Tomato, Tomahhhhto.
Saturday, January 07 2012
One man’s vision is another man’s abomination, as recent events have proven true in the tiny equestrian village and/or burgeoning international equestrian hub that we all call Wellington. If you’ve been living under a rock these past months, now is the time to crawl out of it and Google “Global Dressage Festival.” Mark Bellissimo and Wellington Equestrian Partners know how to garner attention, and when they announced plans for a sweeping international-caliber competition facility for dressage back in March 2011, heads swiveled so fast around the globe that you could hear the whiplash.
- Published in On the Line, Z-Blogs
Helmets Required for all Levels of Equine Canada Dressage Competition in 2012
Friday, December 30 2011
[December 27, 2011] Equine Canada and Dressage Canada are taking an industry-wide leadership role by requiring all dressage riders to wear helmets in competition. Commencing in 2012, a national rule change will require all riders to wear helmets for all levels of Equine Canada sanctioned dressage competition. The rule for January 1, 2012 is SAFETY HEADGEAR All riders, regardless of age or level or competition, must wear ASTM/SEI or BSI/BS EN approved protective headgear at all times when mounted at any EC-sanctioned Dressage competition at the event location. “I am very proud of our Dressage Committee for taking this step,” said Equine Canada president Michael Gallagher. “I believe we are the first national federation in the world to introduce this rule across all levels, and I can guarantee we will not be the last.” This change for 2012 is a modification to the rule that was put in place in May 2011 where all riders competing in Fourth Level and below, FEI Young Horse Tests, Material and equitation classes at Bronze, Silver and Gold shows had to wear helmets. This rule also included non-competing riders as well. “Helmet use is an important step and component in the safety for all our members,” said John Harris, chair of Equine Canada Board’s Task Force on Safety.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Laura B makes British Dressage History
Thursday, December 15 2011
Britain’s European Dressage gold medal trio of Laura Bechtolsheimer (Mistral Hojris), Charlotte Dujardin (Valegro) and Carl Hester (Uthopia) took the top three places in the Reem Acra FEI Grand Prix freestyle at Olympia, The London International Horse Show. It was however a close outcome: just 0.5% divided the three and all three scored over 83% making it the highest scoring World Cup qualifier of the 2011-2012 series so far. “The result was a dream come true for British dressage,” said Stephen Clarke, President of the Ground Jury. “The riders did a fantastic job and made us, the judges, work. It was difficult to separate them and with such huge scores.” It was also an historic win for Laura and Mistral Hojris who became the first British winners of the Olympia World Cup qualifier since its inception in 2004 and the first Briton to win a World Cup qualifier freestyle since Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Dutch Gold. Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
USEF Report from First Pre-Olympic Games Dressage Clinic
Wednesday, December 14 2011
Lexington, KY – The first of six pre-Olympic Games Dressage Clinics kicked off at beautiful Epona Farm in Thousand Oaks, CA. These clinics, a joint effort by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the USET Foundation will help prepare horses and riders for the 2012 London Olympic Games
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
MORE: FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES
Wednesday, December 07 2011
The response to the re-published “For The Love Of Horses” has been amazing, but the problem isn’t going to go away by itself. What are we going to do about the unwanted horses? I’ve been reading comments on Facebook, visiting various sites, and looking for answers. Here are several links and comments worth reading.
- Published in Lauren Gallops, Z-Blogs
FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES pt. 1
Thursday, December 01 2011
The following is a story that I researched and wrote for Sidelines’ February 2011 issue. It was a very challenging story to write, because of the subject matter: unwanted horses in the United States. I love horses, but my work doesn’t have me laughing all the way to the bank. Neigh, I live on a tight budget and if I splurge on anything, it’s on having one pony and one dog. That’s it. They eat before I do.
- Published in Lauren Gallops, Z-Blogs
Fun Bustin’ Muttons at WIHS
Friday, November 18 2011
Sure, the 53rd annual Washington International Horse Show (October 23-28, 2011 at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C.) may have been home to such prestigious competitions as the $100,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix CSI3*-W, the WIHS Equitation Classic Finals and the $25,000 Puissance, but what folks really came out to see was the tough as nails riders who braved the fiercely competitive mutton-busting class. That’s right, Mutton Busting! Show us a rider who will don a full-face helmet, wind their fingers through the rough wool of a writhing sheep and hang on for dear life as said sheep runs for its own, and we’ll show you a true champion. Hats off to all the 2011 WIHS Mutton Busters, and especially to this year’s Mutton Busting Champion, 8-year-old Marissa Jones of River Chase Farm. Out of the gate they came, in a fast-moving blaze of thick wool and hooved fury. . . . . . Some riders kept their eyes bravely forward, determined to tame their mutton by ring's end
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Rest In Peace.
Sunday, November 06 2011
Courtesy of Spruce Meadows Media Services Hickstead Dutch-bred stallion by Hamlet 2008 Olympic Champion Best Horse, 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Winner, CN Spruce Meadows Masters, Grand Prix of Aachen, CN $1 Million International Grand Prix, countless others. 1996 – 2011.
- Published in On the Line, Z-Blogs
2012 George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session Presented by USHJA and Adequan: Promoting the Importance of Excellent Horsemastership
Friday, November 04 2011
Lexington, KY - Mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2012 George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session presented by the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) and Adequan. The sixth annual George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session will be held on January 3-7, 2012, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The following 12 riders will be invited to participate: The North American Young Riders Individual Champion from the 2011 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North The North American Junior Rider Individual Champion from the 2011 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North The 2011 Randolph College/USEF National Jr.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Who’s Your Daddy?
Monday, October 31 2011
The Who’s Your (Horse’s) Daddy Contest , sponsored by Omega Fields The art of breeding depends on many things; bloodlines of the mare, bloodlines of the sire, performance, conformation, markings, the list goes on and on! And successfully breeding and raising that next big star requires knowledge, a good plan, and a whole lot of patience! For those of you who have been lucky (or crazy) enough to dip your toe into the deep pool of sporthorse breeding, our hat’s off to you. In honor of Sidelines Magazine ’s upcoming breeding focus issue, and also just for fun, we’ve partnered with Omega Fields to present a contest that asks foals and their humans, “who’s your daddy?” We’re looking for that foal who is the mirror image of his daddy. Markings, attitude, confirmation. We know being a lookalike isn’t necessarily a foal’s golden ticket to success in life, but it sure is fun to find the sires that really “stamp” their offspring. We want to see the best lookalike picture of your foal AND his sire. We’ll put them side-by-side, and let you vote for the foal who looks the most like his daddy.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs