Sinead and company crossing into Kentucky
As the first official full day of Rolex week, how could we name Tuesday’s post after anything but Rolex? By now all of the horses should have arrived at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park. Really, the only Rolex competitors that have yet to arrive are Mark Todd, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, and Oliver Townend who are flying to the US today after riding at Badminton. I have a feeling that Mark might be sleeping off Monday night on the flight over. For the riders already in Lexington, Tuesday is a good day to get the horses relaxed before the crowd shows up Wednesday for the jog. By tonight, even yours truly will be in the Bluegrass. Now for a few eventing travel day news and notes…
—Morning update: The politics of wild mustangs, Ben Hobday’s Badminton recap, a vintage year at Badminton
–Coren thankfully reminded us Monday morning that there were indeed events other than Badminton going on around Eventing Nation this weekend. From the Fair Hill CIC3* to a little non recognized pony club run event held in British Columbia at the Island 22 Equestrian Park, it was a busy weekend. Here’s a collection of links to information about many of the events:
It was a great Longleaf HT for Holly Hudspeth
Comedic Eventing learned that success is 90% perspiration at Holly Hill HT
–In a Chronicle article that was published both in this week’s magazine and online, Buck writes that eventing needs our top riders to have a better connection to eventing enthusiasts. It’s a very good article and I couldn’t agree with Buck more. One of the things I hate about eventing, and I don’t use that word lightly, is when people on both sides divide things between “BNR” (Big Name Rider) and “non-BNR.” Our sport is way too small and fragile to think about things like that. There’s no surer sign that a useless conversation is about to ensue than when someone, whether a ‘BNR’ or ‘non-BNR,’ starts by dividing the sport up with acronyms. Buck offers some very practical thoughts on how to bridge the divide, including this amusing story about basketball:
We riders also have to do a better job of hanging out with the kids. At Kentucky, many of us stay in the campground. The best thing I ever did there was to play some basketball with a bunch of young guys who’d been dragged to the event with their parents.
I was out shooting baskets with my farrier, and a 12-year-old boy came up and asked us if we wanted to play. He and his friends had no idea that I was riding in the event–they just needed a couple more people to have a game. And I’d been wanting to play but was too shy to ask these kids. Thankfully they asked me! When they found out who I was, they gave me lots of room, as no one wanted to be the one to injure me.
If more people in eventing took the time to get to know people unlike themselves we would all have to put up with a lot less uselessness. [Read the full article at the Chronicle]
—The story of Frankie Thieriot’s Fric Frac Berence
–Sadly, our Badminton Battle for North America was over almost before it started and it didn’t turn out too well for the red, white, and blue. With no dropped scores, it became a battle of survival and Canada got one more rider across the finish line. Luckily, we have a brand new and much broader battle in the works for Rolex. Stay tuned.
–Hahahorses.com, which is Eventing Nation’s partner photo captions site, is offering one Gina Miles bit each day as prizes in the daily caption contests. Click the link in the EN sidebar each day to enter a caption and try to win a bit. We have also introduced the scrolling Rolex news feed to Eventing Nation, which is a collection of Twitter streams about Rolex as part of our partnership with the Gina Miles Bits and Professional’s Choice Ice Boots. It’s a one week trial, and next week we will have a poll to see if the news feed stays.
—Boyd is hoping to outdo last year’s 12th with Remington
–Our friends at Riders4Helmets are doing an epic $6,500 helmet giveaway during Rolex this year. You can either stop by the Riders4Helmets booth or register online at Riders4Helmets.com if you won’t make it to Rolex. Yes, we will still definitely get to the helmet photo contest, the Chinchilla’s have just been particularly busy covering for me while I have been sick.
—Ecogold’s exciting social media Rolex experience is in place and ready to go
—Toddy had high praise for Land Vision and said he could be the best horse in the world by 2012
Video Badminton in 3 Words—
Victory (shaky, but the only winning show jumping video I have seen on Youtube):
Ridiculousness:
Mayhem (including Oli’s and Mandiba’s tough falls, fortunately everyone will be ok):
That’s all for now. Keep it locked on Eventing Nation throughout the day for your eventing news, information, and fun. I’ll be traveling to Kentucky today but of course I will be keeping an eye on things and checking in from time to time. Stay classy Eventing Nation.
