SURPRISE AND DELIGHT

Unlike my horse Arthur, I love surprises and for me, one of the best surprises ever was winning the use of a new Range Rover HSE for the next 18 months, writes Allison Springer, the top-placed U.S. rider in the recent Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Equestrian Event Presented by Bridgestone.

Of course they had mentioned the prize at the rider’s briefing in the run-up to the event, but with so much going on in my head, it just didn’t register. As this is one of the biggest competitions of the year, I was completely focused on making sure myself and Arthur were in the best possible shape for competing.

I was proud to finish second overall in the competition behind Britain’s William Fox-Pitt. The Sunday prize-giving portion of the event was the first time I even realized I would receive the Range Rover. The event director told me to ride into the ring, have some photos taken with Arthur and then hand him over to my groom, the person who cares for my horse.

I looked at him all quizzical and asked, why do I need to get off my horse? Then he replied, “You’re going to get in the car.” Then it suddenly hit me - Oh my gosh, I’m getting a Range Rover!

I was so excited. Normally my daily driver is a big international horse van with a little sedan we tow behind it. This is our traveling gypsy show when we go to competitions and to have a Range Rover for day-to-day driving is pretty amazing.

I have driven one before as Land Rover is a huge sponsor of our U.S. Equestrian Federation team and occasionally we’ll have competitions among the team members to drive vehicles over the customer off-road courses they set-up at events. They’re always a lot of fun.

To give me some real tips on how to use my new Range Rover, I went along to a recent Garden & Gun magazine event in Virginia where Land Rover had set up a pretty challenging off-road course. My instructor was wonderful and taught me a lot.

What I love about the Range Rover is how it combines true luxury with real functionality and capability. All that leather and wood is wonderful and yet it goes anywhere off-road. I’m really looking forward to tailgating at all the local horse events I go to with friends. The Range Rover’s fold-down rear panel is just perfect for it.

This year’s competition was extremely important because all eyes are set for the Olympics later this summer in London. Everyone is really on their best game and in a couple of weeks we go to Quebec for the Bromont Three-Day Event from June 7-10. On the 11, they’ll name the 10 horses and riders who will fly out to Europe. The final outing is at the end of June when we’ll compete in the Barbury Castle Horse Trails in Marlborough, England from June 28 to July 1.

The following day, July 2, is the big day when they’ll announce the 2012 U.S. Eventing team of five horses and riders that will represent the U.S. in the Olympics. That’s all us riders can think about right now.

So if you see a woman driving a 2012 Range Rover HSE anywhere near Delaplane, Virginia with her fingers crossed while holding the wheel, you’ll know it’s me.