Best of Rolex Kentucky: The Saddle Pad Brag... with videos

We've been a little shell-shocked since the end of Rolex Kentucky. It was a lot of fun but also quite exhausting, with the Ammie Blogger Experience (more about that in another post), the Q&As with top riders, taking care of clients and partners, the trade stand set up/tear down, plus a three-day drive back in the rain... I don't think I've ever been so busy/sleep deprived in my life (outside of university).

We finally got home on Wednesday and found a nice message from Canadian Rolex photographer Michelle Dunn on my Facebook page: "Was there anyone NOT riding in Ecogold pads at Rolex???!!! OMG they are in every single photo I have, or so it seems..."

On Sunday before leaving, I received a very nice email from Glenn The Geek from the Horse Radio Network, telling me, among other things, that we should be proud of all the ECOGOLD saddle pads at Rolex. 

When you are so tired, you are not processing much information, you just want to go home and sleep. But now that we've been home for 24 hrs, let's be proud and brag a little.

• 7 riders in the top 10 rode in ECOGOLD Saddle pads! 

I don't quite remember how many we had last year, but we had zero two years ago. So we've come a long way in a very short time. (Virtual High-five!)

Here are the seven riders in the top ten with videos of their rides in ECOGOLD Saddle Pads (and some using ECOGOLD boots too)...

3rd - Sinead Halpin 

photo by: Tracy Porter

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville  - Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky


Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville - Show Jumping 2011 Rolex Kentucky

4th - 

William Fox-Pitt 

photo by: Jennifer Pavlinich

 William Fox-Pitt and Neuf des Coeurs -  Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

5th -Clayton Fredericks 

photo by: Calina

 Clayton Fredericks and Be My Guest - Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

7th - Jessica Phoenix

photo by: Calina

Jessica Phoenix and Exponential  - Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

Jessica Phoenix and Exponential  - Show Jumping 2011 Rolex Kentucky

8th - Hannah Sue Burnett

photo by: Aislinn Duke

Hannah Sue Burnett and St-Barths - Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

9th - Boyd Martin

photo by: Calina

Boyd Martin and Remington - Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

Boyd Martin and Remington - Dressage 2011 Rolex Kentucky

10th - Rebecca Howard

photo by: Tracy Porter

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master - Cross-Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

Perfect Rolex Hangover Remedy - The Complete Rider Interviews!

Meg Kepferle with Hamish Cargill

Another Rolex has come and gone, and you may have missed some of our coverage. One of the highlights was certainly having our riders come to our stand/"studio", for fun and informative in-depth video interviews. The questions were submitted by amateur riders, so they range from riding advice to more personal questions.

The sessions not only allowed us to get to know the riders better, but we also had a few scoops... like Sinead Halpin's "come to Jesus" moment on Thursday which set her up for ultimate success,  Karen O'Connor's discussing for the first time her plans after David becomes US Team Coach (it involves show jumping...), Diana Burnett's decision to widthdraw Manny and what Phillip Dutton would do if he were "King of Eventing".

A big Thank You to Meg Kepferle (Sinead Halpin's groom), Doug Payne and our own Amateur Blogger Carrie Braff, for hosting the sessions. And Thank You to our riders for taking the time to come by and being so gracious.

Here are some interesting conversations (funny at times) with ECOGOLD riders Hannah Burnett, Clayton Fredericks, Karen O'Connor, Hamish Cargill, Boyd Martin, Jessica Phoenix, Jessica Hampf, Rebecca Howard, Phillip Dutton, Peter Atkins, Sinead Halpin and Diana Burnett. Enjoy!

HANNAH BURNETT - Part 1 and 2

CLAYTON FREDERICKS

KAREN O'CONNOR - Part 1 and 2

HAMISH CARGILL

BOYD MARTIN

CANADA's JESSICA PHOENIX, JESSICA HAMPF, REBECCA HOWARD - Part 1 and 2

PHILLIP DUTTON - Part 1, 2 and 3

 

PETER ATKINS

 

SINEAD HALPIN

DIANA BURNETT

Jennifer's Rolex Adventure - Goodbye Rolex, Hello Reality

Well, I’ve been putting off writing this because then it means that Rolex really truly is over and I have to return to the real world full time.  Rolex this year was such an amazing time.  Thank you Ecogold for making this year so great.  I got to meet so many people, finally being able to see and talk to Patricia in person after conversing with her for weeks on facebook.  Meeting my fellow ammie bloggers, you guys are great and I’m looking forward to keeping up on your adventures throughout the year.  The people I met randomly out on course or in the grandstands.  I didn’t catch you name, but thank you to the very nice gentleman at the sunken road on cross country who let me sneak into the media only section with him.  I got some great photos of Hannah because of that.  The super nice Nan from eventingday.com, she was so interesting to talk to.  And I can’t wait to try the Flair strips on my horse; I’ll let you know how it works for her.   All the riders who took time out of their very busy weekend for us.  Emma Ford, who was probably busier than anyone keeping Phillip’s horses looking and feeling their best, thank you for taking a few minutes to talk to us.  Every single one of you made this weekend special for me. 

It was also the best learning experience for me.  And not just the obvious things like how to ride that combination or such.  But learning about true horsemanship.  Diana Burnett, making the decision to withdraw Manny when he didn’t feel quite right.  That had to be such a difficult thing to do after working so hard to get there.  But it was the right thing to do for Manny and I applaud her for that.  The poise and confidence of Mary King.  Going into show jumping sitting in both 1^st and 2^nd place had to have been nerve-wracking for her.  She didn’t let it show though.  She looked cool as could be. 

And Sinead Halpin, she is my new hero after this weekend.  I want to be her!  Something she said during her Q&A Sunday morning has really stuck with me.  She was talking about getting to the horse park and during the first part of the week she was pushing Tate to get to the next level, for everything to be perfect.  And Tate wasn’t too happy with that.  But then on Thursday she had the chance to take him to the ring and she said everyone else was practicing the movements but she was just riding around (in her own words) like a 12 year old girl.  Telling Tate, “Just be happy.  I want you to be happy.”  That’s what I want to strive for.  I find myself doing that so often when I get in the dressage ring.  I focus so much on wanting everything to be perfect, that I forget we have a much better ride when we are just relaxed and happy.  That’s going to be my new mantra when I go to shows: Just be happy. 

As great as it was to see Mary make history at Rolex, I think the highlight of the weekend for me was watching Sinead after her double clear show jumping round.  As she and Tate canter around the ring, Sinead trying not to cry, I found myself wiping tears away.  It was getting a little hard to hold the camera steady.  She has worked so hard to get here and it paid off in a big way.  To finish in 3^rd place in her first 4*, that’s just amazing.  It’s the stuff of dreams.  To be standing in the company of Mary King and William Fox-Pitt and knowing that you deserve to be there, it had to have been such an incredible feeling.  I was proud to have been there to witness it.  And feel, just the tiniest bit, a part of it.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Sinead, I’m sure it’s going to be great.

Sinead Halpin wiping off the tears

Once again thank you to Patricia and Ecogold.  It was an unforgettable experience for me.  And I hope we can do something like this again next year.  Only I’ll make sure I get a hotel with better internet access.  Tracy, we’ll have to work on that together.  Congratulations to everyone who competed.  You all are an inspiration to me.  Now it’s time for my show season to start and I’ve got a lot to live up to.

A victorious Mary King

Carrie's Rolex Experience - What It's All About...

Really, what IS Rolex all about?

Is it about coming away with the coveted Rolex watch mid way through Sunday afternoon?  Is it about finishing on your dressage score?  Is it about having a completion?  Is it about making the right decision(s) for your horse and putting his welfare before any pipe dreams that you have?  Putting it into perspective, I think every rider over the Rolex Weekend would answer that question differently. 

I think about Mary King.  Did she go into it thinking she was going to finish 1-2?  I would bet probably not.  But she did.  She is incredible...the smile on her face was contagious. 

I think about Peter Barry.  He and his horse Kilrodan Abbot are a pair I have been rooting for for over a year.  They are the true definition of  'Adult Amateur'.  At 54 years young, Mr. Barry just completed his first 4*.  While I do not know Peter from a hole in the ground, I could not be more happy for him.  He is probably on Cloud 9...and he has every right to feel that way. Way to go Peter!!  I want to be you....badly.

I think about Clayton Fredericks' mount 'Be My Guest'...that pair was instantly one of my favourites when they started warming up in dressage...big floppy ears and all. (The horse's ears, not Clayton's.)  I mean, how could you NOT love a horse with big floppy donkey ears?!

I think about Jessica Phoenix - (who not only is a genuinely lovely individual), who had nothing but praise for Exponential after their brilliant xc round.  Not to mention her evident emotion when she literally flung her arms around his neck after their show jumping round on Sunday.  That gave me goosebumps.

I think about Diana Burnett - who has a machine of an xc horse, but who chose to withdraw before xc because something 'wasn't quite right with him'.  That made me respect her.  A lot.  You bet your ass I'll be cheering for them at Burghley from across the pond. 

I think about the man I was standing beside on Friday morning watching Susan Beebee's test on Prowler.  He was giving the play by play to whomever he was speaking to on the other end of his iPhone and the excitement he had in his voice as they cantered down the centre line for the 2nd time.  I felt his excitement!



Sinead and Tate over the Hammock



I think about Sinead Halpin and her weekend of a lifetime.  I could only imagine getting so close to coming to Rolex in 2010, having it go 'poof'' right in front of your eyes, then coming the year after..and finishing 3rd at your first 4*.  The emotion was evident after her clear SJ round as she covered her face to attempt and stop the tears.  I don't think it worked.  The crowd roared...and I am sure that didn't help her any either.  I think she had the biggest cheer...more then anyone else.  We were sitting in the South grandstand - and I think each and every person rode each and every stride of that SJ course with her.  I love it when the riders cry.  Sinead - you just allowed a lot of little girls out there to live out their dreams through you with the weekend you had.  Congratulations and I am so so so happy for you. 



I think about my goals as a rider.  Yes, I think the riders at that level are absolutely bonkers...That trakehner is the scariest thing I have ever seen...that said, it makes me want to achieve that level.  Badly.  Standing in front of that trakehner, I pictured myself galloping up to it, clearing it and then taking off for the next fence.  I now have absolutely zero reason to stand in front of any other xc jump on any of the xc courses I walk from now on and think to myself  'wow, that is BIG'...until we get to Rolex of course. 

I think about all the little girls and boys who got to meet their eventing idols (and yes, I include myself in that 'little girl' category when I met Peter Atkins), get an autograph and get a word in to their heros. 

I think about the majority of the people who I met in Kentucky - the riders, Patricia, Glenn the Geek and Jennifer from HRN, Bobbi the jump judge from Cincinnati who has been jump judging at Rolex since 1978, people from all over the World (I met someone from Germany on Saturday afternoon), the other ammie bloggers, the vendors in the trade fair who are all so passionate about their products, the volunteers...I have nothing to say but 'wow'...and thank you for all that you do, etc etc etc. So, whether it be your goal to win Rolex, ride at Rolex, better yourself as a rider because of Rolex, be part of the support crew for those riders at Rolex or be a part of the cheering crowd on Saturday...we all come together from very different walks of life for one very same common reason: we love the horses and the evident joy they bring to those around them.  To me, THAT, is what Rolex is all about.

Thank you Patricia and Ecogold for giving me a Rolex experience like no other and which will be hard to duplicate.  It was an incredible 3 days and I can't WAIT to get to the Horse Park again in 2012.

Jennifer's Rolex Adventure - What a Finish

Sunday at Rolex is always a day of mixed emotions for me.  On one hand, I’m excited for show jumping but on the other hand it’s the last day for Rolex and I have to head back to the real world.  I don’t ever look forward to that.  This year, the show jumping was highly anticipated.  Would Mary King hold onto her 1, 2 lead?  How would the up and coming young, American riders in the top 10 finish?  Plus I had some exciting activities with Ecogold to look forward to in the morning.

I had planned to get over to the Horse Park to watch the second horse inspection.  But when I work up to rain and thunder I decided to skip it and sleep in a little longer.  I made my way over shortly before 10 to meet up at the Ecogold booth in the trade fair.  First up, a Q&A session with the fabulous Sinead Halpin.  Sinead talked a lot about her horse Tate and also what a typical day is like on her farm.

Meg Kepferle and Sinead Halpin

Next a visit from Diana Burnett for a Q&A session.  Unfortunately Diana had to withdraw Manny before cross country on Saturday.  Diana spoke about why she chose to withdraw and what’s up next for her and Manny.

Diana Burnett

Then we got to head over to the stabling area and we got the chance to meet the incredible Emma Ford and see Fernhill Eagle up close and personal.  Shared with us a little of her own history, life on Phillip’s farm and how he manages to always have such great event horses.

Time for a last look around the trade fair and then into our seats for show jumping.  The course was very fair.  Time good, only the real slow pokes seemed to accrue any time penalties and the rails were pretty spread out over all the fences.  As I’m sure everyone has heard by now, there was not much suspense going into the end of show jumping. Mary King jumped out of order with Fernhill Urco.  A double clear round guaranteed that Mary would be taking home the Rolex watch, the only question was with which horse.

William Fox-Pitt jumped a perfect , clear round, moving him up 2 places to finish in 4th.

William Fox-Pitt and Neuf des Coeurs

Sinead Halpin, who was so nice and genuine when we met that morning, also had a double clear round.  She finished her both her and Tate’s first 4*by adding only a few time penalties to her dressage score.  It was also enough to move her up to 3rd place and make her the highest placing American rider.  Congrats Sinead, you deserve every bit of it!

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville

Finally Mary King entered the ring on King Temptress.  Although she later admitted to being nervous, Mary looked cool as could be.  The mare’s unusual jumping style caused me at least to have a few gasps, sure that they would knock a rail.  But she finished with all the rails still firmly in the cups and no time penalties on the clock.  Mary had made history as the only rider to place 1st and 2nd at the Rolex Kentucky event.  It was an incredible end to a great weekend.  Hard to believe it all happened so quickly and once again it was time for me to start the 6 hour drive home.

Mary King and King Temptress

Sarah's Rolex Wrap up.

Emma Ford and Fernhill Eagle - photo by Tracy Porter

Well by now you all know the results of Sunday's thrilling show jumping. With Mary King placing 1 and 2 and Ecogold's on Sinead Halpin taking the 3rd place spot it was an exciting day to be sure. My favorite round (aside from the three mentioned above) were Kelly Prather's clean round to start the day and watching Snip cruise around the SJ in good style! 

I think the thing that myself and others love about Joe Meyer and Snip is their love for the sport. It really resonated with the crowd, the horse still loves his job at some 19 years of age and they received one of the loudest cheers of the day! With the exception of Wonderful Will (who did not present) all the horses passed the jog. There was a tense moment when Hamish Cargill and Sandhills Tiger were held, but luckily they passed on re inspection. Obviously Mark Todd decided not to jump his mount Grass Valley but when all was said and done it was a great end to a great weekend!

Phillip Dutton's Fernhill Eagle - photo by Tracy Porter

In addition to all the great jumping action Ecogold set up a pretty cool treat for some of the bloggers. We were able to meet and talk to Phillip Dutton's wonderful groom, Emma Ford. Thank you Emma for taking time out of a busy day to chat with us! (and also for letting us meet Fernhill Eagle...what a nice looking guy he is!) Emma told us a bit about how she came to work for Phillip, what they do to take care of Fernhill Eagle post XC (sounds like lots of icing and hand walking are involved!) among other things. She stays plenty busy taking care of a barn full of top class event horses!

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from Sunday (I was afraid that Camera + Rain = No Good) but I believe some of my fellow bloggers were taking some and may have those to share.

Thank you for joining me and the wonderful Ecogold on this journey to Rolex 2011. I hope everyone enjoyed the event as much as I did! Best of luck recovering from the post-3 day doldrums (where we realize that we have to go back to work so that we can afford to come back to Rolex next year!) Thanks everyone!

~ Sarah

Looking back - looking forward

I apologize for not getting lots more up quicker but internet was slow at my hotel, and we were so busy and so tired when we got back at night! I want to thank Patricia, and Ecogold, for their incredible support. The folks with Southern Stars Saddlery (Clayton Fredericks line) told me they thought Patricia and Ecogold were "the best" when it came to promotion and support! (I loved their saddles, too.)

I watched Sineads' great triumph with a lot of joy and emotion! Who could not, when she covered her face with her hand to wipe away tears of the long struggle, stress, great performance, and gratitude for her lovely horse? But Sinead didn't just get "lucky". As she spoke to us on the course on Friday, this outstanding result for her was the process of a lot of hard work and experience.

(Left, she is explaining the trakehner's question -- that you had to gallop at this nice big fence, but use the immediate left turn after to get the horse back on his feet for the brush drop into the 2nd water, and huge corner out.)

When we went over the Sunken Road, Sinead stopped and explained how she needed to ride that complex. She said she had to be soft going in, not over-ride Tate. Then power out, holding her line. She spoke confidently; she knew her horse could do this, and she had a plan, and was ready to execute. (See the video for how it all worked out.)

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