Alltech World Equestrian Games 2010

As I just mentioned in my previous blog post, my bucket listed included a trip to the World Equestrian Games and it just so happened that the 2010 games were being held in Lexington, a short 4.5 hour drive away.

Actually it goes back further than that. Shortly after it was announced that WEG would be held in Lexington at the Kentucky Horse Park, I was in Kentucky for a job interview. I knew then, that no matter what, I was going to attend. So I kept close tabs on when tickets would go on sale and when hotels would open up their booking. Turned out to be a long wait, almost 2.5 years as tickets and hotels didn't open up until September 25, 2009 - a year before WEG would start. Nonetheless, the day tickets went on sale I purchased my tickets for the Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle, the Cross Country phase of Eventing, and the both phases of the Speed Event for the Team Show Jumping. I dragged my heels on the hotel, maybe a month before the start of the event with the hopes that the outrageous hotel costs would go down. Well, that and I was hoping to be living in Kentucky by then. They did not and I was not. I had hoped to stay in Lexington, but I ended up staying in Richmond. But it was all good, I stayed on the furthest route south of Lexington that still got the shuttle service. Let me just say, that $10 for the shuttle service was the best $10 I ever spent!

My trip to WEG started on September 30 with a side trip to Churchill Downs in Louisville. I had never been to Louisville or Churchill Downs and to see this place up close was simply amazing! While there, I went though the Kentucky Derby Museum and took a backside tour of Churchill. This place is unbelievably HUGE. You wouldn't even know that you are in the middle of a large metropolitan city.


At the entrance of Churchill Downs is the statue of the 132nd Kentucky Derby winner

Barbaro. I had a wager on Barbaro the day he won the Derby; he was undefeated, had a five week rest before the Derby, but mainly because his trainer was Michael Matz. A former Olympian Michael knows how to keep his horses sound and happy at the highest level. I have wanted to see this statue since it was unveiled last year. I truly believe that Barbaro would have been the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

Going through the museum was another thrill. To see a starting gate up close, jockey silks, sit in a race saddle, etc. What really sealed the deal for me wanting to see Churchill on this specific trip, was because they had a limited engagement dedicated to Secretariat and the new Disney film.


After going through the museum, I joined a tour group outside and got to walk around the paddock area, through the tunnel to the track, and see the famed towers from the grandstand side. It such a magical experience, which may sound off-kilter for some, but for a huge horseracing fan like myself it was like the mecca. I mean the famous horses that have walked down the tunnel to the track, to imagine the crowd singing "My Old Kentucky Home", and the roar from the stands when the horses reach the top of the stretch. It gave me goose bumps and I vow to return one day not just as a spectator, but as an owner of a thoroughbred racehorse.

Another highlight for me was probably the memorial to Eight Belles. This remarkable filly finished second in the 134th Kentucky Derby (May 3, 2008), as she crossed the finish line and was pulling up, she fell to the track. It appeared on video, from different angels, that she was switching leads in which she took a bad step and broke one leg and as she stumbled, broke her other leg. There was nothing they could do for her, and she was euthanized without the knowledge of her owner or trainer. I'm not even sure they knew she fell to the track, much less broke both front legs and was euthanized immediately. An autopsy later revealed the nature of her fractures were identical to those of Barbaro two years prior. While Barbaro and Eight Belles have brought attention to a fragile industry, casting them in a harsh light, Zenyatta, in retrospect, has given hope and possibility to the sport.

After leaving Louisville, it was off to Lexington...umm, Richmond - which is about 25-miles south. Trust me, hotels in the Lexington area nothing was lower than $150 and that was for the cheap, dirty, I_wouldn't_stay_there_if_my_life_depended_on_it! hotel. Normally, when I visit Lexington, I stay at the Sheraton, which is about $80 a night, for WEG it was over $300 a night!! So when I said earlier that I was holding off hoping hotel prices would come down, I wasn't kidding and they didn't. Hence Richmond, it was a tad under $200, again, a night, when normal prices are just under a $100, so the rip-off wasn't as bad. Did I write 'rip-off'? What I meant to write was 'rip-off'. But at least I had a fridge and a microwave, so yay on bringing food from home and not eating out.

My first day at the Games was the Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle. I was so excited for this event and it was also my birthday. Since switching to dressage full-time more than three years ago, to see this level of competition was making my heart skip a beat and the best birthday gift by far! Of course, the horse everyone was waiting to see was the Netherlands Moorlands Totilas. He and his rider, Edward Gal, made history by winning gold in all dressage competitions at WEG. A short nine days later, Totilas was sold to Germany for a rumored $20-million dollars; like the old saying goes, "You want to beat your biggest competitor, buy his best horse." I can't wait until Totilas returns to the ring in 2011. While I won't re-gush my love for Spain's Juan Manuel Muñoz Diaz and Fuego XII, they are still the team that walked away with my heart.

Not to ignore the American riders, I was so thrilled to see Steffen Peters and Ravel take third. Steffen made so many improvements on his test, his pirouettes alone should have been 9s. I read an article that Steffen gave after the games, he teamed up with a research physicist from Princeton University and studied judges' score sheets and videos of the top five horse and riders more than a year in advance to prepare for the games. He was basically using the same technique football players use to prepare for a big game, but took it further. You talk about a level of commitment. I applied to ride with Steffen a few years back, but now more than ever, I really want to ride with him. (In case you couldn't tell, I was turned down.) So my new goal is when Dino and I are ready to start schooling second level, Steffen will hopefully be conducting a clinic close-by and I will apply. Under pseudo names if needed.

The next day was simply c-r-a-z-y! First it was off to the Secretariat Festival in Paris, Kentucky. I picked the scenic route driving from Richmond to Paris and managed to pass Claiborne Farm on the way. Such beautiful countryside, every where you look are the stunning fences and equally stunning horses behind them. However, I must say, very difficult to be looking about when you are trying to navigate those pesky hills, curves and the tad narrow roads. We arrived just as the festival was starting and the line up of cars trying to get in and the people milling about, it was amazing and moving that even 21-years after Secretariat's death and 37-years since his retirement from racing people still come together and admire him. I met a gentleman there, and I never got his name, that the first time he ever went to the track (and consequently wagered) was the day Secretariat won the Belmont. He showed me his win ticket that he never cashed in, it just gave me chills. I've never met anyone who saw Secretariat race in person, let alone was at Belmont that day in 1973. Also at the festival, I met Kate Chenery Tweedy, the daughter of Secretariat's owner, Penny Chenery. I bought her new book Secretariat's Meadow - The Land, The Family, The Legend. If you're a fan of Secretariat, this is a must have!! Even if you're not a fan of Secretariat's, this book is a must have!! When Kate signed my book, she wrote, "To Kelly - Have fun with Dino --- Thanks! Kate Tweedy" I had such a great time at the festival, but didn't get a chance to do the Claiborne Farm visit, I have decided that I'm going to make the festival a yearly trip for myself. Maybe even next year, enter Dino in the Secretariat look-a-like contest.

After leaving the Secretariat Festival, it was back to WEG and the cross-country phase. I've never been to Rolex and in all my visits to the Kentucky Horse Park, I've never even walked the course so I figured what better opportunity than at WEG. Now I am the first to admit I know very little about eventing, its just not my cup of tea, however, those people are nuts! I know I'm coming across as judgmental here, but they FLY around that course, over fences that are not only complicated to my hunter mind, but down right scary. I'll go chase down a 'faux', which incidentally enough Fox Hunting is on my bucket list, but I'll be damned if you'll catch me jumping a ditch, a table, or a Normandy bank; because these things happen. I give props to those who do it, but like I said: its not my cup of tea.

Our fourth day was a sight-seeing and shopping day. We drove around Lexington and ultimately made our way over to Keeneland. I love going to Keeneland, it's such a beautiful place. This is always a must on our list of places to stop at, every single trip finds us at Keeneland. Just the history you experience walking through there, it may not be as old as Churchill Downs, but you feel the history here more so. In my opinion it has a lot do with the fact that very little of it has changed since it opened in 1936. I always feel like, if I turn around real fast, I'll catch a glimpse of Ben Jones.

The last and final day was the day of the Speed Phase in showjumping. I had bought tickets for both part one and two, because I wanted to be sure I saw McLean Ward and Sapphire. They did NOT disappoint. The course fell so many riders that day, but McLean and Sapphire made it look so easy! Of course they were the very last to go, at about 5:30 when the competition started at 10AM. I am almost ashamed to admit that I grew bored with watching the jumping. Here I rode hunter/jumpers for 15-years and I was bored. It was wonderful watching all the riders, but it was the same course for everyone. At one point I even wandered down to the warm-up ring to watch the horses school over fences. I guess it really is much more interesting when you are actually showing as opposed to just standing around, in the end I had a new appreciation for what my Dad did all those years.

In the end, I spent way too much money; around $1,100 just on my hotel room and my tickets. More when it came to purchases. In hindsight, which really is 50/50, I could have just went to Louisville that first day, the Freestyle the second, the Secretariat Festival the third, and then came home. Did I enjoy myself? Yeah. It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Would I do it again? I would, in the order I mentioned above.