Tickets please! Badminton tickets, that is, which go on sale today.
As the clock struck midnight signaling the end of 2023, I knew that it was time to officially get excited about the 2024 eventing season, and start dreaming about it (literally), but that’s a story for another day, perhaps.
With less than 100 days before the first 5* of the year – Adelaide Equestrian Festival – and 106 days ’til Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, followed 13 days later by the 75th anniversary edition of MARS Badminton Horse Trials, I’m literally counting down the days before we’re back up and running. And as of today, we’re under 200 days out from the Olympic eventing getting underway at the Chateau de Versailles. And that’s just for starters.
Check out some of the biggest equestrian events on offer this year and, as always, go eventing!
U.S. Weekend Preview
Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Reddick, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Wednesday News and Reading
The U.S. Center for SafeSport has launched the 2024 Athlete Culture survey. If you’re an adult competitor of any sport in the United States, and have experienced abuse or misconduct whilst competing, they want to hear from you. Submissions are anonymous and the results of the research will be made public this summer. Here’s the link if you would like to contribute.
There’s a free online course in horse behavior and safety available for teenagers. Running until March, the course covers a whole bunch of handy topics, from herd behavior and handling, to helmet safety and trailering. Here’s how to join.
Maryland champ Austin O’Connor shares three exercises he does as part of his everyday training with his horses. Eliminate the need for Pony Club kicking with these relatively simple exercises to encourage your horse to respond more effectively off your aids. I can’t promise they’ll guarantee you a 5* win (never say never, though, right), but they will help to get your horse working in front of the leg.
@MissBlackEquestrian talks about inspiring young people, making her competitive debut, and how horses truly are magic. Ashleigh Wicheard’s career is in the racing industry, but being a role model for others is equally important to her. She uses her social media presence to promote diversity in equestrianism, having been motivated to step up following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. She spoke to FEI about the work she does, both in the saddle and out.
And finally, for fun, do horses have eyebrows, nipples… wear pants? And does a pony grow into a horse? All these (totally rational) questions – and more – are being searched on Google, right now.
Sponsor Corner
I may or may not have just spent a full 45-minutes staring at this gorgeous horse farm 🤤 64 acres. 28 stalls. A ✨ beautiful ✨ covered outdoor arena. A Live Oak-lined driveway. Who wants to buy this for me??
Video Break
What happens when two Olympic eventers (and an Olympic eventer’s husband) get together? Well, if you’re anything like Laura Collett and Hawley Bennett-Awad, you jump out of a plane:
