The first half of the HITS Horse Show in Thermal was filled with surprises good and bad.
The show grounds are incredibly spacious, which can cause timing problems at the rings as the grooms are still gauging the time it takes to get the horses to the ring.
It is pretty bleak because the landscaping has just been put in. It feels like you’ve been dropped in the middle of a moonscape. You can go for days and never see people who show in other rings. A well known Grand Prix Rider was heard to say if there is anyone you don’t want to see, it’s easy to hide from him or her. The Grand Prix ring is impressive in person, but every photo I took had a barren feeling to it. Either the jumps aren’t filled in enough or the sponsor signage isn’t in or it needs some really colorful flowers or all of the above.
We were lucky to have access to the VIP area courtesy of the Esse family and Oscany Inc. The tables have pretty tablecloths and there is a breakfast and lunch buffet. The kitchen is still working out how much food to put out and when. It is a well thought out design. There were complaints that the grey concrete floor was too prison-like. Any harshness was offset by the circle of gorgeous mountains enveloped in shocking pink at dusk and dawn. One morning Zazou was greeted by a colorful flotilla of hot air balloons that landed just behind Hunter Rings 1 and 2. Thankfully, the horses took no notice.
The permanent barns are very luxurious with washer/dryer hookups and spacious tack rooms. We heard Leslie Steele fried the electricity when she plugged in her mini-fridge.
We were surprised to see that one trainer had a horsie treadmill set up in the aisle. This led to a conversation about treadmills with the legendary Susie Hutchison, an exceptional trainer who is based in Temecula. In her career to date, she has won 30 Grand Prix. Zazou is showing several horses for her. Susie said Jimmy Williams, her mentor, had three treadmills and each horse had a routine of treadmill and hot walker (Eurociser). Jimmy felt that walking the treadmill really worked a set of hind end muscles that were crucial for jumping. Coincidentally, we just watched a terrific OLN special on Rodrigo and Nelson Pessoa. Their elegant barn in Belgium also had several treadmills.
The trainers seemed to like the layout of Thermal. Most had good things to say about the footing. There was a kerfuffle at the Junior Hunter Ring on Saturday. Basically it was a repeat of Week 1 when the scheduling went haywire. Zazou had hoped that management would have worked it out by Week 2. Unfortunately, daylight ran out.
The hunter rounds were going in the pitch black which led to spills and stops. Finally the parents and trainers called a halt and it was agreed that there would be half a dozen re-rides on Sunday morning. The cause of the problem is two-fold. New backgate hires and no night lights.
We heard that lighting was put in at great expense, tested briefly and deemed dangerous to incoming air traffic by the local airport. We heard that the pilots found the horse show lights to be easily confused with the runway lights. With the astronomical values assigned to the top Junior Hunters, the decision to move the class to the next day was warranted.

Swept Away By Hunters
The horses in the Junior and Amateur Hunter divisions are some of the nicest in the country. It was a very impressive group. If there are any young riders out there who want to learn more about what constitutes a good hunter and how the hunter ring is judged just go out to Thermal and watch some classes. Hunters are complicated. You absolutely have to see the best ones at a top show to understand what the judge is looking for. I have heard uneducated riders dismiss the Hunters as “too easy” or “boring.” A great hunter round is breathtaking. It is elegant, as the horse and rider make a perfect team. The spectator is hypnotized by the metronomic rhythm of the horse’s footfall. Each jump is identical and athletic. The horse’s front feet snap up evenly, symmetrically.
On an aesthetic level, hunters are special. The horses have stellar conformation, shown off by beautifully and meticulously braided manes and tails. Their coats and hooves glisten.
We had an interesting conversation with top hunter trainer Patrick Spanton. We asked if he had any thoughts on George Morris’ statement at his Horsemastership Sessions (see separate story, page 34) that the younger riders are mimicking the bad riding style of the professional hunter riders. He considers this detrimental to the sport and says that reform is needed. Mr. Morris mentioned that he had had a talk with revered professionals Louise Serio and Scott Stewart to initiate this reform. Mr. Morris is referring to the “Hunter Duck or Flop,” what appears to be a loose, sloppy position in which the rider goes with the bascule of the horse.
Patrick Spanton agreed that if you go in and look at the still photos of the Conformation Hunters, that the riders’ equitation is abysmal. But, he says that there is a reason for this. He says that the division calls for a more and more athletic horse and that they are breeding for that. A good hunter must be able to jump four-foot obstacles effortlessly. The judges favor the horses leaving from a long distance. Spanton says that this, combined with a tremendous bascule, leaves no room for the rider to equitate. The rider must follow the horses’ jump and release the reins so as not to catch the horse in the mouth. For a good hunter rider, good equitation is not a priority.
That’s it for now. Zazou will be back to Thermal to compete Weeks 3, 4,and 5.
For show schedules and more information, please visit www.hitsshows.com. Of particular note is the circuit-ending $150,000 Grand Prix of the Desert, Sunday March 10.