I have a confession to make, while I'm sorting through piles of Southern Eighths stories & photos. I emotioned...in public.
Before you get too weirded out, I'm fairly certain no one noticed. But it was still quite strange for me, not out of any habitual conscious "feels-suppression" efforts, it's just not something that usually occurs.
We'd just reached the last fence on the Heart of the Carolinas' Training 3DE division's coursewalk last Friday, led by wonderful friend & lead clinician (& incoming USEA President!), Carol Kozlowski.
Carol demonstrates choosing lines for maximum avoidance of wet pants
As I listened to her insights (well done to Course Designer, Tremaine Cooper, & Builders, Tyson Rementer & Rob Mobley!), adding & adjusting to my own mental "if I rode this" plan, out of nowhere, my vision blurred with welling tears. Fading to the back of the group to sniffle incognito, I asked myself what the why??
T3DE Kathy Parker & OTTB Peace Dancer take off after XC #1
My heart quietly answered: I want to ride this amazing course so bad it hurts. And I have a partner who could've done it.
2015 3DE TIP winners Lisa Borgia & Laurelin soar in the HT
I could have gotten lost in that moment. But another part of me knew that letting the weekend be a memory of sadness would be an even bigger loss. It was up to me to choose. I'm so glad that I took a deep breath, re-focused my eyes, & looked for better moments.
Sally O'Connor (R) explains Roads & Tracks plans to riders with Carol's supervision ;)
Because I found some.And I re-learned an increasingly important lesson:
The best kind of moments appear readily given opportunity, but it remains up to us to identify them. Our eyes are
accustomed to recording images by collecting reflected light. It
requires an additional step, a filter adjustment of sorts, for us to
capture these fleeting gifts.
Tori Nuckols, fab daughter of Gammon, our gallant Volunteer Coordinator, did her homework & won Best Conditioned Horse, flying the Special Edition Horseware cooler...that graced some Rolex rumps!
They are illuminated instead from within,
the shine of which is often overlooked or lost, out of focus in
periphery. It is when we can widen our field of view beyond the self,
while having the patience to be fully present in each heartbeat of Now,
that we begin to truly see.
A few of my found gifts -
Seeing one of our BN3DE riders, Sandra McDonald, choose her horse TWICE (withdrawing in the 10-minute box just before the start of her XC course as her horse's temp wasn't dropping quickly enough, then after beginning SJ with permission, retiring after one jump because her mare was still tired) without hesitation, then lose her breath in shock as we awarded her with our Sportsmanship Award (my personal favourite prize, another Horseware cooler along with embroidered Riding Warehouse pad & Dover goodies!) for excellence in horsemanship
Yes, myself & Erica totally fan-girl'ed Sally (I think she's saying 'Help, crazy Americans!' with her eyes...)
High-fiving Sally O'Connor & giggling at her gleeful grin upon the announcement of Michael Jung's Rolex Grand Slam win on Sunday (2nd rider ever...I got to watch Pippa win a leg of hers in KY 13 yrs ago!)
Watching Dana Cooke charge out of the XC startbox Saturday on a massive, full-throttle bay appropriately named Stormtrooper. My jaw dropped at her unflinching courage & skill without a second's hesitation aboard that leaping machine, since the last time I saw her, I was helping EMT's bundle her up after a painful crash at Intermediate just last fall. Later on Saturday, she followed on her Prelim CT ride, the gorgeous FE Mississippi, who you saw in the water on our InstaFeedThing! My kudos & joy for such a wonderful recovery!!!
Only slightly blurry Dana & Stormtrooper, 1 jump from a clear round in Stadium Jumping
Bumping into Becky Holder in the show office, where she not only remembered my nobody self (although Solo did hurl me through the air quite impressively for her), but gave me the kindest empathy hug & said she was so sorry to hear about Encore. I nearly choked, as she has far more important things to think about than my crazy life attempts! So much grace & compassion in a simple gesture -- this is why she is my heroine in so many things!
That's just a sample, but I think our incredible flying volunteers from the All Veteran Paratrooper Team captured this spirit & the "heart" of the 3DE itself in their 2016 highlight video (see our Wonderwoman photographer, Brant Gamma herself, at 1:29!! Good sniffles!):
But first, a giant THANKS to the over 400 folks who tuned into to the colourful & educational (a true 2-in-1 package!) dressage commentary from eventing royalty, Sally O'Connor, during all three (Training, Novice, & Beginner Novice) 3DE division tests today!!! I know it was a treat for me to be able to watch from the stabling office while I attempted tests of how many tabs one can add to a spreadsheet before it collapses. :D
And no worries if you missed it or are itching to see Sally's review of your ride. Just like the Judge-A-Test Demo on Thursday, a recorded version will be posted as soon as it's processed. And the channel will keep rolling tomorrow as our first T3DE horse steps out on Phase A at 9:00 AM EST. You can also find a link straight from USEA (THANKS!!!!) along with the latest press here.
You've no doubt noticed my attempts at keeping up in our Instagram widget at the top of the homepage, but phenomenal helper, Erica, has been keeping our live Twitter coverage rolling. Follow the action here.
You can always hit the left sidebar HOTC logo anytime to access our list of awesome sponsors, event schedule, hotc3day social media channels, article links, live scores & much much more!
That's about all the words left in me at this point, as I'll be stuffing my pockets with radios early tomorrow morning, resuming my annual post as Radio Control for Phases A, B, & C for Endurance Day. Phase D (the cross-country jumping course itself) will remain in the expert hands of JJ Johnson, Radio Goddess (you can find all our staff, clinician, & official bios in the program here).
So....hey look, shiny pictures!! (Much more to come, including "I get to meet Nicole, aka Eventing at Midnight, who's joined us as a volunteer/prize helper from VA this weekend!!" & life is revived after I got my Becky Holder hug, snif...)
Prizes: Beka of The Owls Approve strikes gold again, making mroe perfect bracelets!
Kim & Accolade offer a Training leg yield for clinician critique
Judges Wayne Quarles (headset) & Peter Gray talk through Kim's test with tips for watching riders
I walked the T3DE course with head clinician, Carol Kozlowski (blue, right), while CD Tremaine Cooper, started the N3DE group (white polo, left)
New carvings from chainsaw artist & epic person, Randy Boni, decorate the T log into the Riding Warehouse water complex, ready for action!
Sponsor coordinator represents, thanks to Julie @ RW for the hat & Beka's darling charms for my boys from 2015, all with our fantastic cover shot by Brant Gamma Photography
Priceless prizes: signed books filled with timeless horsemanship wisdom from God Jim Wofford...
My intentions to update you remain overwhelmed by assignments, but I couldn't leave a gaping hole for guesses, so I shall at least attempt The Bullet Approach:
To each person who has shared & those who continue to share support, kindness, laughter, & even just saying hi – THANK YOU, YOU ARE AWESOME.
I apologize for any impressions that I may be sitting in a hole of self-pity, (ok, I'm human, I totally own that there was some egregious despair) however life stepped in & ripped the cover off the hole in short order.
Field research season opened for roaring business at work, leaving little time for whimpering.
See splashy horse (unless on a mobile)
It's also nearly the first weekend in May, which means – click the countdown to Heart of the Carolinas 3DE in the left sidebar to visit event central...GO LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTY THINGS, THEY TAKE A LONG TIME TO MAKE! ;P There's more on the way, thanks to great sponsors & my fantastic Sponsorship Assistant: Erica, you rock.
Encore & I are picking away at this whole rehab thing. I'm not sure where we are right now, but today was sunny, 70F, with a light breeze, & we walked through a green forest of birdsong: vireos, warblers, wrens, thrashers, gnatcatchers, woodpeckers, even the wild turkeys.
Each note landed gently on my heart, seeming to say that the Moment is here, the Moment is now, & this Moment has much good. That is a melody I embrace. There has been more than enough darkness, today I unquestioningly cherish the sun.
Back on a lighter note: HOTC 2016! There will be some seriously amazing new elements this year. You will still be able to follow the live media feeds on Twits & InstaThingies (you know you have it in your diary: “Be entertained by eventer79's ridiculous sleep-deprived commentary.”) & I'll share more very soon.
Hints: listen in when Sally O'Connor joins us – yes, THAT Sally – and meet both new & familiar equine crafts(wo)men.
On top of the Mother's Day craft contest (eventers + beer + glitter markers = no-lose possibility), annual Southern Eighths KY Derby party, the return of our flying volunteer veterans, & did I mention a collection of mind-blowing prizes???
NOMS??!?
Solo sends his shiniest magic to all of you, although he is still working on transferring an unfathomable amount of dull winter fur into every single one of my pores. Note to self: do not open mouth while brushing horse on windy spring days. Or eyes.
So for now -
“When your eyes are tired the world is tired also... The dark will be your home tonight.
The night will give you a horizon further than you can see.
Iris woke up today!
You must learn one thing.
The world was made to be free in...
Sometimes it takes darkness & the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn
anything or anyone that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.”
-excerpt from Sweet Darkness, poem by David Whyte, thanks for the discovery to Calm Things
This is not a joke. This is a real broadcast from the “Awesome Eventing Opportunity” system.
You may have read a few posts here about a certain long format 3-day-event that comes around on the first weekend in May. That’s right, Heart of the Carolinas (HOTC) 3DE at the spectacular Southern Eights Farm, just across our southern border in Chesterfield, SC.
Follow HOTC's New Media Channels!
2015 BN3DE Prizes
A spring sister event to the Waredaca 3DE that first inspired my (as-yet-thwarted, sigh) singular T3DE completion goal, HOTC brings it all to the table: a destination facility, a championship-level cross country course, phenomenal clinicians, incredible sponsors (no, Sponsorship Coordinator is not biased at all, hee)…I have so much to share, but that’s another post.
While there is a great KY Derby party, that’s not the one I’m talking about. Last year, some inspired heads came together & created the Carolina Eventing Challenge (CEC). And HOTC is the final leg of this series. Are you ready??
HOTC 3DE (Southern Eighths Farm; includes CEC description)
One must be HOTC and only the 3DE divisions count towards the CEC mega-prize (to be announced). The one exception is Prelim, as we do not have a Prelim XC course at HOTC, the Prelim CT, which incorporates some Derby fences, will be included in the Challenge. Lowest scores win.
That’s right, you don’t have to be Pippa Funnell to win an epic eventing series!
2015 TIP Delights
More Than One Way To Play
Not ready (or still working on that quarter jar *raises hand*) for the 3DE yet? Come on down for our parallel HT divisions, including a new Intro course & the just-created BN-Assisted division. Bonus: your OTTB can win cash prizes from the Jockey Club's TB Incentive Program in the HT as well!
Evil goal-thwarting horse (*raises other hand*)? Um, our volunteer swag is kind of awesome & you can attend all the clinics/coursewalks/lectures for free!
You can find details in the USEA Omnibus listing here. We already have some amazing prizes for the 3DE (all three long format divisions receive prizes through 8th place); you can check out our ever-growing list of sponsors on the event website.
Can’t make it, but want to be a part of the action? Fence sponsorships are inexpensive & open to anyone: the LOWER (League of Weenie Event Riders, I love it!) group has supported a XC fence, Riding Warehouse is sponsoring the water complex with more fab prizes…it would be great to have a Horse Bloggers fence, if someone wants to help organize it!! Leave a comment note or click the email icon up top to give me a shout.
For more information, including TFS posts, EN articles, program links, & more, I maintain a clearinghouse page here, which is also linked in the slider at the bottom of our homepage.
Come fly the Carolina skies! (2014 BN3DE Haffie Whinney The Pooh, I'm not making that up)
Better late than never? But after our own exciting jumping achievement this morning (sometimes small, uneventful jumps are a really big deal!), I can finally get around to posting -
My Five Favourite Points Of Five Points HT (say it five times faster)
Because there really was a lot of fabulous outside of the unfortunate. In no particular order, as awesomeness levels are equivalent:
Watching the best at their best. The demonstration of adjustability & incredible skill to package your horse beneath you without losing that critical forward impulsion & power, well, it was not only stunning, but consistent.
Subtle yet huge: we all get our wrists slapped, no matter the discipline, for riding backwards. I was thrilled to see lines & horses moving FORWARD FORWARD FORWARD, even as shapes & strides changed.
Kim Severson. O.M.G. I want to ride like that. A young me knew I was watching something special every time she & Dan (legend Winsome Andante, above) thundered by us to win Rolex THREE times (in between Olympic medals, ha), but add 15 years of educating my eye...
Every time she came through, it was like watching the flow of silk. At a whole new pinnacle of her game, Kim's quiet body would offer just a breath of a suggestion through a soft shift of one hand. I had goosebumps watching a near-telepathic invitation to the horse that connected delicacy to power, as if saying, "Lovely creature, the next jump is just there, well done."
Being part of the community. Every time I volunteer, in any capacity, there's always this unique feeling, the knowledge that you are helping to create something bigger than yourself. And it's a community of sharing, teaching, helping, learning...yes, you can start singing "kummm-by-yaaaa" now, ha!
Seeing old friends, making new ones. So many wonderful connections built up over the years & events are often the only chance I get to enjoy them in person! And I don't think I've ever walked away without meeting a new one. And hopefully not weirding them out too much in the process, heh. Whether it's been a month or a year, the smiles, support, & stories never seem to wane.
It's just a bonus to get to share the experience with BFF, who has a fabulous eye & eats up the epicness as fast as I do!
I feel like I recognize that...
Inspiration to work on my own horse. We all get stuck. Spending a day watching 150 mini-lessons 15' in front of me sends me home with a flurry of tips & ideas I can't wait to try. It seems to remind my subconscious that, oh yeah, we used to do this fantastic thing, how about we get back to that??
What about you? Have you had the privilege to get free riding lessons from 10 pros at once volunteer recently? What was your favourite??
Saturday was packed full of things both wonderful &, er, somewhat less so.
Warning: many words follow, take your pee break now!!
*Photos can be clicked to embiggen. No, I have not mastered the 'selfie' & don't know why I appear compelled to hold phone 20' in the air*
Definitely not boring, a beautiful day for Preliminary/Intermediate/Advanced Cross-Country at Five Points Horse Trials, but I would've been ok with "slightly less eventful." (pun not intended)
I'm going to bet that quite a few folks would agree on the latter!
TD Bobby Stevenson briefs us
Volunteering is ALWAYS educational. I encourage everyone to never miss an opportunity to watch, listen & learn from a unique type of immersion you won't find anywhere else! When 150 riders attempt to answer the same jumping question(s) right in front of you, it's an invaluable way to see what works & what doesn't.
Although we always hope the "doesn't work" part is a simple run-out or refusal.
What Happened?!
Horses insist on being horses though, & no matter where, how well-prepared, well-designed, or even what discipline, for lack of a more concise summation, "shit happens."
If you were following online through our feed or Event Entries great scoring service, you already know that BFF & I had a busy morning jump judging at I fences 17 & 18A/B, a challenging accuracy & planning question on the Intermediate course:
I intend a follow-up post including the many fantastic rides we saw & a breakdown of our fences for each level. So I'm not going to delve into much detail here, but I want to share some of the parts that unfailingly remind me why I love eventing: the people.
THANK YOU - to the medical team. Nothing personal, but I generally dislike meeting you, especially so many of you, because that means gravity was not very nice to someone.
However, (& I'm still sleuthing out the department to name) all of you were calmly expedient, compassionate, on your A-game, & took over rider care like a well-oiled machine. I know first-hand that when you're the person on the ground, hearing kindness & confidence from your caregivers means everything.
JJ, why do I always look rabid?
THANK YOU - JJ, I can't say it enough. I know some of you out there have been lucky enough to work with radio control queen, JJ Johnson, as well, so you can corroborate that there is NO ONE you'd rather have on the headset when there may be 4-5 horses on course at 2-minute start intervals.
(Dutton, give me time to write down the previous rider's number before attempting to lap them! Kidding - but whatever is in that man's cereal, I obviously need some!)
With 3-5 channels in front of her, JJ still keeps everyone safe, connects officials to volunteers to EMTs to scorers, every time. And she can even do it with a smile. Amazing isn't a big enough word.
Miriam hooks us up!
THANK YOU - to Miriam, wonderful volunteer coordinator. That's one of, if not THE hardest jobs of all. This was the first time I've met her, but positive energy, lots of helpful information beforehand, & plenty of delicious lunches & snacks (frozen chocolate bars, omg, I think I love you!!) -- it's what keeps that priceless commodity, our volunteer corps, coming back!
THANK YOU - of course, to all my fellow volunteers!! It may not feel very glamourous to handle traffic crossings or write down rows of zeros (but we do love zeros) all day, but not a single event would exist without you.
CD Marc Donovan: "Don't wrinkle the shirt!"
It's cliche but true! You don't even have to be a horse person, you don't have to have any experience. If you can read & write & push buttons & have polite human interactions, you're 100% qualified. And did I mention my chicken salad was amazing, THANK YOU, whoever was lunch lady!!
THANK YOU - to our favourite course builder (we can't help it, he's hilarious AND mad talented), Tyson Rementer, and his crew, always on hand for spares & repairs.
I'm convinced that Tyson shares the ability to teleport with Boyd Martin, who I swear materialized out of thin air when our first rider fell (Seriously, it's uncanny how many times Boyd is present when things diverge from the plan! But THANK YOU, too, for never hesistating to jump in & help!).
I walk our Advanced line in possibly the most boring video ever:
I know I'm hyperfocused both when I ride & judge XC, but as I hit the ground next to the rider to keep her still & talking (screaming's ok too, you can't scream without breathing, just stay with me & scream in a manner that lets me know you're not going to pass out, that's better for both of us) until Medical arrived, all of a sudden, a very familiar Aussie voice chimed in right next to my ear: "Just be still, they'll be here right away, you'll be okay."
Speak of the devil: Boyd & Welcome Shadow own it
As I help EMT's figure out how to get her on the board without aggravating a hellaciously painful hip too much, there's Tyson too -- I'm telling you: teleportation superpowers.
There are, of course, MANY more, but I won't wear out your scroll button.
And How Are Our Riders?
Of the three falls at our I fence (A & P were nicely uneventful), Tiffini at 18B popped up quickly & her horse galloped back to stabling in fine form, so both appeared luckily none the worse for wear.
Happy photos: Doug Payne & Vandiver (5th, A) land with eyes on target
The other two did have the painful misfortune of their horse landing all or partly on top of them, but neither horse rotated & both horses hopped up sound & alert. Both have my heartfelt empathy for also having the nasty luck of landing on their hips, which frankly, hurts beyond the ability of the best cursing.
And I'm so sorry I had to make you lay on what hurt you most until Medical arrived, I was hurting right along with you, but no spinal injuries on my watch if I can help it!
Photos AND horses need compression; Doug gets it done!
As I shared in a brief update for Eventing Nation, just because all of us as fellow riders worry for our brothers & sisters, both Dana & Sara were talking to me & the EMTs & the lovely foam in their vests & helmets did its job perfectly.
They left in excellent hands to get the good drugs & a thorough check alongside some hopefully peripheral repairs. Hopefully both, along with Will Faudree, who suffered a solid whack at the fence after ours, will be on the mend quickly!!
And Vandiver jumps out of the Advanced line, textbook
And because I've been there, especially to Sara, who began asking me for details in the ambulance: adrenaline makes us blank out for a reason. To this day, I cannot remember what happened between the saddle & the ground on my Very Bad Day with Solo. There's an email link at the top right of my page, don't hesitate to use it if you have questions after you're feeling better!
Bests to everyone today, have a great ride, & do your best to keep the steel side down!
Seriously, both these coolers were in the volunteer tent, we all should have chosen from the bottom one!
That's right, I'm going to be taking names and, er, hopefully writing a lot of zeros!
BFF & I will be sporting TFS pride tomorrow (translation: I'm totally wearing my dorky awesome shirt), volunteering as jump judges at the Carolina Horse Park's pinnacle fall event.
Since, I know your life cannot possibly be complete without my random brain drool, it's easy to access in the right sidebar or from the social icons at the very tippy top of any page on our site.
I repeat often how lucky I feel, to have made friends with & learned from so many wonderful people since getting involved in Adult Riders & volunteering.
One of those people (although she surely counted for at least 3 or 4) was Seema Sonnad. Those of you involved in eventing are no doubt already aware, but we lost Seema this week. She suffered a fatal heart arrhythmia during an ultra-marathon in Seattle.
Yes, ULTRA-marathon. Because Seema was Wonder Woman incarnate in a thousand ways & I think she even ultra-walked out her front door every morning. It would never even occur to her to be 'regular.'
She
would show up to work four 13-hour days at an event after usually having
flown across the country from a marathon or conference with about 3
hours of sleep...and I never heard the word "tired" cross her lips. I
always joked to her that I felt compelled to take a nap for her!
And she most certainly ultra-gave every ounce of herself to the world around her & changed lives on a regular basis. Including mine. So, Seema, I want to say thank you, although those words are so woefully inadequate.
I'll never forget arriving at work one morning & opening my inbox to
find your email (I don't even know how you knew my work
address), informing me that there was a paid entry to any horse trial I
wanted through Event Entries, just waiting for me, as a thanks for
volunteering & advocacy.
I burst into tears as I wrote a thank you. It was completely out
of the blue, & meant so much to me because I cannot afford to compete
on my own, as you knew.
We often refer to such acts as "going out of your way." But that never applied to you...because it WAS your way, in the most beautiful connotation that "routine" can have. Such seemingly small things which touch
people's lives in an unforgettable manner.
You perfected what I try (emphasis on try) to live, captured by my
favourite poet & author, May Sarton, another amazing woman:
"I would like to believe when I die that I have given myself away like
a tree that sows seeds every spring and never counts the loss, because
it is not loss, it is adding to future life. It is the tree's way of
being. Strongly rooted perhaps, but spilling out its treasure on the
wind."
It's tempting to say it's the end of an era, or some close cliche. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. Because of the blueprint you inspired us to build on, as not just eventers, but as women in science, as givers, as doers, as forces of life, being here, being now: it's only the beginning. Or to phrase it better, we've reached the start flags of Phase B & it's time to fly, primed by impossibly comprehensive coaching & warmup that could only have come from a spirit as fierce & gracious & bold & brilliant as this one.