Colleen Loach and FE Goldeneye clear the last in the jump-off. Photo by Tom von Kapherr.
I love seeing eventers kicking ass and taking names in other disciplines, and Canada’s Colleen Loach is among the latest to do so. She took the win in the 1.35-1.40m National Grand Prix at Bromont on Sunday with FE Goldeneye, proving that both are talents to be reckoned with. Props must also go to Germany’s Sandra Auffarth, who jumped clear at the Hamburg Derby, and Lainey Ashker, who took her first C.D.I. win over the weekend. Keep on smashing it, ladies!
National Holiday: It’s Harvey Milk Day. Milk was California’s first openly gay politician and a huge part of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, whose life was tragically cut short, but whose legacy continues to matter enormously.
U.S. Weekend Action:
Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, VA): [Website] [Results]
Otter Creek Spring H.T. (Wheeler, WI): [Website] [Results]
Fair Hill International Recognized H.T. (Elkton, MD): [Website] [Results]
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA): [Website] [Results]
Spring Gulch H.T. (Littleton, CO): [Website] [Results]
U.K. Weekend Round-Up:
Frenchfield (Penrith, Cumbria): [Results]
Tweseldown (Fleet, Hants.): [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
The only college sport I’m interested in? Intercollegiate eventing, of course. We’re now just days away from the Intercollegiate Eventing Championships at Tryon, where 25 teams across 13 schools will be battling for top honours. My favourite bit of the week? Seeing which schools bring a mascot. [Meet the teams here]
A British rider based in Sweden is sharing her experiences with the country’s welfare laws — with the ultimate aim of seeing similarly positive changes made in other countries. The Scandinavian nation mandates daily turnout by law, insisting that horses are given enough space and freedom to move in their chosen gait for as long as they so choose. [Yes, that does mean letting them canter in the field.]
What does it actually take to get a young OTTB Makeover ready? Follow along with blogger Rosie Napravnik, who’s busy getting two horses prepared for the competition in the eventing division. Not going to lie, I’m in love with both these horses now. [The road to the Makeover]
As a chronic sufferer of wonky stirrups, this one hits home. We all know the effect of uneven stirrups on our own balance and efficiency, and we’re probably all pretty aware of the knock-on effect that can have on our horses, but now there’s an actual study to show us all how badly we might be messing their precious backs up. Yikes. I’m going back to asking for someone to hold me outside stirrup for me as I mount. [The effects of wonk]
The FutureTrack Follow:
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You may well already be following German superstar Christoph Wahler — but you should definitely also follow Klosterhof Medingen, his family farm and breeding stud. They largely focus on top-notch dressage horses and smart Trakehner lines, but even if that’s not your thing, you’ll want to tune in for endless foal content and the most beautiful farm in the universe (trust me, I’ve been a few times, and nothing compares to this absolute fairytale of a spot!). Delightful.
Morning Viewing:
Sorry, not sorry — it’s another Badminton Grassroots vlog to make us all green with envy again if we weren’t competing there ourselves. I’m just hoping that if I keep sharing content about this brilliant competition, the US might build something similarly beefy and technical for lower level riders to aim for. Having evented (in truly mediocre fashion) in both countries, I reckon it would be a serious victory and make a hugely positive impact.
