Rolex: A Great Event

19 May Rolex: A Great Event

By Chrissy West, photos courtesy of Elaine Groves

-We are delighted to share this Member Report telling us about the experience of the Rolex Three Day Event in Kentucky.-

What hashtag would you use to sum up Rolex 3 day event? #fangirls

Emily Embree, Elaine Groves and I all got to Lexington on Thursday evening and we couldn’t sleep that night for the life of us. When Friday morning rolled around, we were up and bundled up in sweatshirts and jackets because cold weather was in the forecast!! There was frost on the ground at the Horse Park – no joke! First things first, we shopped. So much horse stuff everywhere, I could have bought one of everything for Minion! Next was dressage, our seats were perfect – right on the corner of M! There were so many amazing rides and what a great 4* test. It really put the riders’ and horses’ abilities to the test.

After dressage we did a course walk with Jimmy Wolford. He walked us through some of the tough complexes of the course; he explained that this year the course designer did something different with the course. Walking those fences really gives you a perspective on how much of a team horse and rider must be at this level. These fences are 3’11” high and 6’6″ wide, truly amazing.

Cross country day we woke up and the skies were grey and cold. We prepared to be wet and cold all day. The term “suck it up cupcake” goes both ways now! We started out at the head of the lake and watched the first three rides there. And yes, the rain started and didn’t let up until the last ride. Wet, cold, me four months pregnant and Elaine coming down with a cold … we were determined to see all we could see! We wanted to catch Will Coleman and OBOS O’Riley since Emily and Elaine both worked for him! Then we trucked it up to the first water complex, it consisted of a 6’6″ drop into the water and a 6’6″ wide table four strides out of the water. We watched Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch have a bit of a stumble into the water and Al throwing his heart over the table and Laine navigating him beautifully over it! After a few riders there, we went up to the frog pond and watched Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless fly through this!! We also caught Jimmy Schramm and Bellemy glide through it, too. Behind us was one of the first complex combinations that really required accuracy and determination. We watched several amazing rides there and moved onto the Normandy bank complex. From there over to the corners where there were several run outs and a pretty hard rotational fall, (horse and rider were just fine). Then all the way to the far corner of the Park to watch Lynn Symansky and Donner at the Hollow.  Then back to the frog pond to finish up the day with Michael Jung, William Fox-Pitt, Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton! In between those fences, we caught other fences from a distance and some close up. At the ditch and wall we watched Buck Davidson and Petite Flower fly over, as well as Boyd Martin and Crackerjack. They make that look so easy: sure we can all do that, no worries! It is always exciting seeing the riders gallop by you at 650 meters per minute pace. Emily decided that, somehow, she has to ride in Rolex!

Sunday morning we started out early once again to go see the jogs;  the anticipation to hear if the horses passed is intense. And when they get a hold in the box, you hold your breath, too, and hope they represent sound! When jogs were done, we went and shopped some more; seriously how could you not shop there every day? We found Elaine a saddle and some presents for some others. We went to the Draft barn, the Hall of Champions, and the Breeds of the World barns. We grabbed some lunch and were ready for stadium! Yay, the sun was shining and we were getting burned! Our seats were on the right side of the course in the stands, about three rows up. We did a great job picking out seating! It was a very good and hard course. Riders had to jump 12 fences in 91 seconds! The course looked like a game of pick up sticks with rails were everywhere. Then Laine Ashker came though and went clean with time – it could be done clean! Once again, there were some great rides and some big disappointments. Watching Michael Jung and Sam take two rails is unheard of, but his stablemate, Fischerrocana FST, went clean and, low and behold, she won Rolex 2015.

This was such an amazing weekend and I am so glad I got to spend it with two of my favorite people. Emily, Elaine and I had the best time together and saw some very amazing history being made! We all packed up Monday and left in different directions. I was sitting in the airport in Kentucky and the 2015 Rolex 3 Day Event winner, Michael Jung, and his parents were on my plane to Chicago right in front of me! As I passed them I congratulated Michael and his parents on a great weekend. I was a tiny bit star struck, I have to admit.

I wrote this while on my flight to New Orleans and I hope I covered everything for everyone. It is really hard to sum up such a whirlwind weekend with pregnancy brain going on at the same time!

If you have an opportunity to go to Rolex……DO IT #fangirls

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