“5, 4, 3, 2, 1 … Have a great ride!”

And you’re off. You and your horse burst out of the start box, and in a few strides are galloping at 15 mph across the Millbrook Horse Trials cross-country course, laser-focused on the first obstacle.

But wait, back up. How did you get here? As the saying goes, the same way you get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice. In eventing, the equestrian version of a triathlon, it all starts with dressage.

Originally a way to test cavalry horses for their suitability for battle, the sport of eventing consists of three phases: dressage (tests a horse’s obedience, suppleness, and harmony with the rider), cross country (demands boldness, speed, and endurance), and show jumping (requires accuracy, agility, and athleticism), often all in one day. Some event riders love dressage, others loathe it. Either way, it’s the necessary first step.

To the casual observer, a dressage test looks like a horse and rider executing a sequence of geometric shapes: straight lines, circles, serpentines. What’s so hard about that? What the judge is looking for, however, is much more subtle, and exacting. Is your horse balanced or falling onto one shoulder; is your horse moving through its back; are your transitions between gaits smooth, and did you adequately prepare for them? Most important, did you remember your test or blank out halfway through (which happened to me recently), all the while trying to look serene, confident, and poised? Nearly impossible!

Mercifully, in a little over four minutes, dressage is done and it’s time to take off your jacket and stock tie, un-tack and cool out your horse, and trailer home. The next day, you’re back for phase two: cross country. For most event riders, this is why we do this sport. You go fast, you jump scary stuff (tables, benches, rolltops, ditches), and for five minutes and change, you and your horse are a ferocious pair who can conquer the world.

All too soon it’s over. You jumped all the things, you love your horse, you love yourself, you love this crazy sport. Again, you un-tack and cool out your horse, and trailer home.

Day three dawns and you’re back in Millbrook for the final phase: show jumping. (Most one-day horse trials hold show jumping and then cross country, but Millbrook takes place over three days and holds show jumping last). You’ve walked the course, memorized (hopefully) the order of the jumps, counted the strides in between, and plotted your strategy. Into the warm-up ring you go, waiting your turn. Butterflies? You ignore, and keep riding the course in your head.

The ring steward calls your number, you enter the ring, the judge blows a whistle, and it’s time to remember all those things you’ve worked on for weeks and months and years. Hopefully it goes well, the rails stay up, and you come out with a ribbon. If not, well, there’s always next time.

“Have a great ride!” Win or lose, yeah, you did.

By ML Ball
Photos by Christine Quinn