Our friends and EN sponsors at Success Equestrian are proud to sponsor Kristen Bond, a consummate professional in the eventing world. Here’s a story from Success rider Kristen Bond about her thoughts, dreams and a horse named “Jerry.”
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Photo used with kind permission of Shannon Brinkman
The first time I went to watch Rolex was the year they hosted both the 3* and the 4*. I was 18 and thought that anyone who would sign up for this on purpose was just plain stupid. The dressage test alone seemed to have 237 movements to remember and the XC fences all seemed to be as big as a stabling tent. Watching the intensity of each rider as they negotiated each part of the competition seemed to clearly put them in an unreachable realm. A few years later I had my first opportunity to experience Rolex for myself as a competitor, and quickly realized that the “intensity” I observed was a special blend of focus, fear, and nausea.
I had dreamed and prayed that this year I would get to take my very own ‘Michael Jordan’ to Rolex. I bought Are You Ready in 2004 as a 6 year old. He has always been the horse who makes my job worth doing. He is a quirky self-appointed celebrity though, I’ll tell you! One of my favorite quotes was from Brendon Furlong at his vet clinic. “Jerry” was adamantly refusing to go in the wash rack and one of the girls commented on how Jerry didn’t like it. Brendon replied, “He doesn’t like anything….except Kristen.” Although, I was flattered by the compliment, I question even that sometimes.
He has become, at 14 years old, generally agreeable about most things but has a list. And he is not kidding: he will travel in only one spot on my 5 horse head-to-head horse trailer. It’s the backwards facing stall on the driver’s side and if you attempt to put him anywhere else, you do so at your own risk. He will, under no circumstance tolerate being twitched. Absolutely will not stand for it and frankly, considers it a direct attempt on his life. Despite these two seemingly small and unreasonable quirks, there is one that sets Jerry well apart from the rest; essentially, solidifying his spot in the top 1% of high-maintenance athletes. If you attempt to apply any sort of liquid therapy (especially involving ice) to him below the knee, you’d better have exceptional health insurance. Make no mistake, he will hurt you, and he will not feel bad about it. As a top level event horse, the inability to ice his legs after XC or even soak his feet post-abscess, has proven to be a reliable way to consistently raise my blood pressure. It does, however, drastically reduce your hours spent in the barn Saturday night. The first time I attempted to ice him after a gallop, the sparks from his shoes almost set the barn on fire. He hadn’t even made contact with the water yet! After a couple more hair-raising attempts through the years, I finally have just accepted Jerry for who he is; quirks and all.
The sport of Eventing is not an easy one. It takes a certain type of person to risk their life and that of their partners’ every time they go to work. That risk becomes life-changing when a CCI**** is tackled. It’s always humbling to learn how fragile our dreams become when faced with so many variables. If you are lucky enough to check every box along the way and get qualified for a 4* in your lifetime, there is the ever-present threat of injury to contend with. In our sport, as with most professional sports, it’s a matter of ‘if’, not when you will be faced with that set back. It may, at times, cause you to reconsider the depth or lack of your religion. I, for instance, have commissioned just about everyone I know to spend more time at church this spring than they planned on. A special thanks to Dave and Kim.
As for us, Jerry and I approached the corner in the middle of the advanced XC at Poplar guns drawn. Ok, my guns were drawn. He, un-denounced to me, had over reached the fence right before, and had made the executive decision to call it a day. He has never, NEVER, in 8 years, said no three times in a row. Let me tell you, I was not literally brimming with confidence walking back to the stables with my tail between my legs. Upon discovering the immense amount of blood all over his boots, his decision became glaringly clear and I was so grateful that he said, “I quit.” Jerry is, by nature, a massive overachiever, and as such, crosses his front feet over jumps when he’s ‘all in’. It’s the only reason I have for the fact that he sliced the outside of his left front. He was a little off Sunday morning and we limped back to Florida to regroup. That little overreach proved to be real bugger. He had a few days off for that, we injected that foot and he had a few more days off. By that point, The Fork was no longer an option. We had missed too many gallops. Sometimes, it seems as if you sneeze and, poof, your season is gone. Timing is everything in our sport and it can feel as if you’re being “punked” when things go so perfectly wrong. Rolex was not to be. I feel forever indebted to have such unwavering, top class support from Success Equestrian, Are You Ready’s owners Ray and Jeff Bond and Jacqueline Howell. Heartache becomes that much heavier when you let people down who you care about and who believed in you.
After all is said and done, getting to Rolex or any four-star event, is an epic accomplishment and is, without question, honored by every competitor. It’s an event to be treasured by all, no matter the out-come. This past weekend was eye opening for many reasons. Some enjoyed a deserved moment in the spotlight and others have just found their motivation for the fall season. In spite of it all, tomorrow is another day at the office, and perhaps the first day on the road to stardom for many. Are you ready?
~Kristen
