View of the Queen’s House and Canary Wharf, as seen from Greenwich Park, via Wikimedia Commons.
Less than two weeks from the start of the Olympics, the Washington Post has taken a good look at the Greenwich cross-country course, where aeration has “raised a flurry of worries about disturbing archaeological artifacts in a park that boasts Anglo-Saxon tumuli and a Roman temple,” and where thoughtful design will prove essential in testing the “mettle of strong teams from countries such as the United States, Britain, Germany and New Zealand, without endangering horses and riders considered long shots.” Cross-Country Designer Sue Benson calls the course “way under the maximum.” [Washington Post]
Though there’s been speculation over continued rainfall’s affect on the Games, officials insist Greenwich’s “freely draining turf” is far from saturated. “However, if the rain continues to fall, wellingtons may be sensible wear on cross-country day, because 50,000 people on the course might cause a few pinch points to become muddy.” [Horse & Hound]
For a beautiful panoramic view of London from Greenwich’s Royal Observatory and a historical overview (“Is it not fine?” Samuel Johnson commented of the park in 1763) check out Greenwich’s thorough Wikipedia Page.
This Weekend in Eventing USA:
In Montana’s Flathead Valley, Kristi Nunnink and R-Star lowered a rail, but hung onto the lead in Rebecca Farm’s CIC3*, topping second-placed HN Blogger Katherine Groesbeck and Oz The Tin Man; Florence Miller and Tuscan Sun moved up from third to win the CCI2*; Emilee Libby and Nonsensical added just 2.4 cross-country time penalties to their dressage score to take the CIC2*; Jennifer McFall and High Times led wire-to-wire in the CCI*; Tiffany Lunney and Patent Pending finished on their dressage score to win a closely-fought CIC*; Geriann Henderson and Kingsley, one of two pairs to finish, topped what looks to have been a tough advanced, and Anne Carr and Safari won the intermediate. [Results]
Holly Payne and Madeline stormed around the Cosequin Stuart CIC2*, finishing on their dressage score over brother Doug and Running Order; Madeline Mosing and Prowler took the CIC*, and Selena O’Hanlon and Bellaney Rock rocked the intermediate. [Results]
Dale Eddy and Guypowder Valley, and Bryn Byer and Rikki Tikki Tavi were the winning prelim pairs at Huntington. [Results]
Catherine Ruggiero and The Aviator won the Coconino Training Three-Day convincingly; Barb Crabo and Over Easy topped the I/P, and Tristen Hooks and Learning to Fly won the prelim by a 10+ point margin. [Results]
Meagan Majchszak and Caramba, and Elinor MacPhail and Goodnight Moon added zero jumping penalties their scores to win prelim divisions at Champagne Run. [Results]
Mikaela Kantorowski and Text, Kennedy Z. Cross and Clifton Peekachu, Lauren Kieffer and both Caduceus and Vermiculus, Sara Marcus and Midnight Express, Lynn Symansky and both Osborne 9 and Wallstreet Melody, and Katie Murphy and Grantley won training divisions at the well-attended Maryland Horse Trials II. [Results]
Michael Pollard and new ride Ballingowan Pizazz won the intermediate at Chattahoochee by 12 points; Mary Bess Davis and Amasing F topped OP-A, and Michelle Mercier and Intrepid the OP-B. [Results]
Ann Bower and Rejuvenate were the Roebke’s Run prelim victors, and the two training divisions went to Liz Lund and Rhine Maiden, and Chris Heydon and My Sweet Baboo. [Results]
Big EN Congrats to all winners of Riga Meadow.
Sally and Sara Ike, hotly anticipating the Games in their roles as USEF managing directors of show jumping and eventing, respectively, have been profiled by Nancy Jaffer, who terms them a “different type of dynasty”: “Both Ikes still are based in the USEF’s Gladstone office, where [USEF Executive Director of Sport Programs Jim Wolf] noted that Sara always addresses her mother the same way she would talk to any colleague, calling her ‘Sally’ and never ‘Mom.’ ” [Star-Ledger]
Twenty questions with Team Canada’s Hawley Bennett-Awad: “My celebrity crush is Matt Damon or Channing Tatum. There is something about them. Or Denzel Washington.” [Vancouver Sun]
NBC investigates the science behind boxing, cycling and equestrian Olympic helmets. [NBC]
A basic calendar of Olympic equestrian events is available on London2012.com. [Schedule]
Over 500 OTTBs entered to compete in the Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show held in the Pimlico infield over the weekend, inspiring Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to deem it Totally Thoroughbred Day. CBS even caught my pal Hillary and her multi-talented eventer/jumper Wild About Harry on camera. [CBS]
“For a good time: call a Lipizzaner,” or else attend the Spanish Riding School’s Fête Impériale. [The Jurga Report]
Don’t forget to check out and comment on our Round 1 blogger contest entries. Second half coming soon.
Best of the Blogs:
Kate Chadderton and Liberty took home the Scooby Who and Cassidy Blue Memorial Award, donated by Rebecca Greene in memory of the two eventers she lost in a barn fire this year, for the highest-placed OTTB at the Maryland Horse Trials II. [Kate’s Blog]
Geriann Henderson, winner of Rebecca Farm’s PRO Tour Series Advanced Division, chats about her “unreal” round. [PRO Blog]
From our friends at Cavalor:
