Just living my best dog and pony life in the warm spring weather. Photo by Kate Samuels.
I got excited about a warm spring day this week and had an afternoon free, so I set out with my dog and my thoroughbred, and hit the trails. Lucky for me, I have access to a few thousand acres of trails right out my backyard, and it was so perfect. Unluckily, a group of angry dogs from another farm resulted in a detour that made the ride slightly, uh, longer than expected. Like three-and-a-half hours long. My horse needed a day of rest after his day of hacking.
National Holiday: National Girl Scout Day
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Ocala Winter II H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Copper Meadows H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Pine Top Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
MeadowCreek Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
News From Around the Globe:
Tamie Smith has announced the retirement of 2018 top 15 Kentucky finisher Wembley. The 17-year-old Dutch gelding, owned by Kevin Baumgartner, was originally competed by Tim Price before heading stateside, where Kevin competed him through four-star and Tamie through five-star. “When you decide a horse needs to retire typically it is because they are lame or just very old. Wembley isn’t that old yet, and he’s sound, but Kevin and Gretchen have decided that Wembley proved more than he needed to and how better to retire a horse than when they are sound and happy.” [Next Level Eventing]
In honor of International Women’s Day, EquiRatings is airing a full week of interviews with women in eventing sport. Guests thus far include: Sue Baxter, who has been on the Ground Jury at all six of the world’s 5* events; Pippa Roome, magazine editor of Horse & Hound; and EN’s own Leslie Wylie. [Equiratings Podcast]
Heading to Kentucky in April? You and a friend might just win a chance to walk the 5* show jumping course with a rider, a renowned owner or trainer, or an equestrian celebrity on Sunday prior to the competition! Thanks to Hagyard Pharmacy, this could be your life. To enter, you just have to like Hagyard Pharmacy on Facebook, and fill out a short survey. [Enter to Win Showjump Coursewalk]
What are the chances of equine twins? Low. The chances of TWO sets of equine twins from the same mare?? Teeny teeny tiny. But Irish Sport Horse mare Destiny delivered a healthy pair of twins in 2018, and again this year. Both times, the twins were not perceived on the pregnancy scans, but came as a surprise. [Mare Has Two Successive Sets of Twins]
The effects of COVID-19 have begun to impact the equestrian world, and leave our competition season in question. We have compiled a list of competitions that have been modified or cancelled across the globe, categorized by country. We will keep this updated so you can plan accordingly. [Events Cancelled/Modified Due To COVID-19]
All eyes are on the Tokyo Olympic Games — will they go ahead as scheduled? Haruyuki Takahashi, a member of the Organizing Committee, expressed the possibility of the Games being postponed to the summer of 2022 in case of extreme necessity. [Japanese organizing official discusses possibility Olympics could be postponed 1-2 years]
Best of Blogs: Your Trainer, Translated
Featured Video: Nearly $100,000 has been raised in the past week and a half toward the implementation of frangible technology nationwide thanks to YOUR incredible generosity. Let’s keep the momentum going. [USEA Frangible Fence Research] [Frangible Fences for Eventing US GoFundMe] Speaking of Jon, tune in at 6 p.m. tonight for a new edition of The Jon and Rick Show, with special guests Elisa Wallace and Timothy Harfield.
