View this post on InstagramA post shared by Equestrian Australia (@equestrianaus)It doesnt seem like four years since the last Olympics (oh no wait, thats because its only been three, my mistake) and yet here we are, on the cusp of the next ones. This time next week, the Games will be officially open, Paris will be full of sporting superstars and most importantly, the eventing competition will already have commenced, with the first jog taking place exactly a week today (9:30 a.m. local time / 3:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m BST). As excited as I am about all of the action we have ahead (and also weirdly nervous for everyone involved, but what can I say, Im an empath), I also loved seeing all of the posts from years gone by, in celebration of Olympic Day earlier this month. Amongst them was this glorious shot of the Australian Team winning the Gold Medal at their home Olympics in Sydney. 24 years down the line and you still get all of the feels from the elation on their faces and the view from the jam packed stands.I dont know about you, but it makes the hairs on the back of my arms stand up, not just in response to this moment, but in anticipation of all of those we have yet to witness, whether it be in person or through various streaming services. The Olympics truly are one of the greatest competitions there are, and I simply cannot wait to get stuck in. Will the French do what the Ozzies did back in Sydney, and take the Gold? It would be a surprise for sure, but not out of the question, and we all know the power that a home crowd can have!Whatever the outcome, it is going to be a glorious weekend of eventing, and we will bringing you all of the content you could ever possibly want or need, thanks to our superstars on the ground, Tilly Berendt and Sally Spickard, as well as the amazing team working away behind the scenes at home. We hope youre as excited as we all are to watch events unfold; EN will be chock-a-block full every day leading up to the Games, during the Games, and probably for some time after the Games too, so make sure you keep hitting refresh, and make sure you dont miss a thing. Now, don your berets and prepare to Go Eventing, Olympic style!U.S. Weekend PreviewApplewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [Ride Times]Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]Full Gallop Farm July H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials II (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]Friday News and ReadingFancy winning yourself an EPIC prize bundle, including a $200 shopping spree and VIP tickets to Maryland 5*, amongst other, amazing prizes?! The be sure to enter ENs Summer Sweepstake, our biggest giveaway yet! But be quick the entries close July 24, with the winner notified the following week, July 29. An Olympic hangover cure, if you will. Its super simple to enter too, simply fill in the entry form and youre in with a shout. Good luck! All eyes will be trained on the riders and horses in Paris next weekend. But they would be the first ones to acknowledge that none of it would be possible without the the guys and girls behind the scenes who take care on the equine superstars every need, making sure that they and their riders, too, in some cases arrive at the Games in the best possible condition. Now is your chance to get to know a couple of them a little better, courtesy of the latest ESNZ Path to Paris podcast which features Kerryn Edmans and Rosie Thomas, two central figures helping to keep Team Price on the straight and narrow. Marcus Bean is groom for another member of the Kiwi team, Clarke Johnstone, and you can learn more about him here. Three cheers for the unsung heroes behind the scenes none of it would be possible without you, youre all #supergrooms in our eyes!Its no secret around here that I have a deep seated love (obsession?) for all things New Zealand, so #sorrynotsorry for yet more Kiwi content. This time, it is from the Queen of the Kiwis herself, Mrs Jonelle Price. Multiple 5* winner, 4 time Olympian (if you include Paris, that is) and of course, one half of Team Price, this offers a fascinating look back at her previous Olympic experiences, as well as a glimpse into her expectations for Paris, too. If, like me, you cant get enough of Olympic memories from years gone by, then make sure you check out the EquiRatings Eventing Olympic Specials. They released the Story of Atlanta 1996 back in 2021, prior to the Tokyo Olympics, and this year they are spoiling us even more! So far, there has been the Olympics Special: Sydney Part 1 & 2, last week they dropped the Olympics Special: Athens Part 1 & 2 and now this week they have given us Olympic Special: London Part 1 & 2. They all feature incredible special guests, from the riders to the course designers to the technical delegates and many more besides. These are truly fantastic podcasts, giving an incredibly special look behind the scenes at all of these great events from the people who witnessed it first hand. Oh and when youve caught up with all of that, I have an inkling that you wont have to wait long before the Paris Preview drops. Music to my ears, I am sure you will agree!Not got your ticket to the actual Olympics but still fancy a jaunt to Paris to soak up the atmosphere anyway? Well, I have some excellent news. The awesome Tilly Berendt is not just our resident eventing encyclopaedia, she has now launched her own travel guide-esque website, the half passport. Except that clunky little description doesnt really do it justice: as you would expect from Tilly, this is a slick, cool site, full of all sorts of nuggets of information. At the moment, the content is mainly tailored to Paris, because I mean, where else even matters right now? But there is much more to come, beyond Paris, so add it to your favourites tab (alongside EN of course) For now though, check out this post, on all of the best places to watch the Games in Paris, that dont require a ticket. Honestly, if I could afford it, Id be hopping on the next Eurostar, thanks to this guide.Sponsor CornerAs we get closer to the Paris Olympics, get in the Olympic spirit by watching these interviews from Team USAs last outing at Stable View in the end of June. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Stable View (@stableviewaiken) Weekend WatchingAh, so thats how Ros Canter gets her flying changes so damn perfect. Practising on her old 5* campaigner, Zenshera. We all have that one friend who brings out the best in us, I guess!My lovely 20 year old Alfie helping me to nail my flying changes ahead of Paris. How lucky am I to have a horse that still loves his work and can help me out like this with a smile on his face. LeMieuxAgria Equine InsuranceEmerald Green FeedsCharles OwenSelleria EquipeZebra ProductsTop Crop HaylageJump 4 JoyPosted by Ros Canter Eventing on Monday, July 15, 2024