British Eventing Helmet Inspections

William Fox-Pitt on cross-country with
an inspection sticker on his helmet harness.

Last week, when I was looking at some of the safety details on the BE web site, I noticed that they state every competitor at every horse trial has his/her helmet inspected before cross-country and show jumping to insure the rider is wearing an up-to-date, regulation/approved helmet before starting that phase of the competition. The inspector will tag acceptable helmets with a piece of yellow tape to show that the rider has had the helmet checked and that it is acceptable for competition. 

This actually answers a question I had about why -- when viewing photos of competitors like WFP, Pippa Funnell, Zara Phillips, Andrew Nicholson, Mary King, etc., riding at British events -- I would notice these helmets with a yellow strip on the harness. I always wondered what kind of helmets they wore (since I know that several of them wear Charles Owen) with the colors on the black harness straps. It isn't an earth-shattering revelation, I know, but it's one of those little thoughts I had where I made a mental note in the back of my mind, and then all this time later, I find information that fills-in that blank for me. Mystery solved.....

Zara Phillips with an approved helmet sticker
in the show jumping phase of a 3-day event.

ACTHA

Back on January 1st, my friend Lorie Fleenor held an ACTHA-recognized competitive trail challenge at her family's farm in Bristol, TN. Lorie had asked me to be an obstacle judge, which I enthusiastically agreed to. I had heard Lorie and her mother-in-law, Kay Fleenor, talk about the ACTHA rides before, yet I really didn't know much about this and wanted to learn more. Basically, these trail challenges are trail rides over a pre-marked trail that are furnished with anywhere from 5-10 "obstacles" that a horse/rider pair will negotiate for a score (0-10). Some of these obstacles include a water crossing, jumping a log, dismount/mount, back, banks, crossing a tarp, passing through "vines" (a shredded shower curtain), and other similar tests that gauge a horse and rider's skill at various questions that they might be asked out on the trail. Lorie had set up and ridden the course the previous day and she estimated it was about 7 miles and would take about 2-2.5 hours to ride.

Riders leave the start for the January 1st ACTHA CTC
at Magna Vista Farm
(Photo courtesy of Kay Fleenor)

As a regular jump judge for cross-country at various USEA horse trials, I felt I was fairly experienced enough to be an ACTHA obstacle judge, and I really enjoyed learning about the obstacle I was assigned to, as well as the requirements and judging criteria of this question. I judged an "injured animal rescue" obstacle, which consisted of a stuffed sheep, a mounting block, and a barrel. The riders had to stop at me, I explained the exercise and what they were allowed/not allowed to do, and then the rider would proceed to cross through the start cones, halt at the mounting block, dismount on the ground (there were certain criteria that deemed the dismount acceptable from 0-10 points), pick up the "injured" sheep, mount from the mounting block (there were grading criteria for the mount, as well), walk to the barrel, then set the "injured" animal on the barrel and pass through the finish cones....in under 60 seconds. It sounds fairly easy, but as the stillness and obedience of the horse is gauged, as well as the technique of the mounting/dismounting rider, it gets kind of picky. I was pretty generous, though, as this ride was the first that Lorie and Kay have hosted and the riders were out having fun (not competing for a championship or anything). It also made me wonder how well Eddie and I would do, since the horse is not allowed to move at all during the mount, and Eddie is typically squirrelly when I mount, which would seriously affect our score for something like this!

I was later explaining this ACTHA ride to one of my eventer friends (who had never heard of this before, either) and we were talking about how much fun this would be for eventers in the off season. For those of us who can't train/clinic, fox hunt, or do hunter paces a lot over the winter months, this sounds like a great way to have fun and also get in some hacking/conditioning as well. Riders and horses go out in pairs, so it's also a great opportunity to grab a friend and go for an enjoyable ride.

Even though the January ride in Bristol was cold and rainy, there were 10 entries and everyone had a really good time. It was good experience for some local riders, it was great for Lorie and Kay to get started as venue hosts, and they got the chance to see what worked/didn't work in preparation for another ride they will hold in April. I enjoyed judging an obstacle, as I got to see all the riders and how they negotiated my question, but I would like to ride next time and see how Eddie and I do. Maybe Kelly Wallace and Stryder would like to come along with us and we could have a "chat-and-hack" and get a little conditioning in, as well. Sounds like a good time, to me!

"...When people stop being polite, and....."

I started the 5th, most recent of Jen Lancaster's books this past weekend. I have to say that her dedication of this book to Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray has probably made me laugh harder than anything I've actually read in the text of the book thus far. If you don't know who those two people are (without Googling them), then you don't get to - nor deserve to - laugh at that reference. Those two names were synonymous with the classic reality television that created the monster that is here today. I never watch reality t.v. (ok, I do watch Ghost Adventures and Cooking Channel....does that count?), and maybe my disdain for what is out there now stems from the fact that it doesn't get any better than the original Real World: New York. I'm a purist in many ways. I much prefer This Side of Paradise to any of Fitzgerald's other works; Bottle Rocket is BY FAR Wes Anderson's best film (with Fantastic Mr. Fox running a close second); and, who could argue with me that anything of Quentin Tarantino's is better than his epic debut, Reservoir Dogs? When you get it right the first time, it's just really hard to up-the-ante in any/all later attempts (unless you are Coldplay). 

Gouda!!! And, is that a cellphone that Eric is holding?
My, how time flies...

The Real World: New York set the bar, and everything thereafter fell short. But, you know, even though it got worse with each new passing season, I would still find myself watching. Just a little bit here and there, now-and-again. I think I was waiting to finally see a season that matched the wonder of initially tracking the daily goings-on of that first fabulous cast. Kind of like how I pretty much knew what each subsequent season of Newlyweds was going to be like, based on the first show, yet I still bought all 3 full seasons on dvd anyway (after watching them all on MTV to begin with). And then.....I watched the dvds that I'd bought after I already saw them on t.v. Could. Not. Stop. Watching. 

But, that is where I draw the line. No American Idol for me, thank you very much. Who gives a crap about Kendra, I have no idea who Snooki is, and who is really keeping up with the Kardashian's anyway? Not me. But, were they to replay every episode of that first RW (or the 10-year's-after season, Back to New York), you bet I'd be watching. In fact, it has now been 20 years since that first season was aired in 1991. Shouldn't there be a reunion show in the works somewhere (with Julie and Eric present, this time)? A girl can dream, I guess. 

Learn to ride cross-country!

After posting about the Badminton XC safety measures last week, I went to look at a few additional links on the British Eventing web site and I scanned through several of the elements they provide for informing riders, owners, event organizers, trainers/coaches, venue owners, spectators, etc. I clicked on a section devoted to their "Safety Manifesto" and I found a video there that is designed to show how to effectively and more safely ride cross-country. Now, as we all know, you can't learn how to ride cross-country from a video, but they do an excellent job of providing visual evidence in a very short amount of time/space of what we *should* look like when riding XC. If anything, it is interesting and instructive, although I have to think that surely I have had my fair share of moments on course that represented the "unstable in the saddle" demonstrations as opposed to the "stable and secure in the saddle" examples. But, that's why we practice, folks!

Battlefield Ride

This lovely entry was posted a week or so ago on Eventing Nation by another eventer here in Tennessee. I was surprised by the fact that I was unaware you could horseback ride at a Civil War battlefield. Chickamauga is in Chattanooga, which is so close to me here in Knoxville. I might plan a few "historic hacks" for me and Eddie this year. What a peaceful and respectful way to spend a day, blending the past with the present.

This is what happens......

YSL "Palais Mohawk" (or "pony mane") purple suede pumps
(I wonder if these also come in chestnut and white?)

......when you Google "pony shoes." So then, naturally, I Googled: "gorgeous purple designer shoes." It just all went downhill from there. It got particularly out-of-control when the images started including "gorgeous purple" designer HANDBAGS sprinkled amongst the images of the shoes, as well. Thanks for wasting 2 hours of my life, Google elves.

Christian Louboutin purple suede pumps

(I'm not a huge fan of plain, purple suede, but there is

something about the color combination of the purple and

the signature Louboutin red that is quite striking)

YSL tribute stilleto (I'm speechless!)

Christian Louboutin pump with purple flower
(Out of all these selections, this is definitely "me." I could 
think of a 1,000 places to wear these and I can envision just what 
exactly I would wear them with. The possibilities are endless!)

SPOTTED: adorable pony at the beach

"Spotty" arriving with the other horses. 

Or, I could have also titled this: "Spotted, adorable pony at the beach." Either way, he's as cute as can be!

Well, it's been a cold and snowy week here in Tennessee. So, I'm naturally daydreaming about warmer climates and riding my horse somewhere pleasant and sunny.....like, the beach. After stumbling upon the quirky photo I posted the other day of Michael Dagostino (Redneck Eventing), I scanned over more photo albums on the Oakford Equestrian Centre site and I came across these of Spotty and his friends.

"Spotty" takes a swim.

It appears the riders from Oakford take frequent trips with their horses to the beach and in these pictures, "Spotty" got to go along too. I have several friends who ride and event ponies, and I have several friends who ride and event Appaloosas (or Appy crosses). These pictures should make EVERYBODY happy, then! 

Badminton Grassroots Championship

In the past few years, British Eventing has started a series of "grassroots" level competitions in the UK that has given a wider range of eventers the chance to compete. This proves to acknowledge in Britain what the U.S. has come to realize very well: that the majority of the competing eventers that comprise our sport are at the "grassroots" of eventing....the lower, amateur levels. Previously, BE-sanctioned competitions started around the pre-novice level (roughly the equivalent of the American training level). Now, BE offers lower levels BE80 (about the same as the American beginner novice level), BE90 (somewhere between American BN and novice), and BE100 (in between American N and training levels).

These levels have various competitions around the UK and riders can qualify for the Badminton Grassroots Championship by winning or performing well at regional championships (probably about the same as the USEA area championships). I guess the BGC, which is held either concurrently with the Badminton Horse Trials (how cool is that?), or it's held on the weekend before/after the 4-star, is basically the same as our American Eventing Championships (at least for the BN, N, and T levels). Sort of like if the lower levels of AECs were also at the Kentucky Horse Park the same time as Rolex. Wow, that would be something. Not that we don't all compete at KHP in events throughout the year, but what a huge undertaking that would be for every qualified eventer to be riding at Rolex (albeit over very different courses). That would be craziness, I'd imagine. It would be good public exposure for the sport at all levels (not just the 4-star level), but I can't fathom what kind of logistical ordeal that would be. 

Ultimately, I think I like our 4-star and AECs to be separate (as they are). But, how much of a thrill would it be to gallop past Badminton House on your horse over YOUR championship course? For some of us, that would be the stuff dreams are made of!