Disclaimer: This Series is the fifth and final article of a special edition. Because of the length of our experience the post has been broken into several smaller posts. For the full recap I recommend starting with:
- Classic: Our Journey to The Waredaca Classic Three Day Event DAY 1
- Classic: Day 2 & Officially Kicking Off the Waredaca Classic Three Day Event
- Classic: Day 3 & Two Thoroughbreds and a Fell Pony at Waredaca Classic Three Day Event
- Classic: Day 4 & Endurance Day at Waredaca Classic Three Day Event
The positive thing about having been eliminated Saturday is we got to sleep in Sunday.
We didn’t have to rush to get Tiger fed and walked. We didn’t have to rush to get his poulticed legs washed off and have him sparkling in time for the final horse inspections.
We could get up when we felt like it and make our way there on our own terms. We aren’t people who sleep in particularly late so we were up early, just not 4 or 5am early.
We agreed it seemed fair to Tiger that we leave Sunday instead of making him spend a night alone in an empty barn. We packed up our things and loaded the trucks. The three bedroom AirBnB was lovely. The beds were comfy, it wasn’t too noisy. We had a lovely stay. We said goodbye and drove away, making our way towards Waredaca.
We took care of Tiger first. I didn’t bother with cleaning the stall since I’d be stripping it later. We got him walked and fed and fresh hay. We took a moment to admire the steeplechase jump…it was quite large by our own weenie standards and to think they gallop over this no problem.
As the curious self-taught woodworker I am I naturally studied the structure for tips on how to make similar jumps someday.
We then had some time so we walked over to the jogs to watch the final horse inspections. As we watched the horses jog Nick and Suzie’s mom had the dogs and enjoyed some leisure time.
We had an idea that we’d love to be able to school Tiger in hand on the bank he had refused earlier. I asked around and was direct to Gretchen. They were running Training, Modified, and Preliminary horse trials Sunday…but cross country wasn’t slated to start until after noon. It was 9am. I saw Gretchen and asked about the possibility. To my surprise she agreed!
I decided to volunteer for an hour or so, but Suzie, Nick, and her mom took Tiger out to the field and let him have a look at the bank.
It was big!
I didn’t personally see it but based on the photos I’d have to estimate it being a solid 18-20″ drop.
I don’t know that Area 1 has any banks at beginner novice level with a down bank (or a down-bank of this size). At least none that we have been to. Tiger took twenty minutes before he could be convinced to drop down to his imminent death. He survived it and Suzie encouraged him to do it three more times.
We were beyond grateful that we were able to turn his refusal into something positive and productive. We’d be leaving with him having learned something. We were also leaving with confidence that there was no way they would have gotten down the bank mounted that day and no amount of fighting would have helped it; he was simply unsure about it. Now they have some homework to do to get his confidence up.
I volunteered for about an hour, helping the organizers move decorations from the jog strip to create a beautiful picture display area outside of the stadium ring. Participants were able to visit this display for a photo with their rosettes.
We decided to stay for the duration of the beginner novice division. We wanted to see the results. Of a division starting with 34 combinations, 25 made it to completion.
We cheered new friends on as they completed their rounds.
The award ceremony was wonderful. They announced the winners but also gave prizes for sportsmanship, Thoroughbred Incentive Program, best turnout, best conditioned. It was truly a celebration of the accomplishments from so many angles. My heart swelled and I didn’t know most of these people.
The winner of the division was the same thoroughbred that led all week: Riley…ridden by Brielle Rainsberg and owned by Kate Chadderton. They ended on their dressage score of a very nice 24.9. Following on their heels was the fell pony Kimberlake Jophiel and his owner Molly Smith ending on their dressage score of 25.1.
The division concluded with 25 finishers of 34 who started on Thursday’s initial jog. Three pairs had technical eliminations on endurance day. Two pairs (including Suzie and Tiger) were eliminated on endurance day. One pair did not present for final inspection and another withdrew at the same inspection. One pair retired at stadium fence 4 with 2 refusals and another rider fell at stadium fence 2.
We went back to the truck and picked up the trailer which was sitting in an adjacent field on the property. Tiger went for a walk while I scraped out his stall and dumped the shavings into the manure pile. We loaded all of the gear and before long we loaded Tiger.
It was time to go home. We pulled out of Waredaca around 1pm and headed north.
Our pulled into the barn driveway around 9pm, no worse for wear. We unloaded Tiger and let him mellow in his stall while we unpacked our own gear, cleaned out the shavings, and settled back in.
Waredaca Classic Three Day was an adventure to remember. It was better than the American Eventing Championships by far (Ammies at AECs…Part 1, Ammies at AECs…Part 2. Ammies at AECs…Part 3). Unlike the championships Waredaca is a competition with a clinic/educational twist. It’s designed promote the classic and help the riders achieve their goals.
I love what this group has done. Gretchen and her team has put this program on for the past 21 years and their love for it shows in every detail. The program was designed to be preservation of the long format and focused on horsemanship regardless of someone’s role in the program. I got so much education out of this trip as an enthusiast and groom. I was able to learn from judges, vets, course designers, and professional athletes. Each and every official was warm and approachable and there to help. If they didn’t have an answer it was their mission to help you find it.
I am deeply encouraged by the horse focus of this program. The vet had his eyes on these horses multiple times throughout the weekend. When you first arrive. Before competition. During endurance a couple times. The morning after endurance.
The talks and presentations were timely and focused on helping riders and their team have as successful weekend as possible.
I have heard many opinions on a classic three day long format but what I saw was a competition that every eventer should be a part of. The horses were fit. In order to compete at this level they HAVE to be fit. The vetting is better than I’ve seen at any other competition. The environment was upbeat, lively, and fun.
Of the voices against long format I interpret their opinions as being among the upper level riders. Perhaps the long format IS too much for the upper levels but for preliminary and below it is truly remarkable.
You can’t beat the weather we had either. It was high 50s and dry. The foliage was nice. It was chilly but not TOO cold. It was definitely not too hot. I can imagine how miserable it could be if we had been rained on but we got lucky once again.
Next year I am planning on sponsoring this show as Wahbee’s Woodworking. Suzanne is already planning her return with Tiger to conquer the drop!
THANK YOU for getting through this Classic Series with me. I had so much to unpack and yet I still feel like I could gush on and on even more about our experience.
THANK YOU to the organizers and volunteers of this event. I hope this tradition carries on for years to come. It was truly an inspiring and educational program that we need more of!
If you’d like to learn more about Waredaca’s Classic Three Day Event, please visit: https://waredaca.com/main-menu-page/competitions/classic-three-day-event/
The Green Horseman 
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