Bugs
Tuesday, May 24 2011
8% of all human DNA is viral in origin . Turns out, your little sister really does have cooties. Some of the genes she got from your parents that make her who she is: blue eyes and brown hair, started not entirely from human origin
- Published in Injecting Perspective, Z-Blogs
When It Rains, It Pours . . . Especially in England
Monday, May 23 2011
In horses you know you need to be careful when everything seems to be going quite well. With all three of my horses going well, great house, great boyfriend, great weather, things were bound to have a turn for the worse. I had my two top horses, Bree and Harvey, entered at Hambleden in the open intermediate a few weekends ago. Harvey was a little machine with an amazing 27 in the dressage and no jump penalties in the show jumping or the cross country. If you knew Harvey personally, you would understand that achieving a 27 in the dressage is verging on miracle status. I had people coming up to me the rest of the day and sending me messages . . . “How did you get Harvey to start playing the game on the flat?!” I am not entirely sure why my little superstar advance horse has decided at the young age of 15 to embrace dressage, but I am not about to start asking questions! With Harvey on great form and a text message from William Fox-Pitt saying “Go Harvey!” I was already beginning to finalize my last big gallops before Bramham CCI 3*. This elated feeling soon left me when poor Harvey didn’t trot up sound and the vet got out the ultrasound machine. To make a sad story at least a bit short, Harvey and I will not be able to compete at Bramham in a few weeks and my days are now resigned to hand grazing, icing, and rolling bandages. As the Brits say: “I’m gutted!” Poor Harvey is all clipped and ready for a party! As if things weren’t bad enough, my car broke down and I was forced to drive Roberta, my trustee lorry, back and forth from the yard for the better half of a week. Thank goodness for Roberta and my good friends Katherine and Giovanni for managing to get me out to the yard everyday! Getting back to Miss Bree . .
- Published in Onward, Upward, Z-Blogs
EHV-1: Making the Case for Universal Microchipping.
Sunday, May 22 2011
“If one of them have got it, then ten of them have got it now, and if one of them gets out . . . we have got a very interesting problem!” Dustin Hoffman, “Outbreak”, 1995 That very interesting problem was highly dramatized in Outbreak, a gem of a movie about an African monkey carrying a highly contagious flesh-eating disease that landed in the U.S. and caused an outbreak that threatened the existence of a small town, of the country, and of the very world we live in. Did I already say highly dramatized
- Published in On the Line, Z-Blogs
Riders’ Quests to Earn Spots on Pan Am Teams Continue at Woodside Spring Dressage CDI*/Y/J
Tuesday, May 17 2011
By Yellow Horse Marketing for Cornerstone Event Management BURBANK, CA – Riders will continue their quest for a Pan American Games team berth at the Dressage at Woodside CDI*/Y/J in Woodside, CA, May 19 – 22, 2011. As a valuable qualifier for the Northern California region, horses and riders will compete in front of judges Axel Steiner (FEI 5* USA), Hilda Gurney (FEI 4* USA), Brenda Minor (FEI 4*CAN), and Sandra Hotz (“S” USA). In addition, this competition will serve as a qualifier for the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions (Pony Rider, Junior, Young Rider, and Brentina Cup divisions); NAJYRC; Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program; and the USEF Developing Horse division (sponsored by Dutta & PSI). A competitive field of U.S. and Canadian horses and riders who are already well-seasoned from early-spring West Coast competitions will once again face off for valuable qualifying scores in the beautiful setting of the Horse Park at Woodside. Situated on 272 gently rolling, oak-studded acres on the border of Menlo Park and Woodside, California, the Horse Park’s facilities, terrain and scenic setting have made it an ideal venue for equestrian activities including horse trials, Pony Club ratings, dressage, arena polo, hunter/jumper shows and western reining.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
It’s A Whole New World
Friday, May 13 2011
HorseShow.com ‘s online network opens a world of possibilities for dressage enthusiasts of all ages and abilities In today’s uncertain economy, times are tough for almost everyone, and horse enthusiasts are no exception. With increasing membership dues and entry fees, rising costs for feed and supplies, and skyrocketing fuel prices, equine budgets are stretched to the max. As a result of these increasing expenses, many riders are forced to make difficult decisions as to whether or not they can even afford to compete in horse shows; and if making the financial commitment to compete, exhibitors must be more certain than ever that they are truly ready for the level of competition they will face, and maximize that showing opportunity to gain the most points towards year-end awards, or the required qualifying score for championships. HorseShow.com , an online horse show network, offers a revolutionary way to assess a horse and rider’s readiness for competition and receive expert feedback without the expense of actually traveling to a live show. Video entries are now being accepted for HorseShow.com ‘s Spring Dressage Festival, which offers classes for Training through Fourth Level and the FEI tests, and will be judged by renowned USEF and FEI official Natalie Lamping. In addition, HorseShow.com is offering a “Focus on Dressage Equitation” division, open to all age riders. “I think this is a tremendous opportunity for dressage riders to get a judge’s feedback about where they stand,” said Lamping. “Do you feel solid at your level but want to get extra practice and feedback before your next big show? Are you thinking about moving up a level but want to be sure you’re ready? Or maybe you live in an area without many dressage shows. For all of these riders, the HorseShow.com network can be an invaluable resource.” Entering a digital horse show is easy. By visiting the HorseShow.com website, a rider can sign up for a free membership and set up a profile for her horse. As a bonus, new members receive enough online “credits” so that their first class entry is free. Competitors can then upload a video of their test of choice, filmed from the comfort of their own facility.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Now I Know Why.
Wednesday, May 11 2011
It’s all about who you know. It’s all about working those connections
- Published in On the Line, Z-Blogs
Animal Crackers
Monday, May 09 2011
Is that Left Hind or Right Front? Lions are like equine vets: they feed their families by finding lameness. If an animal in the back of the pack is limping, they are an easy target. Some animals of prey have evolved to minimize the appearance of limping, and maximize their ability to run efficiently in spite of pain, by compensation. Fear is a pretty good motivator too, I suppose, but that’s another discussion.
- Published in Injecting Perspective, Z-Blogs
Rolex- An Ode to Sinead and Rebecca
Saturday, May 07 2011
After a fairly anticlimactic result for the Americans and the Canadians at Badminton, I am so excited for some of the horse and rider combinations from Rolex last weekend. Most notably for me are the performances from Rebecca Howard (CAN) and Sinead Halpin (USA). Both Rebecca and Sinead have been good friends and mentors of mine for almost ten years and you couldn’t meet two riders that work harder or enjoy their horses more. I started working for Rebecca and Sinead when I was 17 years old in Middleburg, Virginia when they were partners in running Dunlavin Eventing
- Published in Onward, Upward, Z-Blogs
Derby Fever
Friday, May 06 2011
Pony racing at the local Point to Points is always a high point of my spring. I love to watch the kids before the race when they are gathered in a circle around the steward going over the rules while a sibling, parent or friend walks the pony around the paddock; I love to watch the kids get on their ponies and head off to the start behind the outriders; and mostly I love to watch them run to the finish with an intensity and competitive spirit that transcends their young age. This year at the Plumsted Races the competition was fierce and friendly.
Rolex Part IV: The Wrap.
Tuesday, May 03 2011
The interwebs are awash with photo galleries of this past weekend’s exciting events in Kentucky. How did we ever live without instant access everything? No matter where you were in the world over the weekend, you could almost instantly sift through endless photos of your favorite rider jumping through the Head of the Lake, relive every ride via the excellent www.USEFnetwork.com , or read detailed analysis of each phase by a herd of eventing-obsessed equestrian journalists the world over.
- Published in On the Line, Z-Blogs