PrintI’ve timed it perfectly. I can get down to watch Michael Pollard’s dressage test in the riders’ tent at stabling and give myself exactly 25 minutes to get ready for my own dressage test. I already have my top hat and tails ready, and my breeches and shirt are in my bag, which is next to my spurs and boots.
I am literally congratulating myself on being so organized!
I watch Michael pull off a lovely test to put himself in the top 10, and I run out of the tent toward the lorry to get ready for my Burghley debut! I pull out my breeches and realize I grabbed my cross-country breeches that have large ROMFH logos down both legs—impossible for dressage at BURGHLEY!
I think quickly, “I’ll just borrow a pair from my other American teammates... Wait... Michael Pollard, Will Coleman, Boyd Martin...” Panic sets in as I grab the credit card and run toward the trade fair...
This is just one of the stories that came out of my amazing weekend at the Land Rover Burghley CCI****!
Fortunately, in case you were worried, I solved the breeches disaster after scaring a nice British sales boy while I sat throwing breeches on the floor looking for a white pair of 26Ls. He made the wrong move of handing me a beige pair in the correct size, and I proceeded to yell, “WHITE! They have to be WHITE! IT’S BURGHLEY!” without even looking up.
With a £39 charge on my credit card and only 1 minute late on my scheduled departure toward the main arena, Tate and I made our way to the ring.
Dressage at Burghley. What can I say? It’s awesome, and it’s particularly awesome when you pick up the trot in the warm-up on a horse who loves to perform! Tate can be quite difficult to ride on the flat when there are no flashing lights and atmosphere. I’ll admit I didn’t dare sit the trot until after we entered the main arena, but he was all business when I did!
I can actually say that halfway through our test, I started to enjoy myself and think about what dressage actually is... It’s center stage. It’s a place to show off your horse, and my horse was ready to be seen! I sat a little taller and showed the judges how amazing my slender chestnut is and actually got a few 9s!
I was talking to my mom later and saying how when Tate feels confident he just loves to show off, and she half-smiled and said, “Well, that makes two of you.” I suppose she’s right. ;)
I walked the cross-country more than a few times. I walked with the Captain [Mark Phillips], and being the designer of the course, he has amazing insight on how it was meant to ride and how the horses would jump the jumps. I then walked with David [O'Connor], who has almost horse-like insight about how the horses would “feel” at different places in the course.
Eleven minutes, 40 seconds, is a long time, and the horses are going to get tired and need a break sometimes, and sometimes you’re going to have to keep on kicking. And being less experienced at the four-star level, it’s helpful knowing when to kick and when to let up!
Tate was amazing on cross-country, but the 11:52 seconds I experienced was unlike anything I have felt before. Commitment was the name of the game. There was no time nor leniency for a second thought—You think twice, and you’re on the floor.
