[via teamflyingsolo]
There are several really top class events going on this weekend around Eventing Nation, including the Chattahoochee Hills CIC2* in GA, the Saumur CCI3* in France, the Equestriad in Australia, and many others. One event that is very close to my heart, being from my home state of Virginia and held at the beautiful Virginia Horse Center, is the Virginia Horse Trials. The VHT is organized by Brian Ross and his wife Penny, who tirelessly serve eventing in an incredible number of ways including as the VHT organizers. The VHT is hosting a CCI*, a classic prelim, as well as an intermediate horse trials down to BN. The event will host over 400 horses this weekend, but sadly less than 10 of them are entered in the classic prelim.
I corresponded with Brian this week and he told me that sadly they would probably not continue the classic prelim three-day due to the incredible resources required to put it on and the low entries. As Brian said, so many people talk about how important the classic prelim is but the entry numbers just don’t show enough demand for it. The classic has seen good success at the novice and training level and my guess is that there it will find a permanent home. The Virginia Horse Center is a huge supporter of Virginia eventing, and Brian expressed how important the Center is to the VHT. I’ll quote Brian’s entire paragraph:
“We are very fortunate to have the 100% backing of the Virginia Horse Center, without this support we could not continue to improve. Each week a different discipline comes to the VHC, whether that is a thousand barrel racers or 800 Arabians or a Rodeo that sells out the 4,000 seat coliseum, we are still welcomed by the facility’s staff and management. Would it be easier for them to host a huge hunter or saddlebred show? Of course it would but regardless they are enamored by what we do and they love eventers even though we are only a mid-size show because almost all our competitors are happy and pick up after themselves and don’t fill the “Sharps” containers.“
Now let’s jump into your news and notes, which I promise have only been yellow carded once for dangerous writing:
–Click below, watch Saumur dressage live, thank me later. Our US readers will be proud to see that a USA rider is competing in the CCI3*. Elizabeth Halladay will by riding Red Letter Day for the red, white, and blue at 2:48pm local, 8:48am ET. Take it to the Frenchies Elizabeth, Eventing Nation is cheering for you. Visit the Saumur homepage for a ton of other info on the competition.
[VIDEO: Saumur Live Streaming]
Other Saumur links: [Scores, Homepage, Tentative Schedule, XC Maps, Photos]
–ESJ writes on his Eventing Safety Blog that he has heard the USEF will begin supporting more frangible devices, including the Mim clip system and possibly the Prolog. Until now, the USEF has only provided funding for frangible pins. ESJ says that he believes the Mim system is the best frangible device available, and I completely agree with his support of the USEF for deciding to fund other frangible devices. [Eventing Safety Blog]
[Chattahoochee Hills live scores start today]
[Otter Creek live scores start today]
–Kate Chatterdton didn’t have the best day at Jersey, but she writes about it with a great sense of humor in her blog. Kate mentions that she likes to give names to things, including a variety of different spots: “For example when jumping there Long Spots, Deep Spots, Close Your Eyes/Pray To God Spots, Training Distances (which incorporate the afore mentioned, and most often used when I’m attempting to look good even tho I missed!). And of course there’s the Perfect Distance, which obviously I see a lot (I wish!). Then there are Hot Attached Guys (the bane of my existence)…” Can I just say on behalf of guys everywhere and as a non-hot but sometimes attached guy, you girls are insane for hating on a guy (particularly a hot one) for being attached. It happens all to often to me and my perfectly eligible and apparently all too honest friends, and us guys are getting tired of it. Ok, stepping off the soap box. [Kate’s blog]
–As Coren mentioned in her Thursday post, the GVRDC HT in New York, June 5th, has been canceled due to rain on the XC course. A combined test will be run instead. [USEA]
–Watch all of Badminton replays online [Horse and Country via sprouty]
—ERS 142 with Kiwi Clark Johnstone
–Fran Jurga has been a lone voice of reason in the equine media keeping things in perspective about the EHV-1 situation out west. I think every horse person has gotten at least one email saying the world is ending one case of EHV-1 at a time, especially after a horse was diagnosed in Florida with EHV-1, but Fran tracked the story down and discovered that the horse certainly had not been infected as part of the infections out west that originated from the Utah cutting competition. [TJR]
—A nice article in a Florida magazine about Ashley Leith [via Jane]
—Best of the Blogs: Bacon makes for a good day
–Our good friends at Horse Quencher are growing the distribution of their horse drinking solution, and the product is now available in Ireland. Competitors competing at the Tattersalls International Three Day Event next week will have the opportunity to experience the benefits of Horse Quencher first hand as riders will be provided with a free sachet upon arrival in their riders pack.
—Jack and Jill at their first FEH competition
–The 5 winners of the Pennfield iPad contest, including one held on EN are: Omar Dandashi, Karen Gregor, Pamela Schork, Sarah DeLaney and Meghann Shankey. Congrats guys!
Somebody sent me video of Shanon Baker’s ride at Jersey and as I was watching it to see if it showed her fall (it doesn’t) I noticed that there is a voice of some tall skinny idiot in the background chatting with 2* rider Ashley Kriegel, her mother, and Doug Payne. I would only watch this if you have absolutely nothing better to do:
That’s all for now. We have a busy day of competition previews and more fun coming your way on Eventing Nation. As always, wherever you may be, thanks for making Eventing Nation part of your day. Boom goes the dynamite.
