The cutest boop that ever booped. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Look, I know everybody thinks their animals are the cutest animals, but can we just take a moment to appreciate how ridiculously adorable my mini donkey is? Pepe is so fluffy and so cute and literally the best at photo shoots, I can’t believe he doesn’t have a modeling contract yet. If anybody is out there looking for a tiny donkey model, you know who to contact. Pepe-roni.

National Holiday: National Sandwich Day

Major Events This Weekend:

Galway Downs: Website, Schedule, Ride Times & Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Rocking Horse Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm November H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Tattersalls Horse Trials has announced their support for the USEA initiative to ask the FEI for compulsory use of frangible technology. They join Badminton Horse Trials, Eventing Canada, and several Olympic riders in voicing their strong belief that the FEI should mandate use of frangible technology on international cross country courses, rather than their current stance of “strong recommendation”. [Tattersalls Ireland]

Best of Blogs: NYT: Unspeakable Pursues Uneatable, Fashion Follows

Hot on Horse Nation: No Stirrup November – No Thank You!

Dressage kicks off this morning with the CCI3* competitors at Galway Downs. All ten of the horses and riders were accepted earlier this week at the jogs, with 61 international pairs and 29 competitors in the Training Three-Day. The small but mighty field is made up of four-star veterans as well as three-star first timers. [Ninety Horses Accepted at Galway Downs]

The annual Law-Holling Halloween photo! Courtesy of Lesley Grant-Law

My wild Halloween night involved 1) baking bread 2) drinking red wine 3) watching the newest season of Stranger Things and 4) going to bed early. Yes, I know, don’t let your jealousy get the best of you. Of course, the bread was delicious, and duh, I finished the bottle of wine.

National Holiday: National Men Make Dinner Day (No BBQ Allowed, Must Cook!)

Major Events This Weekend:

Galway Downs International CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Rocking Horse Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm November H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Last call for golfing fans: today is the last day! Are you going to be in Ocala, Florida during the week of the Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event? Do you love to golf? Sign up to play in the #LeeLeeStrong Golf Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at the Ocala Country Club. All proceeds will benefit Lee Lee Jones’ medical fund as she continues to recover from a traumatic brain injury. [Lee Lee Jones Benefit Golf Tournament]

Here’s another exciting event happening in Ocala! Mark your calendars to attend a luncheon at the Ocala Jockey Club on Friday, Nov. 17 to highlight the accomplishments of women in eventing. Ladies, bring your significant others. Fathers, come to support your daughters. Email Pavla Nygaard at [email protected] for more information.

The West Coast’s fall CCI3* kicks off tomorrow morning at the Galway Downs International Event in Temecula, California. In addition to the CCI3*, Galway Downs will also host CCI2* and CCI* international divisions as well as horse trials for Novice through Preliminary and USEA Classic Series Training Three-Day division. The cross country is designed by Eric Winter this year, who took over from Ian Stark, who designed the courses since 2007. [Galway Downs Fast Facts]

Y’all ready for Toronto’s Royal Horse Show this weekend? The Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenges are featured both Friday and Saturday evenings, and are positively jam packed with top riders from North America and Europe. The courses are designed by Mark Phillips, and riders like Selena O’Hanlon, Boyd Martin, and Waylon Roberts will be gracing us with their talents. [Royal Horse Show Indoor Eventing]

Top Tweets from Riders This Week

This has to win for best save of 2017, Alice Dunsdon DID NOT fall off after this! Photo by Frog & Field FB. 

It’s finally my favorite time of year! Not only is it VAHT weekend, which is my all time fave hometown event (whoop whoop!) but it’s also starting to cool off, which is a huge relief. I literally love fall so much. Well, except for the part where when I get out of bed it’s actually really freaking cold and I have to wear so many clothes because I’m completely not adjusted to it yet. That part stinks.

National Holiday: National Frankenstein Friday

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Virginia CCI, CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Holly Hill Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Calling all eventers!  We need you to take this important survey!  A team of prominent researchers is investigating how competition level, training intensity and management practices impact the horse gastrointestinal health of event horses.  All eventers 18 years of age or older can take the survey for each of their event horses.  Surveys are completely anonymous and will take about 10 minutes to complete.  To thank you for your time, each eventer who completes a survey will be provided a 20% discount coupon for an online purchase to SmartPak™.  The survey is open from Monday, September 18th, 2017 to November 4th, 2017. [Gastrointestinal Health Survey]

Put down whatever your doing, and stop that Netflix binge: Jack LeGoff has written an autobiography. It’s called “Horses Came First, Second and Last” and you have to start reading it right now. With an astounding eighteen medals in eight international championships and team gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1976 and 1984, Jack Le Goff created the standard by which modern-day equestrian teams are measured. But Le Goff’s techniques could be unforgiving—tough, brutal, and abrasive—and earned him critics as well as converts. [My Unapologetic Road to Eventing Gold]

Hot on HN: 4 Sales Phrases That Don’t Actually Make Sense

Video of the Day: Basic Training with David O’Connor

The USEA has established a Course Designers’ Educational Grant/Mentoring Program to fund the education and development of U.S. course designers. The program is open to those who have competed at the CCI2* level in recent years and who have completed the Course Design Module at a USEA Training Program for Eventing Officials Seminar. Funds of up to $6,000 will be awarded in 2017. [USEA Course Designers’ Educational Grant]

KER Product of the Week – Nano•E®

Horses depend on their diets for vitamin E. Because horses cannot synthesize this vitamin “in-house,” they must consume it from forages or concentrates. For horses that have access to plentiful amounts of fresh green forage, additional vitamin supplementation is often unnecessary. Shortly after harvesting, however, the amount of vitamin E decreases significantly in hay and hay products.

Over time, horses offered hay-only diets may become deficient in vitamin E, which impacts antioxidant protection, immune function, and neuromuscular health. Horses that are low or deficient in vitamin E require targeted supplementation.

Studies have shown that the most effective way of increasing vitamin E status is by using a water-soluble form of natural-source vitamin E, such as research-proven Nano•E. Developed by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), Nano•E uses advanced nanotechnology to create a rapidly available and absorbed source of vitamin E. Shop now.

Boyd autographing from horseback at Waredaca. Photo by Gretchen Butts.

Everybody is all fired up about the new FEI rule changes (I am too, don’t worry) but mostly I was pumped that I did a bareback around the farm hack on my OTTB Turkey, who is just six weeks off the track and literally the most perfect ever. The dogs scoot up his butt and birds fly out of the bushes, and he just blinks his eyes and saunters on. I’m thinking of renaming him Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in every way!

National Holiday: National Mule Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Virginia CCI, CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Holly Hill Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

The action is heating up in New Zealand this weekend at Takapau’s Arran Station. With over 200 horses in attendance, there will be 13 contesting the Red Snap’r CIC3*, which is the second leg of the ESNZ Eventing Super League. Among those will be Clarke Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation, who were the best of the Kiwis at Rio last year. [Eventing NZ]

It’s a free-for-all questionnaire with Boyd Martin every month at Sidelines Magazine. The series is called “Everything Eventing” and they mean everything. You can submit questions to Boyd for next month, but meanwhile, check out this one! [Everything Eventing with Boyd Martin]

Winter is coming, which means massive social media arguments about blanketing are also on their way. Luckily, we have Biz Stamm from Horse Nation to present us with a little science regarding cold weather management practices, to help clear the air. You can’t argue with facts, folks. [Simply the Science: Blanketing]

Woah baby! NZ’s most popular white racehorse The Opera House has produced her fourth white foal! You almost never see white foals, as they are usually born dark and grey out with time, but The Opera House has her system down pat. Not only are her foals stunning and unique, but they’re great racehorses, selling at yearling sales for over $500,000 and going on to win! [White On!]

Some spooooooky decorations at Windermere Horse Trials in Area IV!

Clipping season has arrived! The sign that the season is here? The week before Fair Hill when horses who are competing juuuust start to get that uncomfortable amount of floof because the temps dipped down overnight and they don’t look that classy at a competition. The next marker is the VA Horse Trials coming up next week, when some horses are straight up looking like wooly mammoths and it’s 35 at night but also 80 during the day so nobody wins.

National Holiday: National Brandied Fruit Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Waredaca Classic N/T3DE & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Tryon Riding & Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Windermere Run H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Pine Hill Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Fresno County Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Hagyard Midsouth Classic 3DE, CCI, & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

You’ll definitely want to check out the Eventing Radio Show Podcast this week, as it features Joe and Max reporting live from Pau CCI4*, as well as chats with Foxwood High’s groom Anne Marie Duarte and Fair Hill CCI2* winner Tamie Smith. [ERS Episode 478]

Is it too early to call it a “Flashback Friday” to last weekend at Fair Hill? Nah. We love amazing pictures of Fair Hill any day of the week, even if it was last week. Check out COTH’s collection of favorite photos of the iconic competition. [Favorite Photos from FHI]

Caber Farm Horse Trials in Onalaska, Washington (Area VII) hosts one USEA recognized event every year on the final weekend in August and offers Beginner Novice through Intermediate levels. They just celebrated their 20th anniversary this year with 290 entries all through the levels. Owner John Camlin moved to Washington in 1992 after years of working and riding in Middleburg, VA, and thought it was very similar turf to where he had just been, so it might be an excellent venue for a three day event. [USEA Events A-Z]

Mathieu Lemoine and Better Win. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Here at EN, we know what you like. You like pictures of pretty horses, cool cross country saves, and Michael Jung. We also know that you like photos of French man candy, which is why we provide only the best for our loyal readers (sorry, handful of straight guys that are out there, but you get literally all the girls in tight pants you could want so….). You’re welcome for Mathiew Lemoine, we’ll be sure to have Tilly follow him through Le Lion.

National Holiday: National Seafood Bisque Day (weird)

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Waredaca Classic N/T3DE & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Tryon Riding & Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Windermere Run H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Pine Hill Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Fresno County Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Hagyard Midsouth Classic 3DE, CCI, & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

The USEA released a strong statement regarding the mandated use of frangible pins. In short, the USEA Cross Country Safety Sub-Committee has made a strong suggestion to the FEI that they change their status regarding open rail fences, gates, oxers and oxer corners to mandatory usage of reverse frangible technology. Currently, the FEI only strongly recommends such building standards. [USEA Statement on Frangible Technology]

The annual USEA Convention is only two months away, so we’re getting a sneak peak of the schedule. This year, there will be three tracks to choose from: Events, Eventers, and Equine. Each track will feature a variety of presentations and forums focused around a common theme to educate and engage members. It’s jam packed with cool talks, check out some of the offerings! [USEA Convention]

Holy cow you guys, I can’t stop watching this video of this Icelandic stallion. Horses of Iceland made this cool video showing off the five gaits of an incredibly cute and fluffy-maned Icelandic stallion, and it’s mesmerizing. He walks, trots, gallops, tolts, and does a flying pace. It looks like it would feel so weird, but also, LOOK AT HIS FLUFFY FORELOCK. [Icelandic Horse]

Best of Blogs: Amateurs Like Us: Lexi Wikstrom Built a Career and Brought Along 2 OTTBs

R-Perfect Storm and Alyssa Peterson in the 5-year-old YEH. Photo by Mary Pat Stone.

I have to give a shout out to my girl Alyssa Peterson, (holla NAJYRC 2009 Area II!) who is competing two of her homebreds at Fair Hill this weekend. R-Perfect Storm is in the 5-year-old YEH Championships, and Stormin’ Truth is in the CCI2*, both of which are out of her old Advanced mare, Stormin’s Barbie. Alyssa is one of the humblest, kindest, and hardest working people you’ll ever meet, and I can see her blushing right now if somebody tells her I wrote this about her. You go girl!

National Holiday: National No Bra Day

Major Events:

Fair Hill: Website, Drawn Order, Schedule, CCI Dressage Times, YEH Jumping Times, CCI Live Scores, YEH Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Hitching Post Farm H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Exmoor Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Fleur de Leap H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Las Cruces H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Did you know only women have scored in the 30s in dressage in the Fair Hill CCI3* over the last decade? Plus, there have been only three dressage tests scoring in the 30s over the last decade in the CCI3*. EquiRatings took a look at the history of the CCI3* at Fair Hill and posted facts and figures over on their blog. [All Eyes on Fair Hill International]

Fifty-five YEH contestants kicked off the dressage action yesterday at Fair Hill. Kristen Bond’s Bea Ready, her own Dutch Warmblood mare (Cicero Z Van Paemel x Tizora) topped the 4-year-old class with an 86.40% in dressage and a 74.70% in conformation for a total of 41.45%. Aletta Nichols’ Wil Celtic Charlie, an Irish Sport Horse gelding by Porsche was ridden by Waylon Roberts in the 5-year-old class, and scored an 83.7% in conformation and an impressive 88% in dressage. Jumping counts for 50% of the score so anything can happen tomorrow. [Bea Ready and Wil Celtic Charlie Rule YEH]

Science has taught us a lot about colic in the past few years, but we still can’t prevent it. As only the second deadliest issue with horses, the fatality rate is 7%-10% with horses that experience it. Gas colic makes up 85% of the episodes, but we still haven’t truly determined the cause. There are certainly things that make your horse more prone, but our ability to keep it from happening hasn’t increased at all. [Our Understanding of Colic]

Superstar racehose Arrogate will retire after attempting to defend his Breeders Cup Classic title this year. Trainer Bob Baffert just announced that this will be the colt’s final run, and he will retire to stand at stud at Juddmonte Farms afterwards. The winner of last year’s Breeders Cup Classic and the 2017 Pegasus World Cup Invitational as well as the Dubai Cup, his summer season has been less stunning, but hopes are high for this last start. [Arrogate to Retire]

KER Product of the Week – Introducing Triacton™

Horse owners know that in order for their horse to compete well, it must be sound and feeling its best. What if there was a product that could achieve both?

Recently developed by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), Triacton is a triple-action supplement designed to improve bone density and support digestive health in horses. Triacton supports health in three research-proven ways: increasing bone density for skeletal strength, buffering stomach acid to bolster gastric health and reduce the incidence of ulcers, and moderating the pH of the hindgut to prevent acidosis.

Triacton is delivered in a highly digestible, easy-to-feed pellet.

For more information on Triacton, contact Kentucky Equine Research at 888-873-1988 or [email protected]. Purchase Triacton directly at shop.kerx.com.

I spy with my little eye….EN ladies proving that Flannel Is Life. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

You ever have one of those weeks where you start counting the crazy things that are happening to you, and when you reach three crazy horrible things, you’re actually thankful because you’re sure now it’s got to be over? I mean, that’s the rule, right? Bad things come in threes? That’s what I thought anyway. Side note, when you have to medicate a horse eyeball every four hours, your already pathetic social life becomes non existent. Don’t poke your eye, guys, don’t do it.

National Holiday: National Vermont Day

Major Events:

Fair Hill: Website, Drawn Order, Schedule, CCI Dressage Times, YEH Dressage Times, CCI Live Scores, YEH Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Hitching Post Farm H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Exmoor Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Fleur de Leap H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Las Cruces H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Alexis Helffrich has made the long journey east to contest his first CCI3* at Fair Hill this weekend with London Town, after successfully gaining a Jacqueline B. Mars National Competition and Training Grant to help him fly his mount. While Alexis has never competed on the east coast yet, he did spend two years working and riding for Andrew Nicholson, and also achieved an instructor’s degree and a bachelors in equine management after three years of study at the National School d’Equitation in Saumur, France. [Fair Hill Via France, England and California]

Get your Fair Hill “Fast Facts”! Fair Hill hosts not only the USEF National Championships at CCI2* and CCI3*, but this is the ninth year running where it has held the YEH East Coast Championships featuring four and five-year-olds too. Find out who is returning from last year, how many horses are in each division, and all the little details in between. [Fair Hill Fast Facts]

Bidding has opened for a 1915 edition of Black Beauty, with proceeds to go to help horses in need. Anna Sewell’s 1877 classic is the one book that we’ve ALL read at least a trillion times, and rightly so. This rare edition was donated for this specific purpose, and features stunning color illustrations by Lucy Kemp-Welch that need to be seen to be believed. [Bid Now!]

Hot on Horse Nation: Halloween Short Story Contest!!

Ben Hobday, the master of social media (at least in England, obvi nobody can take on Lainey Ashker here in the states). What are the eight things that Ben just can’t live without in his barn and his life? Some things are obvious, but some things, like a Honda push mower for therapeutic meditation, are not quite so predictable. [8 Essentials for Ben Hobday]

Photo via Morning Feed FB.

They say you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose…..or can you? I’ve definitely been that little kid before, prodding ponies in every way imaginable. Oh wait, I’m still that little kid.

National Holiday: NATIONAL COFFEE DAY

U.S. Weekend Preview:

University of New Hampshire H.T.  [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Larkin Hill H.T. [Website]

Morven Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

ESDCTA H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Stable View Advanced Oktoberfest H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Stream]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Spokane Sport Horse Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Jump Start H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Copper Meadows Horse Trials in Ramona, California (Area VI), runs three USEA recognized events a year in March, June, and September, offering Intro through Advanced level competition. In September, Copper Meadows also hosts CIC*, CIC2* and CIC3* divisions. Run and owned by Taren Hoffos, the event is in it’s 17th year of operation. [USEA Events A-Z]

Non-horse person Marcus Zahn parked his ridiculously expensive sports car next to a donkey paddock, and paid the price. Literally. Inquisitive donkey, Vitus, decided to have a taste of the car’s fender, costing the owner about $50k in damages. Hilariously, both local police and Marcus are suggesting that perhaps Vitus mistook the car for a carrot due to it’s heinous orange color. [Donkey Attacks Car]

Even show jump riders understand flat work. Responsiveness to the leg is critical to effective riding, says 2012 World Cup Champion Rich Fellers of Wilsonville, Oregon. And it starts with walk–trot transitions.“Flat work is the biggest focus of my whole program,” says the US Olympian. [Calibrating to Leg Pressure with Rich Fellers]

Hot on Horse Nation: 9 Equestrian Things That Need to Come in Pumpkin Spice 

H&H Question of the Week: My Horse is Very One Sided, How Do I Fix This?

In honor of National Coffee Day:

WHY CAN’T I WEAR SWEATERS YET. It’s supposed to be sweater weather right now, and yet here I am. Wearing tank tops. Sweating. I know talking about the weather is boring, but guys, the time of year when I can wear jeans out in public and it’s totally normal is the best time of the year. I can finally hide my ghostly pale legs, and pretend to be normal again for several months. Get it together Indian Summer, I’m over you!

National Holiday: Drink Beer Day (I can get behind this)

U.S. Weekend Preview:

University of New Hampshire H.T.  [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Larkin Hill H.T. [Website]

Morven Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

ESDCTA H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Stable View Advanced Oktoberfest H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Spokane Sport Horse Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Jump Start H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Jumper Nation Jamz: Who Jumped it Best: Creepy Roman Artifact

Hot on Horse Nation: Just 6 Cows Jumping Like Horses

*Hearts In Eyes*

Just a little racehorse enjoying his new lifestyle. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Holy poop it’s been so hot lately. It was really nice for a few weeks, but now it’s like July again and I feel like I’m dying. I’m one of the special people who turns into an actual tomato when it’s hot outside, which is such a good look, let me tell you. Please pray to the Virginia weather gods that I don’t fry alive at Surefire this weekend.

National Holiday: New York Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Flora Lea Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Results]

Surefire Farm Fall H.T. [Website]

Sundance Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Twin Rivers Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Equestrians Institute H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

This weekend the FEH Championships are being held on both coasts. The East Coast championships are held at Loch Moy Farm, and the West Coast division at Twin Rivers Ranch. Divisions for yearling, 2-year-old, 3-year-old and 4-year old will be hosted for both competitions. [Fast Facts: FEH Championships]

With the promise of a four-star in 2019, Fair Hill International is gaining sponsors. This year, that came to fruition with the increase of prize money from $15,000 to $50,000, but that’s only the beginning. “Our commitment in building this event to be a first-class experience for every competitor, horse and spectator is our top priority,” executive director Carla Geiersbach said. “With the partnership we have with our sponsors and community, we are able to elevate the standard of competition and provide a truly unique and VIP experience for all who attend.” [Fair Hill Coming In Hot]

We all know that one person. The person at your barn who has a heavy weight on their horse when it’s 50 degrees outside. The one who basically rugs their horse up for winter in late September and leaves it on until April. This person. Drives. Me. Insane. Now veterinary clinics in the UK are taking up the cause, calling it an “unnecessary man-made welfare issue”. High five guys! [Over Rugging a Welfare Problem]

Hot on Horse Nation: What Hitch will David Rorbach Come Up With Next?

Best of Blogs: The Beauty of Big, Huge, Awkward Mistakes

LOOK AT THIS FACE Y’ALL

I haven’t felt this way in a long time. Like totally head over heels googly-eyes in love. Actually, I haven’t bought a horse on purpose in over 12 years, which is a long time. My life story is that I get horses that nobody else wants to ride because they buck/rear/bolt or are too nervous or weird to deal with. I FINALLY have a horse, that *gasp* isn’t weird at all, and I can’t stop snuggling his head because he’s so delightful on a daily basis. Send help, I’m hopeless.

National Holiday: National Cheese Toast Day

Major Events This Week:

Blenheim: Website, Entries & Scoring, Live Stream, ERM Live Stream, BE TV Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, USEF Network, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

GMHA September H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Results]

Marlborough H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Poplar Place Farm CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Results]

Otter Creek Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Results]

MeadowCreek Park Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Flying Cross Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Stone Gate Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Colorado Horse Park Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Jonelle Price is right back at it only a month after having her first child. After giving birth to her first child, Otis, only a short while ago, Jonelle is contesting the CCI3* at Blenheim with her longtime partner Classic Moet. She says that the pregnancy was easy, and she feels fit and prepared for the big test. With one of the fastest cross country horses underneath her, you’d be silly to bet against her. [Jonelle Price Back in the Game]

Coconino Horse Trials has been a staple for the west coast for twenty-six years now. The Coconino Horse Trials hosts three USEA recognized events a year: their Spring Horse Trials and their back-to-back Summer I and Western Underground, Inc. Summer II Horse Trials and Novice/Training Three-Day Event at the Coconino County Fairgrounds in Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, AZ (Area X). Coconino Horse Trials offers Intro through Intermediate level competition in addition to hosting YEH, FEH, and USEA Classic Series competitions at the Summer II Horse Trials. [USEA A-Z]

Hot on Horse Nation: Fantasy Farm: Desert Gem

Horse owners are still recovering from Hurricane Irma. Because Irma’s path was so unpredictable and in the face of bumper-to-bumper traffic and dwindling gas supplies, many owners decided to shelter their animals in place.However, many horses remain in evacuation centers throughout the southeast and others are safe at their homes as their owners survey and repair the damage and work get their facilities back to normal. [Irma Horses]

This is one of my favorite grooming hacks ever. Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine is literally liquid gold. I use it after I give my horse a good shampoo bath, and just a dime’s amount in my palm rubbed all over their tail will last days, keep the dirt off, and make it silky smooth for brushing out. This bottle will last you forever, and make your pre-show grooming efforts that much easier. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

KER Product of the Week – Nano•E®

Protecting your performance horse from the effects of heavy exercise and travel should be a top priority. These high-stress situations can lead to the production of free radicals in a horse’s body that can damage cell walls and be detrimental to overall performance. Protection can be provided in numerous ways, with one of the most effective being through nutrition. Antioxidants, especially vitamin E, can help combat free radicals.

Developed by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), Nano•E® is a water-soluble, natural-source of vitamin E with a unique nanodispersion delivery system that results in superior bioavailability. This is important because the more vitamin E that is absorbed into the bloodstream, the more available it is for use as a body-wide antioxidant essential for repair. Shop now.

Cooley Cross Border with Kim Severson Eventing’s Head Groom Andi Lawrence looking fine as hell at Blenheim jogs yesterday. Photo via Andi.

Man, there is just SO MUCH going on this weekend it’s hard to know where to start! I decided to skip Plantation this year (insert crying emoji) in favor of working extra hard at home and reminding myself how to ride properly (insert eye roll emoji). Also, I got a new horse off the track this past weekend and I’m completely head over heels in love, so I’m pretty much too busy making googly eyes at him to manage to do anything else at the moment. Please send help.

National Holiday: National Cream Filled Donut Day (don’t deny yourself a tribute)

Major Events This Week:

Blenheim: Website, Entries & Scoring, Live Stream, ERM Live Stream, BE TV Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, USEF Network, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

GMHA September H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Results]

Marlborough H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Poplar Place Farm CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Results]

Otter Creek Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Results]

MeadowCreek Park Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Flying Cross Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Stone Gate Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Colorado Horse Park Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Get yourself prepared for the CIC3* at Plantation with these Gold Cup Fast Facts. Out of 47 entries in the three-star, a whopping eight riders have more than one horse (Buck = 4, Boyd = 3, Jennie, Phillip, Will, Jessie, Colleen, and Kurt = 2). Mighty Nice is making his first appearance since the Rio Olympics, and the tailgating will be out.of.control. [Plantation Gold Cup Fast Facts]

No, I’m still not over Oliver Townend’s winning cross country ride at Burghley, why do you ask? Horse & Hound got together with Ollie so he could talk us through his incredible ride on four-star first-timer Ballaghmor Class. I love watching the video with accompanying commentary from the always honest Ollie Townend. Check it out. [How Did He Win]

Best of Blogs: Hunter Turned Eventer: Novice is Rolex

Hot on Horse Nation: 4 Reasons Fall Is The Best Time To Ride

Just a little Plantation TBT for ya:

Have you ever seen such serenity? #myhorsethemodel

Sorry, just a little fan-girling over my horse, the professional model. I swear, you pull out a camera, and he KNOWS. He holds really still, perks his ears up, and does the faraway gaze for a ridiculously long time. Also, I posted a pretty unflattering photo of him yesterday, and my mom was mad at me for embarrassing him. Sorry Nyls!

National Holiday: National Stand Up To Cancer Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Grindstone Mountain Farm H.T. [Website] [Live Results]

CDCTA Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scoring]

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

Dunnabeck H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

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

Aspen Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Chardon Valley H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Fam jam after Hannah’s test with Under Suspection! Photo by Jenni Autry.

This week, in the space of three days, I added a furry member to my team, and spent 22 hours driving out of 72 hours of being alive, which is just not a good ratio. I got stuck in traffic (thanks D.C. beltway) several times, had nightmares about people pulling in front of me and braking abruptly, and ate waaaaay too many snacks but no actual food. It’s been a weird week, folks.

Anyway, we have Jenni Autry and Tilly Berendt on the grounds at Burghley and Leslie Wylie reporting at the AECs, so keep it locked on EN for coverage from around the globe. Go Eventing!

National Holiday: Lazy Mom’s Day

Major Events This Week:

Burghley: Website, Entries, Schedule, Dressage Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times & Live Scoring, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scoring]

Silverwood Farm H.T. [Website]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Park Equine Kentucky Classique H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Time is running out to apply for the Essex Horse Trials Grant and Seema Sonnad Junior Rider’s Grant! The deadline is midnight today. If you are 25 and under and riding at the CIC3* level, you are eligible to apply for the $10,000 Essex Horse Trials Grant. Riders 18 and under competing at the CCI* level are eligible for the $5,000 Seema Sonnad Junior Rider’s Grant. [More Details Here]

Horses displaced by Hurricane Harvey? If a large group of horses affected by the situation needs temporary shelter and is able to make the trip, the 924-acre Ocala Jockey Club in central Florida has up to 80 stalls available. OJC will donate dry stall and pasture use between now and Oct. 31 for horses currently on the Texas coast, displaced by Hurricane Harvey and related floods.  [Contact Ocala Jockey Club]

“You’re only as old as the horse you’re riding” says Sir Mark Todd, who at 61 is eyeing Tokyo 2020. If he makes it, sorry, who are we kidding, when he makes it, that will be his ninth Olympic games. NINE!! He’s very keen on Leonidas, who is only 13 this year, and will only get better with time, but he’s also got some very good younger horses in the wings waiting to step up to the plate. [Mark Todd Eyes Tokyo 2020]

Jan Hoover and her 10-year-old Thoroughbred/Percheron gelding It’s Now or Never, aka “Aengus,” are competing this weekend at the AECs in the Beginner Novice Master Amateur division. Four years ago, though, Hoover fell from a young horse and shattered her L2 vertebra, and the resulting compression to the nerves and spinal cord have left her with a lack of feeling in both her feet and her right leg. Read more on this inspiring story about how Jan came back to walking just so she could get back on a horse. [Road to AEC]

Oooooh it’s September which means…blanket shopping!!! I have a new pony (errr…hony really) that needs to stock up on her blankets for the winter, so I’m measuring her this weekend and then hopping on SmartPak to see what the best deals are for turnout blankets to keep her dry and warm for the coming months. [SmartPak Products of the Day]

KER Product of the Week – Bio•Bloom™ PS

Are you looking for a soft, shiny coat with dapples galore? Could you also be looking to strengthen hooves? Developed by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), Bio•Bloom PS is a great choice for horses, as it serves as a dual-action supplement designed to promote and maintain healthy skin, coat, and hoof condition from the inside out.

Bio•Bloom PS is chock-full of ingredients designed to help boost hoof and coat health. Most horse owners are aware of the advantages of feeding biotin for hoof health, and Bio•Bloom PS contains the recommended amount of that B vitamin. Biotin also helps with skin and coat condition, as hair and hooves are similar microscopically, both dependent on keratin structures for strength and health. In addition to biotin, Bio•Bloom PS contains key minerals to support keratin-based structures, including iodine, and chelated zinc, as well as the essential amino acid methionine. Check it out for yourself here!

Donner says, “I MUST DANCE!” Photo by Jenni Autry.

With the AECs and Burghley all wrapped up into one weekend, I can barely contain myself. I’m cheering for people far and wide, and watching all the amazing photos and videos (ahem, DONNER “trotting” at Burghley) with jealousy. I hope every horse remembers to keep his/her head down, jump all the things, and leaves all the colored poles in the cups!

We have Jenni Autry and Tilly Berendt on the grounds at Burghley and Leslie Wylie reporting at the AECs, so keep it locked on EN for coverage from around the globe. Go Eventing!

National Holiday: Trail Mix Day

Major Events This Week:

Burghley: Website, Entries, Schedule, Dressage Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times & Live Scoring, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scoring]

Silverwood Farm H.T. [Website]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Park Equine Kentucky Classique H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Time is running out to apply for the Essex Horse Trials Grant and Seema Sonnad Junior Rider’s Grant! The deadline is midnight tomorrow, Sept. 1. If you are 25 and under and riding at the CIC3* level, you are eligible to apply for the $10,000 Essex Horse Trials Grant. Riders 18 and under competing at the CCI* level are eligible for the $5,000 Seema Sonnad Junior Rider’s Grant. [More Details Here]

Not only does the AECs offer $100,000 in prize money spread across divisions, but your shopping options are almost unlimited. Hosted at Tryon, you can have a glass of wine while you watch the action, and then toddle on down to the shopping center for just about anything your heart desires. Need a saddle? A new pair of fancy tall boots? Does you horse need some amazing jumping boots? The shopping is almost as good as Rolex. [Shopping at AECs]

Iconic Northern Irish retired jockey, AP McCoy, is turning his talents to the eventing world when he takes on the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials this weekend with surprise ‘ride’ 8.3hh World Horse Welfare Pamela, as announced on social media yesterday. AP plans to add Burghley to his list of accomplishments, alongside three Guinness World Records and wins in races like the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Also, Pamela is freaking adorable. [AP McCoy Takes Burghley on a Palomino]

Self criticism is a tricky thing with equestrian pursuits, and while being willing to take on responsibility for things when they go wrong is important, too much can hurt your performance. Sports psychology demands that we envision the positive before going out on course, and if you’re stuck with negative thoughts, it’s hard to have a good round. Try these quick tips from Noelle Floyd to banish those feelings. [How to Kick Self Criticism to the Curb]

Hot on Horse Nation: 5 Reasons Equestrians Should Try Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Keep it coming with your support for horses in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. There are several equine disaster relief funds specifically aimed at this, as well as loads of smaller local fundraisers that appreciate money and donations in kind. Help heal Houston! [How to Help Houston Horses]

“No, you’ve had enough grass Pamela”

Joe Meyer tending to his ribs in between dressage rides. Photo by Ruthie Meyer.

Some riders get all stressed out by dressage, but Joe Meyer knows the answer to that problem is a portable smoker near your stables to fulfill all your smoked meat needs. Eventers know how to party, but this is adding a whole new element to the mix. My mind has been blown. I thought bringing cookies to the competition was a great idea, but ribs? I’ve been beaten.

National Holiday: National Banana Split Day

Major Events This Week:

Richland Park: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage

Millstreet: Website, Entries, Schedule, Ride Times & Live Scoring, EN’s Coverage, XC Saturday Radio

Blair Castle ERM: Website, Ride Times, Live Stream, ERM Leaderboard

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Town Hill Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Feather Creek Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

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

Caber Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

The Event at Archer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

The Retired Racehorse Project is expanding into a new area offering a trainer certification program for those experienced in retraining OTTBs. The concept builds off a collaboration announced in February between RRP and the United States Eventing Association that works with the USEA’s Young Event Horse Professional Trainer Certification. Participants currently going through the YEH certification process say that a Thoroughbred version of the training is needed because of the different methodology used in training a Thoroughbred versus training a warmblood. [OTTB Trainer Certification Program]

Twenty-six-year-old Olivia Craddock is heading towards her first Burghley Horse Trials with a horse she made herself. The ten-year-old gelding, Billy Liffy, was not the most promising of young horses, with a pony trot and a bronco buck that even unseated Pippa Funnell at the 4-yo championships. She kept training him, and kept trying to sell him, but nobody wanted to buy him, luckily for her! [Burghley First Timer Olivia Craddock]

Dominance theory in training horses is popular throughout the disciplines, but learning theory and science has it debunked. Many people assume that unwanted behavior from a horse is a direct challenge to the social status of the trainer, but it’s just not so. Insufficient training is a common cause of unwelcome behavior. The proper use of learning principles can improve training success and prevent unwanted behavior. Horses learn more readily when they are attentive and calm, so training should reduce fear, not trigger or intensify it. [Dominance in Human-Horse Relationships]

Hot on Horse Nation: The Horse Haircut That Destroyed the Internet

KER ClockIt™ Session of the Week

How do you really know if your horse is fit? It’s a question every rider asks, and Kentucky Equine Research (KER) takes a lot of the guesswork out of conditioning with its free smartphone app, KER ClockIt Sport.

KER ClockIt Sport is a modern way to measure equine fitness. By tracking the individual horse’s intensity and duration of exercise through speed, heart rate, and GPS, horse owners and trainers can condition and feed each horse appropriately for the work they’re actually performing.

The ClockIt Sport session featured this week belongs to a rider who took her horse on a hill walk that incorporated some trot sets. Below you will see a segment of the session that demonstrates the rider’s ability to raise her horse’s heart rate with hill work, but without the need to increase speed.

Multiple KER treadmill studies have shown that exercising horses on an incline greatly increases work intensity as measured by oxygen consumption, heart rate, and lactate production. These studies have shown that at a canter, a 1% increase in grade increases a horse’s heart rate 6 bpm—the same effect on heart rate as increasing speed 35 m/min on a level treadmill. Therefore, equal heart rates can be obtained by cantering horses on a 6% grade at 490 m/min as from galloping on the flat at 700 m/min.

To see a detailed report like the one above, go to the KER ClockIt website and log in to your account. Once you are signed in, you can view your detailed sessions under the “Sessions” tab.

Photo courtesy of Lynn Symansky.

As we begin Richland Horse Trials here in the States, our big time ponies are preparing for Millstreet CCI3* this weekend in Ireland and others are shipping over for Burghley as we speak. Lynn Symansky got a last minute tune up from Richard Picken as she and the formidable Donner prepare for their second Burghley and eighth four-star run. Nothin’ runs like a Deer!

National Holiday: National Peach Pie Day

Major Events This Week:

Richland Park: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage

Millstreet: Website, Entries, Schedule, Ride Times & Live Scoring, EN’s Coverage

Blair Castle ERM: Website, Ride Times, Live Stream, ERM Leaderboard

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Town Hill Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Feather Creek Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

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

Caber Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

The Event at Archer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Reigning Burghley champion Nobilis 18 has been withdrawn from this year’s competition. He’s only competed twice since his Burghley 2016 win, once in an Intermediate and once in Aachen CICO3*. Another high quality contender has been withdrawn as well, as we hear that Maxime Livio has removed Qalao des Mers from the entry list. [Burghley Contenders Withdrawn]

California pair Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 are heading across the pond to their Burghley debut. After completing Rolex this spring “with her eyes closed”, Andrea feels like her little thoroughbred mare is ready for the next challenge. Dressage isn’t really her thing, but the jumping is there, and the scope for the big bad Burghley is something that Andrea doesn’t doubt. [Burghley First Timers]

Vibrating platforms have taken the equestrian world by storm lately, but do they really have positive effects on lameness issues? Anecdotal evidence suggests that they show great benefits to horses that use them, however scientific evidence is lacking. In fact, in a recent study, the only difference is that the vibration seems to increase relaxation in horses, but does not decrease lameness or increase flexibility. [Short & Long Term Effects of Vibrating Platforms]

Hot on Horse Nation: Best of Craigslist: Volume 55

Hardcore Eventing fan for real. Photo courtesy of Nanette Schumaker.

Alright guys, the ante has been upped for the 2017 AECs. Now you have to get a tattoo of it to prove that you went, alongside competing agains the best of the best within your level. I mean, Nanette Schumaker is hard core! We know riders get the four stars on their body and fill them in as they go, but this just tops them all!

[European Eventing Championships]

National Holiday: National Fajita Day!

#FEIEuros2017: Website, Ride Times & Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

Huntington Farm H.T. [Website]

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

Full Gallop Farm August H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

News From Around the Globe:

We can’t get over Bettina Hoy’s test at the Europeans on Seignuer Medicott. Really, nobody can get over scoring a 24.6, a full 9.8 points ahead of second placed Thomas Carlile and Upsilon. We all knew she was good on the flat, but breaking records at the European Championships? C’mon Bettina, now you’re just embarrassing us all! [Hoy Breaks Records at Europeans]

Riders are prepared for Rudiger Schwarz’s championship course, and ready for the challenge. Oliver Townend says this is the toughest course he’s ever seen on a championship level, and the course is being taken seriously by all competitors. Compared to a “go-kart course”, it demands obedience and accuracy at every single fence, which ensures that this will certainly not be a dressage competition after all. [Riders React to Europeans XC Course]

Mike Smith, one of the nation’s oldest jockeys, is trading quantity for quality. He’s come to a point in his career where he can be really picky about what horses he rides, and now he rides only the best. 169 mounts in 2017 in North American races had been converted into just over $15 million in purse money, which computed to $88,832 for each break from the gate. That does not even include the Dubai World Cup in March, in which Smith, riding Arrogate, won $6 million. [Iron Mike Smith Rides Less to Make More]

KER Product of the Week – EO•3™ Supports Optimal Well-Being in Horses

Horses need to consume both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, but the traditional equine diet tends to provide a skewed ratio of these compounds, minimizing the supply of omega-3s and oversupplying omega-6s. Optimal levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammatory responses, support immune function, and enhance fertility.

EO•3™ is the most potent, effective source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids available. Analysis has shown that EO•3 has the highest percentage of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as well as the highest ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids when compared to other commonly fed oils. Shop online or find a store near you!

Iz dere room for Bertie Russell Murphy in the bags to Millstreet? Photo courtesy of Sara Kozumplik Murphy.

It’s Strzegom week folks, and nobody in their right mind is betting against Michael Jung. He’s riding his little pocket rocket three-time-winner of Rolex, fischerRocana FST, and she’s not his top choice, but she’s not a bad job either. The German team looks especially strong this time around, which really isn’t much of a surprise, but I think they’ve got it in the bag. Sorry everyone else! Don’t forget to check out our guide to following the action all weekend long!

[European Eventing Championships]

#WylieWatch: Track Leslie Wylie in the Mongol Derby!

National Holiday: National Love Your Feet Day

#FEIEuros2017: Website, Ride Times & Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

Huntington Farm H.T. [Website]

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

Full Gallop Farm August H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

News From Around the Globe:

Fair Hill is undertaking an estimated $8 million to 10 million in improvements, including reconfiguring the racecourse and irrigating it, renovating the racecourse grandstands, and building tunnels under Route 273 to make crossing that busy road easier and safer. Fair Hill International estimates an additional $3 million will be needed to build arenas and move the cross-country course from its current location to a new venue; the new cross-country course will include land on the steeplechase and timber courses, the old roads and tracks course, and the Saw Mill field, where recognized horse trials are held now. [Saving Ground: Fair Hill’s Equestrian Community Unites to Save Land]

Icabad Crane is still making headlines in the Daily Racing Form, though his racing days are long gone. He’s now paired up with Olivia Dutton, and they’re kicking butt left right and center, most recently with a win in the JYOT at Fair Hill. The relationship between Icabad’s trainer Graham Motion and Phillip Dutton continues to flourish, and shows the world how much you can accomplish with a good Thoroughbred. [Icabad Crane on Top]

After a freak TBI on a trail ride in June of last year, Jessika Kynett of Montana didn’t know if she’d ever be back at the top of her game again. Now, she’s heading to the AEC’s in just two weeks time, with her police officer partner, Tankers. In an incredible story of determination and resolve, Jessika qualified at the Beginner Novice level, and is making the big trek to North Carolina. [Road to AECs]