Recently in Katie Lindsay Category

By now, Katie Lindsay hardly needs an introduction on Eventing Nation.  But, I just wanted to express my gratitude to Katie for, as always, fostering intelligent discussion on controversial issues.  In this particular instance I disagree with Katie for reasons I have already written, but she makes a great case for the other side of the argument, a side which very well could be right.  Take it away Katie...
----


From Katie:

One of the "hot button" issues in the eventing world today is the USEF one fall and out rule (EV 141). It seems that everyone has a strong opinion about it, and this has resulted in much spirited and heated debate in many arenas, including but not limited to several threads on the Chronicle Forum. The most recent posting by the ubiquitous and often thought provoking JER once again brought out strong dialogue on both sides of the issue.

Having recently commissioned a rather stylish designer flame retardant suit, I would like to try out its effectiveness and list the main reasons why I passionately believe that the one fall and out rule is a tremendously good one on many levels. I welcome comment, and I'm sure there will be lots, but please don't drag out the too often used "What about the stupid pop off and land on one's feet fall. Why is that punished" argument. It's been used too often. Regrettably, with any ruling, some dolphins will be caught along with the sharks, but that does not make the rule an unfair or ineffective one.

Recently, a recommendation was made to the USEF Eventing Technical Committee that the fall and out rule be rescinded at the lower levels - training, novice and beginner novice - but remain in effect at preliminary and above. The rationale behind this is that statistically, head injuries have been tracked to occur mainly at the levels that run with greater speed and complexity. The more I mull upon this proposal, the weirder it strikes me. What is being said here? Are "lower level" heads less valuable than the "upper level" equivalents?

Moreover, what does rescinding and reshaping this rule say in a broader sense? When the measure was passed several years ago, it was imposed under the guise of being a safety measure. "Carrying on" after a fall and possibly not remembering anything about it can be a pretty dangerous situation. And yes, it has been proven that concussions can and do happen even when one's head isn't hit - even when the landing might take place on one's butt or on one's feet. Aside from scoring considerations which will be discussed later, elimination after a fall made sense. Now comes the idea of partially taking back a policy which people are just starting to get used to albeit with occasional grumpiness. Are we now saying that safety doesn't matter as much as soothing the hurt feelings of a person whose day may have ended prematurely with a fall?

Currently, there is a great deal of national attention finally being paid to the long term effects of concussions, especially involving younger people. Being a Chicago native, the tragic suicide of Dave Duerson, a member of the 1985 Super Bowl Bears who lived with the effects of his football related concussions, and whose brain per his own request has been left to science for further study, especially hit home with me as it related to the equestrian sports. If our national federation does in fact rescind, or partially rescind a rule designed to improve safety, what kind of a P.R. message are we sending? "We don't care about the effects of concussions. We'd rather appease the members of a very vocal group who feel it unfair that they can't stumble on their merry way following a fall." W.T.F.?

On the subject of safety, I believe that the one fall and out rule is an important one for the potential well being of the horse. A rider falls. If the fall has occurred in connection with jumping a fence, he has most likely lost whatever placing he might have ended up in along with any potential Qualifying score. Assuming all the parts are functioning, he is thus probably pretty pissed off and also cognizant of the effect his fall has had on his score. Remounting, he scampers off at breakneck speed to make up for lost time. This can be hazardous as can riding in an angry and emotional frame of mind. Sure you're going to be plenty hacked off if your one fall ends your day on that horse - but at least the horse isn't going to be possibly placed in harm's way.

Prior to the passage of one fall and out, the management of a fall on cross country was a cumbersome and imperfect (at best) procedure. Time was to be taken while a medical person evaluated the rider as deemed necessary by the witnessing personnel, usually a jump judge. Now, nobody loves volunteer jump judges more than I do. They are the real heroes of any event. That being said, however, 99% of them would be the first to say that they are not qualified to make such a fitness evaluation. The least qualified person to make that evaluation is in fact the rider. One of the sad symptoms of some individuals who have concussions is their adamant denial that anything is wrong. It's lumped under the catch all phrase "impaired judgement." One fall and out is so much clearer and potentially safer and makes the jobs of both officials and organizers so much more manageable.

I could go on, but by now I think you've got the gist that I'm a fan. I do welcome comments, but please remember to play nice! We're all in this sandbox together.

Event organizer and EN guest writer extraordinaire Katie Lindsay has written a brief essay with her thoughts from the mid-season mark in Area IV.  Thanks for writing this Katie and thank you for reading.
----


From Katie:

It seems only a few weeks ago that we in Area IV were champing at the bit waiting for the snow to melt and eventing season to start, and here we are already at midseason! That's one of the problems with our middlewestern weather. It goes from impossibly cold to decent to impossibly hot to decent and back to impossibly cold which leaves us about six short months in which to cram all our events, camps, outdoor clinics, schooling days, mini events, etc.

Nationally, entry numbers are pretty much holding their own despite the continuing woes of the economy. One Chicago area veterinarian told me that her clinic is doing pre-purchases for the first time in two years which is a very healthy sign for the horse industry. Last week, Lamplight hosted a 1,200 horse, two week long hunter/jumper show. I expect the Area IV total starter numbers will be down from last year in part because of three event cancellations, two EHV-1 related, and one from a very unfortunate calendar problem. It will be interesting to evaluate whether individual event numbers are up or down. To date, Otter Creek, which since the demise of Maui Jim is the only event in the Area to host a division above Preliminary, ran a slim Intermediate, but pretty much held its own in the lower levels. This is typical both nationally and locally - the higher the level, the lower the entry numbers and vice versa.

There is one trend which is evident both nationally and in our Area, and it is causing quite a bit of distress. This is the tendency for competitors to enter events at the very last minute, often after the published closing date. Rick Dunkerton from evententries.com who is involved either as secretary, scorer or scheduler, or all of the above, for the larger Area IV and national events figures that roughly 25% to 30% of total entries come in the last few days before and often well after closing dates. This is in effect a Catch 22. The organizers want/need the entries, but are burdened by the inconvenience caused by the late entry practice. Riders understandably want to hang on to their money as long as possible before entering. I know several USEA committees are addressing this problem, and hopefully, a mutually equitable solution can be devised.

Organizers who don't have the luxury of permanent stabling, have to provide stall counts to their suppliers as early as possible. They also need numbers in order to hire additional judges as needed and to do scheduling. Competitors on the other hand are often faced with stiff penalties or long waits for their refunds if they withdraw. Then there is the ubiquitous "In case of event cancellation, no refunds will be given" conundrum. All this becomes a kind of lose/lose situation, and one that further adds fuel to the "Them vs. Us" fire that exists in varying degrees between the two entities.

A couple of attempts to effect a compromise between these two factions have been tried with some success. At a large event held at a facility with permanent stabling, a "total refund, entry and stabling, less a $25 office fee up until the Monday of the event" policy was put into place with a lot of success. Riders weren't afraid to enter early and lose all or most of their money if they had to scratch. Obviously, this only works when the organization has permanent stabling. Offering a discounted entry fee for those entering in the first two weeks after opening date worked well for last year's AEC's in Georgia. (In effect, this is the same as tacking on a late entry fee, but doesn't a discount sound much more attractive than a penalty?) The "No Refund" after closing date is harsh, especially in light of our chancy weather and other unforeseen circumstances. Yes, a lot of bills have to be paid before an event takes place, but I believe there is room for some negotiation here. New cross country fences were possibly built and new tracks designed, but they'll be there for the next event and wont have to be paid for again. Organizers should cover their bases in the contracts they make with the officials they hire to determine their cancellation policies so they wont be caught short handed if cancellation is necessary.

It's important to try to "walk in each other's shoes" every once in a while. Things could be a whole lot more pleasant if both sides were sensitive to each other's needs and were prepared to give a little to come up a comfortable solution. 

 

~Katie Lindsay

Steve Cwian thinking that maybe Calculus isn't so bad after all!

From event organizer Katie Lindsay:

A couple of weeks ago, I ran a well attended Eventing Derby in absolutely God awful weather conditions - wind gusts up to 40 mph, rain, some sleet, and some snow - all this in mid-April. Welcome to Chicago! 

As I was watching the horses cruising around the Derby field, my attention wandered, and I became fascinated watching the two man ring crew, one of whom was also the course designer and builder, and the other who was a college freshman who had arranged to take several days off from a brutal pre-engineering University course load, (including calculus, the thought of which gives me a raging migraine!) 

These two individuals were slogging around in the knee deep muck that the all weather footing had become, and never once were they anything but cheerful. In fact, they seemed almost to be having a Hell of a good old time. Awesome! 

Jon (no, that isn't a rifle)

So, I dedicate this to the ring crews who work events everywhere. They are generally nameless, certainly unglamorous, and frequently unpaid. In short, they are just one among many unsung heroes of our sport. Take the time to thank them. Often all they receive is static for being too slow. Don't damn them. Thank them! 

Hats off to you guys everywhere - and to Jon Wells and Stevie Cwian, a special personal Thank You! You're the best!

Event organizer and EN guest writer extraordinaire Katie Lindsay has written a brief essay with her thoughts on the short list.  Thanks for writing this Katie and thank you for reading.



From Katie:

"In psychology and the cognitive sciences, perception is the process of acquiring, interpreting, selecting, and organizing sensory information." (From Word IQ on line).

Everything human beings perceive is colored by past experiences, personal preferences and prejudices as well as countless other current physical, genetic and emotional factors. Thus forming an opinion is a complex process that is influenced by a myriad of things. 

What's the point? The recent brouhaha that erupted after the "mini-slate" or "slatelet" (for lack of better descriptions) of U.S. eventing coach candidates was announced is a prime example of a situation that is rife with perception gone way wrong. The situation (for those readers who have just emerged from a month long sabbatical with Marmaduke) - from a group of nine (more or less) candidates, only two were brought forward for further consideration. The two are eminently qualified - but so are many of the seven who were eliminated in the first round.  

The climate in which this decision was made is a fragile one. The eventing world at the elite levels, right or wrong, has been severely criticized for lack of transparency. This recent decision seems like the cherry on top of that sundae. Why only two names? What is the rationale behind this move? Was any thought given to what a public relations disaster this was going to be? Did those who did this even care how the eventing community would react? What would have been the harm in presenting a broader slate for consideration instead of leap frogging over a more appropriate and democratic process? 

The perception of the selection committee's action is that the ultimate choice has been preordained from the get go. Now I don't know if this is in fact the case, and I naively hope it isn't, but the perception sure as hell looks that way. As I said earlier, I have no quarrel with the quality or the C.V. of either of the two "finalists." They are both really good at what they do. My problem is with the complete oblivion manifested by the candidate selectors to how their actions would be perceived and the long term ill effects this might have.  

The elite levels of our sport culminating in last year's WEG results have admittedly disappointed, and right or wrong, the American eventing public is itching for a change at the helm. With the 2012 Olympic deadline looming, this hoped for change was eagerly anticipated. It would seem, however, that with the aforementioned first step taken by the selectors, it's just going to be business as usual.  

Could this whole mess be salvaged? Probably. A "Mea Culpa" could be issued, and a more inclusive list of candidates could be brought forward for further evaluation. The ultimate results would probably be the same, and that's O.K., but the process would be a whole lot better. Will this happen? That remains to be seen. A line in the sand seems to have been drawn. My optimistic side hopes something will change, but realistic side doubts that it will.      

From Katie:

This is a God awful time of the year in the northern part of the country. Snow falls and stays Christmas card pretty for about two hours. Any longer and it turns into ice or slush or a black flecked mess studded with airborne crud. Football season is winding down. The playoff games have either made you suicidal, or launched you onto a manic, but short lived high. Even John's fantasy football picks are as dead as Tom Brady's original hair follicles. The world news is horrendous - floods in Australia, earthquakes in Haiti, the seemingly unstoppable mischief of Wikileaks, a Congresswoman fighting for her life following a shooting by a pathetic, deranged young man. It goes on and on. 

Unless you are lucky enough to be traveling south with your equine companion, (and with the bizarre weather down there this year, I'm not sure that's even much of a treat!), the riding picture is pretty yukky. Your horse is hairy, smelly, out of shape, and unmotivated. You're bank account is dangerously slim. Your hands and feet are either freezing or numb. Your damn nose just wont stop running, and there's not enough Chap Stick in the world to make your lips kissable. There are only a handful of events to follow on line, and obsessing about the choice of Team coach gets old in a hurry. (In fact, given the real crises in the world, seeing the aforementioned selection as a big deal is pretty damn stupid!) 

How to counteract "The Northern Blues," the kind of depression that hits in January because the only thing you have to look forward to is February and more of the same? Ugh. A daunting task at best! I think the answer lies in the "Creative Thinking" category, and in fact, maybe brings up something that we all need a dose of no matter what the climate may be. 

HAVING FUN. Two simple words, but an all important concept. A great many members of our eventing community pursue their sport as an addendum to doing other things in life - having a family, working at a "real" job or jobs, having friends and doing the other "stuff" that makes up the fabric of day to day life. They are busy people who work hard for the privilege of partaking in a sport FOR THE FUN OF IT.  

Are these busy people having fun riding, and if, after some honest self evaluation, the answer comes up on the negative side, what can be done about it? Are they perhaps putting such high expectations on themselves for whatever reason that the ensuing stress starts to erode the simple joy of sitting on the back of a horse? Is all the hard work, fatigue, and "not enough hours in the day" syndrome becoming a wasted effort? Is riding becoming a chore rather than an escape from the stressful realities of life? 

When I was pondering these questions, my mind kept returning to things I used to do with my horse when I was a kid - back before bodily parts hurt in the mornings and before life taught me that bad things sometimes do happen to good people. I remember on mornings following an overnight snowstorm hopping on my horse bareback and galloping through the woods like a stripe assed ape jumping logs that because of the snow on top of them looked twice as high as they actually were. I remember organizing impromptu "horse shows" with friends - (yes, organizing even back then!) - which by the way I always won because I made up and changed the rules to suit. Hard hats? I don't think we ever wore them unless we had to! I remember sneaking out of the house at night and sitting on my horse in the pasture for hours just wandering around until the poor guy would get bored and scrape me off on his stall door. I remember teaching one of my Appaloosas to fetch and return thrown sticks. He got really good at it! I remember when I was seriously competing my hunter at the indoors and later doing the midwestern eventing "circuit" having my horse's shoes pulled and giving him six weeks off. Does anyone do that anymore? It was great for him. Better for me! All my competition horses in whatever discipline I was doing at the time fox hunted. They were expected to be multipurpose animals - and they were.  

I had fun doing all this stuff. I think if I'd only been limited to doing one thing - riding in a ring, taking lessons, competing - I wouldn't have lasted very long doing horses. Boredom would have driven me out. I also found that exclusively doing just competing turned me into somebody I didn't like very much - somebody overly focused on winning the next competition to the exclusion of everything else. 

I was talking about the winter blahs with an instructor at a local stable and asked her what she does with her riders to keep them fresh. She said she digs deep for new things to keep their interest - musical drills, broom polo, impromptu "Grand Prix" jumper classes, even horseless horse shows - and as much hacking through the snow drifts as possible.

I love EN's "View From My Horse" photos. They epitomize to me having those wonderful fun moments of communication between a person and a horse that make it all worthwhile, moments that I fear have become all too rare as riders chase after this or that goal. Maybe after all the value of the northern winter is forcing us to slow down and smell the roses for a while before the rat race starts all over again!  

From Katie:

I have to admit, I occasionally find myself pretty much overdosed on the subject of safety. There are just so many articles, postings, pictures, lectures, seminars, presentations, videos, tweets, warnings, brochures, statistics, blogs, etc. on the subject. No, I'm not anti safety measures in our sport, and I do strongly believe that criteria need to be set and adhered to in order to protect riders from themselves, but it currently seems to be a bit over the top. I did a stint on both the USEA Rules and the USEF Eventing Technical Committees, and during that time, we reviewed, discussed, argued about and ultimately voted upon myriad rule proposals. Many of these were great additions to an already crowded rule book. Others not so much. The irony was that if the buzz words "for safety" were added to the proposal, it seemed to have an easier time of it. Does this make sense? It's like everyone is jumping on the safety bandwagon - and for the record, I do believe in apple pie, Mom and the American flag so I'm not a total anarchist - just a little bit of one! 

Don't get me wrong. I applaud the advances that have been made and continue to be made in fence construction that can help a horse get out of trouble when he makes a mistake. Frangibiles, deformables, meltaway logs - all to the good. I also believe that course design has taken a great step forward by reining in some of the awkward technicality and reverting back to more gallopy tracks. Additionally, I think that officials are now enforcing dangerous riding procedures more than before and looking at courses and course construction with a more educated, safety conscious eye. Advances are also on going in rider safety equipment - air vests, better and better helmets, quick release stirrup irons. These are all signs that most of the factions of our sport are listening, learning from past mistakes and moving on.  

In light of all this, my question going forward is a simple one. What are riders doing to promote safety in their own personal interactions with their sport? Are they pulling up on cross country when things are going south and saving for another day? Are they ensuring that they are at their peak both physically and mentally - and yes, this includes not partying all night before cross country, avoiding the lure of personal performance enhancing substances, and seeking the best available coaching and training opportunities? Are they moving their horses up the levels before they totally understand the questions in response to an arbitrary human timetable, or are they really listening to their horses' needs and abilities? Are riders too driven by personal ambitions to hear what their horses are "saying?" Are riders being pushed beyond their own capacity and the capacity of their horses by external forces  - parent, coach, trainer, sponsor, dollars? There are some tough questions which I'm not sure are being realistically addressed. 

Where does safety start? Where are riders being introduced to constructive, safe riding and independent thinking? In my Area, and in every other Area around the country, there are some riding instructors/trainers/coaches who I believe are doing a fantastic job teaching their students to think intelligently and ride safely. Most are not "BNR" material. Several have never gone much beyond Prelim, and there is no way they ever had a shot at wearing the USA pink coat, but they are doing a hell of a good job with their riders. I believe most of them have earned ICP credentials - but even before that, this handful of grass roots, "lower level instructors" (for lack of a better phrase) were quietly beating the drum for safe practices. My point? I believe these low profile individuals comprise a too long discounted and desperately important safety foundation. To belabor a point, I'll go out on a limb and say that this is where safety starts, and this is where we should be placing our emphasis and support whenever possible. 

Something struck me as odd recently when I was listening to a conversation about building safer fences. In our sport, the trend seems to be more and more toward cross country fences that knock down/collapse/break on impact much like show hunter fences do. However, and bear with me, if you follow the hunter circuit, the hottest new trend is the Derby concept that features fences that are actually solid or solid in appearance. Doesn't that seem a bizarre switcharound? It's a weird world! 

Another stray thought went through my mind recently, and it centered around foxhunting, something I grew up doing and spent many years actively enjoying. I would be very curious to learn how many rotational falls occur in the hunt field vis a vis in eventing competitions. I would venture to say very few. Fences are solid there and I daresay not usually constructed with much of an eye to safety. They are also generally ridden at speed, and foxhunters are not known for their sophisticated equestrian skills. What makes  the difference then?  

My final thought about safety springs from Invictus : "I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul." No, I haven't gone all wonky and pompous, nor have I "Over-Marmaduked" my remaining brain cells. I just believe that, all talk and effort by everyone aside, safety ultimately is something that must be taken seriously and practiced by everyone of you who ever get on a horse. Not only are you responsible for your own physical and mental health, but you are responsible for the welfare of your horse. In my mind, no one is exempt from this. I don't care how many medals you've won or horses you've ridden - in the words of a pony club father many years ago, "Use your head for something besides a landing place."

From Katie:

Last week at the USEA convention in Phoenix, I had the opportunity to interview the  ubiquitous chimpanzee, Marmaduke, who currently resides in the front section of British event rider Oliver Townend's brain. (For those readers who have slept through the last several postings on EN, I've neither gone completely over the edge, nor have I  overdosed on primo Jamaican Ganja. Several years ago, British Eventing grew concerned with Mr. Townend's self destructive carousing so they sent a therapist to talk with him. Said therapist told his client that there are two parts of his brain, the back section that is goal and success oriented, and the front section that houses a chimpanzee whose aim in life is to make crummy, impulsive decisions, usually involving booze and fun. Mr. Townend today calls his chimp Marmaduke.) With such a Curriculum Vitae, I felt very fortunate to have been able to track down the elusive simian and corner him long enough to gather enough material for a fantasy interview. It follows. 

The setting was the lobby bar at a golf resort peopled with middle aged duffers trying to determine who could talk the loudest and be the most convincingly youthful and important in the eyes of their "trophy" significant others. There was a preponderance of comb overs, hair plugs, chunky gold jewelry, and overly tanned and botoxed faces, both male and female, in the room. It was fairly easy to spot the chimp, though, by the rather outlandish clothing he was sporting - ill fitting 100 % polyester plaid Bermudas, a truly hideous baby vomit green shirt, short black nylon socks, sandals, and a visor with the inscription "X - Perience Your Inner Chimp. www.dothemonkey.co.uk". He was chatting up an overly endowed bottle blonde while waving around a long neck and - well, never mind what else he was doing. 

I approached said chimp with trepidation. Having heard some of Oli's tales about him, I had no idea what to expect. After several futile minutes spent trying to peel him away from his blonde, (or vice versa as the case was), I got his attention by signaling the bartender to buy him his drink of choice which apparently pissed off the bimbo who wandered off in search of more fertile fields, leaving the ball entirely in my court (so to speak). 

ME : "Hi Marmaduke. Following Oliver's speech this afternoon to a group of eventers at another hotel, you are possibly the most famous chimp since HAM the Chimp was shot into space by NASA in 1961. May I have a few words with you?" 

M the C : "Ey Missy, I luff to chat. The trooff is, though, me real name isn't Marmaduke. That's somefing Oli and 'is mates came up wif. Me Mum was living in the French Cameroons when she 'ad me, and she wouldn't arf know what a Marmaduke was if it fell on her 'ead. She'd arf thought maybe it was sumpin you put on your toast at brekkers. She first called me Raoul, but when she became a Brit, she changed it. Me legal moniker is now Lenny. You can call me that if you want." 

ME : "Fair enough Lenny. I guess what's on everyone's mind is how did you end up in Oliver Townend's brain? It seems a really unusual place for a chimp to live." 

M the C (from now on referred to as L) : "I and my mates are part of a large group called CHIMPS FOR CHUMPS. We are sent out by the Big Ape to reside in selected blokes' brains to assist them in 'aving fun, and also sometimes to 'aul their sorry arses away from the brink of complete ruin and embarrassment. Our group was established in the last century to monitor the antics of selected Royals. We go through extensiff training for that gig. Today, if you look carefully, you can pick out a few from that group of toffs who even now 'ave  chimps in their 'eads. Some of these 'ave even made their way across the Pond to be part of your eventing activities. I won't name names 'owever. Can you pop for another pint Missy while I run to the bog? Me funds are a bit low, and I'm developing a terrible thirst what wif all the nattering I'm doing." 

ME : "Sure. No problem."(getting Lenny primed with another tall pint upon his return from the loo) "Before we talk about some of the experiences you've had while on Oli duty, could you explain the clothes you've chosen to wear tonight? No offense, but you do look a bit out of place amongst this rather well heeled older group." 

L : "Good question, Missy. The only Yanks I'd ever noticed were those what pour out of big caravans at some of our big churches and castles and Badminton and stuff, and they all dress like this. I s'pose I made a mistake, but I'll haf to live wif it I guess." 

ME : "OK, Lenny. Tell me what spending time in Oli's brain has been like for you." 

L : "There is never a dull moment, Missy. I haf to be a bit careful because at one point, he 'aff drownt me wif several pints when I tried to pull 'im back from making a 'uge mistake. I was right gobsmacked I was. A terrible waste of a good lager. We now liff in a nice place, but at first, I 'ad to share a real tip with 'im." 

ME : "Are you comfortable around the horses that are so much a part of Oli's life, Lenny?" 

L - : "I gotta be honest wif you, Missy. Sometimes he 'aff scares the S**t outta me. Careening along on a 80 stone dumb, smelly bag of fur into those 'uge walls and banks is orful. I spend most of that time wif my eyes closed. It's nuffing to monkey around wif. (Get it?)" 

ME : "What was the most fun moment for you?" 

L : "That's an easy one. It was last spring in the United States. Kentucky I fink? Oli made a mistake that I couldn't prevent, and 'e ended up like a blob and 'ad to be flown to 'ospital. They loaded us into a 'elicopter. Of course they didn't know that I was a part of the deal, and it gave them a right start when I told them that as long as Oli was out of it, couldn't I fly the plane for a bit? I did a pretty good job, and it was ever so much fun. Oli to this day finks I was unconscious like he was. Ha! 'e'd about go ape if he knew!" 

ME : "I'm running a little short of time Lenny, but could you tell me what your plans for the future are, and where we can expect to see you again?" 

L - :"Well Missy, I've been finking of getting out of this 'orse game and moving. Too much snow at 'ome this year, and the wevver here in Arizona is more to my liking. I've always taken a shine to golf, and I like wot I see 'ere. Lots of job opportunities, and the bimbos are sweet. Maybe I can get a gig in that sport? It's quieter. Say, do you 'appen to know that Tiger chap? Rumor is that he could use a good chimp to 'elp him out. Can you put in a good word for me - and by the way, my glass is empty. Funny how quick that 'appened." 

ME : "Thanks for your time, Lenny. It's been amazing. I'd never interviewed a chimp before!" 

At this moment, Lenny spied another potential recipient of his attentions, and grabbing his newly refilled glass, he skipped away. He was humming, and before he was swallowed up by the increasingly boisterous crowd, I was able to identify what he was humming - "I'm A Believer" made famous by, (no surprise), The Monkees. It's refreshing to meet someone so unabashedly pleased with what he is!

From Katie:

Back from the USEA convention in Phoenix, (albeit 24 hours later than planned thanks to a flight cancellation and subsequent delay), getting over the shock of being awarded the Wofford Cup, and trying to sort out the ton of stuff that there is to write about. John, whom I finally broke down and introduced myself to after several months of playing the stupid role of "Your Ghostly Writer," did a wonderful job covering most of the meetings and seminars, but before I undertake my promised interview from the weekend, I have a bit of soap boxing to do - or "People Who Live in Glass Houses Redux." 

Several weeks ago, I wrote a piece for EN that basically defended the choice of Oliver Townend by USEA to deliver the keynote speech at the 2010 Annual Meeting. Now, after the fact, I still defend that choice. Oli is a controversial figure in the eventing world, and after hearing him speak, I suspect that he does some major hiding behind his Peck's Bad Boy image. The delivery of his speech was both self deprecating and wildly entertaining. His comedic timing was so polished in fact that one listener asked if he was a comedian hired by USEA to parody a British "upper level" eventer. His content, however, for all its hilarity, had a dark side. It was in essence a brutally honest peek into his world, the world he grew up in, and the world he makes his way in today. At times, it was a rather disturbing glimpse. He swims upstream, and the enemies he battles in his head are pervasive - an over fondness for alcohol; starting his career from scratch with nothing and climbing the ladder of success in small and often painful steps, all the while haunted by what it was like to have nothing; a self consciousness about where he stands on the British social food chain. All these conflicts lie beneath the surface of an extremely quick wit and agile mind. 

The comments I heard after he spoke were sharply divided. Everyone agreed that he was great fun to listen to, but a few people were disturbed by a couple of things. They felt that he failed to express a real affectionate connection with his horses, and his lighthearted treatment of his drinking problem seemed to make others uncomfortable.  

OK, about the first. Yes, he is completely upfront both about being driven by a desire to make money, and his policy that everything is for sale for a price. Gee guys, get a grip. I listen to some of the professionals who have chosen to make their living at this sport, and what is a theme repeated over and over again in their comments? Making a living and how hard it is. Money. "More sponsors." "More cash prizes." "Lower event entry fees." Isn't this in fact one of the major raisons d'etre for the PRO organization? 

About the drinking and carousing. His problem was so pervasive that B.E. sent a counselor to advise him (which is where Marmaduke the chimpanzee entered the picture). It's very hard to admit to a substance problem whatever the substance may be - booze, drugs, chocolate, pills, food, whatever. Yet here was someone standing up in front of a room full of strangers in a foreign country and in effect saying "I'm a drunk."  This took guts folks. Ask anyone who's ever been through a Twelve Step program. Are the stone throwers without sin? Hell, Saturday night in the bar I saw several of the critics who had said "Uncle" to their own Marmadukes. Did they have a right to nay say? 

I rest my case. Maybe it's time for everyone to lighten up! 

Had to get this off my chest before I start working on my interview with Marmaduke which will be forthcoming in the next couple of days. There's a little matter of wrapping and mailing Christmas swag in the meantime. Stay warm everyone, (not an easy thing to do in Chicago), and John, no face planting in the Michigan drifts. You wouldn't be found until spring, and we'd all miss you!

From Katie:

PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES .............

I drop in on the Chronicle Forum most every day, and have lately been following the thread about the upcoming USEA Annual Convention in Arizona. A lot of vitriol has been expressed about Oliver Townend's invitation to serve as the keynote speaker. Now I don't really feel one way or the other about Mr. Townend. I've admired his riding ability, and obviously, per his record, he's pretty damn good at it. I agonized at Rolex this spring living in situ through his horrific fall, and I now flat refuse to look at any more of the pictures of it. I don't really feel qualified to evaluate his overall horsemanship skills. Yes, many claim that he ran Carousel Quest excessively, but who am I to either damn or praise the horse's individual needs, or whatever pressures the rider was under that led to his decisions? Besides, eight starts over a two year span doesn't seem that horrendous to me on paper. I just don't know enough about the specifics to offer even an educated guess. Because I've not walked in his boots.

What I do find disturbing is the hypocritical thinking of those who are taking it upon themselves to blast him on a public forum. Why do I feel this way? Largely because I believe if these same individuals would bother to look at the public records of some of their own eventing heroes in whose lights they bask, they perhaps wouldn't be so quick to pull the trigger on the Brit. In short, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

Without naming names, I believe that many of our elite riders are pounding their horses too damn hard. Look it up for yourselves, folks. It's an interesting study.The information is easily accessible on the USEA website. It's not really these riders' fault, but rather a situation that perhaps is the result of a system that has spun out of control. First comes the qualifying rat race which forces riders to chase around our vast country to get qualified so they then can chase around our vast country some more to compete at the next level - and on and on. This is just plain weird! There is also considerable chasing around our vast country to hit as many of the money events as possible. The select few then further bucket around so they can once again be seen and hopefully selected for a team/grant/long, short or Christmas card list/whatever spot. The treadmill never seems to stop.

Our American WEG riders and hopefuls in 2010 had from 8 to 11 significant competitive outings in the 2010 calendar year. Quite a few, yes - but add to that the strain of hours on the road, whipping in and out of differing environments, varied footing, air quality and climate, and the stresses start to add up. I have made comment in the past that a lot of horses tend to look "flat" toward the end of a whirlwind season, and I'll stand by that.

Is the system skewed? Are we asking too much of these wonderfully generous animals? Are the elite among us being asked to beat their brains out to remain on top and in the spotlight? Could this be achieved in a kinder, gentler way with better and more longlasting results? Could "we," in fact be the ones condoning the lack of horsemanship skills attributed to Mr. Townend? I think these are all questions that need to be asked and which cry for intelligent answers.

Thoughts?  

A few weeks ago I sent Katie an email passing on a reader's email request that she write one of her funny fake interviews with a special target...me.  My only requirement was that she should have a lot of fun at my expense.  As always, Katie did a brilliant job with this interview despite the fact that I have never had the pleasure to meet Katie in person, although apparently she saw me running about at the WEGs from afar.  Thanks for writing this Katie and thank you for reading.
----

 
From Katie:

We eventers traditionally get excited about "flavors of the month," (or "fads" as my drunken Aunt Lulu used to call them). A famous eventer wins a big competition using a Schmertz-Meirkenlinker bridle. Sure enough, within a month, Schmertz-Meirkenlinker bridles are seen at every level of competition all around the country. It would seem that everyone hopes to find a one stop shopping solution to whatever problems arise while trying to put together three passable phases of competition.
 
The latest fad creating a stir in the eventing world is CrossCountryChaos, a quasi humorous web/news/blog type site that popped up about a year ago, and much like The Daily Show's relationship with traditional news shows, it has slowly evolved into being  the ultimate word in all things eventing - at the moment anyway or at least until the next fad comes along!. The emergence of this site and its subsequent spin offs, YukYukPony and DownTheRoadCountry, came to my attention when someone closely tied to the more conservative end of the sport referred to them as "idiotic piles of journalistic crap." With such an introduction, and having a strong penchant for both idiocy and piles of journalistic crap, I immediately decided I would like the sites and bookmarked them for a daily read. I liked them a lot. Along the way, I also became increasingly intrigued with "Dug," the individual behind it all. I decided that an interview would thus be in order. The problem with my plan was that Dug cloaks himself in a sort of weird anonymity that makes a positive ID somewhat challenging. However, being a stubborn Scorpion, and having survived interviews with Brittiffuffy, Gretel and Lance, three "typical" riders in hunters, dressage and eventing respectively, I motored on with probably more determination than sense.

The Dug stalking venue I chose was a large eastern event, Nifty Meadows CIC One and Two Star and Horse Trials at Advanced through Preliminary. As is my wont, I had done some preliminary research on such reliable (?) sites as wikipedia and facebook and discovered that Dug had experienced a successful young rider career not too long ago and currently competes an Intermediate horse, "Kilimanjaro XXIII." (I wonder what may have become of Kilimanjaro I through XXII?) Referring to the accepted rider list for NM, I didn't see Dug's name so I reasoned that he'd be there in 100% blogger mode. The people I talked to who had had dealings with him, described him as smart, fun, passionate about his sport, and generally very UP-standing so I felt optimistic about the success of my day. 

(An aside note - any reader who is a clever movie buff may be able to predict what track this interview might take from a couple of thinly disguised hints above. Read on MacDuff.)

It was a gorgeous fall day at Nifty Meadows when armed with my trusty old tape recorder and notebook, I arrived to start my stalking. I hadn't a clue how I'd find Dug, but decided to play a little game with myself and not ask for help unless totally stymied. (This by the way is a technique I've perfected "BGPS," Before G.P.S., when I'd find myself lost, an all too frequent occurrence.) I had only a vague idea of what Dug might look like - and the general description I'd received could have basically fit 75% of the male population on the grounds of the event - young, tall and skinny. Was he nerdy or jock? Preppy perhaps? Maybe Goth which would add a whole new dimension! I was damned if I was going to ask for help.

I was watching a Two Star dressage test ridden by a "not-so-famous" rider when I was distracted by a mysterious clattering from somewhere behind me. Turning around, I realized that I had found what must be the elusive Dug - or rather he was about to literally stumble into me. He was quite a sight to behold. Young, tall and skinny. That much was true - but this only told a quarter of the story. The apparition before me was clad in well worn jeans, a polo with the name of an event emblazoned on it, and a vest advertising a second event.  Crumpled wads of paper were stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. He had on ratty Reeboks and socks that upon closer glance turned out to be two different colors - one white and one tan. The ensemble was topped off by a faded baseball cap sporting yet another event's logo jammed down crookedly on his head, a Bluetooth headset, and shades. Maybe this was a part of his anonymity gig? What made the whole look remarkable was the incredible amount of electronic gear he was toting around. A state of the art MacBook, three holstered IPhones, two cameras slung around his neck, and a backpack from which I thought I could see protruding the corner of an IPad. This guy was a walking Apple gizmo store! He was also yakking into his bluetooth while trying to operate a video camera that was running while pointing straight down to his feet. (I recall that he said on one posting that he was a less than adequate videographer. I could see why!)

Onward and upward!

After watching him field at least four calls and two e mails and snap a half dozen pictures within a 90 second time span, I took advantage of a seeming break in the action and approached this whirling dervish with my standard "unintelligible name and credentials" introductory preface.

Me - "I'm mumble mumble hizzat whazza. Are you Dug of CrossCountryChaos fame?"

D - (somewhat breathlessly) "Yeah, that's me. How did you know me? I try to keep a really low profile."

Me - (deciding to ignore his question and opting to take advantage of the brief window of opportunity). "I've become quite a fan of your various sites and tweets and would be interested in talking with you about your work which seems to have gathered an impressive fan base in a very short time. Would you agree to an interview? How did all this start?"

D - "Great. I'm happy to be interviewed. I love talking about my websites. After my young rider days, I began playing around with the idea of a website about my favorite sport, eventing. I enjoy writing, and I'm pretty tech savvy so it seemed to be a natural fit to combine all these interests. Oh gosh, scores just came up and Karen posted a 30 on a young horse. I have to tweet the live score update. Excuse me for a sec." (time out while this was achieved in quick time on one of his many mobile devices.) 

Me - "You have three websites. How do you keep up with them all?"

D - "I'm really focused. When I'm working on one thing, I - SQUIRREL - I'm really focused. When I'm working on one thing, I ...... uh, I'm going to film this next test while we talk. Is that OK with you? I can concentrate on lots of things at once. Have you seen the latest posting on YukYukPony? Have you submitted a caption? You could win something. I haven't had any breakfast, and I'm really hungry. Is there a food stand nearby? I can hardly hear you over my growling stomach."

Me - (starting to get a queasy feeling about how all this is going) "Sure, whatever. It's interesting watching you work. With all this, how do you manage to fit in riding time?"

D -  "I don't get much sleep - but hey, it's all in a day's work. I love horses and love being a rider. I'm hoping to compete Killy next week. We'll see how .... Oh look, that's Boyd on his new horse in the far arena. I interview Boyd a lot for CCC. He's great. Last time we talked, he - er - what was your question?"

Me - (starting to look for a graceful way to end this fiasco which is not really going anywhere and is also making me very tired) "Where do you get your material? Do you have a regular group of contributors, and how do you find them?"

D - "My material? I don't know. I guess I'm just naturally nosey. People like to tell me things. Like I said, I'm focused and a good ...... SQUIRREL ..... I'm focused and .....  oh, a text just came in that I have to answer right away. Please excuse me. It'll only take a minute, and then I'll tell you about the writers who contribute to my sites. As I said, I'm a really good at multi-tasking. Isn't that what you asked me?"

Me - (resisting the urge to stuff one of his mobile gizmos down his throat) "Look, I can tell that this is a pretty busy time for you. Would you have about five minutes to sit down in a quiet spot and chat about where you foresee yourself going with your sites? Maybe later on today?"

D -  "Sure. That would be fine. I think I'd like that. I'm really excited about my websites. So many people seem to like them, and I've even gotten some sponsorship. It is primarily a site for and about riders, but we publish a lot about other aspects of the sport too as well as a ton of humorous stuff. I'm going to walk the courses now so I can live blog on cross country day. You could come a long with - or I can call you when I'm through. Maybe that would be best. Which would you prefer? I could post a poll on the site and let the readers decide."

Me - "Yeah, fine. Your call. Here is my number. I'll wait to hear from you. Good luck - and Go Reporting."

D - "Hahaha. That's funny. Maybe you could write something for CCC?"

I wandered off in mid sentence, but I don't think he noticed because at the same time, one of his mobile phones rang while another text-chirped, and he had to do some serious gizmo juggling to deal with them. I was feeling both overwhelmed and exhausted by the energy and pure passion I'd been in the presence of and decided to head for some peace and quiet. What I most needed was a dark, stimulus free environment where I could try to make some sense of it all. Maybe a padded cell? There is little doubt that Dug has made a positive impact on the eventing population and on me, but at the rate he's going, I wonder if he has the energy to keep up with what he's undertaken. I hope so! He is indeed multi-faceted with I suspect a sensitive side in there somewhere, and that makes him interesting. I hope I get my interview later on.

Perhaps switching to decaf would help smooth out his day to day operation?
----

*Note: this video might help clarify a couple of the movie references

After heckling me all weekend in the comment section for not giving Courageous Comet enough attention, Katie Lindsay--event organizer and one of EN's favorite guest writers--came through in a big way by writing her favorite things about the WEGs.  As an aside, I have asked Katie to write one of her somewhat degrading but entirely hilarious fake interviews about yours truly so we will see what comes of that.  Thanks for writing this Katie and thank you for reading.

The "C" words - 

Canada - I heart underdogs! Shades of the Miracle on Ice in 1980. They weren't supposed to do it, but they did, Determination, focus, talent, lack of Ego. 

Courageous Comet - I am the first to admit that I am totally "barn blind" about this glorious horse. He is everything I love about American Thoroughbreds. He and Becky are just flat out class acts. 

Cool Mountain - Cool is the fitting adjective. Add intelligent, athletic, talented - and oh yes, a Thoroughbred. 

Cross Country Course - Mike E. S. outdid himself. The less experienced riders were able to complete thanks to intelligent black flag options. The top dogs could run for time. As it should be! 

The Costello Crew - What a gorgeous course Mick and his gang built, and what a superb Crash Crew (Yay! More "C's!") he put together. The only green grass amidst the Kentucky Browngrass was on the galloping lanes thanks to Mick's ongoing watering and agravating. 

Janie Atkinson who is the passion behind Rolex and WEG eventing, and for whom so many of us have spent hours and dollars volunteering our service. This was her last hoorah. She leaves a hole in our hearts and huge shoes to fill! 

Jimmy Wofford - If you've not read Jimmy's WEG blog, or anything else he's written, it's a must. "Blackberry Jam," Jimmy? Really?? 

Watching Boyd and Neville all weekend, my admiration is sky high. Here is a rider first time representing a country - a new one at that - riding a really quirky horse with fierce talent and a brain that seems to work like a toy with little balls rolling around that need to be guided into proper holes - and there they were in the top ten with the big guys. Not sure anyone else could have risen to that occasion with such aplomb! Capital I impressive! Boyd for President!  

Absolutely fascinating. I felt as if I'd stumbled into a twisted middle eastern Fairy Tale. The Sheik's tent with chandeliers (and it's pronounced "shake," not "sheek.") The odd trot ups. The science. The GPS on each rider. Those somewhat skanky, lean tough, fit little Arabians and Arabian crosses. The cacophony of languages. 

"Alf," aka Mistral Horjis- (Yep, I know why he's called Alf!) All the attention was given to Edward Gai's Tortilas who is spectacular, but I really preferred Alf! What do I know? 

These folks from the checkpoint guys to the shuttle drivers were invariably cheerful, polite and upbeat - and their feet must have been killing them at the end of their shifts. The lovely guy outside the FEMA village trailer assignment desk who said "We know there are glitches. We are volunteering to make it work - and we will." 

Sam's is the iconic greasy spoon a couple of miles from the Park where everyone eventually goes. The best BLT's in the country and a breakfast concoction called a "Spanky," (eggs on an English muffin smothered in sausage gravy) that'll make you smile - and raise your cholesterol about ten points just by ordering it! 

I add this for what it wasn't! The protocol volunteers received was terrifying. No food, no water except that in a water bottle provided, uniforms, correct creds. Having a back gate pass, I avoided most of the check points, but I did get to watch the bomb sniffing dogs as I chugged by on my golf cart waved on by Kentucky's finest after a cursory glance at my creds that could have sported a picture of Osama Bin Laden for all they were looked at. I did tell one that I'd left my AK 47 at home, and he seemed disappointed. 

Despite a paucity of communication, the organizational decisions by committee that changed hourly, the outrageous prices (two bucks for an order of go? Yikes!), and the budget cutting in weird (to me) places, the great behemoth known as the WEG Eventing phase worked.