Deniro Z made light work of the cross country at the Mandatory Outing at Great Meadow. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Obviously the biggest news of the week for the eventing world is the last-minute switcharoo of the team bound for Tokyo, with the withdrawal of Deniro Z. All of us at EN want to send our hugs to Liz Halliday-Sharp, as we can’t imagine the heartbreak she’s feeling, and the disappointment of getting so so close to a lifetime goal. However, a rider like Liz with a string of horses like she’s got will definitely be back on Team USA very soon, and we look forward to that day very much.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, Ga.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, Vt.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, Md.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]
Round Top H.T. (Castle Rock, Co.): [Omnibus] [Ride Times]
Major International Events
Barbury International (Wiltshire, United Kingdom): [Event Hub]
News From Around the Globe:
Any good horseman will tell you, management and simple decisions under saddle are your best weapons against injury. From employing cross-training over varied terrain, to properly managing your warm up and cool down, equine and human physiotherapist Sasha Chelin knows how to keep horses sound. They’re also no guarantee of soundness, but are good measures to put in place for better horse management and to minimise your risk of an unnecessary muscle or soft tissue pull, tear, or strain. [3 Tips for Injury Prevention in Horses]
Gary Snyder has been involved with horses for about 50 years, and has spent many of those volunteering at USEA events. Over the years, Snyder has done several different volunteer positions, but startbox is definitely his favorite. “I’ve been startbox, I’ve scribed, I like sit-down jobs because my feet are old, and I’ve been steward,” commented Snyder. “My goal in startbox is to give everyone a blue ribbon. What they do with that after they leave my start box is up to them. The nice thing about the start box is that your life is easy if you get a good steward. Also, being in startbox allows you to meet everybody.” [VIP Volunteer Gary Snyder]
Breathing exercises can really help in stabilizing your core and strengthening your position. But we hardly think about breath when we’re riding. Meanwhile, the horse is continuously moving forward, and it is important for the rider to keep moving the chest and shoulders forward together with the horse’s movement. The horse moves the rider’s pelvis forward, and the rider needs to balance the upper body into this forward motion. Get some breathing tips here to improve your riding at the core. [Breathing Techniques for Stability and Suppleness]
Best of Blogs: You Don’t Have to Dream Big
Olympic Beat:
We’re eagerly awaiting the finalized entry list for Tokyo, nominations for which were due to each country’s respective Olympic committee and the FEI earlier this week. We’ll update you with a final and complete list as soon as it becomes available! In the meantime, don’t forget to sign up for EN’s Olympic Digest email, which is sent each Monday and will begin daily editions on July 28.
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