Sunday, October 12, 2004

Debi Crowley and Mighty Mite Persevere to Win the 2003 Radnor Hunt International Three Day Event

A Full Time Job and a Full Time Sport

While Crowley is fortunate to have a good relationship with her full time employer who is as flexible as possible to accommodate her time consuming training and competition schedule, her time away from work is without pay. Also, at this point, sponsorship is currently non-existent. With her eye towards moving up to advanced, there is always the possibility that she may need to sell her new champion, in order to focus on bringing along another young talent she currently has in her barn. "This sport is so expensive," lamented Crowley, "and it is always an option I need to regretfully consider."

But for now, the reality of the biggest win of her life, her first ever Radnor experience, is sinking in. The $4,500 check in prize money was a real shock, as her husband Kevin opened the envelope at the press conference. By Sunday afternoon Crowley was getting the hang of her media duties, as her groom took Mighty Mite back to the barn so she could speak with the members of the press, right after her victory gallop.

She got a scolding from Jim Graham when she failed to appear Saturday, after the obligatory cross country media interviews, but with good cause. With just one groom, her primary concern was for the care of "Beau" (Mighty Mite's barn name), and it was her her horse who needed her the most. Fortunately, her win on Sunday gave her the opportunity to catch up with her media obligations, as a new American star entered the eventing galaxy.