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Eventing From Across the Pond: September/October

There is something known as the 'Eventing Curse,' which is said to befall any rider who regularly writes articles on their progress throughout a season. Apparently as soon as you put pen to paper, calamity shall befall! Although not overly superstitious, the 'article,' as it is now known, has the same effect as mentioning the word 'Macbeth' to an actor!

Having confidently predicted that I would be back in the saddle by the end of July, things have not exactly gone to plan! Although I am on the mend, my injury turned out to be worse than expected and is taking longer to heal than I had hoped. I cannot begin to express my frustration at not being able to ride, particularly as last season was curtailed due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak. Not since I was a small child have I been out of the saddle for this long. Kind of a horsey 'cold turkey'!

As for the boys, they are slightly bemused to be enjoying a summer break! They stick their heads out of their boxes as if to inquire, "So what's happening?" With the storming start to the season, my frustration is somewhat compounded by knowing that I have three fantastic horses grounded because their pilot is out of action. I did think long and hard about sending them to another rider. Partly due to the costs, but mainly because they're young and have age on their side, I decided to keep them at home where my team and I are able to care for them.

Because of my injury Benny and Harley would have missed Blarney Castle CCI** in Ireland, but as luck would have it the event was cancelled anyway due to rain. Davey missed out on the Luhmuhlen CCI***, which was a shame, although it was reported that the new course was the toughest three-star this season! My grand plan for Davey was to compete at a Spring and then a Fall CCI*** in preparation for Badminton next year. It is still too early to tell how things will progress, but I am scrutinizing the international schedule to work out which events might still be a possibility.

With more time on my hands, I have reflected on where I am and where I want to be. Whilst at times it has been hard to remain positive, this break has only reinforced my determination to be the best that I can be. At any rate, the muscle tear is definitely on the mend. Just this week I was able to do some short gallops on the horses, and so a full recovery can't be too far away!

In a role reversal, our head girl Kirsty has continued to compete Lord Lan (Bill) at local events, and I have been the groom. Both of us have agreed, however, that we wouldn't want to swap jobs on a long-term basis! As a partnership, Kirsty and Bill have gained in confidence and have placed second and third in their last two Pony Club events.

The Pony Club and the Riding Club events are a great chance to see the fun side of English eventing. There are young and old competing, and both horses and riders come in all shapes and sizes! These are very low key, friendly affairs. For example, although not strictly legal, you could perform the wrong dressage test and still score well if your horse went nicely! It is, however, a little embarrassing when we squeeze our huge lorry into the pony trailer park and then off-load just one horse!

Sports-Mad Summer

So what else has been happening "over the pond"? Well, it has been an utterly sports- mad summer, and anyone who is an armchair sportsman would have loved it here! Seeing how athletes from other sports prepare and cope with the pressures of international competition is always fascinating; at least that was my excuse for watching every possible moment of the Soccer World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Commonwealth Games. Soccer (or football, to give its "proper" English title) gripped England like nothing I have ever seen. There were English flags everywhere, in a country that is not normally renowned for its great displays of emotion, and the whole nation appeared to be on a sporting high! Employees were allowed time off work, the country came to a standstill, and the passion and sense of euphoria that greeted the nation's narrow victory over arch- rival Argentina was incredible. Written off by many of the European experts, you will be pleased to note that the U.S. soccer team won universal praise as a squad more than capable of holding their own!

At Wimbledon, Britain was once more fixated on Tim Henman's quest to be the first British winner in 66 years. Although it was not to be, Scott and I were lucky enough to have tickets for a tremendous semi-final day.

The Commonwealth Games have just finished in Manchester, England. Contested by the former "colonies" of Great Britain, the Games are a smaller version of the Olympics. They offer a great spectacle of a wide variety of sports that don't normally enjoy prime- time television -- although unfortunately equestrian sports are not included. I pointed out to Scott, of course, that the U.S. used to be a "colony" and that the Brits must be too scared to invite us. I won't repeat Scott's less than courteous retort! Something about good riddance, I think. :-)

When it was time for a check-up on my leg, I headed back to the States and managed to combine the visit home with a clinic at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut. The school has a lovely equestrian facility with large outdoor and indoor arenas and a novice, training, and preliminary level cross-country course. As this was the weekend before the Stuart Horse Trials in New York, there were several combinations riding who had a very successful "cram session." I saw a lot of quality riding and a number of horses I would have been happy to take back to England!

Gatcombe

Gatcombe, the home of Princess Anne, hosted its inaugural Festival of British Eventing the first weekend of August. It was the biggest horse trial ever held at Gatcombe Park. Set in Gloucestershire's glorious Cotswold countryside, this is the first time the British championships for advanced, intermediate, and novice horses have been held in the same location.

The new format was chosen to provide greater opportunities for sponsors, a more meaningful championship for riders, and an enjoyable showcase for the public. The CIC*** Open Championship is the highlight of Britain's one-day events, and this year it was the first-ever qualifier for the new World Cup CIC Series Final to be held at Pau, France in 2003.

Having qualified Benny and Harley for the Intermediate Championships, I was curious to see what they would have been up against. As Gatcombe is only 40 minutes from home, I took the opportunity to go and watch. With over 480 riders entered in the various classes, 70 riders contested the Open Championship, including the entire British World Equestrian Games squad and nearly all of the top British-based foreign riders.

Gatcombe is a hilly and twisting type of course, well suited for a nimble, quick-footed horse. Designed by Captain Mark Phillips, the beautifully built track posed questions worthy of a championship, yet remained inviting and horse friendly. Great efforts by the grounds team provided excellent going in a part of England that traditionally suffers from very hard ground in the summer.

Gatcombe is great for spectators, as the cross-country is run through a large bowl, making it easy to walk the course and allowing more than half of the fences to be viewed from the hillside. Although situating a brass band near the show jumping arena provided a little too much entertainment for some horses, the great shopping, country pursuits, and world class field of competitors made Gatcombe reminiscent of a mini Badminton.

Coming Up

I mentioned in my first article that the storm clouds are gathering over the issue of hunting and the rural communities. Little has changed since April. The "Liberty & Livelihood" march is due to take place in London on September 22. Anticipated as the largest civil protest march ever seen in the U.K., people will be protesting not only against the proposed ban on foxhunting, but for the right of country people to responsibly live their lives in the way they choose.

Although hunting with dogs has recently been banned by the Scottish Parliament, the question of what actually constitutes an offense and how any change to the law will be enforced is far from clear. Never has an issue galvanized into action such large numbers of normally passive folk. More information for and against hunting with dogs can be found at either the Countryside Alliance, a pro hunting site, or the RSPCA, which is anti-hunting. I will report on the march in the next issue as it is sure to be pivotal in the whole debate.

Apart from my hopeful return to the competition arena, September promises to be action packed. We have the Blenheim CCI*** , Burghley CCI****, and the World Equestrian Games in Spain to look forward to. With the U.S. fielding a strong team for WEG 2002, we must surely have great hopes for both team and individual medals. I wish them all the best of luck -- and also wish I were once again with them!