Vicarious Terror: Ride a Fireball Puissance Horse Through Central Park with Kama Godek

Screenshot via Facebook Live

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The Rolex Central Park Horse Show is going on this week, and as we imagined, there are a LOT of logistics involved with having several hundred jumpers, eventers, and arabians in the middle of the largest and busiest metropolitan park in the world.

One of those logistics includes a three-minute walk from the stabling area to the event arena, and Kama Godek bravely Facebook Livestreamed the entire walk – an experience which at any given moment could have easily been the end of her for our own personal entertainment.

Posted by Kama Godek on Thursday, September 21, 2017

Kama, this definitely puts you in hero status at Jumper Nation. Not just because we get to vicariously ride your studmuffin, or because you recorded the whole event, but because the whole ordeal included the following absolutely nutty scenarios:

1: Narrow walking aisles so tight two horses can’t pass eachother

2: Dozens of baby strollers

3: Bikers, joggers, and rollerbladers whizzing by

4: Hordes of humans who quite possibly have never seen a horse in real life prior to this moment

5: ADJOINING BASEBALL FIELDS (“Where they have baseball meetings, or whatever you call it” <Hero Status continues, Kama.)

6: Slippery asphalt

7: City carriage horses going over bridges nearby

8: Traveling through dark narrow brick tunnels with all of the above things in your immediate vicinity

And then all the normal horse show things, like carpets, stallions, wash racks and dumpsters.

To Kama’s lovely horse’s credit, De Grande handles nearly all of it like a champ, and even his skittishness was all pretty justifiable, under the circumstances.

The action gets underway in Central Park TONIGHT with the J/A Speed Class, the $30k FEI Speed Class, and the $50,000 puissance class as the grand finale.

Full Schedule available below, and more information available at their website.

Thursday, September 21 presented by CSX
$5,000 1.20m Junior/Amateur Speed Class
Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Competition begins at 6:30 p.m.
U.S. Open $40,000 CSX FEI Speed Class
Competition begins at 8:00 p.m.
U.S. Open $50,000 Puissance presented by Spy Coast Farm
Competition begins at 9:00 p.m.
Friday, September 22
U.S. Open $25,000 Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix
Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Competition begins at 6:30 p.m.
U.S. Open $216,000 Grand Prix CSI 3* presented by Rolex
Competition begins at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 23 presented by The Gochman Family & Dr. Betsee Parker
$1,000 Pony Hunter Classic
$2,500 Junior/Amateur Owner Classic
U.S. Open $50,000 Duchossois Cup
Gates open at 1:00 p.m. Competition begins at 1:30 p.m.
U.S. Open $50,000 Arena Eventing presented by The Fite Group Luxury Homes
Gates open at 7:30 p.m. Competition begins at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 24 
Central Park Family Day presented by Mars, Incorporated
Free General Admission – Open to the Public
Dog agility demonstrations, America’s Got Talent Finalists The Pompeyo Family exhibition, Land Rover “Kids’ Adventure Course,” Hobby Horse courses, pony rides, candy stations, face painting, equine grooming and learning stations and more!
Gates open 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Go Jumping!