Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Laura Millerick.
We announced the 10 Blogger Contest finalists on Wednesday, and now we’re bringing you their awesome entries from Round 1 here on Bloggers Row. I will be posting all 10 entries over the next few days, so be sure to check them out and leave your feedback in the comments.
All entries will be reprinted without editing for fairness’ sake. Thanks again for your support and readership, EN! We are so thrilled to have such quality entries this year.
Entrant: Laura Millerick
Bio: I started riding in Virginia at 8 years old and found eventing after joining the Difficult Run Pony Club when I was 11. Now, I’m a 27 year old Support Engineer for Microsoft by day and an amateur eventer by….every other minute of the day.
Entry: Top 5 Horses I Would Go To Jail To Ride Once
Everyone has their list of horses they have on their list that they just would so much love to ride once. Well, I’m maybe one step of insanity further, and I have my list of horses I’d go to jail to ride once. Well not really, but I might as well think of it that way since the only way I’d ever have the opportunity is if I broke into their farm in the middle of the night. I mean, let’s be honest, riding a gold-medal-winning horse? It just ain’t gonna happen. But hey, if I polish up my breaking and entering skills, I might get close enough to pet one someday! After all, as it sayson the TV that I don’t have time to watch, apparently orange is the new black or something.
1) La Biosthetique-Sam
Duh. I mean, this one goes without saying. Simultaneous World, European and Olympic champion. He and Michael Jung made their international debut in the 2009 Europeans at Fontainebleau where they won individual bronze when Sam was just 9 years old. Then it was individual gold at the WEGs, then individual gold at the 2011 Europeans, and team and individual gold at the 2012 Olympics. Who wouldn’t give a week in jail just to experience what riding this horse feels like?!
2) Donner
When I was younger, I used to watch the deer in my backyard walk up to the 4 foot fences around my paddocks and casually spring over them, wondering what it would feel like to ride it when it jumped like that. Lynn Symansky is fortunate enough to have her own jumping deer in her OTTB Donner, and he’s probably as close as any of us would get to riding a deer. Watching him beast around the cross country at Rolex and Pau last year was more than enough to earn him a place on this list.
3) Borough Pennyz
Have you seen this mare jump? Seriously, have you? She is literally built of springs. She finished 11th individually with Vittoria Panizzon as a 9 year old, and he is the cutest, most awesome gray mare ever. She seems determined to bruise her chin with her knees over every jump, and I would give myself maybe two jumps before getting jumped off her back, but the resulting bruises to my pride and butt would be totally worth it.
4) Opposition Buzz
Who hasn’t dreamed of riding an amazing black horse? Now how about an amazing black horse that jumps freakishly well and eats cross country for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Buzz’s record speaks for itself, and similarly to Borough Pennyz, I’m not sure how long I’d manage to stay on over jumps, but I reckon I would have the biggest grin for every second (even the ones where I’m hurtling towards the ground).
5) Shamwari 4
I watched “Shammie” at the Olympics in 2012 with everyone else, but when I first saw the video of his first dressage with Boyd, it was embarrassingly difficult to not start drooling. He floats. He literally floats across the ground. Add with that being an amazing jumper, and it’s difficult to think of reasons why he wouldn’t merit a potential felony record.
I suppose I wouldn’t really go to jail to ride these horses, since then I’d be completely without riding and my dog and I can’t really live without either of those things. But when much is said and done, these horses are all on the top of my perfect world wishlist. So who tops your list of criminal-record-worthy horses?
