All of us can probably point to a few moments in our lives that ignited our love for horses and made us know that we had to ride. For some, it was watching a young girl, named Velvet, ride “Pi” in the 1944 movie National Velvet. Velvet was played by iconic actress Elizabeth Taylor who passed away peacefully on Wednesday after a long career of acting and philanthropy. In the movie, Pi was an untamed horse who Velvet trained for the British Grand National steeplechase. Somehow the new horse movies don’t seem to capture as much passion for horses as older movies such as National Velvet. [via KMD, Extended National Velvet Trailer, 3D3W] Now for your quick news and notes:
–In eventing, being a good student is just as important as finding a good coach. My top three practical tips to becoming a better student are to keep a journal of your lessons and daily rides, think about your last lesson for two minutes before every ride, and never be afraid to ask a question if you don’t understand something. The USEA has published a cool overview of being coached. [USEA blog]
—Ecogold’s trip around America
–Canada had training sessions this week in Ocala getting ready for Poplar. The next USEF training sessions will be out in California for Galway next week and then The Fork the following week.
–Diana Burnett’s latest blog entry highlights the ups and downs and ups and downs of life as an eventer. From getting her truck and trailer annihilated by a semi a few weeks ago to an injured horse to a great training session and a good weekend at Red Hills, Diana has seen it all over the last month. The last paragraph of Diana’s blog says it all:
“Through all of this I’ve learned how nice it is to be in a sport with so many wonderful people that are always offering a helping hand when one is needed. I’ve always known that our barn in Florida and at home is full of truly great people, but this event has just further reinforced that. Through all of this fiasco there were no glum days, just positive thoughts and lots of support for each other. And that right there is what makes a good team!!“
–Our friends at the Seneca Valley Pony Club are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and they asked us to help them to track down previous members/parents/sponsors. They are planning to hold a reunion celebration party this summer or in conjunction with their Fall Horse Trials. If you are a Seneca alum, contact Nancy at [email protected]. I also hear that they have some cool new improvements to the cross-country course for their horse trials.
—New rules in the UK could help horse road safety
—Best of the Blogs: Cute overload
–I know that when you wake up every morning you think to yourself “my day would be a lot better if EN could do more contests.” Well, we have lots more in the works and for today we will introduce you to a contest through Horse Quencher. Click the link to enter and win 4 cool prizes each month, including a 20lb bucket of Horse Quencher. Horse Quencher is a healthy yet strangely addictive substance that, when mixed with water, causes exhausted, stressed, traveling, competing, or just plain finicky horses to rehydrate themselves for renewed vim and vigor, then Marmaduke you for more. Best of all, when you enter you can request a free trial sample. [Enter here]
Reminder–Times are better 60 years after this movie was made, always wear your helmet
That’s all for now. If you are shipping to Poplar or Southern Pines today then have a good trip. Keep it locked on Eventing Nation throughout the weekend for complete Poplar and SoPo coverage. Wherever you may be, thanks for making Eventing Nation part of your day. Go eventing.
