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I’m a little sad to see that Gemma Stevens (nee Tattersall, for those of you who haven’t been keeping up with your eventing weddings!) said goodbye to the very cool MGH Candy Girl recently. Gemma has been moonlighting as a (very good!) show jumper on the side of her eventing for a while now, and this pocket rocket of a mare has partnered her around some enormous, prestigious tracks. She’ll now be campaigned by British jumper Matt Sampson, and no doubt Gemma has some very good horses lined up to fill her space in her string, but nonetheless, I’ll miss seeing these plucky ladies out on course.
National Holiday: It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Here are some great podcasts to listen to.
U.S. Weekend Action:
Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Ocala, FL): [Website] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Ram Tap Horse Park Combined Test (Fresno, CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]
Your Monday Reading List:
We won’t be seeing British eventer Georgie Goss (nee Spence) at Badminton this year — but for good reason. She and her husband Toby, who wed in July of 2021, are expecting their first child this spring! [Congratulations to the happy couple]
Whether you’re buying or selling a horse, you’ll be familiar with the idea — and the potential positives — of a trial period. But with those positives come risks; risk of injury, risk of negligence, and a liability risk, too, that can’t be overlooked. To help make the situation less fraught, it’s wise to familiarise yourself with the legal complexities of the situation, allowing you to get a robust contract in place that protects all parties, should things go pear-shaped. [Here’s what you need to know]
Single girls know the struggle: if you make it clear that you’re a horse girl on your dating profiles, you get all sorts of weird behaviour in response, from questions about what you like to use your whip for (ew) or cynical insinuations about your wealth (non-existent, thanks for playing). But when you’re on the hunt for the perfect partner — one who’ll show up and support you in your maddest, rainiest habits even if they’re not a horse person themselves, does it really pay off to hide the thing that makes you you? [The answer? More leg maybe idk]
What are the factors that contribute to your choice to stable, or turn out, your horse? Canadian researchers conducted a study on a sample group of horse owners, some of which let their horses live out the majority of the time, and some of which prefer to keep their horses largely stabled, to try to find out the ‘human’ motivators for this big decision — and what horses actually prefer. [In or out?]
The FutureTrack Follow:
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It’s a good moment to click that follow button on Kimmy Cecere, who’s just gone solo after years of being part of Lauren Nicholson’s team. She’s also just finished up her first year in the UK and will be heading back for another season shortly – so you’ll get some great insights into what it’s actually like to train with some of the world’s best riders and compete at some of the biggest events.
Morning Viewing:
Here it is: a stable tour that’s actually going to make me buy a lottery ticket. How is it so clean?
