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There are two things I really enjoy about this reel from British-based Jamaican eventer Lydia Heywood. First of all, it’s an exciting reminder that winter is (kind of) over, the season has begun, and I’m just a couple of weeks away from heading to the first international of the British season. Second, though — and this is a point that you might miss unless you’re a dedicated caption reader — it serves to point out the importance of great safety equipment, and the barriers some riders may face in finding kit that fits them properly. Lydia’s natural hair fits neatly and, more importantly, safely into her Charles Owen JS1 Pro, but as she points out, it might not work for all Afro styles. It sounds like she’s got something in the pipeline for riders natural hair and protective styles, though — and she’s not alone in those movers and shakers working to make safe participation in equestrian sport more accessible. Here’s a great archive piece from The New York Times to read if you’d like more information on the subject, and another from Noelle Floyd. And, make sure to give Chanel Robbins of The Helmet Queen a follow to keep up with her work in this department.
Events Opening Today: The Event at Archer Spring Fling YEH and NEH, University of New Hampshire Spring H.T., Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring H.T., Horse Park of New Jersey Spring H.T.
Events Closing Today: Galway Downs International H.T., The Event at TerraNova, Bouckaert Equestrian H.T., Jumping Branch Farm Spring H.T., Morven Park Spring H.T.
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
Spring officially kicks off in about a week, and in the meantime, eventing seasons around the world have pretty much all gotten started. If your own first outing of the year is coming up fast, you no doubt feel a bit rusty, despite a winter of training and goal-setting and planning. Never fear, though — USEA and STRIDER have teamed up to bring you a handy-dandy guide to making your first trip a great one, whether you’re heading out to a cross-country course or booking in a schooling show. Check out their tips here.
I read this think-piece from a therapist with interest this morning. Dr Megan Pinfield has plenty of experience working with clients on either side of the coach-student divide, and she’s been particularly put off by an increasingly divisive social media climate that she sees as pitting one against the other. Her insights into how fear responses can affect a student’s ability to retain information are particularly insightful, and well worth the read for anyone who’s ever been either the teacher or the learner. Here’s what she has to say.
When it comes to upper-level courses, we’re facing a bit of a shortage of qualified designers. The announcement of Ian Stark’s impending retirement and Captain Mark Phillips’s ramping down of involvement has only served to highlight that issue – but this interesting piece from Horse&Hound takes the investigation a little further to find out what’s being done to encourage new designers, the major challenges facing aspiring designers, and more besides. Dive on in to the details.
And finally, if you haven’t stopped thinking about that proposed LA Olympics eventing format, this one’s the read for you. COTH sat down with David O’Connor to find out more about the proposal, what it could mean for our sport, why the Olympics is so important to eventing, and what’s next on the timeline as we head towards the close of one Olympic cycle and the opening of another.
Photo via Château de Versailles on Facebook.
Sponsor Corner: Construction is well underway to erect the massive infrastructure required to host the equestrian disciplines at Château de Versailles for the upcoming Paris Olympics (July 26 through August 11), and we’ve got a peek at the progress. From bleachers to the Olympic Village, the 2024 Olympics are starting to take shape. Check it out!
Watch This:
Elisa Wallace has got a new mustang in her ranks! Join in with Zephyr’s early training:
