United States Eventing Association

Samantha Hunt-Garbarino and Chasing Liberty Catch the Win at The Poplar Place CIC1*

“You and Toby should come to Poplar with me” my friend Lynne proposed while we were watch dressage at Feather Creek HT.

My Hubby kindly said he would look after my two other horse plus the rest of our pets, and I was able to get the time off from my job as an architect. So, I was off to Poplar with Lynne, Heather, Joni, two juniors Alexa and Rowdie and their parents.

(Left: Samantha and Toby during the singing of “God Save The Queen” after being presented with their first-place ribbon and awards.)

I arrived in wee hours of Wednesday morning at Lynne’s place in total darkness. I quickly rang Lynne “I’m here!” “Here? What? Crap! My alarm didn’t go off, sorry be there in a minute”. In no time the horses were loaded, a quick stop at Mike’s (Huber) to get Lynne’s other horse that Heather rides and we went off in a convoy with Heather’s rig...on time even at 4:30am!

For once amazingly, we made good time with no blown tires, or lost wheels, no lost tool box, no stowaway cat in the LQ, no lost hay bags, no lost wallets, no dodgy alternator, and all those other things that have happen when I’ve been on road trip to events with friends. However, there was tea spilling on my “Crackberry’, Heather’s engine light coming on a few times with the hills and the 18 wheel accident in Sheveport!

We arrived at Poplar just before dark, and were able to get a first look at the brilliant facility. We did the feverish unpacking, settling in the horse, and setting up the trailers. Joni had got a great chili going for us all, we always eat well at events and take it in turns to feed the “hoards”!

Thursday morning after barn chores, a spot of breakfast and it was flatwork time. However, due to the humidity it was like being in your own personal steam room on horseback. Heather got to work on sorting out both mine and Toby’s little faults.

The ” in barns” vet check was next which were no worries, then that evening the “jog up”. Toby always thinks these are too much fun prancing up and down while people look at you, oh yes he’s all about that! But there is that very long second before I hear “accepted” when I can give a huge sigh of relief and get my heart rate back to normal.

Friday started at 3:00 am when my head switched on to riding my dressage test over and over again. Our Dressage was just after the lunch break, so the morning was one of those hurry up and wait deals, but gave me chance to watch other friends go, including Heather doing the 3-Star test, which was very inspiring.

I love dressing up in my top hat and tails, even though halfway through the test I think my top hat is cutting off circulations to some of my brain functions.

Our warm up was good, he was settled even when we shared warm up arena with the tractors with harrows and a hug roller. Heather gave us a few pointers and was impressed that my head was on straight! She said ”looking good” and wished us luck.

We entered the dressage arena, still calm and listening, said our “good afternoons’ to the Judges, the bell rang and it was “showtime”. Up the centerline he felt straight, even and swingy and halted was square, my hopes where boosted for a good test. Our leg yields and trot work where some of our best, walk marchy with no jigs and the off into the canter work. That was when my brain misfired, being late into first medium and then at the end of the second one went total blank. As we halted at the end I was still cursing myself for it but still my horse had done his job brilliantly, and I was hopeful to get maybe into the 50s.

So when Rowdie told me I had a 59.something, I was pretty happy and got lots of well-dones and hugs. It wasn’t until later, looking at the score board that I realized it was 50.9 and we were in 3^rd place! Now I understood why everyone was making a big deal!

I walked cross-country first with Lynne and Joni just to find the way round and then again with Heather and our two juniors. The course looked like fun with a good mixture of technical fences and galloping ones especially the steeplechase fence we shared with the two and three-star. Toby is very honest cross-country, bold at water and locks on at technical or skinny fences.

During cross-country warm up Toby was mostly calm and then on the way to the start box he started winding himself up and grinding his teeth. By the time we entered “10, 9” he was doing his little rears and revving himself up “8,7,6” start stop watch..feel sick.. “5”.. check it’s working.. “4” ..Yes..feel sick.. “3” grab mane, don’t feel sick‘2,1” Hang time then BOOM, we blast out the box like a starting gate

The first few fences flew past until the big steeplechase fence Weeeeeeeee !wide fence! Next the technical into the woods, he locked on and we were stride perfect through. First water jump no worries and on time, couple more fences then the slightly touch corner due to low trees over it but again he locked on and job done. The next complex of tent like coops and 3 minute, Trakhener and the coffin which he blasted over, 4 minutes .. A little a head of time! Then along gallop stretch, next fence I would have liked to have done a little bit slower but he had other ideas!

However, the fence before the second water, he set up and jumped brilliantly, 5 minute marker. A few more seconds a head of time now, which was great as water jump needed some setting up time. Well that was the plan but as we came out of the woods a small off road vehicle and trailer close by rattled spooking him and we darted off. The down hill right turn was tight but I used all my strength and aids, as there was no way I was going to circle. As soon as he saw the water complex he checked himself and bounded over the double and through the water. We popped back out over the two strides question with a beautifully carved Armadillo log, Then whoosh we were up the hill to the last fence and through the finish line and then my watch beeping for the 6 minutes.

So we made time, we were actually 13 seconds under! Alexa who had lost her stirrup at the first water and had not managed to get it back until the coffin was the only other to make time. She was spot on coming in right on the 6 minutes optimum.

So we both moved up, her from 5^th to 4^th and me and Toby to 1^st…Brilliant!

But then the reality set in…show jumping! Between first and second was less than one rail. My horse will jump anything but he’s not the most careful with colored poles, we call it “jumping by brail” So there was not MUCH pressure!

Again, not much sleep with my head string up a mixture of the re-run of our amazing XC run and the nerves of the next day’s show jumping course, that we had not walked but my head was making up its own course.

I tried to stay busy in the morning helping out the others and getting Toby ready. Watching Heather do two almost perfect clear rounds and then coming first and second, gave me some hope that we could flow in her good fortune and hard work. I had videod her jumping rounds and then the awards ceremony too, when they played the Star and Stripes for the winning competitors country it brought a lump in my throat and I started blubbing partly for Heather and then when I realized if I won they would play “God save the Queen” something I have never had happen but always wished it would especially when watch the Olympics and Formula One races!

I’m not normally a sap but you have to understand a bit about my relationship with my horse and what he’s been through this last year or so.I brought Chasing Liberty (Toby) 5 yrs ago, a racing breed appendix quarter horse who had race and then been past around and was nervous and under weight when I found him on the internet.

Christmas Holiday 2007 we stayed in Texas for Hubby’s family and didn’t do our normal UK family Christmas. Good thing too. Both Toby and my filly got some strange virus which then turned into an infection. Long and the short of it he had a liver infection that had coursed his liver to tell his body to produce too many red bloody cells and his blood was almost like glue. There was an endless collection of IV bags connected to him and then a long treatment of antibiotics but finally he was well enough to come home, still with IV in neck to continue his course.

Pine Hill HT was our first event back and he seemed to deal with it all really well. So I was looking forward to the rest of the Spring Events. My friend Lynne had had a crappy trailer ride down the alternator packing up and then a wheel had sheered off its lug nuts on her trailer. Luckily the local dealership could fix it in time ready for the next day after we finished our XC and I could drop her off on the way out from the event.

We said our goodbyes as she hopped into her truck and off I set for the 4 hours drive home north. I was picking up speed doing about 40mph when “BANG”…in that split second I though bugger typical blown a tire! But then my trailer tilted first one way then the other. As I got it under control and almost came to a stop, I saw in horror Toby galloping up the four lane highway against on coming traffic. Without thinking I was running and screaming after him up the center of the road. Luckily he had stopped next to a fence on the side of the road. Another truck had stopped too and a chap was walking back towards Toby. His whole left side was covered in blood, it looked bad.

The chap that stopped was a vet, a poultry Vet, but still was kind enough to stay with Toby while I got back to my truck to call Lynne and by then the police where there. It was only then that I saw the damage done to my trailer by the truck who hit us. It was hard to talk when Lynne answered her phone and then even harder when I called Anthony.

Toby was soon being loaded and taken a few miles down the road for treatment. We were all amazed when he was more than happy to stagger up the ramp into the trailer, by this time the shock of it all was setting in and we were worried he might fall down, but he made it there.

The Vet was brilliant, very kind and understanding of my horse’s state and he soon had him on a cocktail of drugs to make him comfortable. The worse wound was the hole in his left knee and the punch wound that luckily went between his shoulder and chest cavity. He was so lucky that he had not broken his neck falling backwards out of the trailer (I don’t tie). He had so much road rash with loose of hair, skin, and flesh on much of his left flank and bum. Also his withers looked like hamburger meat.

I really didn’t want to leave him but knew he was in good hands for the night and I need to come back to get him…so left for the four hour drive home.

When I arrived the next day, Toby was standing up and looking out of his stall. My vet checked him out the next day and too thought he would heal well and that he was lucky to be alive. He calls him “Miracle Horse” when he comes to my barn now.

For six weeks twice a day I would tend to his wounds, and after six weeks to the day of nursing him, my vet cleared him to start work again.

So now you know why the chance to win a CIC* would be such a big deal and a dream come true on this horse that had been through so much and always been so such a brave and appreciative of the care he had been given.

As I sat waiting to enter the show jumping arena and saw the second place rider take a pole down my heart leapt and Heather who had been such a great and supportive coach all weekend comments “breathing space”. For that minute or so I tried by hardest to ride every jump perfectly as I could. I’m not sure who screamed first but the loudest was Heather with Lynne in close second.

Oh my gosh we had just won! I was still blubbering when they started giving out awards and taking photos. I managed to get my act together and stop the crying before the photo time. When the British National Anthem started playing the water works started again and I only just about managed to mouth the last few word. Then it was gallop time and when “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” started playing as we set off, I had to laugh and sing along . . this was simply BRILLIANT!