Rolex 2008: Most intriguing horses/riders

The special Rolex issue of the Chronicle came today, and I took time out from prepping for our breed show tomorrow to peruse it. Jimmy Wofford's rundown of the competitors is the best! Every year I study it closely to see what horses/riders pique my interest. Here are the "must-sees" on my list for this year (aside from Teddy and my most-favorite-Mr-Big).

Acapulco Jazz/Bonner Carpenter
In the "unusual breed at Rolex" category, we have the Mexican-bred quarter horse Acapulco Jazz, ridden by Bonner Carpenter, age 20 (pictured left). AJ is an old campaigner who "clocks around" according to a Chronicle article from a year or so back. Bonner is a rookie who will do well, Wofford speculates, "if she rides the way I know she can ride." Carpenter will be one of the youngest riders at Rolex, and this is her first four-star, but she has amassed a good deal of experience at Advanced level. She sounds phenomenal.

When I read that about a quarter horse ridden by a native Texan, I imagined an unlikely, colorful past for them -- a barrel-racing, maybe, or calf-roping? Not likely, I know, and also NOT TRUE. And if you're looking for a rags to riches story, keep looking. Bonner is a University of Texas student who learned to ride horses at her grandparents' ranch. Her other grandfather, Dolph Briscoe, was governor from 1973 to 1979 and, with more than 600,000 acres, is the largest individual landowner in Texas. Nevertheless, I'm rooting for them and look forward to watching them.

Mikki Kuchta and Oz
Oz is a 12 year old 16 hand U.S. bred thoroughbred. Jimmy Wofford describes Oz and Kuchta as the best-placed, least-known, horse/rider combination and he predicts they will win this year's "Who Dat?" award. Wofford has a fondness for this pair. "When you watch Ozzie go cross country, you will see why I love thoroughbreds," he writes. So of course I have to watch them. Here is a video of one of their past rides...

Tara Ziegler/Buckingham Palace
Tara and BP, pictured right, won last year's Jimmy Wofford "Who Dat?" award. I went to her web site (http://zieglereventing.com//) to read about their Tall Maples Farm on ten acres in Pennsylvania. It's a mother-daughter lesson/training operation (Tara's mom is a lifetime eventer too). Tara trained BP from an OTTB six year old to his present status as a world-class eventer. I actually watched part of her ride last year, they were a joy to watch.

Shiny Objects category
I'll mention that there is also a buckskin horse, Irish-bred Dun To AT, ridden by Jonathan Holling. Wofford predicts a "slow, clear round." Maybe I'll try to catch them too.

So there you have it. Teddy, Mr. Big, and these guys. Who else should I watch?