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Oh, to be a Swede, frolicking in the sand dunes of a beach at sunset. I’m not actually 100% sure what the Swedish Olympic pathway athletes are up to at their beachy resort — are they training? Are they simply team-building? But whatever it is, I know that I want in, and immediately. If they sweep all the medals next year, I’ll be the first to embark on a deep dive into the competitive powers of a bit of vitamin D.
National Holiday: It’s Transgender Day of Remembrance. Take a moment to reflect on the lives that have been affected or lost by violence against trans folks, and learn more about the history of the day here.
U.S. Weekend Action
The Event at TerraNova (Myakka City, FL): [Website] [Results]
Ram Tap H.T. & Classic 3-Day (Fresno, CA): [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
Rider interviews have been added to post-fall protocol at FEI events for 2024. Now, after hitting the deck with their horses on cross country, riders will be required to speak to the ground jury, to help create a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances that lead to the horse fall in a bid to further improve safety in the sport.
The ground jury for Paris 2024 has been announced, and it’s a pretty stacked line-up, featuring a high-flying Dane, the Frenchman whose name I like more than just about anything in the world, and a representative from the US of A, too. Find out who got the coveted appointment — and the TD and stewards roles, too — here.
Speaking of Danes, did you know that they have their own spotted breed of horse? If you’ve seen some dotty horses making waves at shows in Canada recently, you may not have been watching an Appaloosa, but rather, a Knabstrupper — thanks to Tiara Equine, who have been piloting the breed across the disciplines in Ontario.
And now for something completely different: this holiday season at the London International Horse Show, jockeys will be testing their skills over a course of show jumps set by British eventing team performance manager Dickie Waygood, and with expert help from Pippa Funnell and Nick Skelton. It’s all for charity and should make for great watching if you’re heading to the show on the evening of Monday, December 18.
Morning Viewing:
Follow along with a group of grassroots riders as they tackle training sessions with some of the sport’s greats, including Joseph Murphy:
