Throwback Thursday: Buster

MidSouth Regional Pony Club Rally, Kentucky Horse Park, 2000. I'm riding Buster, who was about as interesting a horse as you could ever want. In this picture, he's about 10 or 11; I'm 13. 

We acquired Buster as a green broke 2 year old at a horse auction about a year after moving to Tennessee. The dates and timeline are slightly fuzzy to me, as this was nearly 20 years ago. However, the night of the auction is crystal clear. 

Let me set the scene for you: the horse auction was a weekly event, held on Friday night. My parents and I would go nearly every week. I couldn't tell you why, although I suspect it had something to do with my dad's penchant for cheap, unusual entertainment. (He and I would often spend Saturday afternoons at the local Chevy dealership, test driving Corvettes we'd never buy.) 

The auction was down in what is best described as a "holler", one of those backwoods places nestled at the bottom of a steep hill in an area of the state where people still make moonshine and have a 'Sunday' pair of overalls. The auction barn itself was tiny and rickety, with steep wooden bleachers for seating, a tiny round pen, and questionable bathrooms. The office doubled as a concession stand; perhaps they thought people would be tempted by the smell and sizzle of greasy burgers while they waited in line to pay their bill. There were some cramped, dark stalls and pens for horses both outside and within the barn. 

Every week, the auction would begin with tack. We usually skipped the tack sale; it was nearly all western, although there were often general items like horse blankets and halters. After a short break to clear out the round pen, the horse auction would begin. Sometimes the horses would be ridden in; it wasn't unusual to see a horse with a very small child on its back to demonstrate how broke or gentle it was. Other times, the horses would be half-led, half-dragged into the tiny, bright pen, snorting and terrified, eyes rolling as they struggled to understand what was happening.

To an eight year old, this was a fascinating spectacle. There were horses of all shapes, sizes, colors, and personality. The whole of the equine species was there, available for the buying. I reveled in the beauty of the horses; my eyes didn't see their sway backs or scruffy coats or crooked legs. I saw show jumpers and racehorses, Sham of King of the Wind and Walter Farley's The Black. 

The night we bought Buster was a very ordinary night. I had managed to persuade my father to buy me a soda, a rare and delicate treat for me. I walked happily with my parents, browsing the stalls and pens, petting a pony here, admiring a horse there. We found our seats, and I watched the horses get bought and sold. My soda eventually caught up to me, and I soon found myself edging around the crowd to find the restroom. 

When I returned to my parents, my mother turned to me and said, "Your father bought a horse." I stared at her. I said, "No you didn't!", but my dad simply grinned at me. 

I was, of course, insistent that we see our new horse now. He waited in a dark stall near the office, eyeing the outside world suspiciously. He was chestnut, with a fine, slightly dished head, and large eyes. I asked his seller what his name was. The man said, "I just call him Easy, since he's so easy to ride." He estimated the horse to be about two years old and proclaimed him a Quarter Horse. 

My parents settled their bill and made arrangements to have someone trailer the horse home for us. We all arrived home in what seemed like the middle of the night. Our new chestnut horse spent his first night tied to a large tree with a longe line because we hadn't built a fence.

I lobbied hard to name him Eclipse, after the great racehorse, but my mother thought that was too grand a name for our underweight, scraggly-maned horse. She dubbed him 'Buster' and he remained so throughout his life.

Buster was an odd horse; he was definitely not a Quarter Horse. My best guess was that he was some sort of Quarter Horse/Arabian/Tennessee Walker mix. He was actually a red dun, with a big dorsal stripe running down his coppery back. He was the easiest keeper we ever had. He was very hardy and never lame. Because he and I were both very green together, he was never very well trained. I would climb aboard him bareback and gallop around the pasture, pretending I was an Indian warrior and he my plains pony. When he was tired of this game, he tried to knock me off by running under a tree.

Buster was my 'spare' horse. When I was between horses (e.g. when I got too big for Sadie, when Spike had surgery, when PJ died), Buster was there for me. On a good day, he could jump 4' (and frequently jumped out of the pasture) and put in a passable dressage test. I once won 4 classes at a jumper show on him; he then dumped me in the middle of an oxer during the last jump off. My father often rode him when he volunteered as a cross-country outrider, or when he was chaperoning my cross-country schooling excursions. He was a well-loved pet for most of his life. 

A few years ago, my dad gave him to some of our neighbors who had horses; the last time I was home, Buster was alive and well (and probably close to 25), as fat as ever. 

Throwback Thursday: UTM Fun Show

I made this photo super large so y'all could get a good laugh out of my facial expression. Jumper classes are SERIOUS BUSINESS, okay?

This was taken in 2007 at a low-key fun show put together as a fundraiser for the UTM equestrian team. I am on Moe.

Moe and I competed in many jumper rounds over the years. I've always thought they were a good way for green horses to get exposure; ten years ago, I could show Moe in 2 or 3 classes for under $50, which I thought was a pretty good deal. Plus, jumper classes are fun!

Moe was never a terrifically successful jumper. He was quick, agile, and handy, but we regularly dropped rails. I'm sure this had nothing to do with my complete inability to see a distance or my penchant for clutching Moe's mane and hoping for the best when we took off fifteen feet from the base of the fence.

This was the first time my coach and many of my teammates had seen me ride my own horse; my coach told me we were terrifying. Our very fast, possibly frightening riding did merit us first place in the class, though.

Throwback Thursday: Silk Pajamas

Midsouth Regional Pony Club Rally, 2002, Kentucky Horse Park. I think this was my very first recognized competition at Novice level. Excuse the quality; it's a video still.

This is Silk Pajamas, a Thoroughbred mare who belonged to my high school English teacher. At this point in my riding career, I was between horses.

My English teacher was a pleasant woman who knew I rode, because I went to a K-12 school with approximately 70 people in my graduating class. Everyone knew I rode. I don't recall how I ended up being offered the ride on her horses, but I remember the horses themselves: Andy, a elderly, heavy-boned Thoroughbred gelding who seemed like he would have made an excellent field hunter had he not been in his early 20s; Shalimar, a devilish 20-something chesnut pony who was convinced he was half his age and not broke; and PJ, a chestnut Thoroughbred mare who'd done everything from dressage to polo while my English teacher's son had ridden her.

PJ was a sweet and willing mare who certainly knew more about eventing than I did. Despite being 24 years old, PJ was nimble and spry, scoring good marks in dressage and clearing every jump handily. I did my first Novice event on her after years of being stuck at Beginner Novice. I even managed an individual ribbon on her- that brown 8th place ribbon hangs in my living room to this day.

PJ was a special mare who taught me many things: dressage isn't about going slow, 3' jumps aren't that high, and most importantly, horses over the age of 15 (over the age of 20, even!) can still compete successfully! (In my youthful ignorance, I assumed anything over age 15 had three hooves in the grave. Joke's on me, I guess.)

Silk Pajamas died about a year after this photograph was taken. She was 25. I was very sad, but part of me hopes that for the last year of her life, PJ enjoyed having a job. I know I enjoyed her company.

Throwback Thursday: My first horse show

Me, my trainer Miss Julie, and her pony Ginger.

Way, way back in 1996, I went to my first horse show: the Maury County 4-H Horse Show. It was a big deal. My instructor, Miss Julie, had entered me on her pony Ginger in the novice walk-trot hunt seat equitation class. 

Ginger and I won the class. I like to joke that it's been all downhill since then, but that's not totally true. I've had other shows where I've won, but more importantly, I've had other shows where I felt like I won- even if I didn't get first place.

I still have that ribbon, with my mother's neat handwriting on the back noting the date, the class, and the judge's name. It marks the beginning of my competitive equestrian life. Two years later, I would join Pony Club and take up eventing. Nearly twenty years later, I'm still riding and showing- and I couldn't be happier.

Throwback Thursday

2003, show jumping phase of Middle Tennessee Pony Club Horse Trials at Brownland Farm. Moe is 8 here. I am just shy of my 17th birthday. Moe still gets that eager look on his face when jumps are around. At 19, he is very much the same as he was at 8, although I suppose he's slightly more sensible now than he was 11 years ago. (For example, he no longer spooks if he steps on his own lead rope.)

I consider myself very lucky to have had such a good horse for so many years. I hope there are many more in our future!

Throwback Thursday: Stylin' & profilin'

As you can see, I was a very stylish child. This is a picture my mom snapped of me as I was headed off to ride. It's not dated, but I'm hazarding a guess that it was taken around 1997 or 1998, based on the van, the braces, and the helmet. 

Stray Observations

• Was this before I had riding breeches? I can't remember the last time I wore jeans to ride my own horses. (It was probably whenever this picture was taken.)
• You can see our half-constructed arena fence in the background. It stayed that way for several years, before my dad gave up on finishing it. (I never bothered to ride in the arena, because I am an ungrateful child.)
• I grew up as an only child (I have a half-sister who's nine yeas older than me and didn't live with us growing up), so I have no idea why my parents bought a giant van. It was just me and them. We took it on vacation once, found some blue plastic barrels for sale, bought them, and crammed all 4 of them into the back of the van to take them home. They were the best for jumps!
• To this day, I have the same problem of polo shirt sleeves coming almost to my elbows. I have T-Rex arms, y'all. :'(

Throwback Thursday

You may remember Spike from previous Throwback Thursdays (our XC mishaps, enthusiastic show jumping). Here we are at my Pony Club's annual Halloween trail ride in 1998. I'm wearing a fabulous outfit of hunter green chaps, jeans, and a Kentucky Derby t-shirt (and bangs!) If I recall correctly, this was the first Halloween trail ride I went out with the "fast" group. My club offered two groups for the trail ride- the fast group that cantered and occasionally jumped, and the slow group that walked at a leisurely pace. Spike was fine, but the other horse you can see just behind him, Buster, was not. My dad ended up riding Buster in the fast group with me because he was freaking out at being away from Spike. 

Fun fact: I still have that halter AND that horse trailer!

Throwback Thursday

Moe and I competing at Brownland Farm during the show jumping phase of the Middle Tennessee Pony Club Horse Trial, October 2003. Photo captured by one of my parents. 

Let's not talk about how short my reins are.

Throwback Thursday: NCEA Competition

I've previously mentioned I was a member of my college's equestrian team; I thought I'd elaborate on it a bit and offer a perspective on NCEA competition. (To read some excellent posts on IHSA experiences, I recommend reading Jess's take over at The Georgia Horse and Lauren's post on She Moved To Texas.)

The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA), also referred to as "varsity equestrian" was formed in 1998 when equestrian competition was recognized as an "emerging sport" by the NCAA. Today, there are 22 colleges and universities that offer equestrian as a varsity sport for women. There are four disciplines recognized in competition: hunter seat equitation on the flat, hunter seat equitation over fences, western horsemanship, and reining.

NCEA competitions are held in a head-to-head format; a rider from each team competes on the same horse which is chosen by random draw. Prior to a rider's competition round, she is given four minutes to warm up on her horse (five minutes for reining). The rider earning the highest score on that horse wins a point for her team. The team with the most points wins.

I was a member of the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawk equestrian team from 2005-2007.

When I started college, I was aware the school had an IHSA team; I was not interested in joining for a variety of reasons. I was not a hunt seat rider. I had heard very negative things about the coaching staff. I'd have to pay fees to show on horses which were not my own, as well as provide my own transportation, lodging, and meals at competitions. My school's horses were a motley group consisting of student-owned mounts and green broke 'prospects'. These reports came to me from an older pony club friend who'd been a member of the team for a year before getting frustrated and quitting.

When I started my sophomore year of college, one of my professors mentioned the school was switching the equestrian team to a varsity sport as part of acquiring some Title IX funding. I saw flyers posted for an informational meeting. I decided to attend, as I had yet to bring Moe to Martin and was lacking for social activities.

The meeting was conducted by the team's newly hired head coach, Meghan Cunningham. She had an impressive resume: she'd coached the Kansas State hunt seat team to two national appearances and competed herself at high level hunter shows. She was very straightforward and explained that during the 2005-2006 season, the team would compete in IHSA competitions while it was waiting for NCEA approval. She told everyone at the meeting that they would need to try out, and she would place riders in a division based on their skill level. Meghan also let us know that several changes would be implemented to the existing program: the old horses belonging to the university would be sold, students' horses would no longer be boarded at UTM, team members would be required to participate in thrice-weekly practices and strength training sessions, and the university would now provide horses and tack, as well as cover all expenses for shows.

I was intrigued, and lacking any other horse outlet, signed up to try out. I demonstrated my riding ability on the flat and over fences, and was placed in IHSA's intermediate division. I was told to acquire a navy jacket, a pair of Tailored Sportsmans, and to send my class schedule in so a practice schedule could be worked out.

UTM's very first NCEA hunt seat team. A very serious bunch.

As a member of the equestrian team, I practiced three times a week and went to 6:30 AM strength training sessions three times a week with the rest of the team. Practices were conducted whenever I had a couple of hours between classes with teammates who had similar schedules. If I missed gym time or practice, I was required to have a note from a doctor or professor exempting me from it; otherwise, I wouldn't compete at the next show. Practice consisted of an hour of instruction on the flat and/or over fences on a horse assigned by my coach (Meghan). I was expected to arrive before practice to catch my horse, groom it, and tack it up. My appearance was required to be tidy and clean: breeches, tall boots, a tucked-in sleeved shirt, a belt, and a helmet. Practices were educational and often difficult; I distinctly remember a miserable hour spent riding the 18-hand Westfalen gelding without stirrups. My position improved, as did my understanding of how and why hunters are ridden the way they are.

I despised IHSA competitions; I always felt they were terribly unfair. While everyone is riding their horse for the first time (except for the hosting team, in most cases), the horses always varied wildly. Some would be quiet, level-headed animals who were happy enough to canter pleasantly along the rail or hop over fences. Others were nervous, cranky creatures who refused jumps, regularly dropped rails, or kicked at other horses. I found this was the case at every school we where we competed: Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee State, University of the South, Murray State.

UTM's inaugural NCEA season was 2006-2007. It was a very exciting time: in just a year, the team had purchased new Pessoa saddles, acquired a string of reliable hunters, and recruited some standout freshman riders from the hunter circuit in Florida. We were also thrilled about the prospect of traveling to exotic locations like Nacogdoches, TX and Fresno, CA. I was particularly excited because the team had given me a $500 athletic scholarship.

2007 team (english & western) on the way to compete at Auburn.

After my first NCEA competition, I was feeling very positively about the different format. I felt it was much more fair since a rider from each team rides the same horse. In equitation on the flat, we rode memorized tests, just as a dressage rider would. In equitation over fences, we learned our courses the day we rode them; we walked them with our coach and were permitted to jump a few warm up fences before competing.

Competing at Auburn.

Traveling was not glamorous: we took a charter bus to Alabama and Texas. We stayed in mid-level hotels like Holiday Inn and slept four to a room. We ate breakfast at the hotel and fast food for lunch. Dinner was typically at a restaurant like Texas Roadhouse or Applebee's; each person had a $15 limit. You were expected to stay in your hotel room and get an appropriate amount of sleep. When we flew to California, we were permitted to check one bag, and had to wear khakis and our official team jackets to the airport.

UTM hosted more competitions than we traveled to. Hosting competitions was even more stressful than traveling to them. The day before the match, we bathed, clipped, pulled manes, cleaned tack, rode horses, sorted programs, moved jumps to the indoor 'showing' arena. The day of the match we competed as well as set up jumps, tacked and untacked horses, returned them to their pastures at the end of the day.

Team members were expected to attend athletic department functions. This meant meet-and-greets at booster club events, attending mandatory lectures on alcohol and drug abuse, and attending other teams' sporting events (e.g. basketball games, volleyball games, baseball games).

We were also required to participate in fundraising efforts like selling ads for our show programs and working the concession stand at the arena during weekend show events.

Our grades were expected to be good. We were expected to let our professors know well in advance that we'd be missing classes due to competitions and provide them with an official letter from the coach. If we had tests or homework, we were to bring them with us to competitions and work on them. We were never to use the team as an excuse for poor grades or incomplete work, nor we were to expect to be treated differently because we were student athletes. (I found most professors treated me worse when they found out I was also an athlete.)

There were a lot of perks to being a member of the team: very regular access to high-quality instruction, opportunities to ride a variety of well-trained horses, special facilities for athletes (e.g. athletic department gym versus student center gym), nutrition consultation, customized strength training, expenses-paid travel and shows, access to athletics department tutoring (offered at times to accommodate athletes' busy/weird schedules).

There were also a few weird things, like being expected to vote for an increase in the student activities fee which would go toward improving athletics facilities and getting an official letterman jacket.

I left the team after the 2006-2007 season, as I'd moved Moe to Martin, acquired an additional horse, and was focused on riding and competing those two as eventers.

I learned a lot while I was a member of the equestrian team and would recommend it to anyone with riding experience who's interested in receiving great instruction and opportunities while in college. I'd also recommend looking into it for the scholarships. While NCEA equestrian may not be the right fit for everyone, it was definitely the right fit for me.

For more information, visit www.varsityequestrian.com.

And if you're interested in becoming a Skyhawk or learning about that program and facility, visit my alma mater at www.utmsports.com.

Throwback Thursday

2001 MidSouth Regional Pony Club Rally, Kentucky Horse Park. I'm riding an absolutely lovely five year old Quarter Horse gelding named Bailey. He was a big, stout creature who happily jumped most things and didn't complain much about dressage.

I was borrowing him from another girl in my pony club; my horse Spike was still recovering from having bone spurs removed from his hocks. Bailey was a homebred, and his two full siblings were Prelim-level eventers.

He was for sale and came with a hefty (but justifiable) price tag. I pleaded with my parents to buy him for me to no avail. (And I ended up with Moe just two years later.)

I don't know where Bailey ended up, but I always think of him fondly for helping my confidence and giving me one of the most pleasant, stress-free Rallies I ever competed in.

Throwback Thursday

I promise I have updates on current goings-on regarding Moe and Gina, but they're all pretty boring. (E.g. walked 25 minutes, trotted 5 on each horse...)

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Spike and I at the 1999 MidSouth Region Pony Club Rally! Yes, that's a tie-dyed polo shirt. Yes, I'm making a face. Yes, Spike was jumping that coop out of sheer force of will on my part. He'd already thrown me at the first fence of the course. (Ah, the glory days, before that whole one-and-done rule.)

Throwback Thursday

In 2009, I took polo lessons from the fabulous people at the Great Plains Equestrian Training Foundation in Wichita, Kansas. Here I am, mounted on Magnum (the bay), trying to prevent my friend Paul (on chestnut BC) from taking a swing at the ball.

If you're bored with your chosen equestrian sport, I highly recommend taking polo lessons for a while. It's exciting, it's fun, and it's never boring!

Throwback Thursday

This is me, riding my horse Spike at the Mid-South Regional Pony Club Rally at the Kentucky Horse Park in June of 1999. Spike was a totally nuts Thoroughbred cross who liked to zoom around jump courses and cause my mother to fear for my safety. He was sold to a nice family in my town in 2004; their small children like to get on Spike and gallop him around their pasture.