“Horse Power,” a reality show about the unlikely subject of half a dozen equitation riders aiming for the ASPCA Maclay Finals, was far more fascinating and compelling than 95 percent of the genre. Why? My theory is that it’s because the Maclay is a real goal, an actual event that even viewers who’ve never heard of it can understand. The show didn’t revolve around a contrived situation like “The Real World” or (ugh) “Survivor,” or even a manufactured TV prize like “Top Chef.”
This week, we’ve included excerpts from our online chat with three of those young riders (p. 126), and it prompted me to wonder why couldn’t there be another reality show about four or five people aiming for the Rolex Kentucky CCI? If I were a TV producer, I’d sure pitch making it an annual show to the network execs. Kentucky is one of the country’s biggest non-racing equestrian competitions, and the only one broadcast on network TV. Let’s call it “The Road To Rolex.” (Wouldn’t the watch people love that!)
The working theme should be how hard it truly is to get to Rolex, that competing there is a goal around which our country’s–and some of the world’s–best riders base their whole schedule. It’s the ultimate challenge that dozens of others with a special horse–the horse they’ve waited their whole lives for–aim for each year. So every winter, 50 or 60 riders take aim at the last weekend in April, hoping they (and their family and friends) will get to hear Nigel Casserley announce them as entering the dressage arena or jumping “clear through the Head of the Lake and now four from home.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Reality shows need to have moving, engaging characters, and we’d have no shortage here. There’s the defending champion (actually, three-time champion) who’s also the Olympic silver medalist and World Championship team gold medalist: Kim Severson. Challenging her would be Phillip Dutton, the Australian who journeyed here with his one wonderful horse 13 years ago and now dominates our sport but has never won Rolex Kentucky. We could have Kristin Bachman, who, with her off-the-track Thoroughbred, moved from California to Georgia to ride at Rolex. Or Tiffani Loudon-Meetze, who headed east from Washington years ago and is the mother of a young child. There’s Sara Mittleider of Idaho, who with her storybook horse survived a horrific trailer accident to be there (see p. 40). Or Rolex rookies like Jenna Schildmier, Ursula Brush, Lynn Symansky and Clarissa Wilmerding.
The big thing I’d do differently for “The Road To Rolex” would be to focus much, much more on the horses than they did in “Horse Power.” The Rolex Kentucky horses all have their own compelling stories, their own peculiarities and quirks. It’s what makes them equine adrenaline addicts, eager to attack those fences. The Foreman hates awards ceremonies; Winsome Adante will kick you when you clip him; Upstage has survived a broken tibia and colic surgery to contest Rolex Kentucky for the fifth time. And then there’s the hours and hours that these riders, especially people like Mittleider, Jessica Heidemann, Schildmier and others spend with their horses, training, caring and just plain worrying. But it’s that time together that forms a bond of trust that takes both beyond anything they ever dreamed they could or would do. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Oh, and there’s one more reason why a Rolex Kentucky reality show would be a hit: The climax is at an event that’s guaranteed to come down to the last jump. Roll tape?
