Thursday News & Notes from Woof Wear

Joy Meyer and South Paw having a moment yesterday at the CCI2* jogs. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Joy Meyer and South Paw having a moment yesterday at the CCI2* jogs. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Yesterday I jumped Nyls for the first time in a very long time, as he had an absurd situation with his feet this summer that kept him out of work, and then getting him back in shape took another month or so after that was resolved. So, he hasn’t jumped in a while, and this is always cause for concern upon the first jump back. You should know that Nyls does not jump things that are under 3 feet, because they’re weird and scary when they’re that small, so when he’s missed his most fun flying through the air moves, he likes to mix it up with some amazing wonder horse acrobatics, while I desperately try to stay on. I can trot fences under 3 feet, but cantering is off the table. And god forbid I put fillers in the jumps because then it is necessary for him to torque his body and spook while suspended in the air. I swear, that horse will never grow up.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Richland Park CIC, CCI & H.T.  [Website[Schedule/Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Huntington Farm H.T. [Website]

Hunt Club Farms H.T.  [Website]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Caber Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

It’s not just the senior German riders that are dominating the Eventing world, it’s also the juniors. The Junior European Eventing Championships wrapped up last weekend in Poland, and German young riders claimed three of the six possible medals available. Johanna Zantop won the individual gold with FBW Santana’s Boy, ahead of Victor Levecque from France, while Hanna Knuppel further underpinned German strength when slotting into bronze medal spot. This helped Team Germany to secure a massive winning margin of almost 30 points over France who took team silver while Britain lined up in bronze medal spot. [German Juniors Dominate at Championships]

Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton are hosting an eventing symposium this Sunday, Aug. 23 at Windurra! Eventing With The Stars will cover topics ranging from how to improve your dressage scores to cross country schooling exercises you can use at home. Tickets are $60 in advance or $70 at the gate (kids 12 and under get in free). [Eventing With The Stars]

The Brits are getting naked for equine road safety. That’s right, they’re stripping off their clothes to raise awareness for horses and riders traveling on roads. The brainchild of Lauren De Gruchy, who set up a Facebook page earlier this month, the basic idea is to grab the public’s attention in support of the cause, and it’s definitely working. Photos of nude riders (both male and female) have been flooding in. You know you’re going to click this. [Riders Strip for Road Safety Awareness] [#willyouslowdownformenow]

The story of Duke the former Budweiser Clydesdale and his journey to New Holland Auction is gripping the horse world. The idea that horses with good connections, good handlers, great skills and proper sales procedure can always avoid the bad path has been proven untrue. Duke was thankfully saved by his microchip, confirming him as a previous Budweiser Clydesdale for Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. But he somehow found his way into neglect and abuse after changing hands. How do we prevent Duke’s story from repeating itself? [Do You Know Where Your Horses Are?]

Carl Hester watched his Grand Prix test from Aachen on Nip Tuck and broke it down for us on FEI TV. Carl is a wonderful educator, and it’s fascinating to watch his test from his perspective. They scored a personal best of 77.003%, but that is not to say that he doesn’t see space for improvement! Sit down for a very informative 10 minutes! [Carl Hester & Nip Tuck]