So often you so see people at events, you say hello, chat briefly, make a mental note to try and catch up properly later, and then never bump into them again; so it’s been with Erin Pullen and I for the last two years! I knew there was a special story to her and her horse Big that I’d been wanting to talk to her about, and I’m extremely grateful to her for finally biting the bullet for me and writing it on my behalf and sharing it with us, especially right after an exhausting and emotional weekend at CHC International! Congratulations and Thank you to Erin, her whole team and all her connections! Go Big, Go Burns and Go Eventing!
From Erin:
Big and I have been together since he was in his latter part of his two year career as a race horse. I was training at the time and noticed him. He had won a few stakes races but as of late he was running nowhere on the bottom. I bought him on the condition I had to take 5 other horses off the guy’s hands as well. Ugh, I just wanted him! No matter – I sorted them all out, found them suitable homes and went to work on Big. He was a rack of bones when I got him, but his eye is what caught me. His right eye, the kind that has the white ring round it!!! Fell in love in an instant. I got him back going strong and won four more races with him. The last race he won, he suffered a hairline fracture of his pelvis while breaking form the gates. He still won the race. I took him home with me that night. My dog George and I stayed in the stall with him for two weeks. He and George were instant buddies from then on. A few weeks after that I got kicked in the face which almost killed me. Needless to say I quit the racetrack. Big and I recovered together.
I called my mom that December and told her I was coming up to Masterson with Big and George. Mom got there and watched as the three of us had a blast in the field, Big going over the little hunter fences with George either at his heels or on top of the jump barking at him!! It was a day I’ll never forget. I’d already known, but now I really knew, this is the horse you get once in a lifetime.
I owe all of my basics to Susan Posner, without her I would be lost. I’d take him for lessons with her when I could, but mostly he and I did this on our own. We’ve come up from BN to now Intermediate. We ran our first OI at Chatt Hills in 2010. We were last throughout, but I didn’t care, we did it. In a world of no, we said yes. After a few setbacks, Big and I have come back to Chatt Hills this weekend and have rocked it ending up 7th in the OI.
This was bittersweet to me, in 2010, I had George with me, I lost him last year to cancer. It was the worst time in my life, I even pushed Big away. I was afraid to hurt like that again. I realized what I’d done and got it back together. The best part is I now have Burns, he’s my 14 week old nephew of George. It was a great tribute this weekend.
The event was amazing as always. Everything about it is so welcoming and inviting. When I walked the course on Thursday, I thought back to my first time doing the OI in 2010. I came back from that first walk a little green around the gills. Not this time: I knew I did it last time and this time it looked even better!!! I loved the questions the course asked of you. Really good galloping fences to a very technical skinny to skinny to a very narrow corner!!!!! C’mon, that’s a challenge!!!! The whole course was like that!!! Really fun, kept you on your toes!!!! I noticed running the IP’s earlier in the year, Big was quite bored on the cross country. This time he had his ears pricked as if to say, ‘yes! I’m up to that challenge!’ He’s not a very experienced horse as of yet, every question you could feel him thinking and understanding. I was so impressed with the weekend!!!! Not to mention a fabulous show jump round. Big is always a bit over eager in SJ, today, he was calm and weighed the situations carefully. Fantastic weekend!!!! Chatt Hills has outdone itself again!!
(Not only is this a wonderful helmet-cam, it also gives you a great perspective of Hugh Lochore’s CHC Int’l OI and CIC** xc course. If anyone has a CIC*** or CIC* xc they’d like to submit, we’d love to see it! Thanks!)
Sorry, this horse and new puppy are so special to me!!!!
Many, many thanks to Erin for writing and we look forward to following their progress up the levels. Go Eventing!
