What You Can Learn From The DK3DE Livestream

Is it just me, or are you too experiencing some serious FOMO about not being able to attend the Defender Kentucky Three-Day event this year? Womp womp.

The next best thing to actually being at the Kentucky Horse Park is livestreaming the event. Thanks to ClipmyhorseTV, it’s easy to tune in for all the action of the horse show from the comfort of your home.

It might not feel like it when you’re longing to be in the crowd on cross-country day, but there’s a lot we can learn from watching top riders compete from a screen in our living room. Not only is the expert commentary a wonderful insight into how these riders train and what the judges are looking for, but you get to see glimpses of how these athletes make important decisions under pressure and use the time in their warm-up to their advantage.

So if you’re like me, and you’re stuck many miles away from Rolex stadium, consider these areas to look and learn from while you’re livestreaming DK3DE.

How To Ride The Seconds Before The Bell

On dressage or even stadium jumping day, I’m always so keen to watch how riders enter the Rolex stadium and what they’re doing in those final moments before their course or test begins. It’s a big atmosphere change, going from the warm-up area, down the chute and into the stadium with so many fans. Naturally you’ll see some greener competitors react to this drastic change in environment. Some horses seem to rise to the occasion and enjoy the fanfare. Others… it makes them tense. For me and my little ole amateur brain, I know those seconds before the bell rings can make or break the relaxation and connection I have with my horse. I love to watch the pros and how they all handle this pressure-cooking moment a little differently. Are they schooling lateral movements to keep their horse’s attention on them and on the aids? Or are they fine tuning the gaits as much as possible to maintain that tempo going down centerline?

Getting Out Of Sticky Spots

The grueling five-star cross-country course will challenge any world-class rider this year. No matter how prepared they are, there are just some moments on course riders or horses will misread, or have to change course in the middle of a tricky combination. This is where some of the best riding in the world will happen, as the horse and rider work together to get out and over these massive fences and gallop on to the next. There’s so much to learn from how riders handle these situations. Often times, you see them sit tall and get out of the horse’s way. But truly, it takes a good leader to know when to step in and when to let the horse fight his way to the other side.

Watch The Horses

We all have a ‘type’ – whether it’s the goofy, easy gelding in the barn or the spicy red mare that truly takes you to the fences. The horses that make it to the five-star level are elite athletes of course, who are rigorously maintained for their fitness to peak at this important event. But they all have their own personalities. I enjoy following certain horses I like, either because they remind me of the types I have at home (breeding or personality-wise) and see how their riders work to bring out the best in them. It obviously won’t be a direct correlation to what I can do to improve with my own horses, but seeing how a rider may forgive or redirect a spooky moment, or handle a runout or hard chip-in on course can certainly help me learn how to read certain situations and perhaps respond differently to them.

Want to read more: Catch up on these tips the late Jim Wofford shared while commentating on a past LRK3DE.