Grace in Motion

scenes from the oaks blenheim, california

Blenheim Red, White, & Blue Grand Prix

copyright kristin kenney, 2009

Susan Hutchison of Temecula, California, captured the fourth week’s grand prix aboard her outstanding eight year old stallion, Cantano. Owner by El Dorado 29, this soaring bay has performed incredibly over the last year, racking up win after win in the Grand Prix arena.

More pictures can be found here .

Breed Profile: KWPN

European sport horses definitely have a lot in common. From common ancestry to similar attributes and skills, they are all geared towards modern equestrian sports, with special emphasis on Show Jumping and Dressage. To kick off this new Equestrianism series, I’ll being with my favorite breed, the Dutch Warmblood.

The Bond

What is it that allows a human and a horse to do the unthinkable? To join forces and perform intricate maneuvers, to charge boldly into dark hollows, to stretch out over five-foot jumps, to sprint unstoppably beyond breaking point? What part of each creature’s innate chemistry allows them to understand each other on a level so much deeper than verbal cues or even body language can convey?

Oaks Blenheim Grand Prix Video

Just a short video I shot of the $30,000 Blenheim Classic Grand Prix on June 7.

Meredith and Steffen Shine in Vegas

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly Dominate (Photo: Kit Houghton)

Winning the 31st running of the FEI World Cup Finals in either Show Jumping or Dressage is an immensely difficult task. One must ride into the the tightly-packed Thomas & Mack Center arena and tackle a course of bright and visually challenging jumps, battling not only the tricky course, but the sport’s best riders from around the world.

Superstar

He may not have won his last start, but few can discount Curlin’s almost supernatural ability and style. He has gone above and beyond the normal career path of American racehorses, and has proven that his name belongs beside those of champions of decades gone by.

A Presidential (Horse) Race

With all the media frenzy surrounding the upcoming election, it’s sometimes hard to collect one’s thoughts and really consider the best person for the job. Both Obama and McCain have pros and cons associated with them, and sometimes the best way to really sort out those qualities is to stay away from the hype and take a look at an interesting parallel in the racing industry.

Stable Scoop Radio Show

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of speaking with the great people behind the Stable Scoop Radio Show, a program which features news about the equine world, a variety of equestrian blogs, and interesting snippets about horse sports and events.

Communication

Harley

I’m going to stray away from the usual Equestrianism fodder to touch upon a bit of an interesting, if not controversial, topic. It’s something I have found interesting and certainly applicable when it comes to problem horses, yet I’m not sure I entirely believe this method or practice, although my experiences with it have definitely caused me to open my eyes and widen my perspective on how we communicate with horses.