Monday News and Notes from SmartPak

Leah Lang-Gluscic and AP Prime. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. Leah Lang-Gluscic and AP Prime. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

One of my favorite things about our sport is that as much as it is about witnessing Michael Jung be the absolute, cool-as-a-cucumber master of winning, it’s also about rooting for every single horse and rider that checked off a million boxes on the way to completing a four-star.

Every one of them started at a crossrail, and just kept working until they made it to Sunday afternoon of Rolex.

Which is why I just loved Leah Lang-Gluscic’s stadium round yesterday. When she cleared that last fence and threw her arms around her horse, you could almost feel every blood-sweat-and-tears day she’d spent in the saddle to accomplish that goal.

Certainly eventing is about the awesomeness of Michael Jung, but it’s also definitely about moments like that.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Mostly just this little thing called Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. Ever heard of it?

#RK3DE: WebsiteFinal Scores, EN’s CoverageEN’s Rolex GuideInstagram

Check out the top placed rides from all three days on the USEF Network

Events this Weekend:

This quaint show in Merry Old England known as Badminton starts this Thursday, and we’ve got three American pairs entered: Libby Head and Sir Rockstar, Boyd Martin and Cracker Jack, and Buck Davidson and The Apprentice. And of course the newly crowned Rolex Champion Michael Jung is headed there to take a crack at the Rolex Grand Slam!

Badminton: Entry List, Website, Twitter, Facebook 

Other Events:

Heart of the Carolinas 3-Day Event & H.T. (SC, Area 3) Website
The Event at Skyline (UT, Area 9) Website
Greenwood Farm, Inc. H.T. (TX, Area 5) Website
MCTA H.T., Inc (MD, Area 2) Website
Penny Oaks H.T. (IN, Area 8) Website
King Oak Farm Spring H.T. (MA, Area 1) Website
Poplar Place Farm May H.T. (GA, Area 3) Website

News and Notes:

Lauren Kieffer is having The Best Weekend Ever. In addition to coming in second to Ze Terminator overall and the Land Rover Best Ride of the Day, Lauren also won the Equis Boutique “Best Presented Horse” Award, given in cooperation with Kentucky Horsewear to the best turned-out rider and horse at the Sunday Horse Inspection. Congratulations, Lauren! [Equis Boutique]

Did the Rolex show jumping flowers look familiar? If you saw any of the cross country course the previous day, they might! According to the fun little time lapse from RK3DE’s Facebook Page, the flowers that decorate the fences on the cross country course are removed and repurposed on the stadium course the following day. #recyclingissohotrightnow

Does your horse have an inspiring story about coming back from a serious injury or illness? OCD Pellets wants to hear all about it! Send in your rehab to [email protected] for a chance to win an OCD prize pack (2-month supply of OCD Pellets, 1-month supply of COS Canine, and an OCD Pellets hat and T-shirt). Entries close Monday, May 2, 2016 (THAT’S TODAY), and the story that receives the most views on EN will win. [Contest Details]

Do you know of a great local eventing organization? EN wants to show them some love! Email [email protected] and tell us about your local organization. We’re looking to spotlight associations that run low level and schooling horse trials in upcoming feature articles.

Go Eventing.