Ride on

The French term, Grand Prix, means "richest or greatest prize" and is often used to designate the most challenging level of competition in a particular sport. For more than 20 years, the Music Country Grand Prix has brought us the ultimate in show jumping competition featuring Olympic caliber horses and riders. This year was no different with Sarah Tredennick aboard Special Verdict winning the $30,000 purse on a glorious Sunday afternoon at Mack and Sissie Anderton's bucolic Brownland Farm. Saddle Up!, the region's oldest and largest recreational therapeutic horseback riding program, is the Prix's deserving beneficiary. Lynne Evans, who spearheaded this top-notch event in 1990, was this year's MCGP honoree. 

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Proving that even successful, tried and true formulas benefit from fresh twists, the Tractor Supply Company MCGP chairs Jennifer Pennington and Sarah Ingram were excited about their new Paddock at the Pavillion seating section. Raspberry tablecloths, Gerbera daisies and feathery ferns brightened the tin-roofed structure where fried chicken, fruit and chocolate chip cookie box lunches were served alongside the practice ring. Reserved, shaded ring-side bleacher seats were part of an economical $50 package, so it's no wonder it was a sell-out. Nero's and The Wild Iris provided the lunches, as well as the buffet, which was offered in an apple green and pink polka dot-decorated patron's tent. Many guests returned for seconds (and thirds!), devouring the endless supply of corn pudding, pork roulade, pasta primavera and broccoli, fruit, potato and chicken salads. Generous sponsors, indeed. The piece de resistance, presented in a white box, wrapped with plates and forks for each individual table, was Katie Nelson's grandmother's chess pie recipe, which drew repeated oohs and aahs from the delighted diners. Mo's Brownies, named after one of the favorite Saddle Up! ponies, were also a contender in the gastronomy category.

The perfect weather was credited to the wise scheduling decision to hold this year's MCGP two weeks earlier than usual. The gentle breeze and the large starting field of 38 horses and riders provided such a leisurely afternoon that no one was rushing to leave.  The younger guests, who adore riding their imaginary horses over the jumps of the People Prix, were especially in favor of a delayed departure, as were Sarah Wilson's two six-week-old Welsh Corgi puppies, who seemed totally comfortable sacking out, smack dab in the middle of the patron's tent. The two-legged guests stepped right over the pups' bulging bellies with nary a thought about it—although there were a few wistful and downright jealous glances cast in their direction. After all, it was an ideal early summer afternoon for a little languid outdoor dozing while the four-legged competitors did the heavy lifting, so to speak.

—photographs by

eric england