“If you’re wondering the kind of person who can become a powerhouse polo player seemingly on a whim (on top of his day job), that person is Dale (Johnson).” A recent article on my Apple News feed caught my eye, and soon enough I was all the way down the polo rabbit hole learning all about Dale Johnson. I’ll let this teaser from The Kitchn (let’s be honest, I live for any and all food-related content) reel you in: “On a trip to Buenos Aires just over three years ago, 32-year-old Dale Johnson casually spotted a pair of polo boots on display in a store. “Those shoes are badass, I gotta get into that,” he thought, and months later he joined a clinic. Now, at age 35, Dale is a nationally competitive polo player who, along with his horse, Sunny, is taking the sport by storm.”
Read more over on The Kitchn here. Dale is also featured among the mentors working with the Optimum Youth Equestrian Scholarship, whose mission is to provide opportunities for youth from marginalized communities to become involved or stay involved in horse sports through financial awards and mentorship.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Holland Eventing at Holly Berry Farm YEH: Website
Paradise Farm H.T.: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Volunteer
Rocking Horse Winter II Advanced H.T.: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Volunteer
Wednesday Reading List:
Let’s continue this conversation. In support of the all-star panelists for the upcoming Community Conversations series on US Equestrian, we plan to tune in and encourage our readers to participate and to submit questions for the panel featuring Dr. Anastasia Curwood, Kareem Rosser, and Caitlin Gooch.
If you’re a podcast fan, you might be missing out on the fun over at Heels Down Happy Hour. Five-star eventer Jessica Payne is one of the three hosts making up this fun show, and CBC Therapeutic Horseback Riding‘s Brittney Chambers was the most recent guest host. Learn all about how Brittney gave up her stable corporate career to pursue service of others through horses here.
Don’t miss out on our mental wellness Q&A with Sarah Carlan, exclusively available for EN Patreons! We can’t wait to sit down and chat it out with Sarah, who recently penned this column about balancing it all. Sign up to become a Patreon and receive your invite to the session on Thursday, February 18 at 6 p.m. EST.
Turns out, barrel racing and dressage share more than a few commonalities. Would you take a barrel horse for a spin? Perhaps we’ve found a new way to improve our seat, eh?
Near Leesburg, Virginia and looking for a place to ride out of the elements? Morven Park is offering up its indoor arena for winter schooling this season. Sessions cost $25 and include use of schooling jumps for setting your own course. Learn more here.
There is a correlation between respiratory health and performance for our equine athletes. Learn more about how the two tie together in this case study blog from Haygain.
Hot on Horse Nation: Your horse can like you, but not trust you at the same time. Like, Trust, and Respect are all very important with our horses and yet they are not dependent on one another, nor does it mean if you have one does it mean you have the other. More on how to improve these elements of your relationship with your horse here.
Wednesday Video Break:
Get to know Japanese rider Kazumo Tomoto in this vlog from Fox Pitt Eventing.
