Brian O’Connor snapped this photo of daybreak at the Middleburg Horse Trials, which took place over the weekend. His vantage point was the announcer/stewards tower just prior to the pre-XC briefing at 7:15 a.m. Whether a testament to the full moon or great riding or both, Brian reports that the whole weekend was, well, easy like Sunday morning. “It was a lovely event,” he says. “Not one person fell off, horses and riders were all safe, and the weather was lovely… a super event and a great lead-up to our major U.S. Championships coming in the next month… Go EN!” Thanks, Brian, for sharing!
Our condolences to the friends and family of paralympian Jonathan Wentz, who passed away over the weekend at age 21. Jonathan was the highest placed U.S. rider at this year’s Paralympic Games in London, and he also represented the United States at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. He was born with Cerebral Palsy and began riding at age 5 as a form of therapy, which grew into a passion for competitive dressage. Donations may be made to a Scholarship Fund in his name through the United States Para-Equestrian Association. [COTH]
Have you ever been in warmup and your arch-rival shows up ringside and suddenly all your focus and riding skills go flying out the window? The technical term for that is “performance-intimidation,” and Daniel Stewart has some advice for getting over it. [USEA]
Keep your eyes peeled for Dougie Hannum’s RV, which was stolen out of a backyard in Ocala. The odds are in his favor–it has “Dougie Hannum” in big letters on the side and it’s not the most reliable vehicle, so hopefully whomever took it won’t get far. Unfortunately, it contains photos and sentimental items–here’s hoping it comes back unharmed.
Richard Jeffry is back by popular demand to conduct a show jumping seminar at this year’s annual meeting, to be held in Colorado Springs Dec. 5-9. Attendance at the seminar will fulfill the USEF Continuing Education Clinic Requirements for “R” Eventing Jumping Course Designers. [USEA]
Police horses have to confront obstacles that would make even the bravest eventer quake in its horse shoes. Over 70 horses and 100 officers came together over the weekend to compete in the North American Police Equestrian Championships, held in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The obstacle course was designed around miniature versions of Washington, DC landmarks. Challenges included pushing through turnstiles, not freaking out at the sound of airbrakes, staying calm as steam emerged from a street gate, and keeping their cool as cardboard cutouts of Secret Service agents popped up as they passed a miniature White House. Police horses, we salute you. [NZ Horse Talk]
We know how you guys love watching videos of tiny adorable ponies doing dressage. Consider this a gift from EN to you:
