Cowfeathers Farm to Foxcroft Farm: April 2015

Once again, our Pony Club children were blessed with the opportunity to volunteer at the Rolex 3-Day Event at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. I think mostly my horsey friends will read this blog, but if you aren't a horsey person, "The Rolex" is the only CCI **** Event in the Western Hemisphere and the top riders in the world come to compete in one of the most challenging equine competitions on the planet. It, along with Badminton and Burghley, make up the Grand Slam of Eventing.

We were pleased to be able to share our camper with a fellow Pony Clubber and friend who helped Middlest navigate the hills on the nifty scooter we borrowed for the occasion of The Rolex. Since Middlest is still in a cast, Youngest took over her spot as a Volunteer worker in Dressage. Which put the kids up close to the biggest luminaries in the sport of Eventing....

Like U.S.A. Coach David O'Connor, who won here three times, as well as Gold at 2000 Olympics, silver at the 1996 Olympics, and many other top accolades.

And Phillip Dutton, who won here in 1998, and finished 5th this time, the highest placed American, on Fernhill Cubalawn. Here he is in the warm-up arena on Thursday morning, being looked upon by David O'Connor. I am on "Road" duty, which means I stop traffic to let the horses cross the road safely. This also means I was within feet of the most beautiful horses on earth.

I occasionally got a break, and would hoof it to the Dressage arena to watch the competitors do their best. As volunteers, we had special seating, right next to the arena. So, when Micheal Jung rode his "second" horse on Thursday morning, I was there to see his seamless, beautiful dressage ride. It earned them a score of 39.3, a score they would end with, as they went clear in Cross Country, and again in Stadium. When we watched this test, we knew we were seeing a top show, but at the time we didn't know we were watching the winner! See, the first day of Dressage is amazing, but the "best" rides are usually in the afternoon on the second day. And there were some doozies! But, dressage gets you to the top, Cross Country and Stadium keep you there....or not.
This horse is Fischerrocana FST, and not Jung's primary winning mount. That would be La Biosthetique. But Fischerrocana out-jumped her stable mate in the end and took the win. La Biosthetique and Jung would come in third. So, I'd say best in the world right now, Micheal Jung, finished in first and third. Out of a field of 88 entrants. He also won Gold in both Individual and Team Eventing at the 2012 Olympics, holding the Olympic, World and European championship titles all at the same time- first time in history.

And, he's a happy guy.

For extra-special fun, our Hunter's Run Pony Club had one of our own in the competition. Elinor MacPhail riding RF Eloquence set off for her first go at the Rolex.
Our Hunter's Run Pony Club gathered to watch, some doing scoring for the judges, others on break from running scores, doing security or scooping poop... to cheer on our hometown girl!

And, she performed well, having the 11th highest score in dressage for the first day of competition! We are very proud of her and her gorgeous mount!

Cross country was run in a downpour, and was wicked to many competitors. Unfortunately, Elie and Eloquence had a moment at The Park Question, fence #9, that ended in a "parting of the ways", and elimination from competition. Doesn't diminish the effort! We are proud of her.
Also proud of the Pony Club kids! They all worked tirelessly, and professionally to make a smooth competition. 10 hours of work on day 1, and 11 hours on day 2 left them(and me!) pooped.

Youngest, as the only male in the USPC dressage volunteers, was given the job of raking the hoof marks out of the arena during each break for both the days of dressage competition. He joined two other "rakers", two USPC dads who have been doing the job for years, in keeping the ring pristine for competitors and the television coverage.

Look for him on the NBC Sports coverage of The Rolex next week!

Middlest had a undercover job running security in the Competitors bleachers. This put her right in the action for both days of Dressage, with a headset listening to the professional commentary. I expect her dressage skills to be improved when she gets back on her horse!

After the end of dressage competition, we all worked like a hill of ants to get all the arenas taken down, and the flowers out of the arenas as the Stadium Jumping designers moved right in to get started! Last duty was to get a photo of the group.

Evidently, Youngest's fellow rakers appreciated his assistance!

Now, off duty, we were able to start our spectating duties. First order of business was to walk the Cross Country Course. We were lucky to have USPC set up a course walk for us with a former competitor and experienced big-league eventer. Middlest didn't attempt it in a cast and scooter, but the rest of us set off, weary, but wanting to see the course before the rain began.
Good thing I took a few photos, too, because by the time the horses started running in the morning, the rain was settled into "downpour" for the day. I hardly got any photos, as my iPhone got water in the case, which then got cold, and it couldn't feel my finger to work atall, atall. And, I brought my nice camera, but couldn't do much with it in the rain.....

So, some favorites, the night before....

Land Rover Hollow... a three part question. On these pictures, if you look carefully where the grass is flattened is the line the riders are walking. Spectators are not allowed on the actual course lanes or jump areas so the ground isn't destroyed before the actual riders begin. But the riders will walk, without a horse, just them, the course 4-7 times each so they know it intimately. The horses will have never seen it before. Of course, some horses are experienced at the event, and they have ridden the course before, but it is different each year.


These tables are curious. They ride down the incline to the first, turn a quick left and take the other one going up. Or they can take the long way and go 'round the trees. But, most will go the fast way- the course is timed and seconds can mean winning or not.

Beautifully built, "The Footbridge" was also inviting, and didn't give any riders a problem.

A perennial favorite, The Normandy Bank is exciting to watch. The horses jump up on the bank and jump right off their landing over the jump on top, and then over another jump to complete the obstacle.

HH, RL, KVW, KS and Youngest, on our course walk. Behind them is the "Park Question", which was answered with a "No Thank You" by several horses the next day. The group near the jump is listening to Jimmy Wofford (Eventer Emeritus, U.S. Coach Emeritus) discussing the strategy of the ride through the obstacle. Last year, Middlest rode in one of his clinics, and I could hear his voice in my memory yelling "LOOK UP! LOOKUPLOOKUPLOOKUP!!!"

Youngest and me at the park favorite "Head of the Lake". It takes pairs out of the competition every year. Some go for a bit of a swim.

The people wading around in the lake are competitors. To the right is Boyd Martin, with his jeans rolled up. The rider in the middle, I don't know, and the tall one, with his hands on his hips looking directly at the skinny jump on the way out (to the left) is William Fox-Pitt, who won last year on Bay My Hero, and was in the top 5 after dressage this year too.

This is the story of the day- the pouring rain made for extra challenges on course, and for extra challenges with my camera coming out. I gave up. Fortunately, this pair did not give up. But this is their first attempt through the Mounds. The rider thinks her gelding will jump, but he doesn't do so. I think he lost his footing on the slick grass, and didn't get up in the air.

Second attempt. You can see the rider, Lisa Barry, isn't taking it for granted that Prince Charming will jump this time and is riding the hind end, which means upon lift off, she isn't tucked in and got a nasty, wet whack from the brush in the keyhole.


But they make it through, up the other side and over the brush out.

After that, I put my camera away for the rest of the day. We were too soaked and cold to bother about pictures. But, not too soaked and cold to do the sensible thing and get out of the rain. Nope.

A local Pony Club kindly gave Middlest a seat under their tent. The rest of us determinedly tromped off into the rain to go watch more fences.
At the end of Cross Country, 71 horses started, 46 completed the course and just 6 went clear on both the jumps and the time. Ouch. Still, it was beautifully done and a real test. No riders were seriously hurt on the cross country, and until Sunday, we thought none of the horses were, either, but it turns out Dambalda, a New Zealand entrant was euthanized Sunday for having a catastrophic suspensory injury.

So to the Stadium contest. The weathermen had called for rain all day, but the Lord graced us with a gorgeous one instead! I guess I was late to the party getting tickets, for I seem to have bought the last (months ago) and we were barely squeezed into the west bleachers. This gave us the hind end view on many fences, including fence #1.

Even the best in the world jump off balance sometimes....looks like Crackerjack is having a hard time getting his right side up there.

I'll tell you who wasn't off balance- Michael Jung and Fischerrocana. They flew over everything as easily as they breezed through dressage. In perfect harmony.

And to the last fence, made it through without a hitch. No penalties for the competition except for their beautiful dressage score. And it worked.

The stadium erupted in cheers for the 2014 winners, William Fox-Pitt and Bay My Hero. And though they did a masterful job, time penalties on the cross country, and fine riding by Jung and leader going into stadium-Tim Price on Wesko, (My WORD that is a beautiful horse!) kept them out of the top spot. Wesko and Price had room to spare between their score and 4th place Fox-Pitt but pulled a rail and picked up 4 penalties, giving the win to Fischerrocana and Jung.

Jung gave it a go with his #1 horse, La Biosthetique, but they pulled a few rails, and dropped back to third.

All the while a drone buzzed above the stadium and the competitors. It sounds like a wicked bot fly.

The top 20 assemble for the awards ceremony.

And the winners, Michael Jung and Fischerrocana lead off the Victory Canter (what we used to call the "Victory Gallop" and had at the end of our Pony Club rallies) around the arena.
I love this tradition. And even though EVERY SEAT was full for the competition, by the time the ceremony is done, and the Victory Canter begins, most folks have buggered off. I like to stay to the very last drop.

Great Work, Great Fun at Rolex 2015!

One could believe that spring is finally here! April means WIND, gardening, horsing around, The Rolex 3- Day Event and Prom season!

This year, Middlest is a high school junior and got a jump on prom by borrowing a beautiful long gown. Then, she broke her leg. A long dress with crutches seemed like a logistical problem. So, before departing for our college-looking tour of the south, we popped into Nordstrom Rack where she found a beautiful shorter choice. So, this week, when her full leg cast got taken off and changed to a half-cast, she chose to match her prom dress color.

She had a date, who showed up, dapper in his tux and bearing a very pretty wrist corsage for Middlest to wear. Eldest had come home for the evening to help dress her sister, helping choose jewels and painted her nails. I battled the hair- Middlest has gorgeous hair, but it is slick and thick, and somewhat uncooperative, so the first few hairstyle attempts were scrapped for fear of collapse.

My beautiful Middlest looked very much herself for Prom.