Tag Archives: 2011
The 2011 Badminton Horse Show
Even for non-equestrians it is popular family holiday. In 2011 the event takes place over the Easter weekend, April 21-25. The entire event encompasses a five day period with a variety of shopping opportunities that rival any town mall. It makes the perfect destination for a family day out.
The Three Day Event showcases dressage, cross country, and show jumping. One event takes place each day allowing spectators to decide their area of interest or take in the full range of events. The riders aren’t the only champions. The horses can only compete at Badminton if they’ve earned sufficient points in the previous season to qualify.
William Fox-Pitt has won a stupendous 40 Three Day Events including the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trails (2004). In 2011 he has entered five horses from which to choose. Entries from 12 countries include a strong squad from Germany. Andrew Nicholson from New Zealand boasts 29 finished but has yet to win the event brought three horses including his renowned World Equestrian Games Bronze Medallist, Nereo.
The trial has been extended to include Thursday 21st April to include the Mitsubishi Motors Grassroots Championships for novice riders. All the trade stands will be open for business including 141 which offers Dodson & Horrell horse feed, herbs and supplements. They have their feed experts there to help answer any questions or concerns owners may have regarding their horse’s diets. This additional day affords spectators an opportunity not only to visit the stalls but to walk the cross country course also.
Cancer Research UK has been chosen as Charity for the 2011 Year for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. This always means they receive large funds for their charity.
The United State has a contingent of six riders, one of their largest contingents in years. Three members of Canada’s WEG Silver Winning Team have joined the Americans coming over for this three Day Event.
The women riders are also well represented. Tina Cook comes with her 2009 European Champion ride. Piggy French brought two of her award winning rides with her, and Triple Badminton victor Pippa Funnell will ride for the first time since 2008. Mary King, a previous winner of the Mitsubishi Badminton Equine Trails, arrives with three horses from which to choose. Daisy Berkeley and Lucy Wiegersma with her 2008 runner-up horse also deserve a hard look.
Those new to the event have winning records that mean they should be closely watched. Laura Collett has made a golden trail through the age specific ranks, and James Robinson, who is a working vet, represents the non professionalrider with his ride Comanche.
With the London 2012 Summer Olympics a year away, the International team managers will be keeping a close eye on Badminton this year to calculate how their plans are evolving.
Top Rated Games and Puzzles for Christmas 2011
One entertaining game is Mighty Beanz and has lately gained immense popularity. It consists of oval shaped colorful plastic capsules containing a small metal ball. When rolled over a smooth solid surface, the beanz jerk, twist, flip, and does all sorts of funny actions. Kids especially love these beanz and hold races with them.Among the various versions of Mighty Beanz the Mighty Beanz Star Wars version is one of the top rated games and puzzles for Christmas 2011.
You can also count Connect 4 as one of the top rated games and puzzles for Christmas 2011. Connect 4 has been around for quite a while and is still as enjoyable as ever. This game is played between two people and all that you have to do is get four checkers in one row in any direction before your opponent. Though it sounds simple, but actually, getting all four checkers lined up in a row and counteracting your opponents moves is quite challenging. This game provides mental exercise and teaches kids as well as adults to plan and strategize.
The UNO Card game is considered the number one family game. Challenging and entertaining, this card game is the best way for the family to spend some time together.UNO has educational value as kids learn to recognize and match colors and numbers.
Perfection is another suitable game for kids aged 5 and above. It is a race against time type of game in which the kids have to place 25 different shapes into their proper position within a specific time limit. Once the time limit is over, the shapes start popping out. Perfection is an easy and entertaining game which increases agility, hand-eye coordination, and motor skills; it is another top rated games and puzzles for Christmas 2011.
PlaSmart Perplexus Maze Game is a challenging and a fun game in which the player has to move a small marble around different tracks within a transparent sphere. However, maneuvering the marble is not easy, as you have to face some tricky obstacles. You can play this game alone by setting a timer or race with another player.This puzzle improves the hand-eye coordination of the kids and also improves their motor skills and thats why it has won accolades from educationalists and parents. Perplexus is a great puzzle which keeps the player amused and occupied for hours.
Another game which will make a wonderful Christmas gift is Saucer Scramble. This game is for players aged 5 and is extremely enjoyable. In this game a flying saucer shaped device shoots off small space ships in the air and the first one to net 5 space ships wins the game. This game is ideal for hyper active kids as it provides a constructive outlet for their energy.
Conclusion
Games and puzzles are the best way for a family to spend some quality time together.They liven up the long dull evenings and besides being fun, they also assist in developing motor skills in kids.The best thing about games and puzzles is that you can gift it to the whole family; however you should keep in mind the age and the number of people in the family.
Thank you for reading about Puzzles and Games for 2011. Below in our Authors box you can find more information and great saving on the top 2011 Christmas toys, puzzles and games.