Riding in the Greenwich ring. Photo from Boyd.
Good morning EN! With only two days left until the opening ceremonies and the first Eventing jog commence, the riders made the big move into the stables at Greenwich park yesterday. I think internet servers around London might all go down in the next twenty four hours with the amount of media coverage surrounding the games, and eventing is no exception. A lot of teams posted photos of their arrival and stall set up yesterday- below are links to various blog updates. Keep checking back for more information and coverage during the lead up to the jogs.
[Team GB]
Even with only two days to go, the team selection drama continues to rage in South Africa. Earlier this summer, British-based South African eventer Alexander Peternell appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the South African Equestrian Federation chose to nominate South Africa-based Paul Hart as the country’s individual representative for the games. Peternell won the appeal on Saturday, but the South African Olympic association announced last night that the country would not nominate Peternell, instead choosing to forgo having a rider represent the country in the Eventing portion of the games. Tubby Reddy, speaking for the association, said, “The board is fully aware that Mr Peternell may go back to CAS for an urgent hearing and we are prepared to defend our case, while noting that CAS’s ruling on the new appeal may have to be adhered to by ourselves.” Reddy said that because the association maintains the opinion that Hart is the appropriate representative for the country, they were exercising their right to not use their individual slot. [Horse & Hound]
In a more heartwarming story, Megan Jones, the Australian rider who will replace Shane Rose after he was forced to withdraw from the Olympics due to equine injury on Monday, will be riding at the games with Rose there in spirit. Australia’s riders have team helmets personalized with their names, and Rose formally presented Jones with his helmet when she was named to the squad. Jones said she took one look and knew she couldn’t remove the name. While her generosity has impressed her teammates, don’t expect it to extend to the winnings. “I won’t be cutting any medals in half. He can come around though and have a pat,” she joked. [Equestrian Australia]
Nina Ligon is making news in Thailand- and here’s a source I never thought I would link to. [Bangkok Post]
Interested in donating to a good cause? The Cairo farrier team is headed back to Egypt for a second time and is in need of supplies for the trip. The British farriers made a trip to Egypt earlier this year to provide care for horses used in the tourist industry. In many cases overworked and lacking veterinary and hoof care, the horses are in desperate need of help particularly after political conditions caused a drop in tourism revenues, and thus their owners’ incomes. A charity called Farrier Care International has been established to accept donations for the trip, which will take place in October. An online auction will take place at the end of August- so far items include lessons with New Zealand Olympian Caroline Powell and English polo player Ollie Hipwood, commissioned artwork from animal and equine artists, and a portable equine shower. [Horse & Hound]
As Austrian study has determined that hyperflexion in horses lunged at moderate speed and not touched with a whip does not produce a pronounced stress response. The study measured stress hormones in saliva and heart rate to determine stress levels, and found that hyperflexion did not increase either factor compared to the normal, “stretched neck” position when used on the lunge line. The researchers said on this basis that there is no scientific reason to ban the use of the technique, but team leader Christine Aurich remains cautious in her statement. The horses were only studied on the lunge line, not ridden, and not aggressively pushed or whipped. “Our results show that hyperflexion does not itself harm the animals, but some trainers combine it with forceful and aggressive intervention of the rider over prolonged periods of time,” she said, and that means that it should not be taken to mean that all training methods used in conjuncture with hyperflexion are similarly safe. [Horsetalk]
An extra day of Intermediate and Advanced competition will be added to next month’s Aston-Le-Walls one day horse trials due to this year’s dismal weather conditions. This will give riders looking for another Advanced run a chance to get one in after Gatcombe was rained out and the Hartpury CIC*** filled all of its competitor slots. New courses have been built, and all weather footing will be used for show jumping and dressage if needed. Additional days of competition have also been recently added at Dauntsey and West Wilts. [Horsetalk]
On that note, another event (Cholmondeley Castle) has been cancelled due to weather. [British Eventing]
Two-year-old Chico is one lucky horse. Somehow he managed to fall into an underground bunker with a foot-thick concrete ceiling, where he was stuck for five days. He was discovered on the fourth day, when firefighters were called out to the farm. They could hear an animal in distress, but could not find Chico for several hours- and remarkably when they did, he was completely fine. The next day it took four hours to rescue him, and after being sedated he walked out uninjured. Click for pictures, and go make sure there are no underground bunkers hanging around your pastures. [Horse & Hound]
Best of blogs:
Lauren Shannon finally got a run in at Aston-Le-Walls
Talking Horse breaks down his take on the medal odds of the Olympic teams
That’s all from me EN, thanks for reading!
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