ICanHasCheesburger was made for Mondays. Enjoy these fun horse photos, and have a good week!
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Video Saturday: The Water Jump
The Water Jump is a guaranteed good show: It’s the fence volunteers hope to judge, it’s where you’ll always find the biggest spectator crowd, and it’s not the place to fall off on a cold day.
Championship Water: Watch and learn from the best as they navigate the Advanced water jump at last year’s AEC.
Mitsubishi Motorboat: This horse and rider combination motor right over the trucks and through the water combination with precision and confidence.
In A Pickle: What I like about this video (besides the irony of the horse’s name) is that they show the clip in real-time and then in dramatic slow motion, distorted voices included.
Queen of the Lake: Karen O’Connor and Upstage recover like pros. You might want to turn down your volume for this one.
Duck, Duck, Duck: Kim and Paddy have a beautiful, quiet ride through the Duck Marsh.
EN Fans Have Good Cold Fun at Poplar Place
After an early morning and a long day at work, I packed up and got on the road to Poplar Place Farm in Hamilton, GA for the February HT last weekend. One of the great traits about Eventers is they always make the most of a weekend with their horses and friends despite the conditions or outcome of a competition. I had a great time catching up with friends, cheering on my favorite horses, dusting off the old camera and making use of my new one.
Alex Livengood, competing in Open Intermediate with her grey gelding, Past Due, definitely had the most stylin’ warm-weather gear. (left)
Flash and Zeus take Doreen for a walk. They remembered to dress in layers, and they color-coordinated too! (below)
Jet is warm enough inside, thank you very much. (left)
My mom stopped by with our dog, Joey, who is very camera shy. Her big red coat is the same one she wore on her trip to Antarctica. She still wimped out and went home early. (right)
Play Locate Leslie at Pine Top in Thomson, GA this Valentine’s Day weekend! Walk up to as many people as you can and say “Visiting Eventing Nation improves my dressage scores.” If you find me I’ll answer, “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” and you’ll be an automatic Fan of the Day!
Monday Funday
What Lego Horses Do
British comedian Eddie Izzard give his perspective of horse riding as a child and how racing should be done. Happy Monday!
Video Saturday: Clydesdales and Football
Anheuser Busch is the highest paying advertiser during the Super Bowl. Thanks to overwhelming support from horse fans on Facebook, the Budweiser Clydesdales are back in the commercial line-up for Super Bowl Sunday. I like to think Eventing Nation voters had much to do with it. Be sure to watch during the fourth quarter to see the newest commercial featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales. Or you could watch it early here. This week on Video Saturday: four-legged football.
Mini Horses Make Good Kickers: What’s cuter than a horse playing football? A baby mini-horse playing football.
Cavalier Gets Dumped: The UVA Cavalier hits the manicured dirt before the game begins. Maybe a certain UVA alum who now runs a successful Eventing news site has an explanation?
Traveler Recruits: USC’s mascot, Traveler, is quite the local celebrity…and much better behaved than the UVA horse.
Zebras on the Field: OK, maybe just one more Clydesdale commercial.
Eventing’s Sister Sport-On-Wheels: Combined Driving
On Wednesday morning, we linked to an article in the Horse and Hound announcing Great Britain is unlikely to send a full Driving team to the WEG in Kentucky due to the high cost of transporting the horses and equipment. Competitors are permitted to raise their own funds for the trip, and Great Britain will be sending full teams to the WEG in all other disciplines.
Combined Driving
When I was young and ambitious, I might have “trained” a Percheron filly to move forward with a lunge line looped through her bridle and me walking aimlessly behind her. Besides that and a carriage ride at the prestigious Peach Park in Clanton, AL, I know next to nothing about Driving. But after a little reading and photo flipping, this sport looks awesome! Combined Driving mixes elegance, toughness, and a little dash of crazy. My kind of sport.
The CDE has 3 phases: Driven Dressage, Cross-Country Marathon, and Cones. Major events are held over three days, and the winner is the competitor who accumulates the fewest penalty points by the end of the show… I know, it sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Dressage
During the Dressage phase, drivers must complete a test and are judged on each movement on a 10 point scale. Drivers receive collective marks for paces, impulsion, obedience and lightness, driver and presentation. Check out these FEI Driving tests which include movements like shoulder-in, collected and extended trots, and circles with reins in one hand.
George Bowman (GBR) during the Dressage phase of the Hopetoun National Horse Driving Trials (Edinburgh, Scotland) in May 2005 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cross-Country Marathon
The Cross-Country Marathon requires drivers to navigate their teams through a series of obstacles and hazards over several miles of course within minimum/maximum time limits. Cross country penalties range from error of course to putting down the whip to turning the vehicle over. If I had tickets to this show, I’d go straight to the water obstacle.
Cones
The Cone competition tests the accuracy of drivers and teams as they navigate through marked “gates” made of cones with balls balanced on the top. Penalties are incurred if the ball is knocked off a cone or the team does not finish within the time allowed.
Grooms
Eventers must leave their dedicated grooms at the start box during competition, but Combined Drivers are permitted to bring a “groom” or navigator on course with them in all three phases. During Dressage and Cones, the groom is not allowed to speak to the driver. On Cross-Country, grooms keep track of time, direct the driver, and act as a vital counterweight around tight turns and on uneven ground.
Driving at the WEG
The United States and Great Britain finished in 8th and 9th place respectively at the 2006 WEG team Driving competition. As a new found fan of our sister sport on wheels, I’m kind of bummed out Great Britain doesn’t plan to send a full driving team as the country always proves to be formidable opponents.
It is estimated to will cost £1.25-£1.5 million to send teams for all eight disciplines representing Great Britain. Olympic and Paralympic disciplines are lottery funded, but non-Olympic disciplines (Driving, Endurance, Reining, and Vaulting) must provide the majority of funding themselves. An online auction on the Team GBR website is dedicated to funding the country’s trip to the WEG. The goal of £500,000 has not yet been reached.
The WEG Driving Championships will be held Thursday, Oct. 7- Sunday, Oct. 10. Purchase your tickets here!
Watch highlights from the USEF National Combined Driving Championship and see the similarities between Eventers and their friends in the Driver’s seat!
Will Sore No More Test Positive on a Drug Screening?
While at Poplar Place Farm’s January HT last weekend, I heard a rumor from several concerned competitors about Sore No More liniments. Competitors had heard a particular ingredient could reach a horse’s bloodstream and thus test positive on a drug screening. EN has also received a couple of emails on the topic. As I and many fellow competitors use Sore No More products regularly, I felt it was important to find out the truth post-haste.
I spoke with Tracey Freeman of Equilite, the makers of Sore No More and related products. According to Freeman, Sore No More brand products will NOT test positive on a drug screening if administered topically as it is intended to be.
ADMINISTER PRODUCTS APPROPRIATELY
One ingredient in Sore No More, called lobelia, was questioned by some equine professionals. Lobelia can be used to treat asthma and other respiratory symptoms in humans. According to Freeman, less than 1% of lobelia is present in Sore No More, and it cannot reach the bloodstream of a horse unless ingested or otherwise improperly administered.
THE OTHER SORE-NO-MORE
Freeman informed me of a company in Moab, Utah also called Sore No More. This company produces products for human use, and some of these products contain capsaicin, an ingredient used for pain relief.
Capsaicin is present in some equine liniment products, as is its derivative, Capsicum Oleoresin (found in Equi-Block). According to a USEF document, “there were four drug violations associated with the detection of capsaicin in the blood following topical administration at the 2008 Olympic Games.” Please be mindful of the ingredients in the products you use on your horses. It is not recommended to use a topical product containing capsaicin or capsaicin derivatives within seven days before competition.
SORE NO MORE IS SAFE, SAFE, SAFE
Freeman stressed if there is anything else Equilite can do to answer questions about their products, do not hesitate to contact the company. Equilite is “happy to support the Eventing community,” said Freeman.
Please refer to the important documents linked below for more information regarding topical liniments.
D&M Program Notice Regarding Use of Liniments by Dr. Stephen Schumacher
EDIT: this press release was obtained through the USEF website and was also the point of reference when EN contacted the USEF via telephone for comment on this subject.
EDIT: Equilite discusses the USEF press release and its impact on Equilite products
EDIT: When contacted via telephone, USEF confirmed as long as topical liniments, including Sore No More, are administered appropriately, there is no danger of positive testing. The exception is any product containing the ingredient capsaicin, which should not be used 7 days prior to competition.
Monday Funday
Get your week started off on the right hoof with Eventing Nation’s Monday Funday!
Online Eventing Game
When I’m not obsessing over horses, I’m nerding out in the video game universe. After dealing with a broken XBOX 360 over the weekend, this Eventing Game provided me with decent entertainment. Most horsey games online usually aren’t very good, but hear me out on this one.
I’m going to put on my nerd-hat for a minute and point out: the graphics aren’t half bad, the controls are decent, and it held my attention for an embarrassing amount of time.
While the dressage phase is a kooky fusion of Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution, and dodging giant boulders is part of the cross-country test, I just had to keep playing until I unlocked a matching blue outfit!
Click here to play. And don’t let your boss see this!
Video Saturday: 1st-Person Eventing with Helmet Cam
Three Eventers set out on course with cameras strapped to their helmets. From this angle, you find yourself riding the course with the competitors and their horses: checking the watch, counting strides, catching a tree branch with your face. Somehow I’m not sure Helmet Cam: Dressage would be as appealing.
Cross-Country Cam: Competitors must not only navigate the numbered fences on this course, but also hundreds of trees.
Because a Boot Cam Would Pull Rails: The funky music and perfect weather make this ride feel like a video game. Spacebar to jump?
You Fell On My Camera: This combination takes a misstep up a bank. Both horse and rider are up quickly, and no one appears to be hurt. But correct me if I’m wrong, around 1:50, did they gallop right in front of the start box??
The History of the Acronym Event, FEI WEG
he 2010 WEG in Lexington, KY are nearly upon us. EN is going to do its best to bring you the latest news and information about the Games up until the opening ceremonies (and hopefully we’ll be there to report live!). This week, we bring you a brief history of the games.
The idea of the World Equestrian Games was first proposed to the FEI in 1983 by HRH Prince Philip, the then-FEI President. The original concept of WEG was to give fans of one discipline a chance to see another and decide all FEI Champions at one time and place.
1990 Stockholm, Sweden
The first WEG was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1990. 37 countries participated, and six disciplines were involved: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance and Vaulting. A study conducted after the Games showed that the 1990 WEG had produced a positive impact on the Stockholm economy. The Games also had a “tremendous influence on the development of equestrian disciplines in Sweden.”
1994 Netherlands">
1994 Netherlands
The second WEG was initially allocated to Paris in March 1991, but the French project fell apart, and the second-place bidders from Holland took on the task. After the tremendous success of the first World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, then FEI President, HRH Prince Philip had warned that “three years is insufficient for any Federation to put together the very large and sophisticated organisation that is needed to manage such an event.” The second WEG took place at the Hague in the Netherlands in 1994, and Prince Philip’s words rang true as the event was plagued by “organisational and administrative chaos.” The event ended in financial bankruptcy.
1998 Rome, Italy
Leading up to the 1998 WEG, the future of the event was uncertain. The city of Dublin, Ireland pulled out at the last minute, leaving Rome, Italy to organize the event in just one year. Rome took on the task of planning, organizing, and funding the Games in a seemingly impossibly short amount of time. Rome embraced the challenge, and produced an excellent event against all odds. 42 countries participated in five disciplines in Italy; the Endurance championships was held separately in Dubai.
2002, Jerez de Frontera, Spain
The next Games were held in Jerez de Frontera, Spain in 2002. All six traditional disciplines were included, and Reining made an appearance for the first time. Under heavy scrutiny, the Spain Games were well organized and hailed as a great success. While a daunting task to organize, a successful Games again proved beneficial to the host country due to media attention and spectator attendance.
2006, Aachen Germany
The Games were held in Aachen, Germany in 2006, and for the first time, the organization broke even. Sixty-one countries took part in seven disciplines with approximately 800 athletes and 850 horses competing.
The Aachen Games were specifically influential for the Eventing community as the first four-star Championship without steeple chase. Despite torrential rainstorms, the event was a success! The following numbers were obtained from the official FEI website:
Local economic impact at Aachen Games: $328 million; 570,000 spectators from 61 nations; 1,700 employees and volunteers; 130 judges; 76 stewards; 100 veterinarians; 965 grooms; 1,200 journalists; 300 photographers; 380 TV crewmembers; 70 hours of television coverage broadcast in 157 countries; 2,500 bales of straw; 5,000 bales of shavings; 66,635 lbs. of hay; 40,000 catered meals; 6,000 honorary guests; 100 hostesses; 300 service/kitchen staff; 270 exhibitors; 68 car and van service vehicles; 120 drivers.
2010, Lexington, KY, USA
We have all been looking forward to the 2010 WEG in Lexington, KY from September 25 to October 10. This event will bring about a string of firsts: this is the first time the Games will leave Europe; Para Dressage, the newest FEI discipline, will compete together with the other seven disciplines for the first time; this will also be the first time all 8 disciplines will be hosted at a single site. The Horse Park definitely has their work cut out for them, but the benefits will be worth the effort and expense.
According to the FEI website, the 2010 Games are expected to have an economic impact of $150 million and it is anticipated that 500,000-600,000 tickets will be sold over the 16 day competition. The location of the Games will also prompt the largest horse airlift in history for competitors traveling overseas.
Volunteers are still needed for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games! It’s not too late to be a HERO! Visit the Volunteer Webpage for more information!
Monday Funday
Every Monday, concerned friends at Eventing Nation bring you interactive horsey fun from around the ‘net to get your week started off on the right hoof.
This week, play Racehorse Tycoon! Buy a horse, hire trainers and jockeys, and start your steeplechase career!
Poplar Place Farm January HT: Final Results
Competitors walk the stadium course between divisions.
Poplar Place Farm’s first HT of the year wrapped up today. With thunderstorms looming on the horizon, competitors were eager to get through stadium jumping and get on the road.
The day began early with Open Intermediate/Preliminary getting started at 8:00. Temperatures were slightly warmer than Saturday, and despite the dreary skies, competitors and their supporters were in good spirits.
Event photographer, David Mullinix, scoots down to the jumping arena.
Thanks to owners Gary and Donna Stegman for hosting an organized and exciting competition on their beautiful farm in Hamilton, GA. Staff and volunteers did a great job accommodating the weather and keeping the event running smoothly. It was a great kick-off to what promises to be an exciting year.
Only one person located me this go around, but she couldn’t remember the whole code phrase (“Eventing Nation is the coolest site online, and if you visit it every day your dressage scores will improve”), and I was Maid of Honor at her daughter’s wedding. It counts anyway. Way to go Diana!
The cheering section: fans, friends, and family watch show-jumping on the sidelines.
My Favorite Horse Names of the Weekend:
- Daddy’s Empty Pockets
- Little Bay Ferrari
- Super Nova Drifter
Top Score of the Weekend: Winner of Open Novice Mallary Vaughn riding Double 9’s Domino finished on their dressage score of 30.87
Congratulations to all the competitors! Check out the final results!
Competition photos will be available on David’s website.
The Great Epizootic: Sick Horses Bring the Economy to a Square Halt
Leslie Threlkeld
Before the days of the Ford Model T, the horse was the primary mode of transportation and essential to sustaining the needs of the public, but during the Panic of 1873, which became known as the Great Epizootic, an equine influenza epidemic brought the economy to a standstill.
The Panic of 1873
A highly contagious strain of equine influenza originated in Toronto, Canada and swept south into the US in late 1872, affecting the entire country within 90 days. It is estimated that 80%-99% of horses were eventually infected. Horses were unable to stand in their stables and were seen coughing violently in the streets.
The unfortunate circumstances brought about endless consequences to commerce, public health and safety, and economic efficiency. Food and other goods couldn’t reach the market. Physicians struggled to reach patients in a timely manner. Firemen hitched themselves to wagons. Even the US military was forced to fight the Apache Indians on foot.
While the mortality rate was relatively low, estimated at only 1%-2% overall, large cities lost many more horses than in rural areas. Since there were no horses to haul coal out of mines, many railroads went bankrupt as well as thousands of other businesses. Most of the infected horses had recovered by the next spring, but the economy took years to bounce back.
The Great Boston Fire
On November 9, 1872, the industrial section of Boston burned. No one is certain how the fire started. The water supply in the area was inadequate, and many of the buildings had wooden roofs and were filled with flammable materials. Citizens of Boston were forced to haul water to the location on foot, without the assistance of heavy, faster-moving horses. According to the city website, the fire destroyed 776 buildings, killed 13 people, and caused $7.5 million in damages.
A Modern Epidemic
In August 2007, a similar outbreak in equine influenza occurred in Australia. According to a NYT article, the government ordered a 72-hour lockdown, canceling races and banning the transport of horses from their stables in an attempt to control the spread of the virus. The Sydney International horse trials, an Olympic qualifying event, was also cancelled.
Around the same time as the Australian outbreak, races in Japan were cancelled when several horses tested positive for influenza.
Continued Education
Equine influenza has a similar effect on horses as it does humans: high fever, loss of appetite, violent coughing. It is rarely fatal and is most dangerous to foals. It it not infectious to humans, but the virus can be transported to other horses via our skin and clothing.
Much of what is known about the epidemic stems from research provided by the Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation. The official American government report of the epidemic by Dr. James Law can be found here.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners lists highly recommended vaccinations for your adult horse, and the editors of Practical Horseman have created a good list based on your horse’s lifestyle.
The best thing for you to do is consult your veterinarian. Choose a vaccination and deworming schedule best suited for your horse and his level of activity. Don’t wait for your vet to remind you the horse is due for shots. Get a calendar and keep up.
New York Times: Press accounts from 1872
Poplar Place Farm January HT: Day 1
(From left to right) Young riders Haley, Victoria, Maggie, and Libby pause for a photo at the scoreboard on Saturday.
I once heard a rider state: “The one person in the world who can be consistently wrong and still keep their job is the weatherman.”
Competitors arrived at Poplar’s first HT of the year expecting temperatures in the 60’s. Sadly, it never even reached 50 degrees. It was overcast, bitter cold, and muddy.
Competitors warm-up at Poplar early Saturday. It seemed to get colder as the day progressed, and riders were soon warming-up with quarter sheets.
Because of thunderstorms predicted for Sunday, cross-country was moved from Sunday to Saturday. While a few riders scratched, the other hardy competitors braved the conditions wearing multiple layers of clothing and really big studs.
Werner Geven, the trainer at Poplar Place Farm, rides Wivita out to cross-country.
Besides the frigid winds and gloomy skies, the day was relatively uneventful. There were several clear rounds and only a handful of jump penalties. Time faults on cross-country were aplenty, but we would rather have riders carefully navigate the deep footing than rush to make time. The courses were welcoming as a starter for the season. All in all, Day 1 was a success. See results to date on the Poplar Place website.
Two members of the team that make it all happen. Owner and organizer Donna Stegman and assistant Sara Young take a short break in the office.
Thanks to Poplar Place and all the volunteers who cheerfully powered through the icky conditions for a successful first day.
Check back tomorrow for final results.
Video Saturday: Horsin’ Around
In the wake of a difficult week in equine news, I thought we’d have a good laugh at folks out there in the world who are…ahem…less than horse savvy.
Not So Fun Ride in a One-Horse Open Sleigh: Unfortunately, the One Horse pulling this sleigh has a taste for beer, and his passengers were obviously not intending to share.
Bear Grylls on Taming Wild Horses: Bear Grylls, host of Man vs. Wild, will do almost anything to teach survival skills. He jumps into freezing cold water whenever presented with the opportunity, and he chews and swallows whole bugs as if they were crunchy butterscotch haystacks. But when Bear is stranded in the dense wilderness of the Sierra Nevada, he is outwitted by a wild horse curiously tolerant of his games.
Gosh, That’s One Ugly Horse: Well, we can’t all be the shiniest bay in the pasture. If you know who you’re dealing with (a group of men with sweet feed for brains), this is one way to sneak past security.
You’re Standing in the Way of My Poop: After years of picking mud out of hooves, we’ve gotten good at dodging bombs when the tail goes up. This reporter obviously has less experience with such.
Hang On While I Call Whine-One-One: One lucky horse got the opportunity to dump Paris Hilton on her tiny hiney. They say horses can sense things like nerves, anger, and greater-than-thou attitudes. Watching Paris get pwned by a horse? Now, that’s hot.
Monday Funday
Tired from the competition this weekend? Exhausted from brutal lessons and hours of schooling? Feeling stiff, sore, and cranky when you have to go back to work? Welcome to the majority.
Monday can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. Starting this week, concerned friends at Eventing Nation are going to bring you interactive horsey fun from around the ‘net to get your week started off on the right hoof.
This quartet won the audition for firsties. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
The Singing Horses
Martha Stewart at the Barn
Note~Jennie’s latest blog post was just posted; no big news, just a winter update from Aiken.
Sadly, Martyn had to be put down just days after his debut on Eventing Nation. Read about it on Martha’s blog.
Here at Eventing Nation, we like hearing about Martha Stewart and her horsey affairs.
From equerry.com…
Top 10 Ways You Know That Martha Stewart Has Been in Your Barnyard
10. There is a potpourri pomander hanging from each halter.
9. The horse’s hooves have been cut with pinking shears.
8. The horse treats are all stored in McCoy crocks.
7. The manure fork has been decorated with raffia.
6. That telltale lemon slice in each new silver water bucket.
5. You find carrot & apple treats stamped out with copper cookie cutters and decorated with royal icing using a #2 rosette tip.
4. Mane & tail hair has been collected and put into wire baskets for nesting material for the birds.
3. A seasonally appropriate grapevine wreath adorns the front of each stall.
2. Your horse goes outside naked and comes in wearing a thyme colored virgin wool hand knitted blanket with matching leg wraps.
1. The manure pile has been sculpted into swans.
THANKS MARTHA! The place needed a little sprucing up…
Video Saturday: Slow Motion Hoofbeats
Leslie Threlkeld
Slow motion video makes everything look more fascinating, more majestic, more… fascinating, especially with grandiose music in the background. Then again, sometimes my horse moves so slow he’s practically going backwards…and sometimes he actually is going backwards. Don’t worry, that’s at the top of the “things to fix” list.
Slow Motion Gallop
A slow motion gallop kinda makes you appreciate good quality boots.
Slow Motion Harness Race
I always thought I’d take up driving when I’m too injured…I mean old…to event anymore.
Slow Motion Jumping
Watching horses jump in slow motion really highlights the complexity of the actions executed by horse and rider in a short time frame.
Badminton in your Backyard
Can’t decide what to do for fun this afternoon? Well, these fellas thought it would be a great idea to jump a couple of horses over a car…while standing.
Call for “Time Warp” Horse Episode
While doing my research for this post, I kept thinking, “Forget that Jockey show, when is Discovery Channel’s ‘Time Warp’ going to dedicate an episode to horses in high definition slow motion?” I was so concerned, I zipped over to the “Show Suggestions” forum, and plenty of people had beat me to it! Lots of horse fans (and several Eventers) are calling for 4* slow motion videography. Many of you, I’m sure will agree. Trot on over to the suggestion forum and make your desires known!
A Year Older, A Division Wiser
Leslie Threlkeld
I celebrated another birthday this week. How does it feel? Several words come to mind, like “work,” and “taxes.” At first I wasn’t sure what was so special about the big 22. You don’t gain any new rights at 22, except the right to pay more bills. Then I remembered why this birthday is a big one–I’m officially too old for Young Riders. When I was a little eventer, rip-snortin’ around the pasture on my backyard wonder-horse, I used to dread the terrible day I would…”age-out.”
I can’t say I’m so concerned about it now. Have you seen the skillz the Young Riders have these days?! I remember wincing at the division roster when certain competitors were in my class back then, but thank goodness I side-stepped the Jennie era. And I’m not sure what’s scarier in a JYOP cross-country warm-up–the skinny young riders on their big warmbloods or their bellowing coaches eyeballin’ me. My little horse and I, we’re just trying to stay out of the way. I welcome the senior divisions. Those kids can keep their overly competitive spirits and teenage dwama. But that’s not to say I don’t support the program.
Joining the YR Program
If you are eligible to be a Young Rider and have not registered in your Area, I highly recommend you do so. It is a great way to learn sportsmanship and experience competing on a team. Many opportunities are available to Young Riders to work with top trainers and travel to the best facilities to train and compete. Plus, you create important relationships with active members in the Eventing community.
The USEA has information about coordinators, area maps, and grant and scholarship applications.
NAJYRC and Team Challenge
I began participating in Area III YR events around age 12 or 13, and I traveled to Chicago, IL as a groom at the 2002 NAYRC. Grooming at a 3-day was one of the most educational experiences I’ve had in the horse world. If you don’t qualify to compete on the team, go as a groom instead. Active Novice and Training level riders also learn a lot in preparation for leveling-up.
The 2010 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships will be at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington July 28-August 1. Contact your Area YR Coordinator for information on the team/groom selection process.
The Kentucky Horse Park also hosts a USEF Eastern Junior-Young Rider National CCI1* Team Championships at the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge.
Fundraising and Volunteering
Several of the Young Riders programs sustain themselves by hosting their own fundraising events. Area 3 hosts a spaghetti dinner, Area I offered a stall-stripping service, and Area VII YR’s host an annual benefit Horse Trial. Of course, a big thanks goes to the Young Riders cheering section–the parents! They also put in countless volunteer hours supporting their little competitors all the way to the finish line. Mum might not have been much for PTO, but she’s the best groom I ever had.
What does your Young Riders program do to volunteer and raise money?
Farewell
Well Young Riders, I’m sure I’ll start missing you when I find myself in a division with Karen or Darren. Jennie has aged-out too, huh? Make the most of the opportunities available and learn as much as you can. Remember you are the future of our sport!
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