PrintThe O’Connors hold an annual eventing clinic at the Virginia Horse Center in which they bring along their staff, training tools and their string of show horses to teach campers how to tackle the difficult questions of eventing.
While interning for the Virginia Horse Center during the summer of 2009, I saw that the clinic dates fell during my time in Lexington, Va. I was thrilled—just to be able to meet them, watch them teach and ride and maybe even sign an autograph. Little did I know, my week with the O’Connors would turn into more than just a watch and learn experience.
In covering the clinic as an internship project, I had written a few press releases beforehand and was able to get them printed. To my surprise, my boss informed me that I would be able to participate under the circumstances that I kept a daily blog of my experiences, submit follow-up stories and represent the Horse Center appropriately. I was jumping for joy in my office and didn’t sleep a wink the night before. I was wired like an anxious 5-year-old awaiting Christmas Day.
We got settled in the barn on Sunday evening, and I noticed that the O’Connors had brought along quite a few horses. They filled the bottom of our barn at the Horse Center with navy and silver stall guards, tack trunks and a flatbed trailer with a big red object secured to the middle of it. "Hmm…this is going to be an interesting week," I thought as I walked over for our first camp meeting.
David and Karen strolled into the barn and took a seat around our circle, their black and tan terriers following their every move. Cathy Wieschhoff, international competitor and student of the O’Connors, was present to help teach as well. After we all had met Cathy and the rest of the O’Connor Event Team, we introduced ourselves before heading to the pavilion for a leisurely dinner.
Over a plate full of fruit salad and fried chicken leg, I relaxed in the cool summer breeze and visited with two campers from a northern Virginia barn. As we exchanged horsey stories, I just about jumped out of my jodhpurs as Karen O'Connor plopped down with a plate of food right across the picnic table from me. Holey ja-moley. I tried to contain my enthusiasm; not making any sudden movements across from the same woman that I have read about in Practical Horseman multiple times, whose posters hung in my room, who has competed in four Olympic Games to date, and has been named United States Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year 10 times. Deep breaths...deep breaths.
I worked on not choking on my words, or my dinner, as I chatted with others at my table, as well as Karen. We all enjoyed music, a meal and the company. She was more normal than I ever would have imagined; it was just like sitting at the table with your closest barn friends and talking horses.
"Well, they do put on their pants in the morning the same as you; one leg at a time,” a wise friend told me on the phone later that night. As much as I respect the O'Connors’ professional equestrian status, I discovered that they are also stellar dinner hosts. I found out later in the week how much they enjoy cooking, eating and playing camp jeopardy at a relaxing barbeque provided by Brian and Penny Ross.
