My favorite type of morning view. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Anybody who has endured the rock-hard-ground drought of summer in Virginia will know the pure glory and revelation that comes from the first rain storm after several weeks of hot dry dustbowl weather. Yesterday afternoon, it rained. It finally rained! People think I’m crazy, but I just want ground that I can do gallops on and not feel bad. The people at the grocery store gave me funny looks when I got a huge grin on my face coming out of the store to a massive rainstorm, and trundled away to my car with my cart full of goods. All the ladies standing at the door waiting for it to stop raining gave each other sidelong glances, but I was loving it. Glorious rain!
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Area IX Championships & CCC Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Bucks County Horse Park Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Dunnabeck H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Feather Creek Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Flying Cross Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
GMHA September H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
King Oak Farm Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Poplar Place Farm CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]
News From Around the Globe:
How does it feel to be 21, making your senior squad debut, and leading the European Championships after day one? Holly Woodhead knows! After a stunning debut on day one of dressage, Holly fancy pranced her way past Michael Jung into the lead with a 31.7 on DHI Lupison. This puts Britain into Individual and Team Gold positions, with both Kitty King and Nicola Wilson scoring 36.9 and 34.6, respectively. Pippa Funnell and William Fox Pitt are slated to go tomorrow, as well as the second half of the competitors. [Britain Takes Early Lead in Europeans]
Can Michael Jung win three consecutive European Championships on three different horses? Honestly, at this point, nobody would be surprised if he did. In 2011, he won with Sam, and in 2013 he won with Halunke FBW, and he’s placed himself well within the running after his dressage with a 33.5 on eight-year-old FischerTakinou. Currently Ginny Elliot is the only rider in history to win three consecutive European Championships, and she shares her ten medal total record with William Fox Pitt. [Can Michael Jung Equal Ginny Elliot?]
Boyd Martin isn’t the only one at Windurra who is familiar with the local hospital now. Boyd’s working student Sara Seigal had a “superman” fall at Five Points last weekend from her self-produced OTTB Pure Possession, in the Intermediate. Sara broke her collarbone and shared some of her gnarly x-rays, but is doing well and will be back at it in no time. I’m sure Boyd will be able to share some tips on how to get over broken bones! [Well Wishes to Sara Seigal]
The Surefire Fall Horse Trials, September 25-27, will continue to accept entries through the 15th. FEH and YEH plus Beginner Novice through Intermediate divisions. Enter with a credit card through Event Entries o
Oh, did you ask for an in depth article on William Fox Pitt’s dog, Poppy? Of course I found that for you! Poppy is a lurcher whippet cross, and her favorite things involve following William everywhere, going up and down the gallops every day, and going to all the competitions. [Proust for Pets]
This Under Armour Ringside Backpack is everything. By that, I mean, you can fit everything you possibly need in it, and you can look stylish while doing so. Having a properly compartmentalized tote that includes a mesh pocket for my helmet sounds like my dream, and possibly the dream of every groom ever at a show. Backpacks for the win. [SmartPak Product of The Day]
This is what a 31.7 looks like at the European Championships.
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