Lily Callahan and Royal Crest’s Granite Permission. Photo by Sally Spickard.
I’m dedicating today’s News & Notes to all of our eventers out there riding horses “of a different color”, aka breeds you typically might not expect to see doing the sport. Truthfully, the term “horse of a different color” in this context is really a bit exclusionary. After all, haven’t we been shown time and time again that just about any horse can at least dabble in eventing? Name a breed of horse, or a mix of breeds, and you’re likely to find one eventing somewhere — this is one of the things I love the most about the sport. Going on a (I’ll try to keep it brief) tangent, I’m re-reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink, which dives into the nitty-gritty of the snap judgement and first impression and how humans are driven by these instincts at a very basic, unconscious level. Just as with everything else, our lives and experiences have shaped our perspective and therefore affect our first impressions.
I bet if you asked a fair majority of eventing enthusiasts what type of horse they pictured when the term “event horse” is mentioned, they’d tell you they saw an athletic, lean, rangy, powerful horse with good conformation, correct gaits, and a powerful gallop and jump. Sure, the eventing archetype may look a lot like this — but event horses come in all shapes, sizes and colors (just as event riders do!). I attended the Equitana USA exhibition this past weekend and was treated to a display of all sorts of disciplines, breeds and riders. Honestly? It was sort of refreshing to be at an event that wasn’t only for eventers — but of course, I did seek out the eventers!
Lily Callahan and Royal Crest’s Granite Permission, her 18-year-old American Saddlebred gelding, were one pair I had the privilege of meeting this weekend. Lily was kind enough to venture over to participate in the Equitana USA American Saddlebred demo shortly before heading out to cross country, where she was competing for the Area VIII Training level title at Jump Start. Lily’s had her Saddlebred for several years, moving through the levels and competing through Modified. They went on to finish 10th in the Training Amateur Championship over the weekend, setting a grand example as ambassadors of the breed while they were at it.
We want to showcase more of these event horses of all types — please tip us by emailing [email protected] and show off your horse!
Events Closing Today: Waredaca Classic Three-Day Event & H.T., The Event at TerraNova, Tryon Riding & Hunt Club “Morris the Horse” Trials, Windermere Run H.T., Holly Hill H.T., Fresno County Horse Park H.T. (Oct), Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event
Events Opening Today: Fresno County Horse Park H.T. (Nov), SAzEA Fall H.T.
Tuesday News:
We are rapidly approaching blanketing season, and our friends at SmartPak want to kit your horse out with the latest and greatest in warmth. As a part of a mega giveaway period on SmartPak, you can enter to win two blankets this week just in time for the cooler temperatures. Click here to submit your entry — and be sure to keep an eye on SmartPak over the next few weeks for new giveaways.
Go behind the scenes at the #1 ranked UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and how its future Equine Performance and Rehabilitation Center will enable an Olympic-level approach to sport horse health and injury prevention in a free virtual event open to the public entitled “Going for Gold: Setting the Standard for Equine Athletes”. Attendees will also learn about the unmatched educational opportunities the center will provide to veterinary students. You can register for this free event here.
Jordán Linstedt has had more than her share of ups and downs when it comes to life and horses. In the latest issue of Sidelines Magazine, Jordán reflects on her horse of a lifetime, the late RevitaVet Capato, motherhood, and what the future holds — you can read the article here.
Multiple factors need to be considered when it comes to safety in eventing. Five-star rider Jon Holling and Landsafe co-founder Danny Warrington discussed some important topics pertaining to safety at the USEA Event College at AEC last month. Read their thoughts on selecting a trainer, schooling safety, moving up and more here.
Hot on Horse Nation: Just-in feedback on the newly-released essay collection, Horse Girls, edited by Halimah Marcus: “Recovering, aspiring, and devoted riders redefine the iconic bond,” states the cover – Horse Girls is an essay collection exploring what it means to be a “horse girl.” Edited by Halimah Marcus, it features essays from instantly recognizable names, like Jane Smiley, but also plenty of work from authors not quite as well-known. The book showcases the diversity of the horse world, featuring works from authors around the world, from Black authors, Pakistani authors, authors with Native American heritage, LGBTQ+ authors and transgender authors and that is what makes it great. Read the review here.
Tuesday Video Break:
Fresh off their trip to Tokyo, Australia’s Stuart and Karen Tinney sat down to answer some questions for Horseland Australia:
