Having your birthday at an event can go one of two ways really, eventing being the rollercoaster ride that it is.
For Kitty King, who celebrated her day at the European Championships, it was a shiny affair and she came home with gold and silver gifts from Froggy. Felix Vogg had a 32nd birthday to remember when he received his first 5* win at Luhmuhlen with Colero last year.
For the past two years, Piggy March’s big B has coincided with her prep run for the upcoming big B. Last year, she won her Burghley prep event at Hartpury with Vanir Kamira before going on to bring the Burghley victory home. At last weekend’s event, Brookfield Inocent followed in the great Tilly Bean’s hoofprints, winning the 4*-S and making us wonder whether Piggy’s birthday stars are aligning once again as he now heads to Burghley for his second 5*. He was runner up on his debut at the level three years ago – at Pau in 2020; Vanir Kamira was second at Burghley in 2019, winning it three years later – at the next running of the event after the Covid-enforced hiatus in 2020 and 2021. I may be putting two and two together and coming up with some suspect stats which would give EquiRatings the sweats, but I do wonder whether Piggy’s wish as she blew out her birthday candles may have some significance here. Excuse me while I go and read my horoscope.
In case you hadn’t realized, Burghley starts NEXT WEEK! Keep it locked onto EN – we have some awesome content headed your way.
Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]
And that’s not all! Eventing is dishing up an equally exciting week in the US, with the American Eventing Championships happening in Lexington, Kentucky. EN is beavering away on both sides of the Pond to bring you all you need to know from the AEC too – so go nowhere, and go eventing!
#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Schedule] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]
U.S. Weekend Preview
MARS Great Meadow International (The Plains, VA): [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Schedule/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]
Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. II (Santa Ynez, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Town Hill Farm H.T. (Lakeville, CT) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Wednesday News and Reading
Alfies Clover is back for another bite at the Burghley apple – can he bring it home for Richard Jones? This will be Alfie’s fifth go at the big B, and after a seventh place finish last year Richard is convinced that he’s got it in him to go even better at this year’s edition. Find out how Team Jones have been counting down to Burghley in their blog. [Keeping Up with the Joneses]
This is a story about adapting your goals in order to truly follow your heart – on the road to the AEC. Young rider Adalena Campisi found her heart horse in the now nineteen-year-old gelding Belmont. They’ve weathered growth spurts and injuries, and Adalena made the wise-beyond-her-years decision to put her goal of moving up the levels on hold so that she could follow her dream of going to the American Eventing Championships with her best friend. [What Dreams Are Made Of]
As we anticipate a week of awesome eventing, here are some pro tips for winning every phase of the three-day. I’ve rounded up Grand Prix dressage rider Silva Martin’s advice for the most effective ways to manage your dressage warm up, Olympic and European gold medalist Andreas Dibowski shares his principles for successful – and safe – cross country riding, and double Olympic champion Ben Maher MBE tells us just how to approach that all-important show jumping course walk. Take note, and go eventing! [First Up, Dressage] [Yey! Cross Country] [The Final Phase]
There’s a lot of talk about tack – from official competition rules to a whole bunch of opinions on what we should/shouldn’t be using with our horses. Enter the endurance rider who has just won the Tevis Cup – a one-day, 100-mile trail ride. His horse, Treasure, completed the entire event with no bit, no noseband, no reins – no bridle. Jeremy Reynolds credits his long-term relationship with Treasure, and the fact that she’s such a wonderful horse, with his ability to communicate with her to such an extent that they only needed a neck rope to work together and win. [Minimalist]
Sponsor Corner
Okay, so all Ocala Horse Properties come with a Bubbles now, right?! Check out this adorable little pony posted by @ocalahorseproperties on Instagram.
Video Break
What’s the next best thing to seeing horses tear up the Burghley cross country course? Watching a bunch of dogs having a barking great time as they go over, under and through the fences, obviously. I’m backing the little guy – William – for the win. With a certain Great British William clocking up no fewer than six plaques on Winner’s Avenue, I feel William may be a lucky name when it comes to Burghley. There’s a Will (Faudree) and a Wills (Oakden) competing there this year – will a Will strike it lucky this time around? We’ll have to wait ‘til next week to find out – in the meantime enjoy this doggy edition of the great event.
