The CIC*** here at Poplar is another late addition to the calendar for those individual riders still chasing Olympic points and dreams. There are ten entries – Nina Ligon and Ronald Zabala-Goetschel ride three horses each for Thailand and Ecuador respectively, and with Elena Ceballaos riding for Venezuela, Carl Bouckaert for Belgium and Federico Daners for Uruguay, I’m pretty sure this leaves Danielle Dichting and her lovely grey horse Tops as the sole US rider in the field.
The facility and the venue here is fabulous, and considering they’re recovering from a tornado just a couple of weeks ago, the conditions are even more remarkable. The course is big, solid and straight-forward, as you can see….
1st event of the year, 1st fence and I can’t focus! Things get a bit better from hereon in, I promise!
This is a big fence, especially at number 3!
The first water combination: a bounce in over these two “cottages?”
The sunken road at 10
Two strides between the angled cannons. We’re in the heart of Confederate Country now, aren’t we, I think we are?! I did feel as if I was driving deeper and deeper into the scenery of Cold Mountain as I got hopelessly lost on my way here, and while trying not to fantasize about a certain scene in that film with Jack White, (it’s just me and Leo tonight!) I prayed that the trailer I had decided to follow blindly was indeed heading for Poplar and not some Godforsaken holler – I’ve been watching too much Justified on FX – hello Timothy Olyphant, more fantasy fodder, I knew EN John was going to regret not offering to cover Poplar Place for me and instead making me drive 8 hours and eat sugar and drink caffeine all the way down – this is what you get! Luckily the trailer was carrying eventers and delivered me safely. If only I’d had the sense to hitch my star to someone equally as savvy to walk the course – I think I walked the equivalent to four CIC***courses while I tried to navigate my way around this one. Sweet, dopey Leo, as clueless as I, seemed happy to walk aimlessly in circles with me, let’s hope I never have to rely on him to get me out of trouble for real. The scariest thing of the whole afternoon though was perhaps that twice, while wandering around searching for the next jump, I was mistaken for a rider!
The second water complex, one stride to the skinny going out, no alternative, and just to give you a little perspective!
At the water jump. The course is both beautifully designed by Tremaine Cooper and built to perfection by Tyson Rememter.
Two massive corners at 18a and b
I think general consensus is most people are happy the Irish Bank isn’t on the course this time.
I did overhear someone remark that it was snowing in Marseilles, but as I drove through Frankfort, Rome, Lebanon, London, Somerset and many more in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia (probably not strictly en route!) to get here, whether or not they were talking about France, I couldn’t tell you!
Another deceptively big fence
A strategically placed fir tree in the hollow between A & B prevents you from going too directly here.
Last fence.
I was especially happy to see Kyle Carter when I’d finished walking the course as I felt like I was beginning to lose my grasp on sanity somewhat after the drive, and then getting lost in the woods! Kyle is here in his coaching capacity for Venezuelan rider Elena Ceballos, who he was last helping at the Pan Am Games and who is another rider looking to try and gain an individual Olympic berth. Elena rides a lovely Selle Francais horse, Nounours du Moulin. Elena has had a break from competition since the Pan Am Games in Mexico, and I stood and watched for a while as Kyle helped her on the flat. Quiet and tactful, he’s a real ‘thinking’ rider, making Elena take responsibility, look where she’s going, consider the ramifications of her decisions, I was very impressed – this must be why his kids do so well, because they are learning to be independent, proactive riders, not just do as they’re told. At the same time, Kyle and I chatted and maybe he realised it or maybe he didn’t, but he set my head straight about a couple of things that were on my mind – isn’t he just a genius! While Kyle and his eldest daughter Riley, 5, look after things up here at Poplar, his wife Jen and Trista, 10 months are holding down the fort in Ocala, and you can keep up to date with them via their blog – and here’s one of my all time favourite entries.
It’s an early start tomorrow – Dressage starts at 8am, then there’s a CIC*** horse inspection at 10:30am before the cross country gets underway at noon. Thanks for reading and go CIC*** eventing in February?
