Eventing 101

Horse & Pony follows one rider through a horse trial

5:00 am The alarm goes off and Kim Elliott-Foster of Mount Uniacke
grabs a bite to eat, wakes up her groom for the day, daughter, Hilary.
Her dressage ride time is 9:05 a.m.

6:30 All the equipment has been packed the night before and Kokomo is
braided, groomed and ready to load for the one hour drive to Applewood
Horse Trials in the Annapolis Valley near Woodville, N.S.

7:30 While Hilary organizes the tack for the dressage phase, Kim goes
to the registration desk, picks up her number, the course map for the
pre-training cross country course, her ride time (12:57) and the time
allowed for the course. (too slow and you get time penalties, too
fast and you get excessive speed penalties.)

8.24 Kim and Kokomo report to the tack check official at the dressage
warm up area. For this phase, the horse must wear and ordinary
snaffle, no martingales, boots or bandages and no whips. At the lower
levels an all-purpose English saddle is all that's required.

9:00 Hilary puts the final polish on Kim's boots and Kokomo's shining
coat and Kim moves to the entrance area of the dressage ring.

9:05 At this level the test can be called, but Kim has been eventing
for 25 years and has the knack of memorizing the patterns for the
various tests so will ride from memory. Kokomo is relaxed and quiet.
When she finishes Kim says, "I'm pleased with the horse, but less
pleased with myself. My halts could have been better. Still this is
only his third competition and he's getting better every time."

9:15 The horse is back at the trailer and Hilary begins to lay out the
tack, take out the braids and screw studs into "Mo's" shoes for the
cross-country phase. Kim sets out to walk the course. While it's
Mo's first time at Applewood, Kim has ridden up to preliminary level
here so she's familiar with the terrain. She didn't do the official
course walk the previous evening with the technical delegate but she
says it's essential for anyone just starting or on a course for the
first time. As she walks the course, she plans her approach to each
of the 17 obstacles spread over nearly two kilometres. She checks the
footing, walks the distances for the combinations, determines where
she will bring Mo back to a trot to balance him. "He's green so I
want him to have the best possible experience. If he's settled and
going well, I'll open him up a bit in that long flat stretch after the
woods so I can see how well he'll come back to me."

10:30 It's taken an hour to walk the course and she checks in on Mo
who is happily hand grazing. Then it's off to the canteen for a
healthy lunch. The scores have been posted for the dressage phase.
"Usually I don't look at them, because I don't want it to influence my
cross-country. I want to focus on riding it well and not worry about
placing." Today however, she checks it out and is pleased to find Mo
is tied for second place.

11:15 She walks the course again. "I had the time and I wanted to be absolutely sure my plan was the best one."

12:00 p.m. While Hilary tacks up, Kim puts on her safety vest, cross
country helmet and medical armband (it's required on cross country to
carry emergency medical information at all times.)

12:30 Kim heads to the warm up ring and Hilary sets out water buckets, large sponges, liniment wash and Ivory dish soap for cleaning Mo's white markings. Meanwhile the TD (Technical Delegate-the Equine
Canada official) is briefing the jump judges and sending them out to
score the individual jumps on the course. Kim takes a few jumps to
ensure that Mo is balanced and ready to go and has the tack checker
give her the okay. For this phase Mo wears a Waterford bit, a running
martingale, flash noseband and protective boots.

12:54 Kim is given the three minute warning by the starter and she
makes her way from the warm-up ring to the open area behind the start
box. She knows she'll have a 30 second warning and that she has to be
in the start box before the 10-second countdown begins. She times it
perfectly so that Mo doesn't have to spend time standing.

12:57 The starter gives the "go". Mo is a "bit wiggly" to the
first couple of fences. He's looking around a bit at the farm
machinery parked near fence number three but by fence four he's
getting into the rhythm and riding well.

1:02 Kim's already crossed the finish line in a quiet canter and is
walking Mo while Hilary untacks and starts to cool him out with
sponges of water. He's barely breathing hard and recovers quickly.
At this time the horses are checked for temperature, pulse and
respiration by an official and any horse that is not fit or in
distress will not be allowed to continue. Kim's really happy with how
he performed. "The combination worked really well. I stuck to the
plan and brought him back to the trot, did a one stride and made the
turn easily coming out."

2:45 The jumper course is ready for walking. "This will be a bit of a
challenge for himthere are some tighter turns and a bending line.
That's more than we've done in the hunter ring. The jumps are quite
colorful with a Liverpool. There's lots to look at."

3:10 Back in their show ring attire, Kim brings Kokomo to the tack
checker and to the vet check where Kokomo is trotted out for the
soundness. The vet gives the A-OK and Kim heads to the warm up ring.

3:50 Mo enters the ring and has a clear round. Kim is beaming. It's
Mo's first time at Applewood and he's handling it really well. She
and Hilary go back to the trailer, and begin to pack up and get Mo
ready for the trip home. They'll watch the entry level jumping while
Hilary's friend hand grazes Mo.

5:00 The jumping is over and the 35 riders, their grooms and
supporters gather near the office as the unofficial scores are posted.
Kim's pleased. She's firmly in second place. "We had some time
faults on the cross-countryguess I trotted once too often." Once
riders have had time to see their penalty scores for the day and any
protests or questions are dealt with, the officials will announced the
final scores. Kim checks on Mo and when she returns to the
presentation area, a friend congratulates her and asks, "Where is your
horse?" It's a tradition at Horse Trials for the winners of each
division to bring their horses to the presentation. "I was second,"
Kim replies. "He's already on the trailer." Her friend quickly lets
her know there's been a change. It seems the first place winner
noticed that the scorekeeper did not include a rail she took in the
jumping phase and she reported it to the officials. Kokomo has won
the pre-training division.

5:30 Mo is quickly bridled and Kim pulls on her jacket and gloves
and returns to the presentation area. "She's pleased to win but not
surprised that her fellow rider reported the error. It's just the way
the eventing community iswe all watch out for each other. We are all
competitive but there's a feeling of good sportsmanship and
community." After the ribbons and prizes have been given out, the
audience and riders give the event organizers a cheering round of
applause in thanks.

6:00 Mo is back on the trailer and heading for home, his red ribbon
carefully stowed in the tack box.