aw thanks!! well, I was about 15 in that photo 
truth be told, I’m back eventing after 37 years and loving it!
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Whaaaaaaat?
Not that any of my trainer’s horses go in a martingale and I haven’t had to worry about replacing a stopper since 1990-something.
I think I’ve gotten used to it but every so often I think, “God**m, this horse looks naked.”
Same! But not the backing part. Lol.
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Question about outside courses: how many jumps were out there in order to accommodate heights for ponies, horses, green divisions, etc.? Or were they able to add/remove filler or rails in order to accommodate height changes?
Where was this picture taken? Is that Caumsett Farm? I ask because I recognize the photographer’s mark - Terri Miller.
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The ones I remember had high and low sides for the most part.
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Probably Flora Lea in NJ. 1984
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Couldn’t agree more, a 5 footer here! I don’t remember there being many mounting blocks around in those days, a fence if you’re lucky!
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In my day, typically (for each “jump”) 3 fences next to each other, 2’6", 3’, 3’6".
If they had 2nd year green and “open”, there would be 2 more, 3’9" and 4’, and I guess one more after they introduced medium ponies. But most of the shows I went to didn’t do that, and AO jumped the same fences as Jrs, so they just had 3.
This picture shows 2 fences side by side, because they were partially adjustable.
In this case my horse had actually “run out”, jumping the “pony” side instead of the “horse” side. Hence the death grip on the right rein. But it wasn’t obvious from the judges location, and we actually got 3rd place. It also shows
- No saddlepad
- Boots with flat tops (the boot strap is there but hard to see)
- Elastic on hunt cap
- Contrasting choker
- Non stretch breeches
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I remember rub classes in jumpers and when refusals were 3 faults.
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They’ve never NOT had technology!
When I started doing my own repro work, ultrasounding, breeding and preg checks; Brian absolutely insisted that I learn to palp pregnancy’s in addition to the ultrasound. It’s such a valuable resource - I’ve palped mares in the field before 
.
The more you know!
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I’ll see your strapped jodhpur boots (mine are black) and raise you. I have a black pair of elastic-sided joddy boots that my mother bought me for my 6th birthday “big enough for you to grow in to”. Many years later (and now many years ago) I took them in to be re-heeled and the Cobbler nearly fell to the floor in worship saying “Original Chelsea Beatles boots!”.
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@Janet - what a fabulous shot! 
That really takes me back in time – I remember those outside courses - and of course all of the “turnout” of the day.
What a lovely horse! Is he a palomino?
I was told that the first two billets were sewn to one piece of canvas and the third to a different one, so the idea was, if you buckled your girth to the first two, and the canvas broke, you’d be SOL.
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And only blues counted for points.
Thank you. ETA that my father was the photographer.
Yes, Rocket (full name Golden Rocket) was a palomino. He was by a buckskin Quarter Horse named “Rebel” out of a chestnut TB named “Sunny” .Those were their barn names. I used to know their registered names as well, but have forgotten them. He was born about 1955, which is why I was aware (as stated in the post above) that the QH registry didn’t “close” until 1962. (So Rebel qualified for registration as a QH based on “conformation and performance”, not just bloodlines.) He was a VERY well trained school horse from Sunnyfield Farm in Bedford NY.
Buying him was the STRANGEST purchase process ever. At the time it seemed a little unconventional, but after many decades riding I have never again seen anything like it.
It is all described in this old (2004) post (it is post number 120 on the thread)
If the link doesn’t work for you, let me know, and I will cut and paste the (rather long) post.
One update- in that post I said that I was told that Mike Page had trained him. He remembered riding him, but didn’t think he had trained him. I have since found out that the primary person to train him was Denis Glaccum - now best known for his connection with the Plantation Fields and Fair Hill HT, but then a member of the US 3-Day-Event team.
ETA, here is a color picture of him
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I was competing at Flora Lea back then. I had ridden hunters up until my early 20s and then discovered eventing. What fun!
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I remember Mike well. He was based at The Hill, back before it was Old Salem (and before it became fancy). Went to several shows at Sunnyfield back in the day.
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I knew it when it was Salem View, before it was The Hill. We had Pony Club lessons there.
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I had jodhpurs boots (purchased from Harry Hall in London, UK) in the 1960s that had stretch patches on the sides. No laces or zipper and no straps.
