Check out this week’s cool Welcome to Eventing story, that tells the story of one rider’s journey into Eventing on the back of a most unlikely partner (a small, ultra sensitive, slaughter bound, Thoroughbred mare) that has turned out to be a star at her new career. If you’d like to submit your Welcome to Eventing story, please send the story along with a photo to [email protected]. Enjoy!
Photo used with permission
From Jamaica’s Mom:
I had evented as a child, so as an adult,when I was ready to get a horse, it was only natural that I began shopping for a horse to event with. This time, however, I was looking to find a been there done that gelding that would happily pack me around a novice course.
However, fate intervened, and I found myself adopting a slaughter-bound thoroughbred mare from two states away. My packer gelding ended up being a green mare with no manners and lots of attitude. Eight months later, I got the surprise of my life when I discovered she was pregnant, and two days after being palpated, and before I could prepare, she had her foal early one morning in a pasture full of mares. Her adorable foal was a mule (which is a whole other story in itself)!
Fast forward and after weaning the baby, I started to look for an eventing trainer to work with. One trainer said my horse would “never amount to anything”. Another said she would not work with her because she thought my mare Jamaica was “clumsy, untalented and nonathletic.” Fortunately, my dressage trainer believed in us, and thanks to her, I was able to start riding monthly with Brian Sabo and then got her working student to put some jumping miles on Jamaica. Even though my mare was green and lacked confidence, she was smart and willing and I crafted a plan that would culminate in her running her first recognized event. And thus, Team Jamaica was formed.
We took her to schooling shows, dressage shows, hunter/jumper shows and hunter paces. Jamaica had no choice but to become an eventer! Fortunately, she proved to us she does have the talent. 😉 In time, she built muscle, a nice top line and more importantly confidence. She showed us she loved to jump, and we affectionately nicknamed her “the bobsled” because we truly felt like the Jamaican Bobsled Team. We did have a great team, consisting of friends, a massage therapist, my farrier, as well as my dressage trainer, Rachel Williamson and of course, Brian Sabo, who believed in us from the beginning when others clearly didn’t.
In August 2011, Jamaica made her eventing debut at Woodside in Novice (mild heart attack for me since I thought she would start at beginner novice). I could not have been more proud! Ridden by Julie Mandle, she made it through all three phases quite nicely, and we all laughed, cried, grinned, hugged and celebrated with champagne. The little mare that was almost meat, showed us all that with a great team, careful planning and most importantly belief, anything can happen!
We are looking forward to many eventing adventures in 2012. Oh, and her baby? We’ll be having a blast one day in as many unrecognized events we can find! 🙂
