What’s even more exciting is the technology advances going on behind the scenes. All the cross country competition will be offered on a live web cast. This means anyone with a computer, anywhere in the world, can log on to www.carolinahorsepark.com and enjoy live audio feed and scrolled photos of the cross country competition in real time.
The Carolina Horse Park now has an online entry system.
“It’s wonderful,” said horse trials secretary Gwen Parkins. “All the data is automatically processed. The only paper we handle is a liability signature, which they can fax or sign when they check in.”
All six dressage rings will have a computer scribe, with a laptop on a wireless network with the scoring office. In the future, displays outside each ring will show instant scores for each movement.
The wizard behind the scenes is Mike Fortier, the organizer of the Seneca Valley Horse Trials and owner of a computer company in Maryland.
“It’s a learning curve,” Fortier said. “Hardware investments need to be made for this level of technology, but there is no reason that multiple events can’t purchase and share the equipment — they all run on different weekends.”
Fortier became involved when his wife, the district commissioner of the Seneca Valley Pony Club, asked him to help with a scoring glitch.
“ ‘You own a computer company, fix this,‘ she said. And here I am. It’s taken a lot more time than I would have imagined to de-kink all the bugs.”
The Southern Pines Horse Trials runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Carolina Horse Park is on Montrose Road between Southern Pines and Raeford, just off N.C. 211. Admission is $5 per person, which includes parking and a program. Food, vendors, and bleacher seating will be available at various locations. Prime time for spectators is Saturday afternoon (advanced cross country) and Sunday afternoon (advanced stadium jumping). Cross country will be going all day Saturday and Sunday.
Spectators may walk the courses along roped lanes while the event is in progress. All dogs must be leashed, call 246-9808 for information.
PONY CLUB NEWS: The Moore County Pony Club sent two teams to the Carolina Region Quiz Rally last weekend. The senior D team placed first, the junior D team placed second. Sandy Bley won the high point for junior Ds; Davys Lenzi won the high point award for senior Ds. Participants were Francesca Huber, Jackie Bley, Sandy Bley, Davys Lenzi, Sarah Younger, Erin Huber and Christopher Younger.
Jackie Bley, Sandy Bley, and Zoe Bennett earned D-2 ratings recently.
