Two fun weeks of Eventing

As an Eventer there are a couple of events that we all aim to make it to. Elite riders consider it an achievement just to complete these events. The rest of us hope to be there as a spectator. One day I would love to do the Badminton Rolex double, I think this would almost be the ultimate Eventing holiday.

I am about to set off on the next best thing, Burghley and Blenheim, two weeks at two of the best events in the world. Both events have been over subscribed with entries and a ballot taking place. Burghley will fill their final ballot places after scratchings late on Monday, giving them the best chance for a full field.

To be honest I am a bit like a kid in a candy shop going to Burghley, it is one of those bucket-list things for me. As a TD I have been lucky enough to have participated in the FEI Global Education Program for Eventing Officials in 2010, at Red Hills. When I applied for the 2011 round I never imagined I would make it to one of the best events in the world.

I will be a shadow TD, which will mean I will be part of the team and get to learn from some of the best. It is a great opportunity and one I will be grabbing with both hands. I do hope I have some spare time to share some of my experiences with EN. Don’t worry we will have the event well covered as Samantha Clark is also packing her bags and heading to the UK.

With guest bloggers, Hamish and Megan, there will be plenty of action on EN. For a little extra fun, don’t forget to follow us all on twitter, I’m @JohnVacy, Sam @Samanthalclark and Hamo @hamishanddave or the Official Burghley Twitter @LRBHT_Official. So Burghley will be fun and I have to remember to get EN John one of these calendars. Don’t forget to download the Burghley iPhone App to catch the latest.

Following the big 4star, I am hanging around in the UK for an extra week and heading to Blenheim one of the biggest and best 3star three days in England. With the balloted entries in the CCI3* limited to 110 it will be a full house. ESJ will be there bringing you 100% coverage throughout the event.

Blenheim is particularly important to Australia, following our disappointing WEG, Blenheim is our last chance to qualify a team for London 2012. The hopes and dreams of our Nation will be riding on the backs of the horses and riders competing at Blenheim, it feels almost inconceivable for Australia not competing at an Olympic Games in Eventing. At the last 5 Games we have won Three Team golds and a team silver no other team has been so consistent.

While, I am off in the UK, we have a major event happening in Australia, the Sydney International Three Day Event, which is held at the venue of the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The Sydney Three Day is one of my home events. I haven’t missed it in years and I didn’t want the EN audience to miss it just because I was overseas. I have recruited someone who may put me out of a job.

That someone is Caroline Wardrop or @Cazdrop as I know her on twitter. I wrote a really cool bio for Caz, including describing her need to get dressed up in fishnet stockings and satin nurses outfits, but apparently that wasn’t good enough so Caz wrote her own intro.

After ESJ threatened to post a somewhat cheeky biography, I have been forced into action to put pen to paper and tell you all a little bit about myself.

While I get a bit of schtick from ESJ about being, dare I say it, a dressage queen, I have been hanging around the equestrian scene in and around Sydney and Canberra since I was a wee tacker. Never brave enough to compete myself, I have always loved watching eventing and will never forget my first international experience attending the three-day event at the Sydney Olympic Games. In 2006, I followed this up by heading over to the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, cheering on the Aussies and even managing to witness a very happy Andrew Hoy belly dance at the Australian team celebration party… if only I had a camera phone with a video back then.

So how did I land this awesome gig following the Sydney International Three Day Event for Eventing Nation? Well, thankfully between working, riding, studying, travelling round the world, drug testing racehorses (and sometimes performance horses so watch out!) and, in the past, running local dressage competitions, I have taught myself to be a pretty handy equestrian photographer. So while I wait for September to roll round, I’ll be brushing up my journalism skills, ready to give you all some great coverage from one of my favourite events… and cursing ESJ for his luck getting a guernsey at Burghley and Blenheim!

I think you will agree that it will be great to have Caz reporting on Sydney while I hit Blenheim, and of course that is the same weekend as the American Eventing Championships. The next two weeks will be fun and we look forward to telling you all about it, as it happens.

Yours in Eventing,

ESJ