Jan Byyny & team get prepped for jogs at Fair Hill (photo by Holly Covey)
Ah, Fair Hill week. The leaves are changing, the ground is soft, the horses are freshly clipped and feeling fit. This year is starting out on a surprisingly warm note, and no deluges of rain (yet)! There is no such thing as a “dry Fair Hill” though, so don’t hold your breath. Rain is forecasted for Friday….perfect for making the classic mud run on Saturday for cross country! 114 horse and rider pairs proceed to dressage today, starting with the CCI2* today and tomorrow, and the CCI3* beginning tomorrow.
Fair Hill Links:
[Website] [Dressage Times] [Live Scores]
Events This Weekend:
Hagyard Midsouth Three-day Event & Team Challenge H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Fresno County Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]
Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
“The Event” at Kelly’s Ford [Website] [Entry Status]
News From Around The Globe:
95 combinations are vying for USEF National Championships this weekend at Fair Hill, in two divisions of international competition. Not only is one of the most coveted 3-day event prizes at stake here this weekend, but there are loads of other categories which competitors can win titles. Riders who have never completed a CCI4* are eligible for the USEF National Developing Rider Championships, and riders under 21 will be able to win the USEF National Young Riders Championship title. In addition, there are several riders competing this weekend on Land Rover Competition Grants. [USEF Championships]
Thinking about attending the Washington International Horse Show?? Drop by the Cavalor tent and hang out with Will Coleman, who will be attending on Thursday night to present an award and of course to watch the Shetland Pony Races! Barn Night is a classic event that includes several competitions, a costume contest, and special prizes for young riders. The winner of the “Most Spirited” award for Barn Night is the proud recipient of a clinic with Will, which is a very cool prize indeed. Get your tickets now! [WIHS Barn Night]
If you’re like the rest of us, you’ve been following the drama with Jock Paget’s FEI drug accusation. It’s also possible that you’ve considered foul play. If so, you’re on the same page as Jock himself. While he doesn’t think it’s the strongest possibility, he doesn’t want to rule it out because they are investigating every single lead. Good news is that he has a great team of lawyers and scientists on the job to clear this up. [Video Interview with Jock Paget]
Speaking of doping, FEI committee members are warning that more scandals within the Endurance world could lead to the elimination of the sport. Pierre Arnould, Belgian national coach and a member of the FEI endurance committee, believes the FEI is not coping with the doping scandal afflicting the second horse sport in which Sheikh Mohammed is the major global player. Aside from doping, stress fractures in the high speed form of endurance racing favored in the Middle East are an escalating concern. Arnould says dozens of horses died in or after competitions during the 2011-2012 Middle East season. [Endurance In Trouble]
The fashion police might have a field day with the crowd this year at Fair Hill. Check out this parade of fancy horse riders wearing their best impressions of “normal people” outfits! Some looked awesome….and some looked inconvenient to run in. Don’t get me wrong, I like to wear clothes that look cool, but at the end of the day, I’m a realist and I worry about my skirt flying up or breaking my ankle in those heels. [A Parade of Shoes]
A slight glove fetish: don’t even try to deny it. If you’re like me, you always wander over to the racks of gloves when you visit the tack store, and try to come up with reasons that you need THAT pair right there. Well, it’s coming up on winter, which means you’ll obviously need several new pairs of gloves to keep your fingers in full working order. My favorites? The Heritage Tackified Pro Air Gloves. Oh my gee give me ten pairs please and thank you! [SmartPak Gloves]
Best of Blogs: Backseat Driving with a Hall Of Famer
For those of you wondering how Boyd looked in the jogs yesterday, The Horse Pesterer was on site to help you out.
