I stumbled upon a post in a Facebook group featuring this custom pad made by Blueberry Hill. Increasingly, I’ve seen much more posts such as these full of riders representing the racial justice issues that plague our whole country. As we continue to evolve our sport, a simple way to show support (and patronize a small business while you’re at it) is to wear your Black Lives Matter apparel loudly and proudly.
Allyship comes in many forms, and this is a simple way to show yours. You can also check out our own Tilly Berendt’s line of Racism Ain’t Cowboy apparel here. Both Blueberry Hill as well as Racism Ain’t Cowboy (and the countless other businesses who have created similar merchandise) will donate a portion of proceeds to racial equality and justice causes and access programs around the world.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Bucks County Horse Park H.T.: [Website] [Entries]
Caber Farm September H.T.: [Website] [Entries] [Entries/Times]
Chardon Valley H.T.: [Website]
Copper Meadows H.T.: [Website] [Entries/Times]
Course Brook H.T.: [Website] [Entries]
Five Points H.T.: [Website] [Entries]
Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T.: [Website] [Entries]
Wednesday Reading List
The emblem for the 2028 Summer Olympics set to be hosted in Los Angeles, California has been unveiled, and it’s a beauty! We may be on a funky Olympic cycle at the moment, but there’s much to look forward to as the U.S. will host its first Summer Olympics since the 1996 Atlanta Games. Diversity is one theme that was incorporated into the new emblem. We’re here for it!
Recent protests from NBA players, MLB players, tennis stars, and many more have shown the power of a platform when it comes to racial injustice that permeates our country. This essay from The Saratoga Special dives into some notable examples of the power of protest from within the sporting world, and what changes were initiated as a result of many of them. A good reminder that use of a platform can be hugely influential in the right ways (and the wrong, in some unfortunate cases).
In discovering a new apprenticeship, the Whole Horse Apprenticeship, I thought it would be best to let creator Alexa Linton’s words do the talking: “There are so many of us courageously walking this edge and doing working to advocate for the wellbeing of horses around the world, starting with the ones in our own backyard. Many of us feel alone in this process, rebels in our individual horse communities, but the online space provides a venue for us to connect, build community and continue our learning into this hopeful and exciting future.” Alexa has designated a full and a partial scholarship for this program, earmarked for riders who may struggle with financial access. You can learn more about the Whole Horse Apprenticeship here and apply for a scholarship here.
Cool opportunity alert! The Kentucky Horse Park is opening for a cross country schooling weekend September 26 and 27. Riders must sign up in advance, and you’ll likely want to get those reservations in early as they’re sure to be hot commodities. No, I’m not sure they’ll let you school that ridiculously scary dropped log but you’ll surely get to gallop by it which is basically the same thing, right? You can sign up for a schooling session here.
Michael Jung’s partner of several years, fischerTakinou, has been sold on to a young rider in Great Britain. Both Michael as well as longtime student, Italian rider Pietro Grandis, campaigned “Taki” through the years.
If you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time visualizing all the wrong things. Rails falling, horses spooking, me hitting the deck – at any point, my mind is preparing for the worst case scenario. Sport psychologist Daniel Stewart wants to help us change this habit. The concept of “thought stopping” is explained in the latest USEA Tip of the Month, and it’s worth a read. Self-talk and lack of control over our thoughts are two large barriers to success, so learning methods to improve is always useful for improving our performance.
Wednesday Video: In honor of the Burghley week that wasn’t, here’s a look back at Chris Burton’s record-breaking dressage ride in 2016 aboard Nobilis 18. The pair would go on to win Burghley that year.
Ecovet is an entirely different type of fly spray … and you apply it to your horse in a different way, too. With fly season upon us, we’re sharing some tips for how to best apply Ecovet:
