We’re wishing #supergroom Hailey Burlock happy trails as she leaves her post at Will Coleman Equestrian following several years of dedication and hard work to the horses in her care.
“On Hailey’s very first day, after flying from New Brunswick with a lingering bout of food poisoning, she got to the barn around evening chores, promptly picked up a broom and began sweeping with an intensity that would prove to be her trademark as she grew and developed into one of this country’s best equine grooms,” Katie Coleman wrote on social media. “We will absolutely miss her dedication to our horses, her love for competition, the silly games she played with our children and her never ending desire to improve and build upon her innate sense of horsemanship. That said, it is safe to say that her best friend Timmy is going to miss her most of all. Not many were going to be a match for Timmy’s quirks and antics but Hailey was 100% his person and such a huge part of his success. Will and I are so grateful that Hailey was with us for the prime of Timmy’s career and also that Hailey was with us while our children were young. Any horse professional who is trying to balance their business with a young family can appreciate that their quality of life is hugely dependent on the people they have in the barn. We were so lucky to have had Hailey for these formative years in our business and family.”
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News & Reading
Area X hosted their Championships at SaZEA Horse Trials in Tucson, AZ earlier this month. Get to know the four champions who were crowned here.
Aspiring writers, here’s your sign to never give up! Natalie Keller Reinert inked a seven-figure deal with Amazon as well as Flatiron Books, complete with a forthcoming television series based on her eventing books and a new version of the books themselves. Read the inspiring story of Natalie’s journey from self-publishing to Amazon Prime here.
Heels Down Mag chimes in with some thoughts on the “it’s not natural” argument against horses being used for sport and riding. With welfare top of mind in today’s sporting world, it’s an important discussion — but is what we do with horses “natural”, or is it a part of working with domesticated animals? Read the think piece here.
Video Break
Hear from course designer Alec Lochore to gain some insights on what a cross country designer sees — and how you can think like a designer when you walk your next course: