Classic Eventing Nation

Grooming at Kentucky: Paige Ansaldi, Groom to Favian, Reflects on a First Five-Star

By on May 26, 2021 11:30 am -

As the fan-voted runner-up in our “Flyest Horse at Kentucky” contest in partnership with Ecovet and Horse & Rider Books last month, Paige Ansaldi was happy to oblige us and answer a few questions about her experience grooming at her first five-star. While her charge, Favian, and pilot Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride sadly ended their weekend early with an untimely fall on cross country, they’d pick themselves up and redeem themselves with a fiery completion at Jersey Fresh a few weeks later. We also caught up with the contest winner, German groom Ayleen Stuhr, who you can read about here. Go Eventing!

The Blue Clover Eventing team at Kentucky. Photo courtesy of Paige Ansaldi.

EN: Tell us about your experience traveling to Kentucky – is this your first 5* grooming? What were your feelings leading up to it?

PA: This was my first 5* so even arriving at the Kentucky Horse Park felt surreal! Leading up to it, I was full of mixed feelings; half of me was taking it day by day making sure Favian (“Faves”) was feeling 100%. The other half was just thankful to be part of Val’s journey.  Prior to Kentucky, the highest level I had groomed at was The Virginia Horse Trials at the 3*L. That was a good opportunity to be exposed to the expectations and environment of the upper level shows. Still, nothing can truly prepare you for the energy that surrounds Kentucky!

EN: What are some things in Favian’s routine that you take care of at home?

PA: My main responsibilities involve his upkeep and therapies to help Favian feel his best.  This includes therapy blankets, liniment gels, daily stretches and much more. I also have the responsibility to be present for all of his critical rides such as schooling, training sessions and all of the shows that lead up to Kentucky.  On a day to day basis, it is a true team effort to ensure Favian maintains his strict routine so he is healthy and happy.

EN: Do you get nervous as the caretaker, on cross country day or any other day?

PA: Thankfully Faves has always been such a great cross country horse, but I honestly get nervous for all three phases. You see all of the hard work they’ve put into this sport together every day and you just hope it shines at a show.

EN: What was your routine at Kentucky?

PA: Lots and lots of hand grazing!! Thankfully we only had one horse going so any free time was spent keeping him out of his stall, and moving. Besides that, we try to keep our away show routine as close to our home routine as possible so we’re not adding any unnecessary stress. We made sure to have his little shadow come along as well. “Theo” is Fave’s mini and also his best friend! He definitely helped keep Favian calm and made my life easier in Kentucky.

Paige with Favian and his road-trip buddy, Theodore – who, yes, made the trip to Kentucky with the crew!

EN: Do you have a favorite moment from the trip?

PA: It’s hard to pick just one, but I think watching Val do her dressage test in the Rolex arena surrounded by our team and seeing the smile on her face at the end was pure joy. Just finally seeing all of her hard work payoff to be competing at Kentucky, I couldn’t have been prouder. In contention with that moment, I think the hand grazing conversations with our group of girls, Alex Peterson and Molly Koch, was next to it. We all have believed in Val and Faves from the start and don’t always have the same schedules at home so to be able to be together at an event like this was great.

EN: What is most important to you as the groom? Either at home or at shows.

PA: I think my top priority is making sure you’re keeping your horse as calm and as happy as possible. I try to minimize going in their stall, but just enough so they receive everything they need and have a chance to relax by themselves before their ride. Faves definitely likes to have his down time before he gets ridden at a show. Then of course after having them feel their best, making sure they look their best! Presentation is everything, and I think it demonstrates the pride you take in your job and the love you have for the horse. Thankfully,  Faves being black, which makes my life a bit easier! There are definitely some tools that I really rely on like my L’Apogee sheepskin mit and Premier Eqyss Spray to help him really shine!

EN: How long have you worked with Valerie? And what is your background?

PA: I’ve been with Val for five years now. I started as a client and began helping here and there. As time went on, Val gave me many opportunities to learn as much as I could about eventing including working as her groom. I am currently a junior at the University of Maryland studying Criminology and Criminal Justice, so I haven’t always been able to work as much as I’d like but I do as much as possible! As far as riding, I started eventing when I was 7 and currently am the president of the eventing team at my school and also have a young horse named Boomer going training. He is such a talented horse and has already topped a handful of USEA leaderboards in his 3 years in the sport, so I’m definitely looking forward to what we can do this year and achieving our goal of competing at the 2* level in the future!

EN: In your opinion, what is the most important thing for a groom to know how to do?

PA: I would say knowing how to read your horse! Every horse is different and has unique things that work just for them. I think being able to tell when there’s been a change in your horse’s behavior or demeanor is key to keeping them happy and on a routine fit for them. Other than that I would say to take pride in your work and trying to stay in the moment!

Horse & Country and British Eventing Announce Partnership, New BE TV Channel on H&C+

By on May 26, 2021 9:00 am -

Piggy March and Brookfield Quality. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

British Eventing (BE), the National Governing Body for the sport of eventing in Great Britain, and leading international equestrian sports network Horse & Country (H&C) today announced the details of a wide-ranging partnership. The rationale behind the new arrangement is underpinned by H&C’s extensive eventing coverage, which includes live and highlights sport, training content and rider profiles, and the increasing role of video in BE’s communications activity.

At the heart of the partnership is the creation of the BE TV Channel on H&C’s streaming service, H&C+. The Channel will host all of H&C’s eventing live streams starting with Belsay International and Bicton International in June, followed by Barbury International and Burgham International in July. There’s also live coverage of major events from overseas including Longines Luhmühlen 5*, Mars Great Meadow International from Virginia, and Les 5 Étoiles de Pau.

The BE TV Channel also features a wealth of eventing-related material including Masterclasses from William Fox-Pitt, Lucinda Green, Ben Hobday, Emily King, Ros Canter and many more. For those who want to see behind the scenes and into the lives of some of the biggest names in the sport there are rider profiles including Piggy March, Tina Cook, Alex Hua-Tian and Oliver Townend. And for a real insight into how the stars of the sport relax off-duty, H&C’s hugely popular series, Daisy Dines With, features Daisy Bunn sitting down to dinner with Laura Collett and friends, The Fox-Pitts and the Funnells.

The BE TV Channel will be continually updated and refreshed with new material and information about further joint initiatives from BE and H&C.

Other key features of the partnership include:

  • A promotion throughout June offering a 15% discount on annual membership of H&C+ for BE members
  • Ads promoting BE membership to run in all H&C eventing live streams
  • Cross promotion of key messages to each other’s social communities

H&C Director, Richard Burdett said: “We’re showing more live eventing than ever before this year, so a partnership with BE is a great way to add further value for the passionate eventing community. We know that many of our viewers are both fans and competitors in their own right, so we’ve created the BE TV Channel to pull together a wide range of content to help them get even more from the sport they love.”

Wendy McGowan, Chief Operating Officer at British Eventing, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with H&C to bring top quality eventing content to the eventing community and to be able to mark this occasion with a special introductory offer for our BE members.”

To watch all of H&C’s eventing live streams and access the BE TV Channel, make sure you are signed up to H&C+, Horse & Country’s worldwide streaming service. H&C+ members can watch online or with H&C’s mobile apps, as well as on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire. Membership is just $9.99 per month, or $99.99 annually, and full details on how to join can be found at horseandcountry.tv.

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

By on May 26, 2021 12:01 am -

Photo via The CREW on Facebook.

We’ll have much more to come on this in the next week or so, but we were thrilled to see members of The CREW Urban Youth Equestrians taking in the sights at Area IV’s Otter Creek Horse Trials this past weekend. As a part of The CREW’s ongoing efforts to introduce more riders to the sport and create opportunity for underserved communities, this field day to Otter Creek served as a perfect way to spend a weekend making new friends – and maybe even catching the “eventing bug”. Hats off to the hardworking volunteers who have gotten The CREW off the ground and running quickly and efficiently. Stay tuned for a more complete article on this program’s incredible efforts!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Virginia International H.T. (Lexington, Va.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Spring Coconino H.T. (Flagstaff, Az.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Elum, Wa.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

May-Daze at the Park H.T. (Lexington, Ky.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. (Gales Ferry, Ct.): [Website]

The Spring Event at Woodside (Woodside, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Wednesday Reading List:

The topic of veterinary mental health is always heavy on our minds. At a higher risk of mental health problems due to the nature of their work, veterinarians have seen a sharp and devastating rise in suicides and cases of depression. Some wellness perspective and insight can be found here.

Time is running out to submit your entry to our #MudMadnessGiveaway in partnership with SmartPak! Up for grabs is nearly $500 in rain-and-mud-ready gear for both you and your horse. To learn how to enter, click here.

While you’re at it, enter to win a YETI EN-branded coffee mug as a token of our thanks for taking a few minutes to fill out our 2021 Gallop Poll to learn more about our readers. Click here to learn more.

Do you have a product or brand you’d like to get in front of more potential customers this year? We are opening up partnerships to accompany us on our event coverage at a star-studded list of events happening throughout the remainder of 2021 and into 2022. If you’d like to learn more about these exciting opportunities, email Sally at [email protected].

I don’t know about you, but riding drops has always been…difficult…for me. Luckily, it turns out I’m not alone and this great primer from Jeanie Clarke helps with insights on riding drops without getting that “launched into space” feeling!

It’s allergy season, full stop! There are ways to keep your horse more comfortable if she suffers from allergies each year, and there are also ways to prevent equine asthma from rearing its ugly head. These tips from Haygain are worth a bookmark.

Wednesday Video Break:

Learn more about The Optimum Youth Equestrian Scholarship in this interview with Shaq Blake:

All Access Interview

Thank you to All Access for recording and airing this interview! Always game to discuss diversity and inclusion in the equestrian world. So happy to highlight Optimum Youth Equestrian Scholarship and the work we are doing to help bridge the accessibility gap 💖

Posted by The Black Equestrian on Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Tuesday Video: Furniture as Gridwork with Kim Keppick

By on May 25, 2021 5:00 pm -

Advanced level eventer Kim Keppick says her barn has been forced to jump indoors lately due to the “crazy hard” ground in Virginia, but a little creativity as gone a long way toward keeping her students actively honing skills they’ll draw from on cross country later.

In these videos Liz Billings is riding Wendy Bebie’s Calero, a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Calatox Rancune) who has competed through Preliminary and Kim describes as “a jumping and grid machine — No matter what I set he is like, ‘I got it.’ … Horse and rider are almost always on the same page, but when not fifth leg training for many years always kicks in.”

Emphasis on “no matter what I set” … which can include furniture at times, apparently! Below, Kim has the pair schooling some unorthodox grids that develop and demand accuracy, straightness and honesty. Watch, and feel inspired to put your old living room furnishings to good use!

“There are unlimited options for what to set as grids, just make sure you know how to set the distances and never overface a young horse,” Kim says. “Some have been ruined by moving too fast. Always finish when they think it is easy — do not up the difficulty on the same day.’

Kim Keppick is a BHS II Certified Instructor, Pony Club A graduate, represented Ireland in International competition all before age 19 when she came to America to work for Karen O’Connor. Kim was with Karen for close to 10 years riding and competing horses in her training and was longlisted for the Irish Olympic Team in 1988 with Morning Glo. Kim has since built a thriving career teaching “riders how to train their own horses” with students who have won USDF Gold Medals and competed with success through all the levels – Intro to Grand Prix. She is also the founder of Rein-Aid.

#EventerProblems Vol. 254: ‘Faces of Eventing’ Edition

By on May 25, 2021 3:00 pm -

Some eventers deserve a big shiny blue ribbon just for being hilarious, and whoever runs the Faces Of Eventing Instagram account is at the top of that leaderboard IMO. Please, if you haven’t already, follow Faces Of Eventing here, and DM your face to be featured!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B25QxIvpcTw/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2vCDikJJfW/

I’ll just leave it there. Go Eventing!

British Equestrian Announces New Additions to Podium Potential Pathway Programme

By on May 25, 2021 1:00 pm -

Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

British Equestrian is pleased to welcome a new cohort of athletes to the Podium Potential Pathway level of its World Class Programme.

The aim of the Podium Potential Pathway is to identify, support and develop younger athletes who demonstrate the capability to be part of a senior championship team in the future. Funded by UK Sport and Sport England, the programme provides selected athletes with an education designed to further develop the performance foundation skills required  to enable them to make the next step towards the podium. Athletes are selected onto the programme for a two-year cycle and can stay on the programme for a maximum of four years.

Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

On Monday 17 May, following Government guidance and strict COVID protocols, selected athletes were invited to an induction day at Hogarths Hotel in Solihull. The day provided them with more information about what they can expect from the next two years and an opportunity to meet members of the World Class Programme staff, including their discipline mentors. They were also issued with their programme kit from British Equestrian team suppliers Toggi.

During the morning session, former rugby union player Ed Jackson talked about his recovery from an accident in which he broke his neck, and how the recovery and rehabilitation process has helped shape the principles of purpose, progress, perseverance and perspective in the way he now views his life and the challenges he has faced. The afternoon’s keynote speaker was Olympic gold medal-winning slalom canoeist Joe Clarke MBE, who gave an athlete’s perspective through his journey into the sport, and explained the importance that mental fortitude, resilience and focusing on the end goal plays in success. He also emphasised that however great the success you might have, it must still be the love of the sport that drives you.

Following the event, David Hamer, Head of Performance Pathways at British Equestrian, commented: “The athletes joining the programme really impressed us during the selection process. We encourage them to now spend the next two years fully utilising all the resources that are now available to them as athletes on a World Class Programme, so that they can maximise their performances, develop a career in sport and, in the future, progress to the next step in British Equestrian’s structured performance pathway. We hope to see them ride on the senior championship team one day.”

Podium Potential Pathway athletes have access to top equestrian specialists and coaches during their time on the programme. Technical skills and knowledge are supported by a human and equine sport science team, who deliver biomechanics, physiotherapy, sport psychology, nutrition advice, vet and farrier support, and saddler fitting advice. Athletes also receive guidance on managing themselves and their careers, as well as their finances.

Bubby Upton and Cannavaro. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“It’s incredible to be on the Podium Potential Pathway,” says former Junior and Young Rider European medallist Bubby Upton, who now competes at four-star with her string of horses. “I think that the access we have to resources, from coaching to biomechanics, is amazing and I’m really excited to see the difference that it’ll hopefully make to my performance. I feel really lucky to be part of the programme.”

Hector Payne and Dynasty. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The athletes joining the Eventing Podium Potential Pathway are:

  • 22-year-old Bubby Upton, who recently finished her final year at Edinburgh University, where she studies Sports Management. Bubby has represented Great Britain at European Championships five times, winning seven medals – including individual gold at the 2017 Junior European Championships. She’s based in Newmarket and hopes to make her CCI5* debut this season.
  • 21-year-old Georgina Wood took the reins of Coronel MCJ, formerly the World Championship ride of Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge, in 2018 and has enjoyed a fruitful trajectory up the levels since. She made her four-star debut with an impressive clear over an exceptionally tough track at Hartpury in 2019 and jumped clear around Bicton’s CCI3*-L last season.
  • 29-year-old Hector Payne made his first major impressions upon the industry while working as a rider for William Fox-Pitt, taking the reins on a number of his horses in the aftermath of William’s major accident at Le Lion in 2015. Now, he runs his own business alongside girlfriend Yaz Olsson-Sanderson, and competes a string of horses helmed by five-star mount Dynasty. The pair were aiming for their third five-star next month at Luhmühlen — we previously saw them at Burghley in 2018 and Pau last year — but Hector suffered a broken leg in a fall last week. Speedy recovery, Hector!
  • 26-year-old Laura Schroter is a familiar face at the upper levels, competing successfully at four-star with top horse Willem Van Wup and enjoying three-star success with Corgary Femme Fatale over the last season. The Pony Club ‘A’ graduate formerly rode for Gemma Tattersall and the Billy Stud before setting up her own business in West Sussex, helped along by the Mark Todd Bridging the Gap scholarship for 2018/2019.
  • 23-year-old Mollie Summerland, who stepped up to CCI5* last year at Pau with Charly van ter Heiden, finishing 10th. Mollie produced Charly through the levels herself and is based in Wiltshire with her small but steadily expanding string of horses. Previously based with Pippa Funnell, she’s finished in the top ten in 17 of her 25 internationals with her top horse and will head to Luhmühlen for their second CCI5* next month.
  • 18-year-old Molly Faulkner had a successful Pony career, contributing to team silver at the 2016 Pony Europeans and finishing 25th individually the following year. Since then, the Kentish rider has enjoyed a successful step up to Advanced and international three-star, with top ten placings in CCI3*-S classes at Gatcombe and Cornbury and the CCI3*-L at Bicton.
  • 19-year-old Oliver Jackson was the 2018 National Pony Champion, and represented Great Britain in the 2017 Pony European Championships in just his third-ever international competition. Now, he’s stepped up successfully to three-star, with top ten finishes at the level at Burnham Market, Thoresby, and Cornbury with top horse Viktor Krum.
  • 24-year-old Yasmin Ingham has been the national under-16, under-18, under-21 and under-25 champion, and has represented Great Britain at three European Championships: the 2012 Pony Europeans, where she finished 36th, the 2013 Pony Europeans, where she won team and individual gold, and the 2018 Young Rider Europeans, where she finished in fourth place individually. She grew up on the Isle of Man, where she was very involved with her local Pony Club, and enjoyed early successes aboard the former Mary King rides Fernhill Urco and Imperial Cavalier. She’s since made her five-star debut, finishing 16th in 2018 aboard Night Line and returning in 2020 with Rehy DJ — both self-produced horses. She’s got her eye on the 2024 Olympics with Banzai du Loir, who won the eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S, ordinarily held at Blenheim, in 2020.

 

 

Calling All Amateurs! 2022 Worth The Trust Scholarship Applications Now Available

By on May 25, 2021 11:00 am -

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: Since 2000 this scholarship, awarded in the amount of $4,000, has provided financial assistance to amateurs to pursue their education in eventing. 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.

The 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, 2022 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. 4, 2021. Applications are available here.

Apply online or click here to access the printable application.

The recipient of the scholarship will be announced in December at the 2021 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Contact Nancy Knight for more information at (703) 669-9997 or [email protected].

[Applications for the 2021 Worth the Trust Scholarship Now Available]

Burgham To Host British Championships in 2021

By on May 25, 2021 9:00 am -

William Fox-Pitt and Little Fire. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Following the cancellation of the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe for the second consecutive year, Northumberland’s Burgham International Horse Trials has stepped up to host the championship classes ordinarily staged at the popular Gloucestershire mainstay.

Burgham, which runs from July 28–August 1, will host the British Open Championship, Intermediate Championship, and both Novice and Novice Restricted Championships alongside their usual roster of national and international classes, helmed by their popular CCI4*-S.

“It’s very exciting for the North, which sometimes misses out on big sporting events, that the British Eventing Fixtures Panel have trusted us with running these historic and important championships,” says Burgham’s Event Director Martyn Johnson. “I am delighted for all the Burgham team that all our efforts to put on the best events we possibly can have been rewarded, and we have so many ideas as to how to make this year’s Burgham even more special.”

“In a year when so many of our big horse trials have gone by the wayside, Burgham 2021 will be a real celebration of equestrian sport, from the top level to grassroots. We are very much hoping that the public will be able to come and enjoy it with us.”

Emilie Chandler and Gortfadda Diamond at Burgham. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“We are delighted that the national championship classes held at The Festival of British Eventing are being hosted by Burgham International Horse Trials for 2021,” says Jude Matthews, outbound CEO of British Eventing. “We received some very strong tenders for the classes and are thrilled to be able to offer all of the classes at the same venue, which was an important consideration for the competitors.”

British-based Kiwi rider and president of the Event Riders Association Bruce Haskell represented riders’ interests on the fixtures panel that oversaw the tender process.

“Riders at all levels were adamant that the British championships should stay together,” he says. “Burgham was a clear choice as a venue that could deliver the championship feel needed for these prestigious classes. We are confident that this popular venue will be able to put on a brilliant championship for 2021. The riders would like to thank Martyn Johnson for stepping up once again to support the sport.”

Burgham will likely be open to spectators, with tickets expected to go on sale soon at the event website – or, for those unable to make the long journey north, the event will be live-streamed by Horse&Country TV. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that Burgham takes place over the same dates as the Olympic eventing competition — so if you’ve ever day-dreamed about around-the-clock eventing action, consider your prayers answered.

Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feeds

By on May 25, 2021 6:56 am -

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Eventing Nation (@goeventing)


It’s hard to believe, in some ways, that it’s already been a year since the tragic death of George Floyd. In other ways, it feels as though a decade has crept by in that time. The past year has been a time of enormous reckoning for everyone and, for many people, a period of colossal education. Have we reached a utopian point at which everyone is equal? Not at all – just days ago, it was reported that BLM activist Sasha Johnson was shot in the head in London after receiving death threats. She remains in critical condition – and she’s certainly not alone in being targeted for her race, and for her activism, in the year since George Floyd’s death catapulted the Black Lives Matter movement into the forefront of cultural consciousness. Since then, we’ve also seen a spike in hate crimes and racism against East Asian people, increased antisemitism, the prospect of bills affecting the lives of Romany and Traveller people, waves of antisemitism, and much, much more. There is so much work left to be done.

But in the wake of tragedy, and in the midst of the ongoing fight for human rights, there are so many bright lights to run towards. The equestrian industry has seen a sea change, with many companies putting actions to their words and making policy changes, undergoing bias training, and ensuring that the riders they work with are truly representative of the broader demographic of people within the industry. A number of charitable organisations have formed, or gained major new support, in order to provide crucial access to the industry. Scholarship and bursary funds have been delivered to open the door for roles with horses for those from underserved communities, and all around the world, so many people have continued to ask the question, “how can we do better?” It’s been so heartening to see what can come out of the rubble, and though we, like the wider world, have so much work left to do, we’re certainly taking steps in the right direction.

Though it’s impossible to highlight all the super initiatives going on within the horse industry at the moment, I want to take a moment to share a few.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cool Ridings (@cool.ridings)

Cool Ridings is run by British-based young Jamaican rider Lydia Heywood, who is at the forefront of fighting for equality in equestrian sport in the UK. She produces event horses with an eye on representing Jamaica on the world stage in the future, while also teaching at Brixton’s Ebony Horse Club and running Cool Ridings, her nonprofit organisation that gives aspiring young riders a leg up.

 

Speaking of Ebony Horse Club, they’re looking to hire a full-time Youth Programmes Manager – and applications close on May 28th, so don’t delay. You can check out the job spec and salary here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Saddle Up And Read (@saddleupandread)

We shout about Saddle Up and Read a lot, and with good reason – Caitlin Gooch’s excellent initiative pairs horses with books, giving kids in underserved communities some pretty incredible opportunities and increasing literacy. Caitlin keeps her mobile library well-stocked with books that celebrate diversity, too, giving her young readers a chance to enjoy heroes and heroines who look like them.

Strides for Equality works to provide pathways into equestrian sport, spotlight equestrians of diverse backgrounds, and, crucially, advise governing bodies on how to be more inclusive. They also feature a great directory on their site, so you can find inclusive programs near you.

National Holiday: It’s National Wine Day. On a Tuesday. Which is fine.

Events Opening This Week: Huntington Farm H.T., The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch May Farm, Applewood Farm YEH/FEH & Mini Event, Chattahoochee Hills H.T., Woodland Stallion Station H.T., Round Top H.T., Golden Spike H.T., Summer Coconino H.T. and Western Underground TR, N, BN 3DE

Events Closing This Week: Valinor Farm H.T., Seneca Valley P.C. H.T., Bucks County Horse Park H.T., River Glen June H.T., Aspen Farms H.T.,

Want to get your hands on a highly covetable EN-branded YETI mug? Of course you do. Fill in our super-quick reader poll for your chance to win one – and to help ensure that we continue to provide you with all the content you want most.

Tuesday News: 

Fighting for a better, fairer, and more inclusive horse industry is a noble cause – but it can be an exhausting one for the equestrians of colour at the forefront of the movement. Equestrians for Equality’s Nadia Aslam shares her thoughts on compassion fatigue – and her tips for regrouping and coming back stronger than ever. [The Fatigue of the Fight]

The common cultural perceptions of the wild west have been reshaped over the last year, with a long overdue focus on the prevalence of Black cowboys coming to the forefront. But did you know that there were also a fair few transgender cowboys? Peter Boag, author and queer historian of the American West, delves into their stories. [The Forgotten Trans History of the Wild West]

The teams have been announced for the 2021 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships – which of the 27 teams, representing 15 schools, will you be cheering for? [Meet the teams of the 2021 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships]

The first FEI Nations Cup of 2021 kicks off this week at England’s Houghton Hall, and EN will be on site to bring you all the news and views from this much-loved event. One rider who’s particularly excited? Sweden’s Therese Viklund, who pilots the exceptional one-eyed Viscera and hopes to add another Nations Cup series win to Sweden’s roster after taking top honours in 2019. [Eventers Look Forward to Houghton Hall]

The State Department has added Japan to its Do Not Travel list ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games. While the guidance doesn’t specifically mention the Olympics, US travellers are advised to avoid heading to Japan for now as the country’s Covid case rates continue to increase with just two months to go until the Olympics. [State Department, CDC warn against travel to Japan ahead of Summer Olympics]

Laminitis season is upon us – but do you know how this unpleasant condition happens, and how best to prevent it? Brush up and be prepared with SmartPak‘s super advice. [Laminitis in Horses and Hoof Health]

The horse world has said a sad farewell to Mason Phelps, former US team event rider, show organiser, trainer, and prolific media visionary in the equestrian industry. Brush up on some of his extraordinary contributions and join us in raising a glass to a top chap. [‘Unimaginable loss’: former US team event rider dies aged 72]

Don’t miss out! Stock up on the next wave of Legends Horse Feed and Supplements and receive $2 per bag through May 31st. No coupon needed. Discount applied at point of purchase. Link: legendshorsefeed.com

Monday Video: Don’t Be a Nag!

By on May 24, 2021 5:30 pm -

Raise your hand if your horse thinks you’re a nag! As the rider of a naturally lazy horse, I know for a fact that I’m guilty of letting my heel creep up and nag as I try to keep her forward. It’s a work in progress trying to install a “cruise control” into a lazy horse, but it’s an important part of instilling rideability and eventually self carriage.

For the most part, keeping yourself from nagging your horse takes a lot of thoughtful riding and correct training over time, but dressage rider Amelia Newcomb has a few tips, tricks, and reminders up her sleeve that may help you out.