Stadium Jumping: Girl Power!

I have a confession: when I heard the rolling thunder and saw the flashes of lightening when the alarm went off this morning after the alarm went off, I couldn’t help myself….I decided to wait for the SJ in the afternoon.

I understand a couple horses, including Mark Todd’s horse, withdrew before SJ; I think the XC course took a heavy toll on some horses and riders who might not have anticipated the necessary fitness. I think several of the rails we saw tumbling today could be attributed to fatigue.

Luckily, though, the sun broke through the clouds and SJ was beautiful.



Heather Morris on Slate River

Heather Morris, the TX hero, went early, but I was INCREDIBLY proud of her; she road Slate River beautifully, and she was the first rider to have a double clear.

Hannah Burnett also went double clear….well done, Hannah!






Mary King on Fernhill Urco

Probably the “golden girls” of the day, however, were Mary King, who ended up first AND second on two very different horses (shows what a horsewoman she is!), and Sinead Halpin, who ended up THIRD in her very first 4****! Go GIRLS!





Sinead Halpin on MANOIR DE CARNEVILLE

Thanks to my brother and sister in law for housing us, and to Patricia and Ecogold for giving me the opportunity to meet Hannah Burnett, for the HRN spot, and for the great Q&A sessions….and thanks to Cynthia for trekking to KY with me. We both noted that we have lots of inspiration for riding now. Here’s to next year!

ECOGOLD's Clayton Fredericks at 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event

Ecogold rider Clayton Fredericks answered questions submitted by the public at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. The video session was hosted by US Event rider Doug Payne. Enjoy!

ECOGOLD's Clayton Fredericks at 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event

Stop at the ECOGOLD Booth Tomorrow for Q&A's: Karen O'Connor and Hamish Cargill

Patricia and the great people at ECOGOLD have been working extra hard to keep everyone up to date on the latest happenings at Rolex. They have also set up some AMAZING question and answer sessions with some of the top riders.

If you are at Rolex on Thursday April, 28th make sure to stop by the ECOGOLD booth (in the trade fair arena upstairs near the Media center, booth #69) to be a part of the Q&A sessions. During the afternoon dressage break Karen O'Connor will be answering your questions and at 5:30pm Hamish Cargill will do the same! ECOGOLD needs you to help with the questions, don't miss this great opportunity!

Stay tuned for more Q&A times throughout the weekend! Friday has Phillip Dutton at a TBA time in the morning and Boyd Martin at 1:00pm.

Oh, and if you see Patricia at the booth make sure to give her a huge thanks for all of her hard work!

Hannah Burnett answers questions during the Wednesday session!

2011 Rolex Kentucky - Meet the Social Media Crew - Part Deux (means 2)

WFP in an ECOGOLD pad at Badminton. Sweet!

We're making a pit stop for the night and enjoying a bit of R&R in Ohio, before the last leg of our trop tomorrow.

One more sleep before Kentucky!

Rebecca and Riddle Mast

This afternoon, I received a message from Canadian Rolex rider Rebecca Howard. Here are her thoughts about the competition : 

"This will be my second Rolex, rode Big Wave Dave at the last long format in 2005. We had a super cross-country ride and were sitting in 10th place. Unfortunately, he injured himself and did not present on Sunday.  

The week prior to Rolex is stressful..in an effort to make sure my horse feels as good as possible, but it is very exciting to now be on route to the horse park again... And with more confirmed skills than last fall at WEG!" ~ Rebecca 

I also had some news from Hannah Burnett, who is getting some nice press from the Kentucky media: "A rider comes home for Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event"... She is already settled in at the Kentucky Horse Park and just waiting for her saddle pads and horse boots to arrive tomorrow, courtesy of moi. Go Hannah! 

Hannah and St. Barths

Just as a teaser... Hannah will be doing something VERY cool for us on Wednesday after the jog, probably at around 5 PM, and she will be joined by one of the most fun Rolex grooms!  Stay tuned on our blog (you are in it), Facebook page or Twitter to find out what we are planning. Fingers crossed, it all works out...

Ok, so let me introduce the last 3 members of our Rolex Kentucky Social Media Crew. As we told you yesterday, we have a team of Ammie Bloggers that will be taking part in special events with Ecogold riders and blogging about their experience at Rolex Kentucky. In addition, we have a Social Media Crew (of eventing-crazy spectators!) that will be uploading news and updates on our Facebook and Twitter accounts all through the weekend. So... it will not only be a lot of fun, but you will get to hear fresh new voices, representing "the spectator's" point of view. Here they are!

Krisy

Krisy

“Someone’s got to be enthused to sit through two days of the same halt, rein-back, canter pattern and that will be me. My name is Krisy. I live on the coast of Maine and compete my geriatric Danish gelding at 3rd Level dressage, although I’m starting to play around more with jumping. 

When I’m not riding or working as a marketing exec, I fill my time by running marathons and competing in the occasional triathlon for kicks.

I’ve been an eventing fan for a lifetime. 2010 was my first Rolex experience and I also attended WEG. I am returning to the Horse Park this spring with my husband and our good friend. 

The guys will be stationed at one of those open-bar tents, also known as “Man Daycare,” leaving me free to scurry from warm-up to ringside all day long: completely guilt-free stalking, sorry, reporting. It’s a brilliant strategy that should work for everyone.” ~ Krisy

Kate

Kate

"Hi, I'm Kate! I am a 25 year old Graphic Designer for an emergency management office, and I live in Rhode Island. I started riding lessons at the age of three in England and have been hooked ever since. I grew up all over the world, but horses remained a constant in my life no matter where "home" was, and I would say I am certifiably horse crazy. I've dabbled in hunters, jumpers, and now I am aiming toward eventing. 

After leasing horses from the time I was 14 until 21, I finally bought my first horse in 2009, a 3 year old OTTB filly named Lucy, and have been retraining her slowly and steadily. Now 5 years old, Lucy has shown an affinity for dressage but she also loves jumping and she is very brave, so I think she will excel as an event horse. She is quite peppy and I have developed a rather good velcro seat, but I adore her and look forward to more adventures with her.

Outside of horses, I love photography and have a small photography/design business on the side. I also am an EMT and have worked in the EMS field for 6 years.

I am so excited to be on the Social Media Crew for ECOGOLD at Rolex this year! I have been to Badminton and a few smaller events as a spectator, but this is my first trip to Rolex. I will be driving with two friends from Rhode Island to Kentucky and I can't wait!! I will do my very best to bring the action to you at home!
For more information about Lucy, check out her blog at www.lucysquest.blogspot.com." ~ Kate

Lori

Lori & Friends of Ferdinand sponsor NASCAR driver Tony Stewart

A somewhat crooked path led me from my first event on my trainers pony when I was 12 to the full blown eventer now. My trainer needed someone to complete a Novice team at the team challenge, so always being the type to say yes I jumped right in with both feet. I had a month to prepare and didn't really know what dressage was. All I can say about my first event was I finished.

Of course I had a blast, but I went down different paths in high school and college focusing on dressage and the hunter/jumper world. (I never missed Rolex the entire time though, even with a broken foot). 

I graduated from the University of Findlay with a double major in English Equestrian Studies and Equine Business management. I then went on to law school at The University of Dayton.

For some reason my time in law school led me to start back up eventing (maybe I became suicidal while reading cases and writing briefs?). I have not looked back in the 10 years since nor have I used my law license. Horses are just better.

Eventing allows me to combine many of my passions into one. I have a deep seated love of thoroughbreds, especially ones that are retired race horses. My dream was always to help re-home many of these fantastic horses and give back to the sport and the animals that give me so much. Friends of Ferdinand  helped me achieve this dream sooner by allowing me to foster horses for them.

Their horses come to my farm where we work with them and start them on the path to a new career. The horses are evaluated and pointed in the direction their personality, conformation, and any physical issues make them suitable for. The horses are then matched up with people looking for a certain type and hopefully adopted when the right person comes along.

These horses adoption fees are a fraction of what the purchase and training costs would be for a similar horse. They are evaluated by a vet, ridden, turned out, and observed by knowledgeable people before they become available for adoption. This creates more security for the new owner and a better situation for the horse. Working with Friends of Ferdinand, inc made my dreams come true faster. Now we just need to get one of them to Rolex..."  For more information, please visit www.friendsofferdinand.org   ~ Lori


What a great team!!!!! The adventure begins on Wednesday....

 Our Ammie Bloggers

Holly

Carrie

Becky

Cheryl

Calina

Tracy

Jennifer

Sarah

\

Our Social Media Crew 

Elyse

Cathy

Aislinn

 

Krisy

Kate

Lori

Got this fortune cookie today... No kidding!    Trade Fair Stand #69 ~   See you in Kentucky!!!!

Becky’s Antici- (Say it! Say it!) Pation!

I can’t seem to sustain any focus at all….perhaps I watched too much Rocky Horror Picture Show as a young adult. But I think it has more to do with the plethora of horse events happening this weekend, and with me not able to do anything but hear about them. Soon, though, it will be time for the ONE event that is NOT to be missed: RK3DE!

A good friend tweeted while he watched Badminton, and between EN, the Ecogold blog, CoTH forums, and live scoring, I was able to live a wee bit vicariously, thrilling to the stops and recoveries and completions. I’m truly sad that Ingrid Klimke, Karen O’Connor, Stephanie Rhode-Bosch, and Ollie Townend were all eliminated; they are, each and every one of them, riders I watch to learn more about the sport I love.

Meanwhile, closer to home, friends were competing at Holly Hill Horse Trials in Benton, LA, and I was watching live scoring to see how they were all doing. Originally I, too, was entered, but my horse Paddy is recovering from surgery on a fractured splint bone, so I was forced to live vicariously through yet another live scoring web page on the Internet. Congrats to all those who did well, especially at new (or almost new) levels!

Any disappointment I might harbor about not being able to stream Badminton or compete at Holly Hill is quickly quelled by thinking about my upcoming foray to Rolex, though, and the excitement of wallowing in the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park along with thousands of my fellow eventing junkies. Nothing like being around folks who “get it,” who are as giddy and excited by it all as you are!

And the setting….My, oh, my. Currently I reside in West Texas—think flat, dusty, hot, and dry…that about sums it up lately—which leaves much to be desired in terms of environmental aesthetics. But Kentucky….now THERE’S a place worth seeing! Rolling hills. Gorgeous, manicured pastures. Barns nicer than many of the homes in the state. And the horses…….I will be coming from Paris, KY, which means I will be forced to drive first Paris Pike, then Ironworks Road every day for thirty minutes (twice!), drooling over the fantastic sight of splendid TB mares and babies frolicking in pastures, doing my best to stay on the road as I gape at the magnificent horses/setting. Luckily, KY drivers have been quite forgiving in the years I’ve been doing this. I haven’t gotten any better about not looking!

I’ll be excited to cheer for all the Ecogold riders, but I’m especially excited that a fellow Texan, Heather Morris, will be there. GO EXPRESS EVENTING!

I have been on the ground far too much this spring, so I’ll be particularly excited to watch and learn in preparation of being “back on that horse” (and, yes, maybe to shop JUST a little bit…!). Once again, I’ll be a fence judge on XC day; I like feeling like in this, the pinnacle of the sport, I help just a tiny bit. It’s amazing how much you learn by watching the best riders IN THE WORLD go over the same fence, too. You learn what works, what preparation happens before, during, and after the fence, which horses are honest, which riders are prepared, and so forth. I’ll find out which fence I have on Friday night!  

In addition, thanks to Ecogold, I’ll get to go on a coursewalk with one of the sponsored riders, and I’ll get to listen to Q&A’s with some of the best riders in the world, all of which I intend to blog faithfully both for Ecogold and in my own annual Rolex Report (http://rolexreport11.blogspot.com). More chances to learn! I cannot WAIT!

Weather (and airlines) permitting, we get to KY Wednesday evening, and we’ll be there bright and early Thursday for dressage (after a quick trip to Quillin Leather in Paris, KY….a yearly pilgrimage). Until Thursday…..unless there’s a Time Warp…..!