Wrangling ponies in the storm. Photo via NYPD Special Ops Twitter account.
Even these little guys were looking for relief from the storm yesterday. It wasn’t the biggest storm we’ve ever had, but it was certainly nasty, with howling winds and a layer of ice. Just when I think I wish my horses were home from their southern digs, Mother Nature has a way of reminding me why they stay in Aiken through the end of March.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Pine Top Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Exmoor H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]
Stable View H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
MeadowCreek Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Copper Meadows H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/RideTimes/Live Scores]
Your Wednesday News & Notes:
Your event photographer might be doing more for the safety of the sport than you imagined. In a well written blog, British-based event photographer Katie Mortimore explains why she keeps the shutter clicking during refusals and falls instead of turning away. The data her photo series produces is invaluable to officials and fence judges when deciding disputes over jump or flag penalties, crucial to the determination of horse falls, and valuable to both riders as a learning too and vets and doctors when treating victims of falls. Despite not using any of these photos for financial gain, photographers play a crucial role in the growing desire to prevent accidents by providing more and more data. [Keep Clicking]
The Fork is looking for volunteers for their April FEI event. For the first year ever, The Fork is being held at Tryon Equestrian Center. As the final prep before Rolex, many of the biggest riders bring their best horses, testing them before their four-star. Buck, Boyd, Phillip, and many others are all already listed on the entry list. Come volunteer and see the best of the best go! It’s easy to sign up through the new volunteer portal, Eventing Volunteers. [Volunteer for The Fork]
Jackie Potts likely knows William Fox-Pitt’s yard better than he does. After running his yard for more than 25 years, Jackie can keep it running like clockwork even when the vet, physio, and farrier are all there at the same time. She came for a week-long job and never left. [22 Unmissable Facts]
SmartPak Product of the Day: I’m trying so hard to not just run my credit card while my horses aren’t even here, but it’s so tempting when we have awesome 15% off sales from SmartPak! Their Bloom Sale runs through Thursday night, and offers 15% off products, with another 5% if you are a USEF member. [SmartPak]
