Small but Mighty

The University of Louisville's Saddle Seat team may have had a small team this year, but they didn't let that affect them at the Intercollegiate Saddle Seat Riding Association championships. The team not only put hours into practicing equitation and drilling patterns, but spent a great deal of time planning for the show to host it. On April 4th, UofL's team packed up everything and headed to the Kentucky Horse Park. They brought home more than just horses and equipment though. A sense of pride came back with them as well.

Graduating riders, Kristen Smith and Jenny McGowan (a medical school student), finished first and second respectively in the open rail class to kick off the show and Christine Oser placed second in open limit rail. These three later showed in the open/open limit pattern class where Christine placed first, Kristen third, and Jenny fourth. Riders Tori Gray and Emily Robinson competed in the novice rail and novice pattern classes. Tori won both classes, making her senior high point rider of the show. Emily finished a strong third and second in the same classes. Alex Sowell, showing in the advanced rail and pattern classes, finished first and third. To top things off, their coach, Deveau Zubrod Kreitzer, won the coaches class with ease.

After points were calculated, UofL's team picked up several year-end awards. To add to her senior high point win of the day, Tori also won reserve senior rider of the year and reserve novice rider of the year. Jenny was the open/open limit high point rider of the year and Christine was right behind her in reserve. Alex finished as high point rider for the advance division. UofL's team also showed well enough to be the reserve high point team of the show, despite only having six riders.

UofL’s team improved greatly throughout the year. Every rider finished with at least one second or first at the championship show. The team may have been small, but they certainly were mighty. Not only did they have strong rides, but they had a strong team spirit. It will be hard to replicate another team as special as this one.

The two Zubrod boys I showed, Colty and Archie.

Tori after her first win with Darcy.

Jenny, Alex, Emily sharing some pizza with Zubrod boys Archie, Oscar, and Colty.

Jenny and Butch.

Emily and Liza.

UofL's Saddle Seat team: Jenny, Christine (me), Alex, Emily, Tori, Kristen, and coach Deveau.

My pattern win with Colty.

Carpe Diem - Seize the Day

After two days of pouring rain in Kentucky, I had the pleasure of going to Keeneland for Blue Grass Stakes Day on April 4. The sun had come out and the track had dried up enough to be labeled fast. Five of the day’s races were stakes, each of them graded.

While there were plenty of good races with several good horses, the spotlight of the day was the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI).

Carpe Diem went off as the 2-5 favorite in this Derby prep race, and he certainly did deliver. The chestnut colt broke from gate 5 and set right off the pace of early leader, Ocho Ocho Ocho, who set fractions of :24.15, :48.05, and 1:12.18. Carpe Diem looked like he wanted to go in front on the back stretch, racing nose to nose with Ocho Ocho Ocho, before his jockey, John Velazquez, set him back.

As the field turned for home and the crowd’s volume rose, Carpe Diem raced to the lead. He pulled away and won the mile and an eighth by three lengths with a time of 1:49.77. Danzig Moon rallied for second, with Ocho Ocho Ocho two and half lengths behind in third.

The son of Giant’s Causeway and Rebridled Dreams (by Unbridled’s Song) gained 100 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby, where he will make his next appearance for owners WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stables. He now has 164 points and sits in third on the leaderboard, right between Dortmund and American Pharoah, who appear to be his biggest competition. Under the direction of Todd Pletcher, Carpe Diem will meet these two for the first time on May 2 when the gates open up at Churchill Downs.

Though there are other great colts heading into the run for the roses, Carpe Diem has something about him that just exuberates class. Maybe it’s the handsome build, the look in his eye, the arched neck, or the way he moves. This strong colt may have tough competition coming up, but he is in a class all of his own. It is of no coincidence that this colt received the name he did.

Carpe Diem – seize the day.