One thing about Chinch is you just never know which party he’s going to invite himself to — and over the weekend, it was the Virginia Horse Center prizegivings that he picked as his perch of choice. We all know that a cuddle with a dirty rodent is really the greatest honour when you find yourself atop a podium, right?
U.S. Weekend Action:
Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Kenmore, WA) [Website] [Results]
Flora Lea Spring H.T. (Medford, NJ) [Website] [Results]
May-Daze at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Results]
Mill Creek Pony Club Horse Trial (Kansas City, MO) [Website] [Results]
Spring Coconino H.T. (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Results]
Tryon International Spring H.T. (including the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship) (Mill Spring, NC) [Website] [Results]
USEA MDHT YEH Qualifier (Adamstown, MD) [Website]
Virginia Horse Center Eventing (Lexington, VA) [Website] [Results]
Willow Draw Charity Show (Weatherford, TX) [Website] [Results]
Woodside Spring H.T. (Woodside, CA) [Website] [Results]
UK Weekend Results:
Bicton Arena International (East Budleigh, Devon): Results
Bishop Burton (Beverley, East Yorks.): Results
Mendip Plains Ston Easton (Bath, Somerset): Results
Blindley Heath (Blindley Heath, Surrey): Results
Shelford Manor (Shelford, Notts.): Results
Your Monday Reading List:
This is a bittersweet one, but so inspiring: when Joanna Hare was told in early 2019 that she had just weeks to live, because her breast cancer had spread to her brain, she refused to lie back and wait for the inevitable. Instead, she and her friend began working through a seriously cool horsey bucket list, which included meeting Pippa Funnell, competing side-saddle in the Caledonian Showing Championships, riding on the beach, and much, much more. Sadly, she passed away last Monday, but her memory is inspiring numerous riders to chase down the experiences they’ve always quietly dreamed of – and we reckon you should do the same. [Be more Joanna]
USC Aiken might have had one of the smallest squads in attendance at the Intercollegiate Eventing Champs, but they smashed it. The small but mighty school took the win after a tight and tense showjumping finale, plus one of their own was responsible for the lowest finishing score in the entire competition. [Go Pacers!]
How are your collecting ring manners? There’s nothing more frustrating than a rider who doesn’t seem to get the left shoulder to left shoulder thing, or doesn’t know where the appropriate track is for walking. Brush up on the essentials with this handy primer and please, I beg you, for the love of god, send it to all your friends who compete, too. Together we can make the warm-up less of a death trap! Maybe! [Collecting ring etiquette for all disciplines]
The FutureTrack Follow:
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If you’re not already following 2021 Luhmühlen 5* winner Mollie Summerland, where have you been?! She’s well worth a follow for the same reasons any high-flying rider is — but even more so because of her candid conversations about mental health, her regular Q&As about how to deal with the tough days, and her commitment to normalising these kinds of conversations. Life at the top isn’t always easy, and we commend Molls for her bravery in sharing her truth.
Morning Viewing:
Ever wondered what goes down at a Wesko Foundation training day? Join in on one helmed by Sir Mark Todd and find out:
