4 Quirky Sightings at a Horse Show (Del Mar $100,000 Grand Prix)

Last Saturday night I drove down to San Diego and met up with blogging buddy Carey from Me Jump Pretty One Day. Several weeks ago she texted me with the brilliant idea of going to the Del Mar $100,000 Grand Prix and asked if I wanted to join her.

My answer: “Yes!”

So I joined Carey and one of her friends to take in the action of the Del Mar $100,000 Grand Prix.  To my surprise the show was at the Del Mar Race Track. I had heard that several decades ago race tracks used to host horse shows frequently, but I’ve never known of any to do that, thus I had a hard time picturing the Del Mar $100,000 Grand Prix at a race track. It did not disappoint.

I’ve buzzed past Del Mar on the 5 Freeway many a time en route to San Diego and had never had an occasion to go, so this was a perfect time and occasion. After the high of experiencing Rolex the weekend before, this was a great event to gently wind down my horsey high.

1. A Lego jump. 

All the horses cleared this one with ease. No Legos were harmed in the jumping of the fence.

I couldn’t see the sign from my seat, but I’m guessing Legoland was the sponsor.

2. The Speed Challenge class literally took place in two arenas at once!

I have no photos for this one, but when we entered the arena there was a horse on course galloping over a series of jumps and then it kept galloping, out the in gate, and then left the arena still at a gallop! I was shocked and Carey explained that was part of the class. There was a large screen in the middle of the ceiling and it showed the horse continuing to jump fences in an outdoor arena. After running around out there it zoomed back into the indoor where the spectators were watching and finished off the course.

I don’t know why, but I found that highly entertaining/hilarious. I can’t remember six-eight fences in a row without drawing a blank. Not sure how the riders could keep that course straight in their heads!

Indoor, outdoor, indoor, fin!

3. Panorama drama!

I met a nice man at Rolex who was there doing photography on behalf of Horse and Hound (cue Hugh Grant’s press conference scene from Notting Hill). He showed me how to use the panorama mode on my Samsung and took at lovely panoramic shot of Rolex Stadium. I tried transferring my new skillz and ended up with this photographic gem.

Caution: panorama mode on your cell phone might not be best for show jumping.

Notice I have the horse on course in three separate parts of the arena. Look far right where Jonkheer Z (click here for a photo that does this gorgeous stallion justice ) is landing over Fence 3, front and center where his leg and/or tail is front and center, and far left where I have a sequence landing the butterfly fence on approach to the bicycle fence (about a dozen of ’em).

A bit of a better view of the 17. 1 Zangersheide stallion and the bicycle.

4. Jumper turns Race Horse (in less than one minute!)

So a cute gray and her rider had a little mishap and the rider came off. This was during the outdoor jumping segment of the speed round. (The rider seemed fine–thank goodness). The mare scampered over to the side of the outdoor arena and stood by what looked like a hedge and the fence that runs the perimeter of the race track. We were all watching this on the big screen (see above picture).

The horse awkwardly jumped the race track fence from essentially a stand still and then took off galloping down the race track!

Lol. Lady Sparkle in Del Mar speed challenge lost her rider, jumped out of jumping ring into the track & galloped off. Rider is ok.

— Susan FriedlandSmith (@susanwordlover) May 3, 2015

I have heard of many ex-racehorses becoming jumpers, but never once the other way around. The next rider came in to jump the course and I seriously was bummed that the video feed switched from the racing jumper back to the new competitor. There was a large opening at the in gate and so I was following the horse-catching proceedings in real time even though they were so far away they looked like specks.

In the end they caught the horse and I saw several golf carts and maybe even a tractor or two whose drivers aided in the recovery effort.

Another highlight was my falafel burger which I’ve never heard of as a food choice at a horse show before (delicious). And, of course, SoCal rider Richard Spooner winning the Grand Prix. In the jump off he made the tightest inside turn on landing which set him up to approach a one-stride combo at a slight angle. I don’t know how he pulled it off and the rails stayed up. But his nickname isn’t Master of Faster for nothing.

It was a jolly good time. Thanks, Carey for setting it all up. And if any of you will be in SoCal next year around this time, let’s all go together!

Comments: What’s the quirkiest thing you’ve experienced at a show either as a spectator or participant?

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