Maryland International Horse Trials gets underway this week and Equestly is offering spectators the chance to walk Ian Stark’s 4*-S course with international 5* event rider, Ema Klugman.
Not only that, if you let them know you’re going by commenting on the Instagram post above, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a $100 Equestly gift card. For added temptation we’ve included a link to their range of riding clothing here.
The course walk is meeting at the start box at 6pm local time on Friday July 7th.
Ema, who’s based in Maryland and rides for Australia, will be piloting RF Redfern round the 4*-S, and rides Slieve Callan Alpha in the 3*-S. A truly international rider, Ema’s riding journey began in Nairobi, Kenya, as did my own. Being considerably longer in the tooth than Ema, our paths won’t have crossed, but it’s cool to think that a future professional eventer followed my pony’s hoofprints as she hacked through the tea and coffee plantations.
The Maryland International + Horse Trials (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
U.S. Weekend Preview
Arrowhead H.T. (Billings, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]
Genesee Valley Hunt H.T. (Geneseo, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]
Masterson Equestrian Trust YEH/NEH Qualifier (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Redefined Equestrian Horse Trials (Fort Collins, CO) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Summer Coconino HT and Western Underground, Inc. TR,N,BN 3 Day Event (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Wednesday News and Reading
Also joining the Aachen retirement party, HH Azur is stepping back from show jumping. McLain Ward has paid tribute to his superstar 17-year-old mare, ‘Annie’, in a touching post shared on his social media. [Hope Your Tissues are Handy]
Meet MSJ Glamourstyle – you’re thinking that name rings a bell, right? Charlotte Dujardin and Lottie Fry’s dressage rides – Mount St John Freestyle and Glamourdale – have had a baby! The little filly was born in April via embryo transfer, and if genes have anything to do with it, in a few years she’ll be piaffing across the ring just like her mom and dad. [When I Grow Up…]
It’s the 40th anniversary of the Festival of British Eventing this year and the organizers are looking for stories to include in the special edition program. When choosing a wedding date, my main concern was that it would be something I would be unlikely to forget in the years that followed, to prevent my husband from ever getting one up on me in the marriage game. So I chose the date I got my first pony, Barnaby. It’s relevant then (to me), that the Festival of BE chose a throwback shot of Pippa Funnell (then Nolan) riding Sir Barnaby in 1990 for their recent social media post calling for fans to take part in their anniversary celebrations. We haven’t made it to 40 years yet, but because of Barnaby I’ve never forgotten to get my husband a card. [Tell Your Gatcombe Tales]
We hear the phrase ‘fit to compete’ a lot during a horse inspection, but what does it actually mean? Turns out, it’s not so clear even to vets. Researchers in Austria have concluded that, worryingly, the phrase is as vague to vets as it is to us, and have suggested that a clearer definition of what it really means for competition horses is needed. In a study of 172 equine vets, it was noted that ‘Over 20% of the study participants indicated that situations where owners presented competition horses with low-grade lameness occurred often or very often’. It certainly seems like clearer guidance is needed to get everyone on the same page. [Sound, or Fit to Compete?]
Jockey Hollie Doyle rode three winners at Royal Ascot a couple of weeks ago – but in the early days not everyone wanted “this little girl” to ride for them. Attitudes to women is something I’ve been acutely aware of ever since I was kneehigh to a pony and scrapping it out amongst five male siblings. It’s bad enough being excluded from a game of garden football because of your sex, but when it extends to the workplace, that’s a whole other ball game. Trainer Archie Watson explains why he’s glad he didn’t share the same mindset as the owners who moved their horses because they weren’t happy with the sex of his stable jockey. [I Informed You Thusly]
OTTBs show up in all sorts of disciplines once they leave the track, but how do you tell which career will suit which horse? Danielle Montgomery has been matching Thoroughbreds to second careers for the past eight years, and knows all about tapping into a horse’s potential. From looking at the physical body, to all the nuances of a horse’s brain, Danielle explains her process in this interesting write-up from the Retired Racehorse Project. [Careers Advice]
Sponsor Corner
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Video Break
As well as Ludger Beerbaum’s surprise announcement, and the retirement of McLain Ward’s HH Azur, Aachen held a special retirement ceremony for one of eventings greats, where Hale Bob OLD was given the star treatment he so richly deserves.
Take a trip with Ingrid and Bobby round the the European Eventing Championships in Avenches in 2021 where, as well as getting all gooey over those pricked ears, we get a lesson in everything from keeping up with your minute markers, picking the best bits of ground, preparing for turns, lining up the fences and dealing with what happens in the moment, to riding with feel.
It’s a masterclass in cross country riding from Ingrid, and a beautiful demonstration of Bobby’s joy for the sport.
Danke schön Bobby, for all the joy you’ve brought us, and danke Ingrid for sharing his gorgeous ears with us in all the hat-cams.
Read about Bobby’s numerous high points here.
And Tilly’s tribute here.
