New volunteer Patrick Murphy grew up around horses. His dad was a racehorse trainer in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest, and his mom is a lifelong horse person. Yet, he was blown away the first time he witnessed a three-day eventing pair galloping cross-country as he passed by on Los Corralitos Road.
He’d seen Galway Downs on previous passbys, and had even heard about it from his girlfriend, Washington-based trainer Lisa Martin, an eventer herself. But the sight of a competitive pair in action caused him to pull over and “holler at a jump judge” to ask how he could get involved.
This was early this year, and Patrick has since stepped into various volunteer roles every chance he gets. He moved back to Temecula from Washington to “reset” various aspects of his life and says volunteering has accelerated that personal growth process in all the right ways. Being among good people engaged in something they’re passionate about is inspiring. Having a front row seat to watch spectacular equine athletes and their human partners is icing on the cake.
Plus, he’s earning the envy of his girlfriend and equestrian friends in Washington and securing Galway Downs swag and show vouchers for them. He’s on a first-name basis with organizer Robert Kellerhouse, had a nice chat with 5* eventer Tamie Smith and hobnobbed with event officials.
Patrick’s girlfriend Lisa operates Living Waters Stables in Bonney Lake, Washington. “She had hyped me up about Galway Downs,” Patrick shares. “She told me it was a huge staple of the West Coast eventing scene.”
Fun moments arise when he shares his new experiences with Lisa and her students. “They had a good laugh and couldn’t believe that I talked to Tamie Smith while she was getting ready to compete!” He’s learned first-hand that the eventing community is a small one, meeting several nice people connected in various ways to his Washington area stomping grounds.
At Ease In The Environment
Managing the warm-up in-gate for an early year dressage schooling show got Patrick off to a comfortable start. Next came jump judging and show jumping in-gate management. Thanks to growing up with horses, he was at ease in the show environment. “Knowing a few little things about being around horses gave me some insights. I know we don’t want to make it crazy for the ponies!”
Patrick’s return to California is a stepping-stone to returning to Washington. He plans to keep volunteering at Galway regularly before then, then sign up at Aspen Farms and other USEA Area VII events when he returns. “I love being in the sun, learning things about the riders and even watching the dressage tests. I love watching the riders warm up and figure out when their horse is ready. Eventing is an amazing thing to see.”
There’s even a chance Patrick may get back in the saddle himself. “My big dream as a kid was to be like my dad and be a jockey,” he says. “I would take my Pony of America, put on my dad’s old racing silks, and pretend I was making that turn for the home stretch.”
Patrick’s dad, Dave Murphy, rode and trained at Santa Anita in Arcadia and his mother, Lisa Murphy, worked for the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association. They may have lain dormant for a while, but horses are clearly in Patrick’s blood. He’s grateful to his girlfriend and to Galway Downs for reconnecting him to the wonderful world of horses and the mutual benefits of being an important part of that world as a volunteer.
The feature photo is Patrick and his girlfriend Lisa Martin.
