New Series "On the Road"

Social Media Intern, Kirsten Farley, will be sharing stories from St. Andrews team travel. This is her first post from the Carolina Starz "C" show in Camden, SC.

On the Road Blog

What: Carolina Starz “C” Show

Where: South Carolina Equine Park

People: Kelsi Peterson (trainer), Rob Jacobs (trainer and a rider), Kirsten Farley (rider), Rachaell Dockery (rider), Brianna Harrison (rider), Grace Wadford (rider), Taylor Westover (rider)

Horses: Charmander CF (Charlie), Indigo Night (Claire), Onyx, Scottish Honor (Scott), Cynasure (Sam)

The team left SAU Equestrian Center around 11:00 Friday morning

Arrival Day: We all arrived to the show grounds around 1 in the afternoon. We set up the stalls with 4 bags of shavings each, unpacked the trailer, tacked up, and hacked the horses around to burn some energy. All were behaved and happy to be at the show. After the horses were cleaned up, fed, and put away until night check, the group of us went out to dinner at Chili’s.

After dinner, we went on adventure to the local Wally World, formally known as Wal-Mart. We got to the show and realized we needed a hose, and Brianna needed a jack to change the tire that was getting low on her car. Within minutes the hose and jack were purchased. And we all proceeded out to the parking lot where Brianna was going to change her tire. First, was figuring out how to get the jack to come up. The lever/handle was being pumped, but nothing was happening… Finally, the jack began to rise up…but alas it was not giving enough lift to get the tire on the ground. Some random, kind stranger even offered his assistance, which we denied due to the fact that we knew how to change a tire, little did we know then what we know now. Hindsight being 20-20, about 10 minutes later we wished we had said yes to that man because we still weren’t able to get the car lifted to get the tire off. Another kind stranger offered to help us get the tire off. We accepted his offer, and in 15 minutes the tire was change.

Let the Show Begin

Show Day 1: Up bright and early, and by “bright and early” I mean before the sun came up. So actually it was pitch black out and if it wasn’t for the white polos and the white pad you would not have seen Onyx coming. Everyone schooled, and everyone was lovely. Ring 3, which actually started at 8:30 AM, Ring 1 and 2 started at 8:00 AM, was Kelsi’s first stop for Taylor and Scot in the Long Stirrup Equitation and Hunter. Taylor got a 4^th in the equitation over fences and a 6^th on the flat. For the hunter classes, Scot and Taylor got 2^nd in both of their courses, but did not flat that day. Ring 1 started with the Starz Hunter and Pre-Greens, which Rob was doing with Charlie.

Rob and Charlie got two 3^rds in both their hunter over fences and a 5^th in the hunter flat. As soon as Rob’s courses were finished Kelsi jumped over to the schooling ring to prep Grace, Rachaell, and myself for the Pre-Child/Pre-Adult Equitation and Hunter classes.

Grace and Ozzie received a 2^nd in their equitation course and 1^st on the equitation flat, a 4^th in their first hunter over fences, a 2^nd in their second hunter over fences, and a third in the hunter flat. Brianna and Sam went much later in the day for the Adult Equitation in Ring 1. She and Sam got 2^nd in both the equitation flat and course.

As for Rachaell and I, our day was not as great as everyone else’s. During my equitation course, which had been really lovely, Onyx spooked at a ribbon fluttering in the wind as we were heading toward our last 3 fences, the outside line around to the center single of a dead left turn. In the process of his spook, he tripped, and then proceeded to leap up into the air and buck. As I hung on with my legs and seat, as well as with my hands on one side of his neck, I decided that things wouldn’t get much better and hopped off gently onto the ground. The next time I went into the ring I focused on getting Onyx’s fried brain back on track. This meant that I broke things up for him by doing simple lead changes instead of flying lead changes. Thankfully, by doing this I was able to get Onyx refocused for the third course, but sadly by that point the judge had already written us off. However, at this point ribbons did not matter, all I cared about was going back in the ring and making Onyx work through his wild urge he got after that lovely spook, and that part was successful.

Rachaell and Claire and their own problems they had to work through. Rachaell was having a difficult time getting Claire to listen to her aids. Basically, Claire was running through Rachaell’s hands no matter how hard she told her to whoa. So instead of going back in the ring and creating a bigger fight with Claire, Rachaell decided it would be best to stop before things got worse and to just start fresh the next day.

After the show, when all horses had been fed and taken care of, the group ventured over to the Tack Room, the Mall of Tack Stores. For all of you St. Androids reading this, you get 10% off if you say you ride at SAU, just so you know in case you have an urge to make a trip down to Camden. Everyone bought something; I can sadly admit that I spent more than I should have, with the discount included. Once everyone had what they needed, Rachaell, Grace, Taylor and I ventured back to the show grounds to wrap Ozzie’s and Scott’s legs with Grace’s and Taylor’s new wraps. We also poulticed Ozzie’s legs, packed Ozzie’s and Claire’s feet, checked water buckets, and checked hay.

Once we finished taking care of the horses, showered, and some finished their naps, we all went to dinner. Where you might ask? Oh no place other than Chick Fil A! This may not be as exciting as it sounds, but when you are in Laurinburg, there is no Chick Fil A, so you have to get it when you can. And believe me it hit the spot.

Take Two

Show Day 2: The last day of our lovely adventure, was started much like our first day. Before the sun, in the pitch black we fed breakfast, tacked up, and took the horses down to the rings to school. Onyx was worked longer to make sure that he was not going to be wild again and Claire had a bit change to give Rachaell some more control. The schedule ran just like it did the day before with Rob and Taylor in first and then Grace, Rachaell, and I after them. Rob and Charlie earned a 2^nd and 3^rd in their hunter courses, and didn’t flat. Taylor rode Scott to a 2^nd in her equitation over fences and another 2^nd in her hunter course. Grace and Ozzie had another superb day with a 1^st in her equitation over fences and another 1^st in one of her hunter courses. She was Champion in the Pre-Adult equitation division Saturday (Day 1) and Reserve Champion in the Pre-Adult equitation division Sunday (Day 2). I managed to make a comeback with Onyx by getting a 6^th for my equitation course and another 6^th for a hunter course, much improved from a rather rough start to the weekend. Rachaell and Claire also got a 6^th for one of their hunter courses as well. Brianna and Sam were the last of the group to go again. Brianna and Sam got a 1^st and a 2^nd in the equitation over fences. Brianna finished the weekend with a Reserve Champion on Saturday and a Champion on Sunday.

Over all, everyone had a blast. It was a great first outing for the most part, with great weather, a great location, and we learned a lot from the experience. The biggest thing I believe we took away is that sometimes we have good days, other times we don’t, but you have to work through them either way because that is how this sport we love to do works.

 We returned to SAU’s Equestrian Facility by 2:30 in the afternoon and finished taking care of the horses and unpacking the trailer by 3:00. This meant all of us exhausted people could go back to our dorms shower and nap before having to start crunching out the homework for classes the next day.