Well what a weekend of sport is was as the indoor season in Europe concluded with the usual fanfare of the FEI World Cup Finals. Once more the show returned home to Gothenburg in Sweden for both dressage and jumping and yet again it generated a thrilling finale.  I doubt anyone will be surprised that the doyen of dressage Germany’s Isabell Werth was crowned champion for the third consecutive year, her fifth title or that the 14 year old mare Weihegold just keeps getting better when it matters the most.  But what’s always so exciting to watch is the sheer brilliance and panache of Isabell’s riding - she manages to pull out all the stops when the chips are down because she knows that the margin between her and the chasing pack is finite - she cannot afford a mistake. Right on her heals as expected was Laura Graves and the 17 year old gelding Verdades who scored 87.179% for his freestyle just 1.69% behind Isabell. Helen Langehanenberg ensured the Germans would have two places on the podium when her 17 year old stallion Damsey FRH achieved 86.571%.  Their Chef d’Equipe Monica Theodurescu would be well pleased with that result but probably no more so than Debbie McDonald when she saw the final results with Kasey Perry-Glass and Adrienne Lyle finishing in fifth and seventh place respectively. Three riders in the top seven at a World Cup Final bodes well for the Americans Olympic campaign although there is nothing to be complacent about with the quality of grand prix dressage between nations constantly improving. With the Pan Am Games this summer there will be everything to play for as riders plan their season with an eye on team selection.  The US for one has a growing band of combinations that will make selection very competitive when the trials come round. I caught up with Debbie just as she arrived home to get her reaction to the World Cup performances.

Back in the US eventers heading to Kentucky at the end of the month had their final run at the Fork Horse Trials and Chatt Hills this weekend. And continuing our look at some of the first timers my guest this week is 24 year old Hallie Coon who rode her 12 year old Dutch mare Celien to fifth place in the CCI Four Star Short and she joins me now to tell us how this went in her final preparation for her Kentucky debut.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

On this month's episode Abby Ehler chats with Elaine Penhaul who has just been appointed Chair of The Magenta Project.  Elaine started her career working as a freelance coach in sailing and power-boating, later becoming a Maths teacher and now asserts her years of sports coaching experience and educational psychology into an executive coaching business.  Elaine is very passionate about sailing and diversity and we’ll be discussing her experiences both in the sailing and business world and about ‘planting seeds in rocky ground’ and the benefits that diversity brings to organizations and to sport.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

On this month's episode Abby Ehler chats with Elaine Penhaul who has just been appointed Chair of The Magenta Project.  Elaine started her career working as a freelance coach in sailing and power-boating, later becoming a Maths teacher and now asserts her years of sports coaching experience and educational psychology into an executive coaching business.  Elaine is very passionate about sailing and diversity and we’ll be discussing her experiences both in the sailing and business world and about ‘planting seeds in rocky ground’ and the benefits that diversity brings to organizations and to sport.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

Dublin Roller Derby are currently preparing for their tenth season as a league, with the A team’s sights firmly set on breaking into the top 28 teams in the world and earning their spot at playoffs in 2019. The league has over 80 skating members so competition for a place in the A team roster are hard earned. Valentina tells us about the challenges faced by many leagues; raising funds to cover training, traveling on trips overseas to improve rankings (the A team having just returned from Boston) alongside the possibility of further travel abroad and attracting an audience in an already sports saturated market. We chat about how Dublin recruit and retain skaters for the league and learn a little bit more about Valentina’s journey in the sport. We also discuss Brexit and how it's effecting the current training opportunities for the league as their Public Liability insurance  quotes rise by over 700%, the leagues struggles to keep skaters interested and skilled, and how the local Roller Derby community has pulled together to support Dublin's training.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

Dublin Roller Derby are currently preparing for their tenth season as a league, with the A team’s sights firmly set on breaking into the top 28 teams in the world and earning their spot at playoffs in 2019. The league has over 80 skating members so competition for a place in the A team roster are hard earned. Valentina tells us about the challenges faced by many leagues; raising funds to cover training, traveling on trips overseas to improve rankings (the A team having just returned from Boston) alongside the possibility of further travel abroad and attracting an audience in an already sports saturated market. We chat about how Dublin recruit and retain skaters for the league and learn a little bit more about Valentina’s journey in the sport. We also discuss Brexit and how it's effecting the current training opportunities for the league as their Public Liability insurance  quotes rise by over 700%, the leagues struggles to keep skaters interested and skilled, and how the local Roller Derby community has pulled together to support Dublin's training.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

On this month’s Ruck On Saracen’s & England Back Row Poppy Cleall reflects on winning the Six Nations Cup, what it’s like to be a member of the England squad, the discipline before a game and camaraderie with team mate, the pressure of a winning streak and the glory of success. Poppy is joined by Siobhan McCall from the Women’s Rugby Show to discuss the games, what their favorite moments were and they look ahead to the conclusion of the Tyrell Premier League. Beyond that Poppy considers the upcoming tour to the US and what the team faces in San Diego. And we hear about Dudley the Dachshund who even has his own Instagram account already.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

On this month’s Ruck On Saracen’s & England Back Row Poppy Cleall reflects on winning the Six Nations Cup, what it’s like to be a member of the England squad, the discipline before a game and camaraderie with team mate, the pressure of a winning streak and the glory of success. Poppy is joined by Siobhan McCall from the Women’s Rugby Show to discuss the games, what their favorite moments were and they look ahead to the conclusion of the Tyrell Premier League. Beyond that Poppy considers the upcoming tour to the US and what the team faces in San Diego. And we hear about Dudley the Dachshund who even has his own Instagram account already.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

Dublin Roller Derby are currently preparing for their tenth season as a league, with the A team’s sights firmly set on breaking into the top 28 teams in the world and earning their spot at playoffs in 2019. The league has over 80 skating members so competition for a place in the A team roster are hard earned. 
Valentina tells us about the challenges faced by many leagues; raising funds to cover training, traveling on trips overseas to improve rankings (the A team having just returned from Boston) alongside the possibility of further travel abroad and attracting an audience in an already sports saturated market. We chat about how Dublin recruit and retain skaters for the league and learn a little bit more about Valentina’s journey in the sport.
We also discuss Brexit and how it's effecting the current training opportunities for the league as their Public Liability insurance  quotes rise by over 700%, the leagues struggles to keep skaters interested and skilled and how the local Roller Derby community has pulled together to support Dublin's training.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

Dublin Roller Derby are currently preparing for their tenth season as a league, with the A team’s sights firmly set on breaking into the top 28 teams in the world and earning their spot at playoffs in 2019. The league has over 80 skating members so competition for a place in the A team roster are hard earned. 

Valentina tells us about the challenges faced by many leagues; raising funds to cover training, traveling on trips overseas to improve rankings (the A team having just returned from Boston) alongside the possibility of further travel abroad and attracting an audience in an already sports saturated market. We chat about how Dublin recruit and retain skaters for the league and learn a little bit more about Valentina’s journey in the sport.

We also discuss Brexit and how it's effecting the current training opportunities for the league as their Public Liability insurance  quotes rise by over 700%, the leagues struggles to keep skaters interested and skilled and how the local Roller Derby community has pulled together to support Dublin's training.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

Florida based Cyndi Benzel continues to be a prolific winner on water skis with 55 years of competitive experience under her belt in slalom, tricks, and earlier jumping too. Nowadays she also gives back to the sport by judging and scoring but she still has goals on her to-do list. It all began for her growing up in California when she took part in her first tournament at the age of 11. Two years later she took part in her first national championship and by the time she was 17 she claimed her first national title. She went on to win more National titles Overall and in slalom and trick culminating in the Overall title at the World Games in 198. Cyndi has won the National Title six times as well as the Pan Am team gold and other senior medals. In 2018 she held the number 1 spot in slalom and tricks both on the International Water Ski Federation and USA Water Ski rankings. She hold a number of records in the slalom for her age group and has been inducted into both the AWSEF and Florida State Hall of Fame. She has owned and operated a ski school in the Florida area which is a haven for water skiing and she has the luxury of being able to walk down to the lake from her house to train. Having been a National Champion all her skiing life we ask what motivates her and what’s on her bucket list.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.