Featured Rider - Kelly Prather

Kelly Prather (Part 2 of a 4 Part Series)

Well, we’re now in prep mode for Rolex! Exciting! The shows are scheduled and the gallops are planned.  As predicted the rain has come and it is supposed to keep coming, so that driveway I thought I knew so well I now know even better.  As a result of all the rain it is too wet out in our pastures to do our gallops, because of this, Pippa has yet to visit her herd of cows and have a drink with the calves this year, but we say “hi” as we trot by them on the driveway. So out to Doran Beach we go, which is a 45 minute trailer ride from the barn and five minutes away from my house, Pippa’s weekend home. After her gallop sets we walk knee deep in the ocean which has the same effect as using ice boots, which is very convenient and saves me a lot of time. We school on the flat a couple of days a week working to squeak every last point out of her dressage test at Rolex. We also do a jump school once a week.  We usually do a lot of gymnastic lines to keep my eye sharp and Pippa’s feet moving. She has a great jump so we work on straightness and organization in difficult lines.  I get to jump  3 or 4 other horses a day out of the 10 to 12 that I ride, to keep me tuned up for the princess.  This really helps to keep me on my toes.

As well as riding all day, for my own fitness I’ve started to rotate between running and biking 4 days a week for 25 minutes, I also have a Pilates trainer that I work with once a week. I am not sure where I am going on that stationary bike or the elliptical machine but I am getting there quickly in the warmth of my house and in front of the TV. I can tell a difference in my fitness level from when I started. In doing this my goal is to be able to help her all throughout the course and not suffer from fatigue.  I plan to have plenty of air left when Pippa and I cross that finish line at Rolex.

We went to Galway Downs in Temecula, CA for a fundraiser clinic where we were lucky enough to have a couple private show jump and cross country lessons with Ian Stark.  He was fabulous, and very fun to ride with.  I learned a lot and got some good tips on my cross-country riding.  The best part was how amazing Pippa felt I was so pleased with how well she jumped; she had not been on a cross country course since the mud and cold in Fair Hill. We were both excited to be out on course and didn’t stop smiling for days. I also just had the opportunity to ride with Jo Young in a dressage clinic at our barn for three days this past weekend. We worked with Jo last year at this time, so it was exciting to show Jo the difference in Pippa’s development. She has gained so much strength that is making the dressage much easier for her. Jo was pleased and pushed us hard to continue our work.

We just returned from an outing to Fresno where we had a little cross country school and a good gallop set to prepare us for 3 Day Ranch, March 13&14. After 3-Day Ranch we will head back down to Southern California for the CIC 3* at Galway Downs, March 26-28. This will be our last outing before heading to Rolex.  We have found that Pippa prefers to run fresh so we are careful not to overdo our preparations for the “big” moment.

The excitement is building and with a great team behind me I will continue moving forward one step at a time. Pippa and I feel tuned up and ready to tackle the next 8 weeks on our Road to Rolex.