Dom Schramm plays buzzy bay mare wrangler in the fresh weather. Photo by Samantha Clark.
It’s been brisk and breezy all day long but it was downright cold this morning which translated to some rather “electric” rides — a few spooks but also some rather stunning tests. Maybe I’m still basking in the afterglow of returning to my old Kentucky home, but what a real pleasure it is to be back at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Southern Hospitality is totally a thing: the judges in the 3* arena today asked every single rider if they were ready before they rang the bell, and thanked them on completing their test. Seriously?!
We’ve been privileged to see some very exciting young horses take a serious step up in their careers today, some equally exciting young riders looking to frank their form and, I can’t deny it, some old favourites.
Local rider Allie Knowles leads the 3*-S with Business Class. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Local rider Allie Knowles leads the 3*-S after the first phase on Katherine O’Brien’s Business Class. This little chestnut is clearly trying to keep up with his stablemate Morswood who was so impressive last weekend at Maryland, and I’m sure Allie is hoping he’ll give her just as good a ride around Jeff Hambly’s tough cross country course tomorrow.
Lynn Symansky has Global Cassero 3 — “we call him Jerry in the barn” — in the 3*-S and slots into second overnight with a correct and expressive test. Jerry was originally sourced by Katherine Coleman in the UK and he’s been in the U.S. for “quite a bit of time now” but spent a lot of that on the sidelines while Lynn and her team tried to figure out an issue with his breathing stemming from a tie-back surgery that “went a little bit wrong”.
Lynn Symansky pats Global Cassero 3 after a solid test worth second place overnight. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Hopefully that’s all behind him as we are bound to agree with Lynn that he’s “a lovely, lovely horse, but he’s just a little bit older for where he should be in his education and strength”. Nonetheless he did the 3*-L at Tryon in the spring, and the plan is for him to step up the 4*-S at Tryon this fall and then go out Advanced next Spring.
“He’s a cool customer,” Lynn smiles. “it’s really nice to have one that you can just get on and know what you have each day!” Even so, she adds, “he’s a bit of an internal horse and he’s really, really sweet and genuine but just a little bit of a slow, cautious thinker so we’ve taken more time than we originally planned but I really like him, I rate him.”
#supergroom Steph Simpson can always be found pulling double duty as videographer. Boyd has several rides here at Midsouth this week. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Lynn also has two greener Intermediate horses here this weekend that are just stepping up to the level. She couldn’t be happier to be returning to the Kentucky Horse Park in the fall. “It’s so pretty, and it’s so different. It’s nice to bring them here and have such a huge venue and not have quite such an electric atmosphere [as opposed to in the spring]. I think sometimes when you come here for the first time it’s really overwhelming for them so it’s nice because there’s still so much going on but you get to ease in some of the younger, greener horses into a venue like this so then when you come out they’re used to seeing it. It’s funny because they actually noticed the five people standing over there,” Lynn laughs. “There’s only five people over there but…! Any chance of coming to the Horse Park you should take that opportunity, it’s pretty special to come back here.”
Early this morning with the wind chill factor at its peak, Dom Schramm managed a fairly “high” Quadrocona beautifully and showed just how much this lovely mare will be capable of one day in flashes of brilliance, slightly spoilt by moments of tension. She lost a little focus in the walk spotting something in a distant ring and was slightly distracted after a stunning beginning. Dom and I walked the cross country course together later, and although it’s definitely an impressive and educational track, he’s hopeful it will suit this talented young mare.
Becky Holder is enjoying being back at Kentucky Horse Park, this time with Lisa Borgia’s OTTB Silmarillion. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Becky Holder is right behind him on the stunning 9-year-old OTTB Silmarillion owned by her student Lisa Borgia. “She got him directly off the track and produced him up to Intermediate level” before deciding to let Becky take the reins for a little while, “which is very exciting!”
Becky and Lisa are neighbours and the horse lives with his owner, so Becky rides him a couple of days a week while Lisa does all his fitness work. “She’s completed quite a lot on him,” Becky confirms. “and this was just the next step to get a few Intermediates under his belt and maybe a three-star and just see if he might want to go Advanced, we don’t know.”
“I’m happy to ride him like I stole him for as long as she’ll let me!” Becky laughs. “I’m so appreciative and she’s done such a great job bringing him on.”
Becky has had her eye on Silmarillion for quite a long time as she’s taught him and Lisa since the very beginning. Lisa is juggling being an attentive owner this weekend with “a Novice horse, a Training Three-Day horse and trying to keep tabs on me so she’s very busy!”
Becky gets a little teary-eyed (and yes, perhaps I do too) or maybe it’s this damn, bitter wind when she talks about what it means to ride at the Kentucky Horse Park again. “So many memories! It’s hard to walk the course because you walk around and there’s good memories, and then, ‘Ooof, I biffed it here!’ So it’s always a very emotional place but I just love coming back here.”
Jeff Beshear stays busy this week with two rides. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Jeff Beshear has two OTTBs here this weekend, the chestnut Say Cheese in the 3* and a big, striking grey horse in the 2*-L, Storm Is Due. Say Cheese was focused, correct and obedient for a very pleasant test. This is a horse that Jeff has produced since it came off the track. Storm Is Ddue had done a little bit of eventing previously. Emily Beshear, meanwhile, is slowly recovering from an injury sustained in the spring but is riding again, and apparently not enjoying being on the sidelines very much. She can take some not inconsiderable solace in what a good job her husband and son are doing as substitutes, as long as she gets those rides back! Heal fast, Emily, we look forward to seeing those purple colours flying across the country again soon.
Dom leads the 2* on a relatively green horse, another striking dark bay mare, Adomo’s Fuwina. Kelty O’Donoghue did a lovely test on her Irish gelding that she’s had for about a year. When she took him on he was definitely “tough”, but today he was the picture of composure and cooperation, showing off his lovely paces and Kelty rode an accurate, professional test.
More to come from a picturesque (and, okay, a bit chilly) weekend back in Kentucky.
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