They say you never know if your horse is a four-star horse or if you’re a four-star rider until you’ve cantered through the finish flags on the final day. We asked a number of four-star first-timers from the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** over the weekend what it felt like to achieve that monumental goal.

Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless

Elisa Wallace, finished 17th:

I’m pretty excited! My major goal was to finish in the top 20 at our first four-star, and to do that, especially against this field, is pretty amazing. [They finished 17^th.] The two phases that are tough for my horse are dressage and stadium. We conquered the dressage, and we just started working with Karen O’Connor, and I felt like we did what we were told, and it was just a couple of toe taps here and there that caught us [in show jumping].

My horse is healthy, I’m healthy, we gained a lot of experience, and it was great. Hopefully next year we can be in the top 10. Next year is top three! It’s a big test for a horse, and they ran 11 minutes in the muck yesterday. I was really proud of him. He tries his heart out. He’s been a tough bugger. He makes you a better rider, and that’s what I appreciate about all my horses. He really deserves to be ridden really well, and then he’ll give it to you.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair

Maya Black, finished 22nd:

I feel a little bit relieved! I wanted to come and do as well as I could have, but at the same time I wanted to do right by him and complete the whole thing. With how the weather was yesterday and the little bit deeper going, he hasn’t had a ton of experience in that. He was super honest cross-country, and he tried all weekend, so I was just really pleased with him. 

Going into it, you never know, is your horse a four-star horse? Are you a four-star rider? It was definitely the most either of us have ever done, and he kept trying even though he got a little tired. It’s good to know we can do it. Going forward, that will be the best thing. We’ve had that under our belt, and we can jump that size fences. He’s really perky and very opinionated, but we’ve done a lot together. He wasn’t the one I expected to do my first advanced and first four-star on, and he wasn’t meant to be that horse, but it’s been fun to bring him along and see that we got this far. 

Bunnie Sexton and Rise Against

Bunnie Sexton, finished 24^th:

I am on Cloud 9. This is amazing. It was supposed to happen last year, and that was a huge disappointment. I thought he’s not a young horse, and I’m not terribly healthy in a lot of ways, so I thought that was pushing it. He came back so strong, and we’ve both learned so much. 

A lot of people think they’re done once their kids are in college and stuff, and that was when I felt like I could go out and do my own thing. When I thought I was at my least healthy, I’d gotten Lyme disease and other things, but my nutrition improved when I started watching what I ate, and it’s just amazing what you can do.   

Cody Sturgess and Imperial Melody

Cody Sturgess, finished 34^th, only Canadian finisher:

She pulled a shoe in the warm-up. I don’t think it really affected things. We got the shoe put back on. Then she just didn’t jump well. She’s not tired. She’s wired! We tried a bit different warm-up to get her more careful, and obviously that backfired a bit. [They had eight rails.]

It’s great to complete your first four-star, but at the end of the day I didn’t come here to just complete; we came to do well. We’ll keep doing what we’re doing because she’s come a long way. We’ll try and get her set up for the Olympics. 

Allie Blyskal Sacksen and Sparrow’s Nio

Allie Sacksen, finished 36^th:

I’m happy it’s over, in a way, but I’m ready to come back! The first time you have to get through it. It’s really crazy to think that I just did my first Rolex [said through tears]. It’s so much work to get here, and to get through those finish flags today was incredible.

But I’m ready to work for a year and come back. I know this horse can be competitive. This weekend was about learning about my horse, and I think I have a hell of a horse under me. It’s taking the year to learn to finesse things so we can come back and kick butt next time.

It’s incredible. You dream about these horses. He’s a horse of a lifetime, and I hope to have many more of these, but you can never replace your first horse like this. 

Angela Grzywinski and Novelle

Angela Grzywinski, finished 38^th:

 I feel tired, really tired. It’s been a long week, and I’m just over the moon. This was my only goal, to finish. After looking at cross-country, and then the weather happened, I was really skeptical. I wouldn’t have given myself a super strong chance, but she just went out there and was 1,000 times better than I could have imagined. We just kept going around. 

I need to steer better on cross-country next year! Show jumping is our best phase, and we’ve done a grand prix and jumped around clear, so I went in and made a couple mistakes because I was so anxious and excited. I just need to chill out now and know about the whole process. She’s the best horse in the world because she has the biggest heart. 

Amanda Wilson and Cool Decision

Amanda Wilson, finished 40^th:

I feel wound and emotional! Happy! The goal was just to finish. Goal accomplished. See you next year! The course was long, of course, but I was exhausted. I think a little more rider fitness and a little more horse fitness and more experience. But he just went out there and did a four-star!

For more about the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, check out full results and the Chronicle’s coverage of the whole event. For more photos, analysis, and stories from the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, be sure to look for the May 11 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse.