It's kinda bizarre saying "TGIF" when all the days blend together anyway. Is it really Friday tho?!? Or something more like ThurTueSun?!? Who knows! And does it even matter??
boyd + thomas!
Ahem, cough cough. Pardon the outburst lol....
Moving on, it's Kentucky 5* weekend!!! Or, at least, it would be if the entire world wasn't sidelined in some way shape or form by covid.
you know what it be
Eventers, tho.... Haha -- they're a resilient, adaptable bunch.
I can't even imagine the personal devastation some of the would-be 5* entrants are feeling... And yet, ya gotta appreciate the brave face so many have put on -- what with virtual jogs and whatnot all over social media.
complete 2019 xc coverage
Plus - as you've likely already seen elsewhere in the blogosphere and on social media, everyone is doing their best to relive all the good memories without thinking too too deeply about missing out on the "now."
boyd + thomas show jump!
Long time readers might remember that I've gotten into a sorta annual habit with my Kentucky trips. One of my good friends hails from down yonder, and her family always opens up their home in Louisville to our raucous group.
It's become tradition, and we always book our tickets at the earliest possible moment. Because it's a forgone conclusion - of course we're going!
ollie townend + cooley master class -- winning round!
So ya know, just like everyone else this year, we're a little bummed.
bonus grand prix invitational round with karl cook
And obviously all these videos barely scratch the surface of what it's actually like to be there. Seeing all those amazing horses up close and personal. Walking the xc course, observing the warm up rings, strolling through all the tent sales and vendor booths....
complete 2018 xc coverage - including footage of winner Michael Jung
also plus some show jumping footage! inc P Dutty, Boyd, ML, and Jung
But ya know. At least it's something haha. Unfortunately for some reason I never made an overall compilation video from my 2016 trip. Not sure why, bc I must have had at least a little bit of footage in order to grab the still shots used in that post.
Oh well, tho, the 2018 and 2019 videos are pretty epic <3
missing this crew right now!
Honestly, tho, the thing I'm most sad about missing is hanging out with the gang. Getting dinners, buying ridiculous things together, tailgating, ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the amazing horses.... And also just those long car rides between Lexington and Louisvlle... Getting cozy in the basement with everyone strewn about on couches and air-mattresses....
All of it. Which, not coincidentally is not far from a reflection of missing out on that social interaction in normal every day to day life right now for so many of us.
Sigh. Oh well, it is what it is. Hope you are all having a great Friday - and enjoy reliving some of the Kentucky glory from years past!
Happy Friday, everyone! It's been.... wow. It's been a week. All the way back on Monday, I wrote about how the covid-19 crisis finally "got real" for Marylanders, in that just about every single citizen was impacted in some tangible, meaningful way.
And, as many of you are experiencing, things have only escalated from there. There has been a lot of uncertainty and some chaos. I feel very fortunate to say that, at least for my own network anfd connections, not too too many consequences as yet. There is worry tho, especially as speculation runs rampant and cold hard facts remain rarer than rocking horse manure.
Conventional wisdom says that we will adapt to the current "new normal," tho. And settle. Right now everyone is on edge, and that's freakin exhausting haha, and therefore unsustainable. Soon (I hope), we'll be able to step back a bit and assess.
In the meantime, I'm still a little too consumed by vague nihilistic existentialism to like... idk, sit down and write about our recent dressage fix a test clinic (tho it was, in fact, awesome haha). That'll come eventually, probably tho ;)
I'm **not** so preoccupied, however, to not be sad about the cancellation of this year's Kentucky 5*. Per my and my group's annual tradition, we'd already secured our tickets and booked travel well in advance. And had been nervously gnawing on our fingertips for the last few weeks before they inevitably (and correctly) announced the cancellation.
(obvi tons of familiar faces bc duh, but it's fun for me to recognize folks like Dan in the video. equal parts sad tho bc both he and his wife Katilin were qualified, sound and ready to return ((finally!)) to this level of competition this year. .... sigh)
Boo. Add another hash mark to the "lost" tally bc of this insane pandemic.
But!! With hope (and healthy doses of precaution and prophylactics), life goes on.
So, before we get too sad about losing the 2020 5*, or too excited about the 2021 5*, let's instead sit back and enjoy the throwback to simpler times haha. Specifically, NBC's 2014 broadcast of the then-called Rolex Kentucky 4*. Go watch, it's lovely ;)
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Meanwhile, I sincerely hope that you're all doing ok, and adapting to the evolving situation within reason. How are you all coping? Have things changed much for you? Or maybe not at all?
Are you like me, for whom "self quarantine" kiiiiiinda describes my normal every day to day life?? Or maybe where you are, self quarantine isn't even a thing and you're not so sure what I'm even talking about? Or, god forbid, you're dealing with consequences the rest of us are only just now realizing could be coming? Or, perhaps you feel differently, and think this will all be a distant memory sooner than anyone says?
Also. If anybody is intensely bored or feeling particularly isolated by this new self-quarantine lifestyle, feel free to drop me a line at fraidycat.eventing at gmail.
I learned to jump at a small private barn as a young rider and teen, and had chances to play around with small fences while volunteering at a trail barn in the summers. But it wasn't really until college that I started to learn the finer points of coursework at a hunter/jumper farm in Rochester.
It was here that I learned how to ride a proper hunter course, including counting strides and simple lead changes. Plus occasionally we spiced it up with more advanced lines like roll backs, loops and commas. Lesson horses at this farm generally topped out at 2'6 as a rule, tho the more advanced horses who didn't work as much were allowed the occasional 2'9 fence.
As you might imagine, hunter courses on schoolies could get boring fast for brave fearless infallible college students (ahem, cough cough). So my trainer kept things interesting by letting her more advanced students ride all the greenies that came through the lesson program.
This way, the greenies got the mileage they needed to be ready for a broader range of rider skill levels. And the riders were able to have fun and experience more variety, all with the jumps staying within the mandated size range.
show jumping might actually be this horse's best phase at present, much to my amazement lol
So. Long story short, throughout this period of my riding life, I learned a LOT about riding 2'6 hunter courses haha. And a lot about introducing green horses to that style of work. It was a useful education that was loads of fun while staying relatively safe.
This education has served me reasonably well in getting started with eventing too. Mostly I already knew how to string a course of fences together. Thanks to riding hunters for so long, I already had a grasp on the importance of prompt lead changes (simple or otherwise), staying balanced through the ends of the ring, and using my eye to line up my turns and approaches to related distances.
And about those related distances, in hunter land the most common course type is some mirrored variation of "inside, outside, inside, outside / side, diagonal, side, diagonal" plus maybe a few singles. So as a rider of these courses, I'd basically go into the ring thinking something along the lines of, "Ok the outside lines are 7 strides and the diagonals are 5. Keep a steady rhythm and get the same strides all around and you'll be golden!"
Show jumping courses tend to be quite a bit different in construction. The fences are often airier with less fill, compared to solid-looking hunter fences with all their boxes and flowers and panels etc. SJ fences also often lack ground lines.
The courses don't follow the same rubric as hunters either. There's no standard track pattern, but rather standard elements present in courses for each level. This might include an in-and-out related line (1 or 2 strides), a triple combination, bending lines, or roll backs. There are also different styles of fences that can show up too - liverpools, triple-bars (oxers with three rails instead of two), fences with panels instead of rails, etc.
Obviously another major difference between show jumping vs hunters is how it's judged: time and faults, and nothing more. In eventing, the score is based on an optimum time: come in at or below this time and you accrue no additional penalties. Come in over time and you earn penalty points for each second over time.
Personally, I haven't ridden many timed show jumping courses so the clock isn't something I have a ton of experience managing. At most events tho, and esp at the lower levels, it doesn't really seem to be an influential difference maker in final placings.***
Basically it's up to the rider to manage how to ride cleanly at the appropriate speed for whatever level they're doing. Assuming we're comfortable with that speed, and have schooled all the expected types of combinations and fence styles... Well, honestly, my approach to riding an eventing SJ round isn't all that different from my hunter days.
In other words, I learn my course, learn the striding in the combinations. Focus on getting prompt lead changes in my corners, re-balancing as needed in the ends of the ring, and lining up my turns and approaches to each combination. Sure, the patterns are different, but that's kinda it, right? It's still just all about the good basics of rhythm, track and balance.
That impression hasn't really changed for me at all through these past few years of watching eventing show jumping.
Even at the highest levels of eventing, the courses sorta seem like this. Almost like a mix-n-match assortment of the various combinations and fence types expected for the level, with some longer runs and turns and approaches in between each combo to set up for everything.
Those gaps between combos might not always happen in the "ends of the ring" like they would in a hunter round, but the effect is sorta the same. The course flows in pieces, with a combination of related distances and longer "prep" zones. Does that make sense?
Pure show jumping, on the other hand, is far less familiar to me. Sure, I've done some lower level local jumper shows over the years - but honestly never really treated them differently than my eventing show jumping courses.
I've seen the Grand Prix show jumping on video, but never actually in person before watching the invitational Grand Prix held at Kentucky this year. And.... wow, it struck me as really different. Maybe somehow the camera movements or cuts make it harder to follow on video, but in person what really stood out to me was.... there really were NOT any of those "gaps" between combinations.
Every single portion of the track seemed like an explicitly measured distance. Like, in the Karl Cook video below there is literally no distance between fences greater than 11 strides (at least, not on the lines he took). That might not exactly be a "related distance" -- it's reasonably easy to get more variation in that amount of space -- but it's definitely NOT a lot of breathing room.
My impression watching those rounds was that every rider knew exactly how many strides they planned to do between each and every fence on course.
Compare that to the MDHT or Morven videos where there are distinct gaps of longer runs between each of the combinations. Even in Oliver Townend's 5* Kentucky round there are some runs substantially longer than that.
To me, this is fascinating. Like, we always hear about how it's so important to hold your balance and quality of canter, shape and form etc, consistently throughout an entire show jumping round in eventing. But the reality is that there is generally time and space built into the courses to recover if you get strung out or lose it a bit.
Whereas at least in this one example of Grand Prix show jumping, any lapses in balance, pace or canter almost always caught up to the rider with a rail somewhere along the track. The only exceptions were those most freakish jumpers who could jump from seemingly anywhere haha. In that way, it seemed like a much more substantial test haha (not even considering how much bigger the fences are lol!).
Obviously we already know that eventing isn't really about show jumping, in the same way it isn't about dressage either. Advanced level eventing dressage tests are roughly equivalent to 3rd level pure dressage, after all. And this little comparison tells me, unsurprisingly, that it's the same situation in SJ too. The highest eventing show jumping tests are more or less equivalent to a mid-range pure show jumping course.
This isn't unexpected tho, right? Eventing is an entirely different kind of test for horse and rider.
It's interesting tho. I feel like I still have so much to learn about jumping haha, let alone courses above 3'. But upon watching the Kentucky Invitational class above, part of me suddenly had a very deep urge to try a lesson or clinic with a proper show jumper one of these days. I'm curious how their perspective might be different from the eventers I've ridden with.
We'll see, tho. What do you think? Do you see differences between the two types of disciplines in the videos above? Have you ridden in multiple jumping disciplines -- maybe you agree with some of my comparisons between them? Or disagree and think I've kinda oversimplified things? Do you generally think that good jumping is good jumping, no matter what the discipline? Or maybe there are important stylistic nuances distinguishing each sport that I'm missing?
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***Yes I totally scraped all the 2018 FEI eventing results from Event Entries live scoring and ran some calculations. Roughly 18% of FEI eventing competitors had time faults in show jumping in 2018, tho only 5% did so without also accruing jumping faults. These riders tended to be either in the top half of their class (ie, they had breathing room) or had already had trouble enough elsewhere that they weren't racing the clock. So the clock alone doesn't appear to be the difference maker in final outcomes. Happy to dig further should you be curious tho haha!***
Let's talk shopping, yes?? One of the best parts of going to the Land Rover Kentucky 3DE is the HUGE trade fair. Literally everything imaginable is there, with so many tantalizingly shiny leathery odds and ends all just begging for that impulse purchase haha.
the official merch always feels so $$$$, but then again it's nice to have something to remember!
Luckily (or unluckily, I guess, depending on your perspective), I've worked really hard to change my spending and purchasing habits over the last year and have moooostly trained out the impulsiveness. Mostly lol.
Y'all already know that my finances basically karate kicked my teeth in last summer, and it's taken months of careful discipline to return to a place of stasis. Still tho. This trip has been on my horizon for months and months as well, so I more or less prepared myself. And set aside a little slush fund with basically no strings attached (aside from my ingrained ruthless practicality lol....).
One major help in resisting temptation is.... Most of the items are essentially regular price. Deals can be found for sure -- but you have to look for them. And it's wise to do price checks as you go. Bc let's be real, is it really worth carrying around that giant saddle pad when it's regular price and your luggage is already stuffed to bursting?
clockwise from top left: white leather bridle tag from the Amerigo booth; signed photo of Andrea Baxter & Indy 500 (that sadly got ripped in transit, ugh); Equipe patent leather crank noseband with rolled leather cheeks (100% the best deal of the weekend); and gift-with-purchase coozie from Ride Heels Down
There ARE deals tho. Like in the form of discounts applied when multiple items are purchased (ie, "buy 2 get 1 free" or "buy 2 get 10% off" etc), or gifts with purchase -- like the coozie above, that came with a tee below.
Or goodies that get marked down on the final day of the event. Like the snazzy white leather bridle tag above that I allllmost bought at $20, but decided against. Since I already have the $8 plastic Dover version that works perfectly well (even tho it's a lot uglier than this). But on Sunday when the price was reduced to $15??? OK FINE, twist my arm why don't you haha. #forrealtho
OR, discounts can be found in the form of either used goods (esp leather stuff), discontinued items (Professionals Choice almost always has giant bins of discontinued boots), or "seconds" goods that were maybe not in their originally intended form. Like the Equipe noseband above that was missing its flash strap and marked for sale for $25.
I gotta be honest, I'm highly skeptical of that price tag. The full bridle was $350, and a booth next door had a nearly identical patent noseband for $80. The tag was handwritten so I wonder if the "2" was actually a "7." But when I asked the rep, she said nope, it's $25. So. Uh, obviously I snatched that right up haha! I've been lusting after patent leather for YEARS now, so it kinda felt like destiny lol.
left: Arista light weight jacket; right: official LRK3DE 5* t-shirt. should theoretically not become "vintage" too too quickly, unlike my 4* baseball hat from last year haha
I'm not usually much of an "attire" girl, to be honest. Most of the tech-y type shirts and stuff that I ride in are from Marshalls or TJ Maxx etc where you can find all manner of sporty tennis / golf / yoga / running tops at steep discounts. It's hard coughing up $50+ for a shirt when I know there's similar stuff to be found for ~$15. But, ya know, maybe that's just me haha.
Regardless, I *did* end up buying a bit of attire this year, but tried to limit it to the stuff that was either priced competitively, or was stuff I wouldn't find anywhere else. Like that Arista jacket above was on sale. Tho uh, my impressions of it since purchase are that you get what you pay for haha. The zipper in particular feels pretty delicate. But it's cute and it's not destined for the barn so perhaps it'll last well enough anyway.
The t-shirt was a no-brainer too, right? Like, you gotta get at least some official gear haha. I got a baseball cap last year that I love and wear constantly. Tho, turns out, it's already "vintage" bc it's for the 4* haha. Funny how that happens... And who knows, at some point in the future there will be a new title sponsor and this "Land Rover" tee will be outdated too!
biggest splurge of the weekend, this pretty blue-ish gray sporty RJ Classics Harmony mesh show coat. lighting in the photos doesn't do the color justice
I wasn't necessarily planning to buy a show coat over the weekend, but definitely had my eyes peeled. The sad fact is that none of my pretty Horseware show coats (either the French blue or the berry) fit me any more, and my local seamstress was a bit unsure that she could tailor it the way I envisioned.
So. Those coats are for sale (size L, asking $55 shipped if anybody is interested email me at fraidycat.eventing at gmail!) sold, and I've been casually hunting for my next coat.
This RJ Classics Harmony mesh show coat caught my eye immediately. And I really liked the fit of it, esp bc it is a little longer on me and seems well suited to my particular dimensions. Again tho, I was a little reluctant to buy the first thing I saw, so I tried on a few other jackets elsewhere (like the similar coat from Kerrits).
But this one had the best fit for me. So. I went back and got it haha. Can't wait to bust it out at a show! I like that the color is sorta different, but still conservative and subtle in a way.
And true story - I actually almost went overboard and envisioned this jacket with the gray One-K helmet, and even went so far as to try them on together (my immense regrets that there are no pics of this!). But it turns out that the two grays were different tones, one cool and one warm. Oh well!
i just really really like this graphic, tho kinda wish i had gotten a smaller size. oh well!
So that coat was definitely gonna be the "biggie" for the weekend price-wise haha, but I still had a bit of a hankerin for moar, ya know?? The "Ride Heels Down" booth had a TON of cute tees. So many cute graphics, I loved it! Actually, that was the same booth that had the "Good Studs Are Hard To Find" tee that we all obviously thought stud-finder Rachael ought to buy lol....
I ended up going with the tee above tho, same as the coozy pictured earlier. For whatever reason I just really like that design on the back. Possibly bc it's what I'm constantly saying to people anyway haha, might as well have it plastered on my shirt!
this set of boot bags was probably the second best deal of the weekend lol
This next one was actually a bit of a surprise purchase -- I didn't even see this booth until late on Sunday. They had all manner of useful travel and luggage type stuff, like saddle bags and covers, bridle bags, helmet bags, and these boot bags.
And... These are actually damn nice boot bags -- esp with that fuzzy lining. Considering my current system involves carrying boots wrapped in plastic bags stuffed inside my normal totes.... Seemed like maybe it was time for an upgrade haha. Gotta have a little luxury in life, right? Esp when that luxury is also #practical, my favorite ;)
clockwise from left: gift-with-purchase RJ Classics back pack (that is the absolute perfect size for trekking around on xc day haha); g-w-p thick chunky socks; Fuzzy's cat socks; and freebie Zocks for trying on a pair of Romfh breeches
Almost every vendor was giving out socks with purchases above a certain level. But like, actually pretty good socks too. Those maroon puppies look downright decadent for wintertime. And the Zocks I didn't even have to buy anything -- just had to try on those Romfh breeches I wrote about a couple days ago.
Which like, again -- those breeches were regular priced so even tho I loved them, it's a purchase that can wait a bit to see if a better deal arises etc. But I'll totally try them on to at least figure out my size haha, esp for a free pair of socks ;)
That backpack was a gift with purchase with the show coat (actually, so was a QHP garment bag, which will also be extremely helpful for show days) and is honestly one of my favorite things. It's the perfect size to fit a bunch of beverages and snacks, plus whatever other odds and ends you want to carry. But the small size and padded shoulder straps make it easy and comfortable to carry around. Sounds good to me, this pack will definitely get a lot of action!
possibly the highest priority purchase of the weekend - ice boots!!
Last purchase was something that's been at the top of my list for a long time now: ice boots. And actually I *almost* missed these, as they were hanging somewhat discretely amid a wall of other therapeutic type goodies.
I'm actually not super familiar with this company, but have a good impression of the design. The gel packs are so interesting bc even when they're not chilled, you can stick your arm inside and they feel cold. Which like, obviously feels promising that they'll hold onto the cold instead of heating up too fast.
these look pretty cool, the gel packs velcro on and can therefore be kept on ice separately from the outer wrap layer
My favorite part of the design is that the gel packs actually attach to the outer wrap via velcro -- so you can take the inner pack lining out separately to keep in a freezer or cooler. Definitely an advantage for those of us with limited space haha.
The boots aren't as long as other ice boots, but they look pretty fool proof. So we'll see how it goes. I just got a single pair, but if I really like them I may buy a second. Or, if they're not quite right, maybe I'll get a different style as the second pair to compare? We'll see haha, but I'm honestly pretty excited about these lol!
why yes indeed sir, i think i quite like it!
So maybe not the biggest haul in the history of Rolex Land Rover Kentucky, but I'm pretty pumped about each individual item. And didn't break the bank. So, #winning?
Obviously the very first thing I wanted to do after getting home was try that dapper patent noseband on Charlie <3 It's not adjusted or anything in that picture, and I didn't bother with moving the flash from my other noseband yet, but yea. I think it's a winner!
Maybe a horse with more chrome or a more flashy face or even a very refined face would not work as well with the bling of patent. But.... Charlie's head is not exactly what anybody on earth would call "refined" lol, and there's an awful lot of brown real estate to absorb some of the glitz.
let's be real tho, who wore it better?!? haha.... (maybe don't answer that LOL)
And now that we're home, there are a few more items on my list of "wants" --- most importantly, a new show shirt. I looked at a TON at the trade fair, and tried on a fair amount too, but didn't quite find anything that was quite right in my size or price point.
Ooh, and I need to get my leather halters repaired. It took every single ounce of restraint to not buy a new one at the trade fair (there were SO MANY OMG), but I have two perfectly good halters already that could both be repaired for less than the cost of one new. So.... That needs to happen haha.
Otherwise, tho, now that we've got all our fresh new gear, maybe it's time to get back out again to show it all off??? Lol.... In time, I suppose. In time.
What do you think -- is any of the above on your list too? Or have you tried any of that stuff before? Or is there anything else you were curious about at the Kentucky trade fair?
And for no other reason than "I want to," here are the links to show jumping rounds from Boyd Martin & Tsetserleg and Oliver Townend & Cooley Master Class, the second and first place finishers, respectively. Definitely check them out!!
Bc hey, maybe if shopping isn't your bag, at least there's fun media to watch, right???
If it feels like I've been posting a crap ton about spectating at upper level events lately.... Well. It's because I have haha. And to be perfectly honest, there's more coming in that vein soon too, since I promised my young teenage cousin I'd take her to the upcoming Jersey Fresh.
So, uh, brace yo'selves?
for some reason we always end up taking pictures with this same trakehner haha, possibly bc it's close to our tailgate?
But for real, tho, I LOVE going to these major events. Love it. There's so much to see and do, even aside from spectating the actual riding itself. Just being around so many other fans in this environment that's specifically designed to cater to our every whim and desire lol.
really tho, the entire day is best experienced as tactically as possible - get up close and personal with everything!
Which, uh, is I guess a way of saying - stay tuned bc my own shopping haul post is coming soon, once I get some better pictures LOL. But it's not just about the shopping, it's honestly about the people too.
I ran into so many people I know there - and we were with such a giant group (that included a fair amount of KY natives). Plus I somehow managed to get into conversations with all manner of folks who have maybe closer ties to some of these riders and horses. Including actual owners, students, employees, etc. Really cool to get to hear their perspectives too haha!
eeee omgosh bloggers yo!
And obviously, what even is a major international event without some blogger meetups!! I was sorry to not get to spend more time with all of these lovely ladies, tho running over to Jen's tailgate quickly to say hi after the horses finished running was totally worth it!
Jen unfortunately was not at the tailgate at that particular moment, tho I got to say hi again to her husband who I met with her at a NYE get together a couple years ago. Plus obvi all the other wonderful bloggers who were there: Megan K and Stephanie who I've had the pleasure of meeting before, plus both their SOs.
And then a whole host of ladies I feel like I've known forever through this community, tho we've never actually met previously: Aimee, Leah, Theresa, Renate, and Karen. Y'all ladies are awesome -- so glad you had so much fun and that our paths crossed at least briefly!
creative people where everywhere tho - like this photog who was inspired by rachael's reflective glasses
I know there were quite a few other bloggers out and about, and was sorry not to run into everyone. Next time, ladies!!!
spot the reflection!?!?
Anyway tho, I'm not sure how compelling exactly it is to see pictures of some sort of meeting or get together that you didn't go to lol, so lets move right on along to the GOOD STUFF ---- the epic badassery that is cross country, yes?
here's a closer look haha. pretty cool, huh?
I mean, I have *some* media from dressage.... but it was clear from day 1, it was always going to be clear, that this was no dressage show. Not even close.
I remember saying that exact thing as Ariel Grald cantered into the Rolex Stadium dressage ring to lay down a test that didn't necessarily score well or anything like that, but was perfectly sufficient to grant them entry to the next phase. And, go figure, after her polished jumping phases, she moved up 18 places to finish just outside the top 10.
also tho this jump was spectacular
Anyway tho, the member of our party with the recent foot injury ended up being pretty darn mobile in her boot - so we actually got to hoof it all over the park at a pretty good clip lol.
so many major drops on landing!
It was a little tough in some respects, tho. The weather was unbeatable -- absolutely glorious crystal clear blue skies with good sun and temps hovering around the high 60s. Which naturally meant that especially all the local crowds were thronging for the day.
these horses are unstoppable
Hand in hand with this, tho, was what felt like actually a very small field of competitors. I think something like 42 horses were entered, tho only 41 entered in to dressage. Then maybe just 40 actually started XC? The dressage days were pretty weird too, the schedule I felt was not particularly spectator friendly.
nbd just a giant friggin table!
Realistically maybe it was not a lot of horses to spread over two days. I assume the organizers have contracts with all the vendors stipulating the number of active hours each day for competition to be happening. So what ended up happening was a lot of breaks. Lots and lots of breaks between dressage riders. Esp on Thursday. But some of the breaks were like 30min, and others were closer to 2hrs.
So we ended up basically only seeing like, ONE full test on Thursday and spent the rest of the time shopping. For cross country day, tho, this weird "too few horses // too much time" situation meant that they were trying to spread out horses by only sending them out every 5min instead of every 2-3min.
bounce bank out of water claimed a few victims
Most of the combinations (with the exception of the farthest out hollow, where we started our day) were all pretty close to each other. So with so many spectators, packed into a fairly small area of the park, with horses only coming through every 5min (assuming nothing happened to stop them along the way...), it meant that space was pretty darn cramped haha.
gotta love those ducks (even tho i'm partial to Fair Hill's ducks personally...)
Esp at the major combinations like the Head of the Lake. Which like, obviously this area is #1 on most peoples' lists haha so I get it. I found a pretty effective hack for still getting right up to the rope no matter how crowded the scene: by kneeling everywhere lol.
Sure, some people were a little surprised / creeped out when I basically just dove in there like "Hey is it ok if I kneel right next to you? I promise I won't block your view!" but nobody said no, so whatevskis, right?
these mound jumps always produce epic shots!
Plus, kneeling everywhere gave many of my video clips a bit more of an epic feel, with a lot more sky in the frame and the horses looking like they were SOARING through the air!
obvi gotta represent the brits at least a little bit haha, even if i'm a little sour that they always come over and spank us lol
So obviously I hope you enjoy that video lol, bc I freakin loved making it. Overall tho we actually didn't see too much in the way of spills or trouble, tho there was plenty to be had throughout the day. Especially through the waters we saw a fair amount of iffy distances and hard fought jumps.
Oooh, and the Normandy Banks claimed quite a few victims through the direct route (including taking out the first two starters - Caroline Martin & Buck Davidson, both of whom ended up scratching their next rides) until riders wised up and went long there.
Boyd & Thomas were definitely fan favorites tho
More than anything else tho, we just got to see example after example of horses and riders really fighting for it. Really riding to a careful plan, but then improvising and just going for it when necessary. Honestly pretty exhilarating to watch haha!
We had a young rider in our group (actually, Isabel's former leaser!) who was watching for the first time, and the thing she loved most about it all was seeing that even at this level, riders and horses still make mistakes. Still have those iffy moments. But that, when push comes to shove, these partnerships really pushed through and made it happen. Inspiring, yo lol.
For now tho, it's time to recover from that epic weekend hangover lol. Did any of you watch the live stream? See anything that blew your minds? That you loved? Or *didn't* love?
Happy Friday everyone!! Obvi my weekend started yesterday haha with day 1 of dressage at the Land Rover Kentucky 3 Day Event. Except... Well... To be perfectly honest, we didn't plan on arriving early to watch all those extra tests haha. Thursday for us was for SHOPPING !!
check out this gorgeous ASB?
Also, unlike in past years, my host's home has upgraded the wifi so I can actually post this haha. PLUS I'm actually getting pretty reliable cell phone service in the Horse Park too. At least, on this first day when there weren't too many people on the grounds yet.
ooooh and this one too!! so much action tho
Actually, Thursday seemed pretty sparsely attended overall. But that worked out for us. No long lines, plenty of stock. And my friend with the injured foot is basically fully weight bearing and walking pretty darn well, albeit in a boot. So all in all, pretty good conditions haha.
inside the trade fair!
And we did a LOT of shopping haha. Right off the bat I had my eye on show coats, considering none of my coats fit me any more womp womp. I already picked up a couple pairs of breeches to update my sad saggy baggy, so that's not a big priority at the moment.
trying on so much attire! also. that shirt says "good studs are hard to find." OMFG
Tho. Haha. Just bc you're not buying doesn't mean you can't try on ALL THE THINGS!! Obvi for science, right? Like idk what size breech I am right now, to be perfectly honest. So clearly I had to try on all various different brands etc.
Like these Romfh breeches that I LOVED. It didn't hurt that VTO Saddlery was offering a free pair of socks just for trying on Romfh breeches haha.
LOVED this county, think it was an epiphany?
Clearly I've done a fair amount of saddle shopping in recent years so I'm not reeeeally in the market haha. But like that's ever stopped us before, right? We sat in a TON of saddles (probably will continue throughout the weekend tbh), and this County (Epiphany maybe?) was hands down the most favorite dressage saddle I've ever sat in.
majyk equipe is getting into the stirrup iron game!
Back in the world of more realistic price points lol, Majyk Equipe has these neat new irons (they had pink too! such cute colors!) with pretty good deals when purchased with full sets of boots. I've had pretty bad luck personally with MEs, mostly with the boots turning and rubbing. Apparently that's pretty common, tho they say it's user error. But like, how hard should boots be to put on?!?
wondered if there would be more demo stirrups to be found haha, but nope
Anyway. The Stubben tent is one of my favorites ever since finding those demo stirrups for $100 off list price haha. So naturally I had my eye on the ground just in case we could manage any sort of repeat haha. But rats, no such luck - all the demo irons chillin under the racks were standard old school fillis irons haha. Maybe they wised up ;)
i've heard good things about this faceh metal curry
Grooming stuff doesn't normally end up in my shopping cart bc I have a lot of it already and tend to just use my old faithfuls. This metal curry was interesting tho. One of my barn mates has it and likes it, but I'm kinda skeptical haha.
actually really liked those brushes too...
These brushes tho....I liked them WAY more than I expected. Bristles that long aren't generally my type. But something about their relative stiffness just had that certain je ne sais quoi that we all like in our body brushes haha. Didn't end up buying one, tho no promises I won't grab one before the weekend is over haha. I think they were only $14 or something so maybe haha!
loved this combination!
There were so many pretty tech-y jackets allllll over the place too. I really like what's happening with colors right now too. Not so much bright and bold, but more sorta conservative while still kinda different and interesting. This particular hue I really liked, especially that underlying show shirt (tho the shirt wasn't as cute on its own). But I imagine it's a bear to keep clean!
came pretty close to getting these ice boots
Y'all already know that ice boots are on my list in general. This is the style that I was pretttttttty sure I was going to buy. But.... maybe I'm just kinda an idiot, but I didn't realize that the price was per boot. Which like, obviously changes the numbers quite a bit. So even tho the above was pretty much what I thought I wanted, I ended up not buying. Spoiler tho -- I found an alternative that seems even better haha.
the equitack booth was hardcore. champagne and insta-friendly cactuses and some aggressive sales people haha
Anyway moving right on along. Possibly my favorite booth was the EquiTack tent haha, since they had absolute mountains of really nice used saddles for pretty competitive prices. And quite a few members of my party spent a good long while trying different things and getting fitted etc. Didn't hurt that the sales reps kept plying us with champagne tho lol.
voltaire booth was super stylized
For real tho -- actually one theme from the day was just how intense some of the sales people were. Like everyone is super nice, and obviously everyone is there to do a job. And there's naturally a symbiotic relationship between customers and sales people. But DAMN. Some of these folks were sharks haha. Definitely aggressive tactics. So like, consider yourself warned if you plan on visiting all the booths.
these titanium bits were fascinating!
Like the lady in this booth who walked up to us discussing bits in general, not this specific metal (titanium), and jumped into the conversation to tell us that the titanium was what would make all the difference in the world. That horses who don't accept the bridle will accept the titanium. And that my horse who leans magically won't lean if I just use a $300 titanium bit lol. Which like, eh. We've heard that story before haha.
checked out the equipe booth too
Anyway tho, overall there were a LOT of really great booths. Lots and lots of excellent product. The Equipe was probably one of my favorites, and in some ways reminded me of Eponia (which I have NOT seen yet, tho that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't at the show).
they had a lot of nice stuff!
Actually they had some great deals here too. I LOVED all their bridles, but especially loved that they sold everything in pieces too. Y'all know I'm a huge fan of frankenbridles lol so individual parts are always very enticing to me.
i esp liked all the individual parts...
Especially, ahem, when I discovered a certain black patent chunk of leather that.... was quiiiiite possibly either tagged incorrectly, or tagged in such a way that the hand written price wasn't very clear. But I double checked the price with the rep and bought that thing before she could second guess her answer lol.
and, naturally, some stuff came home with me too ;)
So Charlie's got some new gear to try out when I got home. And, uh, yea there are some other fun new things too ;) Probably I'll do a more complete recap of the full haul eventually (bc let's be real, I'm probably still gonna buy more stuff throughout the weekend...). But here's a sneak preview!
Anyway. TGIF yo. Here's hoping for an awesome weekend here in Kentucky. It feels like kinda a small field of riders, but hopefully the weather will cooperate, the ground will be good, and the horses will all run well!
Guys!!! The time is nearly upon us!! The Land Rover Kentucky CCI5*-L (wow, so many new terms to still get used to in that mouthful of a name...) is this week!! My friends and I fly down to Louisville on Wednesday and I am so freakin excited!
time to get the gang back together!
This will be my third time going down - after last year, and also 2016 (where we got poured on for all of cross country day but didn't care one bit haha).
Part of my plan for getting all pumped up includes re-watching last year's thrill ride of a compilation video (above) haha. I just LOVE spectating at these major events, and esp trying to get as much video from as many jumps as possible.
kentucky is great for cocktails, yo
Back in 2016 I didn't even try to get video bc the weather was so bad, it didn't seem worth it risking ruining my phone haha. Last year was perfect tho. And hopefully this year will be pretty good too.
mmmm yes. the cheese don't end with the tailgate!
Of course, going down to Kentucky isn't just about watching world class horses make easy work of impossible looking feats of athleticism haha. I mean, that's a BIG part of it, but that's not all.
This trip also serves as one of my big vacations for the year, and is the perfect time to check out new towns, hang out with all my riding buddies with no real agenda, and, of course, do a little casual shopping haha. And the tailgating too, obvi lol.
we're hoping for good weather, but we'll be ready for anything!
If history is any guide, I can expect to have basically zero cell phone reception while on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park. Which.... can be challenging. But if you're going to be around, let me know anyway (fraidycat.eventing at gmail). I'd love to meet up with any other bloggers etc who may be there!
