One of the new fences on the Rolex CCI**** cross-country course this year – want to walk it with a pro? For a good cause? (Not Leo!)
We are so proud and happy to announce that with the help of four special friends of Eventing Nation, we are going to be able to be to offer you not only a fantastic educational opportunity, but also a philanthropic one too. Win Win! In alphabetical order Buck Davidson, Boyd Martin, Doug Payne and Sharon White have extremely generously agreed to walk the course as part of a Just World/Eventing Nation collaboration – here’s how it will work.
Closer to the time we’ll announce the exact days and times, but we’ll try and stagger each rider on different days and times so that no matter when you’re coming to Rolex, you’ll be able to fit in a walk with one of our riders, or you can do all four if you’re staying for the week! For the price of a donation of any amount that you’re comfortable with to Just World International, walk the cross country course with any one of these top class international competitors and learn how they intend to ride their horses around the track. Gain valuable insights, know-how and tricks of the trade – how do the top riders really shave seconds off their time, and how do they really want to approach skinnies, combinations etc, AND know that you’re doing great things to help those less fortunate than you by helping JustWorld.
Just World is a charity started by former Grand Prix jumper Jessica Newman with a huge presence in the Jumper World, but hardly any in the Event World, something I’d love to change, little by little. You can learn more about it at their website, and by reading my interview with Jessica here, and a huge thank you to the two eventers who signed up to become Ambassadors after reading it last year.
With riders around the world signing up to become JustWorld Rider Ambassadors, Executive Director Jessica Newman has mobilized some of the sport’s biggest names towards supporting JustWorld’s projects. There are currently more than 480 Rider Ambassadors from 37 different countries, (but currently just the two eventers) ranging from nine-year-old pony riders to Olympic medalists, who help bring attention to JustWorld International’s cause, and support its project sites in Brazil, Cambodia, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Our riders hardly need any introduction, but just for fun, again in alphabetical order…and before I start may I thank them again, and I also want to let you know that each one agreed to this unequivocally; almost before I’d got the words out of my mouth and could finish explaining, they said yes, they were all on board, ready and willing to help which made my heart burst with pride and gratitude – Eventers Rock! So a huge thank you to the riders, and please support them and Just World and make plans to come out and walk the course with them, and show everyone what eventers are made of!
Buck has emerged from his father, Bruce’s shadow to become a stalwart of the US Eventing programme. He led the team to a gold medal at the Pan Am Games in 2011, represented his country at the WEG in 2010, and has jumped clear cross country around Burghley, Badminton and Rolex CCI****.
Boyd Martin, right on Neville Bardos the USEF 2011 Horse of the Year, at Burghley CCI**** 2011 where they finished 7th. Boyd hopes to bring three horses to Rolex this spring – Remington, Ying Ying Yo, and Otis Barbotierre. Boyd has ridden round Rolex, Adelaide, Pau and Burghley CCI****. Boyd and Neville were the highest placed American combination at the Alltech FEI 2010 World Equestrian Games.
Doug brings Running Order to Rolex, a first time for them both but with an impressive resume and preparation. Doug and Running Order completed the Boekelo CCI*** in 2010, and finished 3rd at Jersey Fresh CCI*** and 6th at Fair Hill CCI*** last year. Doug has a wealth of experience in the jumper world, as well being somewhat of a technical wizard and absolutely the king of US Eventing new media. Follow the links on his website for his facebook, helmet-cams, twitter and podcasts, and fittingly he’s also one of of the official Rolex Riders to follow; you can read his blog posts during the build-up to the competiton here.
Sharon last competed at Rolex in 2002, and comes back ten years later with Rafferty’s Rules, fondly known as Reggie. Together they completed Blenheim CCI*** and Hartpury CIC*** in England in 2010. Last year they placed 5th at Bromont CCI*** and were the recipients of the inaugural Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant. They have spent six weeks this winter in Wellington, Florida training with George Morris and Ian Millar for show-jumping, and Linda Zang on the flat. Reggie is very keen on Boston Creme donuts and Sharon likes everything to be orange!
I’m sure I could have thrown a dart at any four of the riders on the entry list and they would have been equally as spontaneous and generous in response. Obviously all the competitors who get to Rolex deserve to be there, and we could probably learn something from each and every one of them, but I must admit I’m pretty proud of the quartet we’ve put together for you and for Just World. With their depth of international experience, (and if you browse their websites and look at the trainers behind them all over the years – wow, like a dream clinic all rolled into one!), it’s going to be an absolute treat to listen to them discuss their thoughts on the Rolex CCI**** track that they’ll be riding that week. Having been lucky enough to get know them all quite well these last couple of years I can also vouch that all four are completely different in style, absolute competitors, and yet all very smart, thinking, articulate, intelligent cross country riders – can’t wait!
Please don’t go into depression if you can’t make it to Rolex in person – Eventing Nation will be like having the best seat in the house! We’ll be covering these course walks with a fine mane tooth comb, as well as absolutely everything else that we can possibly fit in. Any special requests – send me an email or a tweet on the day and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. We’ll have lots more Rolex news, updates and details as the date draws nearer, but for now, Go Kentucky (Wildcats!) and Go Eventing!
