Interview with Rolex Competitor Barb Crabo

This month’s issue of Sidelines magazine published my feature on Rolex competitor Barb Crabo of Arizona and her horse Eveready who have been a team for sixteen years, since the day he was foaled.

Here are a few excerpts from the article followed by a link where you can my California Hoofbeats column in its entirety (and see cross country pictures!). If you like, share with others! Thanks for reading.

Teen Public Transportation Commuter (to the Barn)

When the high school bell rang signaling the end of the day, a young Barb Crabo, backpack in tow, bolted from the classroom and sprinted across the sports field where a bus driver was keeping an eye out for her. If he saw her running, he’d wait for the budding equestrian whose dash across the green field was perhaps a foreshadowing of her future career as a three-day eventer. . . After changing bus lines and traveling a total of about 25 miles, the final destination for the Northern California teenager was a horse farm.

I got to meet Barb in person at Rolex after first interviewing her and hearing her and Eveready’s amazing story via phone.

First Horse

Barb’s first eventer was a 15.1-hand leopard Appaloosa with the show name Modern Art. ‘He was such a fancy mover so people thought he was a Warmblood.’  The onlookers would never have guessed that he was a Quarter Horse/Appy cross.

From Cross Country Runaway to Galway Downs International 3* Winner

The dark bay gelding out of a Thoroughbred dam and Swedish Warmblood sire was born challenging. ‘He has always been exhilarating and fun, but he’d charge around the course as fast as he possibly could — he used to be quite the runaway on cross-country.’ Only in the last three to four years has Barb felt like the now 16-year-old Eveready has been a pleasure to ride.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

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