United States Eventing Association

For many upper level horse and rider combinations, Pine Top serves as the first true test of the season. Aiken snowbirds consider this weekend a testament to weeks of hard work, preparation, and basking in the warm sun. This year was no exception with three very full divisions of advanced competitors – from seasoned three and four-star horses to rookie horse/rider combinations. I fell into the latter category with my Connemara pony, Wil’Ya Love Me. Warming up next to those vying for a London slots was awe-inspiring and an honor to say the least!

The dressage phase for the advanced division was scheduled for Friday morning, and this was one occasion an early time was advantageous (if you are not a fan of riding in the middle of a hurricane). Despite this less-than-ideal weather there were some spectacular dressage tests. Michael Pollard was undoubtedly the man of the hour, particularly in the first division of open advanced dressage, claiming three of the top five places. The ten top places in all three divisions were rather tight, and with two difficult jumping phases ahead it really was anyone’s game to win.

Advanced cross-country was scheduled to begin just after lunch – precisely when the forecast turned to doom and gloom. The worst of the storm hit as the first advanced horses were making their way out to cross-country warm-up. Rocking piney number 007, I was leading my pony to the mounting block – listening to the “Rocky” theme song (cross-country protocol when competing a horse smaller than the fences you’re jumping), when the sky turned jet black. Seconds later, everyone was running to their trailers to avoid the pelting sheets of rain. Luckily Pine Top is no stranger to adverse weather conditions (anyone remember the freak snow a couple of years ago?) and after an extended delay the cross-country was moved to Saturday morning.

Thankfully this proved to be the correct decision, for Saturday morning was cold but thankfully free of storms. Pine Top’s show jumping arena has always been on the challenging side, incorporating subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes of terrain. This particular advanced course started off with two square oxers, using the downhill incline, a rollback to a vertical, followed by an uphill triple combination. With the newly expanded arena, time became a factor as well, and riders really had to keep coming to all of the fences, particularly through the tight rollbacks and combinations late in the course. There were several hairy moments, even from top combinations, but it was a great warm-up for the cross-country to come. To give you a more accurate description of the course here is a youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlICxYKQ1mQ&feature=g-upl&context=G2a62f6dAUAAAAAAAAAA taken by Megan Buchanan Harris.

While both jumping courses encouraged positive, forward riding – the theme of cross-country was jumping big, massively wide tables. You had new tables, red tables, green tables, wood tables, wide tables, wider tables, impossibly wide tables, and skinny impossibly wide tables. I walked the course four (ok five) times with several different people, but the words of advice that echoed in my head throughout the course were from the great Sally Cousins, “Don’t run at the tables.” After warming up over the first five fences, the first combination on course was a pair of rolltops, which rode quite nicely, but begged riders to tilt their upper bodies and force horses to make a bigger effort over the ‘b’ element.

The next combination offered a more difficult test – a large table, to a log on the top of a mound, down the mound, to an upright corner. If riders kept coming to each element of the combination it rode quite nicely - though a couple of horses became a little too eager-beaver coming down the mound and glanced off of the third element.

The first water consisted of a large ramp, turning right to a large log into the water, and a good gallop to a skinny out. Horses had one “breather” fence aka a freakishly wide table before the coffin combination: A large log on the cusp of a small mound, downhill forward one-stride over the ditch, then a tight two to either a left or right super skinny brush. I chose the left option since it seemed a more direct path toward the next big table, although even on a pony the “out” was definitely a challenge!

The next combination was the one that had me shaking in my boots. It consisted of a downhill, pretty significant bounce into the new hollow followed by an upright corner out. The distance in the bounce was shortened, but it still looked terrifying! Fortunately it rode much better than I imagined and horses definitely locked onto the corner! At this point in the course there was one more jump before the final water. This water was a bit more involved. It included an alligator jump in, gallop across the water to a bank up onto the island, one stride off the big brush drop back into water, five strides across to another bank up, another five strides to a large-left point corner. Again this rode exceptionally well if riders were able to develop the appreciate canter and keep their legs on.

After this final combination, there were just two fences left. However the last fence was an incredibly wide table/bench hybrid that tested the poise of horse and rider along with fitness. No celebrating early here! Many horses and riders seemed to breeze through the course, and horses seemed to finish happy and full of running. My pony was no exception and was quite pleased with himself crossing the finish line after playing with the big boys.

What was an altogether smooth and fabulous weekend was marred by the loss of Meghan’s horse, Grasshopper. I had the opportunity to stable across from him at Fair Hill International two years ago, and he really was a class horse. Thoughts and prayers are with you Meghan!

Until next time!

Courtney Sendak, Defying Gravity Eventing

Much more Pine Top coverage will appear in the March issue of Eventing USA which should be appearing in your mailboxes shortly!