Thursday was one of those days that started at 5 am and finished at 10 pm without a moment to actually consider the pace at which we were actually moving. We have some great sponsors at the USEF, they are not only great friends, but they make our programs possible. So yesterday was a day full of sponsor photo shoots and other opportunities.
It went like this:
6am Truluck (Phillip Dutton's horse who was scratched before the jog so is just along for the ride) had his morning handgraze alongside a Range Rover at sunrise along with a slew of photographers, lighting crew, directors, etc. He may have a new career in modeling. I have never seen a horse pose quite like him.
I then flew over to the barn where Bobby Costello was having a test ride on my horse, Ely. Ely's a nice four-year-old Thoroughbred I'm training to sell. I couldn't have ridden him worse but he went great for Bob. We then packed up Ely and took him to the Kentucky Horse Park to be the Land Rover model.
At 4, I expected his patience and attention span to last about 10 mins - he defies what he is.
In the big barn with carriages going past, he stood like a stone. He had four different people on him, he had to get ridden through the entire horse show to get to a tailgate, he faked a trailer scene, and somehow his ears never got tired of being forward!
In the middle of all that we organized a trail ride with Rolex for the media. David O'Connor and Bobby led it, but anyone that saw four people ponying 12 horses between them through the front gate of the horse park and the sponsor parking lot to get to the Head of the Lake from the trail riding center - your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you.
Becky Broussard’s memorial at the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation tent last night was really special. The rain randomly returned, but everyone had a great time, the Cajun food was delicious and Becky would have loved it. Music, drinks and all her friends cozily tucked into the tent by the ring would have been right up her street. We miss her, and her presence at these events. Her daughter Sarah Kelley, announced a grant for young professionals in honor of her mom, $250,000 over 5 years.
Awesome.
And exactly what Becky believed in so much.
The Rebecca Group, which owns horses in Becky's honor, was represented by Quintis 54 this morning: