As seen on Horse Nation
Yesterday was National George Morris Day, as declared by Horse Nation. We celebrated this momentous occasion by sharing some little known facts about George Morris, like: “George Morris once won the Maclay Finals on a unicorn” and “The only time George Morris was wrong was when he thought he made a mistake.” Head on over to Horse Nation to read the rest of these fascinating facts. We also commemorated this special day by posting a snippet of a classic George rant from the training sessions held last weekend in Wellington. The gist of his rant: “Desperate Housewives weekend warriors with horses” taking an “a la carte sloppy gimmicky approach” to modern riding means the sport is doomed. Ah, George. You sure know how to work a crowd. And we love you for it.
Your Wednesday news:
Lauren Billys reflects on an eventful 2012, which she wrapped up by winning the Galway Downs CCI** aboard Ballingowan Ginger. Representing Puerto Rico by donning her pinque coat at Galway was one of her proudest moments, she said. She looks forward to graduating this year with a degree in chemistry and enology, the science of winemaking. [COTH]
Tickets are now available for the Badminton Horse Trials, which will run May 2-6, weather permitting; flooding washed out the 2012 event. For the first time ever Badminton will serve as the final leg of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, which William Fox-Pitt seeks to clinch after his victories at Burghley and Rolex in 2011 and 2012, respectively. [British Eventing]
The Paralympics helped change the way people perceive disabilities, according to a study from Bournemouth University. The study found people felt more comfortable about discussing disability sports after watching the Paralympics, and that they were excited and moved by the display of talent and pride shown by the athletes. Go Paralympics! [Horsetalk]
The International Eventing Forum will feature David O’Connor and Mark Todd, among other leaders in the eventing world. Scheduled for Feb. 4 at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire, England, the forum is widely regarded as a must-attend event for British eventers. David will address solutions for challenging cross-country scenarios. [British Eventing]
The Area I Annual Meeting will be held Sunday at the Springfield Marriot in Springfield, Mass. Call-in bids will be accepted for the silent auction; available items can be viewed on the Area 1 website. Guest speaker Steve Kraus, head of farrier services at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, will speak on conformation and soundness. [USEA]
Best of Twitter: Will Coleman (@ColemanEventing) is making us all crazy jealous with his drool-worthy Twitter photos of Quarter More Farm, his Aiken homebase for the winter. [Entrance] [Stalls] [Dutch Doors] [Barn] [Tack Room] [Barn Aisle] [Dressage Ring] [Jump Field]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO1zPGT6NFw
Meet Metro the Painting Racehorse, as seen on HN
