For Minge Wiseman, there’s nothing better than galloping over steeplechase fences with her Thoroughbred Paychecker. There are few three-day events that still offer the long-format three-day schedule for those who enjoy the rush involved with a full endurance day, but luckily for the Blythewood, S.C., there’s one not too far from home.

Southern 8ths Farm in Chesterfield, S.C., held its second annual Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day on April 30 to May 3, which boasts a long-format three-day for beginner novice through training level.

“What’s fun is the steeplechase because it’s exhilarating!” Wiseman said. “Especially if you’re riding a novice horse, and you get to run and jump big fences! It’s great fun, and you don’t get to feel that on an everyday basis.”

It turned into a perfect weekend for Wiseman, who celebrated her 61st birthday alongside her win in the novice division. The pair began their weekend strong with a score of 28.1 in dressage—adding no penalties over the jumping phases for a definitive lead over second-place finishers Sue Goepfert and Donkey Hodie.

Wiseman considers dressage to be a weak point for them—she’s stronger at cross-country, while Paychecker excels in the show jumping ring.

“It seemed to go well for us this weekend,” she joked. “I think most of us eventers, we have to spend a lot of time [practicing dressage]. Sometimes it’s that dressage score that is the defining moment in your placings so I spend much more time in dressage than anything.”

Wiseman was first introduced to the long-format events when she and her previous off-the-track Thoroughbred Mr. Starbucks took home the blue at the Rocking Horse Training Three-Day (Fla.) in 2010.

“Man that just hooked me on that long format! I absolutely loved it,” Wiseman said, her southern accent peeking out as her excitement grew—reminiscing on that feeling she only gets once a year

“Doing the three-day really makes me appreciate what my horse gives back to me,” she said. “The rider is always invested, and I think, for me, that the additional time spent with the horse has helped me become more appreciative of his contribution in the partnership.”

The adult amateur has had 10 off-the-track Thoroughbreds throughout her eventing career—adopting several from the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. Nine years ago, she got a call from Anna Ford, the Thoroughbred program director saying “Minge, we’ve got your next horse.”

With five horses at home already, Wiseman wasn’t in the market for another horse, but she ended up bringing Paychecker to her farm anyway.

The now 12-year-old Thoroughbred (High Yield—Heavenly Dawn, Holy Bull) retired from racing after sustaining a minor injury and rehabbed at New Vocations. While he had all the right qualities to be a good eventer—sweet, quiet and good-natured—there was just one problem.

“It was concerning to him to step over the pole,” Wiseman shared.

Once Paychecker decided he didn’t mind jumping so much, Wiseman steered him towards a career in the hunters. While she didn’t do the hunters herself, he was so fancy she felt he was well suited for the job. But after two years on the market with no promising bites, Wiseman decided it was time for another career path.

“For me he’s a horse of a lifetime just because he suits me. Whether you ride him every day or once a week he’s always the same, and he’s always been that way. That’s just his nature,” she said.

Since she keeps her horses at home, Wiseman enjoys drinking her morning coffee while watching her charges play in the field. She also serves as the vice president for the Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society, which is dedicated to improving the lives of abused, homeless and abandoned animals.

She admitted that quite a few times she’s found herself bringing in needy horses and once their health improves, placing them in homes where they can “thrive and flourish.

“The need is so great—animals can’t speak for themselves; they suffer in silence,” Wiseman said. “I don’t have the personality to sit by and watch it without getting involved. I’m so happy to give back.”

In the meantime, the adult amateur has her sights set on the training level at the Hagyard MidSouth Three-Day (Ky.) and while she’s not sure they’ll be ready for this fall, she plans to give it a go next year, under the tutelage of her trainer Kathy Faulk. 

“I think we need a bit more polishing,” she said. “I would love to be moving up to training towards the end of this year and do the three-day in October next year.”

Other winners this weekend included the veterinarian Kimberly Keeton, who led the training level three-day from start to finish with 29.6 penalties with Evita-Veron, and Emma Boswell who rode Sprite to the top of the leaderboard in the beginner novice with 33.7 penalties. 

Kim Keeton and Evita-Veron won the training level section of the Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day. Photo by Brant Gamma

Emma Boswell rode Sprite to the win in the beginner novice section of the Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day. Photo by Brant Gamma