Classic Eventing Nation

I think this photo is just funny. This is my mare, Pretty Hip Hop Hotty, at VAHT last weekend.

It’s the weekend, Eventing Nation!  I hope everyone is having plenty of pony time to go around.  I know I am.  This week was a bright light for me, as Bug has finally been given the ok to start walk and trot fitness work!!!  The past two days, I rode him around with a huge grin on my face.  Oh, how I missed sitting on him!  Unfortunately, he has developed a bit of the Thelwell Pony look, so we will be doing a lot of hills to get him back to fighting weight.

Events This Weekend:

IEA Horse Trials, Classic Training & Novice 3-Day Event  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times][Live Scores]

The Colorado Horse Park T3D, CCI* & Horse Trials   [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

GMHA June Horse Trials  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times][Live Scores]

Poplar Place Farm June HT  [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Waredaca HT  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

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

Carriage House Farm CT  [Website]

Lost Hounds Horse Trials will be excepting post entries through Sunday, June 9. The fastest and easiest way to enter is through Xentry with a credit card payment. Riders can also send entries with a cashier’s check or money order to the secretary no later than Monday, June 10. Don’t forget to include the $25 late fee with your entry. [Erie Hunt and Saddle Club]

Difficult Run Pony Club is accepting post entries for its horse trials until Friday, June 7. This is DRPC’s biggest fundraiser of the year, so it’s a great opportunity to support Pony Club while competing in a lovely event. All information on late entries is available in the USEA omnibus. [Difficult Run Horse Trials]

Links:

Tatts cross-country will challenge 3* horses

Contest aims to capture the thrill of eventing

Riders4Helmets announces International Helmet Awareness Day 2013

Rothchild races to win Grand Prix at Devon

SmartPak is carrying the new Softshell Competition Jacket by Horseware

Elisa Wallace is doing amazing things with her mustangs…again!

EN isn’t just your leading source for eventing news, results and commentary; it’s a community where fans of this crazy sport come together to share their war stories. We love hearing from readers and, in turn, sharing your thoughts with the world. All reader submissions are eligible for the Omega Alpha Reader Submission of the Month in which they are published. All winners will receive an Omega Alpha supplement of their choosing. Have something to share with EN? Send it to us at [email protected]!

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Sarah & Ribbo at Poplar Place in the Intermediate this spring.

We’re pleased to announce that Sarah Murphy’s reader submission, The Ribbo Chronicles, is the Omega Alpha Reader Submission of the Month for May. Ribbo, the horse the EN community has come to know as a wildly talented and incredible quirky eventer, is now helping Sarah prepare for her first Advanced start.

“I have now had Ribbo for a little over 6 months and I am aiming to run my first Advanced soon.  Getting to go Advanced has been a goal of mine for so many years and when I look back to where I was less than a year ago I never would have thought I would have the chance. In the end the thing that I have really come to realize is that no matter how bleak things may look at points in this sport and in life (financially, or soundness, or just personally), sometimes if you just keep kicking on something great and unexpected happens that changes your entire trajectory in life, and when that happens, I can tell you it is so worth it.”

For 20 years, Omega Alpha has specialized in natural formulations for enhancing equine heath and performance. All of the products include the finest natural ingredients available.

The Second Annual EN Blogger Contest deadline fast approaches (Wednesday, June 5, at 8 p.m. EST), and with that in mind, I’m reprising Abby’s inspirational FAQ:

Who can enter the contest?

Baby beginners and four-star veterans, tall and small, acclaimed and obscure, proximal and telescopic, one and all. If you’re reading this, you’re eligible. If you’re not reading this, you’re also eligible.

Even if I entered last year and didn’t win?

Even better. As I can daily attest, chances are you clicked “send” and immediately identified 10 ways in which you could’ve improved your writing. And as most writers would attest, rejection is the bottom rung on the dubious, many-runged ladder toward success (“Do you want the books back? I don’t imagine so in which case we will keep it for our blank department. But let me know. I wonder if any publisher will buy it”).

If, a year later, you’ve still got the bug to write for EN: Take that second shot.

Is writing experience necessary?

Anyone who’s read John’s posts could argue that spelling isn’t even that important. More important is a unique point of view, keen observation, and a real enthusiasm for eventing. If you’ve got those three things, they’ll sneak through in your writing.

What do I get if I win?

Your name on posts read by thousands! The posts themselves highly search-identified (you’ll Google yourself! It will be there!)! Phone calls from four-star riders! Phone calls from John!

More seriously, you’ll get to the opportunity to work with an awesome group of writers and riders, writing about a sport you love, with the opportunity to bring your bloggy dreams to fruition in an atmosphere where they’ll be appreciated (and debated and discussed) by folks who understand what you’re talking about. A rare opportunity, indeed.

What’s the pay like?

Your name will appear on posts read by thousands! The posts themselves will be highly search-identified (you’ll Google yourself! It will be there!)! You’ll receive phone calls from four-star riders! You’ll receive phone calls from John!

Don’t you guys have enough bloggers already?

Nonsense. “Enough bloggers” is an oxymoron, like “airplane food,” like “extra time,” like “French deodorant.”

What should I write about?

Your post should be Funny, Interesting, Creative, Informative and Eventing-Related (these are the judging criteria). Other than that, it’s up to you. What was your most epic event? How awesome is Michael Jung? How much do you want to steal La Biosthetique Sam FBW? All topics are fair game. Surprise and impress us.

When is it due?

Wednesday, June 5, at 8 p.m. EST. Email entries to [email protected] with the subject “EN Blogger Contest Entry.” Click here for all other details on the contest.

Go Enter.

Sade Cain recently rode in a clinic with Florida eventer Hilda Donahue, who donated all the clinic fees to benefit the Equi-Ed Therapeutic Riding Program. Thanks so much for sending in this clinic report, Sade, and thanks to Hilda for setting such a great example. You can “like” Equi-Ed on Facebook here. Remember that all published reader submissions are eligible for the Omega-Alpha Reader Submission of the Month! Send your submission to [email protected].

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Sade Cain rides in the Hilda Donahue clinic. Photo submitted by Sheila McCarthy.

From Sade:

I was truly lucky to have been able to participate in the Hilda Donahue clinic offered at my home facility, Santa Rosa Equestrian Center in Santa Rosa, California. Facility owner, Tracy Underwood, and resident eventing trainer, Toora Nolan of Raydiance Eventing, advertised the clinic well and brought in riders from all over Sonoma County and beyond. Spending hours coordinating with 15 riders and their horses on convenient ride times and days was surely challenging, but greatly appreciated by participants. All the groups ran on time and very smoothly.

The clinic was the weekend before my first move up to training, and getting last minute, fresh jumping exercises was both challenging and constructive. Entering an arena with a clinician who is just meeting you and your horse for the first time can be nerve racking, as you hope to ride well and be able to complete what the clinician asks. Hilda quickly puts you at ease by starting with a quick background and details of what you would like to accomplish, and where you would like to go. I personally asked Hilda to assist me in waiting for the jump to come to me. I expressed how long courses with long approaches had a tendency to confuse my rhythm the longer the course went, and soon I would begin to jump before my horse. Hilda’s skill shined through as she catered to every rider and tailored the exercise to the horse with trot/canter poles angled through a corner to establish a consistent rhythm and then progressing through a five-jump grid series.

With her fun and upbeat demeanor, she made the atmosphere positive. Finishing up our time with her, she had us end on a course that included canter poles, grid work, and an angle line that rode four strides one direction and three strides the other — keeping horse and rider on their toes from start to finish. Having that variety all in one course calmed my nerves and kept my horse listening to my instructions. Hilda is a great clinician who instantly adapted to each group and their needs. She engaged not only with the pupils in the clinic, but also the volunteers who helped, so everyone got a chance to be educated.

I not only participated in the clinic for my own benefit, but also to help the non-profit I work for: Equi-Ed Therapeutic Riding Program. Equi-Ed specializes in “enhancing lives through the therapeutic power of the horse.” Hilda generously donated her time and all clinic fees to the program. The donation will allow Equi-Ed to offer a full 8-week lesson session to clients of the Victor Center. Victor Treatment Centers are residential communities made up of children who are severely challenged either mentally or emotionally and are unable to succeed in their home situation. Hilda made a positive difference in the skills of the clinic participants while also making a difference in the lives of riders with special needs too. I hope Hilda serves as an example of what an impact clinicians and trainers can make in the horse world.

We already showed you a video of eventers holding their own at Hunt Night at Devon, but we’re so darn proud that we’re back to show you another team of eventers who competed this past weekend. This team of eventers — all of whom rode Thoroughbreds — placed second out of the 20 teams that competed on Hunt Night. EN reader Bryce Weber sent in a video and photos of the performance. Go Hunt Night, and go Thoroughbreds!

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Eventers Casey McKissock and Tara Masterson on Hunt Night at Devon.

From Bryce Weber:

This week is a HUGE week for the Devon Show Series, and all of us here in PA (and even out of state) are SUPER excited for the festivities to come! This past Saturday at Devon, the hunt teams competed, including fellow barn members of mine Casey McKissock (my AWESOME trainer), Tara Masterson (a great friend of mine), and Kevin Emes (a fellow eventing friend of Tara’s). Our whole barn was so ecstatic when we had found out the fantastic news that they had placed 2nd out of 20 whole teams. They rocked the show ring and impressed many people with their talent of being eventers and ALL riding Thoroughbreds. 

Thoroughbreds in my opinion (and many others) are the GREATEST horses! They are always there for you, brave, and never willing to give up (most of the time)! Casey rode her fantastic horse Special Blend (AJA Leo and/or Pighead), who nearly took her to Rolex until a tragic injury devastated their great team. Leo trained to race, but never started. She is an AMAZING eventer who really helps me through my riding career and is always making me go a step further to improve. Tara Masterson rode her reliable Thoroughbred Kolohe, who was an ex-steeplechaser who eventually made it as a successful jumper. She is a great person and rider and is continuing to excel with her other horse Quasar.

A great eventing friend of Tara’s, Kevin Emes, rode Shiver me Timbers (AKA Jake, a 14 year old) who comes from lots of hardships.  Jake was rescued from a kill pen in New Holland, PA and is now a fantastic Intermediate horse for Kevin! It just shows you that Thoroughbreds are always looking to please and very versatile and are in my opinion the BEST horses for the sport of eventing.  Devon was such an incredible experience for each one of these eventers, and they are looking forward to doing it again in the near future.