Well, here we are, another week down and another week closer to Badminton Horse Trials. I am giddy with excitement already – the start list is full of first timers as well as experienced 5* riders and horses, all vying to lift that trophy.
Still, the rain continues to pour here in Blighty, and so I can only begin to imagine the difficulties that the organisers are having to face to combat the wet. But then again, they are an experienced team, led by none other than Jane Tuckwell. Jane took over as Event Director in 2020, having joined the team waaaay back in 1974, so if anyone is capable of pulling off a successful Badminton, despite the constant deluge, then it is Jane. Here, she gives a fascinating insight into a typical day in the life of Event Director of the prestigious event, which celebrates it’s 75th Anniversary this year. Although, as Jane points out, no two days actually are the same – the only constant is that they are very, very busy, especially at this point, with just weeks to go before the event kicks off.
I’m not sure I could handle the stress of it all, but I guess being surrounded by such a capable team helps to at least disperse it evenly! If you want further behind the scenes access, then do delve into Jane’s ‘Director’s Blog’ over on the Badminton Horse Trials website. There’s a whole load of posts – some of them dating back two years – giving a first hand account of what it takes to pull off one of the most famous events in the world.
If that isn’t enough, then remember to subscribe to Badminton TV where you can access footage of previous events as well as a whole load of other content, including the special 75th Anniversary special, which premieres tonight. I will certainly be watching!
U.S. Weekend Preview
F.E.N.C.E. H.T. (Tryon, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Longleaf Pine H.T. (Raeford, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Unionville Horse Trials (Unionville, PA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Spring Bay H.T. (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Twin Rivers Spring International (Paso Robles, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring] [Live Stream]
International Events
Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International (Norfolk, UK) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring] [Live Stream]
North Holland Horse Trials (The Netherlands) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring] [Live Stream]
Friday News & Reading
Ever catch yourself muttering away to your horse? I’m certainly guilty of it…in fact I can safely say I speak more to my four legged friends than I do to any of my two legged friends. They just GET me, you know? Well, maybe they don’t, but at least they keep their opinions to themselves. According to Horse and Hound, these are the six instances when you are most likely to chatter away to them. I am certainly guilty of 1 and 2. In fact, being able to vent to my horses has probably saved me a lot of friendships…or at least avoided several massive arguments…
No this is not a late April Fools. I must admit, when I first saw the lead picture in this article, I was utterly bewildered. But it turns out this did actually happen: a horse appeared to join several surprised passengers in waiting for a train in Southwest Sydney, Australia. After doing a little more research, it seems that the poor guy was just trying to escape the rain – like the rest of us! Still don’t believe me?! Well here’s the CCTV footage to prove it. Fear not though, the horse was taken to a safe place by a more traditional means of transport, and the trains continued to run with no further disruption. *DISCLAIMER* The links here contain MANY a terrible horsey pun. Consider yourself warned.
It seems that I have become some what of a cheerleader for the EquiRatings Eventing podcast. But they are constantly churning out brilliant podcasts, and this week is no different. Not only have we been gifted over an hour of the Queen that is Lara de Liedekerke-Meier in a ‘When Nicole Met…’ show, there’s also a deep dive into the major contenders at this weekend’s Burnham Market – and if that is still not enough, then there’s another ‘EquiLume Special‘ out, this time with Phillip Dutton. Seriously guys, if you don’t already subscribe, then what on earth is stopping you? (I promise I don’t get paid for this promotion. I am just a huge fan of the show, and think you should be too).
Do you know which colour OTTB fetches the highest price? Nope, me neither, or at least I didn’t until I read this intriguing article, based on Madalynn Camp’s thesis for her Illinois State University Master’s degree, which centred around an investigation into the factors that contributed to retired racehorses having a successful second career. Turns out if they are chestnut or grey, they are worth more on the ‘retrained racehorse’ market. Who knew?!
MIM clips. Love ’em or hate ’em , they’re here to stay, contributing as they do to making our sport safer for both horse and rider. If you have ever been curious as to just how they do this, then wonder no more, as international course designer David Evans explains a little more about them here.
Ok, so this is an awkward one, bearing in mind Eventing Nation is a US publication, and thus I am assuming that the majority of those reading this will be American. But still! Bear with me. The British Equestrian Federation Fund are running a ‘Path to Paris’ Prize draw, with the aim of raising money for British Equestrian teams heading to Paris this year. I am aware that Team GBR are rivals to Team USA but even so, there are some super cool prizes up for grabs, including a Stevensons Brothers rocking horse, which just so happens to be a replica of Lordships Graffalo. So even if you just buy a single ticket (it won’t even cost you $5) then you could be in with a chance of winning some epic prizes. Besides, we’re all friends here, right?!
Sponsor Corner
Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Cora Williamson for Liz Crawley Photography.
The Stable View CCI4*-S wrapped up last weekend! Boyd Martin and Commando 3 led the CCI4*-S at Stable View from start to finish, ending on a score of 32.5. Didn’t have a chance to watch the show in person? Catch up on all the action here.
Weekend Watching
I was one of a lucky few to get a ticket for this super special ‘Badminton Preview,’ held at a very swish hotel on Tuesday evening. Hosted by Irish Olympian Sam Watson, as part of Badminton’s 75th Anniversary celebrations, the all star panel was made up of 5* superstars Laura Collett, Harry Meade and the utter LEGEND that is Ginny Leng, as well as course designer Eric Winter, Event Director Jane Tuckwell, and Team GB’s Richard Waygood. A incredible evening, full of insights, tips from the top, as well as funny stories and memories of Badmintons gone by – not least of all from Ginny. An incredible horsewoman, her list of accolades is endless so enjoy this throwback to her appearance on ‘This is Your Life:’ possibly one of the only equestrian athletes to have ever made it on there!
