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Blogs - Brian Murphy

April 29, 2012

The Horse Always Comes First

By: Brian Murphy

It’s never a good feeling when there is no rush to leave your hotel room on a Sunday morning to get to the barn.

Today that was us.

Unfortunately, Manny picked up an injury, and Sara had to withdraw him from the competition last night. In every sport there are winners and losers, and, sadly, Manolo Blahnik did not get to experience the roar of the crowd in stadium that he truly deserved.

As a good friend once said, "Be nice to people on your way up as you meet them all again on your way back down."

April 28, 2012

Live To Fight Another Day

By: Brian Murphy

So if I thought the tension back in the barn was at a high level yesterday, this morning was 10 times worse. I HAD to get out of there, so I agreed to walk the course again with Sara.

At 10:30 a.m. we reached the sunken road, and the first three combinations had bit the dust. Three established partnerships: Andrew Nicholson retired at fence 9, the coffin; Becky Holder parted ways with Courageous Comet at the Normandy Bank, and Karen O'Connor, aka Karilyn, decided to go swimming at fence 5.

What a start. Suddenly every other horse sport looked appealing to me—even dressage!

Comments

foxhavenfarm
1 year 2 weeks ago

Same coverage for ALL riders!

Agreed 100%!!! We were watching our friend Katie Ruppel and Sir Donovan and they showed the first jump and nothing else! We didn't even know Katie had had a fall until the live scoring updated and then had no idea if they were ok or where the fall occurred.
Horsez-R-Us
1 year 2 weeks ago

That was kind of frustrating.

That was kind of frustrating.
April 27, 2012

Dressage Day Or Meerkat Manor?

By: Brian Murphy

Alarm goes off at 6:15 this morning. Yuck it’s Friday. Dressage. Armageddon.

Hauled ourselves into a taxi as nobody seemed to know where the car keys were located, and this was just the start we needed. Sara spends years preparing this horse for his first four-star, and I can't even manage to find the car keys. Wonderful.

Cab driver stepped on the gas and had us outside the stable area in no time.

April 26, 2012

Golf Scores, Not Dressage

By: Brian Murphy

The competitors’ party was fun, food was excellent, and I did my best to put back on the 5 pounds I lost walking the cross-country course.

It was nice to see some smiling faces. Leslie Law was in great form (not the pretty Lesley, the other one), but I couldn't help notice a few riders' faces turn a whiter shade of pale as they watched footage of Rolex 2011...

Philip Dutton has asked me a few times when I will take up this sport. My answer never waivers: NEVER. (He smiles when I answer. Imagine that, Philip Dutton smiling.)

April 25, 2012

First Impressions Of A Rolex Rookie

By: Brian Murphy

When I asked a close friend in Ireland whether or not I should do this blog, he replied, "Why not? Only you can get away with half the things you say.”

Unfortunately he’s right. I have an unbelievable talent for speaking before I think and usually manage to step on more toes than 101 Dalmatians.

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