It’s nearly time to kick things off with our next CCI5* of the event, this time “down under” in Australia with the Adelaide Equestrian Festival! With the time zone difference, the event will be about a day ahead of Eastern time here in the U.S., so it’s a bit of a gymnastic exercise to figure out when to tune in, but we’ve been using the World Time Buddy app to help us juggle the time zones. You can view it here to figure out when things will be happening in your time zone.
The First Horse Inspection will have already kicked off by the time you are reading this, so we’ll be looking ahead to the start of dressage, which for the 5* will happen at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST / 1:30 a.m. CEST TODAY (Thursday). Cross country will begin on Saturday at 12 p.m. in Adelaide, which is 10:30 p.m. on Friday ET / 7:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 a.m. Saturday BST / 4:30 a.m. Saturday CEST. You will be able to follow along live on Horse & Country here. Stay tuned for more content coming your way from Atalya Boytner, our boots on the ground this week!
Adelaide Equestrian Festival CCI5*: [Website] [Entries/Schedule] [Live Stream]
U.S. Weekend Preview
The Event at Skyline (UT): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]
Stable View Local Charities H.T. + USEA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Championships (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Waredaca H.T. (MD): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (TX): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/a>] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
WindRidge Farm Spring H.T. (NC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Winona H.T. (OH): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]
News & Reading
“The people who do eventing in particular, because I’ve been to other equine events, they’re a congenial group,” says the latest featured VIP Volunteer, Debbie Hinkle. “It’s a happy atmosphere and everyone helps everyone. Why wouldn’t you want to be around that?” A longtime presence in the Area VIII community, Debbie has found a home in volunteering — and hopes others will follow suit. Read more about Debbie here.
Can’t get enough Kentucky? Neither can we! USEA has shared their photo gallery from the weekend, and you won’t want to miss some of the best moments here.
Double bridles are not an issue in themselves – but education on their use and constant learning in all areas of equestrianism are key to continuing to improve equine welfare. These are the messages from researchers who found that double bridles exert similar or less nasal pressure and rein tension than snaffles in elite horses. Read more on the research here.
In her latest Chronicle of the Horse blog, amateur jumper rider Ryan Lefkowitz pens a vulnerable and powerful reflection on what it means to fight for a place in a sport that often feels reserved for the privileged. Detailing everything from childhood rejection and dismissive trainers to moments of hard-won joy with her current horse, Mastermind ES, Ryan’s story is a reminder of the grit it takes to not only stay in the game—but to reclaim it on your own terms. A must-read for anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t quite belong in the barn. Read the full blog here.
Video Break
Get a cool look behind the scenes in cross country warmup with Boyd Martin and Tim Price:
