via NBCOlympics: TOMORROW. #OpeningCeremony.

Joanie Morris: Mrs. O’Connor does her part for the media at her 5th Olympic Games! pic.twitter.com/z9NOMWCb

Will Coleman Equestrian: Twizzel practices his dressage under the expertise of Phillip Dutton Eventing, Mark Phillips and Linda Zang:

B.W. Furlong & Associates: Mr. Medicott feeling patriotic at the Olympic Games:

Sinead Halpin: Remington and I pretending to be Anky! pic.twitter.com/Xms39Tr5

U.S. Olympic Team: Have you thought about everything @MichaelPhelps could accomplish in #London2012? Take a look at our breakdown: http://bit.ly/NLvIKM

Phoenix Equestrian Team: The moose at team Canada house just before the flag raising ceremony!:

Australian Olympic Team: Chef de Mission leads the Aussie Team at the official flag raising ceremony in the Olympic Village #notlongnow pic.twitter.com/F2AT4ksE

Team Fredericks: The Australian team have a rest up on the cross country course:

Nina Ligon: Heading out for the first course walk! pic.twitter.com/Vj0VltCy

British Eventing Official: Eventing Team GB squeezed in a quick press conference between training. Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Tina Cook said: “It’s fantastic, the sun shining, the horses have settled in really well and it’s just great to have access to these amazing facilities. The surfaces are great, every whim is being catered for. We’re very lucky to be here for such an exciting competition.”

Eventing Magazine: Britain’s eventers have had the opportunity to mix with other sporting legends in the Olympic village, William Fox-Pitt and Wimbledon runner-up Andy Murray having bumped into each other recently.
Andy said at the tennis press conference: “I met William Fox-Pitt. My girlfriend was very happy about that. She loves horses. For me it wasn’t specific people that I wanted to seek out and meet, it was just nice speaking to all sorts of different athletes from all of the sports.”

Over the weekend we announced our Blogger Contest final four; now we’re bringing you their victorious Round 2 entries in individual installments.

Their Assignment: Though some would say three-day eventing has made too many Olympic concessions, becoming increasingly TV-friendly at the expense of the long format, a recent New York Times Op-Ed argued that equestrian sports are “drenched in privilege,” and “should be ditched” from the Olympic calendar. In your opinion, what’s the value of the Olympic stage in eventing? Will it last?

Here we’ve got Lauren Nethery’s entry. To read Jenni Autry’s previously posted entry click here, and Emily Daignault’s click here.

Each entry will be presented unedited for fairness’ sake. Thanks as always for reading, Eventing Nation. Please leave feedback in the comments section.

___________

Bio: In short, if it has four legs I will ride it.  Horses of all shapes, sizes, and psychosis’, bulls, camels, so on, and so forth.  I currently manage a farm in Lexington, KY, retired my Advanced mare in 2009 and am presently enjoying bringing my handful of an OTTB (more on this later) back to the Intermediate ranks after eighteen months off from a hoof injury.  I start a lot of young horses under saddle, both for sport and for racing, teach lessons, compete horses for clients, wrangle pot-bellied pigs, and trim miniature horse feet.  On a Monday.

Entry: Engines rev, wheels squeal, and hooves thunder? The cameras zoom and whizz above head, reminiscent of an NFL game, and commentators chatter away like gossiping squirrels about the merits of the long, straight five versus the tight, bending six between the keyhole and the corner. Fans, packed into their seats by the tens of thousands, sport neon foam fingers (some index, some middle) and wave signs and banners festooned with glitter and emblazoned with the names of their chosen idols. In the center of the ring, behind the medal podium, a check the size of the old Footbridge at Rolex with more zeros than an Off-the-Track-Thoroughbred’s first dressage test awaits its victor. This doesn’t sound much like the Olympics. In fact, more like the things fantasies and day dreams are made of crossed with the excitement and pizzazz of competitions like The X Games. It is, however, one of the many options when considering where Eventing goes from here.

Every four years, the equestrian world as we all know it is turned upon its head in an all-out knock-down, drag out fight to represent ones country at the holy grail of sporting events. 32 sports, 302 events, and years…nay, decades in most cases, of hard work to get there. But unlike every other Olympic sport, Equestrian disciplines feature not just human athletes but equally, if not more, talented equine athletes subjected to the same stresses, pressures, and demands that accompany the quest for Olympic glory. In some ways, I feel that this is a bit unfair. Making sacrifices for one’s own health, happiness, and well-being are not only expected but in fact required during the pursuit of elite performance. However, making potentially health-altering, life-changing, or career-ending decisions for equine partners when athletes may very well have just “one shot, one opportunity, one moment to seize everything they ever wanted” is a predicament that must be honestly analyzed when considering the inclusion of Equestrian sports in the Olympics. As if battling for an Olympic opportunity wasn’t enough stress, the IOC spends the years in between each Games threatening, bullying, and taunting the FEI with exclusion from the Games as if they FEI and its participants lives depend upon those five rings. Considering all of these physical, psychological, and financial stresses to the horses, the riders, and the governing bodies that inclusion in the Olympic Games imposes, perhaps it is time that the FEI and riders everywhere band together to seek another venue in which our beloved sports stars may be showcased and tested against each other. I adamantly believe that an elite competition is necessary for the skill of our horses and riders to continue to advance and for the pursuit of supreme excellence to live on with gusto. However, it may be that a more suitable venue, selection process, and time table can be devised than those imposed by the IOC. I am not sure what it is that will satisfy these requirements but I do not feel that it would be so far out in left field to endeavor to broker deal with organizations such as The X Games or with sponsors such as Coca Cola, Nike, or NBC in order to ultimately create a format to showcase our best and brightest that is beneficial to each and every individual involved. A pipe dream? Perhaps. But it is so often that those saying that ‘it’ cannot be done are interrupted by those doing ‘it’.

“If you think it’s an elite sport now, for ‘rich kids’, just you wait.” (Denny Emerson. “A Sport In Search Of Its Soul.” Chronicle Of The Horse 22 October, 2004: Page 47. Print.) Truer words have rarely been spoken but when they have been, Denny Emerson has often been the one to speak them as he did the above phrase in the sited Chronicle of The Horse article that addressed the hazards inherent to the demise of the long format. As he frequently is, Denny proved to be a prophet of sorts with this insight and while the long format ship has sadly sailed away, the financial burden ship has, in many ways, docked in its place. Fifteen years ago, when I first embarked on this crazy journey through the dark recesses of racetracks, the verdant fields of cross country fences aplenty, and the long, lonely, difficult, expensive miles between the two, I rode a squat little Quarter Horse literally out of a cow field and into a dressage arena, one-eared bridle and all. That little horse took me through Training Level and helped start the careers of many young riders thereafter but it is my fear that those days of success for horses that are not purpose-bred are waning. While many, perhaps even most, grassroots eventers would not know “privilege” if they went swimming in a pool of it, those riders whose success garners them USET attention so often fall by the way side if they do not have entire strings of horses complete with well-moneyed owners and generous corporate sponsors as foundations to their fame and glory. I do not have all the answers. No one does. But if we all put our heads together, listen to those who have laid the groundwork that got us here, and present a united front that showcases the talents of our equine partners while holding their well-being and happiness to this highest esteem, it is my whole-hearted belief that we will emerge victorious, hopefully floating on loungers in a sea or corporate sponsors, primetime coverage, and handsome purse money.

Over the weekend we announced our Blogger Contest final four; now we’re bringing you their victorious Round 2 entries in individual installments.

Their Assignment: Though some would say three-day eventing has made too many Olympic concessions, becoming increasingly TV-friendly at the expense of the long format, a recent New York Times Op-Ed argued that equestrian sports are “drenched in privilege,” and “should be ditched” from the Olympic calendar. In your opinion, what’s the value of the Olympic stage in eventing? Will it last?

Here we’ve got Emily Daignault’s entry. To read the previously-posted entry of Jenni Autry, click here.

Each entry will be presented unedited for fairness’ sake. Thanks as always for reading, Eventing Nation. Please leave feedback in the comments section.

_____________

Bio:

Hi my name is Emily and I would like to be an EN blogger. Why? Because after 10 concussions, numerous broken bones, of course stitches, I feel that sitting behind a computer and pontificating on the active Eventing lives of others will lead me to riches beyond my wildest dreams! (Or it would be a sizeable difference in my bank account balance without frequent doctor and ER visits!) You see long before EN there was another website with the ground breaking idea to follow the upper levels of Eventing and put up live streaming audio and video event reports and give internet savvy folks the most up to the moment news as it happened. And I was the Eventing Correspondent! Sadly however it was 2001 and the average internet connection was 56k over a phone line. You know that old dial up sound of “Whirr, blip blip, bong.” AOL says “You’ve got mail!” and life was good. Except that it wasn’t. Only about 10,000 people across the US could hear and see our reports. This was great in its own way was great because the little “oops” moments of life didn’t make it very far. Like at Rolex, when I asked Ian Stark on camera did he think being British gave him an advantage on Mike E-S’s course as there are so many of them in the UK…and in mid-sentence he stopped me and said “I’m Scottish dear.” Ooo yea, journalism rule # 1, know your subject.

Entry:

Eventing does not belong in the Olympics anymore. There I said it… but how can this be me? I am the kid who adores every horsey movie with a cheesy plot and a happy ending replete with a gold medal and a guy for our heroine. I am of course assuming that the horse is gifted a lifetime supply of carrots, mints or whatever’s as well. So, having been that person how can I honestly feel this way? What’s the worst thing that could happen for being ‘anti-Olympics?’ (Instantly a mental image of thousands of angry chinchilla’s flying headlong at me crosses my consciousness and I decide to rethink my position on this topic……nope. No flying fur-balls will stop me!) I really and truly believe that the Olympics do not bring all good and positive things to Eventing. (Quick pause now as I peek out my window to make sure my trusty Subaru is not yet covered with layers of crawling grey fur on the attack. Nope. Good) I believe that we as a sport and an industry may be better off without the IOC and folks more interested in the bottom line. We should instead be allied with those who are used to prioritizing a horse’s welfare above getting the most bang for your Buck. (That’s dollars not Davidsons btw)

Now it’s taken me a LOT of time and a healthy amount of quizzing my friends and family to come to this feeling. But it started on a normal course walk. Well, ok not a totally normal course walk, I was walking a course, but I wasn’t ever going to ride it. I was instead treading my Nike’s over the clay and grass in Conyers, Georgia that made up the two 1996 Olympic courses. I was an Intermediate level rider at the time, my first season at that level. The fences were fair but I kept stopping and trying to figure out what was up with the footing? Moreover, what was up with the lines to and away from the fences? Flat ground was not in abundance and I was a bit confused. I had walked the biggest three day and horse trial courses on the east coast back then and I couldn’t recall any course that had horses landing and or approaching on the insides or outsides of their hooves as much as this. Quite frankly I thought we needed a motocross bike instead of a horse for this event. So being young and undereducated, as this was my first Olympic course seen up close, I went back and asked people much smarter than me why, if this was the terrain and footing, why was the event being held here? And a man whom I respect enough not to mention by name told me flat out, “Welcome to the Olympics.”

Once the dust (and bowed tendons) settled from Atlanta I figured the games would get back on track with an awesome course in Sydney. And by all accounts it was a great course, just not a great day. One catastrophic injury on xc and a record nine horse falls during the competition brought a dim shade to a great US result. David finally brought back the prize we longed so hard for, but I couldn’t help but think of how many American horses had gone lame, while training in Australia as well. What was going on in our pursuit of the Gold I wondered? Why were we pushing so hard for essentially a necklace whose ugly cousins can be bought most nights on QVC?

By 2001, when the IOC’s regular post-Olympic meeting had come up and the rumors were rampant that Eventing or equestrian may get the (un) ceremonial axe, I had started to think differently. My visions while watching International Velvet were no longer surrounded by soft light edges and the happy smile and tears as you see Tatum O’Neal wave as they played the British anthem. No instead I thought, “You know those fences are tiny, she went from Paper Moon to this? Oh but thank you for Anthony Hopkins. He can coach me any day. “ But I digress. Olympic Eventing had become dangerous to horses and humans and the collateral damage experienced by the “best in the world” was no longer acceptable. The little girl who had dreamed of wearing an Olympic medal started to realize a medal and personal glory wasn’t enough to risk her horse for.

I had seen the emperor and now I knew he was indeed naked. I was imagining Olympic decision makers cackling as they threw wrench after wrench into the machine that was our beloved sport. “Let’s put the games in Hotlanta!!! In the summer! And on clay footing and we’ll run out of money so we can’t possibly put a roof over the grandstand and everyone will be basking in the full sun all day. We don’t need to use an actual eventer for the NBC commentary, nah we’ll use a Show Jumper! Everyone knows all riders are the same! Ooo and then we’ll run horses in the 100% humidity of Hong Kong after a 90 minute ship to the cross country course and back to the barn. Let’s see how well they recover to jump stadium then! Welcome to the Olympics!”

The benefits to the Olympics are hard to picture when your mind is weaving an epic capitalism at all costs nightmare. And indeed can anyone picture something that is a tangible benefit to competing at the games? There’s one possible answer, ok two if you count the awesome “Made in China” official attire! But seriously the only tangible gain is the medal you may or may not win. Your horse’s greatest effort of its life is not tangible. Your biggest success on a world stage is not tangible. And the applause of the crowds is not tangible. No we’re trying to catch lightning in a jar and you just can’t.

Sponsorships and money may come to those who stood on the podium, but the names fade, and with the torch’s quelling so too does the attention span of the world. In the blink of an eye today’s heroes fade in a stack of wilted magazines strewn around the tack room. Not even a few months later it takes Wikipedia to recall which horse and rider did what exactly. I had an eventer ask me last month who J. Michael Plumb was. I about fell over. Well sure he’s only been in 8 Olympics, is a member of the USOC Hall of Fame but his last games was a while ago. Sure… you think you’ll remember Boyd…for now.

Whether the games retain Eventing beyond 2016 is a question for the IOC. It may stay, it may not. But the spirit behind what propelled the heroes of Olympics gone by has been lost among the waves of change and profiteering that have captured the attention of the masses now. And along the way the Olympics have become something that technically a single horse and rider could still do without financial assistance, but the truth is they seldom do.

Why? Did the little girls who loved the cheesy horsey movies give up? No. Did the horses who live to burst out of the start box decide they weren’t up for playing with the others? No. It just became more about the gold…and all the money it takes to get there. And for me, the team we send to the Olympics doesn’t represent our sport or the people I compete with in it. That sport is truly insanity in the middle. Our sport, my sport, rewards the bond between the horse and rider that supersedes the biggest jumps, the hardest atmosphere and pushes for every ounce of courage to finish first. That sport is not an Olympic sport anymore. And I am ok with that. I don’t need a medal draped around my neck, nor the world to cheer. I can pet my horse at the end of stadium and walk away a winner.

(Think to myself, it might not be a bad idea to teach the Labrador about chinchillas. Who knows maybe she’d like a pet….or a snack.)

Over the weekend we announced our Blogger Contest final four; now we’re bringing you their victorious Round 2 entries in individual installments.

Their Assignment: Though some would say three-day eventing has made too many Olympic concessions, becoming increasingly TV-friendly at the expense of the long format, a recent New York Times Op-Ed argued that equestrian sports are “drenched in privilege,” and “should be ditched” from the Olympic calendar. In your opinion, what’s the value of the Olympic stage in eventing? Will it last?

First up: Jenni Autry.

Each entry will be presented unedited for fairness’ sake. Thanks as always for reading, Eventing Nation. Please leave feedback in the comments section.

—————-

Bio: Jenni Autry is a 26-year-old eventer from Mechanicsburg, Pa., who has worked in the journalism industry for nearly five years. She has written for Pennsylvania Equestrian since starting her career, interviewing wonderful horsemen and horsewomen (and horses!) like Jessica Ransehousen, Lizzy Traband, Silva Martin, Boyd Martin, Hope Hand and Smarty Jones.

The story she wrote on the Memorial Day fire at Boyd Martin’s barn took second place in its category at the 2011 American Horse Publications Awards. A graduate C-2 Pony Clubber, she hopes to one day adopt an off-the-track Thoroughbred through CANTER and train it for eventing.

After a hard-fought, painstakingly-judged battle, we’re excited to announce the victors of the Second Annual EN Blogger Contest’s Round 2 assignment, our fabulous final four:

Congratulations Jenni Autry, Emily Daignault, Lauren Nethery and Yvette Seger.

We’ll be posting their entries, which address the value of the Olympic stage in eventing, individually over the next few days. Make sure to leave comments on each article–your input is important.

Their Final Round Assignment:

Two basic requirements for every post on Eventing Nation: words and visuals. You’ve proven you’re capable of the words bit; now we need to know you’ve got an eye for aesthetics. Your Final Round eventing-related article, themed “Insanity in the Middle,” must be at least 200 words (there’s no word limit) and visually enhanced–the more creatively, the better–with at least one photo you’ve taken, or diagram you’ve created, or video you’ve shot, etc. We stress that access to expensive camera equipment is unnecessary; see Wylie’s FEI pictograms for proof that imagination, at least in the context of this assignment, will be your most invaluable asset. Words and visuals will be judged 50/50 on the same basis as previous entries (Interesting, Funny, Informative, Creative).

The final four’s entries are due next Friday, July 27, at 8 p.m. ET.

Go Bloggers.

Forty prominent Thoroughbred owners have stepped forward to give race day diuretics like furosemide the boot. Image via Wikimedia Commons’ Intropin.

After a flurry of bad press in the lead-up to the Triple Crown and the state of Kentucky’s subsequent stakes-race ban of day-of medication furosemide (also known as Salix, formerly Lasix) by 2014, 40 prominent Thoroughbred owners have now committed to racing 2-year-olds furosemide- and adjunct bleeder medication-free.

The pledge marks a significant advance in both the campaign against race day meds and the long-fought battle to improve racing’s dubious, drug-addled public image. Though authorities across Europe and most of the world have long banned performance-enhancing race day drugs, diuretics like Salix rose to U.S. prominence in the 1970s to combat effects of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), also known as bleeding.

Salix works by catalyzing fluid loss, thus lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of EIPH. Horses naturally disposed to excessive bleeding can then sustain competitive, perhaps prolonged careers (visible, repeat bleeding can lead to a horse’s eventual ban from racing). But Salix has also been shown to cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance—serious banes to post-race recovery—and through fluid-flushing effects, may mask the use of other performance-enhancing drugs. Most horses suffer some degree of EIPH; with race day drug use on the rise, diagnoses and injections–likely warranted and unwarranted—have since proliferated. As a result, most modern racehorses are administered diuretics just hours before post time.

But with Kentucky Derby-winning owners like the Team Valor Syndicate and Bill Casner on board, the anti-diuretic movement is gaining ground.

“I believe the pervasive use of furosemide, and the dehydration stress it causes requiring more recovery time, has contributed to horses making fewer starts and has fueled the public’s belief that giving medication to performance horses is abusive and nefarious,” Casner recently said. “Our racing industry thrived in a time prior to permitted race-day medications. Horses raced often and consistently.  We are a global industry and we are out of step with the rest of the world. Race day medications are a failed experiment and it is time for us to do what is right for our horses and our industry.”

Read more on BloodHorse.com.

–

We present the Round 1 entries of Second Annual Blogger Contest finalists Lauren Nethery, Yvette Seger, Judith Stanton and Ellyn Willis. Click here to read the previously-posted entries of Jenni Autry, Emily Daignault, Kristen Janicki, Jen Mayfield. All entries are unedited for fairness’ sake.

Click “Read More” at the bottom of this post to view each contestant’s full entry, then leave your feedback in the comments section. Your input is important to us.

Go Bloggers.

________________________

Lauren Nethery

Age: 24 years old

Background: In short, if it has four legs I will ride it.  Horses of all shapes, sizes, and psychosis’, bulls, camels, so on, and so forth.  I currently manage a farm in Lexington, KY, retired my Advanced mare in 2009 and am presently enjoying bringing my handful of an OTTB (more on this later) back to the Intermediate ranks after eighteen months off from a hoof injury.  I start a lot of young horses under saddle, both for sport and for racing, teach lessons, compete horses for clients, wrangle pot-bellied pigs, and trim miniature horse feet.  On a Monday.

Character-Defining Qualities: Ambitious, Adventurous, Determined

Embarrassing Tidbits: I am not an exceptionally superstitious person.  This being said, I border on OCD when it comes to competition attire.  Ariat’s so old that they were actually made in Italy?  Check.  Show coat with the armpit lining both stained and ripped to shreds?  Check.  Medical Armband with insert circa 1996?  Check.  Perhaps the strangest piece of my competition get up, however, is a remnant of my working student days gone by.  The gloves that I wear in every single jumping phase in which I compete are old, gray and yellow, smelly, holey on top of patches, and clearly gave up their ghost eons ago.  However, these very gloves once graced the capable hands of Bruce Davidson Sr. and were gifted to me during my winter at Chesterland South after being left upon the fender of my trailer.  Delusory or not, it is my hope, nay, belief, that just a little bit of World Champion mojo still lives deep in the stitching of these gloves.  After all, who doesn’t need that kind of mojo hanging around?

***********

Yvette Seger

Age: Too old for Young Riders, but too young for the Masters division (36)

Background: Little. Blonde. Different.

Character-Defining Qualities: I’m originally from Cleveland, so I have this strange habit of checking to make sure bodies of water are not flammable. I like the color red, and bacon is my favorite food group.

Embarrassing Tidbits: I’m not really embarrassed by it, but I am known for having full on conversations with my horse on cross-country…conversations in which I throw my voice so that it sounds like he’s answering me. And my start box song is “Straight Outta Compton.”

***********

Judith Stanton

Owner, novelist, editor, lifelong horsewoman. I’m part owner of Nate Chambers’ smashingly lovely new Oldenburg eventing prospect, Simon. I’m a published novelist whose fifth novel, A Stallion to Die For: an equestrian suspense, comes out this summer. An NC native, I’ve worked as a tobacco farm hand, department store clerk, medical secretary, acquisitions editor, and professor. I rescue horses and cats.

***********

Ellyn Willis

Bio: I’m a 23 year old college graduate who is balancing the dream of competition at the upper levels while spending my lunch break from my Grown Up job reading Eventing Nation.  Recently I began searching for a new event prospect and noticed the similarities between horse shopping and dating.

(more…)

Friday we announced our Second Annual Blogger Contest finalists; now we’re bringing you their entries in two installments.

Herein we’ve got Jenni Autry, Emily Daignault, Kristen Janicki and Jen Mayfield, all unedited for fairness’ sake. Stay tuned for Lauren Nethery, Yvette Seger, Judith Stanton and Ellyn Willis.

Click “Read More” at the bottom of this post to view each contestant’s bio and entry, then leave your feedback in the comments section. Your input is important to us.

Go Bloggers.

___________________

Jenni Autry:

Bio: Jenni Autry is a 26-year-old eventer from Mechanicsburg, Pa., who serves as a magazine editor by day and a boxed wine connoisseur by night. She answered E — “bring me my meals, I live here” — to Denny Emerson’s recent Facebook poll about the severity of one’s Eventing Nation addiction. She writes regularly for Pennsylvania Equestrian.

************

Emily Diagnault:

Hi my name is Emily and I would like to be an EN blogger. Why? Because after 10 concussions, numerous broken bones, of course stitches, I feel that sitting behind a computer and pontificating on the active Eventing lives of others will lead me to riches beyond my wildest dreams! (Or it would be a sizeable difference in my bank account balance without frequent doctor and ER visits!) You see long before EN there was another website with the ground breaking idea to follow the upper levels of Eventing and put up live streaming audio and video event reports and give internet savvy folks the most up to the moment news as it happened. And I was the Eventing Correspondent! Sadly however it was 2001 and the average internet connection was 56k over a phone line. You know that old dial up sound of “Whirr, blip blip, bong.” AOL says “You’ve got mail!” and life was good. Except that it wasn’t. Only about 10,000 people across the US could hear and see our reports. This was great in its own way was great because the little “oops” moments of life didn’t make it very far. Like at Rolex, when I asked Ian Stark on camera did he think being British gave him an advantage on Mike E-S’s course as there are so many of them in the UK…and in mid-sentence he stopped me and said “I’m Scottish dear.” Ooo yea, journalism rule # 1, know your subject.

************

–

Kristen Janicki:

Name: Kristen Janicki, BS, MS, PAS
Background:
• I have my Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois, and my Master’s degree in Equine Nutrition from the University of Kentucky.
• The PAS stands for Professional Animal Scientist; not to be confused with POS.
• I am currently the Performance Horse Nutritionist for Mars horsecare us, inc. Mars horsecare produces the Buckeye Nutrition brand of equine products. My specialization is with all English disciplines, but especially Eventing. I secured our sponsorship of Allison Springer and her barn full of horses due to my smooth sales techniques/stalking abilities. This year, Allison and Arthur were the winners of the 2012 Pinnacle Cup and Best Conditioned Horse at Rolex and US Eventing Team alternate for the 2012 Olympic Games.
• Two years ago, I “purchased” a 3 year old Thoroughbred named Smokin’ Bobby Joe with the intent of training him to event. It has been a journey retraining this horse that included several highs and lows.

Age: 36

************

–

Jen Mayfield:

Age: 27

Background: Grown-up former Pony Clubber and event brat-turned pastor’s wife (no joke!) in Southern Maryland and catch riding everything that comes her way.  Rode up through Intermediate, qualified for Maclay Finals in the dark ages, and just moved east from St. Louis, where she worked at an advertising agency and rode/taught at an A barn.

************

(more…)

–

Tremendous thanks to all who entered the Second Annual EN Blogger Contest. We had an intimidatingly strong field of entrants this year, each and every one of whom has been an inspiration to our team.

Our finalists include an editor, nutritionist, novelist, OTTB enthusiast, owner and self-proclaimed “Lucille Ball meets Amelia Bedelia…and Tenacious D.”

Congratulations Jenni Autry, Emily Daignault, Kristen Janicki, Jen Mayfield, Lauren Nethery, Yvette Seger, Judith Stanton and Ellyn Willis.

Check back throughout the weekend for more on our eight finalists.

Their Round 2 Article Assignment: Though some would say three-day eventing has made too many Olympic concessions, becoming increasingly TV-friendly at the expense of the long format, a recent New York Times Op-Ed argued that equestrian sports are “drenched in privilege,” and “should be ditched” from the Olympic calendar. In your opinion, what’s the value of the Olympic stage in eventing? Will it last?

The eight finalists’ entries are due Wednesday, July 18, at 8 p.m. ET.

Go Bloggers.

Note: the video may not play here on the EN site, but click on it to watch on youtube.com.

–

The IOC has been uploading some archival, Olympic-fever-exacerbating footage to their YouTube Channel (the same that’ll be free live streaming the Games in 64 territories, though not the US), including this video of Mark Todd and Charisma winning their second consecutive gold in the 1988 Seoul Games.

With footage of the 1900 Paris Games and 1904 St. Louis Olympics, amongst other athletic feats, the IOC Channel is definitely worth a peek.

Go Olympics.

—-

As the Games approach, we’ll keep you updated on all the latest viewing options, starting with this intro to catching all the eventing action within the US.

For better or worse, NBC has the Olympics broadcast on lockdown; check their equestrian broadcast schedule here.

The current eventing coverage schedule:

July 28, 10 a.m. ET: Dressage Day 1

July 29, 10 a.m. ET: Dressage Day 2

July 30, 12:30 p.m. ET: Cross-Country

July 31, 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. ET: Show Jumping

For localized listings, enter your zip code and cable provider on the NBC website.

Live streaming of “All 32 Sports, All 302 Events” will reportedly be available online through the NBC website to cable subscribers, though there’s a one-time authorization process requiring a password from your TV provider.  You can complete the sign-up process now to get it out of the way before game time.

Also keep an eye on NBC’s Live App site: Any day now they’ll be launching apps for both tablets and smartphones enabling mobile live streaming and updates.

Unfortunately, the IOC’s YouTube live stream, which will broadcast 10 live, free HD feeds in 64 territories, won’t be available in the US.

Stay tuned to EN for your continued Olympic eventing coverage needs.

Go Olympic Eventing.

Kenki Sato and Hop and Skip, 2010 World Equestrian Games

On leave from the Myoshoji temple near Nagano, Buddhist monk Kenki Sato will gallop from the start box for Japan in London, where he’ll be following familial footsteps.

Younger brother Eiken show jumped at the Beijing Games, and father Shodo, who serves as 25th master of the Myoshoji temple when he’s not busy coaching his kids (Kenki also trains with Michael Jung), was set to event at the 1980 Moscow Olympics until Japan’s boycott of the competition.

According to Dawn.com:

[The Japanese Olympic team] are not strongly tipped to end Japan’s 80-year wait for a second equestrian medal, following Baron Takeichi Nishi’s showjumping gold of 1932. But Sato said the experience would have spiritual value.

‘I may learn something as a human being when I encounter various people with different religions and languages abroad,’ says the diminutive Sato, who turns 28 on Wednesday. ‘I want to feed it back into my path to Buddhist enlightenment.’

For more of the Sato family’s fascinating story, including prayer, meditation and generations of equestrianism, check out Dawn.com.

Thanks to JER for the tip!

The Second Annual EN Blogger Contest deadline fast approaches (tomorrow, Tuesday, July 10, at 8 p.m. ET), and with that in mind, here’s a last minute inspirational FAQ:

Who can enter the contest?

Baby beginners and four-star veterans, tall and small, acclaimed and obscure, proximal and telescopic, one and all. If you’re reading this, you’re eligible. If you’re not reading this, you’re also eligible.

Even if I entered last year and didn’t win?

Even better. As I can daily attest, chances are you clicked “send” and immediately identified 10 ways in which you could’ve improved your writing. And as most writers would attest, rejection is the bottom rung on the dubious, many-runged ladder toward success (“Do you want the books back? I don’t imagine so in which case we will keep it for our blank department. But let me know. I wonder if any publisher will buy it”).

If, a year later, you’ve still got the bug to write for EN: Take that second shot.

Is writing experience necessary?

Anyone who’s read John’s posts could argue that spelling isn’t even that important. More important is a unique point of view, keen observation, and a real enthusiasm for eventing. If you’ve got those three things, they’ll sneak through in your writing.

What do I get if I win?

Your name on posts read by thousands! The posts themselves highly search-identified (you’ll Google yourself! It will be there!)! Phone calls from four-star riders! Phone calls from John!

More seriously, you’ll get to the opportunity to work with an awesome group of writers and riders, writing about a sport you love, with the opportunity to bring your bloggy dreams to fruition in an atmosphere where they’ll be appreciated (and debated and discussed) by folks who understand what you’re talking about. A rare opportunity, indeed.

What’s the pay like?

Your name will appear on posts read by thousands! The posts themselves will be highly search-identified (you’ll Google yourself! It will be there!)! You’ll receive phone calls from four-star riders! You’ll receive phone calls from John!

Don’t you guys have enough bloggers already?

Nonsense. “Enough bloggers” is an oxymoron, like “airplane food,” like “extra time,” like “French deodorant.”

What should I write about?

Your post should be Funny, Interesting, Creative, Informative and Eventing-Related (these are the judging criteria). Other than that, it’s up to you. What was your most epic event? Who will win the Olympics? How awesome is William Fox-Pitt? How much do you want to steal Rayef? All topics are fair game. Surprise and impress us.

When is it due?

This Tuesday, July 10, at 8 p.m. ET. Email entries to [email protected] with the subject “EN Blogger Contest Entry.”

Go Enter.

Photo of Totilas, pictured with former rider Edward Gal of The Netherlands, via Wikimedia Commons.

Eurodressage reports that Totilas, current world record holder in Grand Prix Freestyle dressage, will miss the London Games. His rider, Matthias Rath, 27, is suffering from mononucleosis and not expected to recover in time.

According to Eurodressage:

Normally the German dressage selection committee would travel to Kronberg on Friday 6 July for a final assessment of Rath and Totilas, before the definite nomination of the German Olympic Team could be made, but this trip has been cancelled.

‘It was my big dream to compete for Germany with this unique horse and this fun, young team at the Olympic Games,’ said a very disappointed Rath. ‘It would be unresponsible  towards my own health and towards my team colleagues to be nominated in this condition.’

Read the whole story at eurodressage.com.

With the Olympics around the corner and this summer shaping up to be the most awesomely prolific in EN history, the Second Annual Blogger Contest is upon us.

But first: Let’s go back in time, when a yet-unknown Wylie submitted her introduction to the Inaugural EN Blogger Contest, professing a “lifelong dream of interviewing Boyd Martin in his underpants,” carving a little Boyd-Martin-underpants-shaped hole in our hearts.

Now take a quick jaunt over to our sister site, where you’ll notice Wylie’s name atop the Horse Nation masthead, evidence of her full-time Managing Editorship—and also, evidence that if you love eventing and want to write, there are possibilities here, folks.

Getting down to the nitty gritty:

Contestants should want write part-time for Eventing Nation, at least 2-3 posts per week. If this already sounds like too much, don’t apply.

Otherwise, the gates are open. All are eligible (including previous contestants), and no prior experience is necessary, though judging by last year’s standards, the competition will be fierce, and personal style is a must. Take risks. Laugh. Entertain. Create something only you can create.

Your Round 1 entries will include a short bio (name, age, background, character-defining qualities, embarrassing tidbits) and a 300-600 word sample of your best, eventing-related work. The EN Team will judge by the same standards as last year (Interesting, Funny, Informative, Creative), and factor public opinion into our final decision. Keep in mind that you’re writing for an audience of thousands, and we’ll be selecting finalists based on the quality of entries—no pressure.

Entries are due one week from today, on Tuesday, July 10, at 8 p.m. ET. Email your entry to [email protected] with the subject “EN Blogger Contest Entry.”

Good luck, and go eventing.

A selection of reactions, via Facebook and Twitter, and in no particular order, to the announcement of the US Olympic Eventing Team:

US Olympic Team: Your 2012 @USEquestrian #Olympic Eventing Team: http://bit.ly/NpgV4Z. This will be #Olympics number 5 for both O’Connor & Dutton!

Phillip Dutton Eventing: Mystery Whisper named to the Olympic team, thanks to everyone who has been helped make this possible.

Kentucky Horse Park: Lots of familiar @RolexKentucky competitors just named to US Olympic Eventing Team. Congrats and best wishes to all!

Sinead Halpin Eventing: Slightly shocked so sad for all that have been supporting us. Tate is healthy and happy. Going to get to Gatcombe this coming weekend

Thanks to everyone for the messages! I am gutted when I think of letting down everyone .. Tate is the best and so is My team! And go USA 😉

Laine Ashker: Stunned excited anxious and surprised. All I can say is, go team USA!

Will Coleman Eventing: Twizzel has been selected for the US Eventing Team. Huge thanks to his owner Jim Wildasin and the whole team behind this wonderful horse.

Kate Samuels: Congrats @ColemanEventing as well as all the other members of the US Eventing Team! Begin the bubble-wrapping!

Allison Springer: Sadly I did not make the team. I have been trying so hard for so very long and am gutted. I know there were many great horses to pick from and I think our team is a great one. Thank you to everyone for all Of your support!

Jessica Hampf: So excited for @ColemanEventing, @DuttonEventing and everyone else who made the US Olympic Team!!!

Catherine Austen: Is it really wrong to think that the American eventing team have already won the gold for gorgeousness?  Google Will Coleman and Boyd Martin…