Classic Eventing Nation

Friday News & Notes from Kentucky Equine Research

By on Sep 22, 2017 12:03 am -

A very happy Jen McFall with homebred Hallelujah DF, Champion 2-year-old FEH. Photo courtesy of Jen.

Packing rules: try not to wait until the last minute, wait until the last minute anyway, don’t forget to pack underwear that won’t be pink polka dots under your white competition britches, bring a cooler, don’t forget to put saddle pads in the trailer, make sure your horse has not lost a shoe the night before in the field, don’t forget your sunglasses, pack outfits for every possible weather condition, and definitely don’t forget to bring a bottle of wine and a baked good to share. In my life, I have broken EVERY one of these rules at some point. Except for the last one, I’m a southern girl after all and I know about hospitality.

National Holiday: Elephant Appreciation Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

Surefire Farm Fall H.T. [Website]

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

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

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

News From Around the Globe:

Are you all ready for Jessica Phoenix’s story, in a book?? Well it’s happening. Her sister wrote a book about Jessie’s life and her rise to the top of the sport. “This is a story about trial and triumph. It’s about a small-town girl with big dreams and the faith to realize them. It’s about fighting through life-threatening injuries and injustice to achieve a greater goal — and doing so with a level of determination, confidence, and grace that shines bright. As Jessica Phoenix’s sister,  I’ve been privy to the backstory of how a Canadian Olympian is made… It’s a powerful blueprint that we can all use to overcome the inevitable curveballs life throws at us.” Pre order your copy now! [RISE]

You did see that Fair Hill International entries went live yesterday, right? Ok, just checking. Making sure you’re on the up and up, you know. [FHI Entries]

Just because a horse is a “schoolmaster” doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to be a school horse. It’s common to think that a highly trained horse should be suitable for lessons or beginners after he’s reached a certain age and isn’t competing at the top levels anymore. While this may work for some horses, it’s not a hard and fast rule, and lots of highly trained horses find the practices for lesson horses very stressful. [Schoolmasters as School Horses]

Hot on Horse Nation: The Debt Free Equestrian: Balancing Your Checkbook, Balancing Your Life

100% Best Blog of the Week: How To Be A Better Boarder: AKA The Worst People At The Barn

 

KER ClockIt™ Session of the Week

The KER ClockIt Sport mobile app tracks an individual horse’s intensity and duration of exercise through speed, heart rate, and GPS, so that horse owners and trainers can condition and feed each horse appropriately for the work they’re actually performing.

The ClockIt Sport session featured this week belongs to an eventer who is taking her horse for a hack. Some hill work was worked into the session and, as you can see in the segment of the session below, the horse’s heart rate (purple line) increases while ascending the hill (blue line).

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

By logging into your account on the KER ClockIt website, you will be able to see detailed reports of each session, like the one above. Once you are signed in, you can view your detailed sessions under the “Sessions” tab.

Instructors, Trainers, Coaches: Is There a Difference?

By on Sep 21, 2017 4:03 pm -

Kim Keppick is a BHS II Certified Instructor and Pony Club A graduate who represented Ireland in international competitions all before age 19 when she came to America to work for Karen O’Connor. She was long listed for the Irish Olympic Team in 1988 with Morning Glo, and Biko was among the many horses Kim trained and competed for Karen. Kim has since built a career teaching “riders how to train their own horses,” with her students competing to the highest levels in eventing, dressage and show jumping. She is also the founder of Rein-Aid.

Kim Keppick has built a career teaching “riders how to train their own horses,” with her students competing to the highest levels in eventing, dressage and show jumping. Photo by Nick Snider.

Instructors, trainers, coaches. Is there a difference? Yes, although there is overlap, too.

Riding instructors typically teach people to ride on safe, school-type horses, even if they are privately owned. They provide an important introduction to our wonderful horse world for many people. The ability to keep the school horses ready and obedient for lessons is important. Knowledge of teaching the basics is essential.

There are also riding instructors who teach to a very high level, and most instructors work for stables with a string of school horses. Often riding instructors are employed by others and not self-employed.

Trainers usually teach people on their own horses. Their job is to improve the skills of both horse and rider. My personal feeling is that trainers have an obligation to teach riders how to train their own horses and not be reliant on every word they say. The rider should be able to school effectively and safely on their own.

The trainer or their experienced staff may be required to ride the horse at times to improve the horse, and they also can be involved in the stable management routine, tack choices and so on.

Coaches take the current skills of the horse and rider and polish it to maximize the performance for an upcoming competition. If the rider has a different trainer and coach, they need to be in agreement so a competition schedule can be organized and become a building block for the ultimate goal of the rider.

Riders should always discuss what the coach or trainer says with the other if they are not in direct contact. A coach and trainer must always be willing to talk if an issue crops up. The coach will be the person at the competition to help with warm up, walking courses, etc.

Many instructors, trainers and coaches do it all. It will be up to your desired lifestyle which path you choose.

It is a lot easier to train if you are not polishing for competition. You can allow the horse and rider to make mistakes as you teach them something new. Allowing time for this with kindness and compassion will move the bar forward. However, succeeding in competition gives confidence to both horse and rider, and also moves the bar forward by cementing their knowledge and ability to perform at competitions.

Some riders do not want to compete, and that is fine. They want to learn and improve, and the trainer is there to help them achieve it. Some riders simply love to compete, and I view competition as a measure of how well your training program is going. When your students do well, it means your training is solid.

A trainer needs to speak up if they are working with a student who owns a horse that puts the owner or rider at risk for injury. Accidents happen all the time for riders and their horses, but you can minimize the risk by making sure horses and riders are well matched for their temperament and skill level.

Can you teach more than one discipline? I hope so. It is fine to be an expert in your chosen sport and base your business in that field, but the more knowledge you have of other disciplines will help you have a broader perspective.

How aware are you of what others do with horses? In the Olympics we have dressage, show jumpin,g eventing and para-equestriam. At the World Equestrian Games we have the same, plus combined driving, reining, endurance and vaulting.

Do you know anything about show hunters, horse racing on the flat and over jumps, equitation, foxhunting, cutting, polo, sidesaddle and so many other tasks humans ask of their horses.

There are many different breeds, and they do not excel at all the same horse sports. Learn about those breeds. What if a client shows up with one you have never worked with and wants to train with you? All horses need to be trained well for the job the human chooses for them, but not all are suited for what the human wants. Many horses would be happier doing a different job. This is why it is so important for trainers to become educated in more than just one discipline.

Being diverse in your ability to train will also help your bottom line; you will keep clients because you can adapt to their needs. Round pen training, which originated in the the western world, is now widely accepted for training youngsters and dealing with unruly horses in many disciplines.

John Lyons influenced me on how to encourage horses to load on a trailer, stand quietly for mounting and so on. Buck Brannaman taught me about the one-rein stop, which is a lifesaver on a naughty horse. These are just examples of how reaching out to other training methods have helped my business. I have been very lucky to have broad experience riding many different types of horses and in many different disciplines, along with great teaching from Olympians and others.

For the young instructors, trainers and coaches out there, you can achieve a successful business with hard work and compassion for both the human and the horse. Always remember that while you may ride and understand horses better than your student, they have other skills you do not. Always respect them for that, and be grateful that they trust your knowledge to guide them in their quest for becoming better riders and horsemen themselves.

Fair Hill International 2017 Entries Go Live

By on Sep 21, 2017 12:50 pm -

Jenny Caras and Fernhill Fortitude are looking to go clear and inside the time on cross country for the third consecutive year in the CCI3* at Fair Hill. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Entries are now live for the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International Three-Day Event, which is just three weeks away on Oct. 11-15, 2017, in Elkton, Maryland.

This first entry status update shows 37 entered in the CCI3* and 58 entered in the CCI2*, with entries still to come for riders like Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin.

Jessica Phoenix and Buck Davidson both have three entered in the CCI3*, while Allison Springer has three entered in the CCI2*. Tamie Smith, who won the CCI3* in 2015 with Mai Baum, will once again make the trip from the West Coast to compete two horses in Wembley and Fleeceworks Royal.

Emily Beshear and Silver Night Lady, who finished as the Reserve National CCI2* Champions in 2016, return this year in the CCI3*. Will Coleman and Boris O’Hara finished fourth in the CCI2* last year and will take on the CCI3* this year.

Just one of the horses that finished in the top 10 in the CCI3* last year is currently entered to return this year: Jenny Caras and Fernhill Fortitude, who placed sixth in 2016. Jenny and Fernhill Fortitude have made the optimum time on Derek di Grazia’s CCI3* cross country course for the past two years in a row, so they will look to make it three this year.

As for other big names we can expect to pop up on the list, Phillip Dutton confirmed to EN that Rio Olympic bronze medalist Mighty Nice, who finished as the 2015 Fair Hill CCI3* Reserve National Champion, will return in the CCI3* this fall to hopefully gain his qualifier for the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

You can check out the full CCI entry list here, as well as entries for the 2017 USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships. Shout out to super secretary Mary Coldren!

Which horses are you excited to watch at Fair Hill this year? Top of my list has to be Tim Bourke with Luckaun Quality, an absolute cross country powerhouse that has never finished outside of the top 15 in the Fair Hill CCI3*. Go Eventing.

[Fair Hill International Entry Status]

#EventerProblems Vol. 127: A Special Breed, Horses vs. Humans Part 1

By on Sep 21, 2017 9:00 am -

Well over a hundred #EventerProblems later I still don’t know who has more screws loose, event horses or the people who ride them. In this edition and the next, we’ll let the two parties face off.

Today, let’s start by letting our horses make a case for themselves:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXSjiCpH2ep?tagged=eventerproblems/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX9VowBFC30/?tagged=eventerproblems/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXJfVsmnoDM/?tagged=eventerproblems/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXb7Ii5A0DE/?tagged=eventerproblems/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXtr9eMjjHS/?tagged=eventerproblems/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX1sZLQhh8V/?tagged=eventerproblems/

on this week's edition of what my intermediate/2* lease horse finds spooky: mowed grass #eventerproblems #maythequeen

A post shared by katie lavallee (@katie_lavallee) on

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6jmvKhFKl/?tagged=eventerproblems/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYHTl-dnU6v/?tagged=eventerproblems/

Well played young man, well played. Rigby – 1, Dressage Camp – 0 #chroniclesofrigby #eventerproblems #atleasthesbay

A post shared by Hannah Schofield (@hannah2ana) on

*cries* #hewasblack #eventerproblems #horses #eventing #sellefrancais #trakehner #fatbeauty

A post shared by Grace Wilkinson (@grace__wilkinson) on

Preliminary thoughts, EN?

Go Eventing.

Thursday News & Notes from Nupafeed

By on Sep 21, 2017 12:03 am -

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

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

National Holiday: New York Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

Surefire Farm Fall H.T. [Website]

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

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

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

News From Around the Globe:

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Blenheim Rewind

By on Sep 20, 2017 5:38 pm -

If you weren’t able to watch the British Eventing live stream of cross country from Blenheim, here is more than 30 minutes of footage thanks to good friend of EN David Robinson, better known as harveywetdog on YouTube. Enjoy!

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Nina Gardner’s Homebred Twilightslastgleam Awarded Le Lion d’Angers Grant

By on Sep 20, 2017 3:10 pm -

Jennie Brannigan and Twilightslastgleam. Photo by Shelby Allen.

It’s an exciting day for Tim and Nina Gardner and their homebred Thoroughbred Twilightslastgleam, as the horse has received the Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Le Lion d’Angers Grant to compete with Jennie Brannigan at the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses in France next month.

The grant, founded by Tim and Cheryl Holekamp and Christine Turner, enables the highest scorer of the USEA Young Event Horse 5-year-old Championship to travel to Le Lion d’Angers to compete as a 7-year-old if the horse obtains the proper CCI2* qualifications.

Comic was the 2014 Young Event Horse East Coast 4-year-old Reserve Champion and ranked third in the overall standings that year. He then placed seventh at the 2015 Young Event Horse East Coast 5-year-old Championships and was ranked 13th overall in the nation.

Twilightslastgleam and Jennie Brannigan with Nina Gardner and Jo Whitehouse after he was named 2014 Young Event Horse East Coast 4-year-old Reserve Champion. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Twilightslastgleam, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred (National Anthem x Royal Child) better known as “Comic,” is the second American-bred horse to receive the grant, which awards $17,500 to horses bred in the USA and $8,000 to imported horses. Judy McSwain’s Holsteiner mare Fleeceworks Royal, who received the grant last year, was bred in the USA by Charlotte Wrather.

Comic finished third in the Jersey Fresh CCI2* in May and was named the National Intermediate Reserve Champion at the American Eventing Championships last month. He finished third in the Plantation Field CIC2*-B at the weekend on a personal best dressage score of 45.8.

“I love that, knock on wood, the past couple of events he’s been very good in the show jumping, and he laid down his best test,” Jennie said. “For being a Thoroughbred, he’s a nice mover and he’s 7 so the strength of the dressage is hard but he’s getting there.”

Jennie Brannigan and Twilightslastgleam on the right saying hi to former stablemate Indie and Sloane Pierpont at Millbrook in 2015. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Nina Gardner is thrilled to have Comic heading to France. He started out in race training, as all of her homebred Thoroughbreds do, but it was clear he didn’t want to be a racehorse. After starting his eventing training at True Prospect Farm with Phillip Dutton and Waylon Roberts, Comic then joined Jennie’s program.

Stephanie Cauffman took him to his first YEH competitions as a 4-year-old before Jennie started eventing him at Novice level in 2014. Famed jump jockey Willie McCarthy also competed Comic at a Novice event that year.

“Most of our Thoroughbreds in the past were sold to be racehorses, but I have always tried to breed an all-purpose Thoroughbred that would have a life beyond racing and could possibly do something other than racing, so this means a great deal to me,” Nina said.

The EN team extends hearty congratulations to Tim, Nina, Jennie and the entire team behind Comic and wish them the very best of luck as as they travel to France for Le Lion d’Angers, which will be held Oct. 19-22, 2017.

[Twilightslastgleam Will Represent United States at FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses]

How 20 Minutes Per Week Can Improve Your Performance In the Saddle

By on Sep 20, 2017 1:19 pm -

Laura Crump Anderson is an Equestrian Fitness Specialist at InForm Fitness Leesburg. She is certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and specializes in working with riders of all ages and disciplines. She is EN's fitness columnist and returns this week with a new exercise for event riders.

Photos by Tylir Penton

To be successful in eventing you must be able to navigate a dressage test with accuracy and precision, breathe and jump around a quick but demanding show jumping course, and withstand the endurance component as well as the technicality of cross country. So why is it that, unlike in many other sports, most equestrians do not cross train?

Intermediate Event rider Haley Carspecken cross trains at least once a week, she knows that her fitness is just as important as her horse.

Cross Training

What do I mean by cross training? I mean exercise outside of the saddle to improve overall performance in the tack, not just at shows, but also in training rides. Exercise is essential for the athletes performing at the top level of this sport but it is just as important for those looking to become a better rider. If you are not looking to improve, I would ask why are you still riding?

I will be the first person to admit that the best way to get better at riding is with time spent in tack. There is no substitute for sitting on a real live horse and riding as many different horses as possible. This will train your body to respond to the specific needs of each horse. It requires a lot of skill, as well as, fitness for a rider to look like they are barely doing anything at all.

However, times are changing and you will notice that more professionals are addressing their strength, flexibility and endurance outside of the tack to improve their ability to be effective when it matters while riding a horse.

Fiona Coulter riding in a clinic with Lars Petersen. Photo by Laura Crump Anderson.

Every Day is Pay Day

A few weeks back I had the privilege to audit a clinic with Olympic dressage rider Lars Petersen. He said something that stuck with me: “In riding, every day is pay day. You get paid for how you rode the day before.”

Our goal should be to put the best foot forward each day and ride to the top of our ability. Our horses are out there each day and working just as hard as we are. We need to respect our horses by treating ourselves like the athletes that we expect them to be.

The Struggle Is Real

All horse and rider pairs are learning each time they work together, with or without a coach on the ground. It is a fact that a rider struggling with their own fitness will be less successful than when they are fresh. You may feel this in your own riding when you are in the tack struggling to get your seat plugged in correctly but when you take a walk break and come back to it feels more doable and in turn the movement goes better.

DO NOT feel discouraged by this. It is amazing working through the struggle and achieving success,. This is also what makes good riders great. Plus, if it was easy, I imagine many eventers would find themselves quite bored!

Strength training is an essential piece to success in the saddle. The number one excuse I hear eventers say is that they do not have time. If that is you, watch the amazing time management lecture above from the late renowned Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch.

Everyone can find 20 minutes in their week to improve their health, increase energy, reduce pain and improve core strength. It is worth finding the time to exercise, especially when it is only 20 minutes once or twice a week.

The second most frequent response I get from eventers — and this one makes me a little crazy — is: “I know so many other riders that really need to work on their fitness, but I do not need too because … (insert excuse here).”

Any excuse is just that, whether you are a working student, a trainer, an amateur or have an amazing horse. These are all excuses. I am aware there is a lot of work that goes into maintaining a barn. However, if you are going to sit on a horse, your fitness is important and this is a fact. Exercising regularly, at least once a week, will improve your riding.

Kaitlin Spurlock of Clasing Equestrian demonstrates a wall sit. Photo by Laura Crump Anderson.

The Wall Sit

Making things overly complicated is going to greatly reduce the consistency and stickability of any exercise program. So I present to you a great exercise to safely learn the sensation of momentary muscle failure, which should be the goal each time you exercise.

  • Stand with your back against a flat wall with your feet out in front.
  • Let your back slide down the wall so your legs are at a 90-degree angle (like you are sitting in a chair).
  • Keep your back straight and your arms by your side or in your lap. Do not push on the wall to try to hold yourself up. Never sacrifice form to increase time!
  • Hold this position for as long as you can. This is when momentary muscle failure occurs.
  • When you can do longer hold your form, slide down the wall gently until you are sitting on the floor.

Who Jumped It Best? GMHA Junior Beginner Novice Edition + Win Photos

By on Sep 20, 2017 10:30 am -

Nine recognized USEA horse trials ran around the country this past weekend, with GMHA hosting their September event in beautiful South Woodstock, Vermont. Thanks to Joan Davis of Flatlandsfoto, we have photos of some of the division winners, plus a bonus edition of Who Jumped It Best.

Caroline Teich and Kingslayer won the Preliminary Rider edition. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Caroline Teich and Kingslayer won the Preliminary Rider edition on 38.6, adding just one show jumping to their dressage score. Emma Weir and Sapphire won the Junior Training division on their dressage score of 22.1, the second lowest finishing score at the event.

Emma Weir and Sapphire won the Junior Training division. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Meredith Webb and Precious Z took the honors of lowest finishing score, winning the Training Rider B division on their dressage score of 21.6. Sarah Noble and Man About Town won the Novice Rider B division on their dressage score of 29.5.

Sarah Noble and Man About Town. Photo by Morgan Mindrebo / Flatlandsfoto.

Jocelyn Van Bokkelen and Wauwinet won the Open Beginner Novice division, also finishing on their dressage score of 27.8. Abigail McDonough and Easy Flight won the Junior Beginner Novice division on 30.5, and you can see their photo below along with more riders in their division.

Jocelyn Van Bokkelen and Wauwinet won the Open Beginner Novice division. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Take a look at the photos below and vote in the poll at the bottom of the post for which horse and rider you think present the best overall picture over the jump. Click here to view final results from the GMHA September Horse Trials. Go Eventing.

Alexa Duncan and Ghost Whisperer. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Cailey Fay and Elphin Kookaburra. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Anna Harnsberger and Josephine. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Serena Limberg and Faye. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Abigail McDonough and Easy Flight. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Emma Oldenburg and Rockhill’s Rocket. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Sophie Sudduth and Hologram. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Wednesday News & Notes from SmartPak

By on Sep 20, 2017 12:01 am -

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZL3kjPHG73

With all the fanfare over Blenheim and Plantation Field, it was easy to forget that last weekend was one of the busiest event weekends of the year. Poplar Place Farm also ran an FEI event last weekend, running levels from Beginner Novice up through Advanced, along with a CIC1* and CIC2*. Sydney Conley-Elliott won the CIC2* on the 7 year old QC Diamantaire, owned by Carol Stephens, and is clearly delighted with her talented young ride.

National Holiday: National Pepperoni Pizza Day (Yum!)

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

Surefire Farm Fall H.T. [Website]

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

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

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

Your Wednesday News & Notes:

Ever wonder what the Worth the Trust recipients are up to? The USEA provides a retrospect of past winners, all the way back to 2009, and gives a little update as to what they are up to now. The scholarship has allowed many of these adult amateurs to continue their education in a way they would be unable to. [Where Are They Now]

Anna Bella may not be the easiest horse to be around, but her warrior mentality takes her to the top of the sport. If one word could be used to describe Anna, it would be ‘intense’, apparently. With a work hard, live hard mindset, Anna likes to scare the geldings she works around, test Kurt Martin on the lunge line, and insist on warm baths only. [Behind the Stall Door]

If you haven’t read Wylie’s final Mongol Derby update, get thee to her post. After days of trials and tribulations, Wylie found herself relying on the camaraderie of her fellow riders to complete the Mongol Derby. With the days blurring together, she realized that it was the people who helped her finish her quest, not the things. Especially not the things she lost on the third day. [Wylie vs the Mongol Derby Part 4]

Help a couple hard-working, forward-thinking vet students out! Mary Davis and Lauren Ungar, two vet student at Tufts, are semi-finalists in the VetPrep idea competition with their idea to create a nutrition app for horses. They are seeking feedback from horse people to strengthen their idea and better their product. You can help them out by completing a quick, fewer-than-10-question survey. [VetPrep Idea Competition – Equine Nutrition App]

SmartPak Product of the Day: I do everything I can to keep my bridle number off my bridle at shows, usually because the first thing I do is get my bridle number dirty. Occasionally I will stick it on a breastplate, but the sharpest look is to have your number on your saddle pad, framed in leather. [SmartPak]