Ready for NAYC! Photo by Earl McFall
If your farrier comes and does all the horses in the barn, and you agree that the new horse doesn’t need to be done for another two weeks, the general rule is that of COURSE the next day you bring the horses in and find that the exact same horse is missing a shoe. So, while I love seeing my farrier twice within twenty four hours, and he definitely doesn’t have better things to do, I find yourself texting him at 6:30 am. Thus, I also find myself going to town to pick up a pizza and a six pack of beer to thank my endlessly patient farrier for coming at the end of his day to tack a shoe on this dumb animal. Pizza and beer really does make the world go ’round.
National Holiday: National Wine and Cheese Day
Major Weekend Events:
The Event at Rebecca Farm CCI, 3DE, & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Horse Park of New Jersey II CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Hunt Club Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
News From around the Globe:
The stage of the European Championships has changed quite a bit, with the withdrawal of three big British names. The very promising Little Fire partnered with William Fox-Pitt has been withdrawn due to an unfortunately timed bone bruise, and Harry Meade’s Away Cruising has missed too much fitness to make it to the event as well. Nicola Wilson withdrew her ride Bulana due to her own multiple neck fractures from a fall a few weeks ago on a young horse. [Three Top Riders Withdraw from European Championships]
When you are doing your first Advanced horse trials, your main goal is to jump all the jumps in the right order on cross country. What you would never expect is for your horse to lock on to the wrong fence, and in the process jump a seated photographer. That’s exactly what happened to Madison Penfound riding QEH Ocean Voyage, when the horse leapt into the water a little too enthusiastic and then decided a photographer was a good ground line. This is a photo you don’t want to miss. [When a Photographer Becomes a Jump]
Can Paul Tapner win a record third consecutive Hickstead Eventer’s Challenge today? Paul won the challenging class the past two years with the impressive grey Bonza King of Rouges, and the pair are returning this year for another crack, having practiced hard at home for the weeks leading up. Also entered is Gemma Tattersall and Chico Bella P, who won the Bolesworth Eventing Challenge this spring, and were runner-up last year at Hickstead. [Hickstead Eventer’s Challenge]
Best of Interviews with Pan Am Riders: Free Rein with Tamie Smith
