Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event -- Day 5!

Sorry this is late to be posted!  I got home and was very busy unpacking, organizing, and getting back into the swing of life.  Hope you enjoyed reading about my Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event trip!

After one amazing weekend packed full of the top equine athletes in the world of eventing, it was all over -- just like that.  When we woke up at 7:45, it was a bittersweet feeling that we wouldn't be heading back to the Kentucky Horse Park for another incredible day.  After breakfast of a sausage, biscuit, muffin, fruit, cereal, and orange juice, we checked out, loaded the car, and headed to Claiborne Farm for a morning tour.  This historic, huge breeding farm for Thoroughbred racehorses has been around for over 100 years and was where Secretariat was bred and stood as a stallion.  We got to see the breeding shed, stallion row, and cemetery over the course of our hour-plus tour.  Our guide, a stallion handler/groom, was a knowledgeable, funny, and personable young man who obviously adores his job.  He pulled out two of the 10 stallions standing at stud for all of the guests to take photos with -- Orb and War Front.  I got to pet each of them, as well as feed a peppermint to Blame.  That was a wonderful opportunity!  Claiborne's breeding program runs from February 1 to June 5 each year, and they allow no more than 150 mares bred to each stallion during that time period, which is far lower than most surrounding farms.  All 10 stallions are assigned their own groom, who makes sure their counterpart gets his daily bath, peppermints galore (they run through about 7 pounds per week for all of the stallions), lots of grazing time, food, water, and everything a horse could want.  The level of professionalism and attention to detail is very evident anywhere you look.

Ending in the cemetery was a fitting way to close out a great tour -- we walked around, looking at the gravestones and taking pictures of many of the well-known racehorses like Princequillo, Riva Ridge, Gallant Fox, and of course Secretariat.  He was fully embalmed, placed in a specially-ordered casket, and buried with his legs arranged in mid-stride and his chin tucked down into his chest.  It was a very special experience to stand where one of the greatest racehorses of all time is now in his final resting place.  For a record side note, his heart truly was about three times that of an average horse.

Finally, we started toward home, stopping briefly at the Thoroughbred Center to find out a little more about its huge training complex, then on to Indiana.  We stopped at the first rest stop o enjoy a nice lunch of leftovers, tapioca pudding, avocados, fruit, trail mix, and water, then drove on (one stop for fuel in Mt. Vernon, Illinoins) until arriving in beautiful St. Louis just before 6 p.m.  I couldn't have asked for a better weekend and a sweeter friend to spend it with than my amazing godmother, Val, and I really hope to go back some day and experience it all over again.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Kentucky Horse Park and/or Claiborne Farm, I highly recommend it.  It truly made this weekend the "BEST WEEKEND ALL YEAR!"  Thanks to my parents for taking great care of my horses while I was gone, Val for being a super-generous travel buddy, everyone who helped us out, and my Lord Jesus Christ for protecting our travels and giving me a fantastic end to my last year of high school.  On to new adventures!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Orb yawning!

I got to pet Orb...

and War Front!

I fed Blame a peppermint!

Me next to Secretariat's grave

~Anna

Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event -- Day 4!

Unbelievably, today was the last day of Rolex!  It sure flew by for us, as I'm sure it did for the competitors who have worked SUPER hard.  We were up and going by 6:40, had a quick breakfast (cereal, yogurt, banana-nut muffin, orange juice), and headed to the Kentucky Horse Park just in time to catch the Final Horse Inspection.  A lot of other people had the same idea, so unfortunately we couldn't get near the rail for photos.  Instead, we settled for a nice spot right on the fence which offered incredible viewing of all of the competitors before and after the jog.  To explain what this "jog" is -- before the competition even begins (the day before dressage, Wednesday), all competitors are required to present their horse to officials.  They put on very formal clothes (men in suits; women in dresses or business formal), lead their unsaddled horse out to a short lane to walk and trot, and move on.  Besides a great photo opportunity for fans, the competitors are showing that their horse is sound (no limping) and in good health/condition.  This morning was for the exact same purpose, although the horses were undoubtedly much more tired from two busy days of competition.  There was one horse that wasn't approved, and a few others that weren't initially approved but re-presented and were accepted.  It was a very good idea to get up early to watch this.  There's no other opportunity to see the horses in their entirety, unhindered by tack, gear, or rider.  They are truly beautiful animals -- big, glossy, and pure eye candy for horse lovers!!

After spending our morning enjoying a parade of fashion statements and gleaming horses, we headed for Rolex Stadium.  It wasn't too long before the opening ceremonies started for the final phase of eventing, stadium jumping.  We enjoyed a quick lunch in our seats (tuna wraps, tapioca pudding, bananas, chocolate-nut bars, trail mix, water) before the real action started.  The order of starting was from worst to best, so as each horse and rider finished, the excitement edged up a notch.  When it was down to the final 20 -- the best of the best -- everyone perched on the edge of their seats, nervously waiting for the inevitable rail to fall and placings to change.  Ultimately, the 2015 champion (German Michael Jung riding Fischerrocana FST) became the 2016 champion, garnering trophies, ribbons, a Rolex watch, money, and the infectious cheers of everyone in the stadium.  He and his lovely mare did beautifully all weekend, and it was a joy to watch him ride (along with all the others)!  A full list of results can be found on the Rolex website.  Especially awesome for me was seeing Elisa Wallace ride Simply Priceless around the course with only one rail down and no time faults, boosting her from 26th in dressage, to 14th in cross-country, to 8th overall at the end!  I am so happy for her and in shock that I actually got to see her ride in person!

Following the lovely awards ceremony and victory gallops, and a quick farewell walk around the grounds, we headed back to our hotel to regroup, then off to supper at El Rancho Tapatio (a Mexican restaurant, in case you couldn't figure that out).  The Fajitas Tropical (chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and pineapple), served with rice, beans, lettuce, and sour cream, was delicious, as was the Xangos, chimicheesecake topped with caramel and chocolate sauce, whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and vanilla ice cream.  It was certainly a fitting end to a weekend that will never be topped...the "best weekend all year!"

Michael Jung and Fischerrocana FST after their inspection

Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless after their inspection

Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless in stadium jumping

Victory gallop!

~Anna