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The 2016 Rio Olympic Team

6/30/2016

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   The Olympics! They are just a couple months away and yesterday the final riders were announced for the U.S. Olympic team riding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Watching the Olympics, summer or winter, is a special event. The top athletes in their sport representing their country. I swell with pride and well up with tears just thinking about it. I love watching!

   I remember vividly watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics and stumbling across the show jumping playing in prime time (that almost NEVER happens). I was almost 9 and I pointed at the screen and declared "That is what I want to do!" I started riding lessons the following spring and haven't looked back. One day I will cross off doing the Grand Prixs. Until then, I will keep watching and cheering.
Let's meet the horse and rider combos that will be making the journey all the way to Brazil.

Show Jumping

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Lucy Davis & Baron

   (Los Angeles, California) This will be Lucy Davis' first Olympics and she will be riding Barron a 2004 Belgium Warmblood gelding. Barron is named after Davis' grandfather who was a jockey's agent. Davis is 23 years old and was the youngest rider at 20 to win a Global Champions Tour Grand Prix which she did in Lausanne. Davis also graduated last summer from Stanford University with an Engineering degree.

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Kent Farrington & Voyeur

   (Wellington, Florida) Another first Olympics for Kent Farrington and his mount Voyeur a 2002 KWPN gelding. Farrington grew up in Chicago and won many equitation finals towards the end of his junior years. He then turned professional and earned over $1 million in prize money his first three years. This amazing accomplishment earned him the Maxine Beard Award in 2001, which recognizes young talent with the potential to represent the U.S. 

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Beezie Madden & Cortes 'C'

   (Cazenovia, New York) Beezie Madden is the Queen of Show Jumping. She is the first woman to pass the $1 million mark in prize money and this will be her fourth consecutive Olympics. This trip she will be riding Cortes 'C' a 2002 Belgium Warmblood gelding. Madden has been representing the U.S. at the highest level for almost three decades and she has won the Equestrian of the Year honor four times in 2006 & 2007 and again in 2013 & 2014. She is the first person to receive back to back honors.

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McLain Ward & Azur

   (Brewster, New York) McLain Ward will also be making his fourth consecutive Olympic appearance this time aboard Azur a 2006 Belgium Warmblood mare. In 1990 Ward was the youngest rider to win the USET Medal Finals and Talent Derby at the age of 14. Then, as a professional he became the youngest rider to break the $1 million mark at age 24. Early in 2012 Ward suffered from a shattered knee cap and had to spend three months out of the saddle. His first event back was a Grand Prix win and then later that summer he went to the London Olympics.

Dressage

Allison Brock & Rosevelt

   (Loxahatchee, Florida) This will be Allison Brock's first Olympics and she will ride Rosevelt a 2002 Hanoverian stallion. Brock grew up in Hawaii and age 17 came to the mainland to train and work for Olympian Sue Blinks. Fritz and Claudine Kundrun, the owners of Rosevelt, saw elite potential in Brock and hired her to be their head trainer and decided to sponsor and develop her into the competitor she is today.
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Laura Graves & Verdades

   (Geneva, Florida) Another first Olympic appearance for Laura Graves and her horse Verdades a 2002 KWPN gelding. Three years ago Graves left her job as a hairstylist to develop her "unruly" horse Verdades. Under the guidance of many top trainers Graves has risen to the top level and since 2014 has made a huge splash in many international competitions. 
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Kasey Perry-Glass & Dublet

   (Orangevale, California) Also experiencing her first Olympics, Kasey Perry-Glass will be riding Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding. Perry-Glass began her riding career doing eventing, and it wasn't until high school she truly fell in love with the sport of dressage. She then graduated from California State University Sacramento with a degree in business entrepreneurship. Over the past three years Perry-Glass has won a few major competitions shooting her to the top of the sport.
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Steffen Peters & Legolas 92

   (San Diego, California) Bringing experience to the dressage team, Steffen Peters will be competing in his fourth Olympics aboard Legolas 92, a 2002 Westphalian gelding. Born and raised in Germany, Peters moved to San Diego in 1984 and became a U.S. citizen in 1992. Peters has an incredible show record including in 2008, riding a different horse Ravel, the pair won every single event they entered. 
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Eventing

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Philip Dutton & Fernhill Cubalawn

   (West Grove, Pennsylvania) Originally from Australia and representing AUS three times, winning consecutive team gold medals in the Olympics, this will be Phillip Dutton's third Olympics representing the U.S. after becoming a citizen in 2006. This year he is aboard Fernhill Cubalawn a 2003 Holsteiner gelding. Dutton has won the Leading Rider of the Year Title 13 times and held the title for ten consecutive years from 2000-10.

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Lauren Kieffer & Veronica

   (Ocala, Florida) This will be Lauren Kieffer's first Olympics and she will be aboard Veronica a 2002 Dutch Warmblood mare. Kieffer has spent many years training under eventing legends David and Karen O'Connor. When the O'Connors retired Kieffer got the opportunity to take over the ride of Veronica. In 2013 the pair found their groove and started making waves at the highest competitions. The pair was the highest ranked U.S. competitor at the 2014 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event.

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Boyd Martin & Blackfoot Mystery

   (Cochranville, Pennsylvania) Another Australian born rider Boyd Martin was on the long list for the Olympics for three different years. After moving to the U.S. in 2006 Martin worked for Phillip Dutton before striking out on his own. After dealing with a tragic barn fire in 2010 and personal loss, Martin is back at the top of his game and will be competing in his second Olympics, this year with Blackfoot Mystery a 2004 Thoroughbred gelding.

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Clark Montgomery & Loughan Glen

   (Tetbury, England) Clark Montgomery will be making his Olympic debut aboard Loughan Glen a 2003 Irish Sport Horse gelding. After growing up in Texas, Montgomery moved to the East Coast to train with David and Karen O'Connor and Captain Mark Phillips. With many top finishes in the U.S. and abroad Montgomery decided to relocate his family and business in 2012 to the Cotswolds region of England.
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How To: Wear A Hair Net

6/13/2016

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   If you read last weeks post about the 6 Wrong Ways to Wear a Hair Net and were guilty of one of those styles then this post is for you! Wearing a professional and sleek hair net is one of those things you don't want to draw attention to. People only notice a bad looking hair net. Don't be that person.

   First you will need a horse show hair net. I've tried before to buy the hair nets they sell at Walmart or Target, but those are extremely thin and useless. Spend the money and get the kind they sell at tack shops or horse shows, they are worth it! I like and use these from Dover Saddlery, and they come with a matching hair tie. It's everything you need! The hair nets come in a range of colors, so try and get the one that matches the best. I usually stick to the medium brown.

   Start by brushing your hair straight down and in front of your shoulders. This helps cover your ears the best. I'm not 100% sure as to why covering the ears is SO important, but it is! If you have short bangs, be sure to pin them back, trust me it's just easier than trying to wrangle them into the hair net. If you have layered hair don't worry, so do I and the hair net can handle them. Now I don't have very thick hair, but it is pretty long and I don't have any problems with it all fitting under my helmet.

   When you put the hair net on to begin don't worry about it coming too far down your face, we'll fix that later. First just focus on covering your ears completely with hair. I let me earlobes stay poked out so my earrings don't get caught. And this adds just a touch of sparkle that I can't help but enjoy. Pull the hair net back into the same grasp as the rest of your ponytail and use the hair tie to secure it all together. Now you can push back the hair net to be in line with your hairline. Flip upside down and pull your ponytail forward. Make sure there aren't any runaway strands. Then put on your helmet from back to front. Check the hair over your ears one last time and you are all set!
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6 Wrong Ways to Wear a Hair Net

6/6/2016

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   As the weather heats up, the horse showing jumps into full swing! There are quite a few things that are special to horse shows, and hair nets tend to be one of them. Some people will ride with a hair net every day, but most do not. This post will demonstrate some of the most common ways to wear a hair net that is all wrong! If you wear your hair in one of these fashions, fear not! Next week there will be a video detailing how to properly wear a hair net.

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The Knotty Way

   The knots of the hair net strategically placed over the ears.

   While this is clever to help relieve some pain from a knot digging into your scalp, there are better fixes!! Like a one knot hair net.

All Ears

   Somehow you get all the hair in the hair net, yet it all gets tucked behind the ears.

   Way to go, you technically put your hair in a hair net. But, you've truly defeated the purpose, no one wants to see your ears! Why? No clue. We just don't.
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Low Rider

   This look is usually paired with a wild look in the riders eye and a sweaty, run-away horse.

   The best fix here is to get a properly fitting helmet, but pushing back the hair net to align with your hair line will solve this one in no time. Just make sure you actually get the hair over your ears.

Peak-a-boo Ears

   The hair net made it over the ears, we just forgot about the hair.

   C'mon people! You got this far, just get the hair over your ears! This way of doing your hair net really makes no sense. What are you trying to avoid by not getting the hair with the hair net?
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The Hot Mess

   This is the "I tried, I'm just bad at it" look.

   Practice, practice, practice!!! Or get a hair net nazi to do it for you. This look usually starts out looking like it should be just fine, but then after two warm up jumps things start to fall apart.

Bad Ballerina

   The hair is usually in a low ponytail and then for some reason we bunch all of our hair into a hair net.

   Only dressage riders are seen with a little bun sticking out of the bottom of their hair nets. And most definitely they do not look like this! If you are jumping we shouldn't even be having this conversation.
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   Please, if any of these looks have graced your noggin, or if you have seen them on your friends please stay tuned for next weeks video on how to correctly wear a hair net!!!
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