An Attorney with Horse Sense

It's challenging enough to take the dog for a walk every day, much less compete on horseback through three events in one of the most difficult sports in the world. That's what Trudy Innes Richardson does, in an equine sport known as eventing.

Eventing is composed of three phases: dressage shows how well the horse and rider harmonize through a series of graceful movements; stadium jumping shows off the team's skills as they jump over fences at varying heights; and cross country, in which a series of fixed, immovable obstacles are encountered along a 2.5- to 5-mile course. These can be fences, ditches, bodies of water or stone walls.

 

Eventing is as much a competition against other people as it is an internalized competition to see how well you and your partner can do.

In stadium jumping, if the horse strikes a fence, penalties are deducted from the final score if any portion of the fence falls to the ground. Over the cross country course, striking an obstacle is more dangerous and can mean a fall for the horse and rider as well as elimination from the competition. The risk of serious injury is high. Eventing combines fluidity with athleticism, precision with adrenaline, horsemanship with showmanship. No wonder it's considered a wildly competitive sport.

With competitions lasting anywhere from two to four days, time saving is big on Trudy's list. Trudy has found that WestlawNext cuts her research time in half.

Standing Before the Judge

As a litigator and Super Lawyer, Trudy is accustomed to being in front of judges. Eventing judges are looking not for the motions but at the motions. Especially in dressage, similar to ballet on horseback, the judge looks for balance and rhythm. The rider must also demonstrate that she and her horse are supremely fit – all in a relaxed manner.

"Being a litigator and an eventer, I'm very competitive. I find when I integrate and feed this competitive nature in different ways, it keeps me sharp and grounded."

Trudy and Friar Tuck, a 13-year-old, sturdy draft cross, have won several titles together. Trudy is now entering the ring with "DJ" a 5-year-old off-the-track thoroughbred whose registered name is Nip and Repent. The horse and rider must trust each other, remember the course together, and feel an internalized competitive spirit. For as much as the competition is against others, "you also want to see how well you and your partner can do together."