Selfie, anyone? Photo by Vee Sheers.
February is terrible, because unless you’re a snow bird, in many parts of the country it feels like maybe winter is ending and soon we will be unfrozen and able to do all the cool things like go cross country schooling. That maybe is the death of me though, because it just feels all the worse when the temperatures dip back down into the teens and the rain or, god forbid, snow arrive once again to bring doom to my doorstep. I would like to fast forward to late March if that’s cool.
Black History Bit of the Day:
Joe Louis wasn’t just a world champion heavyweight boxer, he was also a Saddlebred enthusiast!
In the early 1940s, Louis owned a farm near Detroit and hired prominent Black trainer Henry Jennings. Louis also organized an all-Black horse show, creating an opportunity to compete free from discrimination. As with Thoroughbred racing, there was plenty of Black talent in the Saddlebred world in the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Jumping Branch Farm H.T. (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]
Ram Tap Horse Park H.T. (Fresno, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Rocking Horse Winter II Advanced H.T. (Altoona, Fl.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Stable View Young Event Horse Qualifier & Eventing Academy Schooling Show (Aiken, Sc.): [Website]
News From Around the Globe:
The life of an adult amateur is never easy. Between balancing school or work with riding, and factoring in all of life’s other responsibilities, it can be quite a challenge. This year’s USEA Adult Amateur of the Year Award winner Katie Lichten of Hamilton, Massachusetts is no stranger to the dedication required to make all of those scales balance equally. As an active student in the business school at the University of Virginia and a four-star eventer, Lichten often finds herself juggling a handful of roles and responsibilities as she pursues her degree in IT and Business Analytics as well as an upcoming transition to professional rider. [2021 USEA Adult Amateur of the Year: Katie Lichten]
Sir Mark Todd has been given an interim suspension by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) after the viral video was released this weekend. The former Olympic equestrian champion turned racehorse trainer will be unable to race horses while investigations continue. On Sunday the BHA condemned the video. “This interim suspension means that while investigations continue into the circumstances of this incident, Sir Mark will be unable to race horses in Great Britain or internationally,” said the BHA on Wednesday. “The trainer has admitted the individual involved in the video was him, has apologised for his actions and agreed to the imposition of an interim suspension.” [Mark Todd Suspended by BHA]
New research shows that functional mobility in children with cerebral palsy can be improved through physical interaction with horses. Cerebral palsy is a common disability among children, characterized by abnormal gait patterns and the inability to maintain posture and balance. While the condition is incurable, physical therapy treatments can help to improve movement and balance. One such treatment approach is hippotherapy, which uses horse riding to improve functional mobility in children with cerebral palsy. Although supported by scientific studies as an effective treatment approach for the condition, there is little data on how it brings about improvement. [Riding Therapy for Cerebral Palsy]
Get to know each USEA Area a little better in this new series, Meet the Areas! This month’s feature is USEA Area II which is made up of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina. Area II is the home of the USEA Headquarters, located in Leesburg, Virginia and just across the street from Morven Park. In 2021, 1,762 USEA members called Area II their home – making it the USEA area with the most members. [Area II]
Video: Connemaras foals = you’re welcome.
