Warrenton Hunt Night

[Groro]

Just recovered from yesterday’s Warrenton Hunt Night. Kudos to Tommy Lee and his staff for a fabulous afternoon and evening of entertainment, good footing, interesting jumps and a huge crowd to cheer for each and every round.

I haven’t competed in a couple of years and it has been almost a decade since I’ve done the hunters. My daughter and I actually have a few solid competitors, so we decided to try our luck.

My daughter rode her two eventers in the 18 -39 Field Hunter o/f with a second and third place finish. She rode in the Staff Class and was third. Tommy Lee had us trot a red coat over a rope as one of the obstacles. WHEW!

I rode in the 45 and up Field Hunter O/F and was second behind Betty Oare (who just OWNS the ring at Warrenton), a fourth in the staff class and a second in the Masters class. I think everyone had a great time! I know we did.

[see_u_at_x]

Congratulations, Groro, to you and your daughter! Yesterday was SO fun!!! I went by myself and totally had a blast just watching the rounds and hearing some of the back and forth banter. The highlights for me were:

1. The cute little boy who fell off of his pony during the hunter pairs class - he was so cute! The look that he gave that pony was priceless…I think we’ve all been there. And I cracked up when the announcer said that he exercised “great restraint.” :lol:

2. The kids who won the hunter pairs class were phenomenal. What nice ponies and I loved their turnout! Anyone know what the breeding of the ponies are?

3. This was my first time ever seeing a sidesaddle class, so that was particularly fun for me to watch. So many nice horses and some very talented riders. I especially enjoyed watching Quiet Lass as she trotted around the arena - would love to see her do a dressage test with that trot!

I recall that last year, people on here were raving about Clementine, and now I see why. What an absolutely lovely mare. And SidesaddleRider, I’ve admired Kalliopy from pictures you’ve posted of her before and from your website - it was really nice to see her go in person. There was so much other stuff that I can’t remember right now, but congratulations to EVERYONE for doing such a great job.

P.S., does anyone know how the horse is doing that got kicked in the pairs class? Fingers crossed that he’s doing OK and that it isn’t as bad as it looked or sounded.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

I was there, as was JSwan and WateryGlen. I’m soooo sorry to miss SeeYouAtX and meeting Grogo. I picked your daughter first in the staff class. Hands down. Love the horse. Love the type.
It was sucha great night. One of my 3 favorites of hte year - Va. hound show, Warrenton horse show, and ODH point to point races. Like a container for all my favorite people to be in ONE PLACE at ONE TIME for a fun event. Terrific fun.

[wateryglen]

good night!

Yup, still nursing the hangover sad to say…can’t handle it like I used to…my mistake was the pomegranate martini in the water glass sized cup!!! …:eek::yes::no: but!!!..

Casanova Hunt deserves a humongous big thank you for the big Hospitality Tent food & bar!!! Open to all!!! I bow low to them for doing this as they were celebrating their 100th Anniversary apparently!!! Not all of us have tailgates to hang out at and that provided a place to see everybody and obtain nourishment and fluids!!! :uhoh: :lol::lol::lol: So much fun!!! Getting to see old hunting friends once a year is priceless. Can NOT even imagine those that got up and hunted early the next day. Ben there, done that, but I was much younger!!!

I brought a non hunting barely horsie friend and spent the whole night TRYING to explain it all; try THAT for 6 hours!!! :winkgrin::lol:

I missed HR but did chat up her handsome boyfriend who had lost you to the night and seemed content to talk with us. I liked his hawaiian print shorts and tan…he wears them well!!!
JSwan was awesome IN A DRESS WITH MAKEUP!!! Yowza! It must be Hunt Night!!! She was beeeeeyouteeeefull!!! Terrific to see Tantivy1 and her beau…wish we’d talked more. Sidesaddle Rider showed well; another rider to envy!!

I decided I hate ALL the sidesaddle riders and hope they fall off…:mad:…they were beeeeeyouteeefull!! Clearly the best horses of the night altho’ I lusted after many. When I grow up; I wanna be Penny Denegre, MFH of Middleburg Hunt. She was something to see. The kids who won the pairs class were on perfectly matched black horses and did the whole course side by side. Horses jumped perfectly together like a hunt team…priceless!!!:yes: Entries were inconsistent but better than last year but the weather was the finest Virginia could throw at them. As usual; it ran late. I left before the Corinthian & teams…a victim of “the night”!!! Just don’t have the stamina to do the whole day anymore. It was 12 hours of Hunt night!

Oh my favorite was the staff class! Love it when the whips can’t do a good crack or have a wimpy tally ho! Or a huntsman horse that refuses! But of course…didn’t see ANY of THAT this year!!! :winkgrin::winkgrin:

[SidesaddleRider]

We had, as usual, a great time at Hunt Night.

In addition to Middleburg getting the Reserve Champion Hunt Team, my husband was our star of the evening, winning the overall high point rider award, with his two 1sts from the Hunt Team and Gentleman’s Hack, as well as a 2nd in the Corinthian, 4th in the Pairs, 4th in the warmup, and 8th in his age group.

Penny swept the sidesaddle division, and helped boost our team’s point total by winning the Master’s class, which she entered after we begged her to.

Clementine was her usual wonderful self.

Laura Cotterman got a great picture of our last fence in the Hunt Teams class: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/photo.php?pid=30510460&id=1073720878.

My friend Neely kindly let me borrow her hunt horse for the sidesaddle division this year. It was only my second time on him, as well as only his 2nd time being ridden aside (the first time was the day before for 15 min so I could see how he took to it), -AND- this was only his 4th horse show ever! I was quite happy with our 4th in the hunter hack, and thought we had some good moments in the o/f class.

[JSwan]

As usual, it was fabulous.

I am pea green with envy - the sidesaddle classes were elegant and refined. Lovely ladies.

What the heck happened in the over fences? Did the riders stirrup break or what?

And I hope the other horse is ok - I saw it happen but I couldn’t figure out how the horse was hurt. Bad step? I hope it was a minor injury.

Unfortunately, I could not indulge my hangover. Roosters and pigs went off at 5am.

[VA_Hunter_Aside]

This is only my third year going to Warrenton and the first year I wasn’t riding or grooming. It was more of a chore to put on the tailgate than grooming or riding put together! LOL! I love the Warrenton Horse Show, it’s so much fun and Hunt Night is always a blast!

SidesaddleRider you did a fabulous job on that horse in the sidesaddle! As we watched you go around MyGiantPony was telling me that it was only the second time aside for him. I was amazed.

I was disappointed in the number of entries though! Last two years the sidesaddle classes were much larger! Was it like that at Upperville too?

Watching the sidesaddle strengthened my resolve to find a sidesaddle that fits me and Holly this year! I don’t want to sit it out next year!!!

I loved the pairs class! I’ve never really been able to watch it before this year. The little boy on the roan pony was TOO cute! We stayed until the Corinthian was underway and then we packed it in. I had the luxury of spending yesterday recovering, but now I am regretting that I was such a couch potato!

[SidesaddleRider]

@JSwan;4360863

As usual, it was fabulous.

I am pea green with envy - the sidesaddle classes were elegant and refined. Lovely ladies.

What the heck happened in the over fences? Did the riders stirrup break or what?

And I hope the other horse is ok - I saw it happen but I couldn’t figure out how the horse was hurt. Bad step? I hope it was a minor injury.

The leaping head bolt on Erica’s sidesaddle snapped where it screws into the tree. There is probably a fault in the metal in order to allow that to happen. Hopefully the maker will repair the saddle at no cost (it is a newer made English sidesaddle).

In the pairs class, when the horses jumped the single oxer together, the other horse kicked out on landing and nailed the other one in his right front leg. It was VERY loud and VERY hard. I do know he was dead lame right afterwards, but have no idea if he worked out of it or not.

[quote=VA_Hunter_Aside;4360973]I was disappointed in the number of entries though! Last two years the sidesaddle classes were much larger! Was it like that at Upperville too?
[/quote]

It’s a combination of the economy bringing down entries everywhere this year (including Upperville and Devon), and people having either sold horses or having horses on the injured list. Sometimes it just happens that way. I’m sure it will be larger next year.

[florida_foxhunter]

Hey, Devon…your PINTO looks great in that team photo. Good for you! I"m so jealous…I would still LOVE to attend Warrenton’s Hunt Night. I did get a team up from Live Oak to go to Aiken this weekend (Hunt Night which was held at NOON). It was great fun, but just an “infant” compared to Warrenton. Fortunately (or unfortunately) it is about half the distance for us to get there from FL!!
I know everyone had fun and was soooo good!
One day…mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

IS THERE ANYPLACE TO SEE THE RESULTS ON LINE? I’d be fun to see whom all I know from my Hunt Week visits!

[SidesaddleRider]

Thanks, Patti! Kali is a very nice mare. Jordan got some good pictures of her, including this one: http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?evgroupid=0&userid=Jordankoepke&gallery_id=1752617&image_id=19&pos=20. Good form is not a problem for her!

You can find the results on www.horseshowsonline.com, although they closed the show office before the last class was over, so they don’t have the hunt team results or individual awards updated on it.