There is a horse trials today!! While most of Eventing Nation is either stuck in snow or at work, Full Gallop in Aiken is hosting a one day Beginner Novice through Intermediate horse trials today. One day events in the middle of the week are very rare here in the United States, but they are common in the UK. One-days are possible in Aiken because most of the riders are winter visitors so they are probably working in eventing, and have more schedule flexibility than eventers with an office job. Furthermore, competing on a Wednesday makes it convenient for the pros to focus on their younger horses. Full Gallop will host another event next Wednesday as well. There aren’t any major horses competing today, but it might be fun to watch the live scores at work or stranded at home in the snow. [Live Full Gallop Scores]
–A bill to make it a potential felony for employers to assist illegal immigrants has passed in the Kentucky Senate. The Kentucky horse industry is worried because if they actually stop farms from employing illegal immigrants, it will restrict the supply of labor, which will in turn raise the cost of labor, thus raising costs throughout the horse industry. The other side of the argument says that Kentucky farms are currently openly and wantonly employing illegal immigrants, so what does it say if we do nothing to try and stop it? [TheHorse.com]
—Training sessions get started on Thursday in Ocala for the High Performance and Developing riders. They run in Ocala from Thursday to Saturday and then in Aiken from Sunday to Wednesday. I’ll hopefully get to attend and report from Friday and Saturday in Ocala and then Aiken on Wednesday if my schedule unfolds properly.
–Speaking of Full Gallop, there was a bit of a confusion about helmets in Aiken. Full Gallop Farm’s website said on Tuesday that Intermediate will not be affected by the new helmet rule (the website has since been corrected). The USEA has responded with the following reminder:
“Effective immediately, ASTM/SEI-approved helmets must be worn at all times while on grounds at a national competition. This includes the dressage phase as well as on-grounds hacking, and is applicable to all national levels (Beginner Novice through Advanced)“
The easiest solution of course is to just wear your helmet all the time. [Full Gallop Website]
–The NAJYRC (Young Riders) has added endurance, and no I don’t mean they are bringing back the long format. [COTH]
–A massive winter storm is sweeping across the Midwestern and Northeastern US. We wish our readers in Area IV, VIII, I, and II the best of luck riding it out, no pun intended. Stay safe and be sure to keep an eye on snow piling up on barn roofs. The rest of us (on the east coast) will just get rained on. [CNN]
–In our ‘let’s discuss’ post Tuesday night about the most important qualities for the next US coach, I think Meghann has the funniest response: “Non-CMP-ness.” Mark is a good coach and I think all of the riders gain something from working with him. Uncle Mark just doesn’t do a good job selling the program to the public. Sponsorships and, more importantly, event horse ownership depends on getting people excited about the US High Performance program. Nothing gets people excited like a dynamic leader, and in this sense the new coach needs to be the exact opposite of Mark.
—Remembering Barbaro [Bleacher Report via Paulick Report]
–Recently JER sent me an email suggesting I check out Phoebe Buckley’s website and video diary as something cool to link to on EN, and I was extremely impressed. Phoebe is a UK-based eventer who’s probably best known for her many trips around Burghley and Badminton on the 15hh grey mare Little Tiger. As JER explained, Phoebe is remarkable in many ways; one that gets mentioned most often is that she is a Traveller by heritage. Travellers are a nomadic group of Irish origin who have their own traditional language and customs — and are heavily discriminated against in Ireland and the UK. Phoebe maintains an excellent video diary showing many elements of her life with horses. No I don’t have a crush on Phoebe. At all. [Phoebe’s Website, Video Diary via JER]
–Today’s Tack of the Day item is a FITS Half Zip Long Sleve Tech Shirt for $20 off retail–hurry it’s only available until noon. [TOTD]
—Best of the Blogs: Nunn Finer=Excellence in Service — Nunn Finer is one of Eventing Nation’s sponsors because not only do they make fantastic products but they stand by them with excellent customer service. When you buy Nunn Finer, you know you are getting quality.
–Rocking Horse recap [eventersmom blog]
–Clark Montgomery and Jessica Phoenix were the most polished at Rocking Horse [Samantha’s blog]
That’s all for now. I’ll be around throughout the day and Annie will have the first post in her mysterious new series. Check back throughout the day for all your eventing news, commentary, and fun. See you soon…
