The major international event of the weekend was Italy’s Pratoni del Vivaro (yes, the site of next year’s World Championships!), which hosted classes up to CCI4*-L. Germany’s Sandra Auffarth took top honours in the feature class with her Tokyo mount Viamant du Matz, finishing on their dressage score of 27.5, while France’s Maxime Livio finished second with Carouzo Bois Marotin, making it a one-two for Selle Français horses in this bumper year for the breed. Busy bee Tim Price followed up his win at Pau 5* the week before last with third aboard the smart Spartaco, and the US was very well represented by Matt Flynn and Wizzerd, who put an unlucky Boekelo to bed by finishing sixth and looking supremely classy every step of the way. Our U.S.-based contingent that traveled over for the European circuit this fall is wrapping up their tour now — both Matt as well as Sydney Conley Elliott stayed on after Aachen/Boekelo to compete and will soon be heading home as the season winds down.
U.S. Weekend Action:
Galway Downs International (Temecula, Ca.): [Website] [Results]
Full Gallop Farm November H.T. (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Results]
Full Moon Farms H.T. (Finksburg, Md.): [Website] [Results]
Rocking Horse Fall H.T. (Altoona, Fl.): [Website] [EResults]
Texas Rose Horse Park Fall H.T. (Tyler, Tx.): [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
Stormhill Kossack, the former top-level mount of Andrew Nicholson, Giovanni Ugolotti, and Gemma Tattersall, has been put down after a long and happy retirement. Read more about the gelding, who was 23 years old, in this sweet tribute.
Your horse might not be able to talk, but he makes plenty of noise — it’s just up to you to work out what it all means. Fortunately, this excerpt from the book ‘The Horse’s Point of View’ gives you enough insight that you can upgrade from simply saying “bless you” every time he snorts.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have itemised a number of factors that contribute to a higher fall risk while eventing. These factors, which include longer courses and more frequent runs, are the newest set of guideposts in the long fight to make the sport as safe as possible.
The removal of riding from modern pentathlon has caused an understandable stir, with many delighted to see the back of this phase after Tokyo’s embarrassing scenes. But within pentathlon itself, the decision hasn’t been a popular one, with 650 athletes issuing a vote of no confidence in the president of the sport’s primary governing body.
SmartPak’s 12 Days of Deals begins today! Piper and Hadley breeches are buy two, get one free if you shop using code 12Deal1 at checkout. Click here for more.
Morning Viewing:
Get to know Yasmin Ingham, the young British superstar who took the win at Blenheim this year, in the first part of this in-depth interview from an evening with the Pony Club.
