Area VI Venue Highlight: Galway Downs with Emily Schmitz

What a truly noteworthy weekend down at Galway Downs earlier this year for their spring event. Eventers in Area VI definitely didn’t have Mother Nature on their side at the beginning of the show season with downpours of rain at every show. This led many venues to re-adjust their schedules to ensure the safety of riders and horses. Nevertheless, the sun shone bright with temperatures in the seventies all weekend. Definitely made the weekend at this amazing venue even more enjoyable.

The show in no way felt small despite the count of entries being less than 200. Galway Downs always does a fantastic job of offering great hospitality to their riders and spectators. Being a venue that not only hosts international events but also many other equestrian sport events, they have transformed the grounds to be quite spectacular. At every show, they offer a VIP experience that is a highlight for many and is a great opportunity for teams to buy by the table, but also for individuals who want to get in on this treat. Those who purchase these tickets receive access to a buffet for breakfast and lunch while also getting front-row seats to the events in the Grand Prix arena. One of the famous nighttime events that Galway is known for having is the Friday night Oysters and Pizza Dinner. The dinner is open to all and always draws a large crowd. It’s the perfect way to conclude a great day of dancing in the sandbox while looking ahead to the jumping phases. During the weekend, they held a special division called the Prelim Challenge. For those who are not familiar with this division, it is one where competitors get to compete in USEA Preliminary Test C, showing off their skills in a long court. The jumping phases are combined into one day with cross-country in the morning and show jumping later that evening. To allow all to get in on this exciting division, a special Gala Dinner was provided where competitors and spectators were able to purchase tickets and enjoy a wonderful dinner while watching the winner of the challenge be named but they didn’t just stop there with the festivities for the weekend. To celebrate all of the magnificent and hardworking show moms, Galway Downs put on a Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch with delicious food and a view of the Sunday morning show jumping.

The week was a quiet one for my team as Lauren Bebb and I were the only ones to make the trek down from Northern California. After studying abroad in Barcelona for four months, I was eager to get back into the show ring with my horse, Greenfort Othello. Although my home trainer, Mickayla Howard, was unable to attend this competition, Bec Braitling and Kaylawna Smith-Cook graciously took us both in for the weekend. The community within Area VI is like no other, and I am so thankful for this, especially in circumstances like this one. After having a leisurely first day with a hack around the property, Othello and I went over to Kingsway Farm to have one last lesson with Kaylawna before the weekend started. The next day, he performed one of his best tests at the Preliminary level to sit in second after dressage. In the past, dressage hasn’t necessarily been his favorite part of the weekend but with a lot of help from Mickayla, he has definitely grown to enjoy it. After walking the cross country course with Bec and creating a game plan that will help Othello and me throughout the rest of the season, we set out on the course. He felt full of run till the end and finished with a double clear round and I was thrilled later to feel that he was fit and ready to show jump. Mickayla and I have been working really hard on his show jumping, and it really showed. He finished with just one rail, which was completely rider error, to finish second.

I truly can’t thank Mickayla and the rest of Avon Eventing for taking amazing care of my horses for me while I am at college as well as Kaylawna and Bec for all their help during the weekend. I am very excited to head back for The Eventing Championship at Galway Downs in November!