Kentucky Summer Classic Day 1

We old ladies walked the course for the 1 meter Low Schooling Jumpers and were plenty intimidated. That’s when we began to realize just how long it’s been since we went to a “real” horse show. I thought it might have been better to start back at a less impressive venue. With so many good riders and horses, we were feeling we didn’t really belong.

But we had an old lady cheering section in Laura and Jane McClaren, and we had Kris, who is an expert at preparing old ladies for the show ring. And most important of all, we had our fabulous Irish chestnut horses, who really don’t care two figs for fancy venues – it was just a warm up class like any other to them.

I went first of the old ladies, and Bart was super. I had a cheap four faults, overcovering a distance, which is a much better mistake than my usual going too slow and adding strides mistake! It was so much fun! Bart had his usual morning nap before we showed and had plenty of energy. I watched the video, and the jumps were so small and easy for Bart that it was crazy I was so nervous.

Jane and Derry were wonderful, jumping around clean and earning a blue ribbon for a clean round – a blue ribbon in Kentucky! Alas, in my excitement watching, I utterly failed as a videographer. I somehow did not start videoing until the round was over.

We had a delightful lunch on the showgrounds with Laura and Jane, then wandered through the Hall of Champions to see Point Given, winner of the Preakness and the Belmont and according to Gary Stevens, his jockey, he should have won the Kentucky Derby too, but for a rider error. He is a magnificent horse. And we saw Go For Gin, oldest living Kentucky Derby winner, on whom Harry won a lot of money in 1994, the only Derby we ever attended in person.

But more amazing was meeting Gene Carter, who works at The Horse Park in the Hall of Champions, still handling difficult horses at age 93. He was unprepossessing, sitting on a bench in the barn, and Jane McClaren, who knows everything about the Horse Park, encouraged us to talk to him. Gene, who was called “Genesey” by none other than Will Harbut, Man O’War’s groom, regaled us with stories of the old days. Gene fell in love with Lil Harbut, Will’s daughter and was married to her for 56 years. When she died, his grief was so terrible that he went back to work at the Horse Park, where he has been for 14 years. But most amazing of all, Gene is the only person still living who sat on Man O’ War! Will Harbut gave him a leg up on “Big Red” before giving his daughter’s hand in marriage. Gene was an exercise rider, so it wasn’t a foolish joke, just a treat. Will said “Now you can say you sat on the mostest hoss!” Interestingly, because he was black, Gene could not be a jockey, only an exercise rider. In 1921, according to Gene, Kentucky outlawed black jockeys. They were winning too much money.

Storms arrived in earnest in the afternoon and evening, but temperatures have been quite cool for this time of year, and the day was a delight. We watched some bigger jumpers, saw many old friends (and so many riders we don’t know!!) and had great fun.

The horses are quite content and we had a delicious dinner with Kris, followed by a late visit to the quiet stables to say goodnight as the sun went down behind storm clouds. We are very lucky old ladies indeed!