Another Fair Hill is in the books! My goal this year was to attend everything. Soak up as much as I could and volunteer as much as I could and just be there. I haven’t started editing pictures, but here are a few to get started…
And I sort of accomplished that and sort of failed.
Much of my volunteer work came before the event with pre-event set up. I was out bright and early Saturday a week ago helping decorate the venue. Moving mums, driving around in gators, watering mums, breaking water tanks in the stabling area (oh, wait, never mind) until the water guy showed us how to work the damn tank, stacking straw cut side up and then, 20 MINUTES LATER, arranging straw (SO WHY DID IT MATTER HOW WE STACKED THE DAMN STRAW), moving chairs, etc. 
Sunday was dressage ring set up. I said last year I wouldn’t do this again so of course I signed up to help and once again I’m OCD enough to be volunteered to make the courts straight… there were two of us left making everything straight after the bulk of the group left because it appeared it was out talent… Oi. Wednesday was merchandise set up and my OCD took over again as I was volunteered to put everything in size order… Is anyone seeing a pattern?
Charlotte Collier & Clifford M (3*)
What I missed was the jogs. I was originally going to volunteer for the jogs, chickened out, then when I went back, the slots were filled. Friday, was Young Event Horse Jumping and jump crew– the best volunteer position EVER. I had the opportunity to eavesdrop on the judges and learn SO MUCH about what they were looking for. And, accidentally voiced my opinion and cast my vote for the safe harbor winner… Can someone PLEASE buy me this horse? I can’t wait to volunteer for YEH next year too. Learned so much!
Celtic King and Charlotte Collier
2*/3* cross county on Saturday was incredible with the exception of a super scary fall in the 2*. I didn’t see the fall, but heard it. Horse was down for a very, VERY long time, brought out the curtains and everything. He trotted the fence before hand and… Despite that, horse and rider were OK.
The rest of the day was a lot of fun and the course was challenging.
V3 Red Thirty Six and Campbell Jourdian (YEH 4 year old)
Sunday was windy and blustery. In the 2*, jumps were blowing over and Master Frisky was held up mid course so that the jump crew could re-assemble a fence that fell over completely. Despite that, he went double clear. Boyd and On Cue went double clear to win when a plank was almost flying into them. In the 3*, 8 in a row went double clear towards the end before the final riders started to have trouble. Then Frankie Thieriot Stutes put in an incredible double clear to win. All in all, another incredible Fair Hill in the books!
Three Chestnuts 
Awesome pictures! Sounds like a fun time. Someday I will make it back to Fair Hill…
Thanks! So many more pictures to come! Haven’t actually edited anything…
me and amanda both have to go back together. I really am sad I missed it. But sarah you and me and NotRolex right??
Yes, I’m in! Let’s make this as affordable as possible! Lol!
so cool you got to do jump crew for the YEH stuff! it was good seeing you there 😉
YEH stuff was so much fun!
i kinda love that it’s really a whole different world. while as a rider i appreciate that eventing is NOT judged on style or technique or whatever over fences, sometimes that can make it a little trickier to really understand what the “ideal” is, or how judges perceive the horse and rider.
That is NUTS about the wind blowing jumps down! And how cool to hear that Boyd has a horse named On Cue – that’s my mare’s name, too.
Also, I loved the YEH stuff last year and would love to attend that again!! So cool that stuff!
I need to put this on my list of places to go. Sounds like a really fun weekend.
Sounds like a wonderful experience! I’m envious:)