Inside Maryland is back!
As we gear up for the 2024 Mars Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, our latest episode dives into the behind-the-scenes action. Event CEO Jeff Newman, Competition Director Joanie Morris, and our team reveal what’s new this year, the excitement around Ian Stark’s final cross-country design, and the electric atmosphere building up to one of the most competitive editions yet.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a first-timer, this is your all-access pass to what makes Maryland a top event in global equestrian sport.
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The Inside Maryland Podcast Series on the Equatines Abending Podcast is brought to you by De Barrie of Island listeners. De Barrie of Island, who are nearly 100 years old, they were founded back in 1937 and they have been working with the event themselves and they've actually got a good number of very very exciting initiatives at Maryland this year. So if you're visiting Maryland, put their trade stand on your list of must visits because you will not be disappointed. There is something for everybody and they will also be supporting the horse inspections for both the three-star and of course the feature class, the five-star. One of my favorite parts of any event I have to say has to be that first horse inspection on the Wednesday when the excitement is there, the horses and the riders on their toes. There's just a real buzz and a real kind of sense of anticipation and there is also the fashion element which De Barrie will be supporting with some very cool prizes as well. They have been involved in the eventing industry and been supportive of the eventing industry for a good number of years now. They've been title-sponsored of the De Barrie Burley End Hall series for I think since 2012, but they've been massively influential in partnering with other events and their partnership with Maryland is a really really exciting one for both the brand and the event as well. So look, go and check them out. They have so many different products that I am sure will take your fancy. I think I bought my first pair of De Barrie Burts probably 15, 18 years ago and I absolutely love them. I have been a firm fan of the brand ever since. They have some incredible clothing options as well so go and take a look at that. De Barrie.com for more information but we're very excited to have them on the Inside Maryland show for the next few weeks and it is going to be quite the journey because we have got everything for you on the show listeners from rider insight from behind-the-scenes and the build-up, the preview, the review. Everything you need to know, keep it locked in, De Barrie.com, go and check them out if you're at Maryland, go and visit the stand as well. Let's crack on with the show. Listeners, it is nearly time for the next of the five starts because the Mars Maryland five-start at Fairhill presented by Brown Advisory is on its way and we have got the first Inside Maryland podcast for you. Brought to you in 2024 as it was last year by the lovely team at De Barrie of Ireland. They are the presenting sponsor of the episodes that we'll be bringing you over the coming weeks. We're going to take you behind the scenes as we always like to in the Inside series because there is so much that goes on behind the scenes building up to a big one. Obviously the competition will be covered during the event itself but we have got the team here themselves to give us an insight into what has been going on. Jeff, I'm going to start with you. It has been an absolutely flat-out season and I cannot believe that we are actually here less than a month from the start of this year's event. How has everything been? Everything's going great. Yeah, it's amazing again how fast the year goes by but you know there's ten of us that work every day on this in all different functional areas so you know we try to be as best prepared as we possibly can but we're currently building at Fair Hill as we speak so far so good. We're ahead of schedule and you know we're really looking forward to another great year. So we see you kind of oversee everything. Joni Morris is also with us Joni. Your official title is competition direct so I guess the competition aspect predominantly falls under your umbrella. How is everything looking from your side because I'll be honest we're going to talk about entries a little bit later on but I'm hearing quite a few very exciting whispers. Yes so as we all know quite sadly for those of us that know a mother and it's Ian Starks last year designing our cross-country course, designing any FBI cross-country course and this is the last event that he's doing so I think there'll be plenty of Scottish kilts on display from friends and family but he's got some pretty cool stuff he wants to do that the track of the way the track is running will be the same but he's obviously moving some jumps around building some new jumps and it's got some pretty exciting things up his sleeve and then you know we've got a couple of things to sort of send him off into his retirement you know and honor him in that way at the event. So I think that is a little bit going to be the theme running through the the veins of the event and all of us that work with Ian you know all the time at you know this event and others and we're also welcoming Pierre LeGoupier who's coming as the assistant course designer this year and he will take over designing his first five star Marilyn next year so that's that's really exciting you know we are as every everyone is we've had a real dry film in the Mid-Atlantic so several of us are laying away in a bed at night like willing it to rain but it looks like we've got some rain in the forecast the turf there is really good and they do a great job maintaining it but it's always those things when you are weather dependent that that do stress us organizers out but I think we're you know I think we're in really good shape I think we have some exciting stuff I think we've learned a lot over the last couple years no huge changes operationally which make us it easier on the team as far as just being able to plan and not reinventing you know something that you wanted to significantly change from the previous year so I think in that sense we're in good shape they're working on the surfaces and making sure that those will be those atwood surfaces will be as good as they possibly can be and yeah I think everyone's getting pretty excited there's a lot of buzz around it I just spent the weekend actually jump judging a plantation and several horses that are headed to Maryland where we're there and it just it kind of really got me like the next level of this is their final run and they look awesome and you know can't wait to see them all in a few weeks just down the road I feel like this is going to be the most competitive Maryland five-star at Fairhill yet do we've obviously talked a bit over the last three four years as the event has become established within the calendar there is naturally the theme of kind of what we can expect and actually from our perspective as to watching on I feel like we've kind of seen this event grow and grow not being in the kind of everyday minuté of what is going on behind the scenes and actually this year we know what can be delivered and I just feel like actually it's established to get bigger and better and more exciting and deliver a finished I mean last year's finish when I snuck on a one was enormously emotional how does it sort of rank for you now in terms of this part of the season we're seeing a lot of horses that have been very very competitive at the top level coming back Tammy Smith my bum I've dropped it in their listeners rumor has it they'll be on my entry list it's going to be an absolutely brilliant addition of an epic five-star yeah I think if you go back to how long the build up and the preparation the amount of work that went in to make this happen initially you know it's easy to forget once it all gets gone but you know it's probably I mean it just from my knowledge of it it was kind of three or four years of constant work even before we had our very first competition and there's no matter what you put in place as Jeff and Johnny will tell you in terms of the day-to-day from you know from competition true to shopping true to sponsors true to media no matter what you put in place you still have to create history and legacy there's no quick there's no there's no there's no short cut to that piece you can have the most amazing facilities but you still have to go and do it and have the learning and then create the stories so that you can look back and risk and be able to say remember when boy did this or remember when Austin O'Connor did that you can't do that in your first year and even your first couple of years I think now even even I think it's a huge achievement even after you know what are we three three full runnings now where we go into our fourth one it already feels like you've got that small but meaningful history you know the fact even the fact last year that it was an Irish winner created another little story another little piece of of global history that now becomes Marlin history and that for me feels exciting in terms of you know that the in one sense you're looking at it Nicole as Johnny mentioned like last change on an operational team means that there's a smoother flow of how everything's gonna work and how everything's gonna happen and that's kind of an internal behind the scenes piece that people won't feel but externally I think we know what Marlin is now and I think there's huge excitement certainly from my point of view haven't been there last year and seen the cross-country and seen what happened on that Saturday it felt so special on the Saturday night like being there all the emotion of coming off the back of a huge five star cross-country day in the sport and once you've done that once and you've created that you now get to have it as a reference point going forward you know you now get to really look forward to Marlin Saturday and Marlin Saturday night and little things I've talked to you about them all year Nicole like going back to the hotel go back to the hotel on Saturday night you've got the kind of fun of the story which is like which is all the wellness of the hotel then you've got the reality and the amazing piece of the coverage which is you go back and actually you watch Marlin on TV like that night you know stay TV you can just turn on your TV in your hotel room and we're watching back the day and it feels like we you know it feels like we were there it feels like what real sports should feel like in that this is where we were today and now we're at home in the evening watching it on TV being discussed so you can't short you can't you can't short cut these things it takes a while to get there but I yeah I'm really excited now I have my reference points I'm looking forward to a tough cross-country day and as you say you're looking at that entry list and that potential entry list you're seeing what you know the rest of the team are doing behind the scenes in terms of the hospitality in terms of the welcome the the the feeling that the event gives you yeah it's a really it's a really special and and still new but now established part of part of our global our global sport Jeff Dee just touched upon it there in terms of actually bit it being on local television and it being very accessible I wanted to pick up on that because Cecil County have been a massive part in the Maryland five-star at Fair Hill and it is a real community field the event just give us a little bit of background on that and actually the insight as to how much the community pay apart at the event well first of all before we even bid on the event you know try to get the seventh five-star to be in Maryland you know we needed buy-in from not only the county but regionally as well you know surrounding states and they've all just dived in incredibly to help assist with you know bringing this event to life and so you know when you come to Cecil County you feel it you know it's a big deal for the county it's a big deal for Maryland and again even the neighboring states like Delaware and Pennsylvania because we're so close you know you feel it and and I think they've been very accommodating you know to welcome people and last year when we had great Wolf Lodge open up that was a huge bonus in terms of being able to really bring families from all over the world and then Maryland Public Television it just made perfect sense for us especially when it was a pandemic time coming off a pandemic we want to make sure everybody had the opportunity to see the event free so Maryland Public Television does a regional coverage not only just live of the five-star portion of the event but they also re-air it so as as D was saying it's really great we've gotten amazing feedback from people say I go to the event and then I get to watch it afterwards so it's actually you know a great 1-2 punch so to speak and you know that was important to us we want to make sure that if you couldn't make it out to the event that you could definitely watch the event and then this year we are gonna have clip my horses our new livestream partner which is really gonna bring what we hope to a different level the presentation you know through the live stream and so yeah I think as as D also had story telling everything and so think we have great partners that do that we've been very lucky I mean with events you have to have good fortune and good luck so to have Boyd win the first one as the first American in a long time to win a five-star and then the second year having world number one Tim Price you know win the event and then last year having the first Irish winner I think in what 58 years to win a five-star plus having Tammy Smith who came in second a couple years ago and Oliver Townon who's been on the podium each year so we've just had a great podium so to speak during the award ceremony and that you know that you need in order to help the event to resonate because you could do everything you can presentation wise but you hope the stories you know come through and I think we have some really good platforms to be able to not only tell those stories but recap those stories as well over time so it's been a good run and and hopefully you know this this is our fourth edition it feels like the 40th edition but it's been it's been great so far and we've learned a ton and we're gonna keep trying to grow it I don't think you can underestimate actually how important it is for it to be on local state television because that is something that actually is pretty unique to Marilyn five star at Fair Hill that you don't see that with other events we've become quite accustomed and quite used to different TV companies and different packages being produced for each of the five stars and actually that's pretty special to be able to locate showcase that to your local community and hopefully bring in a generation of event lovers for the future you know people still need to learn what the sport is here in the US I mean it's it's it's taking for grand I think maybe overseas that you know everybody knows it but you know here in the US there's there's a lot you know going on in October and so it's still an awareness play for us so having it as free for people to watch so people can actually see what eventings all about firsthand and then hopefully they want to come out to the event see it live so that was important because it's still it's still trying to you know let people know exactly what what eventing entails absolutely and Joni what else is new from a competition perspective this year we'll talk about Ian's sort of swan song as it is it will be in a moment but in terms of the the feel of the course and in terms of the infrastructure of the site are there any major changes no major changes I mean you know last year we introduced the last jump in the water there in the in the middle hay field which is pretty unique and that will be a feature again which is you know which is a little bit different and pretty pretty cool and then as far as you know we have obviously every young event horse competition which that that will stay the same we have our three star competition which is really become like the destination three star in the US so that's you know a pretty competitive entry process as far as you know we have we limit the number of entries so loud you know enough time the scheduled around the five stars so you know we we hope and it looks like looking at the entries that we have some you know some of the top three star horses you know in the country coming forward for that but no operationally the competition will look looking feel pretty similar to last year as far as you know but the flow that the spectators experience will be similar surrounded to the or surrounding the competition we're adding another video board in the main arena which basically means that no matter where your sit well doesn't mean no matter where you're sitting in the main arena you can see a video board in addition to you know watching on field of play so that's that's pretty cool and I'll just elevate that whole you know that's a that's a pretty fuzzy close or main arena you know on the three on the three sides that don't include the race horse and so that I'll just I think contribute to that that real high-end you know big-time atmosphere in the ring and you know I think we have our Judgment Course Designer Michelle Balencourt coming back again this is his second year and I mean I personally feel you had a brilliant job last year getting a great result without you know demoralizing any of the horses on the way to on the way to it and because he does so much five-star show-jump designing as well he really has that you know he's he's got a real feel for it and that for and he knows how to use sort of the the crowds and the different things around the arena to you know to help force the riders to make decisions that you know not just involving the jumps and things like that so I'm definitely excited to have him back and yeah I mean I think Ian's got some stuff out there that's only Ian would think of so it'll be interesting to see how it you know how it comes to play and I think like people have come to expect a lot of his courses they walk around at the first time and they think this is not possible and then they get out there and they ride great and so you know I don't they're just putting jumps out this week and getting everything out and he arrives in tonight so over the course of the next week to ten days I'd have more insight for you but certainly they're getting they're getting Billy I know he's really excited you know to get here and get feet on the ground and and just start you know realizing and realizing in the fruition so yeah no I think I think people will be excited it'll it'll feel familiar because like as far as where to go and what to do and how to get there but it will the course will look very different if that makes sense you only two two things on that one Sam walked the walked across country with me last year like he Sam Watson and he's you know primarily across country rider in terms of his skill set I would say like as his primary most enjoyed part of the sport and storytelling he'll be devastated that he's not like his that's like the main reason Johnny that he doesn't want to tell kids stories he's like I have to like sit in boardrooms and now all the people talk about it is but you know when he walked the course as you say like and lots of others like we spent a little bit of time with Piggy there last year and obviously with Austin from the from the Irish point of view and we all end up kind of gravitating together and Oliver and everybody who came back to us said this is this is gonna be very tough you know then you put it into like I always feel like the writers will say that on a five star cross country morning all around the world because who doesn't say that five stars are tough they are tough but then you're there with David O'Connor and he's like oh this is you know this is gonna be this is gonna be one of the great cross-country days of sport and it played out that way and it just felt you know having that Saturday felt so important and so special by Saturday evening you know when you had me a Farley story Jeff as you say the different winter stories but equally the Saturday night story last year and me Farley and Phelps it was again it just it traveled you know it felt like they had really come of age and then obviously to go on or up early this year. Well indeed on that I was thinking of that too because like you think of Phelps artists started a blue like that day played a huge part in the next step in those horses development which is certainly continuing it's not you know they're all still you know just getting just getting in some case it's just getting warmed up and you know it is yeah exactly and so you you weren't even quite sure what you were witnessing at the time but now looking back you think it was it was an important day and you know played out in the Olympic picture for some of these horses as well and so it's yeah to your point this out I know feeling you're not you're not totally sure what you're witnessing at the time as far as what the future holds but you you are you know when you have a day of cross country that is that influential and not exciting and the horses come through the finish like they were coming through the finish like yeah they're off and they set out it's pretty cool and that isn't the story at every five star right I mean certainly those five stars we you know the horses just look happy to get home and I think most of those horses that finished at Maryland were you know they they were they came they came out of it with a lot more experience and a lot more mileage and happy to have just got out around yeah I and also say with our cross country course it's so unique um you know it's not one big wide open field essentially we almost have like three different cross country courses because we have three different fields and and as you enter each field each is so different and there's tons of terrain and so it's just um it's a great feeling as you go into each field and see how different it really is and so we think we just have that you know something very very unique and I also think just from an opportunity standpoint we want to be an event that provides opportunities so when Ian came on being his first five star like that was great now we're passing the torch to Pierre um so to speak and now we're going to have the Olympic course designer and I believe in my correct Johnny would be his first five star yes that's what I think also just combine our terrain combine you know sort of the three different fields to go along with having two you know well renowned uh course designers now doing their first five star like I just think that adds to again more of the storytelling and the entertainment that's all built into the course yeah in terms of the fan like from my point of view as I walked it on the um on the on the morning of the course so maybe like late morning it was actually fairly it was too close to walk it so it was like you know an hour to go basically and everyone was like okay hurry up but everyone was already lined up and like you're the tailgating uh you know there's that section as you I don't know which field is into which field now Jeff but it was down it was as you got down a hill uh and on the right hand side as you go down the hill in the middle high field where the finish is yeah yeah it was just it was a full it was all tailgating along one side and everybody was lined up and again big sporting events it just felt it felt like you were there being able to be close to it witness it and still then keep the fun and the unlike you know bored as entertainment and days out as entertainment it's such an important part of it as well so like being able to combine them it was there it's all there on saturday afternoon i'm open when san doesn't walk the course and actually arrives the course that's how you gotta get those it's common it's common he has a he's a bi-star bi-star power again now with that it's interrogating too like if you think last year the corners that were over the water in the middle of the sawmill fields and you know the water closest to the to the crop water that they then actually they don't go through the water they jump over the water that without it's interrogating up there this year which sold out immediately um just because that's a pretty that's a that's a visually very impressive jump and so we just wanted to draw people to different areas of the course I mean the crop water is basically full i mean there's nothing other there's okay yeah it becomes anonymous kind of like you know with the head of lake like at or the lake at badminton like they're just there's it's three or four deep at the rail because everyone wants to see there so we want to make sure that there's really good viewing and opportunity other places around the course as well um and you know so we're hoping that that area develops as we get more spectators there's you know it becomes another area where there's three or four deep on the ropes as well and the tailgating should help hopefully create that atmosphere around another another feature isn't it funny when you're trying to again going back the idea of like creating history and creating legacy like this it's hopefully in 10 years and 20 years time that you can reference these parts of the course as these iconic areas but like we're still in that period of actually planning them and helping build it for the first time you know it's a it's a slightly different story it's easy to sell as you say johnny to head of the lake or something like that when they're developed but actually it's totally different challenge and a totally different authentic story to be able to say the reason we're placing people here is because we believe the sport supports it and equally that we're trying to develop something for five 10 and 20 years well and so much of organizing events is like you're trying to predict human behavior where people want to go what what they want to see and then you know anticipating what the experience they're expecting to have when they get there is and you know that's for me that's a part of the puzzle that I really enjoy you know as far as where sport you know interfaces with the spectator experience and so we you know we have great opportunity there even though it is really in the excite to jeff's point because of the way the cross-country course is you know you it's it's not like you can just easily roam around from one end of the other you know because there's but people get to a certain area they find a spot they want to be they find a screen they find a beer they eat crabs they do whatever they do and they have they're in middle high tailgating they have a great time and like you but you just it's just trying to find those places and locations where you can maximize viewing and maximize the experience and also provide the best sport right in front of them and I think Ian has really been helpful in that as you know in developing the event and making those those features that are you know accessible in the various parts of the course I think that's a really important point because actually you go to Berlin and you see a picture of Cosmo leap and you know it's barely you see a picture of the head of the lake you know it's Kentucky you see a picture of the crab water even though it's only been a couple of years you see Maryland there's the fence that Ian created last year the big kind of the with the ditch in front that every rider I think stood in and I mean I don't even think of it just a little bit a lot it was absolutely enormous and I think Ian really showed that he was a true horseman because the riders all said it was unjumpled and actually it jumped pretty well but you know you know maybe it's a similar one on the three star this one oh okay I love it a nice little insight there for you listeners but actually you see that fence and you think of Maryland and that is a huge compliment to Ian to the event to everybody that that has become so synonymous after three years and it's very exciting then to think okay give it another 10 years or 20 years and actually how iconic those fences will be ingrained in eventing history as well because they're already well on their way there um I know we've teased it just a little bit but Joni I want to pick your brains entries this year there's there's a lot of big names flying around as to who might be heading out to have a go at the title Oliver Townend who has won pretty much every major event there is to win um has yet to win Maryland he's been very very very close agonizingly close I think he's been on the podium each of the three years he is bringing his three-time five-star winner in Balamour class so Ruma has it listeners um two-time barely winner he's not putting him on a plane to come out to tackle it if he doesn't feel that he can take the top spot um that just gives me goosebumps the bottom of his comment because he's constantly nudging I mean and actually he's heading towards the end of his career now as well so it's a real compliment that actually he's coming out to to have a go he's I think 17 now so he's not going to have you know a limit a limitless number of five starts left um but actually he's coming out to to give it a good go um and he is literally one of the the greatest horses we've seen 10 top tens at five star it's just absolutely incredible um Joni who else have you got on the list that we might not know about that you could obviously things can you know we all know horses but come on we're all friends here I mean I think the you know Tammy's Tammy said it herself about my bomb you know and again like another horse that you just think like if the stars line up and these horses I'll show up especially these ones that are you know getting closer much closer to the end of their career than the beginning I mean what an incredible you know battle of just legends it could be right like my bomb is just you know he's changed the game of eventing in the quality of horses in America just with how consistent he's been over the years and then he obviously won Kentucky and broke that you know spell of non-US winners at Kentucky right after Boyd had broken the spell of no US five star winners you know Boyd's got a couple of old campaigners that are coming out again um you know potentially maybe a former winner of this event so there's there's that part of it that is just is really cool and I think it's a testament to the event I think it's testament to the footing you know that they do such a good job on the ground there working on the ground all the time like I said you know and hopefully the Mother and Angel will be with us and we'll get some more rain but you know that the horses love to run across that that turf and and it takes you know it seems to take pretty good care of them so I'm really excited about that Bobby Upton is you know never never been over here for a five star she's she's making the trip across and she's obviously you guys know her but much better than we do but you know super exciting and and you know really has a lot of support and an excitement behind her in a most fabulous horse um so yeah I don't know it just feels buzzy and exciting this year in a way that you know it takes a few years to develop that one trust from the riders that you know you're putting on an event that they can really they can rely on the quality of the footing the quality of the competition the administration of the competition and the overall experience to like you know bring their best horses or you know when they're deciding between two things like you know whether it's whether it's the footing whether it's the courses on or whether it just tips the scale you know in our favor because there are a lot of choices right like I don't think anyone takes this for granted I mean you know I know and speaking with you know the team at Burleigh like you know the entries were not quick to roll in there and then all of a sudden they ended up with one of the best Burleigh fields on the day and so you know there these five stars still do have their have their place and I think we have to appreciate that you know our customers i.e. you know in this case the competitors and the owners and the horses it's a competitive environment to provide the absolute best that we can for them and like I said I think it's a testament of the whole team that's been working on this event since the beginning that we have this kind of horses and these riders targeting this event I think it's really exciting In terms of a couple of others um Harry Meade's got a couple that he's going to be bringing over um and one of them is I'm going to be banging the head hop demands drum a lot over the coming weeks and particularly on the previous show because that horse I saw him at Bramham is unbelievable and cross-country is very very cool um David Doll got a low new mode I think the plan was for him to come over as well which is exciting it's going to be one of the strongest some wicked cross-country horses I mean really that's some of the best that there are and they're all going to be hoping that they deliver actually these horses Balamor glass for example is going to be hoping that the tougher the better to be honest right yeah I think Harry would say Harry would say the same uh definitely if you get the ones that we were talking about there because they're all established at the level you think like Galileo name would um my bomb and Balamor class Nicole if you got those three and then it sounds like before we see the actual numbers run on the final entry list but it sounds like it'll be the it'll be the the hottest marland to date like you can it's going to be one of the like we've seen that only a couple of times where you get that top rated field ever barely got it but this certainly feels like even allowing the fact that everyone might not line up this feels like you're going to get that story of of the highest rated marland on record like that's a huge field even just in the couple that you've named there's a couple other ones that just you know buck Davidson on that store came out of his that most beautiful third that would just love to gallop around there so and fuck is pretty local and been probably ridden at fair hills much as much as anybody you know ever and over the course of history other than his dad um sort of yeah excited to have him back he just ran around the three star plantation and just easy like just really nice and good prep and he I think he's pretty excited with how he's going and then um one that I think will be uh pretty cool to see and again just one around plantation easy is Jesse Phoenix is where I sent out a lesson to little paint horse doing his first five star so definitely I think at the crowd pretty excited the way you know she's a wicked jumper and obviously is an unusual looking event horse for most of what we see here so Jesse's got got two here she's got her her burly hero from a couple years ago to Wabbit so um I don't know it just it just feels like there's there's there's some good ones some interesting ones headed this way and hopefully the you know the experienced ones will put on some some kind of show and then some of these younger ones will really find their five star form and it will like to the point we were making earlier be part of a a story that they continue to tell for a long time can you project yourself into sunday where like you've come off the back of all this emotion excitement Jeff you can relax Johnny you can relax you're still you're still working but like you've gotten true Saturday and everyone is now arrived on Sunday and everything is flowing and working and you're looking down at the stadium you know from the you know from from that area that Mars provided last year and that every you know that was that great viewing alongside all the writers and the competitors like where as you say Johnny it feels hot and it feels tight but like when you call out those entries and if you can imagine again let's say 50% of some of that crew make it true to jump in a top five or a top six on sunday like again Jeff the stories just keep blowing like if it's Balamor class that goes and does it off the back of everything they've done if it's Tammy again from a US side there's so much baked into each of these and all you need is one of them to come off Jeff like one of them is going to come off that's the beauty of it but there is so much here it's yeah it's so exciting yeah I mean I love having legends obviously participate in even like last year when we had William Fox Pitt I mean he came second place I mean and now he's recently retired I mean so yeah I mean you never know how long or the opportunities you have to witness greatness and we're just glad that we get a lot of these legends that are interested in coming so you know credit to the group hopefully they they come and you know and obviously it's just it's a testament to everybody's hard work really when you get that kind of field and that kind of interest yeah you know hopefully we'll have you know Philip he just lives down the road hopefully he'll have one to to bring forward and he's just obviously been a one I'm you know so he's still 61 years old out there trying to be the best he can at this so you know it's yeah it is it is cool and we get to Jeff's when we get two opportunities because we get these horses that we've been talking about that are absolute legends of the sport and then we get these riders as well you know and probably from Jeff's perspective you know the the rider name is athlete named he's more familiar with as far as you know world rankings and that kind of thing but die hard to this sport these forces that we're talking about I mean people you know there people are desperate to see these horses and if they think it might be the last time they get to see them at a five star or the last time in the States you know for some of these forces coming across the pond like that's a huge deal and I think you know it's pretty exciting and you know again a testament to everybody involved that they the trust that is put in us to produce a competition not only that that's possible putting in courses and everything like I mentioned but also just you know the level of competition and the whole experience I like it you've got all of that but it's balanced off with all of the fun and the entertainment because one of the stories we're always trying to tell is that like we carry all of that stuff around with this journey all of this excitement they're out out out of more class of my bomb and a potential head to head between those two but so many people as you say don't and and maybe don't even have the writer name so what you're constantly about and even if they do sometimes it's just that they actually they're with their friends and they actually just want to catch up and chat as much as see the sport so you're trying to create environments that facilitate all of it and still allow the better more class owners and to my bomb owners to all still feel like hey we're not just putting on a party also you know we're putting on a real sport it's a really difficult balance to get right but Nicole you remember last year on these pods we laughed and had fun with like all the corgi racing concept I was literally just about to say obviously the competition is going to be brilliant and we're going to do a full on preview show for you listeners so that will be coming away very soon but come on Jeff corgi racing there's been so many different fun initiatives that have come to Maryland five-star at Fairhill what have you got in store for us in 2024 yeah so first off just we wanted to try to create some consistency with the layout I think the first three years it was trying to figure out the site and as Joni said earlier like where human behavior where do people really gravitate so it took a it took a few years to you know really figure out you know the best flow so we wanted it to create some consistency with our layout so there aren't a tremendous amount of changes there however what we are going to do is upgrade a lot of the presentation components so we you know a big fan of digital and you know trying to get away from hard signage oftentimes so we are going to have LED you know digital displays signage in the main arena as Joni said we're adding a second video board we are looking to have more just generally more digital and LED screens you know to enhance the facility and have more access continue to build on our ND five-star radio program so this year is going to be sponsored by Taylor Harris Insurance Services so that was something we added last year and now we're going to continue to to add to that experience and then yeah the corgi cup has become almost as big as the five-star competition so we have 125 corgi's already signed up for sunday morning and there's a waitlist and there's a waitlist yeah so that event itself is tremendous and then you know tailgating has been unbelievably popular so we actually added tailgating for Thursday and Friday for the young event board competition so that's something that's brand new we also have some new sponsors that are going to add some some great elements so Lemieux is coming on board to outfit all our volunteers Dubury as always has been a tremendous supporter in outfitting our staff and officials yet he's come on board this year so he'll add some some new components along with the irish horse board so sponsors are definitely going to bring some more activation components to the event and of course Mars with the vi pet and we'll also have you know again continue to do a expanded retail vendor opportunity so we have added a new area for retail behind our chalets so it's going to be called the south chalet shopping area so that's going to be something new this year to help elevate the the overall retail experience and then just going with the other festivals that we have we have beer wine and spirits festival we have a Maryland fresh food fest we have the dog rescue parade so you know again trying to create as many family oriented activities so that people can come out and just have a great experience in the fall at fairhill there's literally something for everybody i think and whether you are a massive eventing fan or whether you're in the local area and you've kind of traveled across Cecil County and you're wanting to come to the event for the first time hopefully it's going to really capture your imagination personally still a massive fan of the corgi cup i said it last year i said it again this year just think it's genius what are the next few weeks look like jonie i hate to probably make you guys will feel under pressure but four weeks today the event will be done and dusted there are thereabouts what what do the next couple of weeks look like in terms of obviously the site builds already started the fences are starting to go out what's left to be done yeah i mean so basically it's an entire temporary build at that venue right so there's you know there's obviously the permanent or the the arenas which are which are surface and the grandstand that is over the right like across the race course from the main arena but the rest of it is temporary um you know our volunteer space is permanent um permanent building and we got a couple other sort of outbuildings at the at fairhill but for the most part it's all temporary so the main arena build the infield build is basically going to be done here you know by the end of the month and then they'll go to you know the area of the cross-country course staebling FEI staebling um comes in and they start building first week of october so then that you know get our USDA inspection for the forces coming across you know from from europe so then that has to get implemented you know even have to build like hot water set up for the wash dolls think you know things like that so it really does come you know just starts to come to life um i was climbing around in the storage containers the other day which we've been you know inventory and unpacking everything and trying to find things that we swear we know where we put them last year um you know and then it's just silly little things that you know like do we have every do we have all the crossing point numbers from last year do we need to get some of those reprinted and you know or do we even make sure we have an upstream for you know the miles and miles on our cross-country course but all the other areas that we have to rope off when people decide they want to walk or park or drive somewhere that we never thought they would go and you know so it's it is sort of all the organization in planning at some point with doing these events then just turns into all those those things are all in place you do the very best you can and then you're just reacting to all the things that you could not have foreseen or planned for or the weather changed on you or you know etc etc etc and that's actually like i love you know and i think i'm most you know Marissa and our you know who's the event director she does too like we live in these spreadsheets we get all organized but for me and i can respond to it like i love them when it shifts into that like you're just in event mode and you're reacting and troubleshooting and enjoying a moment here or there but mostly it's just the planning part's done and then you're just implementing and then you're it's you're just in that phase where you know everything is happening in real time um and if that's where my adrenaline like goes to the roof and and i just live like that for like you know for 10 days but you know this part we're still in that who's getting which vehicle on which day little things like you know they're not little things really but like you know hotel rooms officials airports you know who's coming from where you know getting our sectors all organized having you know the call with the stewards after this when this is over to make sure you know they're all everyone's on the same page because we have a couple of changes on our stewarding team and our cross country team meets tonight and then our infield team meets tomorrow night you know so it's we're still all in those in those kind of um phases of it but then like all of a sudden it just starts rolling and then like i said that's that's my favorite part basically spent 355 days to planning for those those 10 days where you're just in full-on event mode to the temporary build that goes on like that's a real advantage for us because we get to customize the hospitality experience i mean i'd say that our VIP hospitality that overlooks the main arena and our chalets and our clubs and our grants and it's as close as you can get to a competition as far as you know viewing and i think our our VIP hospitality and and offerings are as good as it gets around the world not only just an eventing but you know in any sport so you know certainly if people want to come out and have a high-end experience or entertain clients like we have we have a lot to offer what's your favorite part Jeff my favorite part uh i mean just do it events for nearly 30 years i mean i love you know when when you see so many people working towards a common goal and you know knock on wood it all comes off successfully like it's it's the best feeling you just you feel like you've you've really accomplished something and when you see people enjoying you know what you've produced um you know it's it's an awesome feeling so i actually love the after the event you know just because it's satisfying you know during the events great too obviously it's a thrill of and sort of the adrenaline of being part of an event and that's what we all love doing events but you know the satisfaction that you know you have if you pull off a successful event is it's it's a great feeling so i i love as as soon as that last award is given and the champagne pops it's like that that's the best feeling i think um and i can say this because obviously i haven't got to organize it but i think one of my favorite parts has got to be post Wednesday jog pre Thursday dress sarge when you know that the lineup is there you know who's going to be starting and all of the hopes and the dreams are still alive you know nobody's disappointed with the dress sarge test nobody's you know lost to their cross country it is very much kind of that blank sheet ready to get going um and that always gives me a huge amount of excitement uh listen as i hope we have weathered your appetite as to what is coming your way with quite honestly what is going to be a brilliant at few weeks building up um to the 2024 edition of the Mars Meridam five-star affair hill presented by Brown advisory and i don't think we can actually say enough how grateful we are to all of the sponsors we've mentioned them plenty on this show but actually there's lots of people involved in putting on an event as this size and particularly you know the supporter of the inside Maryland series at barrier of island who delighted to be working with again we can do it without them and and the events can do it without them so please if you're listening to this tag them on social media go and see what they can offer you and and how you might be able to support them as well because it's vital for the survival and for our sport to flourish and thrive into the future um team good luck over the next few weeks i'm looking forward to hearing all about it i'm looking forward to following along and i think we will need to come over in a call oh i know i would love to i'd love to one day doni one day do you are you heading out to Maryland this year just to plan yep yeah okay please here we go your mission should you choose to accept it is to um essentially around a thousand videos of doz corgi's last year in a call so like race full there's a waitlist and as you know i am a coach hasn't decided before miss the boat on that one look i think you know we jest about it but actually it's brilliant to see new exciting things coming into the sport and actually really capturing the imagination so lots to look forward to it's going to be top-class competition i don't think we can really give Ian the justice on this show we're going to do something i think separately with him and get his thoughts ahead of what is going to be his final five star his final big international course as well um i can only imagine he's nervous on saturday morning of any major event i can only imagine how nervous he will be on saturday morning as he is maryland five star um at fair hill so we'll get an insight from Ian as to what's in store and look forward to the future as well with pia but team thank you so much enjoy it jeff if people haven't got their tickets where can they go what can they do what would you like to say to them yeah just go to maryland five star dot us our ticket agency is a group called tickster it makes it really easy for you um but then you could also just walk up during the event if if that's easier for you but we encourage people to get their tickets in advance maryland five star dot us there we go listeners um check out the vip packages as well if that might be of interest to you sounds fantastic right we will have lots more in store for you on the inside maryland series presented by g berry of island very soon but for now listeners the countdown to the 20-24 mars maryland five star fair hill presented by brown advisory is officially on jeff jony d thank you all very much listeners thank you as always for tuning in we'll be back very soon with more thank you thank you
