It wouldn’t be Kentucky Week without our annual Pick ‘Em Contest brought to you by Omega Alpha. This year is a little different, being as there IS no Kentucky, so we’re going to have to use our imaginations!
So … who do you think WOULD have won the 2020 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event? Get your calculators, Excel spreadsheets, FEI rider rankings, Magic-8 Ball, lucky T-shirt, maybe say some “Hail Mary Kings” and attempt your best prediction. At stake: a Guts to Win Prize Pack from Omega Alpha valued at $300.
Here’s how you play: Share the name of the horse/rider combination you think would have won in the Rafflecopter widget below. We’ll select a winner at random! The contest is open through midnight on Sunday, April 26. Submit a new entry each day!
What would YOU do with a $500 gift card from SmartPak? That may be my new all-time favorite philosophical question. But that gift card could be yours, literally, just for answering a quick few questions on the SmartPak website. The contest is open through Sunday, April 26, and the winner will be announced via social media on May 6.
Ahhhhhhhhhh dang … this makes me miss the big SmartPak tent at Kentucky! All those sales, all those discounts to splurge on. No kidding dispatch from #work-from-home-life: when I’ve run out of clean(ish) pajama pants I’ve pulled on some Piper tights and that’s my quarantine athleisure go-to. It’s basically Lululemon for horse people. Be active in them or just lie on the couch watching Netflix in them, #YOLO!
Nation Media hearts SmartPak — these guys have been with us from the get-go and we consider them our #1 supporters. This company has REVOLUTIONIZED the equestrian retail market and now, with their live retail presence curtailed, it’s time for us to show them OUR support in turn. Enter this $500 giveaway, yes, but also just go to the SmartPak site and place an order.
Each day we’ll be bringing you new deals from over 30 companies via EN’s inaugural Virtual Vendor Village (shop Tuesday’s deals here), and each day I’ll be sharing my top five favorite deals of the day. Here we go, for Tuesday!
(To my event pony Princess: I’m sorry in advance for roasting you. Will make it up to you in baby carrots and HandsOn Gloves.)
SmartPak: This company/equestrian shopping wonderland has been a stalwart cheerleader of Nation Media for so long, we had a feeling that they’d come up with something next-level for our Virtual Vendor Village — and they delivered! What would YOU do with a $500 gift card from SmartPak? Me, I’d “invest it” in about 20 grazing muzzles, which is about how many my Prelim event pony Princess runs through each spring. I don’t know if she is burying them in the woods or sinking them to the bottom of the pond or burning them sacrificially beneath full moons or what.
Look how hangry she is! You’re so cute when you’re mad, Princess. Photo by Mary Hollis Baird.
Anyway, choose your own adventure with regard to SmartPak Supermarket Shopping Spree fantasizing. Enter here today (or anytime between now and midnight Sunday)!
Kentucky Performance Products: Wish your horse was calmer? UM YES! ME! RIGHT HERE!!! Muzzle be darned, that sugary spring grass is going STRAIGHT to Princess’ head and I’m over here just hanging on for dear life. Trouble Free is scientifically formulated to support proper nervous system function and help your horse maintain a more confident, focused, and relaxed disposition. It contains alpha-lactalbumin, a unique ingredient that directly supports normal nerve function, along with supplemental thiamine (B1), taurine, inositol and magnesium. You can try it with this offer for 20% off PLUS free shipping.
Nupafeed: I feel like if you’re going to fat-shame your pony, you just have to go all in. I mean, bless her — it’s not her fault she is a five-star horse trapped in the body of a chubby 14-hand pony. I don’t identify as a 5’1″, naturally prone-to-pudge person either, Princess! Metabolism can be a bummer, but after she tied up post-cross country at our first event together I went deep down the rabbit hole to figure out how to prevent that scary situation from EVER happening again. The solution, in part, came in the form of Nupafeed products. Magnesium and L-Carnitine are both major players in muscle health, and since I started bolstering Princess’ diet with them before events she hasn’t tied up at a competition since. You can get 15% off your entire Nupafeed order today with code LR2020. Also, you can chat with Allison Springer LIVE at 4 p.m. EST today via Nupafeed’s Instagram page!
Hats By Katie: The only person probably sadder than me that the Kentucky Derby got postponed this year is Katie à la Hats by Katie, a Paris, KY boutique that exhibits at Kentucky Three-Day every year. Katie is my style hero (see my interview with her from 2012 here), a driving champion and the maker of gorgeously vogue hats. So, my son Thomas was born on Kentucky cross country day last year, and for his first birthday this year we were going to have a Derby Day party, replete with fancy hats (I was going to get mine from Katie’s booth at Kentucky), mint juleps, derby pie and — wait for it — a heavily sedated Princess dressed as a racehorse giving pony rides in the backyard. Sorry again, Princess! But alas, enter coronavirus, ruining everything as always. The consolation prize is this deal for free shipping from Hats by Katie, using promo code LRK3DE. Derby 2nd birthday party in 2021 … it’s on!
HandsOn Gloves: I feel bad now for spending my other four “picks of the day” sort of picking on my pony, so I’m dedicating this last spot to a product she would truly appreciate: HandsOn Gloves. The only thing Princess loves more than a snack is a good curry — she’s nearly fallen over in the crossties leaning into my hand on several occasions. That’s a testament to HandsOn Gloves, which I first encountered (and snatched up) in the SmartPak tent at the 2018 WEG in Tryon. They are a revolutionary concept for grooming — it’s like, put yourself in your horse’s shoes: would you rather be massaged with a traditional, hard, stiff curry comb or a dexterous, nubby mitt? Mitt: 1, Curry Comb: 0. With HandsOn Gloves, I can use the tiny nubs on the fingers to gently curry out the nooks and crannies of my pony’s lower legs and use the larger dimples on the palm to massage into her haunches. Get yours for 20% off with Code KY20 today!
Sir Mark Todd and McClaren (NZL). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Hat trick? Nah. Too basic. When it comes to winning Burghley Horse Trials, Mark Todd can one-up, er two-up, that jazz: his titles include 1987 on Wilton Fair, 1990 on Face the Music, 1991 on Welton Greylag, 1997 on Broadcast News (European Open), and 1999 on Diamond Hall Red. And he sure was in the hunt for a sixth win with Leonidas II in 2017, when the pair led the dressage on a score of 36.7. LEGEND.
“[All my victories here] have been so different,” he told Horse & Hound upon his retirement in 2019, fittingly at Burghley. “When I won on Face The Music it was a year when nobody made the time. He was well down after the dressage and he was an incredibly fast horse, so he pulled up the leaderboard and we ended up winning it.”
For today’s Watch Party, we’re going back in time to the 1990 Burghley Horse Trials where Sir Mark Todd claimed his second Burghley title with Face the Music. Watch the replay FREE on Horse & Country TV at 8 p.m. EST here.
This evening at 2100 BST Horse & Country are showing the 1990 Burghley Horse Trials on their free linear channel…
Ahhhh you guys, it’s happening! No secret that vendor shopping is one of my favorite eventing pastimes, and we’re so very happy here at EN to connect our favorite companies with other like-minded shoppers. Plus, what a great way to support equestrian businesses, many of which are facing lost revenue from lack of presence at live horse shows.
Each day we’ll be bringing you new deals from over 30 companies via EN’s inaugural Virtual Vendor Village (check out Monday’s deals here), and each day I’ll be sharing my top five favorite deals of the day. Here we go, for Monday!
Stable View: Stable View Farm has had a rough go of 2020 so far. First there was thatEF-1 tornado that ripped through the property on Feb. 6, causing many thousands of dollars worth of damage to the farm’s temporary stalls and parts of the cross country course. Despite the damage, Stable View pressed on and held their first dressage show of the season which was scheduled for that weekend. Now, their season has been ground to a halt due to the coronavirus — but Stable View has once again demonstrated its resilience and ability to adapt, launching an innovative Virtual Dressage Show Series for April. Live competition at Stable View will resume eventually, though, and with this 50% off stabling discount voucher you’ll save $$$. Your future self thanks you! Call 484-356-3173 and mention “EN Virtual Vendor Village” for the voucher. Check back daily for new deals. We wish to thank Stable View’s Barry Olliff and wife Cyndy for their continued support of EN and our sport — now is a great time to show them OUR support in kind.
Hound & Hare: I (along with 10/10 of the EN team) am OBSESSED with EVERYTHING at Hound & Hare, a Kentucky company whose booth I haunt annually at Kentucky. Their modus operandi is “British Luxury. Southern Charm.” and I always wander in all googly-eyed and wander out with a loaded shopping bag thinking “Could I be the American version of Kate Middleton? Should I take up clay pigeon shooting? I really ought to foxhunt more.” Today’s Hound & Hare deal is 30% off Guinea London down puffer jackets and vests — that detachable fur collar … are we going tailgating at Badminton next year or what?I totally bought the jacket in navy. Thank you, stimulus check! Seriously, go find your fall three-day jog outfit here rn. Did I mention they are a U.S. retailer of Fairfax & Favor? Many thanks to Hound & Hare Founder, Eric Nicholas, for supporting all of our inner anglophiles. Check back daily for new deals.
I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique: I have a weird spot on my shoulder that I need to have a dermatologist take a glance at, that I’m PRETTY SURE is a no-bueno pre-cancerous something or another. If I could turn back time to my reckless, wanton, sunburnt 20s, I would have spent more time in sun shirts than tank tops — except that sun shirts didn’t exist back then when I was doing horses full-time and out in the sun every day. The future is now; save yourself! With this deal, you can get up to 30% off select styles of Kastel Denmark sun shirts. PLUS, the first six customers to order will receive a Kastel baseball cap signed by Buck Davidson! I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique is an Ocala based mobile tack shop — you’ve likely visited their vendor at events — so with the show season halted let’s all band together to show owner Penny Welsch our support. The boutique doesn’t have an online shop, but visit @Ilovemyhorseeventing on Instagram, email [email protected] or text 727-871-5729 for details. Check back daily for new deals.
Ecovet: It’s starting to get buggy out there — are you stocked up on fly spray? Now’s your chance to stockpile the good stuff with this 30% off offer from Ecovet (use promo code Virtual30Welcome), the first fatty-acid fly repellent for horses. Tested and endorsed by veterinarians, Ecovet provides a legit alternative to toxic pesticides. We’ve all been burnt before by “all-natural fly sprays” that turn out to be useless garbage, but this one is different — IT REALLY WORKS. And! It stays put. Also, while Ecovet v1.0 was admittedly kinda stinky, they’ve since updated the formula with a much more palatable scent, so if you tried it back in the day and didn’t like the smell I’d encourage you to give it another go. Many thanks to Dr. John and his crew for their continued support of EN!
Legends: Think you’re stressed? Life in the corona era giving you ulcers? Welcome to your horse’s world. Training, shipping, competing … it all takes a toll on your horse’s gastrointestinal system. This week you can save $5 on Legends GastroCare, the only supplement in the Legends® line specifically designed to support healthy digestive tract function in show and performance horses. Digestive health can make a massive difference in your horse’s health and well-being — I’ve had horses transform from stiff, grumpy hard-keepers into much better, happier, healthier versions of themselves just from getting to the bottom of GI issues and treating them. Legends GastroCare keeps it from getting to that point in the first place, and you can save big with this deal. Many thanks to Legends for their support of EN!
Most years, we ask readers to share photos of their dogs at Kentucky (see last year’s finalists here) — but this year is a LITTLE different. This year, we want you to show us what funny or helpful things people’s dogs are doing to “help” with barn chores.
These boots (pictured here in Azure Blue, and also available in Black, White and Flame Red) a boot that checks all the boxes — they’re breathable and don’t hold water while remaining durable and providing protection.
Post your photos on in the Facebook comments of this post with the hashtag #ENTopDog. The photo with the most likes at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, April 26, is the winner!
“After extensive consideration of our options, the management and organizers of Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials are sad to announce that, because of COVID-19, the Spring Horse Trials scheduled for June 12-14, 2020, will be canceled. This was a very hard decision to make. We are not requesting a rescheduled date, but will instead put all of our efforts into preparing for our September event.
“Once the stay-at-home orders are lifted, we are hoping to open Bittersweet Field for cross-country schooling (following any government guidance limiting the number of people at gatherings) twice a week through June and July; details regarding this plans will be posted on our website (senecavalleyponyclub.org) and our Facebook page.”
You can view a complete list of canceled USEA events here.
Every day we’re blown away by the innovation and positivity from all of you out there in the Eventing Nation during these difficult times. We’ve got another fun opportunity for you —- get your dressage test judged by Peter Gray! His Remote Centerline Workshop will give you scores and feedback from a FEI five-star judge. Here is a video of Jon Holling giving it a go.
This service is available for any test. Email [email protected] to sign up.
The following equestrian events have been canceled or modified due to coronavirus concerns. This page will be updated daily (last update: April 29, 5 p.m. EST).
Due to the sheer volume of events being canceled worldwide, we are now only listing canceled USEA/USEF North American events and major international CCI events.
Fundraising for frangible fence implementation in the U.S. took a massive step forward today. Between the USEA Foundation’s Frangible Fence Research initiative and a GoFundMe effort that raised over $87,000, eventing supporters have raised a little over $100,000. Now, the Manton Foundation has agreed to do matching funds for what you have raised up to $250,000.
The Manton Foundation was created in New York in 1991 by Jim and Gretchen Manton as a vehicle for their charitable giving. Today the foundation is managed by the Mantons’ descendants and functions as a family endeavor. Funded projects fall largely into a range of fields encompassing education, arts and culture, medical research, and community preservation.
“So we have around $200,000, just a little bit over, ready to go out to the events,” says Jon Holling, Chair of the USEA’s Cross Country Safety Committee, after a joint meeting today.
“In these tough times, it is nice to be able to share some good news with the eventing community,” said Diane Pitts, Chair of the USEA Foundation. “We are extremely grateful to the Manton Foundation and to the many, many people who have donated to the Frangible Technology Fund. Our commitment to safety and the mandate to make frangible technology more widely available will continue during this downtime as we provide grants to organizers through this fund.”
Another meeting will be held to finalize all of the details as to how that money is going out, and how/when events can apply to receive the funds. Jon says he expects to have those specifics with the next week to 10 days.
“It’ll be a bit of a phased-in program, so all the events will have access to it at the Preliminary level and above and then going forward the plan is that all of that money that we’ve raised will continue to go out to events into the future until the money’s gone,” Jon says. “There’ll be more fundraising efforts going forward.”
“Really excited about the Manton Foundation stepping on board … To every $50,000 that we raise, they will match that with another $50,000 dollars until we reach the total of $500,000, so right now we’re just really excited. I’m just really excited to come back to you with something concrete and let you know that things are happening behind the scenes so that when we’re ready to event and that first horse leaves in start box that we will have done something concrete to improve the safety in our sport.”
Jon reiterates that frangible fence implementation is just once piece of the eventing safety puzzle, but, “This is a huge piece, being able to have these frangible devices out on course, and this is a way that we’re going to get that done.”
“Thanks for sticking with us,” he says. “I know everybody’s really struggling right now with the virus and being stuck at home, and I’m just happy to be able to send out some good news to everybody and give us something to look forward to in the future.”
The USEA Foundation and the USEA would like to thank the GoFundMe initiative, led by Andy Bowles, Jon Holling, Emily Holmes, Doug Payne, Leslie Law, Kyle Carter, and Robert Kellerhouse for successfully kick-starting this latest effort.
“By working together and combining the money raised by both groups, it has given us this great opportunity to have the funds matched by the Manton Foundation,” said Andy Bowles, organizer of the GoFundMe initiative. “This is an amazing start to help provide the opportunity for organizers, cross-country course designers, and cross-country builders to use the technology available to make our sport safer.”
Grant and distribution information is currently being finalized with the assistance of a newly formed Frangible Technology Fund Review Committee consisting of Andy Bowles, Marc Grandia, Jon Holling, Emily Holmes, and Darrin Mollett.
GO EVENTING.
How to Donate
Donations to the USEA Foundation are fully tax-deductible. Donate today by going to https://useafoundation.org/donate and selecting “Frangible Technology Fund” from the dropdown menu.
All donations will help reach the matching of the Manton Foundation, help us reach our goal of $500,000, and raise the safety of eventing in the U.S.
EN’s Virtual Vendor Village: Deals so great you won’t want to let them get away!
Been missing out on shopping the vendors of spring events? We are very excited to present the inaugural Eventing Nation Virtual Vendor Village, a week-long online opportunity to score fantastic deals and discover new products from our favorite brands. It’s also a great way to show our support for equestrian businesses that have had to close down shop due to coronavirus restrictions. It truly does take a “village”!
The Virtual Vendor Village will take place right here on EN from Monday, April 20 through Sunday, April 26. Throughout the week, nearly 30 companies will be offering a “Deal of the Day” on their products — which means you’ll want to check in on their “booths” daily to make sure you don’t miss a sale! Expect deep discounts, special promotions and product giveaways. PLUS! We’ll be hosting virtual “autograph signings,” live Q&As with top five-star riders and flashback watch parties.
We don’t want to give away too much of the surprise, but rest assured we’ll start dropping hints about our top-shelf assortment of Vendors in the coming days. Stay tuned!
How five-star eventer Cathy Wieschhoff is keeping spirits lifted during quarantine: a Facebook Live drum set each night. And she’s not just pottering around with it, either — this lady knows her way around a drum kit!
A little teaser:
Each morning Cathy posts the day’s playlist to her Facebook page, and then friends can tune in live at 8 p.m. EST to hear the set.
Cathy, whose Carriage Station Farm/CW Event Team is in Lexington, Kentucky, has worked tirelessly in the service of our sport over the years — thank you for everything you do, Cathy. And also, we heard it was her birthday yesterday … HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
The test setup for a kettlebell-and-chain pendulum test of a frangible fence, via the updated FEI standard for frangible/deformable cross country fences.
The FEI has released an updated standard for frangible/deformable cross country fences. The standard can be viewed in full here.
David O’Connor, Chairman of the Eventing Committee, and Geoff Sinclair, Chairman of the Risk Management Steering Group, released the following communication last week:
“After six months of extensive work initiated by the Eventing Frangible Device Working Group (Dave Vos, Geoff Sinclair, Mark Phillips and Jonathan Clissold), Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has reviewed and approved the release of the Updated Standard V2 for frangible/deformable cross country fences.
“The work included filming fences being jumped at many events and reviewing them in slow motion as well as broad testing performed by British Eventing and MIM at Chalmers University (SWE), as well as TRL.
“The Updated Standard V2 has been endorsed by the Eventing Committee as well as the Risk Management Steering Group.
“The Updated Frangible Standard V2 can now be implemented progressively from April 6, 2020.
“As of January 1, 2021, all newly manufactured devices must comply with the Updated Standard V2. Devices manufactured according to the previous standard specifications can be used until December 31, 2021.
“MIM and British Eventing testing on current frangible devices has been done and now this new standard is published they will be able to advise if their products need any updates or adjustments.
“The Updated Standard V2 for frangible/deformable cross country fences includes the following changes:
“Introduction of a 40 kg kettlebell pendulum test to better represent a ‘hanging leg’ impact scenario to reproduce severe impact on fence with some leading to rotational falls which frangible fences should help mitigate. (View the setup for a kettlebell-and-chain pendulum test of a frangible fence, which includes both building and test procedure instructions, here. A video example of the test in action is below.)
“The addition of requirements for front and back rails of activation energies, i.e. pendulum impact energies at and above which the fence shall activate. The energies proposed have been developed by Dave Vos, based on the conservation of (after contact) energy and angular momentum with input parameters, such as jump speeds, heights, flight duration, etc., with the input of the Frangible Device Working Group members expertise and corroborating measurements from event video data.
“The Updated Standard V2 is more reliable and the testing is easier to set up in order to encourage new ideas and will hopefully accelerate new developments for frangible fence devices. It is important to note that realistic infield assessment to ensure fences don’t break too easily has been strongly debated and agreed with the Frangible Working Group understanding the importance of balancing safety with true cross country.”
We are glad to see progress being made on this very important front. Go Eventing.
Team gold for Area III/VII in the 2019 NAYC CCIY3*-S. Photo by Shelby Allen.
US Equestrian has just released the following statement regarding the cancellation of the 2020 North American Youth Championships for Eventing:
“Following the cancellation of key qualifying competitions due to COVID-19, the US Equestrian Board of Directors has unanimously approved a resolution to cancel the 2020 Adequan North American Youth Championships (NAYC) for Eventing CCIJ2*-L and CCIOY3*-S, which had been scheduled for July 23-26 at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Mont.
“The USEF Board of Directors’ approval of the resolution followed unanimous recommendation for cancellation from the USEF Emerging Athletes Working Group and USEF Eventing Sport Committee, both of which cited concerns over the safety implications of preparing for a championship event during the current suspension of recognized competitions and the significantly reduced timeline for qualification.
“The Event at Rebecca Farm CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L, CCI4*-S, CCI4*-L divisions, as well as all National levels from Intermediate to Novice, also scheduled for July 23-26, have not been canceled. Additionally, the 2020 Adequan/FEI North American Youth Championships for Dressage and Jumping are still scheduled to take place as planned in Traverse City, Michigan, August 4-9.
“It’s certainly a loss, there’s no doubt about it,” said Sarah Broussard, event organizer for The Event at Rebecca Farm. “NAYC is a spectacular event and we, among many others, looked forward to hosting it again this year at Rebecca Farm. While we hate to see NAYC canceled, we respect that the USEF is working to make the best possible choice for their participants, given the complexities created by COVID-19. Although NAYC is canceled for this year, we still plan to welcome competitors for The 2020 Event at Rebecca Farm from July 24-28.”
“The safety and welfare of our athletes and their horses is our top priority,” said US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney. “We appreciate the Broussard family’s support of the cancellation of this competition and wish them continued success with The 2020 Event at Rebecca Farm.”
Event Rider Masters classes were canceled due to COVID-19 last month … but now they’re making a big comeback, at least virtually. Equirating’s new Eventing Manager App was due to launch at ERM Leg 1, Burnham Market, which would have been taking place this weekend. The launch is still going forward — via the ERM SIM Season 2020.
The Simulated Event Rider Masters 2020 Season will be a live online video broadcast for each competition simulation. A field of 20 ERM Riders are chosen for each competition and taking their past form statistics into account, Equiratings runs a computer simulation. Using Equiratings models powered by SAP Predictive Analytics, they will create the likely results for the dressage, show jumping and cross country phases of the competition. Every competitor in the simulation has a chance of having a good or bad competition; they could have a Personal Best Dressage score, only to throw it all away with a 20 penalty refusal in the cross country phase. It really is eventing as we know it; as the exciting sport of a million variables.
Did we mention you have a budget of $10M?
The Equiratings Eventing Manager App (EM App) allows fans to play their own tactical game during each simulation, where a league table pits them up against all other EM App players around the world. Players “buy” a team of four riders and hope their team has success in all three phases. ERM will offer merchandise prizes to the leaders of each EM App fan league to add to the fans’ excitement.
The first ever Simulated Competition of the ERM 2020 SIM Season will be the Barefoots Retreat Burnham Market Simulation taking place today, Sunday April 12th, at 7:45 p.m.(BST)/2:45 p.m.(EST). As you’d expect from an ERM broadcast, you’ll be able to watch live on the ERM website and also on Facebook Live.
The Eventing Manager App is available to download for iOS and Android devices. Find out more about the Eventing Manager App by visiting the EquiRatings website.
The ERM SIM Season is part of the new #RidersConnected campaign, a joint effort between ERM, EquiRatings, Black Horse (the company behind spectator judging) and Willberry Wonder Pony Charity, brought together by SAP.
The Surefire Farm Horse Trials scheduled for September 25-27, 2020 in Purcellville, Virginia has been canceled.
The event released this statement:
“Surefire Eventing is looking forward to year 16 of our Spring Horse Trials, scheduled for June 19-21. Regretfully, however, we have made the decision to cancel our September event. Last year, with the Essex Horse Trials running the same weekend as our June Horse Trials, we were hurt financially to the point we were unable to carry our September event as we normally do. With so many events in Area II, as well as competition from Stable View in Area III, we’ve decided to focus on one event and put all our effort and resources into making the Surefire June Horse Trials as great as we can.”
Worth the Trust at Kentucky in 1997. Photo by Brant Gamma.
If you are an amateur eventer who could use a little help funding your eventing education, consider applying for a USEA Worth The Trust scholarship.
About the Scholarship: New for this year, the Worth the Trust Young Adult and Adult Amateur Scholarships — previously awarded separately — have been consolidated into a single educational scholarship in the amount of $4,000. The scholarship can be applied toward a variety of training opportunities such as clinics, working student positions, and private or group instruction, or to learn from an official, course designer, technical delegate, judge, veterinarian, or organizer.
This scholarship is provided by Joan Iversen Goswell in honor of her horse, Worth the Trust, who won the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 1997 with Karen O’Connor.
Eligibility: The scholarship is available to riders 16 years old or older as of Jan. 1, 2021 who have declared amateur status with the USEA. Applicants must complete 10 hours of volunteer work with a national or local charitable organization, any minority/disadvantaged group, or local eventing association or horse trials.
How to Apply: Applicants should submit an essay explaining why the scholarship is important to him or her, how they intend to use the funds, and their riding and competing experiences. The deadline for applications is Oct. 5, 2020. Applications are available here.
The recipient of the scholarship will be announced at the 2020 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, Dec. 10-13, 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Contact Nancy Knight for more information at (703) 669-9997 or [email protected].
“After careful consideration Flora Lea has decided to cancel their spring horse trials, originally scheduled for May 23 & 24, 2020. It seems the responsible thing to do with the pandemic looming over all of our existences. Flora Lea has been running an USEA event since 1975 and has only cancelled one time, due to a ‘100 year flood’ that hit NJ. We hope that all is well by September and that we can be up and running our Fall horse trials.
“We will also cancel our June 21st YEH competition but will hope to run the August competition.
“Very sincerely and with regrets,
Debbie Adams”
You can view a complete list of canceled and postponed events here.
“The EIHT Organizing Committee has decided to cancel the spring horse trial scheduled for May 29-31 at the Horse Park due to the many uncertainties and risks surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic. Our highest priority is the safety of our riders, families, volunteers, and staff. Given the limited number of people allowed in gatherings and that the virus outbreak is not yet widely under control, we feel this is the best course of action to preserve the wellness of everyone involved.
“It is our sincere hope that we will be able not only to host our fall horse trial on September 18-20, but also some small schooling shows in the summer, if the situation allows. We want nothing more than to be with you and your horses and have fun. But, until then, please stay safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.”
May 30-31: GMHA Horse Trials – Postponed (Tentative Reschedule Date: June 27-28, 2020)
You can view a complete list of canceled and postponed events here.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver at the MARS Wellington Eventing Showcase in February 2020. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Need some human interaction — at least of the virtual variety? Our friends at Athletux are continuing their Instagram live Q&A series through the coming week, with sessions that should be fun AND educational. For each session, tune into to the Instagram link LIVE.
Today’s session features Liz-Halliday Sharp, who by the way is now based full-time in the States after spending the majority of her time in the UK for the last 20 years! She and her team will split their time between the existing home of HS Eventing in Ocala, FL and a new facility opening in June 2020 in Lexington, KY.
“Basing full time in the U.S. is something I am very excited about,” Liz says. “Our new set up in Lexington is going to be incredible, and it has been amazing to build our own barn and equestrian facility for the first time. I look forward to building a client base in what I feel is one of top places in the world for equestrian sports. This facility coupled with our farm in Ocala will allow us to train to the highest possible level year-round here in America.”
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Zat the MARS Wellington Eventing Showcase in February 2020.. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The new facility, Blue Fox Farm (6105 Sulphur Well Rd.) offers 117 acres of amenities. A 20-stall barn is currently under construction which will attach to a large indoor arena featuring state of the art dust free footing and large windows allowing for maximum ventilation throughout. Horses will additionally enjoy ample large turnouts and paddocks, as well as a large covered walker with enclosed lunging area. New housing is currently also being built for staff, along with a new hay barn to accompany the large Tobacco Barn used as equipment storage currently on the property.
“Not only does Blue Fox Farm create an environment I know all of our horses and clients will love, but it will have some of the top training amenities in the area, making it the all-around package that we always dreamed of,” Liz says.
HS Eventing will offer full training, board and trailer in lessons. Liz Halliday-Sharp is now accepting new clients and horses of all levels at Blue Fox Farm — for a full list of amenities and pricing, please contact Liz via email at [email protected] or via phone at 858.504.1151.
Be sure to tune in for Liz’s live Q&A today! You can connect with her Instagram directly here:
Followed in the coming week by:
Go Eventing.
Big news from Athletux! The Equestrian Marketing Firm has recently restructured its business model to focus on three main areas: equestrian brands, athletes and events. This is a particularly exciting development for brands, who will benefit from Athletux’s wealth of industry insight to help build their image, maximize use of social media platforms and email marketing campaigns, manage sponsored riders, assist with graphic design and more. Learn more by visiting the just-launched new Athletux website here.
Spring Gulch H.T., scheduled for May 16-17 in Littleton, Colorado, has been postponed.
CCC President Dani Sussman and Organizer Andy Bowles released this statement today:
“After great consideration of the current moving targets of this pandemic and with the health and safety of everyone concerned, the Board of Spring Gulch Horse Trials and organizer Andy Bowles have regrettably decided to postpone the May Horse Trials until hopefully early July. Our aim is to work closely with the Area IX Council, USEA and USEF to finalize a date to run in July if possible. We will also be looking at adding some combined test days into the calendar once the climate allows to help prepare competitors to get ready to start competing again.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your support and we hope that during these unknown times everyone stays safe. We look forward to seeing you once we get through this.”
You can view a complete list of canceled and postponed events here.
We are happy to share the following message from our friends at Stable View Farm:
“In an attempt to restart equestrian activities at Stable View, we are going to eliminate late fees during May on all of the events referenced below. In addition, we are delaying final acceptance of entries to the latest date possible. Please check back on May 1 for a further update regarding the status of our May shows.
“Subject to the present restrictions being lifted, the latest date for accepting entries for our Schooling Dressage Show on May 13th will be May 10th.
“For the Eventing Academy on May 23rd and 24th, in terms of Schooling on the 23rd, as usual, sign up in advance or on the day. For the unrecognized event on the 24th, entries will be accepted through May 20th with no late fee.
“For the Schooling Hunter Jumper Show on May 30th, as usual, sign up in advance or on the day with no additional fees.
“If possible, please enter early as this will help us plan in terms of officials, arenas, and levels of staffing. If we cancel an event, Stable View will continue with its full refund policy.
“Our present view is that there could be only one or two days notice prior to restrictions being lifted. As a result, we thought that it would be good to share our preparedness to reopen equestrian activities at Stable View at the earliest opportunity. Please continue to follow your local guidelines regarding social distancing and gatherings. We look forward to seeing you back at Stable View soon.”
You can view more information at the Stable View Farm website here.
