Photos of random unflagged jumps at the Kentucky Horse Park

By John on

When I was walking around the Kentucky Horse Park this past weekend for Young Riders, I stumbled across some very massive unmarked jumps.  I have no idea what these jumps might be used for, but they looked so beautiful just sitting there that I decided to take a few pictures.  

A beautiful jump by the sunken road–the roots stretch nearly twice as tall as me.
Speaking of the sunken road, how do you feel about angled banks?
Straightness, athleticism, and quick knees will be at a premium through this complex–and a Point-Two vest.  I walked it through the middle and it walks in 1 stride, long 1 stride, 2 strides, short 1 stride, either a bounce or just one huge jump, 1 stride, 2 short strides, 1 stride, 1 stride, 1 stride, and 2 strides.  
Click the link below for more photos

*Update: Because some people do not seem to get the joke, picture #3 presents one of the many combined driving obstacles around the cross country course.

Corners under the trees

There was only one plump squirrel on the mounds

Beautiful light brown tables

The stone corners are back

This jump is an important test of the horse’s observation skills

Big tables from Rolex on an interestingly long distance apart–should you ride a galloping 7-10 stride related?  As always, the nice thing about turning lines is that you can bow out a bit in the last few strides if you are going to be short and vice versa.  Phillip and Boyd are masters of this.

And yes, there are also solo galloping fences

What once slightly resembled the Lexington Banks
Kidding aside, the jumps look absolutely fantastic.  Go eventing.

Categories:

Eventing Nation, Ridiculous Commentary
  • Anonymous

    I THINK I picked up on a subtle joke, but in case it wasn't, John, the third picture is an obstacle for the combined driving test, not an XC jump. I would love it if they incorporated the two together for at least one combination, however!

    The 7-10 stride table combo was on the Rolex course this spring, with brush on top. Rode extremely well with forward rides. Woodburn ate it for breakfast.

  • Anonymous

    I agree with the first comment, that last one is definitely a combined driving obstacle...

  • John

    Anonymous and Anonymous, I thought saying "either a bounce or just one huge jump" would give away the joke to even the most serious of readers. But, for the record, yes indeed, it is a picture of just one of the many beautiful combined driving obstacles dotting the cross country course. You're confusing EN with other sties if you think we can't recognize advanced XC jumps.

  • Lisab

    tsk tsk, that would be seen on an older type of course. They weren't all into new fangled "I must have separate obstacles". If it's in your way, just jump it.

  • Bo’s Mom

    Tsk, tsk indeed! For that third "fence", depending on how it is flagged, you will really need to set up for the turns, but keeping coming forward so as to not loose impulsion and run the penalty points up. And of course you will need your 'gators in the right places!

    There are some gorgeous obstacles - now I wish I was going to watch!

  • equinedriver

    Well, I am to late to point out that that is a driving obstacle, but I have seen them used for both. I have a OLD tape from a world championships where they had round things with vertical posts forming circles, some complete, some partial. The complete ones had been filled in with dirt and had grass on the top. The driving horses drove around the fences and dirt filled mounds (obviously) and then later in the tape they show the cross country horses going through the same obstacle but jumping on and off the mounds and over the line fences. It was really cool.

    So I actually was with John until he got to a bounce or a really wide fence............

  • clb

    Huh - and here I was thinking that picture #3 is used to test the accuracy of the rider to get their horse through it at a gallop without touching the sides...sort of like that old game 'operation'....but I think having to 'bounce' out of it would be more fun...

  • RL

    Is Point-Two sponsoring 'gators yet?

  • subk

    The second to last, does that remind anybody of the old Knight's Inn down at the Newtown Pike exit before it got remodeled? OK, maybe it's been remodeled twice since it sported Ye Ole English Tudor look and had that ghastly red carpet. I saw this fence at Rolex and wondered if it was a quiet tribute to the old days of eventing when you didn't think twice about staying in such dumps...

  • Beth Collier

    Probably this driving/eventing obstacle is a step up to get that coveted 5* rating after they heard Carl B. in Georgia has a 5* ;)

  • vagabondrider

    John- I love this- classic EN behind the scenes wandering around stuff! Thanks for the preview!

  • buzzterbrown

    At first glance I thought pic 3 was the return of the Serpentine! Check out the video of the last time World Eventing Championships came to the US - Lexington '78 - that was one insane obstacle.

    That video is not on YouTube - but I think B of B sells it.

  • Suzie

    Buzzterbrown, I'm with you. I looked at that and thought, "wow, that is looking very 1978."

  • Turnabout

    John, I just wanted to thank you for being my last thread to sanity. Having been stuck in Oklahoma(w/o horses) with my youngest daughter for close to six weeks and only one week of reprieve to go home and ride, I could count on you to fill a little of the withdrawl jags. Thank you so much and keep up the great work. BTW I had friends at home who followed me at Bromont through your photos of the scoreboard. Many thanks for your creative solutions!!

  • julia

    That so-called test of observation is actually a balance beam. Don't you know anything about eventing?

  • Anonymous

    You could have fun squeezing a four-in-hand thru the angled banks in photo #2

  • Chris

    Wow! I never noticed the remodel at Knight's Inn. Perhaps coming and going from the hotel in the dark...