It’s National Ice Cream Month so here’s David Doel, a 5* eventer with a side hustle selling ice cream – just one of the titbits I fed my husband in his comprehensive guide to all things eventing/horses. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
My non-horsey husband’s summer break from work started on Saturday, which obviously called for a glass (or four) or something suitably celebratory, which inevitably led to me talking about horses for an hour (or four).
It’s no secret that I am unwillingly without horse and that I want one (or more) badly. (Definitely more.)
About halfway into my horsey musings, my husband asked, “When we actually do have horses, will this increase or decrease?”. I had to laugh at his naivety.
I’m yet to test out my husband on an actual horse.
He failed the cat test early on by claiming to be allergic, but then a stray moved in with us and seven cats later he’s a legitimate TikTok #catdad.
He can name more 5* eventers than I can name soccer players, reads almost everything I write for EN and does appear to listen when I get down and dirty with form and stats in my excitement during the lead-up to a big event – so there’s every hope that when I finally pull a horse out of the bag he’ll do OK.
After 20 years together it’ll be a real shame if I have to cut him loose – let’s hope he’s as allergic to horses as he is cats, otherwise it may be a case of ‘til horse do we part.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Millbrook H.T. (Millbrook, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Major International Events
FEI Eventing European Championships for Ponies (Le Mans, France): [Definite Entries]
Burgham International (United Kingdom): [Website] [Entries/Timing/Scoring] [Live Stream]
Wednesday News and Reading
Dive into the world of eventing breeding, specifically the Heraldik line – a horse who’s widely heralded as eventing’s greatest sire. With progeny including Michael Jung’s Olympic champion La Biosthetique – Sam and superstar Fischerchipmunk Frh, Ingrid Klimke’s team gold medalist Frh Butts Abraxxas and Tim Price’s Burghley third-placer Vitali, among many, many more, Heraldik is thought to be eventing’s most successful sire. Read up on his humble beginnings, his mixed bag of a career, and how he ended up as super-sire to the eventing world. [Who’s The Daddy?]
And talking of making babies, Kentucky 4* winner Hot Bobo is going to become a mom via embryo transfer. Karl Slezak and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare were the only combination to finish on their dressage when they came home Kentucky 4*-S champions in the spring with the lowest finishing score in the history of the event. With international show jumper Combina as a sire, this Bobo baby is sure to be a hot prospect for its lucky owners. [Hot Bobo Baby]
When William Key, a former slave and self-trained vet, bred his rescued Arab mare with a Standardbred stallion, he was hoping for a racehorse – instead he got the smartest horse in the world. An unimpressive, sickly colt who was named after the town drunk, Jim began with opening the gate and stealing apples. But then he started learning tricks from the dog and his owner decided to see what else Jim could do. Seriously, this horse could spell, do math, tell time, use a phone, faint on command… the list goes on. And the most impressive thing – he was trained using only patience and kindness, no whip needed. [Get That Horse a Cookie]
And on the subject of training horses to do cool things – wouldn’t it be handy to know for sure whether your horse is feeling too hot or too cold? Well, the guessing game may be over as researchers have successfully trained horses to tell their owner whether they’re feeling a bit chilly and would appreciate a cozy blanket, or whether they’re good without right now. Being researchers, they didn’t stop at the training phase. They tested their theory in different conditions and found that when it was warm and sunny, all the horses asked for their blanket to be removed. Likewise, when it was damp and rainy, the horses chose to keep their blankets on. It was concluded that owners tend to over-blanket and that horses would prefer to go without more often than we let them. The team are now working on a study of turnout preferences. [Talking Horses]
Here’s a solution to the no more space in the barn dilemma. The Sims 4 now has a Horse Ranch add-on. As well as enjoying graphics inspired by the American West, you can fill your ranch with horses, mini goats and sheep. You get to muck stalls, harvest hay, and ride on down to the bar in town for a spot of line dancing. There’s even an equestrian park for training purposes. Oh, and there are foals! The project is a collaboration between The Sims team and sensitivity reader Stacey Parshall Jensen, who has ensured that all the details included in the game reflect elements of Native American culture authentically. [Pony Up and Play]
And finally, Harry Styles takes to horseback for his latest music video. After just 20 minutes in the saddle (in his entire life), Harry manages to look effortlessly stylish as he stares down the camera mid-rear. Of course he does. [Harry’s Stylish on Horseback] [Watch the Video]
Sponsor Corner
Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of my face after watching this reel from Ocala Horse Properties 🤤 Only 20 minutes away from WEC, this property features a 20 stall barn, 19 paddocks, and a jumping AND dressage arena. It’s an eventer’s dream!
Video Break
So this is something…
