Rocking Horse Kicks Off Event Season

With 429 entries in their first Horse Trials of the season Rocking Horse Farm in Altoona, FL was a hive of activity from February 6-8, 2004. Friday was dressage day and high temperatures kept most of the horses that are fresh at the start of the season from getting too frisky. Saturday things cooled down for Intermediate and Preliminary cross-country and Novice and Training level show jumping. On Sunday the division switched as the lower levels headed out on course-builder Morgan Rowsell’s newly redesigned cross-country course and the upper levels came into the arena for the final showdown.

Riding several horses, Karen O’Connor walked away with two first place ribbons in Intermediate divisions A and C riding Bally Mar and Grand Slam, respectively. Husband David O’Connor didn’t make the top placings but was satisfied with the performances of his less experienced horses, especially as he still has a pin in his ankle from a fall at the Fair Hill CCI*** last fall.

Gearing up for the Olympic Year, the event played host to a number of top event riders: Bruce and Buck Davidson, Darren Chiacchia, Ralph Hill, Mike Huber, and a long list of notables of the sport. The courses were kept toned down to give horses and riders a good experience at the start of the season, and emergency vehicles moved only once during the event when Mary Emily Morgan had a fall and was taken to the hospital, released later that day.

Activity resumes at Rocking Horse on February 24th with a one day Intermediate and Advanced horse trials and again on the weekend of February 28th, when all of the event’s sponsors, including Phelps Hathaway Inc., producers of HorsesDaily.com, will be in attendance.