For the first time, Thailand will field an Olympic equestrian team next month at the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The eventing berth is another step in a 10-year plan laid out by Thailand’s federation, and riders Arinadtha Chavatanont, Weerapat Pitakanonda and Korntawat Samran say they have benefitted immensely from coaching and support from France’s Maxime Livio. Read more about the great accomplishments of this team and how they’re feeling looking ahead to Tokyo here.
Major International Events:
Longines Luhmühlen: Website, EN’s Form Guide, Entries, Timing & Scoring, CCI5* Friday Dressage Ride Times, CCI4* Thursday Dressage Ride Times, CCI4* Friday Dressage Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Flora Lea Farm YEH and Mini Trial (Medford, Nj.): [Website] [Entry Status]
Full Gallop Farm June H.T. (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer]
Honey Run H.T. (Ann Arbor, Mi.): [Website] [Ride Times]
Horse Park of New Jersey H.T. (Allentown, Nj.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Kent School Spring H.T. (Kent, Ct.): [Website] [Entry Status]
Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. (Santa Ynez, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Silverwood Farm H.T. (Camp Lake, Wi.): [Website] [Volunteer]
Looking for a fun schooling show opportunity? Check out the Barnstaple South 3-phase schooling show, a part of their Jackpot Series, this weekend! Entries close tomorrow.
Wednesday Reading List:
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill marking Juneteenth, the June 19 anniversary commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., a federal holiday. An interesting tidbit of history about Juneteenth: though President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, not everyone living in the country was free, just like that. In fact, it would take until June 19, 1865 – two and a half years after the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation – for implementation to reach into Texas, one of the last footholds of slavery in the Confederacy. On this date, 2,000 Union troops marched into Galveston Bay, declaring the states quarter of a million people still enslaved as officially, gloriously free. Read more on the history of Juneteenth here.
As she prepares to head to Tokyo for her second Olympic Games representing Puerto Rico, Lauren Billys Shady took a few minutes to chat with The Chronicle of the Horse recently. The latest “Behind the Stall Door” goes behind, well, the stall door with her longtime partner, Castle Larchfield Purdy.
Andrew Nicholson takes us down memory lane with the great Nereo, who “looks as grey as I am,” he joked in the latest USEA “Horse Heroes” column. Now 21, Nereo spends his golden days teaching Andrew’s daughter, Lily, the ways of the world and generally celebrating his legendary career.
Are horses that we deem to be sound actually experiencing pain and discomfort? This is the subject of a study done by researchers Sue Dyson and Andrea Ellis using the Ridden Horse pain Ethogram (RHpE) to identify those horses that may be experiencing discomfort. Read the report on the latest results from horses studied at Badminton and Burghley here.
Wednesday Video Break:
🇵🇷 Lauren Billys Shady made the local news with her journey to Tokyo – check it out!
