HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY to one of the most legendary and best-loved figures in eventing – Lucinda Green MBE.
Many of you will have seen her competing in her iconic pale yellow cross country colours, and she twice won at Burghley — becoming European Champion in 1977 in the process as she won on George, and winning again in 1981 on Beagle Bay. Here’s a wonderful clip from British Movietone of Lucinda — then Lucinda Prior-Palmer — en route to her first Burghley win.
She also of course famously won Badminton Horse Trials six times on six different horses, was individual and team gold medalist at the 1982 World Championships, won European gold in 1975 and 77, and team silver at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Lucinda has also been a prolific trainer for many years, journalist, and mum and right hand woman to her eventing daughter Lissa Green Eventing.
Wishing you the happiest of birthdays Lucinda from all your friends at Defender Burghley 🥂🎉
Lucinda Green MBE
Posted by Defender Burghley Horse Trials on Monday, November 6, 2023
Everybody’s eventing idol Lucinda Green celebrated her 70th birthday yesterday.
Hugely successful in her competitive career – including winning Burghley twice and Badminton six times on six different horses, not to mention being European Champion twice and World Champion, as well as having a whole slew of team medals to her name – Lucinda’s still a very much loved and respected part of the sport. She’s inspired generations of riders and continues to pass on her extensive knowledge and experience, both in the commentary box and via the Lucinda Green XC Academy, her online training platform.
Happiest Birthday Lucinda, thanks for everything you’ve brought – and still bring – to our amazing sport!
U.S. Weekend Preview
Full Moon Farm’s Fall HT (Finksburg, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Reddick, FL) [Website] [Entries][Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
River Glen Fall H.T. (New Market, TN) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Wednesday News and Reading
Win the trot-up with top tips from an FEI vet. The Horse Inspection is arguably the most important phase of an event, with the potential for hopes to be dashed even before you’ve got going – it’s essential then, that you do everything you can to meet the needs of the inspection team. As an FEI vet who attends Horse Inspections in various disciplines, Mike Tomlinson DMV knows a a thing or two about trotting up, and has the inside scoop on just what the jury are looking for – hint: it’s often the opposite of what the crowd and photographers hope to see! As well as insights into what the panel expects, he also gives to great tips for how to practice the trot-up at home. [Hold the Drama]
Eventing legend – and birthday girl – Lucinda Green gives her insights into modern-day eventing. You don’t win Olympic, World and European Championship medals without knowing a thing or two about eventing, and you certainly don’t win six Badmintons on six different horses without having an instinct for the type of horse which will excel in the sport. Eventing looked quite different when Lucinda was competing – as well as the three phases we’re familiar with, there were two more elements to a long format event: roads and tracks (which was completed twice) and steeplechase. It all changed at the end of the 2005 season, and Lucinda’s not sure that shortening the three-day-event has actually been beneficial – to the sport, or for horse welfare. She shared her views with Horse and Hound and, of course, she makes a lot of sense. [Why the Steeplechase was a Winner]
It’s National STEM day today, so what better day to look at some learning resources which are designed to capture the imagination of horse lovers? If you’re not already familiar with Horse Lover’s Math , they’re well worth a follow. As well as their equine-themed math workbooks, they also share STEM-related horsey articles which they add relevant math questions to. Let’s face it, math is much easier for a lot of us to swallow if it comes with a healthy dose of horses. [Math with a Horsey Twist]
Horses have a powerful capacity for healing – something the residents of Lahaina, Maui are finding as they process the trauma of the deadliest wildfire in the US for more than a century. Spirit Horse Ranch was founded by Paige Deponte to support adolescent and teen victims of abuse, now the nonprofit has opened its doors to adults too, in an effort to help the victims of the Maui wildfire – the people of Lahaina who have lost so much and the first responders who bore witness to the devastation. From holding space for tears, to listening to grief and fears, the horses of Spirit Horse Ranch are playing their part in supporting their community. [Lean On Me]
Life modeling takes on novel challenges when the muse is a pony. Rooster navigated doors and slippy floors like a total pro for his indoor modeling stint at the National Sporting Library & Museum in Virginia, standing for two hours a day as artist Madeleine Bunbury painted his portrait, whilst filming the whole process live on Facebook. And what did Rooster think of her efforts? “His head went up, his ears went forward, and he neighed at the painting as if it was a horse. That’s the greatest compliment, when the horse recognizes it. He came up and tried to sniff at the horse; it made me shiver.” [Model Pony]
Sponsor Corner
Cooley Nutcracker and Liz Halliday flew around the tough CCI4*-L track at Galway Downs over the weekend to be crowned USEF 4*-L National Champions. Congratulations to Liz and Cooley Nutcracker’s owners, the Monster Partnership, which includes Ocala Horse Properties.
Video Break
Over the past week, the first leg of the FEI Driving World Cup happened in Lyon, and super speedy Boyd Excell was once again top of the class, smashing out the win in the four-in-hand class by a mile.
Australian Boyd has been four-in-hand World Champion six times, FEI World Driving Cup Champion ten times and is the first ever driver to be awarded the FEI best athlete award. Watch as he gets the 2023/24 World Cup Season off to a spectacular start.
