Kappler’s devoted to making his sport better

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 4, 2016

By Nancy Jaffer
September 4, 2016

Chris Kappler at the schooling area of the Hampton Classic. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

You’ll still see Chris Kappler by the ingate or the schooling area at major shows, like last weekend’s Hampton Classic, but he won’t be on a horse.

His name used to appear regularly in the equestrian publication headlines. Now, however, his focus is on training others at his business, Chris Kappler Inc., run out of the former Hunterdon Inc. facility in Pittstown.

After working there for years with George Morris, Chris carries on the philosophy and tradition of the country’s most famous trainer. The facility is not flashy; it’s handsomely utilitarian and beautifully maintained, with attention to important details rather than meaningless frills.

Chris probably is best known to the public for his rides at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He earned a team gold on Royal Kaliber, a stallion he co-owned with Kathy Kamine that he brought to the top level of the sport. But in a jump-off for individual honors, Royal sustained a leg injury near the end of the course, where he looked as if he could have been on track to win, and Chris pulled him up. Chris got the individual silver medal, but that was overshadowed by tragedy. Royal went on to colic in the course of his treatment and could not be saved.

Chris Kappler with the 2004 Olympic gold medal show jumping team of Peter Wylde, Coach Frank Chapot, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

“Somehow, he was put into my life and we together achieved an incredible result, and he never had to prove anything again,” said Chris, who treasures many photos and a special painting of the horse.

“I think about him every day. He was the coolest horse to hang out with and enjoy. He did not have a hole in him. He was beautiful to ride. he had scope he was careful. Almost anything after that is a letdown.”

While Chris, with 100 grand prix victories to this credit, still rides several horses a day, his main job is helping clients achieve show ring success. The 49-year-old trainer also has served as a selector for the Olympic and Pan American Games teams over the last two years. Citing patriotism in his wish for America to do well internationally, he explained, “I want to be able to help in any way possible. If I don’t have a student who’s aiming for it (a championship team), then I’d love to be part of the selection process.”

After riding VDL Oranta to victory in the 2009 American Invitational, which turned out to be his last major competition, he was finding he no longer had the drive to participate in the arena himself.

To succeed in the sport, “like any athlete, you have to have an incredible passion,” he pointed out.

“You have to wake up so hungry to win every class.”

When that no longer was happening for him, he said, “I knew my time for competition was winding down.”

Chris on Royal Kaliber at the 2004 Olympics. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

The world’s number four-ranked show jumper and Chris’ 2004 teammate, McLain Ward, noted that he learned a lot from his friend as he was moving up in his career.

“He’s been a consummate perfectionist and horseman and really an example of how the sport and horsemanship should be done,” McLain commented.

Chris, who splits his time between a condo in Flemington and a home in Wellington, Fla., turned some of his energy in another direction, serving as a founder and president of the North American Riders Group. A ground-breaking organization, it aimed to improve shows, naming the top 25 on the continent every year, with a critique about what they did right, and what they could do better. The shows at the top of the list crowed over their selection. Those further down on the roster aimed to improve.

“We stepped in as an advocacy group to promote the change we wanted to see in the industry. We tried to create a sense of competition and give the shows feedback. I think a lot of shows really welcomed it,” he explained.

Chris was joined on the NARG board by some big names; McLain, Beezie Madden and Murray Kessler, the retired CEO of Lorillard who will take office in January as president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation. Beezie and Chris also are on the USEF board.

“NARG raised the bar, stimulating creation of more FEI and 5-star shows. When we started (in 2009), I think there were four FEI events in America; now we have more than 20,” Chris said proudly.

The barn where Chris has worked for decades has an understated elegance. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

With that achieved, NARG is continuing “in a very quiet mode for the moment,” Chris said, noting it is taking “a one-year pause” from rating shows.

As McLain commented, “NARG was a grassroots organization to change the direction of the high end of the sport in this country and North America. It was highly successful. I think what’s happened is the leadership of NARG has moved into the leadership of the USEF.”

Chris noted, “NARG stepped in as an advocacy group to promote the change we wanted to see in our sport as riders. Through that process, we were able to get Murray Kessler involved. What I like most about Murray is he came on board and said, `What do you guys want to do? I can help you execute, but I don’t want to tell you what to do. I want your agenda. You guys are the riders in the sport.’

It was good news for NARG that one of the new USEF strategic plan’s priorities is going to put teeth into show standards with its new compliance initiative that will have trained officers judging whether the shows are meeting the standards. There will be help for those that want to improve and penalties available if they don’t come up to snuff.

Don’t assume NARG has been disbanded, however.

“We can fire this thing up at any time if we feel it’s necessary,” said Chris, who noted the board wanted to create something the federation and the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association could pick up and run with.

Elections are planned for NARG, which will have its annual meeting in February as usual.

“We completed our agenda, but new blood may come in (at NARG) and pick up a different agenda,” he observed, adding that meanwhile, the leadership of USEF and USHJA has “become very dedicated, very focused and has a great vision for the future.”

There are still things that should be done. He believes it’s necessary to figure out how to keep shows under the umbrella of the USEF and the USHJA, and get those riding in unrecognized shows more connected to the sport.

“They need to know the value the federations (USEF and USHJA) bring. The rules are in their best interest, the welfare of the horse, the welfare of the people.”

Breeding and bringing along young horses is one of Chris’s interests. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

That future also includes “some really interesting up-and-coming riders” who are “going to Europe, getting on the tour.” He likes the fact that he recently saw several aspiring U.S. young riders at a 3-star show in Belgium, “trying to get European experience, developing their strings (of horses) and honing their skills.”

Chris also is involved in the USHA’s Emerging Athlete Program. When he went to Atlanta to give an EAP clinic earlier this year, he noted the kids were enthusiastic about having access to instruction from top trainers.

“They were so thirsty for the knowledge and the information and the riding opportunity. I could see the hunger in their eyes and the desire,” he said.

He hopes the young people who watched the Olympics and saw Nick Skelton and others getting their medals after years of work realize that competing isn’t enough to succeed; “you have to be a horseman.”

Much of his time, naturally, is devoted to the 28 horses at Hunterdon, most owned by clients, with a few sale horses and other prospects in the mix. Chris is assisted by Sarah Segal, who became a full-time rider after graduating from Princeton, and Kevin Mealiff, who is from Ireland.

Among the horses showing from Hunterdon are Cantara, who is jumping 1.50-1.60 meter courses; Performance, a 7-year-old and Zelda, bred by Allison Robitaille and owned by Robbie Greenberg Kabnick, a Hunterdon client for 24 years.

The stallion Maserati is in residence at Hunterdon, and Chris is involved in breeding “on a very limited basis,” noting, “it’s “so incredibly expensive to do.” He would like to see American breeding succeed in a big way.

“There are a lot of breeders in America, but they’re not connecting with the riders,” said Chris.

“The whole world flocks to Belgium, Germany, Holland and France to buy their horses. We’ve got to unlock that.”

He noted that Lisa Lourie of Spycoast Farm, whose main breeding facility is in Kentucky, “is starting to see the fruits of her labor in a good program. She’s a great model to follow. I do it on a very limited basis. We need to encourage America to breed.”

He’s a fan of the horse ID and microchip, knowing it’s so important to be able to see a horse’s lineage to know what’s working and what isn’t.

Overall, he said, “We’re trying to make showing better, more accessible and less expensive to develop horses and riders to keep people in the sport.”

He emphasizes its pluses, mentioning, “It’s a sport where there’s something for everybody on every level. It’s a sport where men and women compete equally. It’s a sport that’s always evolving, because the horses change, and it’s something families can do together.”

In the years that he’s been in the sport, one of the developments he appreciates is the growth of competition possibilities. In the old days, there were only a few divisions. Now, with a great variety of classes for every ability, people are “not having to wait to get to some minimum level to compete.”

Chris is “really hopefuf that the sport continues to grow, that we get more people participating and watching.”

Like other leaders of the horse world, he wants equestrian competition to stay in the Olympics, knowing there’s always the threat that it will be dropped.

“The acquired skils it takes to ride a horse around a course is why I believe it still belongs in the Olympics. It’s not just another sport. There’s no other sport that’s doing what we’re doing with another living creature. At all costs, we ned to protect our position with the Olympic games.

“It’s the ultimate sporting event. It’s the most immediate recognizable level of achievement at the highest level. You tell someone you won the American Invitational, and they say great. You tell someone you won a gold medal, and they say, `Wow, I’m standing next to an Olympic medalist.’

I felt like I achieved everything I was trying to work for. I’d love to help more people achieve that.”

From inside the Rio Games: Judge Marilyn Payne’s view

by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 28, 2016

By Nancy Jaffer
Aug. 28, 2016

You saw the Olympic eventing from Rio on TV or the live stream, but Marilyn Payne lived it as president of the ground jury, and she had quite a different view.

It was, of course, serious business, but also an adventure to be part of the world’s biggest sporting event.

Olympic eventing judge Marilyn Payne and her daughter, Holly Payne Caravella, at Holly’s Gladstone fundraiser to take Outfoxed to Burghley. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)

Marilyn shared her experiences last weekend at Beval Saddlery in Gladstone for a fundraiser for her daughter, Holly Payne Caravella, who is riding Never Outfoxed in this week’s 4-star Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in England. (Those who wish to give her a check can make it out to Holly Payne Caravella and send it to P.O. Box 59, Gladstone, NJ 07934. Or click on https://www.gofundme.com/2fq3ey2s.)

While Holly got a U.S. Equestrian Federation grant to bring her other top mount, Santino, to the 3-star Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials the week after Burghley, she was on her own to pay Fox’s way.

So her mother, who is part of the syndicate that owns the 10-year-old thoroughbred, stepped up to talk about her time in Rio.

As soon as she arrived in Rio, Marilyn found herself in the Olympic mode. Standing in a 100-person line waiting to go through customs, she found herself chatting with the person ahead of her, who happened to be the chief judge of gymnastics.

“You think dressage has a problem? We had a lot to talk about,” she told her audience with a smile.

Marilyn, who runs Applewood Farm in Califon, attended the test event in Rio last year, when none of the radios worked. Just as dire, volunteers from Brazil who said they spoke English couldn’t even communicate the simplest messages, such as the need to call for an ambulance.

“It was a disaster,” recalled Marilyn.

Another disaster hovered at the Olympics during the rehearsal for handling the cross-country phase, just five days away, when the radios died within 10 minutes and the practice had to be suspended.

“They had to get a whole new set of radios,” Marilyn reported.

After the experience with the 2015 test event, officials from other countries (who could speak English) had to be flown in, with airfare and lodging paid for by the cash-strapped Rio Games.

Marilyn and the other officials lived in Olympic housing, where shortcomings included the choice of food and meeting the challenge of taking 30-second showers before the plumbing situation was resolved.

There was one thing the judges didn’t have to worry about. They took a bus from their accommodations to the venue, and found armed guards everywhere (the Deodoro Equestrian Center was on a military base). So security–a key issue discussed any time the Rio Games were mentioned–wasn’t a problem.

“We felt very safe,” Marilyn reported.

Talking about the first horse inspection, Marilyn said it was “entertaining” to see all the different team fashions, especially those of the Swedes, whose female riders wore “a ballooning yellow outfit” tied at the waist with something resembling a rope.

“We were like, `Oh my gosh. Okay, got to look at the horse,’” she chuckled.

In the dressage phase, everyone was waiting to see the performance of Germany’s Michael Jung and Sam, the defending champion partnership from the London 2012 Games and the hot favorite to take the title again.

Marilyn said Michael had a good ride, “but it wasn’t the best ride.”

So the thought was, “Wow, this is going to be a cool competition. Somebody else might win the gold medal.. But then came cross-country.”

While those who just wanted to get around could take optional lines that would leave them with time penalties, anyone seeking a medal had to try the more difficult direct routes.

Most teams put their best cross-country horse first, and “we lost a few,” meaning they were eliminated, Marilyn noted.

What Marilyn called THE obstacle, was actually two numbered fences, the Malmesbury Cottage table fence and a gate. The direct route involved jumping a corner of the “building,” then taking between three and five strides to  a gate. By the time the second horse of each team went out, “coaches started getting smart,” she said, having their riders go the long way and making a time-consuming loop before the gate that enabled a better approach.

“You want to get the team around,” explained Marilyn.

After the USA’s Boyd Martin finished in the first group, teammate Clark Montgomery had to withdraw because his horse didn’t want to play. So Marilyn was watching intently from her vantagepoint in the control center as the US team’s third rider, Lauren Kieffer, who was having a great round, until she galloped toward the cottage and gate.

When she saw Lauren aiming for the direct route, Marilyn’s reaction was an anguished “`Nooooo.'” “Unfortunately, she said, “the direct route didn’t work out.”

Lauren’s horse cleared it in front but caught it behind and slipped on landing, going down. That put the U.S. team out of the running, with only two riders left to compete in the next day’s show jumping.

Michael Jung went the direct way at the table/gate combo, and it was “picture perfect,” Marilyn said. She estimated six tried the direct way, and three didn’t make it.

The tricky moment for the USA’s Phillip Dutton’s came at a brush fence, where Mighty Nice barely missed being off the edge. The judge at the jump called it in to the jury as a refusal.

The cliffhanger way he took the fence “was unbelievable,” said Marilyn, noting the jury watched the instant replay several times.

Mighty Nice’s “hind end did not jump the fence,” Marilyn noted, but because the horse’s head, neck and shoulders cleared the obstacle, the effort was counted as bona fide, since that’s all the rules require. Phillip went on to take the individual bronze.

Questions such as that were easily resolved by the ground jury because not only did they see instant replays of the TV camera shots when requested, but there also was additional footage of a head-on view of the horses available to them, so they could determine whether they jumped through the flags at a fence.

Judges also have the task of stopping a horse they feel is unfit to continue.

In the show jumping, which was held over two rounds for the team and individual honors, Marilyn had a great view as Michael Jung claimed his second gold medal.

“I’ve got to get his signature,” she decided.

By the time she came down from the judges’ tower, Michael was leaving the press conference and likely on his way to a celebration.

Marilyn cleverly blocked his departure, rushing up to say, “Michael, congratulations.” She just happened to have a purple pen, so how could he say no when she handed it over and asked him to sign her hat. That was sold for $255 at the fundraiser, with Holly’s husband, Eric Caravella, acting as auctioneer. He is darn good at that job, also bidding up a little doll of the Olympic mascot, Vinicius (a blend of Brazilian animals) for $205.

After eventing concluded, the eventing judges scribed for the Grand Prix dressage judges (Marilyn sat with Gary Rockwell of the U.S.)

While she does judge pure dressage in the U.S., she doesn’t judge the discipline at that level.

“You’re right there, watching these amazing horses and hearing these amazing scores. I never heard so many 9’s and 10’s in my life.”

Eventing dressage drew more of a crowd than Grand Prix dressage, Marilyn said.

In my view, that was because Brazil had no chance at all in GP dressage, which is not popular in Brazil, while the eventers had a shot at a respectable finish.

Before her mother spoke, Holly talked about Outfoxed and how she got him. She saw a video of the thoroughbred learning to swim, with a teenage girl in a bathing suit on his back. He stepped into water and with a few little kicks from his rider, he struck off as the bottom of the lake dropped away and he was paddling nicely.

Holly Payne Caravella and Never Outfoxed. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)

Holly’s reaction?

“Oh my God, it’s a 4-year-old who will do that?” It clinched the deal and she bought him sight unseen with her mother. The thought was, “Let’s see what we’ll get. If he’s awesome, we’ll syndicate him. He was awesome.

“I knew right away he would be a 4-star horse. There are not many in the world you get on and instantly know, `This horse is going all the way.’ He had all the heart in the world with all the athletic ability. Within the first year of owning him, I decided I was going to keep him.”

She syndicated him and he has proven her original assessment correct by running twice at the 4-star Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Holly Payne Caravella and Never Outfoxed at Rolex Kentucky this year. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)

Burghley is, she noted, “kind of terrifying,” but Fox is the horse on which to try it.

“If you point him in the right direction, he’s going to do it for you. This is an amazing opportunity.”

Holly said she has been “overwhelmed by people contacting me saying, `I want to donate something, what can I give you?’”

Although Holly’s in England now, she’s still collecting money to pay her Burghley bills. To learn about another Jerseyan, Meg Sleeper, trying to pay for a competitive goal, go to https://nancyjaffer.com/2016/08/25/join-meg-sleeper-in-her-endurance-adventure/.

Monmouth at the Team is a major hit

by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 27, 2016

By Nancy Jaffer
Aug. 21, 2016

It sounded like a good, if rather unusual, idea–moving the Monmouth County Horse Show–which needed a boost–to Somerset County’s U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone.

But until the show actually was held at the iconic location, no one would know for sure whether the concept worked.

It turned out to be wildly popular. Monmouth at the Team, which ended a six-day run this afternoon with the $10,000 Horseflight Mini-Prix, was a hot ticket that drew raves from exhibitors and trainers.

The U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation stables provided a handsome backdrop for the $10,000 Hunter Derby during Monmouth at the Team, won by Margot Peroni on Orlon. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

Organizers ran through 500 back numbers for riders and had to borrow more from area show managers, said Tucker Ericson, who bought Monmouth with his cousin, Michael Dowling, from longtime owners Mike Maxwell and George Richdale.

The show’s success stemmed from more than just its venue and the cachet of being able to ride in the renowned arena behind stables that once housed America’s most famous international jumpers. It also was a social event, with daily themed parties in the hospitality pavilion, where food, drink and music added to the atmosphere, attracting plenty of non-competitors as well as those who were actually riding.

New Jersey’s oldest show has had several homes in Monmouth over its 121 years, most recently at the Horse Park of New Jersey, but something more was required to make it extra special, just as it was before leaving Monmouth Park’s Wolf Hill Farm in the early 1970s.

Tucker and Michael thought a venue whose name is synonymous around the world with equestrian excellence would be the right spot for their show, especially in the heart of a community that is oriented toward horse sports.

The show drew raves from exhibitors.

“I’m super-pleased with the facility, the footing is amazing. Everything here has been very well done. The stabling is nothing but topnotch. Management is super-friendly,” said trainer James Fairclough II, whose mother, Robin Fairclough, is chairman of the Sussex County Horse Show that runs the week before Monmouth about an hour’s drive from Gladstone.

“It’s nice to come here in this atmosphere and jump in this facility,” continued Jimmy, who is based in Connecticut and Florida.

“It’s great for my students to get a little exposure to this history here at the USET without being under the pressure of the (USEF Talent Search) finals.”

Jumpers got an opening shot at nice money in the $5,000 1.25-meter Manhattan Saddlery Welcome Stake, won by Sarah Scheiring of the Chester Riding Club on Santa Ana Lux Z. She also won the Horseflight 1.3-meter class on Newtown Jumping Jack, who topped a field of 38, an excellent turnout.

Monmouth’s U.S. Equestrian Federation-rated hunters were C, not A, and the organizers were happy with that. On the weekend when many of the top hunters and hunter trainers in the country were in Kentucky at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s International Hunter Derby and Pre-Green Incentive Championship, there still were plenty of horses showing at the lower levels to compete at Monmouth.

Classes for the base of the sport were taken out of dusty back rings and moved to center stage, offering an incentive for those who were just starting to show, as well as more seasoned riders with fancier horses and years of experience who might be more comfortable with fences at lower heights during this stage of their riding.

“My daughter loved it,” said Catherine Roure-Singh of Harding Township about her child, Olivia,, who rides with Dapple Hill Farm in neighboring Bedminster.

“She came to see the (USET Foundation) grounds when she was about five years old. And she said, `Mama, one day, I want to compete here.’ She’s 11 and she did it. She competed in pre-children’s hunter and finished fourth. She was so happy. She’s living her dream.”

While Tucker and Michael will add at least two C-rated days next year to the one they had this year, they’re not going for an A rating.

“I’m not so sure that’s in the best interests of the community,” said Tucker.

“At that height level (3-6), that will limit the number of exhibitors and those who can compete. We have to keep ourselves close to the beat on what the exhibitors want and what the community needs. We’re open-minded, but at this point, it seems like the home run is at this level.”

He and his cousin, a trainer and assistant professor of equine studies at Centenary University, have found their niche, one that was under-served.

“We’re really proud of the support from exhibitors and trainers. Everyone is asking for reserved stalls for next year,” said Tucker, a horse show judge himself who also manages shows in Kentucky.

Tucker and Michael worked unceasingly to make the show a success in the run-up to its debut, and they didn’t stop there. At 5 a.m. on hunter derby day, Tucker was cleaning bathrooms, and later in the afternoon, he was behind the bar serving drinks. His cousin, meanwhile, was busy ringside training competitors.

Show co-organizer Tucker Ericson stepped in to bartend in the hospitality tent when needed. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

A number of community leaders were on hand to watch the action from the hospitality tent set along one side of the arena.

“This facility is sort of like the Fenway Park of equestrian,” said Jim Brady, who revived the Gladstone Equestrian Association with the goal of bringing more equestrian competition to the facility and the area. He also mentioned the input of Leslie Sullivan, who handled public relations for the show.

Guy Torsilieri, who runs the Far Hills Race Meeting down the road at Moorland Farms, was involved in a sponsor-sharing initiative with Monmouth, an example of how equestrian groups in the area are starting to work together. Moorland will host a revival of the Essex Horse Trials next June, another source of excitement for horse-oriented fans in the Somerset Hills.

“I think it’s fabulous. I’m tickled pink,” Guy said of Monmouth, but his vision goes beyond one or two competitions.

“I’m glad it’s being reused again,” he said of the foundation’s facility, which had a paucity of major competitions in recent years, “and I think it’s just the beginning of many great things to come.”

He is on board with the decision that Monmouth doesn’t have to be A-rated, just as Essex doesn’t need to have a multi-star competition at this point, the way it did prior to its post-1998 demise.

“There’s multiple needs at multiple levels,” mused Guy, whose steeplechase draws crowds of 30,000 or so every October.

“You can have a fabulous event at a beginner level. It’s a pyramid. If you don’t have a broad base at the bottom, it doesn’t go to the pinnacle at the top.”

Monmouth at the Team has many links to its roots. Creigh Duncan, who managed the show at the Horse Park, had the same post in Gladstone. Wiss Costanza, a Monmouth starter for 32 years, enjoyed seeing the new version of the show with which she had been associated for so long.

“They’ve done a great job,” said Wiss, who was on hand as a vendor with Adequan.

“I absolutely love it at the Team, as does obviously everyone else. It’s top of the line. The Monmouth tradition continues.”

Those in the hospitality tent had a great view of the action, in addition to food and drink. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

Victoria Maxwell, daughter of Monmouth’s former owner, Mike Maxwell, started her association with Monmouth in 1966, when it was at Wolf Hill and she rode her pony, Beverly, in the leadline. She was judged by the late Carol Hofmann Thompson, for whom she later went to work.

One of her fondest memories was seeing Rodney Jenkins ride so many horses there that, “they would just pull one horse up next to the other and he would just hop from horse to horse and his feet would never touch the ground.

“I’ve been to all the Monmouths at all the different locations. I’ve seen a lot of people with their hearts and souls into keeping this show going. The show has always adapted and found a way to survive and thrive. This is just terrific.”

Her father sat in with judge Mike Rosser to officiate at the $10,000 Hunter Derby, held at jump heights of 2 feet, 2-6 and 3 feet.

While he enjoyed being a part of Monmouth even though he no longer owns it, Mike conceded, “It’s kind of bittersweet. I’m so happy it’s a success, it’s a beautiful venue, they’ve done a wonderful job, but on the other hand, it’s kind of hard to let go, but I think it was time for that. I’m glad it worked out for both parties.”

There were 72 entries in the classic round of the derby, with 15 coming back for the handy round. Margot Peroni of Redfield Farm in Califon won with Orlon, a 7-year-old German import she has trained since he was two, along with her husband, Bastian Schroeder.

“Every win with this horse is special,” said Margaret, who last year topped the HITS $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix.

Although the prize money was less in Gladstone, the victory was important to her.

“To do it here at the team is amazing,” she said.

“What a cool place to get to show. I’m really excited. It was a really, really fun class.”