Good morning Eventing Nation! This day marks the last first day of dressage in a three-day on the east coast in 2012. Woohoo! Fair Hill is a big one, not only because of the toughness of the courses, but also because the best of the best show up, and the competition is stiff. Being at the end of the year too, it makes the victories feel more amazing than usual, and the disappointments even worse. You get to either enter the winter season on a positive and confident note, or a note of woulda-coulda-shoulda’s. Let’s hope that this weekend ends with more of the former than the latter. I’ve got the chinchillas on full time good-karma production, and they’re sending it via airwaves to Maryland.
Today, at 8:30 the 5 Year Old YEH Championships start their dressage, where we’ve got lots of exciting competitors, including EN’s Got Talent superstars Lysander with Doug Payne, and Kim Severson’s new unbeaten mount, Cooley Cross Border. Then, at 9:00, the dressage begins for the CCI**, with Darrah Alexander and South Park.
All things Fair Hill:
[Website] [Ride Times] [Order of Draw] [Overall Schedule] [Live Scores]
Other Events This Weekend:
Hagyard Midsouth Three-day Event & Team Challenge: [Website] [Entry Status]
Ram Tap Horse Trials: [Website] [Entry Status]
Paradise Farm HT: [Website] [Entry Status]
The Event at Kelly’s Ford: [Website] [Entry Status]
The FEI is introducing a new microchip requirement for newly registered horses. “Beginning January 1, 2013, all horses newly-registered with the FEI must be microchipped … all microchip information must be entered in the horse’s passport and reported to the USEF. This requirement applies to initial FEI registration only. ” If you have any questions please contact Ken Ball at [email protected].
Karen’s surgery for her shifted vertebrae has been pushed to this morning. Well wishes to Karen on a speedy recovery. [OCET Facebook]
Lion D’Angers is also happening this weekend, across the pond in France. This is a huge championship competition for 6 and 7 year olds from all over Europe. We have two Americans competing: Tiana Coudray and Logan Rawlings, who are both in the 6 year old championship CCI*. [6 Year Old Championships] [7 Year Old Championships] [Lion D’Angers Website]
The Boyd Martin Podcast #2 is out! If nothing else, this is worth listening to the opening music. Boyd and Domm Schramm (of Evention) are back with some more instructional and fun chit chat. They talk about Fair Hill, the weather, and choosing horses for the future for all types of riders. How does Boyd Martin pick a superstar Event horse (other than picking cribbers)? [Boyd Martin Podcast]
Denny Emerson always knows how to hit the nail on the head, and he’s done it again with his blog for COTH. I know I’m not the only one who sees the sport changing in front of my eyes, and I can’t even imagine how bizarre it must seem to the riders who participated in Eventing way back in the day when you could fall off a few times and hop right back on. Does anybody remember horses getting dressage scores below 20 before 2-3 years ago? What’s happening to our sport when you have to get a 22 to be in the running for top three in your Novice Horse division? [A Sport In Search of It’s Soul]
Sadly, Michael had to withdraw Hanni Badger. [Get well soon Hanni]
Building an arena? I hope you’ve done your homework. Nothing is worse than spending a gazillion dollars on a new arena only to realize after a few months that you forgot to arrange the drainage right and have to spend the rest of your life riding through year-long puddles. What type of footing will you choose? Are you fully prepared to pay for a job well done? [Tips for Building an Arena]
USEA photos from Fair Hill jogs yesterday. ‘Nuff said. [USEA Photos]
Test events for the Normandy WEG are already in place for next year. Four separate test events are planned for next year, and another two for June of 2014. Endurance’s test event will be on August 16th, Driving on August 22-25, and Reining on October 20th. The Eventing portion will be from August 16th-18th in two separate locations, at Haras du Pin and in the town of Caen. Dressage and Show Jumping will be held in June of 2014. [WEG 2014 Test Events Planned]
In other WEG news, Morocco has withdrawn their bid for the 2018 WEG, leaving only Bromont and Vienna. The decision was spurred by the death of Princess Lalla Amina, who died in August. She was the president of the Fédération Royale Marocaine des Sports Equestres since 1999.“The sad passing of HRH Princess Lalla Amina has meant that the Moroccans have lost the driving force behind their bid to stage the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018,” said FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos. [Morocco Withdraws WEG Bid]
Sort-of Best of Blogs: Tali, Big Leo, Bacon, Nolan, and of course Doug & Jess have arrived at Fair Hill
Fair Hill XC Fence Photos: [Click Here]
This week’s Evention: How to properly school the most horrifying, terrible creation known to man or beast! LIVERPOOLS!
