Texas Rose Horse Park hosted its first horse trials of the 2021 season this past Saturday and Sunday. It was a welcomed relief to all the Area V competitors and spectators after a grueling February that brought a polar vortex through the region causing cancellations and postponements for several events. The brutal storm shut down much of the region due to subzero temperatures that froze roads, broke water pipes, and even caused the shutdown of the electrical grid, which left many residents without heat and power.
So, it has been a bit of a month for Texans. Now they finally get a chance to get out, dust off the saddle, get that dually hummin’ down the road, and kick back and watch that famous Texas Rose Horse Park sunset.
For many of the riders, it was just an opportunity to knock the rust off after a grueling winter storm, but for others like Lauren Lambert, it was a chance to work on some refinement before heading to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event next month to compete in the CCI4*-S. It was a smooth ride for Lambert and her own 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Fantastique (Toulan x Nikitona) cruising through the dressage portion of the event and demonstrating their fantastique (sorry, could not help myself) skills on the show jumping course.
Brooks Searcy and Chloe Johnson were also seen participating at Texas Rose this weekend. Several weeks ago the two were competing in the first-ever USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) team challenge conducted in Ocala, Fla. The team, Team Garth coached by Rebecca Brown, would go on to win the inaugural event with their other team members Camdyn Rahe and Kenna Jensen.
Although it was a rough start to the season for the folks in Area V everyone is excited to finally get the season underway. They will keep that momentum going with the Holly Hills HT event coming up in several weeks. So, stay cool Texas, or eh, warm, well you know what I mean.
Find the full results from the event here.
About Texas Rose Horse Park. Texas Rose Horse Park is a family-owned and operated premier event facility located in the beautiful rolling hills of Tyler, Texas. The 1700-acre expanse features a full size lighted indoor arena, six all-weather footing outdoor show arenas including one Grand Prix Jumper Ring, three show barns housing over 350 12x12 stalls, a tent pad to accommodate an additional 350 horses, a Beginner Novice through Advanced level Cross Country Course, a 61-slot RV Park and a concession court.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is proud to announce the first class of USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Judges have completed their certifications through the YEH New Judge Education Program, which was led by YEH faculty member, Marilyn Payne.
Nazila Hejazi and her 20-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter mare, Tessa, may have made for an unconventional pair at the USEA Area VI Championships, held in October at Galway Downs (Temecula, California) but they didn’t let that hold them back. It’s uncommon to see a horse in their twenties still competing in eventing, and even more rare for a gaited horse to compete in a jumping sport.
Today, we pause to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on the powerful moment in 1963 when he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his vision for a better future. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was more than just words; it was a call to action that transcended time, culture, and boundaries—a beacon of hope that continues to inspire.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.