First of all, may I say I LOVE Tallahassee! It’s not at all what I expected, which was something more akin to Jacksonville, no offence Jacksonville! But Tallahasse….it’s giant oak trees, spanish moss, a distinctly Southern charm, I’m settling in very comfortably indeed. Driving to the event site I thought I might have been dreaming and found myself on the Stepford Wives film set – perfect houses and landscaping, shaded sidewalks everywhere (I resist the urge to write pavement, the english term!)
Phipps Park, and Colin Phipp’s own land where the cross country course is laid out, is like a wooded wonderland, and I did feel a bit like Little Red Riding Hood wandering around, especially when I got completely lost trying to take a short cut. The trees, flowers, birds, wildlife and general peace are spectacular, but the armadilloes are the scourge of the
ground crew leaving holes to be filled all over the course. I walked the course this morning with
TD, Eventing Safety John who has travelled all the way from
Australia. It’s an interesting perspective to walk with him, he notices all the holes, all the take-off lines, every little thing basically and takes notes so that adjustments can be made later. He, of course, explains all the safety aspects to me as well. Red Hills uses all four frangible devices on it’s cross country courses – the frangible pin, and reverse frangible pin, the MIM clip, and the PRO log. Here ESJ talks us through the MIM clip, used on the teepee jump.
and now let’s take a look at where the reverse frangible pins can be useful.
Course Designer Hugh Lochore took over from Captain Mark Phillips after a year’s hiatus, and when I spoke to him briefly a couple of weeks ago he told me he’s in the middle of a three year plan for the course. Additionally he’ll adjust the course according to how it rides each year. This jump was an option last year,
but no-one took it, so it will not be used in 2011. Neither will the bank with the ditch in front on the two star, but the angled logs that was a double on the one star last year, is now an A and B option this year.
The Park is a green field site, so the whole event will seem like it never happened in a matter of weeks. The portable fences are all pinned down with Spira-fix’s (spelling?) or ground anchors,
one on each side, which are quick and easy to install, and anchor the fence securely.
The City of Tallahassee supports the event in many ways, not least by providing outstanding emergency services, all co-ordinated by One Brave Marine. There are three helipads on the site for medivac choppers, and three paramedic crews with four wheel drive ambulances all provided by the city.
I hope to bring you lots of pictures of the course later. It’s definitely a more open, galloping course than in previous years, and with the undulations, and the three star CIC coming in at about 7and a half minute it will be a good stepping stone on the fitness track for those horses bound for Rolex, or other spring three days. The jumps are all beautifully presented, and with the rain that’s pelting down currently the going is going to be spot on,then once that lets off a bit tomorrow, it looks like the weather is going to be perfect. I look forward to catching up with the other two John’s Eventing Nation, and Commentator, and lots of other people besides, and bringing you lots of news, pictures, videos and more. Please let me know if you have any special requests and I’ll do my best to help you out.
