Defending champion of the Adequan Advanced Gold Cup Series Final, Lainey Ashker has her own big shoes to fill at this year’s Nutrena U.S. Eventing Association American Eventing Championships with Anthony Patch, her 15-year-old bay Thoroughbred gelding (Castle Guard—Aimee Alexis, Right Mind). But she was kind enough to let the Chronicle take a sneak peak into life behind the stall door to get an insider’s view. Here’s what we learned:

• Anthony Patch’s barn name is Al, Alex or Alberto, depending on the day.
• His favorite treats are Stud Muffins.
• He really, really likes to be scratched with a pitchfork. “He loves to be groomed. He likes to be raked. He points exactly where he wants to be itched—that’s his favorite thing,” Ashker said.
• Even though pitchforks are amazing in Al’s world, he’s not so fond of some natural predators. “He spooks at everything under the sun—butterflies, dragonflies—but then you can take a pitchfork to his head!”
• Al loves a crowd on cross-country day. “The more atmosphere, the better.”
• Groom Lauren Sherrill brushes the gelding’s teeth three times every week to fight gingivitis and bad breath. He has his own electric toothbrush, and he adores it.
• Cows scare the bejesus out of the gelding. The first time his previous owner came to watch Ashker ride him at an intermediate level event, Al saw some cattle and promptly disqualified them from the competition by jumping out of and into the dressage arena … five times. Ashker’s boyfriend at the time asked if that was good jumping form.
• Ashker’s proudest moment with Al was at the 2013 AEC, when they won the Adequan Advanced Gold Cup Final.
• On Wednesday evening, Ashker went to the hospital with a mystery stomach illness, seriously putting into question whether or not she would compete Al. Although the doctors were unable to pinpoint a cause, Ashker is feeling better, but she said she’s thankful it wasn’t a longer-lasting illness.
• Ashker speaks English, Spanish and Arabic, and if she weren’t an eventer, she said she would compete in Grand Prix dressage or reining.
• Ever notice Ashker giving Al heaps of praise on cross-country? She said Al needs a lot of affirmation, and he loves positive reinforcement. He’s constantly looking for his barnmates when he’s in a group, or Ashker or Sherrill when he’s flying solo.