Such a deal!  Scott and Patty Traphagen are holding a “Foal Naming Contest”. You get to decide the name, pay the bills for the next 4 years, and be First Rider UP!  Don’t pass up this great opportunity! (Cute foal, isn’t it?)

Catching up: Back by popular demand is the Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon but this year with a new exciting twist85the event is now dubbed the quadrathlon 85858585. can you guess what other equine discipline we might have added to the mix? This year the event will be held at the Jim Brandon Arena in West Palm where a dinner with white table cloths will be right at ring side on Sunday, January 31, 2011.

The event will benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation again and we are presently looking both for teams and for sponsorship. Tickets will also go on sale soon. Call Cetty Weiss 561.282.7495 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Nelson Pessoa has the task to form a strong team for the east European country Azerbeidzjan. He already had Patrick Mc Entee, Francesco Franco and Jamal Rahimov on his team and now also Jerry Smit is joining.

Woohoo! One of the best riders in Denmark, Tina Lund, was picked as  the sexiest woman in Denmark. 30,000 readers of the website www.connery.dk voted for Tina and that was more than sufficient for this title. She was eleven times Danish show jumping champion, three times Nordic champion and won the gold at the Europeans for junior riders. Tina Lund was also one of the eye-catchers last year during a European edition of the television program Dancing with the Stars.

If the shoe fits, shame on you! The equine photography industry is facing a theft crisis. The posting of “proofs” all over facebook has led to a decline in actual sales and made it difficult for photographers to cover the huge expense of traveling to horse shows. Photogs endure the elements for hours to capture that perfect moment, and invest in the best equipment money can buy. If things keep going the way they are, amateur photographers will be the only ones left. True professional photographers will find they can make much better money shooting weddings and receptions, where their skill and work is valued and paid for.

Angel Karoli who is out in Spruce Meadows with his client Megan (without Andrea King) forgot to get out of bed and arrived to find his client “mucking”.....oh,oh,oh...Andrea should maybe catch a flight out there?

Jumper rider and jewelry designer Diane Johnston recently celebrated her 40th (uh-hem) birthday with 200 of her best friends at Lionsgate. Boston PR pal and attorney Beverly Lake Wilkes transformed Lionsgate into an exact replica of “Wonderland” and the “Mad Hatter Tea Party”-  yes, literally, as in Tim Burton’s new Alice in Wonderland movie — replete with all the whacky characters in their life-size glory, a tea party menu, a hookah-smoking blue caterpillar, and a Queen of Hearts birthday cake to boot.A bevy of equestrians rocked it to Jefferson Airplane’s Alice classic “White Rabbit”, among them Myopia’s MFH Don Little with wife Judy, Robi Greenberg Kabnick, Miranda Winthrop, trainer Wendy Smith, and Sydney Johnston McConathy. Falling down a rabbit hole was never such fun!!! 

Samantha Charles, Jill, David and Renick Townsend, Steve and Denise Martines were among the guests who flew out to Texas for Noah Weiss and Casey Silverman’s wedding.  The wedding was absolutely over the top, held at the Ritz Carlton Dallas and Brad and Cetty Weiss were beaming all weekend. Congratulations Noah and Casey, we wish you a long life together.

Larry Langer, the Zone 10 Jumper Committee Chairman, learned the hard way to be sure and proof read the Zone 10 Young Rider selection trial procedures. A simple 2 appeared in a place where a 3 was supposed to be, and although it did not actually cause World War Three in Zone 10, it came very close. Larry promises to read every word very carefully in the future, so everyone can keep smiling.

Congratulations indeed to the Young Riders representing the US on the US Show Jumping Young Rider Tour.  The squad of Jennifer Waxman and Venturo, Michael Murphy and Katina 12, Nick Dello Joio with Malcolm and Karl Cook on Uno de Laubry fought hard through two rounds of the Nations Cup to force a jump-off with the home team and eventually outran the Netherlands for their first Nations Cup win at CSIOY Weirden!

Horses: Did you spot Rodrigo Pessoa on his new mount Ashley at Spruce Meadows? Under the name Loro Piana Ashley, the horse of Giulia Martinengo Marquet jumped previously under the saddle of Ghazi Mohd al Doseri before he went to Jos Lansink to be sold. Hunter Harrison bought it for Rodrigo,  as well as the stallion Rado d’Houtveld for his daughter Cayce Harrison and Quentin Judge. Rado was formerly ridden by Hubert Bourdy and Kevin Staut. 

VDL Orame, the stallion Chris Kappler used to ride in the States has been sold by his owner Wiebke Van De Lageweg to Italy. In 2008, Dutchman Jur Vrieling took over the reins and won the Nations Cup of Copenhagen for the Netherlands team with VDL Orame. Now the 14-year-old stallion goes to Italy.

Jos Lansink is  doing great these days. He tipped Okidoki for Jose Larocca, and he’s dealing with Hunter Harrison and is selling horses to his pupils. The up and coming Belgian rider Cindy Van der Straeten, who took fourth place in the GP of Wiesbaden recently, has bought Luxana with Jos. That mare was previously under the saddle of Toni Hassmann, with whom the horse jumped to third spot in the Grand Prix of Bremen earlier this year. Jos also had the Holstein stallion Caretello formerly ridden by Caroline MFCller, standing in his barn for sale.

The grey Belgian gelding Wonderboy III won’t go to Kentucky with Ben Maher. The horse has been sold to Ahmed Hamcho, and is now ridden by German rider Oliver Lemmer. Ben now has to rely on Robin Hood to qualify for the WEG.

The nine-year-old stallion Utopie of Marc Houtzager was sold to a young American rider. It was Stephan Conter of Belgium, who came up with the clients. Utopie just started up jumping 1.60m Grand Prix. 

Alvaro de Miranda, the husband of Athina Onassis, has a new ride. They bought Ashleigh Drossel Dan ,the top grey horse of New Zealand’s Philip Lever. 

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum has had a tough time of it lately. Two years ago she won the Grand Prix de Cannes, but before the show this year Shutterfly began to founder, canceling her plans.  Add to that the fact that she just descended by 7 places in the world ranking list (now being 30th) due to a somewhat difficult comeback after pregnancy and Meredith’s not having a very good summer.

Horse show news; Congratulations to Bob Ellis (GBR) who produced the courses for last year’s Alltech FEI European Jumping Championships. Bob was recently named the jumping course designer for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Working closely equestrian events manager Tim Hadaway, Bob will develop design concepts for fences that showcase the themes of UK culture, London’s heritage and landmarks, and the history of Greenwich itself. He will also oversee jumping courses for the test event in July 2011.

Internationally renowned course designer, Guilherme Jorge, of Brazil, has been selected as course designer for the Grand Prix Ring at the 35th Hampton Classic Horse Show, which returns to Bridgehampton, NY, August 29 - September 5. Jorge takes over for long-time Hampton Classic course designer, Conrad Homfeld, who chose to step down from the position this year as he prepares for his role as course designer at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. 

The cancellation of the International Hunter Futurity Mid West Regional Finals has quite a few people upset.  There are those who spent the year focusing on this event and to have it canceled after nominations were accepted has caused quite the stir.

News to share:  New baby, engagement, pickup truck?  On the move, having parties, falling off horses?  Share what’s happenin’ with your horse show friends by e-mailing us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Be sure to put “News for Asides” in the subject line.

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