Friday News & Notes from World Equestrian Brands

Congrats to Tiahn Barnard and Nangkita SuperNova, winners of the E.A. Mattes “Fab Freebie” contest! Photo submitted by her mother Laureen Barnard.

EN readers voted Aussie young rider Tiahn Barnard the winner of last week’s E.A. Mattes “Fab Freebie” cross country style contest — congrats, Tiahn! We received nearly 700 entries and put the top 15 to a vote — this pair and their colorful getup received over 1,000 of your votes for the win. They will receive a Couture Ear Bonnet and Platinum Collection Quilt Only Pad in Jump Eurofit or All-Purpose Square from our friends at E.A. Mattes and World Equestrian Brands.

Tiahn is 16 and competes in a range of activities with her 8-year-old Thoroughbred Nangkita SuperNova: Pony Club, hunting, eventing and show jumping. Tiahn is in the Victorian Development Squad for Eventing and for Showjumping and just returned from Pony Club Nationals, where she came first in Junior Quiz. Nangkita SuperNova was bred for racing but never made it to the track, and got a late start to a riding career — she wasn’t even properly started under saddle until nearly age 5. “She’s a gentle natured, sensitive ‘pingy pony’ with a big heart,” says Tiahn’s mother Laureen, “and my daughter has taken her from a couple of unofficial 60 class starts to 1* (and E grade/60 to B grade/115 SJ) in 18 months. Pretty darn proud of them.”

National Holiday: National Chocolate Cupcake Day

Major Weekend Events:

Fair Hill International: Website, Drawn Order, Schedule, CCI Dressage Ride Times, YEH Ride Times, CCI Scoring, YEH Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Le Lion d’Angers: Website, Entries and Ride Times (CCI2*-L), Entries and Ride Times (CCI3*-L), EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Tryon Riding & Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Hagyard Midsouth CCI, 3DE, & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Fresno County H.T. [Website]  [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Pine Hill Fall H.T. [Website]  [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Friday News: 

Attention all USA athletes and eventing stakeholders at Fair Hill International! Please join Erik Duvander, Leslie Law and Bobby Costello for a High Performance Open Forum at 4 p.m. Friday in the Stabling Tent to discuss updates to the USEF Eventing High Performance program initiatives. [FHI]

Interested in joining the conversation about how to create a healthier, more inclusive, more diverse sport? The 2019 Tom Bass Seminar will examine issues related to diversity in the equestrian industry as part of the 2nd Annual Day of the African Equestrian. The seminar is presented free to the public and will take place Saturday, Oct. 19 at TIEC as an adjunct to the Tryon Fall IV Horse Show. Representing eventing on the panel are Julian Seaman, Media Director of the Badminton Horse Trials, and Leslie Wylie (yours truly!) of EN. [Register to Attend]

Marilyn Little is off to a blazing start at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, where she and Karen O’Connor’s Clearwater bested a field of 33 riders in the $10,000 1.40m Speed Challenge. EN’s sister site Jumper Nation has the story. [Little & Chapot Set the Pace at the 2019 Pennsylvania National Horse Show]

The USEA’s sprawling “USEA Events A-Z” series rolls on with a feature on Sporting Days Farm in Aiken, SC. It’s been running since 1993 and is a staple of the early season calendar for Aiken snowbirds. “We pride ourselves as being the friendliest ‘neigh’berly’ event,” says Sporting Days owner Joannah Hall Glass. [USEA]

Fresh off representing Team USA at Boekelo, Liz Halliday-Sharp is now at Le Lion d’Angers with two entries in the seven-ear-old class: Cooley Moonshine, who scored a 29.3 to sit third overnight, and Flash Cooley, who’ll do his dressage test today. Josephine Schaufer of Germany is the provisional leader with Viktor 107. Sherry Stewart is ringside once again, and sent these gorgeous photos of Liz from the first horse inspection our way. [Le Lion d’Angers]

Hot on Horse Nation: World Equestrian Brands Drone Cam – Swimming Horse

Just in on Jumper Nation: Glorioso Rides Aside to Ladies Hunter Sidesaddle Championship at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show

Featured Video: You know how I love my Intro eventers! Kate Vorobieff and Mr. Perfect turned in a perfect performance to win the Intro B division at Woodside International H.T. earlier this month. They took the lead on their dressage score of 29.0 and never looked back for the win. Well-played, you two! [Ride On Video]