Tuesdays always stress me out a little. So many events opening! So many events closing! Decisions! Decisions! What’s my plan? Do I HAVE a plan? Where’s my Coggins? What’s my USEA number? Is there any money in my bank account? When does the post office close? It’s all very stressful. Here’s hoping you’re having a better Tuesday than I am.
Events Opening Today: CDCTA Fall H.T. (VA, A-2), Poplar Place Farm November H.T. (GA, A-3), Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (TX, A-5)
Events Closing Today: Course Brook Farm Fall Horse Trials (MA, A-1), Radnor Hunt H.T. (PA, A-2), The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm (MD, A-2), Fall Horse Trials at the Ark (NC, A-2), Middle Tennessee Pony Club Horse Trials (TN, A-3), Pine Top October HT (GA, A-3), Greenwood Farm Inc. Fall H.T. (TX, A-5), Grass Ridge H.T. (Az, A-10)
Bea di Grazia and her own Lad’s Night Out won the final event of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series at Twin Rivers over the weekend. The pair led from start to finish, adding only two time penalties to their dressage score. [US Eventing]
Becky Holder and Courageous Comet, who retired from upper-level competition on a win at the AECs, have one more jewel to add to their already gleaming crown. With Twin Rivers concluding this year’s roster of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series events, the pair comes out on top of the leaderboard, leading the pack by a whopping 240 points. For their efforts, they’ll receive a check for $20,000, an official Gold Cup Champion Jacket, and a huge trophy at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention. The Reserve Champion (also Becky, this time with Can’t Fire Me) receives $1,500 worth of Nunn Finer Products and a Gold Cup Reserve Champion Jacket. [US Eventing]
Speaking of leaderboards, the FEI Nations Cup Eventing wrapped up #5 of 6 events over the weekend with Montelibretti in Italy. Spain had a bang-up weekend and moved into second place in the rankings, behind #1 Germany and ahead of #3 Netherlands. The final leg takes place at Boekelo next month. [FEI]
JFK Airport is getting a new state-of-the-art animal handling facility. Called the ARK, the $32 million, 172,165 square-foot center will operate 24 hours a day and handle about 70,000 domestic and wild animals annually. Plans include a veterinary hospital, a three-day equine quarantine area, and a rehabilitation center for horses and other large animals. [NZ Horse Talk]
The auction of Rita Crundwell’s horses concluded Monday in Dixon, Ill. Hundreds of quarter horses, along with tack, trailers and farm equipment, were being auctioned off after it was discovered that the Dixon comptroller stole millions of dollars from the town to support her equestrian lifestyle. The highest dollar horse, a three-time world champion, sold for $775,000. If Crundwell is found guilty the town will receive all proceeds from the auction. [ABC]
Found on Facebook: Dia Moya’s crazy photos from Otter Creek Horse Trials, which took place over the weekend in Wheeler, WI. The football obsession, I kind of get–I know folks up there are crazy about their sports. (One of my barn buddies who is from Michigan just named her new event horse Izzo.) The cardboard cutout of the queen–which, according to other pictures that we shall not post here, also accompanied a handful of happy-looking eventer folks to the bar afterwards… explanation please?
Go Eventing.
