Who Makes The Magic Happen?

*Retroactive apology for heinously long post, should have split into two...

but all the awesome...& the words...so hard to fit...hang in there*

That moment which puts a tear in the corner of your eye, the exhilaration & triumph of achievement that comes with taking your horse to a whole new level of partnership:  participating in a long format event that represents the “heart” of our sport, such as Southern Eighths Farm’s Heart of the Carolinas.

It’s easy to recognize some of the elements which make it so special – just look at the Beginner Novice 3DE victory lap!



Exciting for me (after I contain my whimpering envy…ONE DAY!) is that Every. Single. Rider. who completed in both the BN & T3DE divisions got to take home not only their USEA completion ribbons & So8ths completion medals (damn straight, you earned a freaking medal), but also a much-coveted neck ribbon AND a bag of sweet prize loot!!!

This is just for the BN3DE division...

The Novice 3DE division had a few more competitors (we give prizes to 8th place), but all finishers still get the more-than-deserved USEA ribbon & So8ths medal (can I just put one in my pocket to borrow for a year & pretend?).

N3DE: Sabine Desper & her Akhal-Teke Adamek finish Endurance Day!

So who is it that makes these enormous grins possible?

YOU.

You heard me right.

Weary, but smiling judges & staff as SJ winds down

It Takes A Village…For 365 Days

Anyone who has ever been part of the core staff running even a schooling horse trial knows what a monumental task it is.  The words “herding cats” do not even begin to describe the challenge & there are more moving parts than the inside of a grandfather clock.

However, every single one of those parts, from judges to concessions, competitors to volunteers, sponsors to farm staff to secretaries to stabling to the one who put the flagging tape on the parking sign, is a person.  A person like you, a person like me.

Click to embiggen

This blog has never been about marketing or money & it never will be.  As I’ve said so many times before, I share my journey because I know there are thousands of us out there, working adult amateurs trying to make it work, trying to figure it out.

So the reason I was typing at midnight last Saturday, the reason Solo’s beloved Minion & I have Twitted you to death, is because this event, aside from being mind-blowingly awesome, is the perfect illustration of all that makes eventing unique.

A group of people, from all walks of life (even non-horsey ones) & just as many states, come together & build, through a combination of diverse skillsets & what I’m convinced is a dose of fairy dust, as one competitor so aptly put it, “the experience of a lifetime.”

Seriously, these were my Steeplechase judges - I told you they could fly - when I was radio control for Phases A/B/C on Endurance Day (hey, my butt’s even in the end of the video, woot, along with Best. Organizer. Ever. & friend/neighbour/teacher, Cindy DePorter), from the very special All Veteran Group (absolutely check out their website, even more amazing than this video; THANKS, GUYS!).


Video warning:  Viewers who have ever experienced something magical & had to say goodbye may experience simultaneous weeping/joy.  Not that I, erm...

I’m Not Special

I’m a nobody.  Yes, in the grand scheme of things, I don’t have money, I forget what spare time is, I often work 50+ hours a week at a stunningly low-paying job (who gave that great advice “do what you believe in?” LOL), & I’d have to look in my own archives to remember the last time I rode a jump course.

Although Solo won 6th with Cari Budny in N3DE (srsly, his name is Solo!)

I’ve never won championships, trophies, or stacks of horse trial ribbons.  I don’t have any special certifications (well, relevant ones; I’m pretty sure my Wildland Firefighter Red Card is not very useful at a horse trial…unless the XC course catches on fire, then I've got it covered).

I do most of my own training because I can’t afford many lessons, & I’ve never competed above Training in eventing or First Level in dressage.

Here Is What I Do Have.  And So Do You.

Despite not owning a horse until a very special person bought me Solo in 2006, I’ve spent a lifetime watching horses & reading everything that has the word “horse” in it.  I believe in good horsemanship above all else:  my partner ALWAYS comes first.

Although not a competitive person, I have run horse trials (pretty much because that’s the only way I can run a proper XC course, heh) & benefited from those who took their time to give me that privilege.  And I believe in “paying it forward.”

BN3DE winners Emma Boswell & Sprite

I know how to push buttons, count (at least to ten), I can use a pencil, send emails, & print documents.  I can even drive a golf cart without breaking it.  *pause for permitted giggle*

These things may seem ridiculously simple, but this truly is how I, how YOU make magic.  And not just on event weekend.  Planning for the 2016 event started the day after the 2015 event ended.  There are so many more ways to help, even if you can’t be present on the showgrounds.

Treating vets Dr. Marsha Severt (R) & Stephanie Graham

Who Can You Be?

It is impossible to name everyone without giving you carpal tunnel from scrolling (you can read team bios, as well as check out great educational material in the full event program, downloadable here), but I want to offer an inside-out perspective & debunk any misconceptions that YOU aren’t special enough or qualified enough to be a part of this or any other event.  As has been wisely said, “We may be small, but we can do great things.”

You can be Ed Madden, a semi-retired health care consultant & grandparent, who, along with his charming wife, Annie, recently moved to the Carolinas from Seattle.  Ed is our safety coordinator each year, making sure we all know what to do in every possible contingency (that hopefully never happens).

You can be Cindy Wood (yeah, it gets confusing on the radios), an Adult Amateur who is our dedicated Stable Manager to perfection here & at Waredaca’s N/T3DE in October, holding down the fort in the stalls & making sure all the horses have what they need.

She even TFS selfie'd Becky for me; two great people!

You can be Erica, Solo’s Minion, who is working on a post-doc at UNC-Chapel Hill while simultaneously raising her two-yr-old (human) with her husband, who also works full time.  She also has full-time duties dealing with me, which is a feat unto itself!!  She was an incredible help to me this weekend, at her first ever 3DE, running TFS social media while I spread-sheeted like a fiend, ferrying & handing out prize loot, bit checking, & filling any other gaps as needed.

You can be Melissa Rundt, serving dual duty being hilarious & upbeat when staff got tired, as well as making the requisite pre-event grocery run so everyone had meals & snacks at all times (my job in 2013, only she does it better!).

Melissa always strikes a dramatic pose

You can be James Baker, another working Adult Amateur rider who has ridden at So8ths & Waredaca’s long format event with his faithful partner, Wings.  He was in attendance again this year…just showing up to volunteer wherever needed.

T3DE Bag O'Win. Value: $1,400

You Are Even A Sponsor

We often think of event sponsors as companies with products on storeshelves nationwide & thick catalogues & professionally designed websites.

We are beyond grateful the event & the USEA Classic Series has some of these, such as the partnership of:

• TFS-adored Smartpak
• Point Two Air Jackets 
• Brant Gamma Photos (still my all-time most beloved event photographer & with her partner & husband, Pete, excellent person) 
• Dover Saddlery 
• Cowboy Magic (seriously, there is no better detangler!)
• Grand Meadows supplements
• Foxden Equine nutrition
• & other household names who are indispensable to keeping this important opportunity alive.  

(Full list of event sponsors & links here)
  

TIP loot includes $75 cash

And I cannot leave out The Jockey Club’s great TB Incentive Program (TIP), whose fabulous rep was so helpful & friendly & voluntarily offered awards not just for the 3DE, but for the HT we run alongside!  (If you don't have a number for your OTTB yet, getting one today is easy & instant...& free)

However, YOU are sponsors too.

As so many of our entries are young or amateur riders, I couldn’t think of a better group of partners to add to the team than small businesses started by members of the same community!
 
You are Melinda, creator of Nickerbait, handmade horse treats that I would probably eat before they made it to my horses.

Who, when I emailed in a panic, searching for tracking numbers, because the farm did not appear to contain her box of prizes, sent back a set of printable gift certificates on Saturday night.  She also makes custom labels for events, if someone wants their brand on prizes, in addition to contributing products to fundraising events. 

You are Kate, owner of BlackWatch Stables, a friend of the farm owner, & 3rd generation warmblood sporthorse breeder, who couldn’t make it out to volunteer this year.  So instead, after contacting me asking how she could help, she donated a $100 SmartPak gift card & a fly sheet as the Lowest Scoring Adult Amateur award (taken home by Dr. Kim Keeton, winner of the T3DE division, & owner/head vet of Coyote Creek Equine Veterinary Services).  Just because.

Dr. Keeton & Evita-Veron on their way to finishing T3DE on their 29.6 dressage score

You are Pat of So Southern, who hand-makes customized saddle pads, covers, & other fabric products, even creating entire collections for your school/team/organization with specially reserved patterns & logos.  She sent three beautiful baby pads including return shipping labels so winners can send them back for monogramming.

Not kidding: mad golf cart skillz

You are Beka, of The Owls Approve, who was crafting unique gifts for friends & fun until she was generous enough to say yes to my impulsive recruitment over dinner in Savannah three months ago.  And now has a sold-out inventory in her Straight Shot Metal Smashing Etsy shop because everyone who saw them had instant coveting.

Of course, there are more, as previously mentioned & listed.  And each of you, from largest to smallest, are a gear without which this clock would not keep time.

To be continued...

3rd in BN3DE, Madeline Maynard & Airborne Ranger look like Endurance Day was no biggie

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Don't Expect Sentences In Satuday's So8ths 3DE Update Of Blogger-Exploding Epicness

Moar prize oogling!  Thanks, of course, to all these people & more:

Mary Ellen at Logorific did a fantastic job on the long banners!!

A better picture of Beka's surprise that made me sniffle:

It's been my nametag decoration...

Meghann went overboard & sent beautiful certificates & a sample for display:

The lovely banners will frame tonight's Derby party & dinner display in the little indoor out back:

And the reason I do it, the reason you all need to do it...

N3DE XC: Jodie Stowell & Island Fever lock on to the stone wall

If Becky's picked her #1... (N3DE rider Alcy Christie & Abraxis in the Phase C Assist box)

N3DE:  Sabine Desper & Adamek pause for their super crew!

Solo's Minon Erica looks like she got the temp check job in the 10-minute box! (who else stands at the horse's butt?)

Amanda Miller-Atkins & Barley clear N3DE gorgeous XC Fence 1

N3DE Julia Burke jogs Davignio for the Ground Jury before proceeding to Phase D:  XC!

N3DE Ann Bower & Prosecco (also "Best Turned Out" for their division jogs!) clear the XC Frame

...is because this.  Donkey Hode (who won Best Conditioned over all divisions!), currently in 2nd place in the N3DE explains it all, walking back to the barn with an equine smile.

Because it's just zen, man...

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The Final Finale Of The Heart Of The Carolinas 3DE -- Finally!

Life is so inconvenient when it comes to blogging, isn't it?  And it all moves so quickly, sometimes I just feel the urge to lie down until it passes.

But only a, er, couple weeks late, the rest of (well, ok, a fair chunk of) the photo-documentation of the once-more incredible (and even more so next year when I get my hands on some materials!) experience that can only be expressed through the focus on the horse's face and his rider's tearful grin of achievement.

The Novice Show Jumping Course Walk with designer (& fashion maven), Marc Donovan

"Just ignore that dorky chick over there who keeps following me around and taking pictures."

Someone's found his perfect distance.

Rider glancing back:  "Damn!  How DOES he find shoes in the EXACT same shade of navy blue as his polo shirt??!"

Another Boni chainsaw masterpiece:  a pack of coyotes sets of Marc's brilliant stadium course

Art is an understatement

These palmetto standards were a lovely SC touch...through which to view escape attempts from questioning mobs!

She practices her casual Donovan lean in hopes of mastering the uber-cool.

Gorgeous sculpture frames this wide oxer, the last jump on course, which, it seems all parties agree looks rather large.  However, it rode extremely well!

A new Boni masterpiece in its infancy, destined to be mustangs guarded by a flock of eagles

 The final jog, with Head Vet, Dr. Debbie, & Ground Jury Members Amanda Miller-Atkins & Pam Weidmann

A beautifully presented competitor at the Sunday morning jog.

I rooted for this charming little Appendix all weekend!!

Bonus points if you look great AND make Dr. Debbie laugh.  Even if you are riding Jaws.

"Geez, more horse butts, sigh..."

The irresistible Sterling Silver and his owner, Justin Hull, await their turn.  A truly fantastic pony!

This loud leopard appy caught lots of eyes...and I think his owners nearly mowed me down in my golf cart twice!  Unless there was another dually coated with App stickers...

Dr. Debbie struggles to see both sides of Haffie butt at once.

These two, Paddington Bear and his little girl , were a special pair indeed.

Stadium Jumping

Some still had plenty of leaping energy left!

Half-halts are good, but educational note:  please do not put your hackamores on your horse's soft tissue, where he cannot breathe very well.

Andrew McConnon & CMA Special Messenger were all elegance and style

This lovely bay makes it look easy!

An excellent use of eye upon landing.

Brant Gamma's partner, Pete, captures a fancy leap over the corner oxer

Appendix pony is tired but game!

This mare's face haunted me -- it was like looking straight at Solo!!!!

TD Gammon:  "You never let me use the fancy measuring stick!!"

CD Marc: "The stick must be earned, padi-wan."

The folks who keep it together (mostly; L-R):  announcer David Frump, dressage judge/ground jury member Amanda Miller-Atkins, president of the ground jury/dressage judge Pam Weidmann, course designer Marc Donovan, event secretary Rick Dunkerton; in front of trailer, facility owner Brad Turley trades recipes with organizer Cindy Deporter.

Obligatory Haffie perky jump in the BN3DE

Then if you are really lucky, you not only get to take home your blue completion ribbon, medal, and goody bag, BUT also the big blue first place ribbon, like our N3DE winner and her elegant and big-hearted bay (although she says the tradeoff lies in his enormous bucks!).

However, as the endurance folks say (and as eventers should say more often):  To finish is to win.  And the partnership built with your horse in the process is like none you will ever experience anywhere else!  And maybe, just maybe, I still have some time left to get my own dang horse there.  In a thank you note from a rider:  "As a 67 yr "old fart" who has never gotten to do more than BN Horse Trials and one unsanctioned N HT this was an opportunity I did not want to miss. All the planning and training over the winter and the long haul to SC was worth it. I know now that my little mare can do it and what we need to work on to make next year even more successful." 

Perhaps it was summed up best of all by another competitor:  "Being an eventer means that at times, you take your lumps, learn, grow, and come back stronger the next time."

Mission Accomplished:  Marc Donovan, organizer Cindy Deporter, and the infamous Russell the Love Muscle.  I even got Marc to wear my Carolina International volunteer hat complete with smurf pin.  "Why?!" he asked.  Silly Marc, because it entertains me, do we need another reason?

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