It’s finally Friday! And time for another Lower-Level Event Rider Profile. We’ve met Nation members from all over the US and the world, and today we’re back to Kentucky to meet Lori. If you wish to be featured in an upcoming profile, fill out the Questionnaire and email it to [email protected]. Have a happy weekend!!
FEATURED RIDER:
Name: Lori Long
Age: 30
Location: Leitchfield, KY (basically the middle of nowhere)
Primary horse’s name: River of Dreams (aka Rio) (His racing name was Clover Patch Kid…really who could do that to a 17.1h horse), Owned by Carolyn Ladd
Age, breed, pertinent info:
11, Off the Track TB. Raced for 3 years and won $300…again who were these owners, should have realized earlier he only likes to run when there are jumps involved! Needless to say he loves XC . Still trying to figure out why stadium is in such a small area and why those poles fall down. He is truly the trouble maker in his field and in his stall. Loves to stick his head out of the stall and pull off every item of cloths he has so they are tossed all over the aisle. He also wouldn’t feel accomplished at a show if he didn’t rub out at least 1 braid if not a whole section.
Level currently competing: Training
Short term goals this spring/summer: We hope to have a couple clean stadium rounds at training and move up to Prelim
Year-end goals: Running Prelim Successfully, it’s been a long time since I have had a horse up to this level.
Overall goals?
I can see this horse going at least Interm if not Advanced once he figures out his hind end (at 17.1h he is just a big lanky guy who doesn’t know how to use his butt, so sad) If I am the lucky one that gets to go with him I will be thrilled, if someone else does I will be his biggest fan in on the sidelines cheering him on every step of the way!
What’s the best thing you’ve learned recently?
Once you stop treating dressage like it is a necessary evil to get to XC it is fun, rewarding and the basis for everything. I try to instill this in my students as I had a very hard time learning this lesson, and still sometimes have to remind myself ;-).
Favorite eventing moment/story?
At Rio’s 2nd training, had a dumb blonde moment and decided that the line I had walked to this skinny steeplechase wasn’t right, so I took probably the worst line you could, in the process I thought, then said out loud: Rio I am so sorry but I think you are going to have to save us on this one. We barely were pointing at the jump, I basically made sure I was in balance with him and I gave him the reins just to stay out of his way. He acted like what I was asking was normal and did it with ease. At that point I realized this horse was truly special. The only other horse I have thought this way about is now retired living the good life, so it was a great moment for me.
Link to blog or website, if applicable: www.bellavistaequestriancenter.com
Rio at Mid South Team Challenge Training Three Day 2009
