Have you tuned into Virtual Eventing yet? Honestly, planning the form guide for it is the only thing I think about, if you’re wondering just how single I am in this lockdown. Turns out I need slightly mediocre dressage scores and a few time penalties to feel whole.
National Holiday: National Scrabble Day (also, you know, Easter Monday)
Your Monday reading list:
In incredibly sad news from the dressage world, the great Dr Bechtolsheimer has passed away. ‘Dr B’ was an enormously influential and well-loved figure, and was the springboard to superstardom for dressage legend Carl Hester. Dr B’s own daughter, Laura, has also been a prominent figure on British teams in her own right, and continues to carry on her father’s impressive legacy in the ring. Our most heartfelt condolences to all of Dr B’s family, friends, students, and connections – his loss is a profound one to the sport. [Statement: Dr Wilfried Bechtolsheimer]
Feeling a bit lonely without your lorry park pals? There’s an app for that. #RidersConnected is the latest brainchild of the EquiRatings/SAP super-conglomerate, and it’s designed to, well, connect riders. Featuring social media posts, videos, games, and challenges – including an Olympic lawn-mowing competition from Brazilian eventer Ruy Fonseca – it’s packed full of the half-bonkers, half-inspiring content we all need most right now. [#ridersconnected: Apart. Together.]
Some inner-city ponies are enjoying a luxury country retreat courtesy of a Hampshire-based hunt. When Riding for the Disabled stable Vauxhall City Farm had to find somewhere for its four-legged residents to weather the storm, the Countryside Alliance put out a call to arms amongst its members. Now, these hard-working and much-loved ponies are enjoying their summer homes free of charge, allowing the charity to focus its attention and its funding on staying afloat for the post-pandemic world. [Hunts step up to provide temporary home for inner-city horses]
Monday Video from Fleeceworks: Oliver Townend, Poet Laureate of Eventing
Well, he’s certainly a man of many surprises, anyway – and Oliver Townend showed one of them off in the Hidden Talents leg of the #EquestrianRelief fundraiser. Enjoy!
