Big Gymkhana Family Weekend

Not expressly on Julie Andrews’ list of “My Favorite Things”—but we’d bet dust to dollars that if she knew Thacher, Big Gymkhana Family Weekend would be right up there with raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Thundering hooves (96 riders X 4 = a lot, and more, once you throw in the pack mules) are, of course, the main event and the principal noise—though these sounds got a run for their money this past weekend, in the form of hooting and hollering auction bidding, Pergola yeehawing to every tune-switch by DJ Splyce, and unfettered parental cheering for singers, actors, instrumentalists, and dancers.

The extended—and extensive—clan began arriving on Friday, in time for trail course and English competition, as well as a talk by Christine Carter CdeP 1990, author of Raising Happiness. A Santa Maria-style barbecue for supper, and then a feast for eyes as people wandered through the Commons or up to the Study Hall to take an appreciative gander at student artwork that ran the gamut from fine furniture and other woodcraft to ceramics to acrylics, charcoal, and photography.

A cabaret featuring Dance Ensemble, Chamber Singers, and Jazz Band drew everyone into the Milligan Center for the Performing Arts and got toes tapping and hands clapping—the perfect prelude to the Parents Live Auction and Raise-Your-Paddle events that followed. With the final bid number jotted down by auction spotters, a quick calculation told the story of parents and friends eager to support a unique educational mission and experience: nearly $400,000 of eagerness, in fact, when combined with the raffle and other underwriting.

These, and the Silent Auction (which wrangled an additional $50,000 to support the School’s Annual Fund) were masterfully chaired by Joe Tobin (Taylor ’13, Joe CdeP 2009) and coordinated by the Development Office’s Michelle Cyr. Offering a little (or big) something for everyone—cookies to condos to cabernet, beach trips to bbq, vineyard tours to vegan lunches—each of the nearly 300 items reflected an extraordinary generosity on the part of parents, alums, faculty, staff, and friends of the School. And each bid doubled that.

Saturday’s overcast skies were welcome weather for a day that tends to go long. It started with field prep at 6 a.m., 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 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’ve come to love (or at least work with): young ones Chic, Khali, High Style, Ethan, Toon, and Uncle Mer, and some seasoned vets who’ve been around the field just a few times: good old Buckbeek and Little Twist, Duallar II and Top Dog, 85.

This year, Blue Team, captained by the senior trio of Chris Colson, Marco, Hernandez, and Jack Sligh, charged into the day protecting a substantial lead—but an upset was surely possible, given the annual Big Gymkhana custom of tripling points: team standings have been known to humpty-dumpty in dizzying ways during the last hours of the season, and neither Orange Team (captained by senior Will Rutter and juniors Lilly Haggard and Geneva Miller) nor Green (led by seniors Sienna Courter and Olivia Stonehouse, and Miles Fossett) intended to yield until the final scores were tallied. And when they were, Blue had held on, coming in first with 14351 points to Green’s 10536 and Orange’s 9950. (See below for Top Ten lists and other awards.)

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.

Final event of the night (for those whose endurance should have won them ribbons): Open House at the Mullys’—parent-child-and-others dancing in the living room, Mother’s Day card construction and coloring in the dining room, games here and there, zonked out younger siblings and students on window seats and couches, Raiders of the Lost Ark on the wide-screen, warm cookies issuing from ovens and quesadillas hot off the stove. A sea of shoes, boots, flip-flops, sneakers covering the deck at 9; empty at 11.

On Sunday morning, 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 veteran Thacher mom Debbie Eastburn.

It’s always been a good place to sit, look, listen to the predictable whinnies from the barns, breathe in deeply. And on this particular day, from this spot carved out of the hills , with the sun breaking through clouds now and again, you could catch Lake Casitas glinting, like a silver dollar in the dirt.

1—Chris Colson ‘11 on Jerry

2—Miles Fossett’12 on Podoco

3— Shravan Rajasekaran ’13 on Grease Spot

4—Reed Gülick-Stutz ’14 on Paddy

5— Amy Feldman ’13 on Slash

6— Olivia Stonehouse ’11 on Willow

7—Marco Hernandez ’11 on Pete

8—Grant Ellman ’14 on Sioux

9—Lilly Haggard ’12 on Jazz

10—Geneva Miller ‘12 on Lady

1—Chris Colson ‘11 on Jerry

2—Miles Fossett’12 on Podoco

3—Marco Hernandez ’11 on Pete

4—Reed Gulick-Stütz ’14 on Paddy

5— Shravan Rajasekaran ’13 on Grease Spot

6—Amy Feldman ’13 on Slash

7—Olivia Stonehouse ’11 on Willow

8—Grant Ellman ’14 on Sioux

9—Nick Barrack ’14 on Delightful

10—Alex Yeagle ’14 on Rancher

1—Reed Gülick-Stutz

2—Grant Ellman on Sioux

3—Alex Morris on Clancey

4—Nick Barrack on Delightful

5—Truman Hanks on Dave

6—Alex Yeagle on Rancher

7—Alex Zaldastani on High Style

8—Lachlan Nutting on Happy

9—Pascal Cevaer-Corey on Jewell

10—Anand Shah on Carson

Silver Bridles for best all-around horsemanship: Cayce Cover '12,  Shravan Rajasekaran '13

Horsemanship Awards:

Hailey Everett ‘12

Jack Sligh ‘11

Peter Galer ‘12

Lucy Meyers ‘13

Geneva Miller ‘12

Jamie Rush ‘14

Miles Fossett ‘12

Grant Ellman ‘14

Reed Gülick-Stutz ‘14

Harry Hayman ‘14

Trevor Mulchay ‘11