The Frankness of it all, flows downhill.

   

      "You're not wealthy enough to take naps." the Big Rider sarcastically stated. Whack!  There it was...walloped out of his mouth like a thrusting mare. They were unstoppable, those words of the rigid type, striking out, as if to pummel her. Picture an extremely harsh nag... possibly in season, no less, panicked in a full stampede heading forward towards you! The biting bitter truth had saturated in, once again. Only the rich, are privy to take naps, she had work to do! It was a simple reminder that K8 doesn't have a "Daddy Warbucks" shelling out dough. The millionaire Donald Trump is no where near being her father and Oprah never had any kids, so, there goes that idea. We don't own a gigantic rolling lorry with an air-conditioned living room and the dish network hook-ups. She doesn't get to have the arrogant luxury of not knowing where one of her seven saddles are or which five hundred dollar helmet to wear. Poor girl doesn't get to choose which pony to ride and which one to show?  The frankness of it all,  flows downhill, cascading to the "nitty gritty", he IS right.

     Fair and square, the Big Rider (BR) has begun to let her in on some secrets. He has shared stories and experiences of  how, he and many other not so fortunate have made it. This international eventer,  whom has been all around the world is showing her the ropes, or should we say "the reins".  Straightforward talk of equitable business deals and how to make money with buying and selling horses have been their latest conversations. "If you do all the work, then you are the one that deserves to be paid for that." BR burned this idea into her head. He has told her that there are plenty of yearlings and two year olds out there for little money or even no money down. He pointed to the three, three year old ponies that she could learn to break. He asked her about the little mare she rides, does the owner need to sell her? The wheels were spinning, she could see smoke coming from his rubber. He is man on a mission with fast rolling wheels, the kind that are hard to keep up with. He understood her place, and spilled some advice. My young agreeable rider welcomed his honorable help. She was a sponge, soaking up all of his "words to the wise". This Kings message was clear. She must find a way to fuel her fire. Obviously all eventers need to be able to fund their passion. It's a MUST to have manageable means in order to be able to support their insatable eventing habits. He does it with buying and selling horses, along with lesson after lesson. Now, how is she going to do it?

    

       

Superstitions, more common than you think, amongst eventers.

  "When you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer. Superstition, ain't the way." Back in 1972, Stevie Wonder sang about the risks of holding on to rituals, and warns to be careful with superstitions. He mentions a daydream hell and the devil on his way. Now, that's a bit extreme, I know, he ends his famous Motown song with "shut up!"  I equate that with the "knock on wood" action. We use this phrase all the time. To touch wood, then knocking on it, creates a loud sound that instantly wards off any evil consequences or bad luck that might be conjured up because of some untimely boasting about a good fortune. It is my silly established rite.
     We've all heard of the established silly rite of the athlete that has to eat chicken before every game or the baseball player with the lucky socks. How can you overlook the football players and their personalized ritual dances, obviously indebted for the stardom and asking for more? The eventing rider is no different. They have their favorite whips and lucky boots. Riders have their customs and strategies that they believe works for them. In fact, a fair amount of riders are convinced that these regular patterns may actually influence success in the competition.

     A riders ritual may be a certain behavior or action that the athlete performs with the belief that these behaviors have a purpose, or power, to influence their performance. I have even witnessed one rider having to listen to one particular song, everytime, before they blast off onto the cross country course. How about the groom that will never go on another course walk again, because of what happened to the rider the last time she walked. Then there is the rider that absolutely can not go without her coffee or the entire day will be ruined. That's probably just a caffeine addiction, never the less, it's a habit that if missed might just weigh heavy into some kind of superstition.

     Superstition is generally something that initially starts off as some kind of hindsight or by accident. A superstition comes to life when a rider has a particularly good (or bad) performance and then tries to establish a "cause and effect" by reviewing the incidents of the day. The facts of what they ate or wore, or what songs were played, anything unusual possibly a haircut, a certain phone caller calling, whatever it is, it then gets labeled into affecting the outcome of the performance.
     Perhaps, the biggest value in superstition and ritual is that they may boost the confidence and the sense of control for the athlete. What ever a person truely believes, that belief is always true for them. Then there is the other side of the coin. Superstitions are nothing but a crutch. Especially, when dealing with a partner, (the horse) poor animal just doesn't understand that all the "hell that broke loose" was because a "lucky whip" got left behind. The horse just knows the rider is bummed out, and in return the horse most likely will also be broken up. That being said,  "When you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain't the way, no, no, no, shut up!"

Their head honcho had hit the dirt. Red Hills

 

   Her phone rang, the working student answered cheerfully, "Hey what's up, how is Red Hills going?" There was a long pause and then her face turned a bad shade of cheerless. "He had a fall" she repeated to us. Instantly, simultaneously we (riding daughter and I) both gasp!  There was a rush of air, then I couldn't breathe at all. Frozen, we stood there in a circle, eyes wide, brimming with tears. Their head honcho had hit the dirt. "Oh NO!" All the ambition for the day ran away and woeful worry came stomping in.
     This was lousy news.  The two afflicted young riders became depressed, stickened with anguish, paralyzed and disturbed. All of a sudden, they didn't want to do anything. At that moment, neither one could continue riding horses. Down deep, prayers and well wishes seized our thoughts. Please, please, please allow everyone to be okay, especially the horse. Please, please, please kept spinning in my head. Reports of their conditions were being txted by the groom/barn manager.
     Both rider and his horse were up on their feet, however, the two had to be wheeled away. Rider was en route to the hospital and the horse to his stall. The updates trickled in. Rider may have a broken wrist. "Oh NO!" once again. Horse won't put any pressure on one of his front legs, "Oh NO!" somemore. It was a sickening span of time.
     The left behind riders mucked and swept, filled water buckets, fed, and brushed ponys while waiting for updates. Little by little, news was coming in. It was confirmed that the big rider busted his wrist. Crap, that sucks! Then, the scoop on the horse: initial x-rays of the champion, loved by everyone showed nothing. YES! That was the BEST news we could hear. I started jumping around like a kid with a brand new bicycle. Daughter and her horsey peer cheered! The day brightened. "Does this mean WE get to ride HIS horses?" A sly smile tracked across her face.  My rider has become extremely fond of that horse.
     CONGRATULATIONS! To Allison Springer and her awesome Aurthur, winners of the CIC three star division. Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice who won the CIC two star. Candace Tribe and Catalina winners of the one star. Jessica Phoenix took the Advance division with Exploring. Caroline Martin and Classic Touch came in first in the Open Intermediate~A, while Mara DePuy won with Chequers Macon in the Open Intermediate~B. Boyd Martin guided the late Colin Davidsons' mount Crackerjack to the top of the Open Preliminary~A division and Doug Payne kicked it with Camerlingo in Open Preliminary~B. Prelim Rider was awarded to Brent Leytem and Space Pictures.
    

Equestrian bombardment rocks Tallahassee It's Red Hills!

  

     Teasing peeks of just how heavy this eventing engagement really is can be confirmed by the permanent Red Hills Horse Trial signs fixed on the side of the freeway. Since 1998, this sloping terrain, rich with red earth, located on the northeast side of Florida has been host to one of the biggest eventing competitions held in the United States each year. Red Hills International Horse Trials is known by the riders as the "kick off" of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup series.  Thousands and thousands of spectators tread their way through the tall Tallahassee timbers, to witness this wholloping first-class eventing competition, which is held in Phipps Park.                               

     It is truly something to see!  Equestrian bombardment rocks this capital town and in return they throw down the padded red-carpet. Locals welcome wave, instead of giving back unsure drivers the middle finger. It's nice. City officials prove that they are "no dummies," they and eveyone knows that this three star accomplished horse contest bumps up their economy, bigger than Christmas.  Organizers do an excellent job of providing fun for the entire family. Besides viewing the top-notch riders with their brilliant horses, the kids can enjoy their own four-legged experience, pony rides!  Or, if they are not into horses, how about they expel built-up energy with some endless bouncing found in the many inflatables. There will be an avenue of shops and fantastic food: blooming onions, scones, kettle corn, fries and juicy hamburgers. Now,  if you are really lucky,  Bradley's Country Store will be smoking their mouth watering best tasting sausages. Trust me......wait in line, pimp, trade, lie, steal what ever it takes to get one of those hotdogs, they are worth it. Riders sign autographs. People drink beer. Loose dogs are impounded. Even Tallahassee's local television station: WCTV,  will be there with "coverage we can count on," how about that? Reporters and their camera people mixing it up, while riders and horses muck it up.  It's a bucket-list must!

     Good luck to all the horses and their riders!

Working Student Days

Here's a small glimpse of the horses being brought in from their paddocks at Five Ring Stables. Helmets are worn at all times during the day, you never know when the BIG RIDER is going to tell you to get on a horse.

Just a little scratch to help out the poor, hungry eventers

 


   "Eventers should win CASH PRIZES!!!" No one else will say it, so, I'm saying it!  Engraved dated showground mugs and colorful ribbons are commendable and all, but let's face it, the almighty coin is much more desirable. Adding money jackpots- would increase the amount on entries as well as make things more inviting. I'm not begging for over-the-top grand amounts of green, just some.  How about if the cash prize was something nominal like their entry fee paid for? Eventers would be ecstatic over something so simple. It doesn't have to be thousands and thousands of dollars, then riders might chance injury for that much loot. Just a little scratch to help out the poor scrappy hungry eventers. What made me stomp my feet and stick-up for eventers was my last trip to Ocala, Florida.  
     We went to HITS on Sunday, then, being an Eventers mom I came home and looked up what H.I.T.S was the abbreviation for?  I'm still not sure but it's not: Highly Improved Technology Station or a Hookers in Training Seminar. Let me try to guess: Hunters or Horses International, hmmmm what would T be? Talent, that must be what it is, because there surely was tons of it there. I give up, someone please educate me.
     The big Grand Prix jumpers were what we were there, humping it to see. "Come on Mom, we only have 25 minutes!" squealed my rider. Once again, she's trying to burn my thighs out. So, we picked up the pace. We were amazed to view the colossal crowds and the from here to there jumping action that was going on all around us. It was a circus with the only animals being horses. We loved it.  Then we noticed the cash prizes.   

     Excuse me, how much money do these show jumpers win? WOW!  How? How? How? Why, who pays for these cash prizes? Is it that everyone pitches in like a seedy poker game for the winner to grab up the green? Or do the show jumpers have it figured out, get their sponsors to pay the cash prizes? What ever it is, it would be nice if even a smidgen of that happened in the Eventing world. 

Kicking myself for not going! Rocking Horse Winter II horse trials.

     Me..... foolish? Honestly, have I ever cared? Undoubtedly, I would end up looking like I strutted straight out of a loony bin, so she claimed. Evidently, it would be ODD if I'm caught loitering around the horse show with no one close; like a daughter, son or a friend, to spy after. I'd appear to be a bit "deranged" or simply "mad" my unentered in-between horses, stay at the stable rider warned. "People might find it unsettling, you rummaging around," she laughed. Really? I scratched my head. That's ridiculous! She's just being green-eyed. Her jealously was for no reason. Unfortunately, I had to miss the Winter II horse trials that took place at Rocking Horse, in Altoona Florida. In spite of this fail fact, I kept up with the progress through Event Entries and their indubitably desired live scores.
     The competition looked like a spectacular existence, something I really didn't want to overlook. I became even more peeved for turning a blind eye, brushing it aside when I noticed the huge advancement that Advanced level Bonner Carpenter endured. She and her Impeccable horse went from a squatting twentieth place dressage start, to end in second! I'm kicking myself for not going, I could have witnessed first hand Elizabeth Barron and the Graduate, breeze by with their extreme point padding and an untouchable position. Sadly, I skipped out on witnessing a tie! It was in the Open Preliminary A division. The score was nose to nose throughout, between Bruce Davidson Senior, spending time on the Expensive Playmate and C. C. Castillo performing with a Star Act. Final score: they both had a smashing 31.7 but Bruce was closest to the optimum time and deemed the winner. I guess I will never know why, Karen O'Connor withdrew the marvelous Mandiba, that's what I get for not going...
     CONGRATULATIONS to all the First-Class Winners! Jacob Fletcher made a commotion with the Falcon Splash/Danica Moore mapped it with Utah B/Erika Treis Petersen won with Notelo De Rox/Bruce Davidson Sr. went all out on his Expensive Playmate/Leslie Law showed them again, two wins one on Amarna and one on Corinthian Spirit/Marilyn Little-Meredith showed it was only a matter of time for her win on UDonna/Melissa McMaster set it straight with Flagmount's/Suzanne Stevenson walked away with Central Park/Penny Rowland blazed with Northwinds Breeze/Haylie Walker came in first with Caitlin Too/Imatiaz Anees triumphed on Valenta/Maria Brazil was brilliant with Pas de Panique/Heather Wisenecker brought the Sunday's Edition/Victoria New made an impact with Bally Whatnot/Vance Frey was On The Watch/Robin Walker ruled with Canadian Exchange/Lindsey Graulich was lucky with Finders Keepers/Simone Cormier  was dynamite with the Dynatraitor/Darrin Mollett conquered with Dresden Hit/Rowdie Adams was happy to have Hector/Brooke Fravel went swell with LeSalvan/Emily Coulter flourished while riding Antje and obviously Elizabeth Barron has made out with the Graduate!