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How nice is it to be back in this whirlwind-y bit of the year, in which there’s scarcely time to reflect and wash one’s knickers before the next big adventure comes along? It’s faintly mad to think about, but we’re already starting to see some Badminton competitors come back in from the field and begin the rebuilding and fittening process for their summer and autumn goal events. It’ll be 2023 before we know it — hopefully we’ll all find a spare second to smell the roses before then!
National Holiday: It’s Memorial Day, a holiday which began after the Civil War as a way to commemorate the fallen.
U.S. Weekend Action:
VHT International & H.T. (Lexington, Va.): [Website] [Results]
Spring Coconino H.T. (Flagstaff, Az.): [Website] [Results]
Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, 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 H.T. (Kansas City, Mo.): [Website] [Results]
Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. (Gales Ferry, Ct.): [Website]
Willow Draw Charity Show (Weatherford, Tx.): [Website] [Results]
The Spring Event at Woodside (Woodside, Ca.): [Website] [Results]
UK Weekend Action:
Barefoot Retreats Houghton Hall CCIO4*-S: [Website] [Results] [EN’s Coverage]
Bishop Burton (1): [Results]
Pontispool (1): [Results]
Shelford Manor (1): [Results]
Global Eventing Round-up:
We saw events up to two-star level in Mexico, Italy and Peru over the weekend, plus three-stars at Tramandai in Brazil and Chaumont en Vexin in France. But the highlight of the international calendar — beyond the Nations Cup series at Houghton Hall, of course — was Poland’s Baborowko, which hosted classes from CCI1* through CCI4*-L and saw some seriously star-studded entries come forward to battle for the titles on offer.
As it turned out, what has been a very good season for Switzerland so far with a double win at Pratoni continued on apace: Felix Vogg took the spoils in the CCI4*-S class riding Colero, while Michael Jung finished second with rising star Kilcandra Ocean Power. Third place went the way of young German talent Jerome Robiné, who will fight for a chance at the German national title at next month’s Luhmühlen CCI4*-S with Black Ice.
22-year-old Swiss rider Nadja Minder, who was so impressive at Pratoni with two horses clear inside the time, lifted the LOTTO trophy in the CCI4*-L class with her team horse Toblerone, while Belgium’s Jarno Verwimp took second place with Mahalia. Lissa Green rounded out the top three for Australia with Billy Bandit after making a seriously long journey from the UK.
“Today’s course was tough enough, but I made a plan after I watched the other riders and I’m really happy,” says Nadja, who’s proving to be a real ‘one to watch’ competitor on the European scene. “Showjumping used to be our weak phase, but I think I figured it out now! [Toblerone] is an outstanding eventer and I’m really proud of him. It’s an amazing show here, really professional, warm and welcoming.”
Your Monday Reading List:
It’s been a big couple of weeks for goodbyes. The latest set of well-earned tributes is being paid to the splashy Pick and Mix II, who helped a number of riders get their careers started — including Britain’s David Doel, recently sixth at Badminton, who piloted the gelding at the Junior European Championships. [Thanks for everything, champ]
Blogger Sophie Coffey might be the only person ever to benefit from reading the Facebook comments on an article. After struggling with a case of the mysterious not-quite-rights, she stumbled upon an unexpected lead in the unlikeliest of places. [A rare victory for the social media platform, frankly]
Ever felt the pressure to perform on a competition day and then crumbled under its weight? Yeah, us too. Fortunately for all of us, Daniel Stewart’s created a robust gameplan to help us all control our brain jitters and get the results we deserve. [It’s a mental game, at the end of the day]
We were sad to hear of the passing of British jockey, Lester Piggott, yesterday. A true legend of racing, Lester was the five-time British champion, won nearly 4,500 races, and inspired countless riders across all disciplines with his extraordinary horsemanship. [He’ll be sorely missed]
The FutureTrack Follow:
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There’s nothing we like better than filling our feeds with equestrian media folks, because then we get to see stories play out from so many different angles — and rising star Rosie Russell is definitely worth a follow. She produces and participates in the EquiRatings Eventing Podcast, and can be found on commentary and broadcast duties at a number of shows and events around England.
Morning Viewing:
Fancy filling your lunch break with horses and history? This incredibly interesting documentary on riding for the US team will do the trick marvellously.
