Networking.
Good morning EN! The big news today comes from across the pond, where Oli Townend has taken over Armada’s reins from Andrew Nicholson. Armada is a proven four star horse with several impressive finishes- last year he placed 10th at Luhmulen for the second year in a row and in 2008 was 8th at Burghley. He has completed seven four stars over the course of his career, and Nicholson has given up the ride because he can’t guarantee Armada a start at Badminton this year (don’t forget he has five other horses qualified). Armada hasn’t been consistent enough in dressage to secure a top four star placing, but according to Nicholson “if anyone can develop a good partnership with him, it is Oliver. It is in all our interests that he goes well.” Since it is an Olympic year, it’s important to mention that because the horse was being ridden by a New Zealand rider at the end of last year, he must be ridden by a Kiwi in order to compete at the games in August. Congratulations Oliver! [Horse and Hound]
I know you’re not sick of Valentine’s day yet! Oh you are? Well this is worth reading anyway- the Chronicle’s newest blogger, Devon D’Angelo, inaugurated her “Life and Times of a Single Equestrienne” column with a post that takes you through high school and beyond as a horse enthusiast looking for love in an unforgiving world. We have all been there- that awkward silence when you mention something about manure, or that glazed over look you get when you give a 10 minute lecture on why we body clip horses in the winter (not that I’ve ever done that, especially not on a date, especially not on Valentine’s day). Regardless of whether you’re single or taken, you can appreciate the universal humor that comes out when a relationship collides with four legs and a saddle. [COTH]
Remember last week, when we linked to the story announcing that the famous diving horses were coming back to Atlantic City, NJ? An onslaught of public criticism, including an online petition that gathered thousands of signatures against resumption of the act, has caused the owner of Steel Pier Associates to scrap the idea completely. Intense opposition came from both horse lovers and welfare professionals, like US Humane Society president Wayne Parcelle. Parcelle wrote a scathing blog post about the resumption of diving activities before the pier company announced yesterday’s decision. Kudos to Steel Pier Associates for making the right choice. [Horsetalk] [Humane Society Blog]
Nina Ligon isn’t the only rising star on the Thai equestrian scene: last weekend Thailand sent three riders to Singapore to compete in the CSIY-B (on borrowed horses no less) where they won team and individual silver medals. The country is only going up in the world of equestrian sports; last year Thailand had the second highest medal total in equestrian sports at the South East Asian Games, and will be one of three countries (the others being Malaysia and Indonesia) to host three legs of the region’s FEI World Cup Jumping tour. [Horsetalk]
The 25th Annual Auction and Dinner for Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center raised over $500,000 last Friday to benefit the program. There are 22 horses at Vinceremos and by the end of the night all had been “adopted” by a sponsor who will pay for their care for the next year. The auction included items such as roundtrip private airfare and overnight stays in Vail, New York, and Spain. Executive director Ruth Menor hopes to use the money on horse care, expanding their stables, and building new therapy rooms so more students can participate. Go therapeutic riding. [Horsetalk]
In the wake of Friday’s KESMARC tragedy, Haygard Equine Medical Institute has announced that it will shut down its hyperbaric chamber until further notice. While Haygard’s safety record is “impeccable” the hospital plans to review safety protocols and procedures with the chamber’s manufactures. [The Horse]
The NZ Dressage Extravaganza will host an English v. western riding showdown next month. The entire thing will be set to music and will feature Western Riding World Youth Games Silver Medalist Josh Robins and Olympic Team Dressage Qualifier Shiwon Green. Proves once again that New Zealand knows how to throw a party. [Horsetalk]
Best of Blogs:
Photo gallery from last week’s Aiken training sessions
Lauren Shannon preps for British training sessions
I leave you with a video of Clark and Loughan Glen’s floaty Ocala test:
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