Linnea Kristiansson •

“We are very proud to be able to bring three-day eventing to Great Meadow. It is probably the most difficult of any of the equestrian sports, since it involves all three disciplines,” said Robert Banner, president of the Great Meadow Foundation, which operates the famous field events center and steeplechase course in The Plains, Virginia.

On April 3, Banner announced that, in connection with building a new arena, the foundation will bring back three-day eventing to Great Meadow.

Three-day eventing is the sport of horse trials. It presents the ultimate challenge of horsemanship because it requires horse and rider to perform three totally different activities within the same competition: dressage, cross country and show jumping.

Construction of the new arena will start July 1, so that it can be ready for Nations Cup 2016, should Great Meadow’s bid be selected. A new acquisition of land has provided 174 acres dedi-cated to this type of competition. The new, world-class arena will be 300 feet by 250 feet, with a warm-up arena 400 feet by 70 feet. It will have an all-weather surface or footing, which will pre-vent competitions from being canceled due to rain.

Great Meadow’s new international-level venue will host top horses and riders from around the world. At the Olympics in London, the U.S. team failed to medal at all, their worst performance since 1956. This venue will raise the bar by bringing the nations that won to the U.S., so that the team can train and face the competition at home. This is expected to help the U.S. reclaim its rightful position on the international medals podium.

The new competition will be called the Land Rover Great Meadow International and feature the Nation’s Cup format annually. There are plans to live-stream coverage on the internet this year. Next year, the plans are to broadcast the competition on NBC Sports.

A big spectator-based event, FEI Nations Cup is organized by Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines. It is the most prestigious competition series for national teams in the world.

”The Nations Cup has been going on for a long time for show jumping, but we have never had one for three-day eventing,” said Banner, former publisher of the Chronicle of the Horse.

Banner and the Great Meadow Foundation expect the new facility and level of competition will draw numbers similar to those for the Virginia Gold Cup races and other major events at Great Meadow.

Great Meadow will host a Concours International Combiné (CIC) 3 Event, which means the competitors do their dressage on Friday night. The show jumping takes place on Saturday night, and they run over a shortened version of the cross country course on Sunday morning. There are VIP dining and entertainment options throughout the weekend. CIC competitors are required to qualify for the same level of CCI competition, therefore the horse/rider combinations in the CIC tend to be slightly less experienced than in the CCI.

Course designer Mike Etherington-Smith, chief executive of British Eventing, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, has already completed renderings and layouts. The groundbreaking ceremonies and pep trials will be held June 19 to 21.

Linnea Kristiansson •

Each year, horses have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to run in the Kentucky Derby. To earn a spot at the starting gate, they must travel the “Road to the Kentucky Derby,” a 10-week series of 35 designated races at tracks across the country and around the world. A sliding scale of points is awarded to the top-four finishers in each of the 35 races, includes 16 significant events that make up the ”Kentucky Derby Championship Series.” The 20 horses with the most points will be at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

The horse to keep an eye on at this year’s Derby is named International Star, the fourth colt since 1992 to sweep the Fair Grounds series of races for three-year-olds on the 2015 Kentucky Derby trail. In capturing the Lecomte Stakes, the Risen Star Stakes and the Louisiana Derby, International Star joins an elite group of colts to win two or more of these Derby preps without a loss.

Linnea Kristiansson •

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 11, the U.S. Capitol building was on temporary lockdown after a man killed himself outside the western facade of the building. The suicide came as Washington hosted the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, with tourists flooding the city to visit the Tidal Basin and the National Mall, not far from the Capitol.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine identified Leo P. Thornton, a 22-year-old from Illinois, as the man who committed suicide by gunshot Saturday. A bomb squad was called to investigate a roller suitcase and a backpack near the victim but nothing threatening was retrieved, according to officials.

Dine added that, at this time, there seems to be no connection to terrorism. Thornton had a sign with him about ”social justice” but didn’t carry any other weapons aside from a gun. The lockdown downtown was lifted just before 4 p.m. the same afternoon, but the West Terrace area of the Capitol will remain closed until further notice.

Linnea Kristiansson • April 13, 2015

With summer on its way, so is the equestrian season. Perhaps you want to buy a dramatic hat for the Derby or the Oaks, the Royal Ascot or the races in Middleburg.

Of course, every woman needs a casual hat for everyday shopping, travel, the garden, the beach, “bad-hair days” or to stay cool and out of the sun. Wear a hat and be treated like the lady you are.

Remember to buy a hat that’s comfortable and has a wide brim. Choose the color carefully since dark colors tend to get warmer. The most easily worn hat is the one with a light pastel color – mint green or apricot pink, for example. Combine the outfit with a light-colored skirt and a top in the same color as the hat. Or simply wear a summer dress that matches your hat. [gallery ids="102040,134726" nav="thumbs"]

Linnea Kristiansson •

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, we are all looking to get out and about. It’s time to start planning for your kids’ summer. Make sure to check out The Georgetowner’s summer camp guide to take your mind off the snow days.

Adventure Theatre MTC Camp

Adventure Theatre’s summer camps is a full-day musical theater program. Campers work with D.C. theater professionals and finish up their summer by performing in a main stage show. The adventure also offers a three week program for teenagers. Ages 5 to 18. $800-$1,200. June 15 – Aug 21. Adventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. (301) 634-2270, adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

Beauvoir Summer Camp

Beauvoir Summer Camp is a day camp for elementary school students that mixes outdoor exploration with science, sports and art. Ages 3 to 10. $285-$875. June 22 – Aug 7. Beauvoir School, 3500 Woodley Road NW. (703) 945-0408, summer.beauvoirschool.org.

Camp Arena Stage

Camp Arena Stage is a D.C. day camp dedicated to theatre, music, visual arts and dance. Campers choose their own activities, as well as attend a daily show featuring the work of faculty, guest artists and fellow campers. Ages 8 to 15. $950-$2,500. June 22 – July 31. Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, 1524 34th St. NW. (202) 554-9066, arenastage.org.

Camp Imagination Stage

Camp Imagination offers a range of day camp programs in drama, musical theatre, dance and filmmaking. Ages 1 to 18. $249-$1,195. June 8 – Aug 28. Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. (301) 280-1660, imaginationstage.org.

Passport to summer

Washington International School’s Passport to Summer is a co-ed multicultural day camp. The camp offers language immersion; art, science and music workshops; and counselor-in-training program. Ages 3 to 15. $165-$890. June 22 – Aug 7. Washington International School, 1690 36th St. NW. (202) 243-1727, wis.edu.

Strathmore Fine Arts Camp

The Strathmore will offer two separate fine arts day camps for kids and teens this summer. Older campers will improve their technique in a program focused on form and color. Ages 6 to 17. $382,50-$425. July 27 – Aug 14. Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, Rockville. (301) 581-5100, strathmore.org.

Writopia Lab

Writopia Lab offers full-day and half-day summer camps for budding writers. Campers will participate in workshops with published authors and have an opportunity to read and publish their original work at the end of the program. Ages 8 to 18. $180-$560. July 6 – July 31. Writopia Lab, 4000 Albermarle St. NW, Suite 308. (202) 629-9510, writopia.org. [gallery ids="101994,135313" nav="thumbs"]

Linnea Kristiansson • March 26, 2015

After several hours of deliberations in the murder trial of a graduate student charged with stabbing his friend to death, the jury reached a verdict late Monday afternoon. Rahul Gupta was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Mark Waugh amid a love triangle that involved Gupta’s girlfriend.

Montgomery County Police were called to Gupta’s apartment in Silver Spring around 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 for a report of ”unknown trouble.” Officers found Gupta ”covered in blood” and an ”unresponsive Waugh” with a number of stab and ”defensive-type” injuries. Gupta said he had walked in on his girlfriend cheating on him, according to the arrest report.

Gupta’s girlfriend Taylor Gould told police that she couldn’t remember anything after drinking shots of liquor at the apartment but was woken up by Gupta’s orders to call 911. The girlfriend has not been charged in the crime.

Gupta and Waugh became friends whilst attending Langley High School in McLean, Va. Waugh, 23, was a first-year law student at Georgetown University at the time of the incident. Gupta, on the other hand, was enrolled in a master’s biomedical engineering program at George Washington University.

Closing arguments in the two-week trial concluded Friday. Prosecutors assert that Gould had nothing to do with the killing of Mark Waugh.

Gould testified that she had no reason to hurt anyone but said she has no memory of what happened. Gupta began testifying on Thursday and was insistent he didn’t kill Waugh. However, he noted that he had limited memory of the incident because he tripped and hit his head during the attack.

He also said it was soon clear Waugh’s injuries were crucial and Gupta gave him chest compressions and yelled at Gould to call the police, Gupta testified. Under cross-examination from prosecutor Patrick Mays, though, Gupta offered no details about how Gould could have stabbed and slashed Waugh so many times.

The prosecutor pressed Gupta on why — after the police officers arrived — he would confess to a murder he didn’t commit. “In a sense, it was almost instinctual,” Gupta said emphasizing his desire to shield Gould.

Linnea Kristiansson •

This spring, the D.C. Department of Transportation will start testing methods of persuading delivery companies and businesses to hook up between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. for deliveries, The Washington Post reports. The circling delivery trucks, blamed for clogging Washington streets by double-parking, will be encouraged to make deliveries overnight, when the roads are relatively clear.

The program will provide financial incentives to businesses who adopt the practice, and then presumably use extra cash to pay higher wages to workers receiving shipments overnight or to upgrade off-street loading docks to allow unmanned deliveries.

The test program will start in Georgetown, downtown, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, NoMa and the business district known as the Golden Triangle. Laura Richards, a transportation planner for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) told the Washington Business Journal that more overnight deliveries will reduce traffic congestion, improve the flow of freight into and out of the city, and reduce truck emissions.

“People can look forward to fewer trucks on the road during peak hours,” Richards said. The biggest challenge will be to convince businesses to try something new, she continues.

DDOT estimates the annual cost of truck-related traffic congestion at $650 million with projections to get even worse. Between 2011 and 2040, truck volumes in the city are expected to grow by 70 percent for inbound traffic and an astounding 137 percent for outbound traffic.

Overnight deliveries would make businesses’ shipments more reliable and could allow some to reduce the inventory they keep on hand to cover for late or missed deliveries. The 3,5 year long program will be funded through a $150,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration and a $150,000 grant from DDOT, Richards said.

A similar project started in 2010 in New York City led to a successful off-hours delivery program. The test project is the District’s latest attempt to reduce traffic congestion from delivery trucks.

Linnea Kristiansson • March 22, 2015

“Our embassy has gone from green to gold, and now platinum,” said Finnish Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde, as she welcomed guests to a Jan. 28 party to celebrate the embassy’s singular honor.

The Embassy of Finland was awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification – and is the first embassy in the United States to do so.

”All this reflects Finland’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability,” Koukku-Ronde said. ”We are a leading country in renewable energy and clean technology and are happy to share leadership in this area with our friends at the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki.”

The Finnish Embassy building is the second in the world to be awarded the LEED Platinum, which is the highest of four levels of certification. The other LEED-Platinum building is the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki.

Roger Platt, president of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), was at the event to present the LEED plaque to Koukku-Ronde.

Peter Stenlund, Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was pleased with the Finnish Embassy’s top certification but also wanted a higher goal or rating to strive for. Perhaps, he said, it could be called ”Titanium” or ”Finlandia.”

On Massachusetts Avenue across from the Vice President’s Residence, the Finnish Embassy is known for its contemporary architecture and open design to the surrounding woods.

As an internationally recognized mark of excellence in green buildings, LEED’s success as a global green building tool is based on many factors but is primarily due to the leadership and commitment of volunteers, members and partner Green Building Councils around the world.

Introduced via a video greeting by the U.S. Ambassador Bruce Oreck, in Helsinki, the popular journalist-heavy rock-n-roll band, Suspicious Package, entertained the crowd, which enjoyed such specialities from Finland as herring, smoked salmon, duck liver pate and Finnish meatballs.

Linnea Kristiansson • March 19, 2015

Beloved indie movie theatre West End Cinema will close in the end of March, co-founder and general manager Josh Levin announced on March 3. After opening in 2010, West End Cinema became known for showing independent films unsuited for large theaters and even for E Street Cinema downtown.

Levin has made the West End a haven for small, independent movies that otherwise could only be seen on demand or not at all. During the past five years, it’s provided D.C. residents an important venue for independent cinema, documentaries, awards contenders, foreign flicks and controversial movies such as “The Interview” last December.

West End Cinema said the following on their website: “For the past few years, we’ve enjoyed serving the ?D.C. community of cinephiles and movie-lovers, but the time has come. We are incredibly grateful for all your support and would love to share our thanks with you for one last month…and D.C.’s best popcorn!”

“We have loved doing what we’ve been doing, but we’re facing increased occupancy cost and increased competition for (movie) titles, so we decided to leave with our heads held high, declare victory and depart the field,” Levin told WTOP.

The theater will show its last film on Thursday, March 26. Stay tuned to West End Cinema’s website www.westendcinema.com, newsletter, and social media accounts for news about a to-be-announced final celebration to occur before the official closing on Tuesday, March 31.
[gallery ids="102003,135205" nav="thumbs"]