Exciting news! It’s that time again: Ever So Sweet Scholarship applications are open for the next cycle, Fall/Winter 2022! This scholarship from Strides for Equality Equestrians and the USEA Foundation provides one rider with funding and support during a three-month immersive training experience with Sara Kozumplik in Berryville, VA and Ocala, FL. The Ever So Sweet opportunity is intended to open doors for riders from diverse backgrounds, who may not have had the chance to get a foothold in the sport and are eager to learn the ins and outs of program management as well as fine-tune their riding.
Summer ESS recipient Nora Huynh-Watkins is settling in at Sara’s Overlook Farm base in Virginia, and you can follow along with her adventures on the ESS Instagram or Facebook pages.
Once you’ve sufficiently picked up FOMO, head on over to Strides for Equality Equestrians to fill out your application, which is due October 15, 2022. And spread the word — this is a fantastic opportunity that deserves to be shared!
U.S. Weekend Preview
Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]
The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, MD): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring] [Volunteer [FEH/YEH Volunteer]
Wednesday News & Reading
Exciting news out of Kentucky! The Horse Park has been granted $10 million from the state of Kentucky to renovate the competitor stabling on site. To that end, the Park is soliciting feedback from patrons as to what areas they feel should be prioritized for improvement. You can fill out this survey to share your thoughts.
Fancy an extra pile of cash in your pocket? We’ve extended the submission deadline for our 9th Blogger Contest after learning that our news didn’t reach as many readers as we intended! You’ve now got until July 22 to submit, so get cracking! More info here.
Want to make sure your horse is appropriately fit for his or her age and experience level? This and other considerations are important for any event horse, and 5* rider Jon Holling has some insights to share in the latest Ride iQ Office Hours Q&A.
How do you teach kids to handle disappointment and mistakes? How do you encourage riders to take responsibility and have empathy? Francesca Mulligan shares her philosophy for fostering empathetic riders in this Q&A with The Plaid Horse.
Tack Facts: During the summer months, how you store your tack can have a big impact on how it holds up to use. Sterling Essentials founder Teal Shoop shows us some storage hacks:
Sponsor Corner
When that steamed hay is fresh out of the Forager…
Wednesday Eye Bleach
Bet you never got to ride your pony to school (or, at least, I didn’t and I’m salty about it):
