A police horse walking the street

My husband and I traveled to NYC for a college basketball game (Go Cats!).  He’s been to the city several times, but this was my first trip.  It has been an…experience…to say the least.  It’s definitely made me miss my Old Kentucky home! 

I grew up in the Chicago area, so I have been in big cities before.  But this is just crazy.  Crowded, hectic, and a bit overwhelming — and that’s just trying to find a good spot for lunch!  Good food is easy to find, though (but perhaps expensive).  We’ve walked all over Manhattan; while I can walk multiple xc courses multiple times, I am no match for walking the streets all day.  My feet are killing me; my husband’s socks are bloody from blisters.  And yet, limping is still faster than most cab rides.  We’ve seen most of the sights, just to say we did– the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Central Park. 

A carriage horse wearing his rain sheet outside Central Park

The basketball game was fabulous (we won, of course) but our favorite part of the trip was seeing the War Horse production at the Lincoln Center theater.  It was simply amazing.  I know everyone’s getting excited for the Steven Spielberg movie, but that can’t compare to the play.  The big star of the show is the puppets — yes, I said puppets.  They are works of art, and incredibly lifelike.  I’m not sure how the animators are able to choreograph their movements so well, but you forget they aren’t real animals.  The puppeteers control every detail, down to twitching the ears, tossing the tail, breathing, and all sorts of horsey noises (and they don’t sound stupid!).  The play was almost three hours long, but we were completely immersed in the action and time just flew by.   My husband is definitely not into Broadway shows, but this play wowed us both.  It’s a Must See if you are able.

It has been interesting seeing all sorts of people and cultures combined in one place, easily coexisting together.  Our hotel room is on the 25th floor, overlooking the corner of 42nd Street and 10th Avenue.  It’s fun to people watch, and see the city lights at night.  But we both really miss the agricultural lifestyle– living and working on the farm really spoils you when it comes to open space, green grass, clean air, and solitude.  These people who live in the city, I don’t know how they do it!  But clearly this is a place to be, and many enjoy it.  It’s neat thinking of the history in this city, and how many parts of it haven’t changed.  There isn’t a huge personal feel (unlike the South, where there’s no such thing as a stranger!), but there is a noticeable acceptance and tolerance for anyone, no matter how “unique.” 

We closed our trip with an excellent dinner at the Maze, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant.  I’m still not entirely sure (and definitely can’t pronounce!) what we ate, but it was divine.  After many episodes of Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, we had to see what the fuss was about; and we figured we owed ourselves a fine dining experience.  Five courses of yummyness, culminating in an unusual but very satisfying dessert, our checkbook was lighter but our bellies were happy.  I wish our feet felt the same!

So New York, it’s been a nice time but I can’t wait to be home…where people’s Hunter wellies actually get muddy, and aren’t worn as an accessory.  Where “equestrian” isn’t a fashion style, but a lifestyle.  I’ve got the t-shirt, a Madison Square Garden souvenir cup, and a case of culture shock.  Thanks for the memories, the food, and the blisters…New York City is truly one of a kind.

It seems crazy, but voting for the Tipperary Contest went viral yesterday with wild but, from chatting with the polling software folks, legitimate voting.  The contest became incredibly popular, with Hannah Waroway the runaway winner (51%).  However, Laura Cox also received a huge number of votes to finish second (29%). 

Hannah                                                             Laura

Because of the enormous response for both Hannah and Laura, our awesome friends at Tipperary are awarding two T-Series helmets as first and second place prizes!  Congratulations Hannah and Laura!  Enjoy your new headgear, and we hope it didn’t take too long to brush out your hair.  We are also giving away an EN hat to our two winners, and as a consolation prize to Mikaela, who finished third (8%).

Sometimes EN manages to humble us with its incredible reach.  Here is the email Laura sent to us last night:

Dear Eventing Nation,

I just wanted to tell you that your competition has done something wonderful for me. While the competition is still technically running, I feel I’ve already won something. Let me briefly explain…. ok, that may be a slight lie, but please indulge me.

When I saw I was on the list of finalists for the competition, I immediately shared the link with my Facebook friends (and family). I also sent a text to my mom, brother, sister, and aunt to inform them to check their Facebook pages ASAP and please share the link with anyone they could who might vote for me. Honestly, I didn’t think I stood a chance. Granted, I have 400+ people on my page alone, but I figured that most probably would just skim the link, thinking it would take too long to cast a vote. Boy, was I WRONG!!!

As a nursing student at Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN, we have a FB page for discussions relating to school. I figured with all of the tests we have been attacked with, my classmates might enjoy a good laugh, and possibly vote for me. Based on the feedback, I think I’m going to be recognized by everyone…. well, if they looked at anything other than that hair! Anyways, my friends from school were so anxious to help out, I think one went as far as contacting the women at her church to spread the word.

My mom and my dad cast their votes and proceeded to spread the word via e-mail and FB. My sister, married to an Air Force Pilot, has lived in so many different places (currently in AZ) and met so many wonderful people, that she immediately shared the word with her friends. My brother, a sheriff’s deputy, contacted everyone he knows, which is pretty much everyone in the county. My aunt, who happens to be a reporter/food critic in Portland, ME, and she has 1100+ followers on Twitter (can’t tell you much about that, because the only thing that tweets in my book is a bird) also took to e-mail, word of mouth, and social media to try and win me some votes. Since this competition started, I think they may have hunted down and threatened asked nicely if they would vote.

But the vote that may have meant the most, and if you see my obituary in the morning paper, that voter caught me writing this, but my grandmother voted. My grandmother refuses to touch a computer. She says they are a waste of time, and if she wants to get any information, she will call whoever can get her that information. She doesn’t like pictures on the computer, she wants to be able to flip through them in her hands. If she needs to look up a phone number, that’s what a phone book is for. You get the picture? The fact she actually voted for me (granted she almost voted for the wrong person because the mouse slipped), she did it. She clicked the mouse on her own in front of me, for me. She went against everything she believes about computers because she believes in me even more.

The point is, win or lose come tomorrow morning, the fact that so many people in my family and circle of friends were so ready to help a girl win a helmet, I feel completely and utterly humbled and undeserving of such kindness. In my book, I have already won the greatest prize of all. Thank you for that great opportunity, and please tell Tipperary thanks for sponsoring such a fun contest!

Go Eventing!
Laura Cox

 

Thanks to all who participated, all who voted, and to Tipperary for sponsoring the contest.  We hope to have more exciting giveaways in the future!

The voting for the Tipperary Contest has ended.  Preliminary results indicate Hannah W. as the winner, with Laura in 2nd.

However, as noted in the comments section, there was an enormous amount of votes for this poll, and that seems a bit suspicious.  It is possible there was a spam attack, skewing the poll results towards the 1st available voting choice.  We hope to have the issue resolved by the end of the day. 

Thanks to all participants, and we apologize for the delay in naming the official winner.  You are all winners in our eyes!

We all had so much fun with the Dubarry contest, we were excited to continue into the Tipperary Contest.  The good folks at Tipperary are proud to introduce their newest helmets, the T-Series, and offered up a freebie to our contest winner. 

     The T2                                 The T4

For more information on this exciting new line of helmets from Tipperary, please visit the brand new facebook page: www.facebook.com/TSeriesHelmets or www.phoenixperformance.com  

So, dear readers, it is now your duty to select the winner.  Please view the photos below, inspired by the idea of Helmet Hair, and vote in the poll.  Don’t forget, the winner also receives a coveted EN hat*, so choose wisely.  VOTING ENDS 8:00AM EST Monday morning (11/14/11).

*EN hat is not ASTM/SEI-certified and not authorized for use while riding equines.  That’s what the Tipperary is for.

1.   Hannah W

2. Cathy

3.  Colleen

4. Danielle

5. Hannah D. (yes, that is her real hair!)

6. Laura

7.   Leah

8.  Meredith

9.  Mikaela 

10.  Steffi 

The lone chinchilla who isn’t currently embroidering new EN hats has worked through a bit of the EN Census results.  It is slow going, but interesting.  Here are a few numbers for all you statisticians…

–Out of 1200 responders, 48 states (plus DC) were represented.  Are there no eventers with internet access in Hawaii and Nebraska?  Virginia was the most common response (106), followed by Maryland (69), Pennsylvania (66), Kentucky, and North Carolina (both 61).  Even Wyoming, Alaska, and both Dakotas showed up.  I’m looking at you, Nebraska; Hawaii, I know you’re too busy sunbathing on the beach.

-International presence was pretty impressive.  117 readers from Canada, mostly from Ontario or BC, but in six other provinces as well.  Around the globe, we saw 12 from the UK, 11 from Australia, 5 from Ireland, and a few from New Zealand, Mexico, Italy, and France.  Compare this to last year’s Census, with 5 Canadians and a lone Australian…we are taking over the world, folks!   

-Nearly 50% of responders have competed up to Training or Preliminary level, plus about 20% at the lower levels.  We have plenty of upper level competitors too, with 6% having gone Advanced.  We strive to make the site appealing to riders of every level, because we all have something to bring to the table.  And there are also many readers who’ve never competed, but still enjoy following the sport as volunteer, organizer, parent, or spectator.

-The average age of our reader is somewhere in the low 30s.  It’s a pretty even dispersal, though, among age groups. 

 –The average eventing experience is 12 years (the same as a year ago).  Many readers, though, are just getting into the sport.  Almost 9% have been eventing since before I was born; I feel like a young pup with so much more to learn!  There were plenty of eventing enthusiasts who don’t event at all…so here’s a shout-out to all you hunter/jumper and dressage rebels indulging in your guilty pleasure.  We’re happy to have you; now, come join in the insanity! 

-Also from the Experience category, we found many supportive parents of eventers.  Which made us think: we would love to hear from you!  We certainly wouldn’t be where we are today without our wonderful moms and dads.  It would be great to share the Parent’s Perspective here on Eventing Nation.  If you have thoughts or experiences to share, please send them to [email protected] with “Parent” in the title.

Thanks for reading and contributing. 

Go eventing!

Wow… the chinchillas are overwhelmed.  Our second ever EN Census ended with over 1200 entries.  We are humbled!  Thank you so much to all who participated; it has been so inspiring and educational reading your responses.  We’re still sorting through the piles of data, and it may take a couple weeks to crunch all the exact numbers, but here’s what we’ve learned so far:

-There is a huge diversity among readers; it truly is a Nation.  From all over the country, from all over the globe.  It’s almost a perfect bell curve representing the sport of eventing, at all levels.  Most riders are in the training/prelim area, but there are an equal number of readers competing at BN or Advanced… and plenty who don’t even compete at all, but just enjoy following the sport.  It’s awesome that one little website can mean something to so many people.

-The vast majority of those who responded are very pleased with the site as it is.  Event coverage was one of the most popular highlights, as well as rider profiles and interviews.  Many people said they enjoyed the diversity of the site; a place to get news and entertainment all in one place.  That is our goal, so we are proud to keep going in that direction.  We want to encourage readers to think and smile all at the same time. 

-There was a loud plea for Sunday Jog-Up to return.  I admit I loved doing it, but it consumed a massive amount of time and labor to produce it every week.  Jog-Up will be back, but perhaps on a monthly basis.

-Lots of love for Samantha’s posts and wonderful photos.  However, many expressed concern that the high-volume media makes the site difficult to load.  We are aware of this, and working on solutions.  We may be structuring photo-loaded posts a bit differently, linking them to an additional page instead of on the home site.

-There were other technical suggestions for the site, which were very helpful.  We are looking into a major/minor site overhaul in the near future, to help the site run more smoothly and be easier to navigate.  We promise the bones of the site will stay intact — everything you know and love will stay the same, but better.

-Grammar Police:  we hear you.  I’m doing my best to personally proofread each post before it is published.  Several commented that it’s (<– notice! Proper usage!) getting better, so I hope you will notice continued improvement.  However, I admit I don’t get to read the nightly post until about 8am, so late-night induced errors may go uncorrected for a time.  We’re all guilty of occasional typos, so we hope you will forgive us of our errors.  We will correct them as promptly as possible.

-And hats.  Lots of requests for more hats.  John is currently teaching the chinchillas the finer points of embroidery, so we hope to get the assembly line in full production soon.  Also, there is a rumor about EN shirts…when they become available you’ll be the first to know!  

There were many other warm-fuzzy feelings and productive comments (more Canada!).  We greatly appreciate your kind words, and take all your suggestions and criticism to heart.  We want the site to be the best it can possibly be, and your guidance helps us get there.  In a few weeks, we’ll have the total Census breakdown and road map to insanity. 

Thanks for reading, and Go Eventing!

Click on the image above for results

If you watched most any of the BC championships, it was a bit anti-climatic.  Few of the favorites won, and quite a few came from way out in left field.  Fans weren’t treated to a great showing by any of the tip-top horses; Goldikova had an awful trip (made worse by her jockey’s dangerous riding) and Havre de Grace didn’t hit the board either.  Hotshot 2-year-old Union Rags wiggled his way all over the track in the Juvenile, only to come up just short to Hansen.  I like Hansen, and I think he deserved more credit than ESPN announcers gave him…but I also agree that Union Rags is probably the best colt of the crop. 

In the BC Mile (turf), Goldikova finished third– but it was a criminal ride.  In the home stretch, she was blocked in against the rail (that sucks, but likely when you’re the 1 horse).  Her jockey blatantly swung out into the horses beside him, nearly knocking Courageous Cat off his feet who barely avoided a messy spill.  An objection was rightfully lodged, but Goldikova was not taken down.  I know it makes a good story to have the Queen finish well in the history books, but that was just wrong…in any other race, that horse would have been placed last, and perhaps the jockey fined.  I like a storybook ending, too, but that was almost disaster.  Speaking of storybook ending, though, I have to give a shout-out to Charlie LoPresti, the trainer of Turallure, who finished ahead of Goldikova and just missed winning by a whisker.  Charlie is one of the “little guys” with a smaller stable…but he’s quietly made a name for himself against the Big Boys.  Keep an eye out for LoPresti horses– they are managed by a true horseman and always seem to run their best.

Congrats to Bill Mott for winning both the Ladies Classic with Royal Delta, and the Classic with Drosselmeyer.  Royal Delta is a super nice filly — she’s for sale, by the way, at Keeneland this week, if you have an extra couple million laying around.  Drosselmeyer won the Belmont last year, so you knew he had the distance in him…but he hasn’t won much else, so the Classic victory was a bit of a head-scratcher.  The final running time (2:04.27) was painfully slow, though some would compare the dirt surface to “peanut butter” that day.  Just goes to show, races aren’t run on paper, and any horse can come out ahead on any given day!

In related news, Uncle Mo has been retired to stud at Ashford.  His liver enzyme levels are a bit high, so his racing days are over.  Who would you rather breed to, a Juvenile Champion who developed liver problems and had a couple underwhelming performances (finished 10th in the Classic) in eight starts; or Gio Ponti, a six-year-old winner of $6M on all surfaces in 28 starts? 

Link to Ladies Classic

Link to Juvenile Fillies

By Leslie Wylie

Eventing can be a confusing sport. If I had a penny for every time I’ve been confounded by a question like “Who looks good in white breeches, anyway?,” “Will anyone notice if I sub in a different horse for dressage?” or “Why is the TD screaming at me again?,” I could afford to just buy myself a stupid Rolex and call it a day.

Fortunately, however, I have learned from my many, many mistakes. You might even say I’ve grown wise over the years, especially if you don’t know me that well. And now I’m passing the fruit of my failures on to you vis-à-vis EN’s new advice column, Ask Leslie.

The game goes like this: Email your most pressing, important questions about our sport to [email protected], and I’ll try my best to publish a response. Here’s an example:

Dear Leslie,

You’re cute and you’d be an OK rider if you took a dressage lesson every now and again. Wanna go out sometime? I have an Australian accent.

Xoxo,

Your Secret Boy-d-friend

P.s. Don’t worry about that little stalking incident when you were stabled behind me at Virginia Horse Trials–water under the bridge, babe.

——–

Dear Boy-d-friend,

That’s really sweet of you. It’s too bad you already have a wife who looks like a supermodel and can actually ride her way out of a paper bag. Also, I heard she gets a little a little psycho about these sorts of things, so I better take a pass.

Sobbing into my keyboard,

Leslie

——-

Or this:

Dear Leslie,

Can I get your barn address and your horse’s stall number? Only because I’d like to send you a nice apple-and-carrot gift basket, not because I’m going to sneak into your barn at night and lop off your horse’s tail because my husband was hitting on you. I would never do anything like that.

Sincerely,
Silva Scissorhands

——-

Dear Silva Scissorhands,

Um… sure. My horse is stabled at, you know, that event barn in, uh, Ocala. He’s the brown one, you can’t miss him.

Thanks?

Leslie

——-

Or this:

Dear Leslie,

Get this: I walk out into my barn this morning and my WEG ride Reggie’s tail is gone. Gone!!! He looks like a four-star Hackney Pony. It’s never going to grow back in time for London… What should I do?

Help,

Really Bucking Angry

——-

Dear Bucking Angry,

Wow, that’s terrible. I don’t know who would do such a thing. 

Gotta run,

Leslie

________________

Anyway, you get the idea. It’s just like Dear Abby, if Abby was an event rider with questionable judgment and way too much time on her hands.  And while I can’t guarantee that my answers will be factually correct or even remotely credible, it’s at least a step up from, like, a Magic 8-ball or something.  Go Eventing.

Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic was a phenomenal finish at Churchill Downs.  Horse of the Year Zenyatta was going for her 21st straight victory, defending her BC title against the boys.  She made her patented late-run rush to the wire, and came up just a whisker short to Blame.  There is no Zenyatta this year, but there are a couple of prominent ladies trying to fill her shoes.  Once again, the world’s eyes are turned on Louisville, KY.

Harve de Grace, trained by Larry Jones and owned by Rick Porter, is definitely on the Zenyatta trail.  Grace was first known for her tenacious battles with fellow filly (and Kentucky Oaks winner) Blind Luck.  Blind Luck got the better of Havre de Grace several times; however, Grace has gone on to prove herself beyond that.  She beat the boys soundly in the Woodward Stakes, and has her eyes set on the Classic at Churchill.  It’s a gutsy move, but her owner and trainer believe in her, and want a shot at the coveted Horse of the Year title.  With Tizway retired from racing, she has a pretty good chance of marking her own spot in history.  She still has to get by last year’s overwhelming Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champ, Uncle Mo.  Mo has had his impressive moments, but was knocked out of the Kentucky Derby this year by a mysterious liver problem.  He seems to be back on form after winning the Kelso (G2) at Belmont in early October.

Goldikova has no shoes to fill– she’s already blazed her way into the record books, and is looking to do the impossible.  Again.  She’s making her annual trek to the US for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.  Which she has already won an unprecedented three consecutive times.  Can she make it a fourth?  She’s a gutsy mare, has taken on all comers from around the world, and I certainly wouldn’t want to face her!  She’ll have some good American competition though, from Gio Ponti.  Gio Ponti has had a long, prosperous career running on all surfaces, winning from a mile to a mile and a quarter.  He’s finished second in Breeders’ Cup races in 2009 (to Zenyatta, in the Classic), and in 2010 (to Goldikova, in the Mile).   

Today is “Ladies Day,” with many of the BC races restricted to fillies and mares.  Saturday is the big day, with the Juvenile, Mile, Turf, and Classic. 

Good day, my dear anonymous friends.  We here at Eventing Nation strive to bring you our very best in eventing news, views, and overall ridiculousness.  Please help us continue in the proper red-on-right direction to insanity by completing our brief Census.  Knowing our readers helps us feel better about ourselves provide better content for the site overall.  This exercise was quite informative last time, and it is great to see how the site has grown since then.  Remember when we could do this little gig in the comments section?  Now we have an extra special official Survey, to allow everyone to participate (including all your schizophrenic personalities, if you wish).  We know your time is valuable, but we’d really appreciate it if you’d take 10 seconds of your coffee/study/antique basket-weaving break to fill out our census.  I promise John won’t send the FBI after you if you choose to skip it, but I can offer 10000 bonus EN karma points at your next event if you answer properly.

Thanks to all who participate!  Results will be compiled at the end of the month, and the poor chinchilla with horn-rimmed glasses and a pocket protector will receive an extra ration of scooby snacks if he gets the stats completed by Christmas.  Go Eventing.

Well, well, my dear readers, do I have a treat for you.  Your creativity, humor, and passion in the Dubarry contest did not go unnoticed.  As a reward for that outstanding performance, EN is proud to bring you: ANOTHER CONTEST!

Yes, that’s right folks, you now have the opportunity to win another fabulous prize of equestrian apparel– a HELMET!  We at EN are big believers in protecting your noggin (don’t know why, John doesn’t have much worth saving) and we have teamed up with our good friends at Tipperary to introduce their new T-Series helmets.

Who couldn’t use a new helmet, especially one as cool as these??

                           The T2                                               The T4

     Tipperary Equestrian, a North American leader in helmet manufacturing, is excited to launch their new line of show helmets, the T-Series. This new line, which will include the T2 and the T4, are unmatched in fit, ventilation and luxurious style!

     Tipperary has raised the bar for fit, function and style, allowing equestrian athletes to enjoy an exceptionally comfortable, lightweight, breathable and chic helmet, suitable for everything from schooling at home to performing in the ring.

      “We developed the TSeries after listening to retailers and consumers who wanted the fantastic fit and comfort of our very popular Sportage helmet, but needed a helmet designed for the very style conscious show ring.  Coming from Hunter/Jumper world myself and having travelled extensively in Europe, we wanted a helmet we could wear and that would rival the best brands already in the world. Priced competitively and fairly, designed with quality and innovation, we are thrilled with the result” says Leslie Newton, Sales & Marketing Manager for Phoenix Performance Products.

      Asked about the odd timing of a helmet launch in October, she says, “Well, it’s working to our favor. Holiday shopping is around the corner and what better practical gift than a brand new helmet? It also means we will be perfectly in stock for the ever earlier starting show season in Jan/Feb – a big plus for our retailers.”

      Both the T2 and the T4 are ASTM/SEI certified, and are comprised of an ABS shell over an EPS liner. Both helmets feature 11 large vents including 2 rear exhausts which allow for maximum air flow and breathability. Each helmet includes an innovative Flex-Flo visor, which is vented and flexible for increased safety. The T2 and T4 are ergonomically engineered to accommodate a variety of head shapes safely and comfortably. The unique drop back shell cradles the skull, increasing the protection area while supporting helmet retention and stability. An additional rear padding system is included for a personalized fit. The harness is comprised of supple, yet strong leather; an adjustable chin strap introducing the brand new, Multi Point Quick-Click Buckle which allows for one-handed removal while adding strength and security. As an added bonus, the liners in both the T2 and T4 are removable and washable! The T4 is sold with an extra liner “one in, one out” heavy show days! Both helmets available in sizes XS, S, M, L.  

      The T2, which retails for $199.95 comes in a durable rubberized finish, styled in matte paint with large, monochromatic aluminum vents. Available in colors Black, Cocoa Brown and Slate Blue.

 

      The T4, which retails for $249.95 comes in a luxurious suede finish with large, monochromatic stainless steel vents. The T4 comes in Black, Charcoal Grey and Slate Blue.

       For more information on this exciting new line of helmets from Tipperary, please visit the brand new facebook page: www.facebook.com/TSeriesHelmets or www.phoenixperformance.com  

 

There is only one small, insignificant problem with helmets: they give you Helmet Hair.  I hardly consider this a problem, as it is easily remedied with a ball cap after riding, and I don’t particularly care anyway.  However, it can pose a problem to the more fashion-conscious.  Here is your challenge, EN readers:  Send us a photo of your hair-do inspired by the idea of helmet hair; we want to see your Worst Ever Bad Hair Day.  Anything goes– channel your inner 80’s hair band; go for color, height, uniqueness, or shock-value. 

Only one photo per person, please, and it must be HUMAN head (animals don’t wear helmets, silly!).  Email the photo to [email protected], with your name and hometown/state.  Photos must be received by midnight Saturday; that’s 12:00AM EST 11/6/2011.

As with the Dubarry contest: be creative, be funny, and be ruthless in your attempt to earn this awesome new Tipperary helmet.  Your brain is worth it– now go sacrifice your hair!  (or your friend’s, while she is sleeping)

Bonus points if you can beat John’s pink hair day.  Don’t let him lie to you, it’s true.

John is proud to make the announcement

I know, it’s only been about 3,495 days since we started this contest.  John got a little caught up with those “special” events, like Fair Hill, and that little show down in Mexico.  But, we finally have an end result for our first ever EN Blogger Contest.  Drumroll please…

(Ripping open the envelope)

(Turning it right-side up)

LACY COTTON!  And  LESLIE WYLIE!

Lacy Cotton is a 27-year-old Prelim level Eventer who has been involved in equestrian sports her entire life (and yet still manages to remain completely horse crazy!). She competes in Area Five with her off-track Thoroughbred gelding named Prophet, and considers eventing to be her second home, a place of sincere friendships and of hard-won accomplishments.

Leslie Wylie was a newspaper editor until she quit her respectable, well-paying job to become an impoverished horse professional. She’s been eventing for 20 years and is currently pursuing her lifelong dream of interviewing Boyd Martin in his underpants.

Wait, there are two winners?  We couldn’t break the tie using optimum time or collective marks, and we just couldn’t decide between the two of them– it was like choosing between chocolate cake, or chocolate ice cream, so we decided “Hey, why not both?!”  We are proud to announce that both Lacy and Leslie will be joining our stable of bloggers, and will be subject to hazing loved and appreciated for their talent.  But first, they must clean out the chinchilla cages, shovel snow out of John’s driveway, and prepare hot beverages for the rest of us.

We would like to thank all of our blogger participants, it was great fun reading all the submissions.  We encourage everyone to keep writing, and feel free to email us your stories– we are happy to publish them on the site when we can!  Look for Lacy and Leslie on the site starting today and please critique their grammar make them feel welcome.

Also, stay tuned today as we bring you another fantastic Contest Announcement.  Dubarry was only the beginning…

The votes are in, the hanging chads have been re-counted, and the winners have been decided.  Dubarry and EN would like to thank all participants, you have provided much entertainment over the last few days.  We are happy to announce Melissa Saale and Jessa Lux as our Dubarry Contest winners!  Now all your friends will be jealous as you walk xc in style, visit the porta-potty, and stomp through the mud to retrieve your horse. 

Thanks to Dubarry for sponsoring this contest, and for their support of the site.