Networking.

Good morning EN! The big news today comes from across the pond, where Oli Townend has taken over Armada’s reins from Andrew Nicholson. Armada is a proven four star horse with several impressive finishes- last year he placed 10th at Luhmulen for the second year in a row and in 2008 was 8th at Burghley. He has completed seven four stars over the course of his career, and Nicholson has given up the ride because he can’t guarantee Armada a start at Badminton this year (don’t forget he has five other horses qualified). Armada hasn’t been consistent enough in dressage to secure a top four star placing, but according to Nicholson “if anyone can develop a good partnership with him, it is Oliver. It is in all our interests that he goes well.” Since it is an Olympic year, it’s important to mention that because the horse was being ridden by a New Zealand rider at the end of last year, he must be ridden by a Kiwi in order to compete at the games in August. Congratulations Oliver! [Horse and Hound]

I know you’re not sick of Valentine’s day yet! Oh you are? Well this is worth reading anyway- the Chronicle’s newest blogger, Devon D’Angelo, inaugurated her “Life and Times of a Single Equestrienne” column with a post that takes you through high school and beyond as a horse enthusiast looking for love in an unforgiving world. We have all been there- that awkward silence when you mention something about manure, or that glazed over look you get when you give a 10 minute lecture on why we body clip horses in the winter (not that I’ve ever done that, especially not on a date, especially not on Valentine’s day). Regardless of whether you’re single or taken, you can appreciate the universal humor that comes out when a relationship collides with four legs and a saddle. [COTH]

Remember last week, when we linked to the story announcing that the famous diving horses were coming back to Atlantic City, NJ? An onslaught of public criticism, including an online petition that gathered thousands of signatures against resumption of the act, has caused the owner of Steel Pier Associates to scrap the idea completely. Intense opposition came from both horse lovers and welfare professionals, like US Humane Society president Wayne Parcelle. Parcelle wrote a scathing blog post about the resumption of diving activities before the pier company announced yesterday’s decision. Kudos to Steel Pier Associates for making the right choice. [Horsetalk] [Humane Society Blog]

Nina Ligon isn’t the only rising star on the Thai equestrian scene: last weekend Thailand sent three riders to Singapore to compete in the CSIY-B (on borrowed horses no less) where they won team and individual silver medals. The country is only going up in the world of equestrian sports; last year Thailand had the second highest medal total in equestrian sports at the South East Asian Games, and will be one of three countries (the others being Malaysia and Indonesia) to host three legs of the region’s FEI World Cup Jumping  tour. [Horsetalk]

The 25th Annual Auction and Dinner for Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center raised over $500,000 last Friday to benefit the program. There are 22 horses at Vinceremos and by the end of the night all had been “adopted” by a sponsor who will pay for their care for the next year.  The auction included items such as roundtrip private airfare and overnight stays in Vail, New York, and Spain. Executive director Ruth Menor hopes to use the money on horse care, expanding their stables, and building new therapy rooms so more students can participate. Go therapeutic riding. [Horsetalk]

In the wake of Friday’s KESMARC tragedy, Haygard Equine Medical Institute has announced that it will shut down its hyperbaric chamber until further notice. While Haygard’s safety record is “impeccable” the hospital plans to review safety protocols and procedures with the chamber’s manufactures. [The Horse]

The NZ Dressage Extravaganza will host an English v. western riding showdown next month. The entire thing will be set to music and will feature Western Riding World Youth Games Silver Medalist Josh Robins and Olympic Team Dressage Qualifier Shiwon Green. Proves once again that New Zealand knows how to throw a party. [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs:

Paul Tapner for Badminton

Photo gallery from last week’s Aiken training sessions

Lauren Shannon preps for British training sessions

I leave you with a video of Clark and Loughan Glen’s floaty Ocala test:
 

Repeat photo in honor of the fact that it’s finally supposed to snow up north today.

With all the buzz flying around about what’s “wrong” with eventing, riders, and horses in the past few years, it can be hard to keep track of the theory du jour for how to fix the “problem” (or even what the problem actually is).  Regardless of what the buzzword of the day is, I think we can all agree we have to have a solid horse underneath us for a chance of success. Therefore we  can all appreciate William Micklem’s thought-provoking article for The Chronicle about the importance of breeding the event horse. No, not a failed show jumper, or an excitable dressage horse that gets relegated to the jump ring, but actual eventers, horses that have the “all-round qualities” that eventing calls for. One major point Micklem addresses is the green one: we all know stud fees for a some show jumpers are priced higher than what we paid for our trained horses. He also talks about the importance of being a well-rounded rider in order to produce the jack-of-all-trades horse we need. Finally, and most interestingly in my opinion, he lists the eight modern horses that “have scored 80 percent or better in the dressage at four-star level, made a four-star cross-country look like a Pony Club course, and jumped so easily that a 1.60-meter fence would be no difficulty.” Three of them have ties to German Thoroughbred stallion Heraldik xx, who didn’t even have a good stud rating by German standards. Food for thought. [COTH]

While on the topic of breeding, it is only appropriate to also mention the plight of the unwanted horses around the country. The recent resumption of slaughter inspections has brought the issue to the forefront of the horse community and now American Veterinarian Medical Association member Nat Messer is calling for more demographic information about the horses that end up in the auction ring and slaughter house. He points out that while ex-racing thoroughbreds are singled out as unwanted, thoroughbreds only account for roughly 10% of all horses that are slaughtered. Messer hopes that by asking questions about the age, sex, and breeding of unwanted horses the AVMA will be able to better target the source of the unwanted horse problem. According to two national surveys conducted by the American Horse Council, the issue has grown significantly in the past three years, primarily due to economic stress. One of Messer’s final points is that the problem won’t go away if slaughter is banned- it’s up to us to protect the welfare of these unwanted horses no matter where they end up. [Horsetalk]

While we are talking about discussions, Penn Vet will be kicking off its third annual open lecture series at the New Bolton Center on March 6 with a talk about “suspensory ligament disease in the performance horse.” The “First Tuesday” lectures happen on the first Tuesday of every month (get it??) and are one hour long followed by Q&A sessions with the clinician. The Chronicle has posted a schedule of all dates and times for the year.  If you live in the Philadelphia/West Chester area this is a great resource to use and is growing in popularity every year. And it’s free! Go Quakers!! [COTH]

PRO’s Junior Training Scholarship is back again! This summer the 2011 recipients will be working with Amy Tryon, Hawley Bennett-Awad, Marcia Kulak, and Jan Byyny. 2012 winners will be chosen by PRO observers at the end of the year. Observers will score riders with a point system at events throughout the season.The two top point earners on both the East and West coasts will win a scholarship that includes one week of full training with Will Faudree, Marcia Kulak, Amy Tryon, or Shannon Lilley. Let the competition begin! [USEA] [PRO]

Wylie, in typical fashion, has found the absolute weirdest horse product of the day. Want an shirt that says “I’ve got the hooves like Jagger?” You’re just one click away. [Horse Nation]

China’s Alex Hua Tian is on the hunt for an Olympic qualification and it’s a tough one. In order to qualify he will have to be ranked in the top 13 of the FEI standings. 10 of those places are currently held by Australians, and he will need a minimum of 190 points to even have a shot. Prior to last weekend he had 58. Even so he is confident, and that confidence is underscored by the fact that he won his first target event in Spain, the Dos Hermanas CIC***. [Eventing Worldwide]

Rest in peace Lloyd Milton McKnight, who, among many other things, was a dedicated eventing volunteer. In 1996 he oversaw the volunteer timers during the Atlanta Olympics and timed his last competition at the AECs last September. EN sends sincere condolences to his family. [The Citizen]

Best of Blogs: (there are a lot of good ones today)

Lauren Kieffer discusses privilege

Whitney Rocks On

Lauren Lambert makes the jump from Young Rider to Professional

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a video of the aforementioned Whitney Weston and Rock on Rose at Rocking Horse two weeks ago:
 

Clearly it’s not all hype. Thanks for reading EN! Happy Wednesday. I leave you with a word from Horse Quencher, who knows how hard it can be to get horses to drink in the winter:

When the temperature drops, so does the drinking, making winter the worst time of year for impaction colic. Lugged hot water goes cool, electric solutions bring fire and other risks. So how about some easy-peasy Horse Quencher instead?

Yes it’s a repeat but Rocking Horse is just so pretty!

Good morning EN! Rather than beat around the bush I’m just going to get right to it. The big news today comes from the dressage world: three time USEF Equestrian of the Year Steffen Peters broke a competition record at the World Dressage Maters in Palm Beach on Friday, scoring an 81.383% in the Grand Prix with Ravel. To put that in perspective second place scored a 78 and third was down to a 73 (but really guys 73 isn’t too shabby). A video of the winning performance can be found at the end of this post and when you see the half-pass produced at 0:55 you will see it’s not all just hype. Friday’s test was also a personal best for the pair in a CDI Grand Prix. Very exciting all round in an Olympic year for sure, and I think this is probably a good omen foretelling a spot on the plane to London. Fingers crossed for Peters and Ravel! [Horsetalk]

Back to things centered around galloping and jumps: Rocking Horse kicked off its competition season yesterday. The Intermediate, Preliminary, and Training levels completed all three phases on Saturday and judging by the scores it seems like the day went smoothly for most.  This is a huge show with multiple divisions at every level.  Buck, Michele Mueller, and Nora Battig led the way today in the three intermediate divisions, all taking home the blue. Congrats to all those who competed yesterday and good luck to those who will set out today! [Live scores] [Website]

A new study about inbreeding in horses has determined that thoroughbreds and standardbreds. Hanoverians, quarter horses, and Mongolian horses (go figure) have the least amount of inbreeding. The level of inbreeding is quantified by a coefficient that represents the percent chance that two alleles to be identical by descent. [Horsetalk]

Caroline Powell, New Zealand’s highest placed rider at Beijing, has been left off the country’s high performance squad in the run-up to London. Powell rides 19-year-old crowd favorite Lenamore but also has three other horses capable of competing at the Olympics. According to the NZ Herald she is “baffled” by the decision. [NZ Herald]

New mama Rachel Alexandra and foal were admitted to the hospital for “pain management” after the foaling but is reportedly doing well and will return home in a few days. [The Horse]

Best of Blogs: Jessica Pye had a great weekend at Rocking Horse

As promised, the ride of the month from Steffan Peters:

That’s all for now EN, enjoy your Sunday!

Wishful thinking, taken at Rocking Horse circa 2009 by yours truly

Good morning EN, once again you are halfway to the weekend! There is only one event to look forward to this week, Rocking Horse I way down in Altoona. I would say something here about wishing I was down south to join in on the fun but the weather up north was so mild today I think my horse has starting shedding three months early. Wylie posted about global warming yesterday but seriously guys this is getting weird. Having lived in Pennsylvania for three winters now I can’t say I remember it ever being nearly 60 degrees (and did I mention sunny?) in January. About this time two years ago we got nearly four feet of snow in 48 hours. Wait a few more seasons Baltimore will be the next Aiken. Let’s hope this new trend is just a fluke…or else.

Lots of news from the USEA today:

The new 2012 Rule book is now available online for you to peruse to your heart’s content. You can also pre-order a hard copy for $10.00 on ShopUSEA. [Rulebook] [ShopUSEA]

The dates for the 2012 ICP 2-Day Dressage and Jumping Symposium have been announced: February 13-14 at Longwood Farm South in Ocala. February 13 will consist of an all-day educational presentation by the British dressage judge Stephen Clark, president of the London Dressage Ground Jury. He will teach from Training up to Advanced level riders and discuss what he sees with the audience, then evaluate both a Preliminary and Advanced level test. On Day 2 Leslie Law will school groups of four riders again from Training up to Advanced on cross-country. Attendance at both days will earn ICP-certified instructors ICP continuing education credit. Not an instructor? They are looking for riders! If you are in the area and interested you can find contact information for Peter Gray and Sue Hershey on the bottom of the USEA page, along with all registration information for general attendance. [USEA]

EventingUSA is running a monthly series with popular equine sports psychologist Daniel Stewart. This month he answers a question about regaining confidence after a bad fall, something I’m sure most of us have struggled with at one time or another. Brings back my memories of being 13 and having a particularly willful Appaloosa with an aversion to cross country…He also writes about his Young Riders’ Mental Coaching program, and why it’s important to our sport. Worth a read. [EventingUSA]

The FEI has announced the dates for the 2012 Sports Forum, which will take place from April 30-May 2 in (get your frequent flyer miles ready) Lausanne, Switzerland. Proposed rule changes for eventing, endurance, show jumping, and veterinary matters will be discussed. Delegates will have a chance to debate issues before they are put to vote before the FEI General Assembly in November. [COTH]

Nicola Wilson is creating a “Buzz.” [Yorkshire Post]

A tragic story from Colorado: 13 horses have been found shot in their pasture near Gardner after being reported missing by their owner. The local police have put out a call for any information about the crime and have little to go on in terms of evidence at this time. [Horsetalk]
 
The “speed gene” found in Thoroughbreds that makes them the optimal breed for racing has been traced back to a single Shetland Pony mare that lived in England about 300 years ago. Modern variants of the gene have been traced to the famed Nearctic and his son Northern Dancer, who is credited as one of the most “influential stallions of modern times.” The findings were published today in the scientific journal Nature Communications. [Horsetalk]

There’s a new alternative to microchipping: PetGen, a DNA storage service that will store your horse’s (or any pet’s) DNA for 50 years in its database. The goal is to prevent theft by allowing horses to be tracked by their DNA. Unlike microchips and freezemarkings, DNA cannot be altered or damaged.  While an interesting idea, microchips in horses have a low rate of failure and will soon be required before documentation can be issued (the EU recently passed a law that will require all horses be microchipped shortly after birth) and it is unlike that PetGen will be a threat to the practice. [Horse and Hound]

Best of Blogs:

Changes for Elinor MacPhail

Next Level Eventing is enjoying the journey

Sharon White talks Derbycross

Finally I leave you with a word from Horse Quencher, who understands the important of hydration while hauling. As many of you are making the trek south right now we all wish you safe travels and happy healthy horses upon arrival! Go traveling.

From Horse Quencher:
Serious dehydration is a common side effect of trailering. But does it have to be? Horse Quencher gives you peace of mind that your horse’s body is ready to perform (outbound) and nicely recovering (homebound). As Julia Spacey, judge and competitor says, “Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t ‘do’ extras and gimmicks, but Elaphine Murphy refuses to drink whilst on the horse box or away. I have resorted to taking apples with me so that he just gets something. We competed in the newly introduced Mountain and Moorland WHP classes at the Suffolk County Show 2010 and in the sweltering heat we won our class and went Champion! Back at the lorry Murphy, as usual, wouldn’t drink and I had forgotten to take any apples. I had been given a sachet of Horse Quencher which had sat at the bottom of the cupboard for ages and felt this was the moment to try it, although with very little expectation. However, Murphy lapped at the water like a dog and then proceeded to drink half a bucket!! We all stood very still in case we put him off. But he was well away and 10 minutes later drank the other half bucket! I was then fighting the dog, Ugly, off the water as well! So I didn’t have to go straight home or try and find an apple stall at the show. I will never go to a show now without a tub of Horse Quencher on the lorry, although I may still take some apples if he is going to win!”

My favorite EN photo submission of all time. Thanks again to Jade!

Hello EN, happy Wednesday! You are halfway to the weekend. Which means we are only two days away from another event. I’m sure you have been missing your usual live score links, but fear not- the first Poplar Place Horse Trials of the year begins on Saturday. I distinctly remember the one year I went to the January Poplar: it was raining and about 35 degrees and the most miserable show I’ve ever attended. This year it’s supposed to rain again, but temperatures will around 69 degrees…global warming at it’s finest? Fingers crossed for a cloud-free weekend! Good luck to all competitors. Entry times are posted on the farm website. [Poplar]

As Ali reported yesterday, a tragic fire destroyed Pleasant Ridge Farm’s barn and killed nine horses early yesterday morning. The farm was home to eventer Rebecca Greene and she lost both of her competition horses. EN sends sincere condolences to the farm owner, Briana Yetter, who lost four of her own horses, along with all others connected to the tragedy. There is a link to a recovery fund on Rebecca’s website, and a Facebook page has updates. [Pocono Record] [Rebecca Greene] [Facebook Page]

Big news from across the pond: William Fox-Pitt has announced that Cool Mountain, his “banker,” is out of the running for the Olympics. In an interview with The Telegraph Fox-Pitt says Cool Mountain sustained a tendon injury in Germany last year and he will give him a whole year off. Don’t worry: he still has two other mounts (Parklane Hawk and Oslo) with victories at Burghley and Pau AND up-and-coming Lionheart in the barn, so chances are we will still see him running round the track at Greenwich Park. [The Telegraph]

That isn’t the only shakeup in the English ranks. As reported earlier today, Mary King now has the ride on Chilli Morning, a four-star stallion who spent the last six years with Nick Gauntlett, produced from novice to his clear jumping round at Burghley last fall. [Horse and Hound]

Sara Lieser and Mollie Bailey have done a nice recap of the USEF meeting for The Chronicle. By now you probably know about the one-fall rule drama, but just in case you want to know about the rest of the meeting’s agenda you now have an easy guide. [COTH]

More stories from England: reversing their 2008 decision, this year the organizers of Badminton are reinstating the entry fee. They have been deluged with entries since removing the fee and hope that the $480 price tag will prevent those who aren’t actually capable of competing from sending in entries and taking up valuable spots. [COTH]

As Eventing USA reminded readers, the memorial Lesley Long & Family Silent Auction is up and running. Eventing USA wrote a lovely tribute to Lesley and her dedication to horses. Online bidding runs until Feb 15. [Eventing USA] [Auction]

Remember the controversy about the mistreatment of NYC carriage horses? The Village Voice has named New York’s horses one of the “100 Most Powerless New Yorkers.” Horses are ranked at #9 on the list, and advocates hope that the coverage will help their movement to ban carriage horses in the city. [Horsetalk]

The New York Times mentioned Neville’s HOTY award. [NYT]

Best of Blogs:

DPEquestrian posted podcast #6

Lauren Shannon plans her season for Horse and Hound

That’s all for today, Go eventing!

Good morning EN! As many of you have realized by now most of the news this weekend comes from the USEF Convention. One sentence recap: Neville won Horse of the Year, the one fall rule was upheld, and Jimmy Wofford has been awarded a lifetime achievement award. With no events this weekend your links will be a bit short, so here we go:

Breaking news from the Chronicle: McLain Ward and Oh d’Eole fell during the $30,000 Surpass Grand Prix and Ward broke his leg. From the report it sounds like a serious injury and everyone at EN is sending thoughts his way for a speedy recovery. [COTH]

Horsetalk honors Neville

And don’t forget about Sjoerd

Five cases of EVH-1 detected on a property in Orange County, CA

Do you live in Kentucky? Do you have horses? Read this

Long term contraceptives will be used to control the mustang population in Utah

Australian scientists named a horsefly after Beyonce……

Neville got airtime on NPR too

War Horse costumes will be on display in London museum

Eeyore the donkey dies at age 55

Denny talks drafts

As Wylie reported yesterday, the four horses for the Retired Racehorse Training Project’s Trainer Challenge have been chosen. There are videos of all four on the RRTP website, but here is the video of Three Plain Bays Farm’s Brazilian Wedding. Like what you see? Pat is one of our best customers on Sport Horse Nation so watch for her future listings (and watch past 4:00 to hear more about her training methods for her babies and an EN shout out! Thanks Pat).

That’s all for now, enjoy your Sunday! Go eventing.

Just in case you need reminding

Good morning EN! It may not come as a surprise that there isn’t much news to write about today during one of the most random weeks of the year. Shows are over, schools are closed, and a lot of people are on vacation until New Year’s. I can’t believe that 2011 is nearly complete; I guess it’s time to start implementing my resolutions before the last few days slip away. Or maybe just write the new ones…I’ll start now. #1: Stop procrastinating.

Lauren Sprieser has written another great article for the Chronicle where she lists her “soundbites.” Soundbites are little phrases that a trainer uses as teaching aids for students to get across the meaning of an exercise or position adjustment. If I had a dollar for every time I was told to “hold the ice cream cones!!” or “make your shoulder blades touch” I would be able to buy an entire string of four star horses. Read Lauren’s sayings and maybe learn a new way to think about your riding. [COTH]

A tragic report comes from Florida, where a horse was found butchered on the morning of the 26th in Miami-Dade County. Horsetalk reports that the attacker probably killed the horse for food, a growing problem in Florida where horse meat can fetch $40 a pound on the black market. Officials are hoping that spreading word of the attack and of the $10,000 reward for information will help bring the perpetrator to justice. Purchasing the meat of an illegally slaughtered horse is a felony in the state of Florida. [Horsetalk] 

Calling all high school students! In the world of Western and Saddleseat a high school outside Los Angeles is allowing its riders to work towards earning their varsity letters: through the USEF’s high school program. The USEF program allows riders across all disciplines to earn an equestrian letter patch based on hours logged in the saddle and competition results. The patch can be worn on jackets (or wherever you want to put it) and is a great way to take back some of the limelight from the football team. The program is open to all 9th-12th graders and runs from June 1-May 31 each year. This is a new initiative that launched in 2010 and is a great way to connect all levels of riders to excellence, not just those who are advanced enough to compete at shows like Young Riders. Click to read more and find the online application. [USEF]

Trainer Katie Brown-Maxwell wrote about her daughter’s scary accident last month at a horse show in Aiken for the Chronicle. Rather than focusing on the accident and her daughter’s subsequent injuries, Katie instead talks about the support she and her students received from their fellow competitors while they dealt with the ensuing chaos. I believe her experience is just as applicable in the eventing world; it is a nice reminder of the web of acquaintances we make while riding and their willingness to step in without hesitation. [COTH]

More donkey news! Ebenezer the donkey is selling calendars to pay for his winter expenses (well, his human caretakers are) and they are going fast. Ebenezer is the 32-year-old town ambassador of Grandview, Missouri. His website proclaims that he is “technically a donkey, but really an Icon in the animal world.” Ebenezer is struggling in the cold this year and his owners are raising money to build him a heated barn. His owners expected only 100 orders, but right now it looks like 500 might be a more accurate prediction. Did I mention he has his own Facebook? Popular guy. [Horsetalk] [Buy a Calendar] 

Best of Blogs: Three Days Three Ways’ fashion find

George Morris’ Horsemastership clinic will be on the USEF Network January 3rd to 7th

Ricochet EDF is for sale

Finally I leave you with your daily dose of cute:

Happy Thursday! Go eventing.

EN initials, aptly captured at TGI Friday’s. Thanks to Jess for the photo.

In the interest of spreading holiday cheer, today’s news and notes are dedicated to the Santa Ponies.  Also known as the Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, they dress up as Santa during the holidays to visit sick kids in the hospital and spread Christmas cheer to those who need it most. I can’t think of anything that excited me as much as Santa and ponies when I was seven, so a combination of the two would have been positively overwhelming. Each horse even has an iPod attached to their costume so that music follows them from room to room. My question is if they’re accepting applications. Thanks to Cindi for the tip. [Discover Horses]

Everyone’s favorite Jimmy Wofford has proved himself to be the coolest guy in the horse world yet again in his most recent Practical Horseman column. In about one thousand words he manages to discuss American politics, horse politics, the “F” word (by that I mean fat, get your mind out of the gutter), and last year’s internet rumor that he died. He also reveals that he has an identical twin (Well, had…see previous sentence re:internet rumors of death). His sense of humor and quick wit are tough for us mortals to compete with. Just click already. [Practical Horseman]

Young eventing superstar Laura Collett, who finished third at Barbury this year behind Pippa Funnell and Piggy French, is looking like an outsider for London. Seriously, this girl is my idol. [Wiltshire]

Horse and Country TV asked top equestrians what they wanted for Christmas. The answers range from an “all-singing, all-dancing horsebox” to a diamond ring and are worth a read. [Horse and Country]

War Horse is already generating Oscar buzz. I wonder how they’ll get the horse on stage…. [Horse and Hound]

Best of Blogs:

A couple of days ago the Chronicle posted a story about the current lack of top American horses in the show jumping circuit. The Retired Racehorse Blog has written an interesting response. For all you young’ns: did you know Gem Twist was a thoroughbred? [Retired Racehorse Blog]

A letter to Santa.

Finally, Equestrian Australia has done a cool PR video recapping everything that happened in 2011. Are you watching USEF?

Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad

Good morning EN, I hope you are enjoying your final pre-holidaze weekend and taking advantage of your final hours to squeeze in an extra ride before your in-laws arrive. For those of you still wrapping up school, may the force and lots of EN karma be with you. If you need an uplifting voice this will help.

Big news from the USEF: the iconic Jimmy Wofford has been honored with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. I don’t think I need to underscore how well-deserved this is; as the press release states, “He has…become one of the most respected trainers in the sport and there are few riders competing today who have not been influenced by Wofford.” I think this is a fitting summary, because if I tried to write one myself this post would take me several hours to complete. Congratulations Jimmy. [USEF]

Congrats also go out to Young Adult Lucy Gordon and Adult Amateur Erica Seas who have been awarded the 2012 Worth the Trust Scholarships from the USEA. The funds will help fund further educational training. Read their winning essays here. [USEA]

Steven Spielburg talks about why he made War Horse, and about working with a four-legged star. [Horsetalk]
  
Dressage queen Isabell Werth rode in a golden helmet at the 2011 CDI-W in Frankfurt. Thumbs up for Isabel. [Eurodressage]

As Visionaire already mentioned, Marilyn Little-Meredith has been given the ride on Clair De Lune SE and the Chronicle has reported on the new partnership. Marilyn is quoted as saying, “What an asset to U.S. breeders to have a stallion such as this both standing on U.S. soil and also competing here, so they have the opportunity to both watch him develop and also call him truly ‘made in America’–bred, born and developed.” This will be an exciting partnership. Go Marilyn. [COTH]

The Chronicle has also reported the death of rider Amy Kynaston after a fall at an Illinois horse show on Dec. 4. John mentioned this during the convention and EN sends sincere condolences to her family. [COTH]

Best of blogs: Francis Whittington is doing a clinic at Longwood Farm.

Blast from the past: Rick Wallace posted his promo that was made in in 1992 in support of his bid for the United States Eventing Team. Make sure you watch at 1:38, where he vaults onto his horse in the vet box. How many eventers would let you do that today??

Is it really a surprise to anyone that Rolex has signed on as a partner for the 2014 World Equestrian Games? Horse and Hound reports that the company has been sponsoring equestrian events since 1957 (for those who can’t do math early in the morning that’s a whole 54 years) and isn’t showing signs of slowing down. In addition to WEG, Rolex sponsors the Rolex FEI World Cup for Show Jumping, the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival, and the 118th Argentine Polo Open Championship (which just wrapped up December 10), not to mention riders like Zara Phillips, Rodrigo Pessoa, Isabell Werth, polo player Gonzalo Pieres Jr, and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum.  Their financial commitment is a great gift for all the equestrians disciplines, but they don’t stop there. Click over to their website to see their touching tribute to Hickstead, followed by a video made specifically to honor Shutterfly’s impressive talent. I think it’s safe to say that companies like this don’t come along too often. So thank you Rolex, and all other sponsors of our sport, because without you we wouldn’t be able to play the game. 

As many of you know the past two days have been sad ones for Eventing. Lisa Marie Fergusson’s talented mount and Olympic-hopeful Smart Move was euthanized Tuesday after being hit by a car. John wrote a tribute yesterday in honor of Smartie and now the USEA has posted a commemoration of his career on their homepage. Though nothing can be said to ease Lisa Marie’s pain right now, it is important for her to know that as a community we all stand behind her as she recovers from this tragedy and are sending thoughts her way. [USEA]

The next piece of tough news comes from Morven Park, where the barn near the outdoor rings caught on fire late Tuesday evening.  Thankfully no equines or humans were hurt in the blaze, though the barn was a total loss. There is no word on the official cause of the fire and there will be an investigation, after which the park’s board will decide whether or not to rebuild. [COTH] [Morven Park Equestrian Center Facebook]

If you find yourself in England on February 6th, consider stopping by the annual International Eventing Forum in Gloucestershire. Organized by Belgium Olympic coach Eric Smiley, this year’s theme is “Focus on Success” and will feature training insights from a panel of top riders from around the world, including our very own home-grown David O’Connor. Other big Olympic talents will be in attendance, like New Zealand show jumping coach Luis Alvarez Cervera (who has ridden at the Olympics in both eventing and show jumping) and German coach and legendary rider Chris Bartle.  This year marks the eighth anniversary of the event. [Eventing Worldwide] [Tickets]

Also in England, four jockeys have been found guilty by the British Horseracing Authority on charges of race fixing.  The jockeys, along with two owners and seven others, fixed ten races over an eight-month period in 2009.  Two jockeys in particular, Paul Doe and Greg Fairley, are expected to receive harsher punishments for not riding horses to win and are currently no longer riding. The two owners found guilty, Maurice Sines and James Crickmore, are reported to have been at the heart of the corruption ring and used their connections in order to corrupt jockeys and gain insider information for the purpose of cheating the betting system. The details of the case will now be passed onto the police. [Horsetalk]

Back to the US, specifically to Ocala, where I wish I could be right now. Already there? Check out Longwood Farm’s winter schooling show schedule. Beginning in January they have jumper derbies, dressage classes, and an unrecognized event. Signups are done through Evententries.com. [Longwood]

Still Christmas shopping? Do you like sales? Does anyone ever say no? Check out Tack of the Day, which has a new product on sale every day at noon. [Tack of the Day]

Eventing photographer Beth Collier is fundraising by selling a 2012 calendar decorated with her own photos. This is a great gift for any eventer for two reasons: We all know every barn has a horsey calendar somewhere on the premises AND Beth is a fellow member of the eventing community. The calendars are priced at $25 each, or $20 for two or more. [Beth] 

Weird news of the day: Three trail riders in Steamboat, Colorado got lost on Sunday. In the woods, you ask?  Not exactly.  All three decided to ride into their local Safeway grocery store. And then into a few bars. Police arrived after one of the riders got into a fight with a hotel employee and caught up to the riders as they clip-clopped down the street. One man became “confrontational” when asked to dismount, a situation that ended with him being Tasered in the rear. Go trail riding. [Horsetalk]

In a very sad story, the northeast eventing community lost a great friend on Wednesday when Lesley Long passed away.  Lesley was in a coma after being kicked by a horse while clipping it around Thanksgiving.  We have just gotten this news and will have more soon, but there is a very nice tribute to Lesley here.

Best of Blogs:

Jumping brick walls

Slideshow of USEA Award Winners from the Annual Convention

And finally here’s a video from our sponsors at Kentucky Horsewear with Bettina Hoy, who demonstrates how she uses their innovative cross country boots and tendon grip. 

Happy Thursday EN, you’re almost to the weekend!

Good morning EN, I hope this post finds you feeling chipper. I would feel a lot better if the atrocious weather on the East Coast would pass on. I paddled my way to the barn yesterday. And snow in the south before Christmas? Let me rephrase that. Snow in the south at all? What is happening?

Speaking of the south, the USEA Annual Meeting kicks off today in Nashville, which is (among other things) the home of Taylor Swift. I’d take a bet that she might make an appearance at the cocktail party on Saturday night, because obviously it will be the most hopping shindig in town. I saw pictures from last year’s event and let’s just say that the board of governors knows how to get DOWN. [Schedule]

For those of you lucky enough to attend, the USEA website has a handy list of restaurants and attractions around Nashville (though it lacks Taylor Swift’s home address, is it creepy that I looked for it?). Those of you feeling left out can peruse the offerings from your desk and curse the day you decided to join to regular workforce/voluntarily subject yourself to higher education/or both. [Handy List]

Finally, Leslie Threlkeld took photos of the happenings from Wednesday for Eventing USA, so torture yourself a little more and take a look at the shopping opportunities you’re missing out on. [Eventing USA]

The Chronicle has complied a list of the most absurd horse-related news stories from 2011. The stories range from drunk riding to a pony getting stuck in a tire while grazing(?). No horses were harmed in the making of these stories, as far as the Chronicle knows. [COTH]

In an interesting twist of the wild horse dilemma, eight wild Dartmoor ponies are actually being released on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust in Norfolk, England, increasing the current number on the reserve to 84. The ponies are used to reduce invasive vegetation growth and create a more varied plant structure through their grazing habits.  It’s nice to see wild horses being used to conserve land, rather than being removed to protect it. [Horsetalk]

Good news from the scientific front: British researchers have found an antibiotic that is successful in treating eye sarcoids. Previously difficult and expensive to treat, this discovery could potentially open up a whole new method of treatment for ocular tumors. Currently the drug is being tested in other types of tumors but it is still too early to see results. Fingers crossed. [Horsetalk]

Japan is stepping their game up by purchasing two new three star horses following their Olympic qualification this autumn.  [Uptown]

Your daily list of clinic notes:

Sinead Halpin, Lynn Symansky, and Rebecca Howard are doing a Fork clinic on December 29th and 30th

Colleen’s Holiday Badminton funding clinic is December 26th, 27th, 29th, and 30th

Mike and Emma winter are hosting a clinic in Georgia January 14th and 15th

To finish off this post I leave you with the newest War Horse TV spot. If you send us a photo of your horse jumping a tank you will be added to the official Eventing Nation Hall of Champions. Which doesn’t exist. But if you actually send us that photo I will personally make sure it happens.
 

It just doesn’t get old

Do you hear that weird noise? That would be the sound of no recognized events.  Anywhere. At all. And you can get used to it, because there aren’t anymore until January. Where did the year go?!

Without the live scores this will be a much shorter post than usual. I hope your Friday night was more exciting than mine, which consisted of studying for finals and eating way too much. Welcome to the glamorous life of a college student. All of you out there prepping for finals week: I feel your pain.  For those lucky enough to be past the days of tests and papers, know that we are very jealous of you. Onto your links!

Congressman Jim Moran worked hard to include the provision that defunded FDA inspection of horse slaughter but his measure was excluded in the the Senate.

Paralymic ticket sales break the record with more than 40,000 already sold.

Speaking of the Olympics, the newly married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (and that other royal Prince Harry) are official ambassadors for London 2012.

ImPACT testing will be offered at the USEA Annual Convention in Nashville, reserve a spot now.

The first USDF National Championship will be held in November 2013 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Living in England? Buy a ticket for the Event Riders Association annual ball (and then all of us stuck here in the US can live vicariously through you)

Three-year-old Louis got more than he bargained for when he jumped out of his field and fell in a neighbor’s swimming pool.

Happy Thanksgiving EN! I hope your holiday is filled with joy (and good food) wherever you may be. Obviously today is the day to remember the important things in life and this year more than others I have been thinking about our Eventing community and the horses that propel the crazy game we play. Both are blessings that scarcely need describing so I won’t get too sappy on you guys but I just want to say it out loud since it’s Thanksgiving and all: Thank you for supporting this sport. Through thick and thin I have yet to see this community fail one of its own in a moment of need, be it a forgotten saddle pad or a true tragedy. So today EN, I am thankful for you. 

Moving forward, John did a post yesterday with his analysis of the much discussed Training Lists, though I hardly doubt that those will be the last words on the topic. As he said, the London run-up is going to be a roller coaster of surprises and twists that competition always creates so making predictions at this stage is a bit premature. That said I want to give a shout out to the my three fellow Area V riders who were named to the Developing Rider lists: Heather Morris, Angela Grzywinski, and Sydney Elliott. All three are very talented and very deserving of the honor. A while ago I interviewed Sydney for the Area V spotlight and she mentioned making the list was one of her goals for this year. Congrats ladies!

The man, myth, and legend Mark Todd traveled to Canada to compete in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair’s Good Crop Services Indoor Eventing competition and came in third behind Waylon Roberts riding Evil Munchkin (great name). After the competition Todd stayed for an extra two days to teach a clinic for riders on the Canadian National Senior and Young Rider teams. Jealous much? Oh and they donated a portion of the proceeds of the clinic and Todd’s prize money from the competition to a charitable riding program that works with at-risk youth. Thumbs up Canada. [Horsetalk]

Looking for a change of scene? The British Horse Society has worked out a new deal with the UK border agency that will smooth the way for international equestrians to secure a visa. The BHS will now recommend candidates with an “endorsement status” that UK officials will understand to mean that the candidate has met basic requirements for a visa. Start packing. [Horsetalk]

The BHS is all over the place today: they are hosting an online auction of 15 celebrity-donated items, including a one of a kind Headley Britannia rocking horse for the young eventing enthusiast. Other equestrians have also donated, including Piggy French. Simon Cowell donated a signed headshot and I’m sure you’re all dying to have that on your mantel so start bidding. All proceeds will benefit the “Drawing the Line” campaign which aims to educate the public about the merits of responsible breeding. [Auction] [BHS]

The debate rages on about wild horses and their impact on the natural landscape, but this time it’s in a new locale: the Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia. The horses there are descended from domesticated stock that arrived on the island over 100 years ago and serve as a major tourist attraction but are causing extensive damage to the natural shoreline. A new survey has provided insight into methods of controlling the animals while still protecting their safety and public appeal. [Horsetalk]

The Chronicle did a great article about adult amateurs- you know, those over 18 who jump higher than 3’6″, and the difference between riding at home and at shows. I’m not doing the article justice but this is definitely worth a click for anyone who ever gets nervous at a show. Three words: You’re not alone. [COTH] 

Best of Blogs:

Happy Thanksgiving from USEA

Lilybridge Eventing wraps up the season

Uptown Eventing’s video of the Gatcombe CIC**

I hope your day is filled with family, friends, and lots of turkey and pie. As always, thanks for reading and happy Thanksgiving!

Do you like racing? Can’t stop watching those Rolex commercials that never get old? Better question, do you have a secret crush on Dustin Hoffman?? Your dreams are about to come true. Luck, a new HBO series, is set to air on January 29th. It has all the elements of great television: an ex-con, gambling, yachts, the token cowboy, intrigue, drinking, the token Englishman, and shots of horses galloping set to music I’m pretty sure they lifted straight from Inception. Put it all together then add the HBO label and it equals instant Emmy gold. Now you have something to look forward to after the holiday season, or if you’re like me you can add an HBO subscription to your Christmas list. Hey Mom.

Speaking of horse related entertainment, the Eventing USA reviewed The Scorpio Races  yesterday and is giving away three copies to readers who post about their favorite horse book of all time in the comment section. Go reading! [Eventing USA]

Moving on, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has launched a virtual sponsor program. For $5 a day you can be the sole supporter of a retired thoroughbred. The money will assist in paying the horse’s farrier and vet bills and in return you are considered the horse’s virtual owner. The TRF hopes this will allow those who do not have a farm to participate in their foster program. [Horsetalk]

The FEI General Assembly wrapped up yesterday and the body made several rule changes, including a stricter helmet rule requiring protective headgear at all times except in the competition arena and adjacent warmup. This will come into effect on January 1, 2013. Another interesting twist is that all horses registering with the FEI for the first time must now be microchipped. Read a full list of changes on the Chronicle website. [COTH]  

The FEI awards were presented at the end of the General Assembly and Nina Ligon was honored with the HSBC Rising Star Award, a true achievement. Congratulations to Nina, everyone at EN wishes you all the best in the upcoming season! 75 year old Eventing groom Alice Gaillard from France took home the Best Groom Award which was certainly well deserved. Gaillard began grooming more than 50 years ago and still continues daily. This year she attended Badminton with Astier Nicolas, who considered it an honor to work with such an emblematic figure of French Eventing. [British Eventing] 

Megan Jones has two horses at Adelaide and wants to go to the Olympics [Adelaide Now]

The 7th Annual International Equitation Science Conference just ended and Horsetalk has a list of the take home lessons from the lectures. Topics range from the effects of different types of bits on behavior to an analysis of the consistency of Dressage judging. Definitely worth a click. [Horsetalk]

Greenwich children have been given the opportunity to design decorations for a cross country jump for the Olympic course. So far 117 designs have been sent in and 5 will be used. [Horse and Hound]

The US Para Dressage Team traveled to Mexico to get the qualifying scores they need in order to secure Olympic slots. In the country’s first CPEDI3* the US riders beat out five countries to win the gold with no drop score and all three riders mounted catch rides. [Dressage Daily]

Best of Blogs: John Madden on the importance of team spirit

Only two more days till Friday. As always, GO EVENTING.

Barn sunrises are the best kind of sunrises, obviously

Do you know who Karen Stives is? Read this article from The Horse Channel and you will. She was the US individual silver and team gold medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics with Ben Arthur. In the article she recounts what it’s like to ride for the US on an Olympic team and win a bet against master coach Jack LeGoff.  The article is about Olympic experiences and also highlights Kerry Millikin and Margie Engle. In case you were wondering, the Olympics begin in 261 days. The London website has a handy countdown on the homepage so if you’re really excited like me you can stay on top of things with a lot less calendar shuffling.

On the subject of the Olympics, the show jumpers are still unhappy with the arena footing. The Horse Show of the Year last month was the second official test of the footing and riders still feel that is it too deep. There will be a third test later this year in a replicated arena off-grounds. On a side note it will take 8,000 tons of footing to furnish all the arenas for the event next year. [Horse and Hound]

The new USEF drug restrictions on NSAIDs go into effect on December 1. As a recap, the new rules dictate that only one of the seven approved anti-inflammatory drugs is allowed to be present in the same urine and plasma sample.  The detection time for these seven NSAIDs has been reduced to three days from seven. Vets are allowed to administer Flunixin for colic and ophthalmic emergencies, accompanied by a medical report and a 24-hour withdrawal from competition. [The Horse]

Mitsubishi Motors is the first sponsor to win The Jacksons Limited Eventing Award presented at the Animal Health Trust UK Equestrian Awards. The ceremony celebrates equestrian achievements in the United Kingdom in eight categories. Previous winners of the Eventing award include Zara Phillips, Pippa Funnell, and Mary King. [British Eventing] 

Exhibiting standard behavior, a man in in Lancaster, PA attempted to steal an on-duty police horse named Charlie. Charlie’s officer didn’t notice his horse was missing for about 15 minutes, by which time Charlie was a block away being led by the perpetrator- who had tied the reins around his waist. Yes, you read that right. [Horsetalk]

The USEA Classic Series just announced the winners of the year-end prize drawing for all classic three-day winners. Stackhouse saddles! One year supply of SmartPaks! Want to win next year? Start conditioning now, long live steeple chase. [USEA]

A little over two weeks ago a New York City carriage horse collapsed and died a few blocks away from his stable. The situation has become a controversy over allegations from the ASPCA of abuse and chronic health problems that were left untreated.  The preliminary results of the necropsy show no signs of abuse according to the vet who performed the procedure. The situation is a mess of conflicting veterinary statements and offended governing bodies, but hopefully this will be resolved and all carriage horses will receive the care they deserve. [Horsetalk]

EN offers condolences to the family of international dressage judge Wolfgang Niggli, who died in Switzerland at age 89. Niggli rode his first competition in 1937 (!) and has enjoyed a long career both riding and serving the FEI ever since. He remained an honorary member of the FEI Bureau until his death. Rest in peace. [Horsetalk]

We are also sending thoughts to Eric Lamaze and all those within Hickstead’s family.  His death is a terrible tragedy, one that no one should ever experience. A post-mortem exam is being performed and results will be released to the public after private parties are informed of the cause of death.  [The Horse]

Best of Blogs:

Rebecca Howard went to Mexico

The importance of remembering history

Ask the vet: A bale of hay a day

And finally your daily dose of cute:

Happy Wednesday! Go eventing.

Bringing back the EN love, thanks again to master photographer Lee Lee Jones

Ever since The Royal Wedding (yes caps are necessary) I’ve had an unhealthy obsession with the British monarchy.  Duchess Catherine might actually be the only human specimen to have ever achieved the plane of perfection.  In a sudden twist of events, Camilla has stolen the spotlight by presiding over the opening of the new facilities for the Ebony Riding School on October 26.  The Ebony Riding School is a riding program intended to help the disadvantaged youths of England by giving them access to horses and a solid mentoring program. The stables in Brixton are the first to open in inner London for decades and will serve disadvantaged kids ages 8 to 18, referred by police, social workers, referrals, or word of mouth.  The Duchess of Cornwall became the president of the riding club (which has existed without permanent facilities since 1996) in 2009 and since then the club has raised £1.7 million to build a new farm, including a gift of £200,000 from the British Equestrian Federation. [Horsetalk]

(and here’s an article written last year by the Telegraph that gives more information about the program. Still worth a look!)

James Atkinson won silver at the Pan Ams and talked to the Ramona Sentinel about his Olympic goals for next year. [Ramona Sentinel]

Climate change and human activity are to blame for the extinction of the Siberian Horse.  An unprecedented interdisciplinary study involving experts from more than 40 universities undertook the problem of separating the causes of megafauna extinction over the past 50,000 years.  While the study succeeded in finding the causes of extinction for species of yore, like the woolly rhinoceros, it could not isolate patterns that would determine how today’s mammals will react to continued climate change and human contact. In English that means we should all start recycling to save our horses. Now. [Horsetalk]

Another heart-warming donkey happy ending, I can’t get enough of these [You know you want to click]

A list of 30 recommendations for the improvement of welfare and conditions for runners in the Grand National has been released.  This year two horses died during the race and the British Horseracing Authority released the list to improve safety and animal welfare standards. Next year runners must be at least seven years old and jockeys must have won AT LEAST 15 races, 10 of which must be steeplechases. In addition to these new provisions the terrain has been modified and made less demanding to reduce the chance of falls. [Horse and Hound]

Kiwi Caroline Powell is aiming for the Olympics with the 15.2, eighteen-year-old Lenamore [Stuff NZ]

Greek donkeys matter too [I have more where this came from]

A British survey of horse trailers shows that 64% of trailers on the road are over loaded, 30% of drivers don’t know the legal tread for their tires, and 54% don’t check tire pressure. The number of accidents involving horse trailers increased by 300 between 2008/09 and 2010/11. If you haven’t already, read up on trailer safety! [Horse and Hound]  

Australia and New Zealand have qualified for the Olympics in Dressage. [Horsetalk]

Best of Blogs:

Mary Howard recounts the Pan Ams from a Mom’s Eye View

Hottie Watch: Paints on Parade

This weekend Samantha is reporting on site from Galway Downs- watch for her epic jog reports starting today and her continued coverage throughout the weekend. As always enjoy your Thursday, and Go Eventing.

The first jumps on the course yesterday

I know it’s impossible to have too much Fair Hill coverage, and lucky for you there’s still a day to go.  As you probably know by now the undeniably amazing Jan Byyny leads the CCI*** with Boyd close on her heels. Kylie Lyman finished barely over the time to take first place in the CCI**, again closely followed by AECs champ Kadi Eykamp. This competition is far from over; in the three-star the top four riders (Jan, Boyd, Becky, and Will, mind you) are separated by one rail. In the two-star Kylie and Kadi are closely followed by Will Faudree and Phillip, not exactly riders that leave a lot of breathing room. The two-star jumps at 10:45 and the three-star begins at 1:30. Get ready for a battle of the Titans guys, this one will be good. Instead of rambling on more about it I’m just going to skip to the links. Here you go:

Fair Hill [Live scores]

Sol Int. at Meadowcreek Park Fall HT [Times and Scores]
   
Briarwood PC Annual Event [Final Scores]

Grass Ridge HT [Times and Scores]

Missouri Wine Country Sporthorse Show [Times and Scores]

Cobblestone Fall Event Derby [Times and Scores]

Fresh Aire Events Derby and CT [Times and Scores]

CDCTA [Website]

Fair Hill’s Friday Photos from Shannon Brinkman

Fair Hill XC Photos from the Chronicle

Australia’s Christopher Burton leads a close race at Pau 

A new riding school opens in one of England’s poorest neighborhoods

Byyny makes a comeback

Thomas is second after XC

A video of Michael Ryan’s Tattersalls fall is making it’s way around the internet  

The Hendra virus is still going around Queensland

And you thought cross-country was the only thing happening at Fair Hill yesterday

Best of Blogs:

Lauren Billys attended the Pan Am Opening Ceremonies

Pau CCI**** Photo Gallery from the Talking Horse

And he has a CCI** gallery too

Ed Holloway with an interview for PRO:

If you are out and about at the Fair Hill today, stop by to see our friends at Dubarry.  Happy Sunday, Go eventing.