Badminton-bound Henry Jota Hampton surveys the digs at The Fork. Photo from the Run Henny Run Facebook page.
Happy Fork weekend! I’ve been having a lot of fun keeping track of the various Fork-related hashtags that have popped up over the last few days. My particular favorites are #GoForking and #ForkYeah, without going too far past the line of appropriate. Do you have a creative Fork hashtag? If so, use it in the comments!
Yesterday was a great day of dressage, and the weather looks to be holding nicely as opposed to the thunderstorm-ravaged Midwest. Currently in the Advanced, Emily Beshear and Here’s to You hold the lead on a 29.1, followed by Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott, Trading Aces, and Mighty Nice. As I’m sure you’re aware, Phillip has stepped up to help out the injured Boyd Martin so that his top horses don’t miss any spring preps. Phillip takes the reins on Trading Aces, Shamwari 4, and Otis Barbotiere this weekend in addition to his own rides. Emily Beshear also continued the great start to her weekend in the CIC2*, where she scored a 43.3 aboard Shame On the Moon to lead going into show jumping.
In the CIC3*, just a few pairs rode dressage yesterday, and unsurprisingly Allison Springer and Arthur are your early leaders. The pair scored a 47.1 to lead, followed by Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda tied for second with Holly Payne and Santino on a 48.9. The remainder of the CIC3* division will ride dressage today, and as usual Jenni will be bring you more updates from the scene of the action as the day continues.
In case you missed it, be sure to check out Kate’s wonderful stalking preview of the CIC3* entrants.
Events This Weekend:
The Fork HT: [Website] [Live Scores] [Ride Times] [Facebook Page]
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Spring Bay H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
CDCTA Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Friday News:
FLAIR has announced its sponsorship of a cross country course walk at Rolex this year. The walk will be led by Ralph Hill, with participation from FLAIR riders Buck Davidson and Hawley Bennett. The walk is slated to commence approximately 30 minutes after conclusion of dressage competition on Friday April 25. Be sure to check the FLAIR website and Facebook page for more details. [FLAIR Website] [Facebook Page]
In case you were wondering where Jan Byyny and Inmidair are this weekend at The Fork, Jan has decided to withdraw JR and head straight for Rolex. Jan’s website was recently updated with the following statement: “If you know what the paddocks are like in Virginia these days you can appreciate that I think the mud is what’s responsible for JR’s front shoe shifting a bit Tuesday and making him sore. I got that fixed but then he lost the other front shoe—blame it on springtime in Virginia! He’s better now that it’s back on but I feel it’s more important to save him for Rolex than risk his soundness by running him this weekend. I’ll miss The Fork, it’s one of my favorite events, but we’re completely ready for Kentucky. JR’s very fit and has been going great this year, so we’ll see you all in a few weeks!” Best of luck to Jan and her connections as they prep for Kentucky. [Surefire Eventing]
Ready for Badminton? Me too. To hold you over, here are some updated photos of the cross country course changes being made for this year. It looks like everyone is working tirelessly to ensure that this is the best Badminton yet. [Badminton Photos]
Do you want to immerse yourself in the world of top-level eventing? Windurra Eventing, Boyd and Silva Martin’s business, is offering an apprenticeship to the right person. They are looking for someone who truly wants to learn the inner workings of the upper levels. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity, so head on over to their blog to check out more details. [Opportunity at Windurra]
Ever wondered what it would be like to ride the Grand National course? Well, now you can get a better idea. A drone was sent out over the course to give you a “horse-eye” view of the course. I know I love to ride cross country fences, but those fences still make me more than a little nervous! Mad props to the jockeys and horses who are brave enough to tackle this massive course. [Grand National Horse-Eye View]
Speaking of the Grand National, eventer Ian Stark will be a steward for the event this weekend. This is Ian’s first time stewarding, and he will be responsible for keeping an eye out for any offenses or infractions. [Ian Stark a Grand National Steward]
Best of the Blogs:
Friday Video Break:
I’ve been talking about the Grand National so much, I had to look up some video. Here is video of last year’s race.
