Jordan Lambert and Rio Wild competing in the OP at The Ark. Photo by Sierra Severt.

One of the things that I love about eventing is the diversity in the breeds, shapes, colors, and sizes of the horses.  At any given event, you can see any number of different horses.  When I first met Jordan Lambert and her spotty pony, Rio Wild, I was so impressed.  Rio is a gorgeously colored Appaloosa gelding with only a very little bit of TB in his line.  I have always been a big fan of color, so I immediately fell in love with this partnership.  (All photos used with permission)

As with most of us that have horses in the blood, Jordan Lambert has had a love for horses since she was a small child.  She did everything that she could to ride a horse growing up in West Des Moines, Iowa.  When she was 14, she moved to New Mexico and finally got to dive into English riding and learned how to jump., and finally, at the age of 20, she got her first horse.  In 2005, life led her to Four Corners Equine Rescue in Aztec, NM and her journey with Rio Wild began.

Rio and Jordan at Valles Caldera on one of their many trail rides together.

At the time, Jordan owned a young appaloosa mare that she had raised from a weanling and started herself.  Unfortunately, the mare had developed congenital stationary night blindness which effected her depth perception, and thus, her jumping career.  A friend of Jordan’s knew of Rio being at the rescue.  She suggested that Jordan talk with the owners to see if they might be interested in trading her mare for Rio.  At the time, Jordan thought it was a crazy idea, but now, she is very thankful that she took the chance!

Rio was an easy horse to start, and he and Jordan bonded quickly.  Jordan spent a lot of time getting the basics down with him and they spent many an hour trail riding on the Rio Grande.  (Totally cool!!)  In 2006, they started their eventing career together, and by the end of the year, had successfully completed two recognized Novice events together.  The following year brought Training level and more success together.  However, in late 2008, Jordan decided to take a hiatus from eventing, as gas was extremely expensive.  As everyone from the West Coast knows, events are quite far apart, and gas can add up quite quickly going to just one event.

During their break from eventing, Jordan and Rio started taking the Jumper world by storm.  They even competed in the A rated $1500 Marshall and Sterling Children’s/Adults 1.10m Jumper Class and finished second in a big division!  Trail riding and camping in the mountains of New Mexico also became a favorite past time.  The time they spent doing all of these things has really turned Rio into an all around horse.

Rio and Jordan rocking around the Prelim at Full Gallop Farm. Photo by Hoofclix

In 2010, Jordan and her husband packed up their two horses and moved across the country to North Carolina.  Being on the East Coast really gave Jordan the itch to get back into eventing.  She found Bonnie Mosser (Coach Extraordinaire!) and started working hard toward her goals.  They spent most of 2011 at the Training level and made the big move up to Preliminary last fall at Why Not An American Ark.  They have been successfully rocking around at the Prelim level this spring and plan to compete in the CCI* at the Virginia Horse Trials this November.

Along the way, Jordan encountered people who told her that Rio would never go above Novice or never go above Training, but she didn’t listen.  She believed in her lovely spotty pony and continued to work hard, and all of her efforts have paid off!  This duo catches eyes at the shows and can really put in a lovely performance.

I am sending them good EN Karma and am very excited to watch them continue to succeed!

Michael Pollard and Cheyenne Blue FTW in the Open Intermediate. Photo by Jordan Lambert

While everyone was having a blast up north at Plantation, there were a bunch of us having our own bit of eventing fun down at Poplar Place Farm in Hamilton, GA.  If you have never been to Poplar, you should add it to your list of “must competes”.  It is a gorgeous facility with a very friendly staff and a host of lovely volunteers.  I was competing my boy in the Open Intermediate, so I did not get to watch as much as I would have liked, but I did get to take in quite a bit.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get as many photos and video as I would have liked.

Making time is always an issue at Poplar due to the undulating terrain and the lay out of the course, so you can usually expect that it will not be a dressage show!  The show jumping also proved to be very influential in the final standings.

Out of the 4 people that started in the CIC***, only 3 finished, and two of them were clear on the XC.  Emily Renfroe and Walk the Line won the division, adding only time penalties in both XC and SJ to her dressage score.  In the CIC**, all 12 entries completed, with Lara Borson-Knight bringing home the blue.  The CIC*, Julie Richards and San City led from start to finish.  Her dressage score of 39.7 was 15+ points ahead of the second placed, Lily Barlow.  She went on to add only 2 seconds of XC time and 2 rails to her dressage score.

For the Advanced, Katie Ruppel and the lovely Houdini (gotta love a flashy chestnut!!), led wire to wire.  I did not get to see them go XC, but word on the street was that it was a BEAUTIFUL round, and Katie was spot on at every fence.  Congrats to Katie!!

Michael Pollard leading the OI victory gallop with Cheyenne Blue. Win the War following closely behind. Photo by Jordan Lambert

In the Open Intermediate, Michael Pollard and the aptly named, Cheyenne Blue (as she did bring it home), won the division.  It was Cheyenne’s first Intermediate, and it was definitely a success.  This mare is GORGEOUS and so very talented.  I know that Michael sees a lot of great things in this mare’s future.  Cheyenne is being offered for syndication, and you can get more information on that here.  I must give a shot-out to my amazing horse, as we finished 2nd, just behind Michael!!  Bug was a superstar, and he keeps getting better and better!

Becky Holder was, again, out in force this weekend winning both the Open Prelim and the Prelim Horse  on Carrera and Sierra respectively. It’s good to see that Becky has some new, fancy prospects coming up through the ranks.   Molly Van Arsdalen moved up from 8th in the JYOP to bring home the blue!

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The big eye catcher for me this weekend was Kim Severson’s Cooley Cross Border in the Open Training.  He put in a BEAUTIFUL dressage test for an 18.6 (see video above) and finished on that score.  This lovely Irish horse has all of the makings of a big time horse, and Kim is really excited about him.  If you want to get involved, Cross is also available for syndication.  For more information, check out Kim’s website here.  As with Becky, it is great to see Kim out and about with horses coming up through the ranks.

There were so many great horse and rider combinations out this weekend at Poplar from BN through the CIC*** level.  It was a great weekend with a lot of great riding and a lot of lessons learned.  I have to give a shout-out to Jordan Lambert and Rio Wild (part of Team Bonnie Mosser with me) for bringing home a 3rd place ribbon in the Training Adult Amateur Rider division!

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Video of Michael Pollard and Cheyenne Blue:

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Also, we may or may  not have witnessed Kyle Carter giving his daughter a lameness exam on the jog strip Saturday night…  We thought she might have looked a little bit off.

Spotted at Poplar: Kim Severson Eventing's mascot, Sock Monkey, was out doing some videography work for the KSE Team.

Photo from Plantation, via the lovely Samantha

Hello Eventing Nation!  I hope you are having a great weekend.  I am competing at the beautiful Poplar Place this weekend, and it is gorgeous.  I witnessed Kim Severson’s 18 point something Training dressage test on Cooley Cross Border.  Watch out!  That horse is a major horse for the future.  He is amazing.  There are a lot of other really nice horses here this weekend.  Sounds like there are a lot of great things going on at Plantation as well!  I hope everyone has a great weekend filled with fun.

Here are the shows going on this weekend:

Plantation Field HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Twin Rivers Fall HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Poplar Place HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Otter Creek Fall HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Northwest Equestrian HT: [Website]

Marlborough HT: [Website]

Stone Gate Farm HT: [Website]

Stoneleigh-Burnham School HT: [Website]

Links:

Some photos from Plantation Day 2

FEI Nations Cup at Montelibretti, Italy

Innovative Project helps train rescuers for large animals

Gill Watson receives Lifetime Award from British Eventing

Mary King’s silver medal mount, King Solomon, has passed away

USEF offers frangible technology grants

New mosquito borne virus could lead to new vaccines

Wells Fargo to honor Wounded Warriors

Smartpak introduces their new Alexus Collection

Riders in England using helmet cams to film driver abuse

I leave you with this video:

Lynsey Steinberg and Dragon Tea at Pine Top

If there is one thing that has become very important in this day and age, it is the development of websites and social media.  In the equestrian world, it has become imperative that professionals either learn how to throw themselves out there or hire someone who does.  One wants to promote themself well with well thought out websites, classy Facebook pages, and more.  There are so many options out there.  When it was time for me to update my website, I wanted to find someone who knew the horse world and what clients want to see. 

Lynsey Steinberg lives in North Augusta, GA, just outside of Aiken, SC.  She has been riding since she was 7, and she has been eventing since 2010 under the tutelage of Jodi Hemry.  Lynsey acquired her current mount, Dragon Tea (aka Loper), just after she started eventing, and she hasn’t looked back.  Jodi has been helping her bring Loper along, and Lynsey really enjoys the bond that she is building with him.  Because of all of the time that she has spent with Jodi, Lynsey has learned a lot of the ins and outs of what it takes to be a professional equestrian.  She understands that not all horse people have the time or inclination to be on the up and up with technology.  This is how her business got started.

Some of Lynsey's Medical Illustration

Lynsey is a Medical Illustrator.  How does one get into something like that?  Here is what Lynsey had to say:

I went to Savannah College of Art and Design for my BFA degree and there in my final year of school I took an Equine Dissection class.  Instead of writing out most of my exam answers, I would draw the anatomy.  My professor at the time, Martha Mallicote said she wanted to introduce me to a Medical Illustrator named Deb Haines.  Deb told me Medical Illustration was going to be the most difficult thing I would ever train for…so I asked where do I start?

..and more of Lynsey's amazing skill

Lynsey began her Masters in Medical Illustration and loved every minute of it.  She graduated last year, and started her own business, Fraulein Medical Illustration.   Not only does she do medical illustration, but she has ventured in the world of website publication.  She has always known how to use code and work with technology, as it has always been a hobby of hers.  Because of her experience in the horse industry, she has started taking on equine business websites as part of her business.  Lynsey realized that many equine professionals have difficulty with websites, publications, marketing, and even computers.

I believe in getting what you pay for, you should have top quality promotion that says ‘I am professional ’and not have to give your horses next four months of board up for it.  I know what it’s like to make sure your horse is fed before you are. I love this industry and want to see it succeed.

 I think it’s great to have someone of Lynsey’s talents that understands how things work in the horse world.  Here are a few of the websites that she has done:

Defying Gravity Eventing

Rocky Start Stables

Jodi Hemry Eventing

Harrison Clinical Consulting

Here is a video of Lynsey’s Medical Illustration at work as well:

Update: Links fixed

Bug showing off his pretty mint green 12th place ribbon

Wow!  I am still grinning from my weekend at the AEC’s.  Bug and I jumped one of ten double clear rounds in the Intermediate show jumping, and I felt like we put in a really nice round.  I am so glad that I decided to bump things down to Intermediate for the fall.  It is just what my confidence needed, and I think it is really going to give us the time to solidify things to come out swinging at Advanced next spring.  We ended up finishing 12th out of 38, having moved up from 24th.  Unfortunately, I was in 18th when I went in to show jump, and my math skills must not have been very good…  I thought I wasn’t in the ribbons.  I took my pony back to the barn, took care of him, took off my boots, etc.  When I checked live scores, I realized that I had, in fact, earned myself a ribbon, and they were almost finished with the division.  So, there may very well be pictures of me receiving my ribbon dressed in wild socks (I was channeling my inner Sinead Halpin), bright sneakers, and a polo shirt.  Nice.  Well, it was a memorable experience, anyway.  Bug is pretty sad that he missed out on the victory gallop, but he was still excited to have his picture taken with his ribbon.  I am thrilled with our first run of the fall season!

The AEC’s are a great way to really get the feel for a championship event at all of the levels.  I think it’s a great thing that the USEA has done.  Congrats to everyone who came home with ribbons and prizes, and congrats to everyone who got to complete!

From Hawley Bennett: "Thank you James and Taryn Atkinson for the beverages on course at the Area VI Championships Copper Meadows!!"

Happy Saturday, Eventing Nation!  I have been busy here at the AEC’s, but I think there’s this other competition going on across the pond…Blenheim, is it?  I don’t know about anyone else, but I am THRILLED for Becky and Comet.  I really hope they go out with a big win.  I will be sending good show jumping karma their way tomorrow morning.  Comet is just one of those horses that makes you stop and stare.  He’s just THAT cool.  On to the links!

AEC’s: [Website] [Live Scores] [Ride Times]

This Weekend’s US Events:

Maryland HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

Aspen Farms HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Live Scores]

Copper Meadows HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Live Scores]

King Oak Farm HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

Five Points HT: [Website] [Status/Times]

Bucks County Horse Park HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Live Scores]

Links:

Nate Chambers retires Rolling Stone

Pictures from Blenheim today

Blenheim’s Twitter page

Christopher Burton leads Blenheim with Tim Boland in second

The pet industry is recession proof

A large jump in West Nile cases in Ontario

Paul Tapner’s Burghley Ride

It’s Big.  It’s Burghley.

Eventing Worldwide’s Blenheim report

Andrew Nicholson has his own grand plan

Team and Individual Gold Medals for Amerigo Riders

“What’s Your Dream?”  Barn Night sponsored by Dover Saddlery at the Washington International

This photo is also a “must include”:

From Old Dominion Equine Associates FB page: Emily Beshear and Quincy warming up at Bleheim today.

Bug says, "If I close my eyes and wish for carrots, they will magically appear! I mean, I did put in a personal best dressage test today."

Ahhhhh…the dreaded dressage day is over.  I am, actually, quite pleased with how my boy went today.  We have been working very hard on our dressage, and it showed today.  Unfortunately, the judges didn’t quite agree, as one gave me a 33 point something and the other a 41 point something.  However, the test felt like a 33 to me, and I am grinning from ear to ear.  I know we still have a lot of work to do, but we are getting there!!  We are tied for 24th in the big Intermediate division.

On to XC!!  I thought it would be fun to have a look at the Intermediate jumps.  I did not photograph the last two jumps (tables), but otherwise, everything is here!  Note the stairs that lead you down into the ditch for the ditch and wall and then back out.

Win the War in his stall at the AEC's. He's pretty sure he's a supermodel.

Finally!  We have made it to the American Eventing Championships!  Win the War (Bug) and I have been shooting to do the AEC’s every year since they moved to Chatt Hills, but something always gets in our way.  My superstar and I arrived today, and we are ready to experience what the AEC’s have to offer!

Since Bromont, I haven’t really checked in much about the life and times of the redheaded superstar.  This year started out on a big high, and it has had some lows, for sure.  However, I am amped up and ready for my fall season to get rolling.  I had to have one of those mature adult moments where I had to make a big decision.  After much talking with Bonnie (my ooooh soooo amazing coach), I have decided to take a step back and compete the big boy at Intermediate this fall and shoot to do the CCI** at Fairhill.  We know that he and I have what it takes to competed at Advanced, but I feel like life is telling us to take a step back and fill in a few holes.  Sooooo, here we are competing in the Open Intermediate at the AEC’s.  I’m stoked.  We have been working really hard, and I hope that it will show.

Chatt Hills is such an amazing place.  I can’t say enough great things about the venue, the staff, etc.  The only thing that would make it better…magically appearing in Vermont in the summer.  The humidity is horrendous.  My stall neighbors are from New Mexico.  Their skin is probably so confused right now.

Things were bustling today, and I know that they will only get busier.  Nutrena hosted a dog training exhibition in the main arena Wednesday evening, followed by a barbeque.  Both of which seemed to be well attended.  Who can turn down free food??

Thursday starts the big competition.  My dressage ride is at 8:45, so it will be nice to finish before it turns into a scorcher.  I must say that I was not disappointed to hear that they had already waived coats!  I am off to bed to run through my dressage test over and over in my sleep.  I will check back in tomorrow!

Hillcrest Farm parking area

While Burghley was keeping everyone’s attention over the pond on Saturday, I was coaching two students at a schooling horse trial in Mocksville, NC.  Hillcrest Farm is a beautiful little farm owned by Dan and Janet Cagle.  It is one of my favorite places to take greenie horses and my students to get some miles under their belt. Kate Samuels wrote an article a few weeks ago on the positives of going to schooling shows.

The grass show jumping arena

Janet does the show organization, course design, and secretary work.  She is usually the show jump judge as well.  Dan can always be seen at the shows with a big smile and a bicycle, as the official parking attendant.  He also helps Janet with moving jumps, etc to get ready for the shows.

The crowd of volunteers around Janet (jump judge) during show jumping

Mom's could be seen everywhere helping out!

Each year, Hillcrest has schooling horse trials, combined tests, dressage shows, and eventing derbies.  They offer green bean stuff through Training, as far as the horse trials go.  The shows are always well run and organized with plenty of room for parking and warm ups.  It is a friendly place with a low key atmosphere that is really great for the young horses.  The dressage arena is sand and sits in front of the Cagles’ home.   The show jumping is in a grass arena that is next to the XC course, and is usually a good test of turning and related distances without being too difficult.  The XC course is on slightly hilly terrain and winds through fields and wooded areas.  The questions are always straightforward and appropriate for the levels.

Hillary Irwin and The African Queen, owned by Wits End Eventing, getting ready for their Novice dressage test. They ended up winning the division on a 32.

The show on Saturday was a huge success.  There were a lot of entries at all of the levels.  Janet even offered combined tests for those wanting to brush up before the AEC’s without having to run XC.  Riders ranged from pros on young horses trying to get more mileage to adult amateurs and young riders.  It was a very hot and humid day, but there were smiles all around.  I, for one, had a great time watching and coaching!

Love this duo! Super cute.

Maddie Whisnant and My Daddy's Cash competing in the Novice

Love this photo, and I believe it deserves top placing again! Sinead and Tate dancing their way into the lead at Burghley.

Good Morning, Eventing Nation!

I don’t know about everyone else, but I am still in awe of Sinead Halpin’s lovely dressage test at Burghley!  I hope that she and Tate can bring it home, as I have always been a bit biased to the redhead ponies!  Of course, we can’t forget about Allison Springer and Arthur bringing up second place.  I’m proud of all of those representing the US at Burghley, and I wish them all lots of luck on XC today!

Besides Burghley, there are a few other events going on this weekend:

KY Classique HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Loudoun Hunt HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Scores]

Silverwood Farm HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

South Farm Fall HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Scores]

Steepleview Labor Day HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Town Hill Farm HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Corona Del Sol HT: [Website]

And now for the links:

The hilarious “gypsy road survival guide” from Katie Ruppel

Chrystine Tauber has been elected USEF President

Boyd and Silva wish the US Contigent luck at Burghley

Horsetalk’s report on Burghley thus far

The Para-equestrians are competing for the team titles

Eastern Equine Encephalitis found in a puppy in Michigan

ASPCA’s fight for ex-racehoses is joined by other groups

More on the US Contingent at Burghley

Gulfstream Thoroughbred Challenge

Drought in US may cause higher rates of poinsonous plants in hay

US Para-olympian, Ponessa, puts in solid test to put US Team in 7th

The Official Equestrian Para-Olympic website with results

The Telegraph’s guide to Para-Olympic Equestrian

Britain’s para-equestrians are doing well so far

We will leave you with a video of Doug Payne at HITS Saugerties.

Susan Snider and her horse, Redge, at Opening Hunt in 2010. Photo by Karey Burkholder.

As riders, we can sometimes forget about all of the hard work that goes into the things that are necessary for us to compete.  What goes into running the tack shops, feed stores, etc that keep us equipped with what we need?  I had the pleasure of working at Snider’s Elevator all through college.  I learned how much sweat, long hours, and customer care goes into running a business.  I had the pleasure of talking with Susan Snider, owner and manager, to learn more about how the business started and what goes into running it.

Snider’s Elevator is located in Lemasters, PA, a teenie, tiny town in south central Pennsylvania.  Though it is in “the middle of nowhere,” it has quite a large client base, as they service many of the local dairy farms, horse farms, and other livestock operations.  They are also a one stop shop, as they carry dog/cat food, bird feed, farm supplies, and have a tack shop!  Long standing family owned businesses have always fascinated me.  Years of hard work go into starting a business like this, and I give props to families that can stick with it through the good and the bad.  In 1929, Bruce Snider, Susan’s great grandfather, opened a feed mill called B.C. Snider and Son.  Little did he know that it would still be at thriving business 83 years later!

Anyone that goes to Snider’s knows Mr. Bill Snider, Susan’s father.  As a youngster, he drove the feed truck and helped in the mill before his father had a heart attack in 1975.  Bill took over the mill, and he took it very seriously.  He married his beautiful wife, Phyllis, in 1954, and they had two children, Susan and Paul.  Bill and Phyllis could be found at the mill at all hours working to keep the business thriving.  Even now, Bill can be found crawling around on the feed bins and staying late during harvest season.  Phyllis was a staple behind the counter, taking care of customers and helping with anything and everything in the store.  When asked about what it was like growing up around the business, Susan said:

 Life growing up with the business and with my parents is one and the same.  You can’t separate the two.  All dinners resembled business meetings and often Mom would leave work to rush home and prepare meals for us and perhaps a sales rep or customer.  They would often invite other people over so that they could discuss business while eating.  Life revolved around family and business.  Dad seldom left the business to do anything, so Mom juggled running errands, cooking, cleaning, picking up kids after band or sports practice, etc.   with neighbors all working together as a community, we always had transportation to and from school events.  Also she worked in the office handling book keeping duties.  Dad ran the mill, and handled grain handling at harvest time.  His work was and is very physical and dirty/dusty.  Usually working long days 12-15 hours 6 days a week.  So as kids we learned to sweep floors…lots of sweeping.  Sorted feed bags, move feed bags, weigh out ingredients, tie feed bags shut…lots of tying!  Eventually learning to make feed.  I thought it was great that at night they would leave me alone (the other employees had gone home) to make feed, while dad did other jobs.  Also we learned how to handle grain at harvest time.

Susan has always had a deep love for horses, though no one in her family had any interest.  She saved her money from working at the mill to buy her first horse at age 13.  She hasn’t looked back since!  After high school, she went to college for business and returned home after to start managing the store in the mid-1990’s.  Susan let her love for horses steer her toward expanding the small store into a bigger store that included a tack shop!

Susan and her lurchers hanging out in the tack shop of Snider's. Photo by Mahlon Yeager

Susan spends a lot of time researching the best products to carry for her customers.  She is very interested in making sure that all of the riders that come into the store have many products to chose from.  It is not an easy task to choose what people will want and what they won’t be interested in.  As far as the eventing world goes, Susan always stocks show clothes, XC vests, helmets, studs, and tack.  I, for one, know that I have a hard time getting myself out of there when I visit!  Snider’s also carries a wide varieties of feed for horses.  They carry Southern States and ADM feeds, as well as special blends of their own.  Nutrition is something that is very important in our sport, and I find it very intriguing.  If a customer has something very specific that they want, Susan will spend time talking with different nutritionists to come up with a blend just for them.  There is a lot of hard work that goes into making feed from when it arrives at harvest until it is bagged up and in your truck.

The feed bins and scales at Snider's. Photo by Susan Snider

Susan bought all of the business shares in November of 2009, making her the sole owner of this wonderful family owned business.  The store’s mission statement is, “Provide excellent service and products to all customers and work together to make their experience and/or their business and ours a success.”  She wants every customer to be happy!

Susan currently foxhunts in the fall/winter and trail rides in the spring/summer.  However, her new horse, Redge, is quite the athlete, and I am trying to convince her to take up eventing.  She loves watching the sport, and she thinks she and Redge just might try taking it up.  I hope they do!

The tattoo I got after my baby girl passed away. "Tenacious" means stubbornly courageous and then "Me Fuerst" for my little girl. It's a reminder to me to always keep fighting no matter what happens.

Ahhh, the life of horses.  One minute you’re flying high, and the next minute, you’re face is in the dirt.  Anyone that has horses for any amount of time knows that the highs are high and the lows can be really really low.  I think, as eventers, we know this even better than most.  Our sport is packed with adrenaline, smiles, tears, heartbreak, fears, and cheers.  Some shows leave us dancing on air with excitement, while others leave us wondering what’s next.

My year started out pretty awesome with Bug and I moving up to Advanced and rocking around some pretty awesome courses.  After my crash and burn at Chatt and then the Bromont debacle, not only was I learning eventing lessons, but life started hitting me pretty hard.  My baby girl passed away, my retired eventer was diagnosed with EPM, and the list goes on.  It seemed like just when I would stand back up, life would knock me down again.  The tough thing about being any kind of athlete is that not only do you have to deal with the disappointments of your sport, but you have to deal with life disappointments on top of that.  When your two worlds collide, things can really seem like they’re falling apart.

In my younger years, I fell completely apart when things went awry.  I am a planner.  I plan, plan, plan, and when things don’t go as I expect, I have a hard time dealing with it.  Enter horses.  You can’t be like that with horses!  I have learned a lot of hard lessons through the years, and dealing with disappointment has been one of them.  When you are competitively natured, you find it very hard to just let things go and move on.  You want to analyze what went wrong and beat yourself up over messing it up.  Or, at least, that’s what I do!  I know that we are all a bit guilty of that, right?!?  If we are true horsemen, we are always searching for what we can do better to help our horses, not just blaming it on the horse.

Someone close to me and very, very wise told me, “Put all of the bad things that happened today on a piece of paper.  Put them all in a paper bag and take them outside and burn them.  They’re gone.  Move on to what’s next.”  What a thought!  That is an amazing way to approach life in general and especially with horses.  I am striving to be that kind of person.  One who analyzes the problem, figures out what needs to be fixed and moves on.  No baggage.  Just learning.  That is my new goal in life.

The mental game of this sport is as hard, if not harder, than the actual riding.  Make sure you have a strong support system, no matter what level you are eventing.  Have a coach that cares about you and your horse.  One that knows your goals and helps you achieve them, but that also keeps you realistic and grounded.  (If they don’t keep you grounded, your horse or life might do it for you!)

I am sure that everyone that just competed at the Olympics has things that they have had to work through.  Those standing on the podium are at their highest, while others may still be kicking themselves.  We all fight the mental battle from the top of the sport all of the way down to the beginning levels.   Whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right?  (or at least, that’s what Kelly Clarkson says!)

From Smartpak's FB page

Hey there, Eventing Nation!  I hope you’re all going to have a great weekend.  I am competing at Full Gallop, and my first dressage ride is at 7:31 tomorrow morning!  Let’s make this short and sweet!

Upcoming Events:

Waredaca Farm HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Erie Hunt and Saddle Club HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm August HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

The Event at Santa Fe: [Website] [Status/Times/Live Scores]

Great Vista HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Catalpa Corner Charity HT: [Website] [Status/Times/Live Scores]

Penny Oaks HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Links:

USEF lifts suspension of Mandarino in case of pony death

Sidmouth crowds welcome Olympic Medallist Mary King via Equibrit

Congrats to those receiving Travel Grants from the USEF for Boekelo

The Horse and Hound reports on top horses retiring after the Olympics

Here are some lessons learned from the Olympics

Teen admits to attacking horses at Frying Pan Park

If you will be anywhere near Canterbury next week, you can meet the NZ Event Team

Learn about the Official Farriers of the USEF

Equine Herpes virus at fault for death of polar bear

Ireland wins Dublin’s Nations Cup

And leaving you with Nina Ligon’s Olympic “Thank You” to all of her fans:

Jules Ennis (right) and her friend, Ellie Brown (left), hanging out by the Hartpury Equine sign.

I got to know Jules Ennis very well a few years ago.  I was riding with Kim Severson regulary, and Jules was one of her working students.  Jules and her mom, Kris, are very friendly and kind people…kind enough to rescue me from the side of the road in Aiken when my brakes went out!!  After our disappointing finish at the Olympics, I have heard many talking about our US riders needing to become immersed overseas to better compete with the big dogs.  The question is, do we start the riders out over there when they are young, or do we wait until they are accomplished and doing big things?  I’m not here to discuss that, but I AM here to tell you about a great young rider who is taking herself and her horse to England to expand her knowledge.  All photos in this article were taken by Jay Ennis and used with his permission.

Jules Ennis is an 18 year old with some major plans.  She just graduated from high school, and she wasn’t sure that she was quite ready to put riding onto the back burner to go to college.  She had considered maybe taking a year off from school to pursue a riding career, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to do that either.  Her mother, Kris Ennis, was doing some research on the internet and discovered the Equine Program at Hartpury College in England.  After a visit to the college and learning about the program, Jules was sold on the idea.

Jules and Walstraed getting ready to jog

Jules lives in Queenstown, Maryland with her parents, Kris and Jay Ennis.  They own Ennisbrook Farm, a boarding facility, on the Eastern Shore.  The farm started as a place for beginners to take lessons and learn the ropes of horsemanship, but as the family got busier, the facility grew into a great place to board.  While Jules gets to compete, her mother, Kris, enjoys small time breeding.  She has bred three Oldenburg babies through the years: Sawyer’s Song, Royal Fergie, and Coconut Ice.  Jules’ father, Jay, is the VP of a software company, but in his down time, he enjoys being Mr. Fix-It around the farm.  He can also be seen at Jules’ events taking INCREDIBLE photos.

Jules and Walstraed doing dressage at Loch Moy

Jules has been riding since she was three years old and hasn’t looked back.  When asked about her first horse, Jules had this to say:

I was very fortunate to have many horses to ride while growing up. My first event horse was Fancy Free Star. Star was a beautiful black breeding stock paint pony with a heart on her forehead. Unfortunately, she was not as sweet as her marking. I was seven when I started riding her and I think she was probably four. She was great until I decided to event her. Our first event was a pony club round robin at Rosaryville Park. Star jumped out of the dressage ring twice and fortunately this was at a point in time that pony club let you continue onto sj and xc after you are eliminated. In SJ she showed off her signature move- the rear-spin-buck-bolt- and took all of the tape fencing down around the arena, but I managed to finish the course. Surprisingly we completed the miniature XC course with few difficulties. When I tried to move her up to BN things  got even more complicated when I couldn’t get her with in twenty feet of the water or ditches. Shortly after we decided that eventing probably was not her discipline and sold her as a hunter pony when I was eight. She gave me glue, which has been invaluable for the difficult horses I have ridden since then.

After Fancy Free Star, Jules moved  on to O’Brien, a 15.1 hand KWPN gelding.  Jules calls him the “Corgi of horses, ” as his body was the size of 16.2 hand warmblood, but his legs were the length of a 14.2 pony.  He was a lovely mover and a good jumper, though.  When she got him, he had only been a dressage horse.  It was much to his suprise when she took him to his first event a week after purchasing him!  OB (as he was lovingly called) didn’t like the ditch on XC that weekend…so they just skipped it!  Jules and OB went on to compete through Prelim together.  When she realized that he didn’t want to go any further, she sold him to a home where he is teaching his new rider the ropes.  OB took great care of Jules through the years, and she wanted him to go where he could continue in that calling.

Jules’ mom, Kris, wrote a lovely piece on Findhorn, Jules’ next event horse, for EN.  If you missed it, you can check it out here.

Jules and Jack showing their prowess at show jumping

This brings us to Jules’ current main man, Walstraed or Jack.  They purchased Jack from Jan Bynny about 2 years ago.  Jules and Jack have really formed a bond during their time together.  So far, they have competed through the Intermediate level and the CIC** level.  They finished up their 2011 year with a 5th place in the CIC** at Plantation.  Unfortunately, Jack suffered a minor tendon injury after that, and he has been coming back into work this year.

Jules will take Jack with her to Hartpury where she will be majoring in Equine Sports Science.  She has been asked to join their Riding Academy Squad, so she will receive weekly lessons from an experienced instructor.  The instructors for Hartpury are Nick Burton, Corinne Bracken, and Carl Hester.  She also hopes to use her summers off from college to ride with other greats in the area.

Jules and Jack leave on August 31st for this next step in their career together.  I, for one, wish them lots of luck!

Yes, that's me. Teaching away. Who knows what I'm saying! Photo by Luke Fattorini

Throughout the past few years, I have ridden in quite a few clinics with a lot of different instructors.  Each one handled the clinic experience a bit differently, and it was always interesting to see each person’s teaching style.  Now, I am an up and coming professional, myself, so I am on the other side of the fence in some cases.  I have taught about five clinics so far in the past 2 years or so, and I love it!  It has been quite a challenge to step up to the plate of being a clinician.  However, because I am based in a place that is a bit off the grid, as far as eventing goes, it is difficult for me to find a lot of local students.  Teaching clinics has become something that allows me to teach (which I thoroughly enjoy!) and start to get my name out there on a bigger scale.

I have read a lot of the EN posts of clinics in the past.  I thought it would be interesting to have a post from the other side of the coin.  I just taught a clinic at the BEAUTIFUL Lemaliza Farm in Mercersburg, PA.  Lemaliza is owned by Craig Rockwell, and it is managed by Louise Webster.  The facility is still under construction, but the state of the art indoor arena is finished and up and running.  It is a huge, airy arena with footing by Attwood Equestrian Surfaces.  Even in the heat, the arena stayed cool with a lovely breeze.  The clinic was sponsored by Snider’s Elevator (who is an amazing sponsor of mine) who provided goodie bags for everyone (how often does that happen?!?!) and a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to their store!!  (so very generous of them!!)  I think the clinic was a great hit!

Teaching clinics, to me, is a lot harder than teaching your normal students.  You are presented, in  many cases, with people and horses that you have never met, and you are expected to hone in on their issues quickly and make progress in 2 days (sometimes less) time.  No pressure!!  Lucky for me, I have a small following in the PA area (I’m originally from there and went to college there), so I did have some repeat students.  However, even with the repeats, there had been a good deal of time since I saw them last.  It is difficult to leave someone in one place, and then see them a year or more later, and adjust to where they have progressed.  However, I am always up for a challenge, and I enjoy teaching immensely, so I find the whole experience a lot of fun.

Elaine Ohler on her lovely mare, Pyrite Beauty, warming up for the gridwork. Photo by Luke Fattorini

For this clinic, I had chosen to offer gridwork on the first day and SJ courses on the second.  The biggest things that I see lacking in most people’s horses are suppleness and adjustability.  Because one is usually presented with all types of horses and riders for clinics, it can sometimes be difficult to come up with exercises that will be rideable and beneficial for everyone involved.

Elaine and Py going through the grid. Photo by Luke Fattorini

For Day One, I made a grid that was made with all verticals.  It was a bounce, one stride, two stride, one stride, bounce with the distances set to trot in.  My goal was to take a horse from a shorter stride and let them lengthen a bit and then shortening at the end.  The rider would have to have a supple horse entering the grid to be sure to make all of the distances as they went through.  If the horse got tight and against their hand in the beginning, they were not going to make the distances at the end.  Everyone warmed up thinking about riding the horse with a lot of bend and throughness, so that they could translate that into suppleness and adjustability through the grid.  I had varying degrees of rider abilities and varying degrees of horse abilities, and the grid rode really well for everyone.  You could see each horse really figuring things out as they went through the grid.  This also gave the rider’s time to really work on their position.  Everyone was thrilled with their horses by the end and excited to take that knowledge into the next day for SJ courses.

Amanda Harmon and Judy working through the grid. Judy is a green horse and we added ground poles to help her with the striding. Photo by Luke Fattorini

Day Two brought a course full of varying distances and bending lines.  I wanted people to use the adjustability and suppleness that they had learned the day before.  Lemaliza has some great coops and brush fillers, so it was a lot of fun making the courses a bit lookier for the horses.  I was very impressed with how well everyone carried over their skills from the day before.  Again, everyone really seemed happy with their progress in their lessons.

As the clinician, I was THRILLED with how well all of the horses and riders absorbed the concepts and put them into action.  I had a few young horses with experienced riders, and it is so much fun to watch the horses learn and figure things out.  For instance, I had one rider tell me that her young Cleveland/TB cross mare was very clumsy and not careful at all.  As I watched the horse go, I realized that the horse was not clumsy at all, she just needed her rider to be patient a bit longer to the fence and let her figure things out.  By the end of the weekend, the mare was jumping like a champ.  For all of us, it is always so nice to have an eye on the ground to see the things that we sometimes can not feel.  Even if it is just for a weekend, getting those things to work on can really get us focused back on what we want to accomplish.  For myself, I know that the longer I go without a lesson, the harder it can sometimes be to really stay focused on “what’s next.”  Clinics can be a great way to hear new ways of doing the old things.

It is important as the student to be open minded and listen to what the clinician is saying.  Sometimes, it may sound different from what you are used to, but it may just be a different way of saying it.  As a clinician, it is important for me to listen to what my students are saying.  Even though I am the “pro” with the eyes on the ground, they know their horse a lot better than I do.  I think with knowledge from the rider about the horse (sometimes, they can feel things that we can not see), and the input of the instructor, clinics can be a great way to improve one’s riding in a short time.  I am excited for the next one!

Emily Izer (right) was the lucky winner of the Snider's Elevator gift certificate, seen here receiving it from assistant store manager, Louise Webster (yes, she manages Lemaliza too!!)

Greetings Eventing Nation!  I hope everyone is ready to enjoy this weekend.  My plans of showing at River Glen were quickly demolished when the water pump went out in my truck before I even left the driveway.  On the bright side, this saved me the stress of a breakdown along the side of the road, and it gave me more time to write this post!

This weekend’s events:

Millbrook HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Area VII YR Benefit HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Penny Oaks HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

River Glen Summer HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

Rocky Mountain HT: [Website]

Silverwood Farm Summer HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

Snowfields HT: [Website] [Times &Live Scores]

GMHA T3D Event & N3D Eventing Test: [Website] [Ride Times]

Millbrook is the place to be this weekend if you are competing at the upper levels.  Phillip is back from the Olympics and leading after the dressage in the Advanced B division  with Young Man with Kristin Bond and Buck Davidson on his heels.  It looks like Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda are back out and about.  They are leading the Intermediate A division with a 20.8 with Doug Payne and Ideal Contini on their heels with a 22.4.  Boyd is also back from his Olympic campaign.  He is riding his new partner, Trading Aces, in the Intermediate B division.  They are tied for first with Doug Payne with Crown Talisman on a 21.2.  Buck is, again, in the top 3 and following just behind those two with a 22.  For more results from Millbrook, see the above link!

In this article in the COTH, writer, Mollie Bailey, explains who the finalists are in the 83.Derby Finals and why we should cheer for them.  She lists each entry and talks about the rider and the horse and what sets them apart from the others.

Charlotte Dujardin sets an Olympic record in the dressage with an 83.66% in the Grand Prix to keep Britain’s gold medal hopes alive!  Even though she’s an Olympic rookie, Charlotte really thrives under pressure, and it showed today.

Nick Skelton is the 6/1 favorite to win the gold in the showjumping.  He states that his horse, Big Star, doesn’t have much high level experience, but he thinks he has what it takes to do well.

Colorado has its first case of vesicular stomatitis in six years.  The horse’s farm has been quarantined, and it is believed that the horse contracted the illness from insects rather than another horse.

The first case of West Nile of 2012 has been reported in KY.  The affected horse was a yearling TB filly that was unvaccinated.  The filly had to be euthanized.

Don’t forget!!  The Early Bird Discount for the AEC’s ends on August 7th.  After that, the entry fee increases by $100!

British Eventing is proud of all of their members that were medalists from the Olympic Three Day Event .  They shout out to, not only the British Team members, but to the Kiwis who are all members of BE and reside in England.

Bestselling author, Tami Hoag, owns a bunch of upper level dressage horses.  Her youngest, Highlife’s Aria, stole the show at Spirit Equestrian Center in California.  Aria had the show’s High Score Award with a 74.06% while being ridden by Charlie Pinneo.

Found on FB:  How to Win your very own SIGNED Dressage Foam Finger from Smartpak

Family is such an important part of my life, and I love to see when families work together in something.  A good friend of mine, Hillary Irwin, lives about 10 minutes from my farm.  She, too, is an up and coming eventer, and I think that her family’s story is really interesting and inspiring. All photos used by permission of Hillary.  Here is their story…

The Cotter/Irwin crew this past Christmas. From L to R: Jack Cotter, Carrie Irwin, Hillary Irwin, Sara Lyle, Julian Cotter

The Cotter family lives in Alachua, FL, about an hour from Ocala.  Julian and Dianne have been breeding TB racehorses since 1974.  It all started when their oldest son decided that he wanted a horse just because his siblings wanted one.  Little did they know, that the purchase of a pregnant mare would start a family tradition that has lasted for 38 years and counting!

Julian Cotter, Hillary Irwin, and rising star, Jack Cotter, getting ready to go out hunting.

Snooty Fox Farm is the name of their place, and their jockey silks can easily be spotted in red and green.  Julian and Dianne just have a small breeding business, breeding only one or two foals a year with this year being their biggest crop at three.  One of the mares, Miss Tullamore Dew, is bred to Animal Kingdom’s sire, Leroidesanimaux, for next year. The Cotters started by naming all of their foals after their children and grandchildren.  For example, Hurry Home Hillary, was named after their grandaughter, Hillary Irwin.  When they ran out of children and grandchildren for names, they started naming most of their foals after Irish whiskey.  (thus Tullamore Dew)  They take great pride in their horses and want the best for them.

Toby's Corner, photo by Maggie Kimmitt

Hurry Home Hillary went on to foal out Bellamy Road, who went on to win the Wood Memorial by a record 17 1/2 lengths!  Later, Bellamy’s son, Toby’s Corner, went on to win the same race, upsetting Uncle Mo, last year.  Toby, trained by Graham Motion, was also bred by the Cotters and is still owned by them.  The story behind Toby’s name is quite cool.  Hillary (the person, not the horse) had an old pony named Toby when she was younger.  Everyone loved Toby, and he had a large stall in the corner of the barn.  Julian decided to have a plaque made for the stall that said, “Toby’s Corner.”  Years after the pony’s death, a stunning chestnut colt was born in that stall, and Julian decided that they should name him “Toby’s Corner.”  They have high hopes that Toby will come back and race well after his injury last year and go on to have a good career standing as a stallion.

Carrie (Cotter) Irwin, getting Clifden ready to jump for Hillary. Carrie is Hillary's groom, cheerleader, and coach from the sidelines.

The Cotters had 3 children.  Carrie and her younger brother, Michael, grew up eventing.  Carrie evented through the Intermediate level, and both she and Michael competed at the first event at the KY Horse Park in 1977, The Junior National Championships (our nowaday Young Riders).  Carrie is the only one that stuck with the horses, and she went on to train one of her parents’ homebreds, Rhymer, and sell him on to Sherry Hill of Canada, who took him on to the Advanced level.  She also trained Hurry Home Hillary to jump and was ready to take her to her first Combined Test before her parents kindly asked for her back to breed!  It is a good thing they did, as she went on to produce some amazing racehorses.

Hillary and Fanny, Photo by Carrie Irwin

In 1987, Jeff and Carrie Irwin continued the line of horse lovers in the family with the birth of Hillary.  Hillary had the bug even before she could talk.  They had her on a horse at 6 months of age, and she cried as soon as they took her off.  She began her official riding at age 2 on her trusty pony, Toby.  She participated in pony club through age 18, and eventing was her passion.  She had many mounts through the years, with Fanny being one of her favorites.  When Fanny retired, she went to Snooty Fox Farm to babysit the foals and live the good life in Florida.

Hillary and Clifden at 5 Points in the Intermediate. Photo by High Time Photography

When Hillary was 16, she received her first Cotter bred horse, Clifden.  Clif, or fondly known as Handsome, was a 3 year old who had a mild tendon injury and did not fair well as a racehorse.  He is a big boned, handsome horse with lovely movement and jump and a great work ethic.  However, it took Hillary a few years to really “get” him.  Clif wasn’t always easy, but she kept working hard and putting in the time.  When things didn’t go exactly as planned, rather than blaming him, she looked for another way to work through the problem.  Her work paid off, and by the time Clif went Prelim, he was raking in top placings left and right.  He won at Full Gallop, Loudon, Pine Top, and Lumber River, just to name a few.  He went on to place 6th in the Long Format CCI* at Hagyard in the fall of 2009.  He definitely would have made an amazing long format horse.  Clif then went on to move up to Intermediate and have a few ups and a few downs.  However, Hillary stuck with him, and finally had that weekend where everything just felt great.  Last fall at 5 Points, Hillary and Clif finished 6th in the Intermediate.  Unfortunately, not long after that, Clif had a major injury to his suspensory.  Hillary has chosen to retire him to the lower levels, and he will soon be out and about with Hillary’s mom, Carrie!

Tess and Hillary in a Jimmy Wofford Clinic. Photo by Carrie Irwin

In 2000, Carrie decided that she wanted to breed an event horse for herself.  Her parents decided to let her use one of their mares, Brandon’s Ride,(thus making the foal a half sister to Toby’s Corner) and breed her to the amazing Aberjack.  The result was a gorgeous, sassy filly, Vitesse.  Unfortunately for Carrie, Hillary took an immediate liking to Tess when she started under saddle and ended up acquiring the ride for herself.  Tess is a lovely, purely feminine creature.  She is the epitome of princess, but as Jimmy Wofford once commented about her, “When you can jump like that, you’re allowed to be a princess.”  Hillary and Tess moved up the levels together and made it to the Preliminary level.  They were 6th in the CCI* at Virginia in 2010.  However, an issue with a torn suspensory has plagued Tess ever since, and she has been retired from competition for now, but they are planning to breed her to Royal Alyance, an Oldenburg stallion owned by Wits End Eventing, LLC.

Hillary and Irish, Photo by Hoofpix Photography

Hillary’s current Cotter homebred eventer, Bit of Irish (registered as Drop of the Irish) is showing some amazing promise of her own.  At only 5, she has really taken to eventing like a duck to water.  The Cotters did not race Irish, as they did not think she would be a great runner, however, she definitely has springs in her feet.  She has been doing very well at the Training level this year, and Hillary plans to move her up to Prelim this fall, if all keeps going well.  This mare has an ego the size of North Carolina, but she has the same sized jump!  Everyone is very excited to watch the progress of these two together.  They make an amazing team.

Kilbeggan

Newly arrived from Snooty Fox Farm, Kilbeggan is Hillary’s newest addition.  Killbegan is only three, so he has been turned out to enjoy life in the field for a few months before he starts eventing boot camp.  He is a gorgeous boy with lovely movement, so Hillary is pretty excited about this addition.

Hillary and her athletic Irish redhead, Danehill Sunset at CHP. Photo by High Time Photography

Pray for You and Hillary. Photo by High Time Photography

Hillary rode with David O’Brien for years.  She has also worked for Charlie Plumb and, most recently, she rode and groomed for Sharon White.  She has also ridden with Bobby Costello, Jim Kofford, Jimmy Wofford, Linda Zang, and is now riding with Bonnie Mosser.  Hillary has started her own business, Hillary Irwin Eventing, and she also takes on other OTTB projects from other sources.  One of her current projects, Danehill Sunset (imported from Ireland), came from Graham Motion and Herringswell Stables.  She also has another awesome OTTB star, Pray For You, who has been cleaning up at the BN and N levels.  She does an amazing job retraining these horses, as well as teaching lessons and bringing along young horses for others.  Check out her website and keep tabs on her at her blog.  Look for her out on XC, as she has adopted her grandparents’ colors of red and green.

Look out for this rising star, Jack Cotter, and his super pony, Annabelle

There are a lot of families that are touched with horse fever.  I believe this family is one of the greats, as they all put their heart and soul into their horses and truly want what’s best for each and every one.  They try to place them where they will excel, whether it be racing or eventing or being sold on to a different discipline.  They truly have their horses’ best interests in mind.

Julian having a bonding moment with Clifden.

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The Smartpak crew has their Dressage foam fingers! If you want one FREE with your order, use code OLYMPICS12 when you check out!

Good Morning, Eventing Nation!  This is my very first links post, so bear with  me.  The powers that be here at EN have decided I am worthy of stepping up to the plate, and I could use the diversion from life right now!

The Olympics are just around the corner, and eventing is getting a nod from the Washington Post.  This article talks about Greenwich’s terrain and how it affected the way Sue Benson designed the course.  Sue talks about how much more fitness the horses are going to need to tackle this course.

Update: Rebecca Farm Friday Recap from the USEA

Our friends at Smartpak spend time each month tallying up the top products bought in each discipline.  Check out the Top 10 Eventing Products!

In a very sad and random accident, 4 star event horse, Elektron, was killed in an accident on the horse walker.  How devastating to everyone involved.

The COTH has published a great article by Kathleen Stiles on how to survive horse shopping in Europe.  It’s a great read for anyone that plans to participate in such an undertaking.

In a pretty amazing story, Horsetalk is following the story of Baby Emma, a miniature donkey foal, that needs a prosthetic limb.  What an inspiring story!

Since we are fans of racehorses here at EN, I think it should be known that Black Caviar is home and in quarantine.

It sounds like Boyd and Otis are ready to kick it up a notch and show off some serious dressage skills, according to Boyd’s latest blog.

Claire Lomas has been asked to speak at the luncheon at Blenheim in September.

Eventers are known as the discipline full of crazy people who will do anything for an adrealine jolt.  COTH writes a nice piece on Liz Halliday, who not only events but drives racecars!

Rebecca Howard’s former mount, Big Wave Dave, passed away recently.  Check out this tribute to him on Rebecca’s blog

Not only do we have a lot of news this weekend, but there are a lot of competitions going on around the country:

We wish everyone riding safe trips and lots of smiles!

Me Fuerst and I during her first few days.

Breeding is not something that I ever saw myself doing.  It sounded like a lot of gambling and heartache to me.  There are so many great stories of home breds going on to achieve amazing things, but there are also a lot of horror stories.  However, in 2008, I was approached by a farm going out of business.  They had a 4 year old, untouched Hanoverian stallion who had lameness issues.  Fuerst Rendition was world class bred, but he had been injured as a baby, and they weren’t sure he would stay sound to be ridden.  After much deliberation with my husband, I bought Renn and Jet (a TB mare in foal to him) for $1.  It was a huge gamble for me, as I don’t have a lot of money lying around to put into gambling on an unproven stallion and a breeding business.  After a lot of hard work, Renn ended up being sound and just did his first Prelim at VAHT this spring.

Jet was a beautiful, big boned TB mare.  On April 26, 2009, she gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL, lively bay filly.  Unfortunately, somehow during foaling, my gorgeous mare broke her front leg up by her elbow.  She ended up having to be put down, and my world was turned upside down.  The filly was such a diva and a fighter from day one.  She drank her milk from a bucket and knew exactly when we were supposed to be there to feed her.  She loved to play in the baby pool, jump over little sticks in her field, and even jumped her 3′ 6″ playpen fence at 3 weeks of age.  My hubby is not a “horse person” per say, but he is amazing with them.  He helped a lot with taking care of our little girl, so I gave him the chance to name her.  He chose “Me Fuerst,” and we called her Mia.  It was the best name for this little sweeheart.

Me Fuerst showing off her new fly mask.

Mia has been a joy to work with since day one.  She was easy to teach and learned things quickly.  She loved to have her butt or any other body part scratched.  She loved people.  This year was her 3rd birthday.  I loved watching this beautifully moving filly out in the field, and I couldn’t wait to get her started on her road to a big eventing career.  Just a few weeks ago, I sat on my baby girl for the first time.  By the third ride, we were walking and trotting around the arena on our own.  She was amazing, and I was over the moon about her future.

Our first ride together.

Flash forward to this past weekend.  My beautiful baby girl got very very sick.  I fought with her from Saturday through Tuesday.  We tried so many things, and we thought we were making progress.  Suddenly, things went downhill very fast, and I had to make the tough decision to put my baby girl down.  It was very hard for her to move, but we got her up and out into the lovely sunshine and breeze yesterday while we awaited the vet.  Even until the end, my little fighter didn’t want to give up, but she was in so much pain.  I could hardly bare to look at her.  My heart was so heavy.  I wanted to be selfish and try to keep her alive and maybe, just maybe there would be a miracle.  However, I knew that wasn’t the right decision.  As much as it destroyed me, I had to let my little girl go.  It killed me to stand there as she passed, but I refused to let her go without me.  She fought hard, and I would be letting her down by running away at the last minute.

Mia resting in her stall this weekend before things got really difficult.

I have shed so many tears in the past few days.  I just want her to press her big, gorgeous head into my chest and let me smoosh her rubbery lips.  She had the best lips.  I feel like my heart weighs 100 pounds.  I am so heartbroken, gut wrenched, and distraught.  I have lost my child.  I thought that losing Jet was hard.  This was so much worse.  I raised this little girl since day one, and I loved her with all of my heart.  She was so talented and had a bright future ahead of her, and now she is gone.

My last picture of my baby girl. She was going to be a real stunner. Missing her so much.

These amazing beasts of ours fill up our hearts and can be taken away so quickly.  We put all of ourselves into them, as they give us all of themselves in return.  People keep saying to me that I gave her the best life she could have had. She’s never known a day without love and care.  I guess I can feel some comfort in that.

Hopefully, my little girl is galloping in the skies with her mommy.

Everyone out there in Eventing Nation, give your ponies extra hugs and kisses today.  Life is short.  No matter what you are doing with your horse, they are your heart.  Level of training or competition doesn’t reflect their importance.  Love the journey, as it may be a short one in some cases.  In those cases, be able to say that you gave it your all, and you cherished every minute of it.

“Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” -C.S. Lewis