Free Republic

The New York Times, that intrepid warrior for anything and everything that the Left is hysterical about, on Friday published a lengthy piece about a source of systemic racism that no one has ever noticed before: It seems that equestrian helmets are racist because they don’t accommodate the dreadlocks that some black horse riders wear. One black rider’s mother lamented: “Mostly everything in this sport isn’t designed for us.” Well, that’s got to change, and these Jackie Robinsons of the Coiffure, with the Times’ generous help, are leading the way to the Equestrian Helmet Justice that our society so desperately...

Dutch Olympic medalist Adelinde Cornelissen has been forced to withdraw her dressage horse from the Rio games after it contracted a toxic fever. Cornelissen said the problem with Parzival, a 19-year-old Jazz gelding who won individual silver and team bronze at London 2012, was believed to stem from a bite from a mosquito or a spider. She retired from the competition after just a handful of movements. Cornelissen said the fever started the day before the event began when the horse had a fever of over 40 degrees. 'When I came into the stable he had a swollen cheek, and...

Rio de Janeiro—Aug. 6 A shot was fired today into the equestrian media center at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. No one was injured. The media center is a large semi-permanent tent fewer than 50 meters from the field of play. The shot was fired around 1:13 p.m. local time, during the lunch break on Day 1 of eventing dressage. Over 100 members of the equestrian media were finishing up lunch and getting ready to return to photograph the competition when a loud bang startled the room. “I looked up because I thought that a light unit had fallen...

What you’ll see: An early spring has transformed Henry W. Coe State Park into one of the best parks for mountain biking anywhere in America. At 87,000 acres, it’s the largest state park in Northern California. A 250-mile network of ranch roads and trails — including my favorite, the ride from Hunting Hollow to Kelly Lake — makes it a cyclist’s paradise. Location: Henry Coe is in remote Santa Clara County, surrounded by Morgan Hill (access to park headquarters), Gilroy (access to Hunting Hollow) and Bell Station (during special events, access to Dowdy Creek entrance and Orestimba Wilderness). Bike to...

1941: U.S. ARMY STAGES REALISTIC MASS WAR MANEUVERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Just wanted to share a couple excellent links for info on tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. A ton of info at this one, included prior races charts, prior races video, etc.http://www.kentuckyderby.com/horsesFree Past Performances: (on PDF File—Adobe required)http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/KentuckyDerby15.pdf

I see the WaPo let the cat out of the bag, which was picked up by  WeaselZippers and now everybody’s buzzing about Lady M and the Wee Wons private weekend at the luxurious Salamander spa.I don’t know why people begrudge Lady M a little R&R; after all, she did just complete a tour of duty overseas. Doesn’t everyone deserve a good cleanse and refreshing massage after such a grueling trip:Plus, shortly after her return she attended Easter church services; who wouldn’t be exhausted?And, as MO herself explained to Michael Strahan at the Spring-Sphere Roll: “You know, if we’re not going...

Tulsa man accused of taking toddler on drunken horse ride A Tulsa man who was once charged on an out-of-state child endangerment complaint was arrested by police Monday after he allegedly was seen riding a horse with a 3-year-old child while intoxicated. Dennis Carl Byers, 38, was booked into the Tulsa Jail on child neglect and public intoxication complaints, jail records show. Byers was spotted by Tulsa police about 8 p.m. Monday in the 2000 block of East 56th North on a horse with a small child, Byers' arrest report said. Officers who stopped Byers observed that he had blood...

'Mystery' Horse Impregnates Five Mares on Bourbon Farm CENTERVILLE — As bettors and the general public study equine bloodlines to prep for their possible Kentucky Derby wagers, Bourbon County horse owner Marilyn Montavon is trying to solve a mystery that could cost her thousands of dollars. On April 15, tax-filing deadline day, two new dependents showed up on her farm in the form of two foals — a colt born to the mare Goldie and a filly born to Mert. The babies were a surprise to Montavon because she has no studs on her farm, and she hadn't bred the...

Plague of the overweight riders who are too heavy for their horses • Only one in 20 riders are within the optimum weight for their horse • A heavy load can mean back pain, lameness and bad behaviour in horses • Vet guidelines advise that riders weigh less than 10 per cent of their mount • Weighing more than 15 per cent of horse's weight poses health risks • Research is published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour Horses are the latest victims of the obesity crisis as they take the burden of their overweight riders, experts have warned. A...

The oldest competitor at the 2012 Olympic Games has revealed the extraordinary sacrifices he has made in order to remain a medal contender well past retirement age. Hiroshi Hoketsu, who will represent Japan in the equestrian discipline of dressage at the age of 71, told Yahoo! Sports how chasing a slice of history and becoming the oldest Olympian in the last 92 years is the result of a fanatical commitment to the sport.

Basketball star taking on "Amos the Wonder Horse" at AAAA horse that shoots hoops is taking on a Harlem Globetrotters' star in Miami Monday in a game or H.O.R.S.E. for charity. The Globetrotters’ Buckets Blakes will be taking on "Amos the Wonder Horse" at the AmericanAirlines Arena Monday afternoon. The two will be playing with children from the American Heart Hereos, a group that works with children born with congenital heart disease. Buckets will give the children a sneak peek of the Globetrotters game that will be held March 10 at the Arena and give an honorary award to Amos,...

The month after Barbara Ann Stanislav and William J. Papp Jr. saw each other's profiles on the Internet dating site Match.com in 2005, the two horse lovers made plans to go on a date to a Westchester, N.Y., stable. According to Stanislav, whose equestrian skills were a bit rusty, Papp assured her that he would give her a gentle, safe horse to ride. But on their third date, when the two met on a winter afternoon, the day took a tragic turn. As Papp and another rider were performing jumps, Stanislav was seriously injured when her horse "Teddy" suddenly lunged...

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The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - Who's Who *pics* This is a horse chat thread where we share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories. I always have a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts…...

"GMUG" stands for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Combined, they encompass some 2.9 million acres of National Forest lands in Central and Western Colorado. These three forests are home to some of the most outstanding recreational opportunity in the West. Right now, the forest's are revising their Forest Plans. These management plans provide broad guidance on what activities may or may not occur on these lands. The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national recreation advocacy group that champions recreational access and responsible use of public and private lands, is growing increasingly concerned about the influence several anti-access groups...

The World Equestrian Games, an international event expected to draw up to 300,000 people over two weeks, will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010. The Federation Equestre Internationale, meeting in Bahrain, picked the Horse Park over the only other finalist, the Normandy region of France, the Herald-Leader learned from French newspaper, Ouest France. Associated Press confirmed the news minutes later. A team of five Kentuckians flew to Bahrain over the weekend to make their final presentation today to the FEI. The team was led by John Nicholson, Horse Park executive director, and John Long, CEO of the...

ATHENS (Reuters) - France, Britain and the United States have issued a joint challenge to Germany's gold medal in the equestrian team three-day eventing. The three, dropped a peg by Germany's gold, said they were united in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest appeals body, on Friday or within days. "In the interest of our athletes, fair play and the integrity of sport, it is our prerogative to explore every avenue," British team press officer Philip Pope said. France had initially won the team silver but took the gold after top German rider Bettina...

On Sunday, a friend of mine was horseback riding deep in wooded trails. In summary, the horse flipped over backward on him and broke his back. This guy may be the most "wired" hyper individual I've ever known, and in addition to his dire physical straits, he's going absolutely nuts in the hospital. He has of course been flat on his back since he got there, and a HEFTY Dilaudid drip isn't killing the pain. Surgery is tomorrow, and they expect it to take all day to put the vertebra back together. Prayers for healing, guidance for the surgeon and...