I wanted to write a little bit about the horse that started this whole "investment" process for me, and who without and a little bit of luck I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get more involved in the horse world (and own some of the nicest horses I could ever imagine owning in the process!)
In August of 2015 I told my trainer I wanted an investment horse. At the time it had been two years since Arwen retired, I didn't really have a mount, and getting into buying/selling horses is something I've always had as a goal. My budget was small-so her work was cut out for her to find that diamond in the rough. We decided it needed to be an eq type horse, or a hunter since the market for jumpers is just not there in our area. She put the feelers out, and soon enough one of her contacts had something for us. She called me and the convo went something like this:
"So, I have a horse for you. He's really cute, but he has no papers. Don't really know his age, but probably around 6. Has been sitting in a pasture, don't know how long, but he was imported by (insert big name person here) a couple years ago and went lame. They say he might still be lame, but I think we can try to bring him back. He's free, I think he's worth a shot"
Free? We all know a free horse isn't really free. But, since my budget was SO small I figured putting a little bit of money into a freebie to see if he could come sound wouldn't be that big of a risk. So, on the trailer went the little horse (no vetting! Also not recommended LOL) and to our barn he came.
When he arrived, he was every bit as cute as promised. Smaller than I would ever choose for a personal horse, but that didn't matter since he would hopefully be sold. We let him chill for a bit, and then started riding him. Right off the bat, we knew he was something special. How could he not be, he was imported for some big money and apparently for sale in the mid six figures when he first arrived! His back story remained a mystery though. He was branded, but we had zero history since his papers "disappeared" awhile ago. A friend of mine guessed (and she's probably right) when he went lame at first, the prior owners probably collected insurance money and had to make the horse disappear. So he was relegated to a pasture, with most likely a different name, and his history was effectively erased. It all seems very shady and is definitely a part of the horse world that makes me shake my head.
However...little dude turned out to be perfectly sound. I injected since he was sticky on leads, and started getting him regular chiro appointments. His name became Arendelle aka Olaf, and he started looking like a nice little hunter that would be able to get me some decent money. He was probably the first "real" hunter that I've ridden and boy was it an adjustment! Didn't need to touch his face, super soft in the mouth and once he was going, had a great natural rhythm. He was also super spooky-I fell off of him twice in the 8 months I owned him! Fortunately being small the ground wasn't that far away but it still hurt!
I had him for about 5 months before we sent him to his first real show. He was a rockstar! Still missing some leads but for the most part was fantastic. He even got second in a competitive derby! At the show a trainer had a client looking for a fun little hunter, so they inquired about him. It was the perfect situation-we know the trainer and client well so there wouldn't be much questioning the back story. They came and tried him a week after the show, loved him, and took him to their barn for a trial...
Where he promptly failed vet. WHAT?!? So disappointed. However, my trainer's friend was super persistent because she really liked the horse and had her vet dial down on the issues since his x-rays came back squeaky clean. Turns out he was just footsore, so they stuck on some front pads and re-vetted and FINALLY came back clean (this was about a month long ordeal, I was biting my nails the whole time). From there it was green light go, and in March of 2016 I got my check from them. Probably the biggest check I've ever held in my entire life! The little freebie horse more than covered all his expenses during the 7 months I owned him and then some. Definitely doesn't always work out this way and there was a large chance the whole thing wouldn't work out from the beginning. However, the stars somehow aligned and it did all work out. I owe a lot to the little guy, who basically bankrolled the start of one of my major goals. For that I owe him (and my trainer for finding him!) more than he'll know.
So with the money burning a hole in my bank account, and the ability to actually buy something decent, my trainer and I started inquiring with her agent in Europe...
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Two years!
Wow. Its been two years since I last posted on here. I blame some of it on the fact that for awhile I couldn't retrieve my google account due to a lost password, but lets be real...a lot of it is laziness! And its not because a lot hasn't happened in my world. There have actually been a ton of new and interesting things I've wanted to write about but just haven't gotten around to it.
First and foremost...I'm now single. August 2016 is a month I will remember for the rest of my life because that is the month my marriage disintegrated. It was a big change and I won't go into much detail, but the gist of it is my ex was asking me to pretty much be something I am not nor will ever be so it was inevitable that we would part ways. It was very amicable and when we talk I still feel like I'm talking to a good friend. I know there is no animosity on my part, and these last 8 months I've felt like a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders as I no longer have to deal with the expectations that were being projected on me. I've gotten to experience living on my own and financial freedom for the first time in my adult life and its been both eye opening and exciting. I've gotten to make plans and do things that would have been hard or impossible to do when having to consider someone else. So all in all, while it is an experience I would not wish upon anyone, it is sometimes something you have to do and I feel like its made me grow up a lot in areas that I've been lacking, after having someone around to help take care of things for the last 17 years basically.
Second, I got a new job about a year and a half ago. I'm so glad I did because it paid me a good chunk more than my prior job. With hindsight, I feel like it happened for a reason-to help prepare me to be on my own financially. I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason, and looking back on my decisions this is one that definitely stands out.
On the animal front- my awesome dog Major passed away right before Thanksgiving 2015, almost to the day that we adopted him. That was really hard. He was my first dog and therefore the best dog. All dogs will forever be compared to him. At the time my ex did not want to get another dog (mainly because he wanted me to have babies, not puppies) but I finally convinced him after a month of being dog-less to get one. In came the best little furball that I could have ever imagined, Choco. He's a F1 Goldendoodle and I really couldn't love this dog more. I think there is a special attachment because I am the one who chose him (laziest puppy in what was left of the litter! Haha), I've had him since he was a puppy, and he has pretty much been my saving grace will going through all my personal drama at the end of 2016. He helped get me out of the house when I was feeling down (to go for walks, go to the dog park) and just serves as a constant companion. Always up for an adventure, is great at the barn, but also perfectly happy to hang out with me if all I want to do is stay in bed. I really don't know what I would do without him.
In these two years I've also had three new horses, all investments. I still don't have a personal horse and am still riding whatever my trainer has in the barn. Its been fun, but I do sometimes miss having a bond with that one special horse. Arwen is still around, and loving her life as a pasture puff. She had to go on Prascend this year due to testing positive for cushings, but other than that she's still the same old girl. Maybe just a little grumpier. Jynx is still around too. He's almost 16.3 now! He's currently being broke by a cowboy at our barn and is doing great.
I'll have to do a more detailed update on the three horses that have come and gone in the last two years, and also a show update on my hunter debut! Oh and also my complete lack of fitness.
First and foremost...I'm now single. August 2016 is a month I will remember for the rest of my life because that is the month my marriage disintegrated. It was a big change and I won't go into much detail, but the gist of it is my ex was asking me to pretty much be something I am not nor will ever be so it was inevitable that we would part ways. It was very amicable and when we talk I still feel like I'm talking to a good friend. I know there is no animosity on my part, and these last 8 months I've felt like a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders as I no longer have to deal with the expectations that were being projected on me. I've gotten to experience living on my own and financial freedom for the first time in my adult life and its been both eye opening and exciting. I've gotten to make plans and do things that would have been hard or impossible to do when having to consider someone else. So all in all, while it is an experience I would not wish upon anyone, it is sometimes something you have to do and I feel like its made me grow up a lot in areas that I've been lacking, after having someone around to help take care of things for the last 17 years basically.
Second, I got a new job about a year and a half ago. I'm so glad I did because it paid me a good chunk more than my prior job. With hindsight, I feel like it happened for a reason-to help prepare me to be on my own financially. I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason, and looking back on my decisions this is one that definitely stands out.
On the animal front- my awesome dog Major passed away right before Thanksgiving 2015, almost to the day that we adopted him. That was really hard. He was my first dog and therefore the best dog. All dogs will forever be compared to him. At the time my ex did not want to get another dog (mainly because he wanted me to have babies, not puppies) but I finally convinced him after a month of being dog-less to get one. In came the best little furball that I could have ever imagined, Choco. He's a F1 Goldendoodle and I really couldn't love this dog more. I think there is a special attachment because I am the one who chose him (laziest puppy in what was left of the litter! Haha), I've had him since he was a puppy, and he has pretty much been my saving grace will going through all my personal drama at the end of 2016. He helped get me out of the house when I was feeling down (to go for walks, go to the dog park) and just serves as a constant companion. Always up for an adventure, is great at the barn, but also perfectly happy to hang out with me if all I want to do is stay in bed. I really don't know what I would do without him.
In these two years I've also had three new horses, all investments. I still don't have a personal horse and am still riding whatever my trainer has in the barn. Its been fun, but I do sometimes miss having a bond with that one special horse. Arwen is still around, and loving her life as a pasture puff. She had to go on Prascend this year due to testing positive for cushings, but other than that she's still the same old girl. Maybe just a little grumpier. Jynx is still around too. He's almost 16.3 now! He's currently being broke by a cowboy at our barn and is doing great.
I'll have to do a more detailed update on the three horses that have come and gone in the last two years, and also a show update on my hunter debut! Oh and also my complete lack of fitness.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Keep on keeping on...
Last update was a month ago and not too much has happened since then. On the horse front, I've backed down from riding Arwen. She started exhibiting some interesting behavior (namely bucking like a raging bronc) under saddle which made me think something physical is really bothering her. Not wanting to really spend money to diagnose and/or push her through it (for what purpose, really) I've just been putting her on the hot walker and spinning her around on a lunge line a couple times a week. Just enough to get her big brown butt moving a bit more since all she does is stand around in pasture!
Baby J is also getting a little feisty. His um...testicles are dropping so I'm wondering if that's contributing? He's still pretty sweet and easy to handle but not exactly what I would consider totally docile, judging but the hoof shaped bruise he left on my hip when I was trying to stop him from getting pushy with his food around me. Lesson learned from that one: time to stop being so nice to the "baby" and make our ground rules/manners a little more clear on who is boss.
Riding has been going decently well too. I feel like I've worked out of the slump I was in a few weeks ago. And actually, I think the slump was happening because the horse I'm leasing came up lame. Not dead lame, but lame enough to be concerning to me and his owner, and could account for becoming somewhat harder to ride (and not to mention spookier, since horses can get spooky when in pain). So he's been taking a couple weeks nice and easy, and I've been riding other horses. And hey, I got back to the point where I started thinking hey, I actually can ride! Amazing. The horse I lease, despite being uber talented and an overall cool guy, has a pretty horrible left drift that I am constantly fighting and focusing on which makes it hard to work on much other than "get him off his left side!". Add in a severe lack of engine and desire for any kind of self carriage and he can sometimes be a bear to ride well around a course. The last week though I got to ride a totally uncomplicated, dare I say "easy" horse who not only stays straight, but has an engine! It was glorious. The only bad habit this horse has is he can sometimes grab onto the bit and go "fast" which really isn't that fast at all. He did try it with me for the first couple rides, but with a great tip on how to deal with it from the assistant I was able to get him to go around on a consistent, even rhythm before and after the fences. I also did a lot of bending/flexing/lateral flatwork before jumping, and by the end of the week he was so awesome. I have only jumped him (including last week) maybe 4 times total, and by the last lesson of the week we were coursing around 3'. That is how easy this horse is to ride! The horse belongs to a kid and I have to admit...I'm a little jealous. He really is a fantastic horse and just all around good guy.
On the fitness and personal front, I started a Whole30 at the beginning of February. The main driver behind this was I did a wellness evaluation at work (to test blood and what not) and the results where...not great. My blood glucose and triglycerides were ok, but my cholesterol was not great and my weight was just...ugh. So I decided enough dicking around-time to get serious. I have been lax about everything for so long thinking "oh, but I CrossFit and I'm happy!" and feeling like it was enough. Which yes...its good I'm active outside of riding and that I am happy, but I also was decidedly NOT happy that I can't wear some of my clothes, and my numbers were just so bad. So I Whole30'd. The last day is March 2 and I would say while this wasn't my easiest Whole30 (I've done three) it also wasn't my hardest. I am definitely planning on continuing to eat gluten free again, and to continue on without sugar. I'm feeling pretty awesome overall, although I will say, I haven't experienced the "tiger blood" feelings in my workouts like I did the first time around. I contribute that to my being just kind of flaky about attending workouts consistently. My first Whole30 was when I was only a year into CF, and going pretty consistently. So I do need to ramp that up eventually, but I feel like if I force myself to go right now that mentally I will already been in a place of not feeling the WOD. So I've been aiming for at least twice a week consistently, with something else (like a bike ride) to replace that 3rd workout.
Baby J is also getting a little feisty. His um...testicles are dropping so I'm wondering if that's contributing? He's still pretty sweet and easy to handle but not exactly what I would consider totally docile, judging but the hoof shaped bruise he left on my hip when I was trying to stop him from getting pushy with his food around me. Lesson learned from that one: time to stop being so nice to the "baby" and make our ground rules/manners a little more clear on who is boss.
Riding has been going decently well too. I feel like I've worked out of the slump I was in a few weeks ago. And actually, I think the slump was happening because the horse I'm leasing came up lame. Not dead lame, but lame enough to be concerning to me and his owner, and could account for becoming somewhat harder to ride (and not to mention spookier, since horses can get spooky when in pain). So he's been taking a couple weeks nice and easy, and I've been riding other horses. And hey, I got back to the point where I started thinking hey, I actually can ride! Amazing. The horse I lease, despite being uber talented and an overall cool guy, has a pretty horrible left drift that I am constantly fighting and focusing on which makes it hard to work on much other than "get him off his left side!". Add in a severe lack of engine and desire for any kind of self carriage and he can sometimes be a bear to ride well around a course. The last week though I got to ride a totally uncomplicated, dare I say "easy" horse who not only stays straight, but has an engine! It was glorious. The only bad habit this horse has is he can sometimes grab onto the bit and go "fast" which really isn't that fast at all. He did try it with me for the first couple rides, but with a great tip on how to deal with it from the assistant I was able to get him to go around on a consistent, even rhythm before and after the fences. I also did a lot of bending/flexing/lateral flatwork before jumping, and by the end of the week he was so awesome. I have only jumped him (including last week) maybe 4 times total, and by the last lesson of the week we were coursing around 3'. That is how easy this horse is to ride! The horse belongs to a kid and I have to admit...I'm a little jealous. He really is a fantastic horse and just all around good guy.
On the fitness and personal front, I started a Whole30 at the beginning of February. The main driver behind this was I did a wellness evaluation at work (to test blood and what not) and the results where...not great. My blood glucose and triglycerides were ok, but my cholesterol was not great and my weight was just...ugh. So I decided enough dicking around-time to get serious. I have been lax about everything for so long thinking "oh, but I CrossFit and I'm happy!" and feeling like it was enough. Which yes...its good I'm active outside of riding and that I am happy, but I also was decidedly NOT happy that I can't wear some of my clothes, and my numbers were just so bad. So I Whole30'd. The last day is March 2 and I would say while this wasn't my easiest Whole30 (I've done three) it also wasn't my hardest. I am definitely planning on continuing to eat gluten free again, and to continue on without sugar. I'm feeling pretty awesome overall, although I will say, I haven't experienced the "tiger blood" feelings in my workouts like I did the first time around. I contribute that to my being just kind of flaky about attending workouts consistently. My first Whole30 was when I was only a year into CF, and going pretty consistently. So I do need to ramp that up eventually, but I feel like if I force myself to go right now that mentally I will already been in a place of not feeling the WOD. So I've been aiming for at least twice a week consistently, with something else (like a bike ride) to replace that 3rd workout.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
And some horse updates
First off, Baby J! He continues to do really, really well. We've had two kind of scary issues with choke due to the barn help feeding him pellets that even adult horses tend to choke on. First time we didn't know what was happening so called the vet out (lovely bill with that one) but the second time our groom recognized the signs, brought him in and I massaged his neck for 30 minutes until it passed. Poor guy. Oh and a disclaimer: I had no idea they were still feeding him pellets. He was in a pasture with a buddy who I guess was supposed to get them, which no one informed me of. It has since been made VERY clear that he is not to get any kind of pellet.
Other than that, he is a pretty normal baby. So super sweet and tolerant. Takes things in stride, and seems to learn very quickly. Not spooky, but you do have to present new things to him before he goes "meh" about it. Makes me hopeful he'll be pretty bomb proof once started under saddle.
He is also looking more and more like Arwen which tells me she either stamps her babies really strongly, or Imothep just doesn't really stamp his babies with anything distinguishable. I guess I'll know if I get another one out of her!
Speaking of Arwen, I started riding her big brown butt again a few times a week. Just w/t/c, and tried to take her over some poles which was...amusing. She lept over them like they were fences, which I think she did because a) she has absolutely ZERO interest in any of that crap and b) being out of shape and a little rusty made it hard. She started out feeling really really rickety, but after about a week suppled up a lot the more I made her walk and use her body. I can tell though that there is some pain in her somewhere because when we canter on her left lead she will generally scoot and buck. So I try not to make her do too much, she gets bute once a week and we do lots and lots of walking. If I were to ride her more than what I do now, she would definitely need some maintenance. However, for what we're doing I don't think the once a week bute does much damage to anything.
I sure did miss riding her though. Her trot and canter are just so smooth and having a horse with an engine is so nice! I've been putting her in a super soft bit and she's actually been great in it-plenty of brakes and she gets really light and foamy in it. For being out of work for over a year I actually think she's carrying herself better than she was when she was in work. Granted she definitely doesn't have the muscle that she did but she just goes on the bit so much easier now and I don't think its because I'm a better rider.
I'm hoping to get a couple more babies out of her, and then she'll just be retired to a trail horse/pasture puff. I don't think she will ever reliably be any kind of lesson horse if I'm trying to be realistic. I recently asked one of the more beginner riders to get on her when I was in a rush and I think Arwen freaked her out. Because yes-she will take advantage of you and will test you which doesn't exactly make a good lesson horse, unless the rider is brave/very confident.
As for my riding horse, I've been riding the assistant's personal horse for the last couple months. Super schoolmaster horse and all around great guy. He was an ex-GP horse until he got injured, the assistant worked with him and did his rehab and he's now been ridden by a few people at the barn. He's not "easy" but he's also not necessarily difficult because he is pretty straightforward. His only flaws are he's lazy and he has a really vicious left drift. Oh, and can be spooky at really random times but that's not too big of a deal. He's basically a big ol' derp who is happy to dink around little fences with me. Not quite sure how long I'll be riding him, but I hope that I can at least ride him through the summer and go to some local shows.
After that, I've actually been thinking its probably time to start thinking of a baby of the human variety. I do want one, and timing to start trying in the fall would be good. We'll see!
Other than that, he is a pretty normal baby. So super sweet and tolerant. Takes things in stride, and seems to learn very quickly. Not spooky, but you do have to present new things to him before he goes "meh" about it. Makes me hopeful he'll be pretty bomb proof once started under saddle.
He is also looking more and more like Arwen which tells me she either stamps her babies really strongly, or Imothep just doesn't really stamp his babies with anything distinguishable. I guess I'll know if I get another one out of her!
Speaking of Arwen, I started riding her big brown butt again a few times a week. Just w/t/c, and tried to take her over some poles which was...amusing. She lept over them like they were fences, which I think she did because a) she has absolutely ZERO interest in any of that crap and b) being out of shape and a little rusty made it hard. She started out feeling really really rickety, but after about a week suppled up a lot the more I made her walk and use her body. I can tell though that there is some pain in her somewhere because when we canter on her left lead she will generally scoot and buck. So I try not to make her do too much, she gets bute once a week and we do lots and lots of walking. If I were to ride her more than what I do now, she would definitely need some maintenance. However, for what we're doing I don't think the once a week bute does much damage to anything.
I sure did miss riding her though. Her trot and canter are just so smooth and having a horse with an engine is so nice! I've been putting her in a super soft bit and she's actually been great in it-plenty of brakes and she gets really light and foamy in it. For being out of work for over a year I actually think she's carrying herself better than she was when she was in work. Granted she definitely doesn't have the muscle that she did but she just goes on the bit so much easier now and I don't think its because I'm a better rider.
I'm hoping to get a couple more babies out of her, and then she'll just be retired to a trail horse/pasture puff. I don't think she will ever reliably be any kind of lesson horse if I'm trying to be realistic. I recently asked one of the more beginner riders to get on her when I was in a rush and I think Arwen freaked her out. Because yes-she will take advantage of you and will test you which doesn't exactly make a good lesson horse, unless the rider is brave/very confident.
As for my riding horse, I've been riding the assistant's personal horse for the last couple months. Super schoolmaster horse and all around great guy. He was an ex-GP horse until he got injured, the assistant worked with him and did his rehab and he's now been ridden by a few people at the barn. He's not "easy" but he's also not necessarily difficult because he is pretty straightforward. His only flaws are he's lazy and he has a really vicious left drift. Oh, and can be spooky at really random times but that's not too big of a deal. He's basically a big ol' derp who is happy to dink around little fences with me. Not quite sure how long I'll be riding him, but I hope that I can at least ride him through the summer and go to some local shows.
After that, I've actually been thinking its probably time to start thinking of a baby of the human variety. I do want one, and timing to start trying in the fall would be good. We'll see!
Two more horseshows off the bucket list...
So 2014 definitely ended up being the year of the horse show. I mostly spectated, but after my long experience at Thermal I decided that I definitely like being a spectator more than a competitor. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE showing. However, only when its fun. Thermal was fun, but it was also really tiring and way to competitive. Both of those factors take a lot of fun out of the showing equation for me. I discovered that two to three days is really optimal, and my money is best spent locally.
However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to get to every major show ground in North America at some point in time. Bonus points if I become independently wealthy and get to do some classes (HAHAHAHAHAHA).
My original list was comprised of:
Spruce
Kentucky (any competition there really, preferably National Horse Show though)
WEF
Penn National
Washington International
Devon
In 2014 I managed to get to Penn, then Washington on a whim. Penn was actually planned and I got to watch the GP there, Washington the timing just happened to be right on my last day in Washington DC so we watched a couple hours of the hunter classes. Both are super historic shows and were awesome to get to see in person! I saw a good number of the riders that had been at the LA National, and totally took a stalker picture of Beezie Madden studying her course map (I know, I'm so creepy!) Again, it was amazing to be so close to some of the world's top riders, or at least close to so many of them.
So my list pretty much stands the same for the future. Spruce is way up at the top of course-everytime I watch that show on any livestream I am blown away by how beautiful it looks. For 2015 I'm hoping to add on the World Cup in Las Vegas and another trip to see the LA Masters, but who knows!
However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to get to every major show ground in North America at some point in time. Bonus points if I become independently wealthy and get to do some classes (HAHAHAHAHAHA).
My original list was comprised of:
Spruce
Kentucky (any competition there really, preferably National Horse Show though)
WEF
Penn National
Washington International
Devon
In 2014 I managed to get to Penn, then Washington on a whim. Penn was actually planned and I got to watch the GP there, Washington the timing just happened to be right on my last day in Washington DC so we watched a couple hours of the hunter classes. Both are super historic shows and were awesome to get to see in person! I saw a good number of the riders that had been at the LA National, and totally took a stalker picture of Beezie Madden studying her course map (I know, I'm so creepy!) Again, it was amazing to be so close to some of the world's top riders, or at least close to so many of them.
So my list pretty much stands the same for the future. Spruce is way up at the top of course-everytime I watch that show on any livestream I am blown away by how beautiful it looks. For 2015 I'm hoping to add on the World Cup in Las Vegas and another trip to see the LA Masters, but who knows!
Friday, October 3, 2014
Longines Masters Grand Slam Los Angeles- The so-so and some interesting observations...
So there wasn't much to dislike at this show. It was pretty much top notch over all, from decor, to the planning, the execution, and the caliber of rider (and people watching!)
BUT.
The cost of stuff was pretty astronomical. And I understand, we were in Los Angeles and at a prestigious show trying to imitate the super high end European shows. However, a sandwich (that was very very good, but it was still a sandwich) was $18, bottled water was $4 and then on Sunday I splurged and got a mimosa. $20 later...I almost spit that mimosa back into the bartenders face. Okay, not really but I don't even pay that much for bottomless mimosas at my local brunch place.
Oh. And this was the big one that really irked me. You would figure that an event like this would have a lot of branded merchandise that people would buy to get signed, remember the event, etc. NOPE. They had baseball caps, and then a polo for men and one for women. Like we're all horse people here-where are the saddle pads? Or polo wraps? Or something that is relatively cheap that Longines can embroider and sell at a huge markup? It was disappointing to say the least. Also disappointing is that they completely ran out of hats and I really wanted one. I tried to see if one of my friends who was volunteering there knew of any connection but I guess the show REALLY ran out of them. So much so they had to take the hats (worn hats, by the way) from the volunteers to give to the people who had won. Crazy, right? Seems like kind of crummy planning especially since nothing had dates on it. Longines is contracted to run this show for 5 more years-they could have recycled extras! Or, maybe the person ordering needs to learn how to count...
Anyway, like I said. Small stuff, but it was significant enough for me to note it.
The most interesting thing I saw there (besides the horse statue made out of hangers, OMG! Oh, and some random celebrities) was how these "Masters" rode around each other in the warm up ring. The warm up ring was great-smack dab in the middle of the venue and you could stand there just an arms length away from some of the top horse and rider pairs in the world. I watched before the big class Saturday night. Some of the riders at the time I was watching included Mclain Ward, Laura Kraut, and Reed Kessler. Now I've been in super crazy warm up rings before and it is stressful. But people are generally decent about calling out "rail" or not purposefully turning into other riders or calling their jumps. These Masters though? It was probably the quietest warmup ring I've ever witnessed and holy hell...they are SO RUDE to each other! I saw one riding up right on anothers butt, despite the horse they were riding up on having a red string in its tail (signal for a kicker). Another jumped a jump, and turned left INTO the rail, right where a couple other riders were walking who then had to scramble out of the way. Saw another do a circle RIGHT in front of someone else, literally 4 inches in front of the other horse's nose. When I mentioned all this to my friend, she brought up a good point that they probably do all this as an intimidation factor. You figure as far as riding talent goes, most of these riders are on a pretty level playing field-its the best of the best. So they have to play a mental game to out psych their opponents. Makes sense but damn! It was intense.
BUT.
The cost of stuff was pretty astronomical. And I understand, we were in Los Angeles and at a prestigious show trying to imitate the super high end European shows. However, a sandwich (that was very very good, but it was still a sandwich) was $18, bottled water was $4 and then on Sunday I splurged and got a mimosa. $20 later...I almost spit that mimosa back into the bartenders face. Okay, not really but I don't even pay that much for bottomless mimosas at my local brunch place.
Oh. And this was the big one that really irked me. You would figure that an event like this would have a lot of branded merchandise that people would buy to get signed, remember the event, etc. NOPE. They had baseball caps, and then a polo for men and one for women. Like we're all horse people here-where are the saddle pads? Or polo wraps? Or something that is relatively cheap that Longines can embroider and sell at a huge markup? It was disappointing to say the least. Also disappointing is that they completely ran out of hats and I really wanted one. I tried to see if one of my friends who was volunteering there knew of any connection but I guess the show REALLY ran out of them. So much so they had to take the hats (worn hats, by the way) from the volunteers to give to the people who had won. Crazy, right? Seems like kind of crummy planning especially since nothing had dates on it. Longines is contracted to run this show for 5 more years-they could have recycled extras! Or, maybe the person ordering needs to learn how to count...
Anyway, like I said. Small stuff, but it was significant enough for me to note it.
The most interesting thing I saw there (besides the horse statue made out of hangers, OMG! Oh, and some random celebrities) was how these "Masters" rode around each other in the warm up ring. The warm up ring was great-smack dab in the middle of the venue and you could stand there just an arms length away from some of the top horse and rider pairs in the world. I watched before the big class Saturday night. Some of the riders at the time I was watching included Mclain Ward, Laura Kraut, and Reed Kessler. Now I've been in super crazy warm up rings before and it is stressful. But people are generally decent about calling out "rail" or not purposefully turning into other riders or calling their jumps. These Masters though? It was probably the quietest warmup ring I've ever witnessed and holy hell...they are SO RUDE to each other! I saw one riding up right on anothers butt, despite the horse they were riding up on having a red string in its tail (signal for a kicker). Another jumped a jump, and turned left INTO the rail, right where a couple other riders were walking who then had to scramble out of the way. Saw another do a circle RIGHT in front of someone else, literally 4 inches in front of the other horse's nose. When I mentioned all this to my friend, she brought up a good point that they probably do all this as an intimidation factor. You figure as far as riding talent goes, most of these riders are on a pretty level playing field-its the best of the best. So they have to play a mental game to out psych their opponents. Makes sense but damn! It was intense.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Longines Masters Grand Slam Los Angeles-The Amazing and the Good!
This weekend I had was able to attend the Longines Masters show in Los Angeles for a couple days. I've known about the event for a few months, but hemmed and hawed about going because of the cost, finding people to go with, etc etc. However, about a month ago I won a pair of tickets from a horse publication. That pretty much sealed the deal-I was dying to get down there!
I wrangled a couple friends who at this point wouldn't mind doing the drive with me, we worked out a free hotel thanks to one of my friend's hotel points, and decided that we would cram as much horse time in a whirlwind 48 hours.
Thankfully the drive went pretty painlessly. No traffic out of Sacramento, and the traffic once we hit LA was minimal. Made it down with plenty of time to shower, get ready, and head over to the show to check out the vendors before watching the first class.
There is a lot to say about this show, so I'll just start with the amazing and the good.
The Amazing:
I think this goes without saying but DAMN. The caliber of the rider and horse at this show is top notch. They allowed 2* riders to show (for a hefty sum) but even those people were some of the best ammys and pros in the US. As for the 5* riders (the Masters riders) that kind of goes without saying. The top riders IN THE WORLD with their TOP horses. This wasn't a second string horse type of show. People brought their "A" horses. I got to see Cristallo, Blue Angel, Willow, Zavall, Simon and Cos I Can, just to name a few. To see these horse and rider combinations in the flesh after only watching them on internet live feeds is an experience I will never forget. I mean at a couple points in time when I was watching the riders warm up, I could have reached out and touched them. It was pretty amazing.
On top of that, the riders were pretty accessible. They walked around the venue just like everyone else. In fact, I encountered Mclain Ward as I was leaving my seat the first night. I might have geeked out a bit and tried to be all sneaky to take a pic, but he totally caught me and said it was fine to take a picture with him. So I did. I admit to being a total dork but whatever! It was very very cool. I also was standing literally right behind Reed Kessler and we rode the escalator down after the show. She may not have the nicest reputation, but I will say she is very pretty in person and just seems kind of normal. I wanted to say hello but it was after her not so great ride in the GP class on the last day so used my better judgement and just smiled.
Also amazing was the venue. The convention center was totally transformed. Beautiful styling everywhere, along with a nicely thought out warm up ring in the center of the lobby area (so everyone could watch), plenty of seating, and a gorgeous arena. Parking was easy, access to everything was easy and even for being such a "fancy" show with many millions of dollars of horseflesh, everyone working was pretty easy going. Backpacks didn't get checked, we didn't get hassled for bringing in outside food or taking lots of pictures. It was a good mix of fairly casual people, and then people dressed to the nines (VIPs).
Speaking of people being dressed to the nine...SO MANY CELEBRITIES! I try not to geek out about celebrities but sometimes you just can't help it.
The Good:
Food and drink was fantastic, but has been deemed only good because of the prices. I understand why it was all so expensive but the second day I went to have a mimosa and it was $20! I almost choked. Still delicious and the bartender was super generous (poured a full glass of champagne, let me drink quite a bit of it, topped it off again and then added the OJ) but man...that's more than what I pay for umlimited at brunch.
Shopping also fell under the good. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be. Vendor space was pretty limited, but everything except maybe one vendor was stuff I would see/find at any horse show in my area. The highlight was the D'yon booth. Huge with tons of beautiful leather goods. They ended up giving a deal to us on a couple of cute little crossbody purses and I bought a pair of lined spur straps that were very affordable. I did see a couple of other things I *could* have bought but I resisted since I think the shopping will be better at the Penn National show I'm going to in a few weeks.
Next post will be on some of the crazy/interesting observations I made, as well as the bad!
I wrangled a couple friends who at this point wouldn't mind doing the drive with me, we worked out a free hotel thanks to one of my friend's hotel points, and decided that we would cram as much horse time in a whirlwind 48 hours.
Thankfully the drive went pretty painlessly. No traffic out of Sacramento, and the traffic once we hit LA was minimal. Made it down with plenty of time to shower, get ready, and head over to the show to check out the vendors before watching the first class.
There is a lot to say about this show, so I'll just start with the amazing and the good.
The Amazing:
I think this goes without saying but DAMN. The caliber of the rider and horse at this show is top notch. They allowed 2* riders to show (for a hefty sum) but even those people were some of the best ammys and pros in the US. As for the 5* riders (the Masters riders) that kind of goes without saying. The top riders IN THE WORLD with their TOP horses. This wasn't a second string horse type of show. People brought their "A" horses. I got to see Cristallo, Blue Angel, Willow, Zavall, Simon and Cos I Can, just to name a few. To see these horse and rider combinations in the flesh after only watching them on internet live feeds is an experience I will never forget. I mean at a couple points in time when I was watching the riders warm up, I could have reached out and touched them. It was pretty amazing.
On top of that, the riders were pretty accessible. They walked around the venue just like everyone else. In fact, I encountered Mclain Ward as I was leaving my seat the first night. I might have geeked out a bit and tried to be all sneaky to take a pic, but he totally caught me and said it was fine to take a picture with him. So I did. I admit to being a total dork but whatever! It was very very cool. I also was standing literally right behind Reed Kessler and we rode the escalator down after the show. She may not have the nicest reputation, but I will say she is very pretty in person and just seems kind of normal. I wanted to say hello but it was after her not so great ride in the GP class on the last day so used my better judgement and just smiled.
Also amazing was the venue. The convention center was totally transformed. Beautiful styling everywhere, along with a nicely thought out warm up ring in the center of the lobby area (so everyone could watch), plenty of seating, and a gorgeous arena. Parking was easy, access to everything was easy and even for being such a "fancy" show with many millions of dollars of horseflesh, everyone working was pretty easy going. Backpacks didn't get checked, we didn't get hassled for bringing in outside food or taking lots of pictures. It was a good mix of fairly casual people, and then people dressed to the nines (VIPs).
Speaking of people being dressed to the nine...SO MANY CELEBRITIES! I try not to geek out about celebrities but sometimes you just can't help it.
The Good:
Food and drink was fantastic, but has been deemed only good because of the prices. I understand why it was all so expensive but the second day I went to have a mimosa and it was $20! I almost choked. Still delicious and the bartender was super generous (poured a full glass of champagne, let me drink quite a bit of it, topped it off again and then added the OJ) but man...that's more than what I pay for umlimited at brunch.
Shopping also fell under the good. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be. Vendor space was pretty limited, but everything except maybe one vendor was stuff I would see/find at any horse show in my area. The highlight was the D'yon booth. Huge with tons of beautiful leather goods. They ended up giving a deal to us on a couple of cute little crossbody purses and I bought a pair of lined spur straps that were very affordable. I did see a couple of other things I *could* have bought but I resisted since I think the shopping will be better at the Penn National show I'm going to in a few weeks.
Next post will be on some of the crazy/interesting observations I made, as well as the bad!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)