The dock at the main water jump at the Florida Horse Park
A fascinating discussion with Jon Holling about footing, and then a chance meeting with Peter Gray at Poplar Place has me thinking I might need to amend my travel plans so that they include the upcoming Ocala Horse Properties International 3 Day Event, organised by Peter and Jon under the Equiventures banner. I also strongly advise anyone within striking distance with an eligible horse to do likewise, and with divisions running from BN all the way through the grades up to CCI**, a special Combined Training test for the Rolex horses, and new this year, a YEH/FEH class, surely there’s something for everyone.
Reasons to go to the Ocala Horse Properties International 3 Day Event
1. The Footing
As Jon Holling explains, “The main priority is going to be the footing, we’ve received some funding to help with that and I expect that this year the CCI** will be the best there’s ever been at the Florida Horse Park. Historically the footing in the Florida Horse Park is pretty good, we don’t run there as often as some other places so we’re fortunate in that respect. Certainly the thing you worry about in Florida at this time of year is it could get a bit dry, and then in front of fences it starts to break down and can get a little deep, but I think we have that sorted out and that was evident at our February event – we had pretty good footing there.”
Peter Gray agrees, “We’ve been concentrating on the courses for the last two years but this year we’re really addressing the footing. We’ve been aerating and watering so I think you’ll notice a significant difference in that area this year. We can’t recondition the whole park, but certainly we’ve staked off the galloping lanes and we’ve made sure that those areas are as perfect as we can make them. The footing is so important.”
2. The Course
A new trakehner at the Florida Horse Park
Course Designer Jay Hambly is hitting his groove in this his third year at the event. Peter again, “Every year we’ve added three or four new jumps to the course, but we’ve got at least half a dozen this year including a new complex at the water and a new bank, and a new start and finish area so it’s quite a bit different. Jay does a really good job with a blend between a galloping course with a good flow but also including the technical questions that are the norm now in this sport, I’m really excited about it.”
There is also a brand new course of show-jumps for the event this year, yep, that’s right – Entire Course. Brand. New. Marc Donovan is the show-jumping course designer, and at this event both the dressage and the stadium will be in the polytrack arena.
3. The Prize Money and the classes
The Rebecca Broussard CCI** will be awarding $10,000 in prize money, the Maui Jim CCI* is worth a total of $5,000, and prize money, a trophy and ribbons to 8th place are the norm for all the remaining divisions. BN, N, T, P, and Intermediate divisions will run alongside the CCI* and CCI**, and then there’s the Merydith South FEH and YEH classes sponsored by Mrs Jacqueline Mars, and a special combined test for the Rolex horses. ‘O’ judge Ann Gribbon will be judging the Kentucky bound combinations, and offering feedback afterwards.
The Cavalor jump gets a face-lift
4. The Timing in the Calendar
As if anyone lucky enough to winter down south needed an excuse to stay longer, now you have a perfectly legitimate one. Eventually Peter and Jon hope that as the event becomes more of a fixture on the calendar, people will adjust their plans to move north accordingly and it will become tradition. As Peter explained, “It fits in very well with the schedule and the end of the Spring season, before horses maybe move North or get a bit of a let down.”
5. Organised by riders for riders
Peter Gray boasts vast international experience eventing and now sits on many committees, as well as teaching and training. Jon Holling is not only one of the US’s finest event riders currently competing but also active behind the scenes of the sport to effect change and improvement. With a pair like this at the helm no wonder it’s a rider-friendly event, “One of our goals when we took over these competitions was to make them rider friendly. We hope that the organising committee and the officials that we hire are all rider friendly. We hopefully hire judges that the riders like and that they’ll do a fair job. If there’s an issue or a conflict, we want officiaIs who understand the sport and will sympathise with the competitors. I think over the years we’ve developed a really good group of people” Peter told me, while Jon agreed and said he’s looking forward to competing there again this year, “We’re really trying hard to make it be the best event that it can be, I’m obviously a little partial to it, but I wouldn’t miss it.”
Entries close on April 3rd, and you can enter electronically via evententries.com. Go the Ocala Horse Properties International 3 Day Event, and Go Eventing!
>The Ocala Horse Properties Pond
