Yesterday, a gorgeous new mare moved into our barn. Wowzer… she’s a dish! She was being led down the walkway when I saw a young gelding in the turnout next to me strut and prance and flip his long mane at her. He kept telling her to look over and see how beautiful he is. He nickered and shouted to her that he was the best and smartest horse in the whole barn. When she didn’t react, he hollered at the top of his voice that the rest of us were nothing but old nags unworthy of her. She stopped and turned his direction. I watched her watch him, with great interest. She looked him up and down, flipped her tail at him, and walked off in a huff.
Later, I noticed this fellow was upset and depressed. I strolled over and stood by him, just to keep him company. Eventually he raised his head and quietly asked if I knew why the pretty mare had spurned him. I told him, as gently as I could, that it appeared to me that his superior attitude had turned her off. I shared my belief that when we act like we’re better than everyone else, that same everyone else starts to feel uncomfortable and stops wanting to be around us.
I told him that it’s okay to have confidence, and it’s okay to let our best light shine. But, if we go a step further and act arrogant and superior to our friends and peers, we are intentionally making them feel “less than.” That’s not right. It’s a delicate line between confidence and arrogance. Confidence energy radiates outward and feels good to be around. Arrogance energy sucks inward and is uncomfortable for others to be near.
Germany's Heiner Lehrter on his way to securing individual and team gold at the 2010 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles in Breda. Photo: Rinaldo de Craen.
GERMAN PARA-EQUESTRIAN DRIVERS REIGN SUPREME
7 September – German drivers dominated the 2010 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles at Breda, The Netherlands. Heiner Lehrter and Josef Sauerwald took individual gold and silver respectively and they joined up with Hubert Markett to also secure team gold.
At the previous World Championship in Greven two years ago, the Germans were beaten on their home soil by the Dutch. This time around however the tables were turned as the Germans were strongest on Dutch territory. The host nation took team silver, Great Britain won the bronze and defending double gold-medallist, Jacques Poppen from The Netherlands, earned individual bronze.
Perfect Integration
It was the first time the FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships took place at a regular international driving event, and this new formula turned out to be a great success. The atmosphere was wonderful and all competitors enjoyed the superb competition site at The Prinsenhoeve Estate in Breda. Every year this versatile venue hosts the only Nations Cup in Four-In-Hand Driving in The Netherlands, as well as an international driving competition for pony teams, an international eventing competition and the Dutch eventing Championships and national jumping and dressage competitions. The FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships was perfectly integrated into the Driving programme. Due of the limited number of competitors – 15 entries from 4 nations – it was decided to create one class including Grade 1 and Grade 2 drivers. Grade 2 drivers have greater functional ability than their Grade 1 counterparts.
Kiwi Caroline Powell became the first New Zealand woman to win the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in England at the weekend. Caroline, who hails from Christchurch but is now based on the Scottish Borders at Kelso, joins fellow countrymen Blyth Tait, Andrew Nicholson and Mark Todd on the roll of honour.
Riding the popular 17-year-old grey gelding, Lenamore, they put in a foot perfect performance and remained unphased by pressure after finishing dressage and cross country in pole position with a score of 38.7. Lenamore was one of the oldest horses in the competition and stands at just 15.3 hh.
Seventy six riders from twelve different nations competed for this coveted title, with first ever entries from China and Lithuania. Renown as being a tough challenge with its undulating cross country course and thirty demanding fences, Burghley requires both skill and stamina in abundance.
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