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What’s life actually like behind the scenes at Badminton? Avery Klunick, who’s a five-star eventer in her own right, documented the experience while helping Tamie Smith make her week a seriously successful one. Dream team vibes.
National Holiday: It’s World Turtle Day. Big up the turtles, I guess.
US Weekend Action:
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. / USEA Intercollegiate Championships (Fairburn, Ga.): [Website] [Results]
Fair Hill International H.T. (Elkton, Md.): [Website] [Results]
Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, Va.): [Website] [Results]
Otter Creek Spring H.T. (Wheeler, Wi.): [Website] [Results]
Spring Gulch H.T. (Littleton, Co.): [Website] [Results]
UK Weekend Results:
Fairfax & Favor Rockingham International: [Results]
Somerford Park (1): [Results]
Tweseldown (2): [Results]
Warwick Hall (1): [Results]
Global Eventing Round-up:
It’s been a big weekend for South American eventers, with FEI events in Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Ecuador hosting levels up to CCI3*-L as they continue to develop pathways for their up-and-coming riders. Meanwhile, three European events slotted into the fixtures list for the weekend: Great Britain’s Rockingham Castle was joined by Austria’s Ried am Riederberg, which ran a CCI2*-S and CCI3*-S, and Spanish event Arenas de San Pedro, which hosted the same classes plus an additional CCI2*-L and pony two-star.
The Antipodeans had just one event on their radar over the weekend: Naracoorte in South Australia, which had a full roster of short format classes from two-star to four-star. Sarah Clark was victorious in the feature CCI4*-S riding her longtime partner LV Balou Jeanz, while Kirilee Hosier and AEA Flynn took top honours in the CCI3*-S. The CCI2*-S went the way of Chelsea Clarke, who rode Highfield Chiquita’s Chico to the win, climbing from second place after the first phase.
Your Monday Reading List:
One of the great success stories of the Pratoni test event was Beat Sax. At the age of 62, he made his Swiss team debut — which came after 45 years of eventing as a ‘200% amateur’. Even sweeter? The team won. [This is what dreams are made of]
I often feel that eventing’s greatest fundamental failing is its emphasis on toughness. When we prioritise being tough over all else, we learn to swallow our pain and ignore the warning signs, both mental and physical, of something more insidious. Writer Emma Friedman shares her own experience of pushing through after a fall — and why we shouldn’t be so quick to get back in the saddle. [Taking a step back isn’t a sign of weakness]
When we’re young, we think of ourselves as infallible in a lot of ways. And major health interventions such as hip replacements? Well, they’re just for old people, right? Not so much, as university hunter-jumper rider Rhian Murphy discovered when her hip started falling apart in her early teens. [Don’t worry, this has a happy ending]
While there are few things more frustrating than rejigging your horse’s bitting systems, it might be time. A recent study in Finland showed that the vast majority of horses are being ridden in poorly-fitting bits, which can have major consequences. [Time to conduct some routine checks]
The FutureTrack Follow:
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Two things I love come together in one account here: horsey grooming tips, secrets, and life hacks — and an achingly cool goth gal at the helm of it all. Niki Baxter of Baxter Equine Services will make your horse look ten times better at competitions this year with her demos and advice, guaranteed.
Morning Viewing:
Give team chasing a go with British eventer Ashley Harrison:
