Will & Ernie looking dapper at the CHIO Aachen inspection yesterday (photo courtesy of USEF High Performance)
Happy Friday, Eventing Nation! Today is exciting because it’s officially the start of CHIO Aachen for Eventers from around the world, and the U.S. is proudly represented for the very first time by a whole team in this CIC3* competition! Dressage is well underway by the time you’re reading this, as there is a +6 hours time difference between Aachen and EST, so be sure to check out the scores, and of course keep an eye on the USEF High Performance FB page (“like” it if you haven’t already) for photos and updates on the action! Jenni will be reporting live on all things Aachen, so try not to be too jealous of her vagabond equestrian lifestyle.
Aachen Links:
[Website] [Entry List] [Live Scores] [Live Stream] [Virtual Course Walk]
Events This Weekend:
Groton House HT: [Website] [Ride Times/Entry Status]
Horse Park of NJ HT: [Website] [Ride Times/Entry Status]
Other News:
Groton House is hosting a FABULOUS silent auction to raise money to send their Young Riders to Kentucky this summer! Items include (but are not limited to) a Hit Air Vest, a SmartPak bridle, a Dover cooler, custom painted jump standards, lots of different cross country schooling locations and several lessons from noted upper level riders! Even if you aren’t at Groton House this weekend, you can email your bid to the organizers, so check it out! [Send Area I Young Riders to Kentucky!]
U.S. Dressage team did us proud on Wednesday, kicking some serious butt to place third in the team competition at Aachen CDIO5*. The U.S. Team of Steffen Peters, Tina Konyot, Jan Ebeling and Shelly Francis earned a third place finish on a team total of 217.298. Steffan & Legolas 92 looked particularly fantastic, placing 5th individually with a 75.298%. Germany of course took the first place and Denmark was second. [US Dressage Storms Into 3rd] [Germany Wins Aachen Dressage]
Boyd & Silva Martin hosted their first schooling jumper show this past weekend, and to huge success! Marc Donovan designed the course, and Boyd, while still on the mend from his surgery, played DJ all day and provided the crowd with very loud tunes! [Windurra Throws A Jumper Party Show]
The Kiwis are the ones to beat this weekend in Aachen for the Eventing crowd. Not only do they have world number one Andrew Nicholson on their team riding his recent Rolex winner Quimbo, but they also have Badminton winner Jock Paget riding Clifton Lush. Jonelle Richards is riding The Deputy and Clarke Johnstone rounds out the team with Incognito II.“Aachen is a key part of our bigger picture to dominate as a team at the 2014World Championships in Normandy.” says NZ high performance director Sarah Harris. [NZ Got Their Game Face On]
I know I’m not the only one who’s had to enforce the use of the “fat paddock” with all this ridiculously lush grass due to the rainy spring season. Nyls is so not excited about his every other night in the dry lot, but it’s necessary to maintain a reasonable amount of weight on him, and to keep me from having to gallop him every single day. Be careful with the delicious fields! [Green Grass Worries]
SmartPak Product of the day goes out to all you flies out there that are driving me ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!! Seriously, get out of my barn and my life. I’ve got pretty good control over the fly situation in my barn, completely due to the fact that I use Fly Predators every single year. It keeps their numbers down, and helps my horses not go insane while hanging out in the barn. If you haven’t already ordered some, I don’t know what you’re doing. [SmartPak Fly Predators Totally Rock]
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