St. Louis Charity Final

I was so nervous today! The High Children’s / Adult Classic loomed. When I went out to bring Bart in for breakfast, I sort of hoped he would be missing a shoe and I could say “Oh, too bad! I had to scratch…” But he was fine, ready for breakfast, and not pleased when I pulled him out of his stall to braid him! I figured I would at least look the part for the big class. We headed over to the show at 7:15, with a start time of 10:15 for The Classic.

• 

Yikes! The course was daunting at 1.15 meter (3’9″). Bart had NOT had his morning naps, so I was afraid he would be too tired to jump. Ha! Kris warmed me up with a three stride rail in front of the jump, and I rode like I had never done an exercise like this. I was a mess! Naturally, I managed to do four strides in the three… With his usual calm, Kris got me settled and focused on the quality of the canter, ignoring my suggestions that I would be happy to scratch the class if he felt I was too inept. The big instruction as I waited to start was that if something went wrong, I was to take MORE time and work on riding well and having time faults, rather than getting in a panic.

Bart was so good!! We marched right down the first line, and at every jump I gained confidence. There was a cheap rail at 7A, and I slightly lost the quality of the canter at 11 AB, but we finished with 4 faults and that held up for 6th place (a green Irish ribbon!). I was SO relieved to end on a good note, all thanks to Kris and his emphasis on quality canter (which is forward with a loose arm). Very much better than Kentucky!

Jane, as always, was both moral and physical support, taking video and packing everything up for our return home, while I dithered around. Other friends came in support to watch, which was fun, including Lou Ann Klump, whose horse, Phaon, I rode at The Arabian Nationals over 20 years ago!

• 

We humans are tribal creatures, and horse shows provide us with such a fun tribe. Here are just a few of the many people we enjoy at the horse shows… and we are so fortunate to be associated with Kris and Kirin Farm – and Lindsey and Emily et. al.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

And, of course, there are the dogs at horse shows, which could be a blog post in itself… Here are three of the cutest.

• 

• 

• 

We dashed home, and arrived back just a little late for the $50,000 Grand Prix. There were 15 entries, and we met up with our good friends, Louise and Pam. Louise officially became an Old Lady Horse Showing today, when she rode in her first horse show at Griffin Farm. She has started well, with a blue ribbon! Proof that it is never too late to ride…

• 

• 

• 

Bravo, alas, did not show today in the Grand Prix, but Hunter Holloway had two in the 5 horse jump off. We were hoping for her fourth victory in the St. Louis Grand Prix, but it was not to be. Charlie Jayne, an Olympic show jumper from Elgin, Illinois, dropped in with Tou La Moon to claim the first place award. Hunter was 2nd and 3rd, with 4th place going to one of our favorite “kids”, David Beisel, and 5th to local favorite Shannon Hicks. It was a fun class to watch.

• 

• 

And finally, a quick recap on last night. Maura Tobler was inducted into the St. Louis Horseman’s Hall Of Fame, a well deserved honor for her years of cheerful presence as owner of The Tack Trunk, providing the best of equestrian equipment and equestrian fashion advice. I was lucky enough to work for Maura for a few years, and she is one of the nicest people I have ever known.

The course for the Maclay Regionals was difficult and interesting to watch. The Equitation Division is fraught with pressure (jumpers are a breeze compared to that). There is the added aspect of age – no Old Ladies! The competitors are aged out at 18, so people in their “final year” have extra pressure, knowing it’s their last chance to “qualify”. The Regionals qualify the top 20 or so to go to the National Horse Show in November for the Finals. There were 49 competitors, and several of our friends did not have good luck. Maddie Ryan was a star in the jumper ring, but her luck changed last night when her horse stood straight up for no apparent reason, and her journey was over. Ella Reinauer, a brilliant local rider just didn’t have enough quality in her trip, I guess. She, too, did not qualify. Nor did our neighbor in the barn, Avery Wegmann, who came from New Orleans. She had a very respectable trip, and she rides as 13 (a rider’s age is the age they are on December 1st of the show year – in this case, 2018) but not respectable enough to qualify. I guess all that pressure is a good preparation for life, but it can be excruciating to watch. Hannah Dodd, last week’s Zone 7 Equitation Champion, did qualify. As did all eleven of the Heritage Farm riders under BNT Andre Dignelli, who came all the way from New York for this class. Four Heritage Farm riders were in the top ten, including the winner, Blair Spencer.

• 

• 

Just a few more pictures…

• 

• 

• 

So, another St. Louis National Charity Horse Show is on the books, all of us with stories to tell, and memories to sustain us for many years from now. We are all so privileged to play at this game and, as our friend Kathy Childs says, the horses “feed our souls”.

• 

•