United States Eventing Association

Minge Wiseman had the event of a lifetime on November 4-7, taking home an impressive win with her off-the-track-Thoroughbred Mr. Starbucks at the the Rocking Horse Training Three-Day Event (Altoona, Florida), part of the SmartPak USEA Classic Series. Though there were only six entries in the T3D division, the standings were tight. Wiseman was able to maintain her lead after the endurance day, and finish with her dressage score of 33.9. Becky Brown and EZ hung onto second throughout the competition, also ending on their initial score of 35.7. In fact, all five of the competitors who finished the event, ended on their dressage scores. One combination, Aimee Roberts and Poetry In Motion, withdrew after cross-country.

For Wiseman, a 56-year-old adult amateur from Blythewood, South Carolina, one of the best experiences of the whole weekend was the highly-anticipated Phase B on endurance day. "If I could do only steeplechase, then I would! It was thrilling--much more exciting than I could have imagined."

Wiseman was fairly surprised with how well she did throughout the weekend, calling her win a 'fluke.' "My goal was just to finish and not get eliminated. I didn't have any huge aspirations, I just wanted to go and experience it."

After a nail-biting wait for the last slot on the final show jumping day, Wiseman pulled off a fault-free round with a bit of luck. "It was nerve-wracking watching everyone go in front of you, and seeing how well they were doing. But I was glad to see that the course was riding well. All you're thinking about is 'don't mess up' during your round. I hit the second to last jump, and I was later told that it came up and fell back down into the cups!"

The six riders formed a tight-knit group who helped each other throughout the event. "The clinics were all really helpful, too, especially since I didn't know much about the three-day format."

Adopted as a rescue from New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, Wiseman acquired Mr.Starbucks as a 2-year-old and has worked with him ever since. Wiseman even got a "shout-out" on the New Vocations website for their accomplishment at Rocking Horse. "I've adopted four horses from New Vocations. There's really been a big move to help these horses find a new vocation and for me, it's been a labor of love." Wiseman added that the horses come directly off the track, and for people who have their own facilities with room to give them some "downtime," it can be a great choice for a future eventing partner.

Wiseman hadn't planned on such success at the Training level. "Originally, I thought I'd be a Novice rider. But then Training seemed within our grasp, so we moved up. It was a lot of hard work to get him ready for this event, though!"

Though she spent hours conditioning and preparing for the T3D, Wiseman had the time of her life on cross-country. "I could really see the benefit of steeplechase, and I really felt like this was much more of a 'galloping course,' as opposed to some of the others that I've seen in North Carolina and South Carolina."

What does the future hold for this pair--will we see them out competing at Preliminary next year? "I'm a grandmother, and this level is just enough thrill for me," admitted Wiseman with a laugh. "My horse would definitley be up for the challenge. I would love to do another [three-day], but it's very time-consuming to prepare. I have another off-the-track-Thoroughbred that I got from New Vocations whom I would love to get started with Beginner Novice next year, though."

Besides her surprise win in the division, Wiseman was also thrilled to take home an unexpected prize bag full of goodies. "I was shocked--I didn't actually open it until I got home, and was just blown away by how much great stuff I won! I really appreciate those sponsors supporting this series." For her win, Wiseman took home a $200 SmartPak gift certificate, a Five Star Tack bridle, a pair of FITS breeches, and Nunn Finer galloping boots.

Thank you to the following sponsors for their generous support of the SmartPak USEA Classic Series: Title: SmartPak Equine; Presenting: Stackhouse Saddles; Legacy: Five Star Tack and VitalWear; Silver: Fleeceworks; Elite: FITS, Nunn Finer, and HoofWraps.