Videography 101

By: Liz Rigby

My day does not get off to the best start. My alarm did not go off at 6:45 at usual. I blame it on the fact that my cell phone is so old that Fred Flinstone has a more up to date phone that I do. But it also could have been because I completely forgot to actually set an alarm, either or. Moving on…. Due to the fact that I woke up late, I didn’t have time to do my hair. On the bright side, it still looked mediocre from last night. I made the executive decision to just let it be free and flow in whichever way it pleased. I arrived at work with a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper for the MMSC staff, and by their excitement you probably would have assumed I brought a gallon of wine and a ‘MMSC is closed for the day' sign. They do say horse people are crazy right? This act of kindness instantly won me another ‘Intern of the Day’ title.

Susanna informs me that I will be videoing the riding lessons for the majority of the morning. Last time I videotaped, the results were so horrendous and shaky, that it looked like there was an earthquake occurring. I’m pretty sure a five year old, with a two second attention span, who had a Redbull for breakfast could have done a better, more stable job filming. The issues with videoing are this, for one, instead of a monopod to keep the camera steady, we use a tripod and then only use one of the three legs. It makes a ton of sense, I know. It has become a monopod by default and is awful to use. The next problem was that since my hair was not flowing quite as elegantly as Pegasus’s mane, I was blinded half the time as my hair turned into a tornado of sorts, with a little sand storm effect thrown in there for good measure. It was quite distracting. Overall the videos turned out surprisingly, much better than my last attempt. The amount of sand that ended up in my cheetah flats however is a whole other story.

For the third time in a little over a week, our newest horse Great Life, who is known around the farm as Brady, has thrown a shoe. It’s pretty impressive really considering on Tuesday he managed to throw his shoe, step on the nail, and then have the farrier come out and glue on a new shoe. The next two days he was on stall rest, and before we put him back out to pasture last night, barn intern Shelby, packed his hoof, and then duct taped around it for extra security. How he managed to have lost his shoe over night, none of us will ever know, but here he is again, in a stall, waiting to have his shoes put back on. Perhaps he likes the idea of having a different pair of shoes every day, and I for one cannot fault him for that. Brady heads off to his new home tomorrow and I hope his new family is prepared to have a full blown shoe addict on their hands.

How the MMSC functions on a luncheon day..

By: Liz Rigby

If any visitor had come to the MMSC this morning they would have been witness to a whirlwind of activity as we all prepared for our afternoon event: a luncheon for the National Horse Center, hosted by the Fresian Association and the Paso Fino Association. This luncheon included 50 people, seven MMSC staff, three Paso Finos, four Friesians, and a catering crew.

Before I continue, let me tell you about an ingenious plan I recently devised to ensure all interns work to their full potential and receive recognition at the end of each day. Every afternoon, one lucky deserving intern is crowned ‘Intern of the Day.’ I took the initiative and voted myself President of the voting committee. To date, there are no other members of this committee. Also, to date, I have won the coveted title four days in a row.

The MMSC was abuzz with activity preparing for our guests; barn crew sweeping, knocking down cob webs; office crew polishing furniture, cleaning bathrooms and the like. I was assigned “flower arrangement” duty. I spent the morning foraging through the rose bushes outside the office for possible contenders for what I was hoping would turn out to be a Martha Stewart look-a-like bouquet for our front desk. I ended up with two mismatched bouquets in vases, which I half filled with rocks from our driveway (Susanna told me I cut the stems too short and needed to add height), two hands full of thorns, and a few bare looking flower pots around the farm which I had ravaged for blooms. I learned today that flower arrangements are not my forte.

As I fought with rose bushes out front, Catherine conquered the large John Deere tractor and harrowed the arena for our guests’ demonstrations. She even managed to back the large machine into the garage when she was finished! When the morning began I was winning the race for intern of the day, however after Catherine’s success, she was only behind me by a hair. Shelby spent her lovely morning mopping every moppable surface of the MMSC office, including the bathrooms. And for that, I voted that she received ‘Honorable Mention’ in this nose-to-nose race. Our new intern Kiley was summoned to spit-shine the barn. New intern hazing at its finest. I’m proud to say that when she was finished, the barn looked stunning for our arriving horse guests. As Today was Kiley’s first day, she did not receive one of my nominations.

At noon the Secretariat Center opened up its doors to all luncheon guests. After eating, mingling, and enjoying horse demonstrations, all of us were greeted at the front of the MMSC by two horse carriages, each pulled by two stately looking black Friesians from the draft barn here at the Kentucky Horse Park. Our great neighbors gave visitors rides around the property, the four veteran Friesians were perfect gentleman! They stood as still as statues as visitors climbed into their carriages, were gentle enough to pose for pictures, and they willingly endured the hot sun so everyone could have a ride.

We all also had the privilege of watching a demonstration by the Paso Fino Horse Association which is located in Frankfurt, Kentucky. They even allowed all spectators to ride any of the three horses that they had brought. Riding the Paso Finos was a very unique experience, especially for this intern who was unfamiliar with the breed’s distinctive gait. Compared to our large strided Thoroughbreds, the Paso Finos moved like professional tap dancers as they toted member after member around the arena. What great sports they were as we all tried our best to become accustomed to their smooth ride and swift feet!

As the last car rolled down the drive way, business as usual picked right back up at the farm. The horses were fed, stalls were cleaned, and who do you think won ‘Intern of the Day’? Yes, shocking to us all, my winning streak continues….

Melding Interests at MMSC

By: Liz Rigby

The first two days of my communications internship have flown by, and I could not be more excited for what this summer has in store. I am Liz Rigby, a senior majoring in Equine Business Management at the University of Kentucky. I started riding around the age of 4 and like most horse crazed girls, I eventually convinced my parents to purchase my first horse upon my 12^th birthday. As a freshman I joined the UK Equestrian Team. This has been a great experience and has helped me to improve my riding skills tremendously over the past 3 years. The MMSC internship appealed to me because I liked the idea of trying to meld my long term interest in horses with my aspiration of having a career in the communications industry.

Friday I took the day to become acclimated with the property, office, horses, and staff. I helped organize the lobby, learned the rules of the barn, and familiarized myself with all 12 of the available horses. Susanna, the MMSC director, Erin, the administrative assistant, and I spent all day Saturday creating and editing the videos for a few of the newer horses. What a great learning experience for this new intern! Although I am familiar with youtube and the process of making sale videos for horses, the attention to detail and the time that goes into making the final product was shocking. The hardest part was finding a song that matched perfectly with the horse’s personality and rhythm of its stride. Many of our first song choices did not fit. Songs were too short, too fast, or too slow. Lyrics were all wrong. The message didn’t fit. After we decided on a song, we then searched for video segments that highlighted the horse’s ability and potential. For some horses that meant finding clips of their bomb proofing, for others it showed their jumping potential and for some it showed their athleticism for dressage. After hours of hard-work, when we were content with the final results, we decided to post them and are doing so today! Be patient, the upload process takes some time.

My summer internship has already been exciting and educational and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me and the rest of the MMSC team as the weeks fly by.

                                                                                                                                                       

And...They're Off!

What started off as a simply a stormy Saturday morning turned in to a fun-filled and informative adventure when a group of seven interns and volunteers followed Susanna to Keeneland.  The morning started by meeting at the MMSC, before collecting Communal and setting off to Keeneland for “Breakfast with the Works,” an educational opportunity presented by Keeneland to inform the general public (or any people interested) about the world of Thoroughbreds (both during and after racing). Susanna presented information to the crowd about the MMSC and what it does. To top off the informational aspect of the morning, we sealed the deal by allowing any children in the crowd to come and “meet and greet” with Communal. The educational aspect of the morning came to an end with the end of the line of children; however, the adventures for the interns were just beginning. The rest of the morning (and part of the afternoon) were spent on a quest through Keeneland, exploring areas typically off-limits to the general public. We were taken to the heights of the grandstand, the depths of the Jockey Quarters, and the forests of the Sales Pavilion. For this intern, the best part of the day was seeing the track and the grandstands empty of virtually all people. It was a quiet moment not often experienced by the everyday Keeneland visitor.  (Ashlyn Anderson-Keelin)

What follows is a variety of accounts of the day’s adventure presented from the perspectives of different participants. 

While at Keeneland, Susanna arranged for us to meet Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron. I will remember this encounter for the rest of my life. Chris had a twinkle in his eye as he greeted all of us in the track kitchen, and he graciously took time out of his day to show us the Jockey Quarters. I loved hearing stories about his favorite mounts, from John Henry and Alysheba to Tiznow, and I was blown away by his crystal clear memory of long ago races. It was truly an amazing day for this intern! (Catherine Flowers)

Our morning at Keeneland was incredible. Right after we got to the track, we unloaded Communal and then we were off to the paddock. Once in the paddock I started walking Communal around while Susanna talked to the onlookers. Spending time in the paddock, where only horses and jockeys are allowed, was amazing. After we left the paddock, we walked Communal through the barns back to the trailer. The walk back to the trailer was awesome in itself because I was able to see all the racehorses, grooms and trainers. The whole morning at Keeneland was awesome but best part of it for me was working with Communal in the paddock and walking through the barns and seeing all the horses. (Irene Kaar)

On the way to Keeneland I rode with Mark who is head of Kentucky operations for Brook Ledge Inc., which graciously hauls for free the Secretariat Center horse anywhere we need to go. While trailering Communal, Mark shared his thoughts with me on the horse industry and managing a business in the horse industry. He was very insightful and had many words of wisdom to impart. Once at Keeneland, we went on a tour of several different parts of the campus. My favorite highlights of the tour were seeing the corporate boxes on a tour conducted by Susan Haelan, Director of Guest Services a.k.a. the "Queen of Chairs," the Sales Pavilion, and seeing the view from Winner's Circle. (Alexander Duncan)

The Center brought Communal to Keeneland this morning. I rode Communal around the paddock with the assistance of Mark, our Brook Ledge trailer driver, and Irene, my co-intern. What was really interesting about this experience was that Communal perked up, and almost reminisced on his days at the track. Communal is 9 and has raced 63 times in multiple states. I know that the tracks do not look the same but he knew it was a track and it was where is spent a good part of his life. I thought it was really awesome to be on this horse, his first time back to the track as an retired racehorse, and then meet Chris McCarron.  Chris told us about his vivid memories from his ride to the Breeders Cup. The track has created so many memories for jockeys, horses, and spectators. It was really a great experience to witness how the track has shaped those lives. (Julia V Fabiani)

This was my first day volunteering at the Secretariat Center.  I was so looking forward to the day.  I was only just expecting to spend the day working in the barn and having the opportunity to love on some horses along the way.  Much to my surprise we began the day at Keenland to educate the public about retired horse adoptions.    Additionally we got to see the backside of the track, we meet Chris McCarron who shared some of his career stories, toured the jockey room as well as the finer side of the track.  It was such an awesome day.  This is one those days I will always cherish.

Show Day!

Saturday saw a great deal happening at the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center (and the KY Horse Park). The Thoroughbred Show drew in a large number of people, all there to show-off their TBs. The MMSC was no exception. Though the day started early (What horse show doesn’t?), it was worth the lost sleep to see Moon, Rugby, Donnie, Duke, and Bart get some show experience and show off their skills.

Training intern, Irene Kaar, rode Donnie in the pair’s first dressage test…and did wonderfully!

Intern, Irene Kaar, and King’s Pardon (Donnie)

Irene rode beautifully and, as you can see from the picture, Donnie seemed to be quite proud of himself when it was all said and done. This duo handled themselves like pros, not letting on that they were both new to the dressage scene.

Duke, one the other hand, had a harder time acclimating. However, once he got in the ring (and past the scary judge’s gazebo for the first time) Duke did fantastic! For the baby three-year-old that he is, Duke acquitted himself admirably.

Trainer, Laura Knight, and Golden Noble (Duke)

Indeed, a few happy words from MMSC trainer, Laura Knight, calmed Duke down and made the experience a good one for him.

Moon also showed off his prowess in the ring—the jumping ring! Moon went in to the arena and hopped over the jumps with joy and enthusiasm.

Megan Moore and Promisemethemoon (Moon)

Show day was a busy and exciting day for everyone at the MMSC, from trainers to interns to bathers and grooms to horses. Everyone is exceptionally proud of how the MMSC horses from this year’s class performed. If they can do this well now, just image how well they will do in the future!