This year’s Morven Park cross country is taking shape! Photo via one of the hardworking course builders on task with final preps, Jamie Gornall.
Happy Morven Park week!
It’s time to shift our focus back to the States this week as the $200,000 Final for the US Equestrian Open of Eventing looms large at Morven Park (Leesburg, VA). This big purse was added last year, and we’ve got at least one more year of this new series on the books. The CCI4*-L Final division is well-stocked with potential winners, with 39 entries that include last year’s Series and Final champion, Boyd Martin, 2026 Series winner Tamie Smith, Kentucky winner Will Coleman, recent Stable View 4*-S winners Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic, and many more who all have a shot at the big title and the richest non-5* purse in eventing.
And that isn’t all of the action you can take in this week! In addition to the US Open, we’ll also see some future stars of the sport in the USEA/USEF Developing Horse National Championships, with both 6- and 7-year-olds competing at the CCI2*-S and CCI3*-S levels, respectively.
If you’re unable to attend in person, you will be able to follow along live on ClipMyHorse.TV here. Additional content will also be available on the Morven Park YouTube channel here throughout the week.
For those of you planning to attend, Leesburg is ready to welcome you and you can also secure free general admission and parking to the weekend’s action simply by clicking here. Additional information for visitors and competitors can be found here.
We’ll be back with you later on with more from Morven Park, so stay tuned!
Morven Park Fall International CCI & H.T. / US Equestrian Open Final (VA): [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [ClipMyHorse.TV Live Stream]
Major International Events This Weekend
Military Boekelo / FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-NC-L (Netherlands): [Website] [Entries/Timing/Scores] [Live Stream]
U.S. Events This Weekend
The Maryland Horse Trials & Area II Championships at Loch Moy Farm (MD): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Woodside Fall International (CA): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Volunteer]
Apple Knoll Farm H.T. (MS): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Volunteer]
WindRidge Farm Fall H.T. (NC): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Ocala Fall H.T. (FL): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Pine Hill Fall H.T. (TX): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Volunteer]
Middle Tennessee Pony Club H.T. (TN): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores]
In the News
- The USEA has named the athletes selected for its Emerging Athlete U21 (Under 21) development program’s winter National Training Camp. Athletes were first invited to partake in a series of regional clinics around the country, and from that pool these individuals have been selected to take the next steps. This year’s National Camp will take place at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, CA, December 29 through January 2. Meet the invited riders here.
- New international research on one of the most lethal forms of equine colic suggests that protocol deserves closer scrutiny than it has been getting. Strangulating lipoma is what the reference is here, and a deep dive on this new research can be found here.
- Racing NSW and Equestrian Australia have formalized a five-year partnership focused on the welfare of Thoroughbreds beyond their racing careers, strengthening the pathway for horses into equestrian sport and supporting the people who take them on. Projects like a horse registry, an educational hub for current and prospective Thoroughbred owners, and activations around the industry are on the docket to help bridge the gap for racehorses transitioning to a new career. Read more.
- If you follow the show jumping beat, you may be in the know already. For those of you outside of it, one of the bigger competitions on the circuit, the Longines League of Nations, took place over the weekend in Barcelona. Germany emerged on top, with the USA finishing fourth, echoing some of the disappointment felt at this summer’s World Championships, which saw the Americans take fourth as well. Read more on the action in Spain.
Recommended Reading & Listening
- I know nothing: It’s not just a Jon Snow issue. The more we know, the less we know. Horse Network blogger Orchid Berteisen. And sometimes when we know better, we don’t always transfer that information straight to the part of our brain that asks “what if there’s more?” Read Orchid’s musings here.
- From unrideable to unstoppable: How one horse, purchased for £1, turned a “dangerous” reputation into a thriving career as a team chaser, thanks to the belief of one person. Read the story.
Sponsor Corner: More Than Mowers — John Deere’s Full Property Care Lineup
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Coaching Corner
Go Eventing
Awkward excellence:
