*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!!!
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| This is just for the BN3DE division... |
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| N3DE: Sabine Desper & her Akhal-Teke Adamek finish Endurance Day! |
YOU.
You heard me right.
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| Weary, but smiling judges & staff as SJ winds down |
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.
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| Click to embiggen |
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.
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| Although Solo won 6th with Cari Budny in N3DE (srsly, his name is Solo!) |
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.”
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| BN3DE winners Emma Boswell & Sprite |
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.
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| Treating vets Dr. Marsha Severt (R) & Stephanie Graham |
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.
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| She even TFS selfie'd Becky for me; two great people! |
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!).
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| Melissa always strikes a dramatic pose |
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| T3DE Bag O'Win. Value: $1,400 |
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.
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| TIP loot includes $75 cash |
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.
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| Dr. Keeton & Evita-Veron on their way to finishing T3DE on their 29.6 dressage score |
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| Not kidding: mad golf cart skillz |
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...
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| 3rd in BN3DE, Madeline Maynard & Airborne Ranger look like Endurance Day was no biggie |
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