Indoor eventing begins at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada this evening. 13 top US and Canadian riders will jump over a combined show jumping and cross-country course Friday and Saturday nights. The goal is to cross the line with the lowest time, rails add to your time, and the two rounds are combined for a final score. The indoor eventing starts just after 8:30pm ET on Friday and Saturday.
Free live online video is available with registration–click here for the live boradcast
Before we go any further, I should clarify that a Canadian reader was kind enough to educate my Yankee ignorance and inform me that it is called the “Royal Winter Fair,” or the “Royal Winter Fair Horse Show,” but mostly just “the Royal”–like we say just “Rolex.”
The “Royal” is a huge indoor equestrian, agricultural, and cultural fair held every year for 10 days in Toronto. If you’re wondering why Canadians would have a huge horse show indoors, then you’ve clearly never been to Canada in November. The Royal hosts 10 straight days of vaulting, jumping, driving, dressage, para-dressage, 10 hours of hunters a day, and yes…indoor eventing. I’m not the biggest fan of indoor eventing because I think XC jumps are meant to be jumped as part of a long galloping course, but indoor eventing at the Royal gives some of our best riders a chance to showcase our sport to a large audience of fans. The competitors:
Jessica Phoenix – Exploring
Ian Roberts – Viper or Napalm
Waylon Roberts – Dunaghan or Chocco de Pomme
Diana Burnett – Shigatzi
Selena O’Hanlon – Peanuts
Leahona Rowland – El Paso
Penny Rowland – Roundabout
Rebecca Howard – Tristan
Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch – Rather Breezy
Doug Payne – Crown Talisman
Holly Payne – Steel Commander
Sinead Halpin – Reba’s Song
Clarrissa Wilmerding – Poppet
Links: Royal Winter Fair homepage, Rider list and bios
Personally, I have been to the Royal once in my life. I was about 10 years old and my 4-H club took a break from inbreeding our rabbits to go watch the Grand Prix show jumping for the weekend. I don’t think they had indoor eventing back then, but I remember sneaking back into the barns and getting the great Canadian show jumper Ian Millar’s autograph. This year, you can get autographs from top eventers at the Royal and you don’t even have to break trespassing laws to do so:
Omega Alpha: 4pm Friday — Top WEG Omega Alpha riders will be at the OA booth Friday afternoon signing autographs on a Omega Alpha WEG poster. I hear the poster is absolutely beautiful so be sure to stop by, get some autographs and ask the riders about why they like Omega Alpha supplements so much.
Ecogold: Another one of Eventing Nation’s fabulous sponsors, Ecogold, will be holding an autograph session with their riders at noon on Saturday. Stop by their booth (#1512) to meet the riders and check out their great saddle pads and boots while you are there.
Penny Rowlad won the indoor eventing in 2009 and here is one of her two rides:
