Big Gymkhana 2012

5/22/2012

Joy Sawyer-Mulligan

Come early, stay late X 2.5 unrepeatable days.

“Lances, pistols, and horses. Not your typical high school experience!”

From the mouths of not-quite-babes, an incontrovertible truth underneath a keen observation, emanating from the broad grin of a 9th grade rider somewhere amid Big Gymkhana day.

Atypical, too, the annual gathering in May of so many ardent fans and believers, hundreds in number beyond the students, staff, and faculty who luckily live the Thacher life every day--parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, alums old and young, on campus, eating dust and braving heat to cheer the place that outgoing School Chair Joe Bell recently called “unique and amazing.” And affirm the people who make it that way, right in front of our eyes, reins in hand at the least, guns at the most.

Big Gymkhana Family Weekend 2012 began on Friday afternoon, when many family and friends arrived to watch baseball and lacrosse, English riding and the trail course competition. Following, on the supper menu, a traditional Santa Maria-style barbecue, and on the heels of that, for those wandering through the Commons and the Thacher Room, a vision-feast: displays of artwork including everything 2-D--acrylics, charcoal, and photography--to fine furniture and other woodcraft and ceramics.

Then into the Milligan Center for the Performing Arts moved the hordes, there to applaud the talent and skill of students from every class in dance, singing and instrumental music from the Jazz Band. With sonic and visual vibrations going well beyond good-good-good-good, everyone was more than primed for the Parents Live Auction and Raise-Your-Paddle events. Doing the math at the end of the night underscored a happy reality: here was gathered a crowd eager to support Thacher’s unique educational mission and one-of-a-kind experience. Friday night’s fundraising puzzle clicked right into place raising over $450,000 to support the School’s Parent's Fund. The Parents' Auction was again chaired by veteran Joe Tobin (Taylor ’13, Joe CdeP 2009) and coordinated by the Development Office’s Michelle Cyr. Offering a little (or big) something for everyone, the nearly 300 items demonstrated again extraordinary generosity on the part of parents, alums, faculty, staff, and friends of the School.

The evening closed on the Pergola with a multi-generational dance (only moderately embarrassing for students watching their parents), synched up and kept lively by “our” beloved tune-switching maestro DJ Splyce.

Next day, early and classically sunny, Big Gymkhana, unquestionably the 300-carat jewel in the weekend’s crown. The event actually begins with pre-sun-up field prep, course set-up a little after that, and, by 9, riders and mounts warming up for up to sixteen races. The competition began with a Grand Entry to get all hearts pounding, then the traditional National Anthem as backdrop to the presentation of the California and U.S. flags flying at the sides of two of the best riders as they sprint a circle around all the others mounted on steeds they know as partners. From there, on to hours of races.

This year, Green Team, captained by seniors Helen Brown, Miles Fossett and Michael Xu and junior Daniel Kruth, proved just impossible for Orange and Blue to catch, even with points tripled, an annual Big Gymkhana custom that has, in the past, flipped team standings during the countdown hours of the season. Still, captains of the underdogs--Orange Team’s seniors Cayce Cover, Lilly Haggard, and Geneva Miller and junior Maeve Briggs; and Blue’s Josh Cho ‘13, Frank Hernandez ‘13, Alex Morris ‘14, and Jamie Rush ‘14--worked overtime to keep spirits running high, both equine and human. In the end, Green toted up a massive 18814 points to Orange’s 11895 and Blue’s 9361. (See below for Top Ten lists and other awards.) One record was broken: the Washington Poles, which stood at 23.17 seconds until freshman Ben Yoon and Whirlwind whittled it down to 23.14.

In a happy convergence of “courage, skill, and luck” (as the Horse Department Faculty’s William Okin says), freshmen Robin Evans, Kevin Griffee and Jordan Augustus scooped up and brought home that precious shiny disc known as the silver dollar, joining the ranks of a unique club of distinguished riders. In the week following, others would join the ranks: juniors Amy Feldman and Daniel Kruth and freshmen Georgie Becker, Orren Fox, and Ben Yih.

The evening awards ceremony, woven in amid another stunning performing arts sampler, launched with a standing ovation for the Horse Department Faculty. Then Director of the Horse Program Cam Schryver commended all the riders for their horsemanship and spirit, both underclassmen and those older students whose key leadership had made this season one to be proud of. Much fluttering of ribbons ensued as Cam, Lori, and Cora Mae made teamwork of acknowledging the top riders.

You’d think folks would pack it in after so long and exciting a day, but a whole lot moved right on over to Saturday night Open House at the Mullys’ for the usual fare: warm cookies, quesadillas, dancing in the living room, games and coloring in the dining room, and, all over the place, conversation and conviviality.

A few hours after those lights went out, a re-energized congregation settled into Outdoor Chapel seats to take in student readings and instrumental music, two pieces by the Chamber Singers, and a talk by three-time Thacher father, Daniel Yih. There’s no place better for spiritual regrouping, this spot carved a century ago out of the hillside. And a good one for preparing for a farewell-til-summer break, for both parents and kids.

Top Ten Riders for the Season

1--Miles Fossett [Captain] on Russell

2--Helen Brown [Captain] on Podoco

3--Daniel Kruth [Captain] on Jim

4--Alex Morris [Captain] on Sunny

5--Skylar Lewis on Cool

6--Cayce Cover [Captain] on Tracie

7--Jamie Rush [Captain] on Bee

8--Bailey Cypheridge on Corkey

9--Josh Cho [Captain] on Slash

10--Ben Yih on Toby

Top 10 Big Gymkhana Day