Even aged champions like their breakfast. Photo via USEF High Performance FB page.
There is nothing better than a former champion living happily in a long retirement. Julie Gomena won the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 1994 aboard Treaty, pictured above eating his breakfast at a stately 31 years old. We owe so much to these horses who give us our hearts and the best years of their life, and they’ve earned their happy, lounging lifestyles. I don’t know many top riders who don’t have that horse they ‘owe everything to’ hanging out in one of their pastures, often babysitting some youngsters, other times just passing time with other famous pensioners.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Stable View Aiken Opener H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Three Lakes January H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Your Wednesday News & Notes:
Attention all Master Amateurs! In 2017, Stable View will be hosting, the Mary Alice Brown, DVM Amateur Master Rider Series, established by Lynn Coates Holmes. The series will honor the Amateur Master rider who has the lowest cumulative penalty score in 2 of 3 Beginner Novice events from the January, March, and June horse trials. [Announcing the Amateur Master Rider Series]
Think you’re up to coaching an international team of eventers? Today’s your lucky day, as Horse Sport Ireland has officially opened the search for a Senior High Performance Director, including the position of Chef d’Equipe. If eventing isn’t your thing, the same position is open for the show jumping team. Applications are due on January 23rd. [Horse Sport Ireland Moves to Recruit]
Jennie Brannigan’s string is on the rise. Thanks to a strong year from the younger horses in her string, Jennie walked away from the convention with $55,000 in grant money to further the career of her promising two star horses. After first riding at the three-star mount with her Young Rider mount Cooper, Jennie and Cambalda have dominated the level for years. Now she’s poised to step a whole new crop of talented mares up to the top with the help of a strong team backing her. [Ocala Rider Profile]
Eventing Podcast: Young Guns. In this episode, the EquiRatings team highlights young riders in various parts of the world who might be particularly prominent in the sport in the next few years. The premise is riders born in the 1990s and 2000s, which sadly cuts me out of the picture, but includes names like Caroline Martin and Jenny Caras. Of course, their European counterparts are particularly strong, so be sure to tune into the antics of the ER crew as they showcase the next generation. Also, Diarm eats his dinner. [Eventing Podcast]
SmartPak Product of the Day: In case you live under a rock, it’s been really, really cold lately. I am definitely on team ‘office job’ at the moment, although it did take the entirety of my morning commute for my truck cab to start warming up, by which point I had arrived. If you love your barn workers, working students, and generally any brave soul who cares for our boarded horses in the winter, you’ll buy them this heated bucket to make it through the winter. [SmartPak]
