Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Sally Spickard.
The Land Rover Kentucky CCI5* field thinned by one this week after news that Zoe Crawford will be retiring K.E.C. Zara from the sport. This year would have been the pair’s fifth CCI5* start.
K.E.C. Zara was actually Zoe’s very first event horse, and together they’ve come all the way from Beginner Novice to the top end of the sport. Originally sourced via U.S.-based Irish horseman Cormac Kennedy, “Zara” was purchased on a wing and a prayer, and some good faith put into Cormac’s eye for a good fit. Joining together in Zara’s six-year-old year, the pair went on to compete at Young Riders and were later named to the Emerging Athlete Eventing 25 squad. They also received the USEA Foundation’s Essex Horse Trials Grant to support a stint working for and learning from Phillip Dutton, and Zoe would eventually launch her own training business from the back of her super-mare.
Zoe reports an injury that will require enough time off that she feels it best to make the decision to gracefully retire the mare at the age of 17. “At 17, I feel that it is only fair to retire and not push her to get back to 5*,” Zoe wrote. “She owes me nothing. She has done more for me and taken me further than I could have ever dreamed!”
“Zara was never the easiest horse and was never going to win the dressage but she tried her absolute heart out on cross country and taught me so much,” Zoe continued. “She jumped around all the biggest tracks on the east coast, made quite a few scenes in warm ups (I apologize to everyone who had to be in there with us), and stole quite a few hearts along the way. Thank you to everyone who has ever helped us along the way!
Zara, you will forever be my Queen. Enjoy your retirement and never having to do dressage again!”
Happy retirement, Zara.
Read more about Zoe and K.E.C. Zara in our 2021 Land Rover Rookies profile.
U.S. Weekend Preview
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Wednesday News and Reading
There’s mares and then there’s boss mares! We all know the saying ‘Tell a gelding, ask a mare…’ But is your mare more mareish than most? Cowgirl Magazine spots the signs of a boss mare. [Matriarchal Mareitude]
Learn how to manage your horse’s behavior through feed management and ingredients. From what you feed to how you feed it, there’s a whole host of research to suggest that certain behaviors can be managed with more mindful feeding routines. Here’s some expert advice on making feed time work for your horse. [Grub’s Up]
Perhaps wait ‘til after you’ve finished your breakfast to check this one out. I’m literally obsessed with my animals’ poop – only just short of emulating The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon and keeping a spreadsheet. My Google search history is full of gross descriptions and I happily scour through images of all sorts of crap. As a sure-fire indicator of health, and because of the potential dangers of diarrhea, it’s important we know what to look out for and when to call the vet. [The Scoop on Poop]
A risk-assessment quiz for colic. This handy quiz helps you calculate your horse’s colic risk through simple questions backed up with research and facts. Once you’ve tallied up your totals, there’s advice on what you can do to decrease the risk of your horse colicking. [Calculating Colic Risk]
Famous racing silks meet high fashion. It’s the UK’s Randox Grand National this weekend and race-goers will be dressed in their best as they cheer their favorites home. The race has some super famous winners and fashion designer Richard Quinn has celebrated three of them with some stunning gowns paying homage to the silk colors made famous by three-time winner Red Rum, comeback king Aldaniti and champion for women in sport Minella Times. [Winning Style]
#ravehorse gets the crowd going in Omaha. At a football game? Sure. At a music festival? Definitely. But one place you don’t expect a wild crowd is a dressage competition. Unless Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper are raving round the ring, that is. [Get Your Glow Sticks Out] And on the subject of committed spectators, show jumpers are getting in on the act too. [Go Ahead and Jump (Jump!)]
Video Break
Enjoy a video from Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara’s weekend at the Ocala Jockey Club International CCI4*-L in 2019:
