Kentucky Memories

*My* Old Kentucky Home
Illustration by Spence Millard

Another Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event has come and gone without me. Am I sorry? Of course, but not as much as I thought I would be. From 1998 to 2010, I went to Lexington for the week to work, to write, to run about. It was always a blast. Then life changed and it seemed a good time to move on to new ventures.

Last year, I watched a lot of livestream, but then, I was sitting in the barn with Mathilda. This year, I caught some live, some on video, but also had a lesson, worked my horse, went swimming, and generally got on with my life.

Would I go again? In a heartbeat, provided I had a place to stay and a reason to go. Short of that, I’ll look at the pictures from the Kentucky Horse Park and be thankful I had so much fun there over the years.

My vote for the most impressive horse on the grounds goes to an unnamed horse that you catch a glimpse of as the competitors whiz past. Local KY riders spend the day as outriders, in case of a loose horse or other crisis where a mounted rider could lend a hand. When not needed, they hang out – as horses gallop, as people mill, as loudspeakers blare. I’ve never had a horse who would keep his or her sanity for five minutes under those conditions.

Not much more to add. I told all my good stories last year:
Peregrinatio in Stabilitate
Lexington, sorta
Riding at Rolex
Digital Killed the Party
Foto Friday: Celebrity Mounted Games
From Inside The Ropes
Aftermath
Living Virtually

Red Saddlepad
Irish Diamonds ridden by Micheline Jordan

Yeah, they trailed the field, but let’s see you do what they just did. Modeled on the website Tour de France Lanterne Rouge, “Celebrating the last-place rider in the General Classification … because you couldn’t hang on his wheel for 30 seconds.” Results.