Olivia Dutton with Icabad Crane. Photo by Maggie Kimmitt, via Icabad Crane's FB page.
Olivia Dutton took the famous Icabad Crane for a spin this past weekend at Plantation Field. They led the TB series Novice division from start to finish, finishing on a dressage score of 28.0. It was an absolutely beautiful weekend up here in Pennsylvania to event, with temperatures pushing into the eighties and jackets and sweatshirts being thrown hastily into trucks and tack trunks. This week is boasting much of the same up in Area II, and though the temperatures might dip a little, competitors at Fair Hill will be gifted with sunny skies over the weekend.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Fair Hill International CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Longleaf Pine H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
CHC International CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website]
River Glen Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Holly Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
The Micklem bridle has been selected as part of the Global Irish Design Challenge Exhibition. The Global Irish Design Challenge showcases and celebrates the best of Irish design innovation and they’ve picked William Micklem’s innovative bridle as part of their showcase. The Micklem bridle was developed to be more comfortable and effective than traditional bridles and has caught fire with riders world-wide. [Accolades for Micklem Bridle]
Retired Racehorse Project is throwing a hoedown after Rolex cross country, and you’ll want to be there. Hagyard is hosting the hoedown for the benefit of the RRP, where a $50 admission (or $35 for RRP members) will get you an open bar and live music from the Steve Norman & Shades of Grass band. Starting at 6 pm just a few short miles from the Horse Park, the Hoedown promises to provide a full-evening’s worth of entertainment alongside the likes of Phillip Dutton, Rosie Napravnik, Chris McCarron and Graham Motion. [Hoedown for Hagyard] [RRP Rolex Activities]
Just in time for Rolex, COTH is profiling ‘The French Princess’. In this week’s edition of Behind the Stall door, Sinead explains the particular likes and dislikes of one Manoir de Carneville. Likes? Watching chickens, being at shows, eating daintily from your hand. Dislikes? His nebulizer, metal snaffles, and being ignored. [Behind the Stall Door]
We can’t look at the Rolex course, but Badminton has a full aerial preview available. Follow along Giuseppe Della Chiesa’s course, which is officially to be 11 minutes, 30 seconds for optimum time. Teh track will flow in the same direction as last year and include 33 fences for a total of 45 jumping efforts over four miles. [Walk the Badminton 2016 Course]
SmartPak Product of the Day: If you’re headed to Rolex next week, you will want to be walking around in waterproof boots. Why? Because unsurprisingly, the forecast is calling for rain. Also, morning dew. Also, water jumps. If you order these from SmartPak today, you’ll have time to get them packed before travelling to the mecca next week. [SmartPak]
The last American to win Rolex was Phillip Dutton on Connaught in 2008. Here’s a throwback to this pair tackling the Head of the Lake the following year.
