RIDERS
It Happens! We all make mistakes. But horse people, as a group, aren’t always the best at handling them. So TPH reached out to some top riders to share their own show ring bloopers to prove, once and for all, that mistakes really do happen to the best of us!
Hear more It Happens moments on the #Plaidcast at theplaidhorse.com/listen
106
THE PLAID HORSE
PHOEBE WESELEY
RYDER RICHARDSON
The stakes were high for me one day at Harrisburg in 2010. I had spent the last five years competing feverishly in Adult Hunter Classics, and at year’s end in the finals for NAL at Harrisburg and WIHS. That day I had gotten an 87 in the first round with my wonderful horse Just Ask Me, and went back last in the second round as that was the high score. I really wanted to win. My trainer at the time, Patty Foster, told me to go into the ring on the diagonal towards the ring crew who were hanging over the rail waiting to take the course down, so that my horse Justin would see them at the rail and not be startled. I told her adamantly no, and that my horse wasn’t spooky—he never had been—and that I would go in left and head directly to the rail. When I got to the rail and picked up my canter, Justin spooked big time. Never spooked before or ever again, but needless to say, I didn’t win that day. I was very sheepish and crestfallen when I had to walk out of the ring and over to Patty. But we did win the WIHS Adult Hunter Finals two weeks later.”
I came to the horse show after one of my lacrosse games. As usual, I was running late and thought I was very organized. I had packed my show attire and picked a colorful tie. Cory, the most efficient starter in the history of horse shows, had sped through the rounds and my class was going earlier than expected. I got dressed and realized that I had packed one of my “little kid” ties (the ones that I wore when I was seven years old). It was about 8 inches long and had a zipper that was unbearably tight on my neck. It looked ridiculous. I stressed for 2.5 minutes than realized it was go-time. When I was in the ring, the tie kept flying into my mouth and choking me. It had a mind of its own. The pictures from that day are hilarious, too—the little ridiculous tie and the lacrosse paint on my face made me look like a little clown.”
December 2023/January 2024
PHOTO: CAPTURED MOMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY (RICHARDSON)
