Go Becky Holder!
True confession here – I’m not big into eventing. I know it’s intense and hard and a huge adrenaline rush, but it’s not really a sport for me. I can’t get over how terrifying cross country looks, and I’m not a big fan of watching eventing dressage or show jumping. That being said, everyone has Rolex fever right now… and I certainly have my favorite pair to win.
Why I want Becky Holder & Can’t Fire Me to take it all!
- She rides OTTBs! Can’t Fire Me and Courageous Comet are both OTTBs (I’m sure she has others, but you’d have to ask someone that knows more about eventing than I do)
- She trains in North Carolina – my home state, which means she has great taste in both horses and living areas
- She’s not a size 2. I would never call Becky a plus sized rider, but she reminds me that not everyone who is successful in horses has to have skinny legs a mile long and moonlight as an American Apparel model.
- She’s a great clinician. I don’t know this first hand, but enjoyed reading The Becky Diaries at Team Flying Solo where I picked up a lot of good information.
Last reason? Just watch their dressage round… how could you not want them to win?
Becky is obviously my pick for Rolex Fevah 2013… but who do you want to win?
19 thoughts on “Go Becky Holder!”
LOVE Becky Holder and Can’t Fire Me.
As an aside story on the scary solid XC jumps: The future husband has said to me on several occasions, “Can Dandy go that big?” and I’ve said I totally believe he could with the right rider. “Well why can’t that be you?” My response has always been that when schooling xc, although I’m not ready to go over them, I feel confident that I could go over prelim jumps one day. But I start looking at those advanced size jumps and there’s no way. The boy didn’t get it. Then I showed him some pictures that my new trainer had taken of her standing in front or on some of the Rolex jumps and show them to him, and he goes “Oh. Got it.” Lol.
I’ve seen pictures of Rolex for years, and of course I’d seen/heard how big the fences are, but when I visited in person and stood next to them, it was a whole new level of appreciation for those horses and riders!
I’ve never been to one up close. I think that would really blow up my brain. Cannot … compute… the giantness!
I love eventing! I trained for it for years, but it never worked out, unfortunately. I could never do anything major, though – I’m terrified of big jumps! lol
My version of eventing is popping over logs at a trot on a trail ride 🙂
My pick is Alexandra Knowles on Last Call – from KY and my husband got to meet her recently…he was checking out barns to board our horses with when we move there in June 🙂 Go everyone from USA!
I agree, would love for someone in the US to win!
Hawley and Gin and Juice! I’m biased though 😛
I’m kinda partial to Becky myself. 🙂
As one of those crazy eventer types, those Advanced fences scare me – but I’ve only ever jumped Prelim, and that was yeeeears ago. I will say that it’s all about your horse – when I started, I never imagined going over a Prelim jump, but when we were ready for it, I KNEW we could do it. It was a fun challenge, not a terrifying “OMG WE’RE GONNA DIEEEE” moment. And besides, the amount of hang time you get over a fence that big is AWESOME!!!
I love Becky Holder! I am also rooting for Jessica Phoenix and Exponential. I also love love love eventing. It’s what I grew up in, and I might get back there someday if I have a horse who wants to go. I think Lex could do it, we’ll see. The biggest thing for me is having the time to keep the horses as fit as they need to be to make it work.
Lex could definitely do it!
😀
I think so too. She is BRAVE.
I am all for Jan Bynny! She is so cool, very sweet, and I love her story. She and my trainer are really good friends so she comes to clinic a few times a year at our farm. I am hoping that next time I can get a lesson. After that naturally my dream guy – Boyd Martin. Becky Holder is awesome though – her horse is LOVELY! I kind of like the idea of a rookie winning as well. Caitlin Silliman for instance! 🙂
I would really love an American win this year and there are so many really great people to choose from. Becky Holder goes without saying and Alexandra Knowles would be awesome. Samantha Clark has been doing an interview series with Allie and she just seems like a really nice gal and what an amazing dressage test they put in! Caitlin Siliman and Hoku would be a wonderful win, too. If not an American I think Mary King is a really class act. The thing I love about eventing is that even while I would really want an American win I find myself cheering for whoever is on course.
Well CRAP. She was doing great and then she crashed. UGHHHH I am swearing up a storm over here. 🙁
I know! I just turned it on to watch and was like oh nooooooooo
I LOVE watching her ride those boys, she does an amazing job! I was SO sad for her today. She was having such a solid round and it had to be right at the end. I would love to ride under her some day!
I know! I was sad they had to pull up in dressage 🙁 I saw them going half-way around and she just didn’t have a horse left. I’m not sure her exact reasons for pulling up, but I’m glad she puts her horse first and realized he just couldn’t do it.
Eventing is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea… I use to admire from afar and think “dressage is sooo boring” and “those cross country fences are terrifying!!”… but then I started to learn dressage and how complicated it was and was hooked (give me any challenge and I’ll accept) and did my first cross country school and was exhilarated. Slowly, the fences started to look smaller and smaller… I honestly went to Rolex and saw the fences first-hand and thought, geez, these aren’t so bad… Wiz and I could totally do this! Which is definitely a first 🙂 Two years ago, two foot fences TERRIFIED me!!! But it was amazing to get to see the pros going around in the flesh 😀
Oh, I didn’t know she had a fall, just saw that 🙁 We were trying to keep up with it as best as we could on the grounds but it was difficult! You couldn’t hear everything. And there was no internet service. And yesterday I slept in and studied all day lol. But she definitely didn’t have a horse half way through, so I’m sure that didn’t help the fall :\ It was a tough course endurance wise! Just hope she and her boy are okay!