I started eventing around the age of 10, and knew that it was what I wanted to do from then on out. At the age of 12 I bought a mare, not being told she was pregnant. Well, it ended up being the best investment I ever made, the baby that is! Bringing him along, we primarily competed in the jumper ring, showing up to Mini Prix by the time he was five. He stormed around his first two trainings, making them look easy. He has proven to be all heart, with a gallop leaving even the off the track horses in the dirt.
We have our sights set on the one star at Plantation Field in the fall, with the hopes of a move to Intermediate over the winter season. From there on out we will let this talented pony decide how far he would like to go. I always keep that in the back of my mind. Chris describes Billy as a keen cross-country horse who has an incredible bravery about him. Tell me about Unmarked Bills "Billy". Does he have any funny habits or quirks? So, Billy is ten this year and I got him off the track as a coming 6-year-old.
I went and looked at him in a round pen and he was quite high-spirited and I think tried to kick me three times, but there was something about him that I really liked. He couldn't hold a canter for more than two strides, but I took him on a sales prospect and had him in our program for about a year.
Through multiple different kinds of vetting issues, he never got sold. So, we formed a syndicate and through that I was able to buy him from his owners, who are still part of his syndicate, which has been great. He was always a cross-country horse. I think he did two or three Trainings and then moved up to Prelim. He's always had this bravery about him that nobody can really understand.
Because if you jump a cross-rail, he jumps it like it's four feet tall and if you try and trot through trot poles, he just can't. But when you get out there on cross country, he has this fire about him. I always say he's the Young Rider horse I never had and he's taught me everything that I know coming up through the levels.
He's given me a great deal of confidence and he's been very special. He's quite quirky, but he's also quite uncomplicated. At home, he's kind of like a pony--you have to kind of kick and use a dressage whip to get him to move. But you get him in the dressage ring at an event and he lights up and he knows cross country's coming up.
So, it's always quite a challenge to keep him together. On the ground, he's very friendly, but he's not overly affectionate, which is kind of frustrating at times. You kind of want to give him all the love in the world and he'd rather just be left alone.
He kind of knows he's the king and he could do no wrong in anybody's eyes. Everybody hates doing his stall because he's kind of a pig and he doesn't like anybody looking at him when he eats, but then you can't help but wrapping your arms around him and giving him a big hug.
What are his strengths and weaknesses, and what types of exercises have you been doing to help him prepare for Kentucky? What do you think will be the most challenging part of the event for him? Definitely his weaknesses are the dressage and show jumping. He struggles with tension quite a bit. He's quite a good mover for a Thoroughbred and a good jumper, but when he feels the pressure he starts to unravel. In the dressage, he's kind of one of those horses where you put your leg on and he tries to overcompensate and shoot forward, and then you take your leg off and he thinks he should trot.
So, it's a little bit of just trying to get inside his brain. It's a bit of the same in the show jumping. He doesn't like to touch rails and, at times, because we're both green he does, so he might have a couple down after that because he gets a bit frazzled.
So we just try and keep him relaxed. Even though this spring, his scores haven't necessarily reflected it, we've been trying to school and get to him when he gets tense and take a breath and relax. I think his strengths are obviously on the cross country. He's been a cross-country machine since the day he looked at a cross-country fence. Up until now, knock on wood, he's only had one 20 [jumping penalties] on his record. I think the atmosphere at Kentucky, if I have to guess, will get the best of him.
But I'm hoping he'll kind of show me around my first five-star. There's not a horse I'd rather jump around Kentucky with. Not every ride will go the way you had hoped, not every show will end with you coming home with the results you had hoped. Sometimes, the highs are incredible and the lows are heartbreaking.
But in its entirety, horses bring people together; friends, family, and those who are just there to support you along the way. Horses, as well as showing, require you to work hard, day in and day out. However, in the end, the hard work, the highs and lows, and the hearts of the horses are a pretty incredible way to stay grounded. My favorite guilty pleasure is Starbucks. I visit Starbucks all too often, to the point they know me by name and my order is already placed walking to the counter.
Horses bring an immense amount of happiness to my life, so it would be extremely hard to pick one time when I was my happiest. He is one of those horses who can pull off being incredibly sweet and a badass simultaneously. Like they say about Viggo, he bows for no one.
What is one piece of riding clothing or equipment you could never do without? I have a very sentimental Saint Christopher necklace that I always wear when I event; it was given to me by my grandmother when I was a kid. I ride in Charles Owen helmets. I think the safety and technology behind their helmets are second to none, which, as a rider, is incredibly important. The Leather Look [model] is also an incredibly stylish helmet for any ring I ride in.
Which famous clothing brand do you wish would come out with an equestrian line? I would love to see Ralph Lauren come out with an equestrian line. I think they would be able to have a very marketable line of equestrian clothes that are both stylish and functional. I want my horses to be comfortable and happy doing what they do, so I splurge whenever I feel they need something to make them compete at their best.
I was at a three-day, walking my course with a fellow competitor and good friend, Jennie Brannigan. That show, along with the rest, are just stepping stones. For myself, the beauty with horses is the development, not the placing or the prize. I hope to develop each of my horses to the best of their ability, and if that ability is to win a medal or four-star then great.
Brought to you by a pack of horse-crazy creatives across North America Close menu.
0コメント