am unable to make the necessary financial commitments that must be made in order to host the horse trial.” She announced the decision in advance of the closing date so that riders can potentially still enter other events. Riders who did enter will be given a full refund. [COTH]

Today on Horse Nation: Confessions of a former USEF Drug Testing Assistant. [Horse Nation]

Nutwell Court Horse Trials in England has a record number of entries, most likely due to the high number of cancellations due to rain this spring. 470 horses will compete over July 3 and 4. According to organizer John Colson, they are absolutely delighted. Fingers crossed for sunshine! [British Eventing]

21-year-old British jockey Campbell Gillies, winner of the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, died on Monday while on vacation in Greece. He was there with fellow jockeys. Gillies was based in Scotland and rode for Lucinda Russell, who posted the following statement on her  website: “He was a much loved, popular and respected member at Arlary House, and it is so hard to lose part of our ‘family’. Our hearts go out to his mother Lesley, brother and sister Finlay and Rita.” Rest in peace, Campbell. [Horse and Hound]

In England, six horses were rescued from neck-high flood waters after a river burst its banks. [Horse and Hound]

Best of Blogs:

Silva rode in the PVDA Ride for Life

As did Lauren Sprieser

SmartPak’s newest “Ask the Vet” installment

Finally, there aren’t any new videos floating around the internet, so I am posting a Buzzterbrown throw back- specifically from the 2007 Morven Park Advanced. Enjoy your Wednesday, and thanks for reading.

Meghan O'Donoghue & Pirate earlier this year, winner's of the Intermediate at Surefire

Good morning EN! This weekend there were nine events around the country, ranging from Oregon and Utah to New York. I want to give a shout out to Inavale Farm, which hosted a classic training three day event this weekend. I was lucky enough to do the classic three day at Midsouth in 2007 and it’s great to see farms still hosting the long format. Obviously it takes a lot of time and a lot of volunteers to put on, so major kudos to all the organizers, volunteers, and farm staff at Inavale who made the commitment to run it. Aimee Allen and Balou II took home first place, followed by Olivia Chandler and TGIF. Devin Robel and Manxome won the Intermediate division, and Maya Black had a great weekend, winning both Preliminary division with Don’t Play Fair and The Perfect Crime. [Inavale Farm]

At Shepherd Ranch HT, Pam Fisher also had a double win, taking home the blue in the Preliminary and Training divisions. Sydney Johnson won the Junior/YR Training division with Cruise Control. [Shepherd Ranch HT]

Katie Eckert and Sassaparilla Kid won OP-1 at Midsouth Pony Club, and Jesslyn Woodall on Thunderstruck the OP-2. In our third double whammy of the weekend, Marty Whitehouse won the Training and the Open Novice-1 divisions with Uliza Jane and Be Grateful. [Midsouth PC]

At Great Vista Farm HT Joa Sigsbee and Kestrel won the P/T, and Nancy Hathaway and Kings Knight won the Training. Julie Peterson and Totally Timothy won the Beginner Novice, and my award for best show name of the week. [Great Vista Farm]

At Surefire HT, Meghan O’Donoghue and Pirate won a large Intermediate division, besting 29 others with double clear stadium and cross country rounds. Buck Davidson and Copper Beach won the OP-A, and Jennifer Simmons and Lestaire the OP-B. Heather Johnson and The Manx Man won Junior Training-B, and both Jennie Brannigan and Lauren Kieffer one-two’ed their divisions, OT-A and OT-B. [Surefire]

Finally, at Abbe Ranch HT, Hailey Rich and Kingfisher II won the IP,  Rochelle Costanza and Lionhart the OP, and Ella Algermussen and Balius the Training. [Abbe Ranch]

Other events:

Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T. (IL) [Website] [Live Scoring]

Golden Spike H.T. (UT) [Website]

Encore H.T. (MI) [Website]

Onto your links:

The top story of the morning involves a beautiful movie superstar and a new farm in LA, and no it’s not a new reality show. Gwyneth Paltrow is living out all of our dreams on her new farm located in Los Angeles’  Mandeville Canyon. She bought it together with her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin for $10.5 million,  and the property includes an 8000 square foot mansion, along with “lush landscaping, sprawling lawns, well-established trees, a stables and a pasture.” Hopefully more than one pasture. [Horsetalk]

Britain has announced its dressage team for London: Two veteran riders, Carl Hester and Richard Davison, and two younger riders: Laura Bechtolsheimer and Charlotte Dujardin. While the latter two are young, they are anything but inexperienced. Earlier this year Dujardin broke the British record in the Grand Prix Special test at Hagen in May, scoring 88.022%, and Bechtolsheimer also bettered her own British Grand Prix Freestyle record, scoring an impressive 87.60%. The team is looking for a strong showing, and Team GB Equestrian Team Leader Will Connell said it is as exciting a squad as Britain had ever taken to an Olympic Games. [Horsetalk]

Tiana wrote a blog about being named to the US short list, and it’s no surprise she’s excited. She has had Ringwood Magister, also known as “Finn,” for seven years, and after a year of competing in England, she is  feeling more competitive than ever. While she is hoping for a strong performance at Barbury Castle to secure her ticket to London, as she writes, “All I can do at this time is keep Finn as safe and healthy as possible and trust in our preparation to this point.  Of course it never hurts to cross your fingers, hope and pray, and be partial to a few superstitions!” [Tiana Courday Eventing]

Boyd has been providing regular updates from England, where the short list horses did conditioning on Saturday. From the looks of the photos, the rolling English countryside is a beautiful background to the riders’ final training days before Barbury. Boyd writes that all horses are feeling fine after traveling and looking good for their final outing next week. [Boyd’s blog]

Two famous Olympians are going to have a baby: two famous equine Olympians.  Via embryo transfer, Tim Stockton’s Beijing mare Fresh Direct Corlato will be the mother of a foal by Peppermill. Peppermill was present at the Beijing games, but he missed the first round due to stiffness and was not eligible for the second. Fresh Direct Corlato had her first foal after being retired due to sustaining a tendon injury at Calgary in 2009. [Horsetalk]

Best of blogs: Blue Clover Eventing took part in a Ride for Life this weekend.

That’s all for now, EN, thanks for reading and happy Monday!

Colleen and Shiraz last fall at Burghley, courtesy of Nico Morgan.

Good morning EN! I hope the first half of your weekend has been as lovely as Colleen Rutledge’s- yesterday she was the only American rider to complete the four star cross country course at Luhmuhlen. Colleen and Shiraz skipped around with just eight time faults and lie in 16th going into show jumping. To give you perspective on how tough the course was, Colleen moved up 21 places after day one. 14 horses were eliminated, retired, or withdrawn from the competition on Saturday, including Boyd and Ying Yang Yo. According to Boyd, Thomas seemed to be having breathing troubles and Boyd decided to pull him up after an uncharacteristic stop at fence 19. Jules Stiller did not have the best day, with an unlucky fall in the four star on Chapel Amble  and forty jump penalties picked up on her three star ride, Enjoy Me. Tomorrow the horse inspection begins at 8am with the three star, and the four star will follow. The four star jumps at 1:30 (7:30am EST), and the competition will be broadcast live on FEI TV. Good luck Colleen! [Luhmuhlen Schedule] [Leaderboard] [FEI TV]

Weekend events:

Seneca Valley HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Silverwood Farm HT: [Website]

Lost Hounds HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Round Top HT: [Omnibus]

Full Gallop HT: [Website]

Bucks County HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Larkin Hill HT: [Website]

The rest of your links:

We have a final list of riders for dressage

Did you know Michael Jung won his first four star?

Seriously, just give him the medal already.

Steffen Peters had a great weekend.

Lulu Kyriacou makes a good case for why the FEI needs to clarify the rules on visible blood before the Olympics, when the world will be watching eventing.

Horses seized by the federal government may be a headache for taxpayers.

Competitions are still being cancelled because of rain in England.

A 560-mile marathon ride in honor of the Queen’s Jubilee raised ￡7,500 for charity.

Best of blogs:

Boyd reviews his decision to walk home with Thomas

Fox Covert Farm’s Luhmuhlen report

Blue Hill Farm’s dressage selection trials report

Today I have not one but TWO videos from Luhmuhlen for your viewing pleasure; the first video is of the CIC***, and the second from the CCI****. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

A photo from last year’s CCI***. See the 2011 course jump-by-jump here.

Good morning EN! It’s that time of year again: we can start the final countdown to Bromont today.  Riders are already traveling from all corners of the US to get to the competition- including Michael Pollard and Hani. Yesterday Pollard Eventing tweeted the news that Michael, Hani, and Kate are on their way to Canada and “looking forward to getting back into competition.” It will be great to see Michael back in the tack. Two days ago John posted about the entry list and Olympic implications of the weekend- with nearly every top rider in North America en route to Quebec it’s going to be a close competition. Keep checking back for updates! [Bromont Entries] [Website]

Across the pond with two phases complete at Tattersalls, William Fox Pitt and Bay My Hero lead the CCI*** by a solid seven points over Polly Stockton and Westwood Mariner. In the CCI** Australia’s Chris Burton is in the lead with Underdiscussion, followed by Kiwi Tim Price and Wesko.  Northern Ireland Equestrian News is also running a live audio stream that will give commentary throughout show jumping. [Results] [Website] [Audio Live Stream]

The rest of your scores:

Colorado CCI  [Scores] [Website]

GMHA June Horse Trials:  [Scores] [Website]

Poplar Place Farm June HT: [Scores] [Website]

Waredaca Horse Trials: [Scores] [Website]

Indiana Eventing Assoc. T3D Event & HT: [Website]

Onto your links:

Help Rebecca Howard get to London by buying something from her online action

High Performance Sport New Zealand has given the Olympic eventing team $1.25 million to aid their quest for a medal.

William Fox Pitt is having a good weekend at Tattersalls

And he’s out to defend his title.

The USEA posted a video tour of the Colorado CCI cross country course

The Germans are looking strong in the CIC*** this weekend at Poland’s Strzegom Horse Trials

Francis Whittington posted a helmet cam video

Ian Stark took in seven wild ponies and trained them with the help of local college students

Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) has been named the recipient of the 2011 Equine Industry Vision Award.

Jim from FLAIR talks about FLAIR strips being banned for the Belmont

Nine polo ponies were saved from a burning stable at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club

Leaving you with a video of Canada’s famous “Mounties,” who traveled to England to participate in Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee festivities.

Thanks for reading EN, enjoy your Sunday.

Michael and Icarus at Rolex. Heather McGreer Photo.

Good morning EN! I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend and had a lovely Memorial Day. However, I cannot get through my introduction without expressing EN’s heartfelt condolences once again to the family of Dr. Craig Ferrell and the entire Pollard Eventing team, both of whom suffered tragic losses over the weekend. Dr. Craig Ferrell, a USEF Team Doctor and eventing vet, fell while playing polo on May 23 and succumbed to his injuries yesterday morning. Read John’s post for a memorial information and a full statement from his loving family.  [Farewell Dr. Ferrell] [USEF Press Release]

As you have probably read by now, on Friday tragedy struck Pollard Eventing when a trailer accident took the lives of Ulando, Icarus, and Jude’s Law. This is an absolutely crushing loss and no words can ease the pain that the Pollards, owners, and staff are feeling, and everyone at EN continues to send our thoughts and condolences their way.  Michael and Nathalie are doing their best to find the bright side of the situation, and posted a gracious message on their Facebook today: “Although we are licking our wounds and are deeply hurt, I also have to be thankful for what we do have. No people were hurt, and we are incredibly fortunate in so many other ways in life. Especially when you consider what today is really a memorial for, you are forced to realize that, while our pain is real and the events are tragic, our lives are blessed, and our problems are luxury problems. Thank you again for helping us through one of the darkest periods of our lives. Love to all and in memory of our buddies who we lost: Michael and Nathalie.” Lots of EN karma directed their way. [Pollard Eventing]

Boyd and Neville have been featured in an NBC Olympic blog. It is nearly the one year anniversary of the night that the True Prospect fire took the lives of six horses, and Boyd’s final quote in the piece reflects the journey so far: “It’s hard. There are some days when I think I’m through the worst of it…but it’s something you don’t forget about. It’s something you think about every day. And every day gets a bit easier. It’s like anything else. You go through something horrific and it always stays with you. But you either let it defeat you, or you move on and push forward and look toward the future.” [NBC Blog]

The weather in England continues to do its best to derail the entire eventing season, and David Broome’s famous Cricklands Equestrian Center pulled out all the stops to make last weekend’s Mount Ballan Horse Trials successful. Just one week before, the fields in Wales were completely underwater, but according to Eventing Worldwide the going was “surprisingly perfect.” Oliver Townend had four rides in the Novice (Prelim) and there was a “surprise round by Lucy Wiegersma, a potential Olympian on her 2012 Badminton ride.” [Eventing Worldwide]

Bad news from Stuart Tinney: his best horse, Panamera, is out of the Olympic running with an injury. Fingers crossed for a quick and complete recovery! [Weekly Times]

Zara Phillips is doing the unthinkable: she’s actually missing Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee river pageant. And in the spirit of a true horseman, she’s going to an event instead. According to her spokesman, she will be missing the June 3 event, which will include more than 1,000 vessels, because she is still seeking to qualify for the Olympics because of all the cancelled events this season. [M & C]

We all know that competitor parties can get rowdy, but two eventers at the Subaru Houghton International Horse Trials went a little past the line last weekend. In an incident that took place on Saturday night, one rider was injured and two more were arrested on suspicion of assault. Both were questioned and released on bail on Sunday. According one of the accused, it was a case of “being in the place at the wrong time.” The other told Horse and Hound that he felt things had “been blown out of proportion.” Both said they could not comment further. [Horse and Hound]

The weekend at Houghton went better for Piggy French, though not so well for William Fox Pitt. Leading all the way through the first Nations Cup competition, Fox Pitt had the win in hand until the very last, literally the very last, when he jumped the wrong final fence in show jumping. Piggy jumped double clear with Jakarta for the win. French’s win ensured the home team of herself, Mary King, Francis Whittington and Sarah Cohen took first place in the team event. [Norwich Evening News]

Need an event prospect? Bid on Headley Britannia’s foal, Britannia’s Jewel (Ruby), by Grafenstolz. The auction is online and opened yesterday and will run until 9:30pm on Tuesday, June 10. Bidders are required to register before placing a bid. [Horse and Hound]

Nominations are now being accepted for the FEI Best Groom Award. [The Horse] [FEI Awards]

Win a signed copy of Mark Todd’s new book! Send the answer to the following question to [email protected] by June 15: “In what year did Mark Todd win his first Badminton title?” [British Eventing]

The really well-trained genius horse Lukas has been featured in The National Enquirer. From the article: “He 19-year-old chestnut thoroughbred sits and fetches on command, nods his head yes and no, realizes when something is missing and recognizes himself in a mirror. What’s more, he can read numbers and spell!” [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs: Havarah equestrian has been busy

That’s all for now EN, thanks for reading. Enjoy your Tuesday!

The happy couple!

Good Morning EN! Today I have the honor of telling you all to break out the champagne, because last night at an Olympic fundraiser Tik Maynard and Sinead Halpin formally announced that they are engaged! Sinead and Tik have been dating for several years and got engaged earlier this week on vacation in the Bahamas.  They are a wonderful match and everyone at EN is so proud and overjoyed for the both of them. Now we just have to  get John to stop tearing up long enough do to a live blog of the wedding. Big congrats to Sinead and Tik! Watch the video below to hear Tik’s announcement.

This is an exciting morning, as the riders at Samur head out onto the cross country course at 10am, which equates to 4am EST with the six-hour time difference. Even more exciting is that there is a live feed of the cross country that can be accessed from the Samur home page. Luckily for US viewers, the CIC** will ride first, and the first CCI*** pair, Jules Stiller and Enjoy Me, doesn’t leave the start box until 2pm, or 8am EST.  US rider Tiana Coudray, who is sitting in second place after dressage, goes at 3:48 (9:48 EST) and Jules goes on her second ride, Chaple Amble, at 5:08 (11:08 EST).  A link to a PDF of cross country times can be found on official leader board. [Dressage Results]

There are a lot of events happening at home this weekend: good luck to all riders, whether at home or abroad!

NWEC May Classic [Website] [Times/Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills [Website] [Scores]

Otter Creek [Website] [Scores]

Feather Creek [Website] [Times/Scores]

Greater Dayton Horse Trials [Website] [Times/Scores]

Kelly’s Ford [Website] [Scores]

CCC Spring Gulch HT [Website]

Fair Hill [Website] [Scores]

Hitching Post Farm HT [Website] [Times/Scores]

Kent School May HT [Website]

And the rest of your links:

Nicholson is the best Kiwi after dressage at Samur.

But Laura Collete beat him (and everyone else) to take the lead after dressage.

Emily Cammock and Dambala lead the CCI*** division after dressage at New Zealand’s NRM National Three-day Event at Taupo.

Help Sharon White get to Burghley by participating in Last Frontier Farm’s fourth annual JUMP! derby-style event.

Blyth Tait will probably not go to the Olympics

The USEA has relaunched the Ride Share Program.

British events are still being cancelled due to rain

Toklat saddle pads have been designated “The Official Saddle Pad of the United States Equestrian Federation.”

Get a “Keep Calm and Carry On Riding” sweatshirt from Horse and Hound

Sapphire retires

Young British dressage rides will now have the opportunity to work as formal, government funded apprentice for a dressage professional.

Insane link of the day: An Arabian spooked during a California beach photo shoot and swam over two miles out to sea. He was rescued by the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol and coastguard, and is reportedly uninjured.

And here is the video of Tik’s announcement:

Thanks for reading EN, enjoy your Saturday!