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Good Morning Eventing Nation! I hope your Saturday has gotten off to a spendid start, whether you are competing or spending the weekend at your leisure. Samantha's weekend is going to be far from leisurely as she has graciously volunteered to travel to Poplar Place and cover the event this weekend. So check back in with both Eventing Nation and Samantha's blog throughout the day for updates!  Pop Art Prevails In Wellington Dressage CDI-W Grand Prix Lellie Ward Fractures Vertebra In Riding Accident

 

Intermediate water at upcoming Pine Top HT

 

Pine Top Footing and Course Update

From Glen and Janet Wilson

 

Pine Top is preparing for two big events in February, and is expecting excellent footing.  In addition to recent rainfall, autumn rains produced good permanent grass coverage on the new earthwork features that were completed in the midst of a very dry summer.

 

There is a new hollow, a large new mound, a new water jump, and two new coffins. There are also some big new table jumps and new cabin jumps, and several older jumps have been rehabbed.  Courses are designed by John Williams.

 

In the upper stabling area, fencing has been relocated to provide more trailer parking space and 8 new hookups have been installed there, plus the big show jumping ring has been expanded to 5600 square meters.

 

The Feb. 10-12 Intermediate event will run 70-80 Intermediate horses plus P-T-N levels, and the Feb. 24-26 Advanced event will run 50-60 Advanced horses plus I-P-T levels.  Entries are still being accepted for the Feb. 24-26 Advanced event, preferably through X-Entry.

Volunteers are needed, if you can help out please contact volunteer coordinator Janet Wilson corgiqueen56@gmail.com.

 

Good News for North American Jumper Breeders! 

Photo by SPORTFOT to be used only with this story

 

John Madden Sales, Inc. is offering a chance of a lifetime for selected North American-bred horses.  Several lucky jumper prospects will receive three months free training and board, to be ridden by upcoming jumper rider Callie Schott, under the guidance of John and Beezie Madden. 

Owners of North American bred Thoroughbreds, including ex-racehorses looking for new careers, are encouraged to apply. While only a few horses will be given the opportunity for free training in 2012, the Madden's and Schott are hopeful that this will serve to highlight several talented breeders to others who are searching for prospects. 

 

Applications are due March 31st.  Horses must be 5 years of age or older.  For more information and entry guidelines, see Johnmaddensales.com.

 

Two of the most interesting stories I've read in the past couple of days were both interviews with top riders in which they discussed their pre-Olympic gameplans.

The first was yesterday's Sporting Life article about William Fox-Pitt, who is in the enviable position of having three potential Olympic rides in his string: Parklane Hawk, Oslo and Lionheart. Although he intends to enter all three horses in Badminton in early May, he says he doubts any of them will actually run there.

"There is a big decision to make about whether you or not you bring a horse to the well twice in one year when you are aiming for the Olympics," he says. "Do you really want to put in all that work to get him four-star fit to go to Badminton or Kentucky, then bring him back pretty quickly for London in July? ... If you had a little injury after Badminton or Kentucky and the horse was in the box for a few weeks with a cut or an infection and you missed all that work, you could be throwing away the Olympics." He noted that if he did decide to run one of his horses in a three-day for a tune-up, the conditions would have to be "pretty much perfect."

The second interview was today's dressage-news.com Q&A with Steffen Peters, in which he stated that he and Ravel will be sitting out the World Cup in The Netherlands in April. "It's all about preserving Ravel," he said.

The storyline seems quite different for U.S. eventing, where Olympic team slots are still pretty much anyone's game and riders will be devoting their spring season to impressing team selectors (unless they're proven enough to have received a pass for Kentucky.) The difference, of course, is that shoo-ins are far and few between in American eventing, but perhaps there's something to be absorbed here for the future.

You may have heard of Laura Collett: 22-year-old hotshot British event rider, top 10 at Badminton last year, John's fantasy girlfriend, etc. But do you know important things about her like where she keeps her lucky charm? (Answer: She keeps it in her brassiere.) For more Laura trivia, check out this Q&A. [Eventing Worldwide]

Mark Todd is an eventing legend, no doubt. But how did he go from being a self-professed "dairy farmer who rode a bit" to one of the most admired equestrians of all time? His victories span 31 years, with three Badminton wins, five Burghley wins, a handful of Olympic gold medals and--after coming back from a several-year retirement--another win at Badminton and a ticket to the Beijing Olympics. Needless to say, his original autobiography, So Far, So Good, published in 1998, is due for an update. Today it was announced that the rights have been purchased to a new autobiography, Second Chance, to be published by Orion on April 19, 2012 in time for the Badminton Horse Trials. [Book Trade] 

So you're headed to Rolex. Like, as a rider. What's going through your mind? How are you preparing yourself and your horse? When you visualize stepping into that famous start box, does it make you want to jump up and down, or barf, or jump up and down while barfing? Rolex's official website, www.rk3de.org, grants us inside access to the thoughts and feelings of top riders as they begin their journey toward the mother of all U.S. events. This year's featured bloggers will be James Allison (GBR), Jan Bynny and Doug Payne.  

If you aren't riding yourself, the next best place to be is tailgating course-side, with a cold beverage in one hand and--aw, who are we kidding--probably another cold beverage in the other hand as well. Reservation forms for tailgating spots for the 2012 Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, to be held May 10-13 in Allentown, NJ, are now available online at the Horse Park of NJ website or www.eventbrite.com. Reserve your spots early and be sure to throw your hat in the ring for the "Hats off to the 10^th annual Jersey Fresh hat contest--categories will be Best Single Hat, Best Group of Hats and Horsiest hat. [US Eventing] 

Bad people doing bad things: In Sussex, England, last weekend, a veterinarian's car was broken into, probably targeted for electrical items--an iPod and satellite navigation device were taken, along with some personal correspondence and documents. But the thieves also made out with two bottles of horse sedative, Nargesic, and a bottle of horse tranquilizer, Medesedan, perhaps likening them to the drug Ketamine, which is used by recreational drug users. Unlike Ketamine, however, Nargesic and Medesedan are extremely strong and potentially fatal even in small doses. So, thieves, if you're reading this, you might reconsider partying with your new drug stash unless you want to fall asleep for a very, very long time. [Horse Talk]

You can't keep Ralph Hill down for long. We hear that Ralph Hill is recovering well following his accident last fall when he broke his neck. An EN source tells us that his injury doesn't require surgery and even has some plans to teach a clinic at Pine Hill in Texas on Feb. 11-12.

Best of the blogs: "How I Became a Professional Groom" by Pamela Nunn on the PRO blog. Pamela, a freelance groom who worked for Selena O'Hanlon during both the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 WEG, ponders her transition from a successful career in sales to being a full-time horsewoman. [PRO]  

The Mario & Sonic London 2012 Olympic Games equestrian event, with commentary from a couple of giggly teenage girls.



From our friends at Horse Quencher:

When the temperature drops, so does the drinking, making winter the worst time of year for impaction colic. Lugged hot water goes cool, electric solutions bring fire and other risks. So how about some easy-peasy Horse Quencher instead?

As Yazoo (mini) Mule says, "In Michigan it's cold and for some reason I don't like to drink water. Heated or cold, fresh or not-so-fresh it doesn't matter. I don't drink enough to stay hydrated to keep things moving through. In December they said I had colic. The vet came and forced a tube down my nose; my caretakers, Ross and Kate, sat up with me all night long until the spasms stopped. The vet told them to put more water buckets out and they did, but a few weeks ago I got colic again. The tube went in my nose again, and again they sat with me. I heard them talking with the vet about finding a way to get me to drink and that if they couldn't I might die. Fortunately, Kate found Horse Quencher in her Valley Vet catalog. The vet told them that water additives don't usually work, but Kate was desperate for something to try so she ordered it. She didn't think I'd touch it because I tipped over every other flavored bucket she offered. Well, I drank and drank and drank some more. It was just so good. Sonny, Smoke and Nap wanted some too but I made them all go away by kicking. Then when it was all gone and Kate was leaving with the empty bucket I chased her down to try and get more, but it was truly all gone. She said she'll make more for me later."

Yes it's a repeat but Rocking Horse is just so pretty!

Good morning EN! Rather than beat around the bush I'm just going to get right to it. The big news today comes from the dressage world: three time USEF Equestrian of the Year Steffen Peters broke a competition record at the World Dressage Maters in Palm Beach on Friday, scoring an 81.383% in the Grand Prix with Ravel. To put that in perspective second place scored a 78 and third was down to a 73 (but really guys 73 isn't too shabby). A video of the winning performance can be found at the end of this post and when you see the half-pass produced at 0:55 you will see it's not all just hype. Friday's test was also a personal best for the pair in a CDI Grand Prix. Very exciting all round in an Olympic year for sure, and I think this is probably a good omen foretelling a spot on the plane to London. Fingers crossed for Peters and Ravel! [Horsetalk]

Back to things centered around galloping and jumps: Rocking Horse kicked off its competition season yesterday. The Intermediate, Preliminary, and Training levels completed all three phases on Saturday and judging by the scores it seems like the day went smoothly for most.  This is a huge show with multiple divisions at every level.  Buck, Michele Mueller, and Nora Battig led the way today in the three intermediate divisions, all taking home the blue. Congrats to all those who competed yesterday and good luck to those who will set out today! [Live scores] [Website]

A new study about inbreeding in horses has determined that thoroughbreds and standardbreds. Hanoverians, quarter horses, and Mongolian horses (go figure) have the least amount of inbreeding. The level of inbreeding is quantified by a coefficient that represents the percent chance that two alleles to be identical by descent. [Horsetalk]

Caroline Powell, New Zealand's highest placed rider at Beijing, has been left off the country's high performance squad in the run-up to London. Powell rides 19-year-old crowd favorite Lenamore but also has three other horses capable of competing at the Olympics. According to the NZ Herald she is "baffled" by the decision. [NZ Herald]

New mama Rachel Alexandra and foal were admitted to the hospital for "pain management" after the foaling but is reportedly doing well and will return home in a few days. [The Horse]

Best of Blogs: Jessica Pye had a great weekend at Rocking Horse

As promised, the ride of the month from Steffan Peters:


That's all for now EN, enjoy your Sunday!

From L to R: Loranne, Elizabeth, Sally, Katie

In a bit of Pony Club news from this weekend's annual meeting, we want to wish a quick congratulations to Loranne Ausley for being inducted into the 2012 United States Pony Club Academy of Achievement at the PC annual meeting this year held in New Orleans.  Loranne was an avid pony clubber and eventer before she became an elected Member of the Florida House of Representatives for 8 years.  Loranne's sister, Sally, was the founder of Red Hills Horse Trials and ran it for 10  years with Sylvia Ochs.  The above photo also shows current pony club members Elizabeth LoChiatto (B Old North Bridge, CNER) and Katherine Platt (C3 Old North Bridge, CNER) who are National Youth Congress members.  Thanks to EN tipster KL for sending the photo.  Go eventing.

Good Morning Eventing Nation! Welcome to Saturday. Hopefully you've planned something fun to do today, as it is going to be one really beautiful day! I can't believe the mild winter we've had so far, the temperatures in Virginia yesterday went above sixty, and I know the same is true of many places on the east coast. It won't last forever and I'm sure we've got some 20 degree days to go before Spring finally arrives, but it sure is nice to have some warm weather. 
Have a great weekend Eventing Nation! I'll catch you later!

A good insurance policy is like an extra pair of britches...

The upside of being an equestrian professional is that you get to hang out with horses all day. The downside is that working with horses is a way riskier gig than, say, sitting in a cubicle. No matter how good you are, when you're riding and handling multiple (including green and "problem") horses a day, it's less a question of "if" than it is "when" you're going do the human pile-drive.

That's why it's especially important for professional riders and grooms to have good insurance. Unfortunately, since you're self-employed, it's going to cost you out the bum. Every little bit helps, though, so trainers will be jumping up and down over this bit of news: PRO announced today that it will be providing its Professional Membership with Accident & Disability Insurance.

The policy was designed by PRO with the assistance of Wells Fargo Insurance Services, AmWINS Group Benefits and underwriter Zurich Insurance. It covers professional riders and grooms for all eventing and equine-related activities in the U.S. and internationally including competitions, training, travel and horse care.

All Professional Members of PRO will be covered under the base plan, which includes $100,000 in excess medical coverage and $200 per week disability payments with a 30-day waiting period for a very reasonable annual premium. An additional buy-up plan to provide $1,000,000 excess medical and a $600 per week disability payment is also available.

The enrollment period will take place in February and is open to all PRO Professional Members. (PRO) 

-The USEA announced that it will be launching a "dramatically redesigned" website on Feb. 9. New features will include a monthly calendar that integrates both recognized USEA horse trials and educational activities, a directory page of contacts and services for eventers, a combined blog/news section and some new interactive and social media capabilities. You can preview the new site here--it looks SWEET.

-The EHV-1 count in Orange County, Ca., is now at 16 horses. Trainers and four California State veterinarians met on Wednesday to outline precautionary measures for HITS Thermal, including disallowing ship-ins, limiting horse-to-horse contact, laying out procedures for horse owners to take their horses' temperatures twice a day, full disclosure of horses' recent travel history upon arrival to show grounds, and isolation protocols. (COTH) 

Additionally, the USEF Dressage Department has recommended that ring stewards conduct a visual saddlery check of the horses at dressage shows in California, with no touching of the horses or any equipment. Riders should bring a halter with them to warm-up and remove their horse's bridle in the presence of the steward to allow for a visual bit check. The USEF has not issued this same procedure for eventing, however, if the organizing committees or individual riders in EHV-1 outbreak areas wish to follow this bit check procedure they may. (US Eventing)  

-Zebra poop may hold the key to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. A Tulane University microbiologists found that a microbe special to Zebra droppings is capable of breaking down plant material, cellulose, and converting it into biofuel. (Horse Talk)

-Somebody paid $2.5 million for a 400-year-old painting of a fat, rearing stallion at a New York auction this week. It's by a Dutch master named Sir Anthony van Dyck. No comment. (Horse Talk)

-Bad people doing bad things: A horse owner in Sweden was reported to the police after a vet discovered a horse in his stable whose feet were more than a foot-and-a-half long. The 27-year-old horse, who had not received attention from a farrier in many years, was no longer able to move or lie down and was euthanized along with four other neglected horses on the property. The owner may face charges of animal cruelty. (H&H)

... You just never know when you're going to need 'em. (Photo credit: My mom.)

Good Morning Eventing Nation! I hope this Thursday finds you well. If you happen to be one of the lucky ones down in Aiken right now, and find yourself wanting something fun to do over the next couple days, you should to head over to Bridle Creek Farm. Bettina Hoy is teaching a three day dressage clinic which begins today, and will be a great auditing opportunity. The riders for the sessions include Boyd, Jan Bynny, and Will Coleman, to name but a few. I think one of the best parts of being down south for the winter is having the opportunity to watch the teaching of some really great coaches, that you normally would not have the opportunity to see. The best coaches in the world are coming in to the southern hubs very regularly to teach, and many times the auditing fee is minimal, or even free. The US Training sessions are one of the easiest and most accessible ways to watch some great horses, riders, and instruction.  

Wishful thinking, taken at Rocking Horse circa 2009 by yours truly

Good morning EN, once again you are halfway to the weekend! There is only one event to look forward to this week, Rocking Horse I way down in Altoona. I would say something here about wishing I was down south to join in on the fun but the weather up north was so mild today I think my horse has starting shedding three months early. Wylie posted about global warming yesterday but seriously guys this is getting weird. Having lived in Pennsylvania for three winters now I can't say I remember it ever being nearly 60 degrees (and did I mention sunny?) in January. About this time two years ago we got nearly four feet of snow in 48 hours. Wait a few more seasons Baltimore will be the next Aiken. Let's hope this new trend is just a fluke...or else.

Lots of news from the USEA today:

The new 2012 Rule book is now available online for you to peruse to your heart's content. You can also pre-order a hard copy for $10.00 on ShopUSEA. [Rulebook] [ShopUSEA]

The dates for the 2012 ICP 2-Day Dressage and Jumping Symposium have been announced: February 13-14 at Longwood Farm South in Ocala. February 13 will consist of an all-day educational presentation by the British dressage judge Stephen Clark, president of the London Dressage Ground Jury. He will teach from Training up to Advanced level riders and discuss what he sees with the audience, then evaluate both a Preliminary and Advanced level test. On Day 2 Leslie Law will school groups of four riders again from Training up to Advanced on cross-country. Attendance at both days will earn ICP-certified instructors ICP continuing education credit. Not an instructor? They are looking for riders! If you are in the area and interested you can find contact information for Peter Gray and Sue Hershey on the bottom of the USEA page, along with all registration information for general attendance. [USEA]

EventingUSA is running a monthly series with popular equine sports psychologist Daniel Stewart. This month he answers a question about regaining confidence after a bad fall, something I'm sure most of us have struggled with at one time or another. Brings back my memories of being 13 and having a particularly willful Appaloosa with an aversion to cross country...He also writes about his Young Riders' Mental Coaching program, and why it's important to our sport. Worth a read. [EventingUSA]

The FEI has announced the dates for the 2012 Sports Forum, which will take place from April 30-May 2 in (get your frequent flyer miles ready) Lausanne, Switzerland. Proposed rule changes for eventing, endurance, show jumping, and veterinary matters will be discussed. Delegates will have a chance to debate issues before they are put to vote before the FEI General Assembly in November. [COTH]

Nicola Wilson is creating a "Buzz." [Yorkshire Post]

A tragic story from Colorado: 13 horses have been found shot in their pasture near Gardner after being reported missing by their owner. The local police have put out a call for any information about the crime and have little to go on in terms of evidence at this time. [Horsetalk]
 
The "speed gene" found in Thoroughbreds that makes them the optimal breed for racing has been traced back to a single Shetland Pony mare that lived in England about 300 years ago. Modern variants of the gene have been traced to the famed Nearctic and his son Northern Dancer, who is credited as one of the most "influential stallions of modern times." The findings were published today in the scientific journal Nature Communications. [Horsetalk]

There's a new alternative to microchipping: PetGen, a DNA storage service that will store your horse's (or any pet's) DNA for 50 years in its database. The goal is to prevent theft by allowing horses to be tracked by their DNA. Unlike microchips and freezemarkings, DNA cannot be altered or damaged.  While an interesting idea, microchips in horses have a low rate of failure and will soon be required before documentation can be issued (the EU recently passed a law that will require all horses be microchipped shortly after birth) and it is unlike that PetGen will be a threat to the practice. [Horse and Hound]

Best of Blogs:

Changes for Elinor MacPhail

Next Level Eventing is enjoying the journey

Sharon White talks Derbycross

Finally I leave you with a word from Horse Quencher, who understands the important of hydration while hauling. As many of you are making the trek south right now we all wish you safe travels and happy healthy horses upon arrival! Go traveling.

From Horse Quencher:
Serious dehydration is a common side effect of trailering. But does it have to be? Horse Quencher gives you peace of mind that your horse's body is ready to perform (outbound) and nicely recovering (homebound). As Julia Spacey, judge and competitor says, "Anyone who knows me knows that I don't 'do' extras and gimmicks, but Elaphine Murphy refuses to drink whilst on the horse box or away. I have resorted to taking apples with me so that he just gets something. We competed in the newly introduced Mountain and Moorland WHP classes at the Suffolk County Show 2010 and in the sweltering heat we won our class and went Champion! Back at the lorry Murphy, as usual, wouldn't drink and I had forgotten to take any apples. I had been given a sachet of Horse Quencher which had sat at the bottom of the cupboard for ages and felt this was the moment to try it, although with very little expectation. However, Murphy lapped at the water like a dog and then proceeded to drink half a bucket!! We all stood very still in case we put him off. But he was well away and 10 minutes later drank the other half bucket! I was then fighting the dog, Ugly, off the water as well! So I didn't have to go straight home or try and find an apple stall at the show. I will never go to a show now without a tub of Horse Quencher on the lorry, although I may still take some apples if he is going to win!"