Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
My husband is a fan of horse racing which is a good thing as I am a fan of horses. He and a few of bis buddies spend a lot of weekends "going to lunch" at a local sports bar that features live wagering on video. Once or twice a year, we like to head to Santa Anita to watch the races in person. It's a "horse" thing that he can easily talk me into doing. This was our third time attending the Breeders' Cup. There is nothing quite like cheering for your horse with more than 50,000 other people. Since we've been to this track many times, we knew that getting there early makes for a very long day. Ee actually rolled in a little late, catching the third race. There were twelve races being run on Sunday, but nine turned out to be plenty for us. For most of the day, there were forty minutes between each race which allowed for plenty of time to place our bets, walk out to the paddocks, or grab a snack. We also took a lot of pictures. For the final race, there was an hour wait between race 11 and race 12. I do not know if there is a track more beautiful than Santa Anita. We've been to Del Mar, which is also quite lovely, but nothing beats Santa Anita. What I love about this track is how close you can get to the horses, the jockeys, the owners (I've walked right past Bob Baffert more times than I can count), and even the track itself. While we had decent seats, we only sat in them once. The rest of the day we spent watching the races from different vantage points. My favorite spot to watch is right on the rail. You can't see much except for the front stretch, but when the horses run by, you can feel it in your toes. We watched races from the rail at the top of the front stretch - away from the crowds, from the finish line - which was really crowded, and even from the grandstand which gives you a view of the whole track at once. Next year's Breeders' Cup is at Keeneland in Kentucky, and in 2021. it's back at Del Mar. I am pretty we won't be making either of those trips. That's okay. It will be back at Santa Anita before too long. Besides the Breeders' Cup, Santa Anita hosts the Santa Anita Derby which is just as much fun. But frankly, my favorite time to go is when nothing special is going on. The roar of the crowd is amazing, but the sound of hoofbeats in the silence is even better.
11/23/2019 07:04:37 am
Santa Anita is an amazing place. It's very visitor friendly. :0)
Jen K
11/4/2019 06:29:39 am
You should really try to come out to Keeneland at least once here in Lexington, KY. It is gorgeous! So green, beautifully landscaped, C.L.E.A.N. and you can almost touch the horses when they are in the park like paddocks waiting to go out on the track. It is worth the trip! Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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