Craig Nicolai and Just Ironic at Luhmühlen 2014. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Last month we reported that Just Ironic, a 17-year-old gelding ridden at the four-star level by Craig Nicolai, had been seized at Hartpury by a UK debt collection agency as a result of a financial dispute between Craig and a former client. “Spida” has been a part of the Nicolai family since he was purchased as a 2-year-old by Craig’s mother Anne, who is still listed as an owner on the horse’s FEI record along with Craig and Hedde Nicolai. A hearing originally scheduled for this past Friday was postponed to the first available date after September 21 according to a recent Facebook post by Craig, and Spida has still not been returned home. Many have rallied in support of Craig and Spida; a Facebook page called Bring Spida Home has been created as well as a crowdfunding page on Just Giving to raise money for Spida’s safe return. This is a heart wrenching situation and we hope it is resolved quickly with the horse’s best interest in mind.
Weekend Action:
#Blair2015: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, @samanthalclark
Area IX Championships & CCC Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Bucks County Horse Park Fall H.T. [Results]
Dunnabeck H.T. [Results]
Feather Creek Farm H.T. [Results]
Flying Cross Farm H.T. [Results]
GMHA September H.T. [Results]
King Oak Farm Fall H.T. [Results]
Poplar Place Farm CIC & H.T. [Results]
Monday News and Notes:
Elite show jumper Beezie Madden has recently joined forces with Cavalor, a partnership which was highlighted during a special press briefing this weekend at Spruce Meadows. Beezie’s horses have been on Cavalor feed and supplements since the spring, and USEF International Horse of the Year Cortes C has especially has benefited from the products considering his sensitive digestive system. [Beezie and Cavalor Join Forces]
Grooms work long hours to give their charges the kind of healthy glow that makes them stand out in the ring and helps them feel their best. Every groom has a few tricks up his or her sleeve, and Lillian Heard’s head girl Savannah Kilpatrick recently shared a few of her own techniques for promoting and maintaining healthy skin and a sparkling coat. [Four-Star Skin Care]
The science of concussions is a hot topic in several impact sports today, and scientists believe they have come up with an effective way to quickly determine if an individual has a concussion through a simple vision test. The patient would rapidly read numbers off of cards while being timed, and the time taken to complete the test would be compared to a baseline test done at the beginning of the season. [Vision test proves effective in detecting concussion]
The racehorse adoption program New Vocations has received a $100,000 donation from prominent racehorse owners. The money will benefit the New Vocations Capital Campaign project to build a premier racehorse adoption facility in Lexington, Kentucky at the historic Mereworth Farm. So far they have raised $950,000 of the estimated $2 million needed to fund the project. [Donation to New Vocations’ Capital Campaign]
Scott Brash made history at Spruce Meadows by becoming the first person to win the Rolex Grand Slam for show jumping. The pair were foot-perfect in the CP International grand prix with Hello Sanctos, producing the sole clear round and taking home a large paycheck for the effort at Spruce Meadows as well as wins at Geneva and Aachen. [Rolex Grand Slam]
Best of the Blogs: Tall Braids, “Some Drama” and Short Corners
Video: Doug Payne won the 1.20 meter speed class on Training level eventer HJ Eros at Bruce’s Field in Aiken this weekend. HJ Eros is a 10 year old imported Sella Argentina owned by eventer Paul Swart.
