Classic Eventing Nation

Sunday Links Presented by One K Helmets

By on Feb 24, 2019 12:01 am -

Holly Payne Caravella and Never OutFoxed. Photo by Valerie Durbon Photography.

Never Outfoxed made a triumphant return to competition after a year off facing medical complications. Holly Payne Caravella shared the details of Fox’s “terrifying” year in a Facebook post after he finished fifth in the Intermediate-A division at Pine Top. An EPM diagnosis and a septic bout of cellulitis hospitalized the cross country machine, but Holly says he never stopped fighting. Please join us in sending well wishes to this pair as they head out on a new season.

National Holiday: National Banana Bread Day

U.S. Weekend Action:

Pine Top Advanced H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Three Lakes at Caudle Ranch H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links: 

What to Expect in the Equine Emergency Room

Changes to the USEA Online Calendar Listings

USEF Announces Selection Procedures for the 2019 Pan American Games

Commit To The Canter With Bobby Costello

Cancer comparison between horses, humans and dogs pinpoints genetic drug targets

FEI Makes Snaffle Optional Up to CDI 2* Level as of 2019

Hot on Horse Nation: Essentials for a Properly Packed Ring Bag

Sunday Video: 

I’m delighted to report that I got back into the ring this weekend after 6 months recovering from breaking my back and neck! I got to ride a horse I have admired for years and have been given the opportunity to lease to see if we gel as well as I hope we do. This is the absolutely fabulous little Devil Munchkin and I am so thankful to Sable and her family for working with me and giving me time. It was a generous thing for them to do and something I needed since it’s hard to try a horse when you’ve only just been allowed to start jumping. Before yesterday “Kermit” and I had only jumped once together at home. Today he put in a lovely round in the $5,000 1.25 Classic to bring home a ribbon and a huge amount of gratitude from me 😊My Rubens🦄 stayed at home, but I am pumped to ride him in less than two weeks at the Eventing Prix Invitational. Today was an essential first step practicing under pressure to prepare for that fun class.My heart is full. Thank you to my husband, family, and friends who are family, and finally last but not least, thank you to everyone at Overlook Equestrian who simply make this possible. 💗Animo USA / The Animo Experience.com CWD Alberto Fasciani Fleeceworks McCauley's Equine Formulas Choice of Champions

Posted by Sara Kozumplik Murphy Equestrian on Saturday, February 23, 2019

Forward First

By on Feb 23, 2019 5:00 pm -

It’s no secret that I sit on a lot of green horses. Over the years, working with babies has proven to be my niche. Whether completely un-started or just beginning a new career, I’ve found a knack in bringing up the young ones, giving them confidence and direction to be successful where ever life takes them.

And with all the green beans I’ve sat on, I’ve come to realize that the key to creating confidence in the saddle is to establish forward first.

So, after doing groundwork to establish a proper foundation (you can read about that here), I swing up and we just go. Walk, trot, canter, in the arena, hacking around the property, over a few poles. It doesn’t matter where or how, one thing is always the same – forward comes first.

Photo courtesy of Hillary Ramspacher.

Before anything else, the horse has to move, to go somewhere when I ask. Otherwise, they turn into a ball of nerves, questioning what’s going on up there and ready to explode. But, when you introduce the idea of going forward, the horse has a job to do, something to think about and all those worries just seem to fade away.

As training progresses, new concepts are always easier when the horse is in front of your leg. Bending, contact, jumping – even collection – all happens when a horse is going. So, I teach them the leg aid first and everything else after. I create a confident horse by making them go forward and tackle the world. We’ll worry about the rest later.

Forward into the contact.
Photo courtesy of Brooke Schafer

But as I kick on, I realize that what I’ve been teaching my horses is something I haven’t quite mastered myself.

Being on the babies, I haven’t had a chance to reach all of my goals. I haven’t established a true competition record or moved up the levels. I’ve been so busy teaching my horses to go and do things without becoming a ball of nerves, that I’ve been doing the exact opposite for myself.

Just a few days ago, I was talking with my friend Diane about our upcoming show season. I was ready to actually show Java this season, feeling behind after being out of the tack last year. And as I was trying to put her back together after a bad lease situation while getting back in the saddle myself, I was feeling defeated and confused about what to do.

What I wanted was to go run her first recognized event. I knew we were capable and with the season opener a solid two months away, I knew if we worked hard we could get there. But, I found myself questioning it. Should I do a few more schooling shows? Should I drop down a level? Should I not go?

All of the sudden, there I was, with my confidence broken. The very thing I pride myself on being able to teach my horses, I failed to do for myself. I had lost of my sense of forward and had found myself overwhelmed and unsure.

Photo courtesy of Brooke Schafer

Because when you get into the dance of kicking and pulling, of creating problems you can’t answer, of questioning your capabilities, you forget the most important thing — to go forward first.

A horse in front of your leg is happier, is more confident, and is ready to learn and tackle problems. And it will be the same for me. I’ll practice what I preach and learn because I go. I’ll create my own confidence by kicking on and establishing my forward first.

Best of JN: The Trick to Keeping Your Straight Lines Square

By on Feb 23, 2019 1:00 pm -

In this excerpt from Jump Course Design Manual by hunter rider Susan Tinder, we see our way clear with lines and combinations, and learn the trick to setting them square at home so we can nail them in competition.

Photo by Susan Tinder.

A line of jumps consists of two or more fences that are related to each other through a specified distance greater than three strides. Lines can be straight, diagonal, bending, or broken, and they can be placed anywhere within the confines of the arena as long as there is adequate room for a safe approach and landing. A straight or diagonal line indicates the rider will jump the fences center to center on either a straight or diagonal track. The fences in a bending line are also jumped center to center, but the track has a curvature to it that allows the horse to stay on the same lead for the entire line. A broken line is also curved, but the arc of the track running to the succeeding jump is on the counter lead.

Combinations are two or more jumps that are related by fewer than three strides. A double combination has two related jumps and is sometimes referred to as an in-and-out. A triple combination has three related jumps that are set so that there are not more than three strides between any of the elements. It is not uncommon to have a line lead into, or out of, a combination.

You need to understand how to cross-measure for “straightness” for all course elements placed on a straight line or combination. When fences are not placed so they are square, you unintentionally create awkward angles to your track and make it difficult for the horse travel on a straight track over the center of the related jumps. It is often hard to see “squareness,” so you need to use a tape measure. A method called cross-measuring can be used to ensure the lines you plan on paper or set on your jump course are square.

First, measure the appropriate length of the line for the number of strides that you have planned for your course. You do this by measuring down the middle of the line, as well as from outside standard to outside standard and inside standard to inside standard.

Next, check to see that the line is square by measuring diagonally from the inside standard of the first jump across to the outside standard of the second jump, then from the outside standard of the first jump to the inside standard of the second jump. The two diagonal measurements need to be the same. When one of the diagonals measures longer than the other, push/rotate the corners of the outside standard of the side with the longer measurement toward the opposite inside standard until both the diagonal measurements are the same.

Here’s a tip: You need to rotate/move the standard by one-half the difference in measurement between the two diagonals. So, for example, when the difference in the measurement between the two diagonal lengths is 4 inches, you need to rotate the outside standard in by 2 inches to make the line square.

This excerpt from Jump Course Design Manual by hunter rider Susan Tinder is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com).

#EventerProblems Vol. 171, Presented by Haygain: Is It Spring Yet?

By on Feb 23, 2019 11:00 am -

How about now?

Now?!?!

Hey, we get it. You guys have had it up to here (*points at giant snowdrift blocking entrance to barn*) with winter already. Sadly, we’ve still got a good chunk of it to go. Here’s a little #EventerProblems humor to help get you through the homestretch!

Go Eventing.

Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus.

We are committed to improving equine health through scientific research, product innovation and consumer education in respiratory and digestive health. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse.

Our Haygain hay steamers are recommended by the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine vets and ComfortStall® Sealed Orthopedic Flooring System is used and recommended by leading Veterinary Hospitals, including Cornell University.

Pine Top Advanced Friday Social Media Roundup

By on Feb 23, 2019 9:00 am -

Pine Top Advanced H.T. is underway in Thomson, Georgia, with the Advanced and Intermediate divisions already done and dusted — check out Jenni’s report here. The event offers a great tune-up for competitors heading to Red Hills here in a couple weeks, and we saw several horses successfully move up a level here as well.

The action continues today with dressage and show jumping for the Preliminary, Training and Novice divisions, followed by cross country on Sunday. Best of luck to everyone heading down the centerline today!

Pine Top Links: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores

 

Carla Abramcheck’s Quality Time is officially an Advanced horse! Lily added just 1 second XC to her dressage score to finish in second in the Pine Top Advanced! (Check out our Instagram for a peek at her cross country!) We are so proud of her and can’t wait for her future. Tim and Looks Quality were 8th in the Open Intermediate and Marley and LVS Dassett Charisma were 3rd in the Intermediate Rider. Very happy with our horses this weekend!

Posted by Bourke Eventing on Friday, February 22, 2019

Pine Top Advanced Fence 3 and 12

Posted by Christina Aharoni on Friday, February 22, 2019

 

What a great day at Pine Top Eventing Quantum is our newly minted Advanced #horse. He finished with just a bit of time in 8th, but no #jumping faults in #showjumping or #XC! Cascor also did the same in his move up to intermediate. Quinn rocked around his first event back in a year to finish 2nd in the Advanced. The #Ginja continued to impress clear in the OI. #eventing #eventhorse

We couldn’t do it without out team behind us Courtney Carson Paynemurray

Posted by DPEquestrian LLC on Friday, February 22, 2019

Great time today at Pine Top! Met up with some friends old and new and saw some incredible competitors 🤩! A lot of Stübben sponsored riders out today in the advanced HT! Thank you Kim Gates❤️

Posted by Elli Niezen on Friday, February 22, 2019

Just a little foggy this morning!

Posted by Daryl Kinney Eventing on Friday, February 22, 2019

Go Eventing.

Saturday Links Presented by Nupafeed USA

By on Feb 23, 2019 12:01 am -

Photo by Juli Sillman.

How exciting was it to have had Maxime Livio giving the ICP and the FEH symposium in the Nupafeed® Arena at The Grand Oaks Resort in Weirsdale, FL this past week? Even if you weren’t able to attend the symposium in person there’s lots of learning to be had, so make sure you catch up on all of the USEA’s coverage from the ICP flat and jump days, plus the YEH and FEH portions, along with our very own Jenni Autry’s recap from riding with him!

National Holiday: National Dog Biscuit Day

U.S. Weekend Action:

Pine Top Advanced H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Three Lakes at Caudle Ranch H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Your Saturday Links:

Changes to the USEA Online Calendar Listings

USEF Announces Selection Procedures for the 2019 Pan American Games

British Eventing brings in six-month flu vaccination rule

Commit To The Canter With Bobby Costello

Tips for planning a trip to the 2019 European Eventing Championships at Luhmühlen

Cancer comparison between horses, humans and dogs pinpoints genetic drug targets

Saturday Video: Doug Payne has a newly-minted Advanced horse in the barn!

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Waylon Roberts Prevail at Pine Top Advanced

By on Feb 22, 2019 8:19 pm -

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp dominated on a drizzly day at Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials in Thomson, Georgia, with wins in two of the three Advanced divisions, all of which ran in a one-day format.

Cooley Quicksilver, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Womanizer X Kylemore Crystal, by Creggan Diamond) owned by the The Monster Partnership, impressed in his Advanced debut and delivered the lowest finishing score across all three divisions. “Oshy,” or “Monster” as he’s known to his friends, scored 30.5 in dressage, added no penalties in show jumping and 2.4 time penalties on cross country to clinch the win on 32.9.

“He’s always been a bit of a freak,” Liz said. “We’ve had him since he was a very green 5-year-old, and he’s definitely his own person, but today he was incredible in the jumping phases. He just found it all very easy, which is amazing for an 8-year-old. I’m very excited about him turning into the top horse we always knew he could be.”

Liz said representing the U.S. at Le Lion d’Angers in the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in France last year, where he finished seventh, definitely helped Oshy mature, especially in regards to his gallop.

“He’s really learned to gallop now; I think Le Lion was the making of that. Today he really covered the ground because I didn’t feel like I was hassling or chasing him. He obviously was a bit green with the size of the cross country — I had to help him a little bit with my leg — but that’s any horse in his first Advanced.”

Oshy is next entered in the Advanced at Red Hills, with a plan to contest the CCI4*-S at both Carolina International and The Fork at Tryon, followed by the CCI3*-L at Tattersalls in Ireland. Liz ultimately hopes Oshy will make a case for contention for the U.S. Pan American Games team throughout the remainder of his spring campaign.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz’s five-star partner Deniro Z took the win in the  Advanced Test A-B division. “Niro,” an 11-year-old KWPN gelding (Zapatero VDL X Zonne- Trend, by French Buffet xx) owned by The Deniro Syndicate, sat second after dressage on 30.5, delivered a clear show jumping round and added 4.4 time penalties to win on 34.9.

“Niro hasn’t had a cross country run since Little Downham last year at the beginning of October, so he was a little bit surprised to be out around an Advanced. That was a decision we made with (U.S. Eventing Performance Director) Erik Duvander. He’s a brilliant horse, and a couple of the time faults came with settling in a bit. He was over-jumping a few things and getting himself back together again.”

Niro, one of eight horses named to the 2019 USEF Development Pre-Elite Training List, will contest the CCI4*-S at Carolina International and The Fork at Tryon alongside his stablemate, followed by the second CCI5*-L appearance of his career at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.

As for the secret to Liz’s success in winning two Advanced divisions today, she said spending a week competing in pure show jumping and dressage classes in Wellington, Florida, earlier this month really helped her fine-tune those two phases ahead of Pine Top.

“The trip to Wellington really upped their game in show jumping and dressage,” Liz said. “I think the horses and I definitely grew while we were away there. It was a really great experience all around. We came in feeling like we’d done a bit more of our homework instead of feeling like it’s early in the season.”

Waylon Roberts and Lancaster. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Waylon Roberts and Michelle and John Koppin’s Lancaster, a 12-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding by Yavari, topped the other Advanced division on a final score of 40.0. Waylon is based in Aiken, South Carolina, for the winter, but has made several trips down to Ocala, Florida, throughout the winter to ride with David O’Connor, who is the technical advisor to the Canadian Eventing Team.

“We’re a little rusty in the dressage and still getting used to doing changes when we’re supposed to — it’s an ongoing process. David O’Connor has been helping me a lot and really gets the horse, so we’ve been really pleased with how he’s helped us come along,” Waylon said.

“I’m just so pleased for the owners, John and Michelle. They trusted me with this horse (after Boyd Martin had him) and it wasn’t like he was a made horse when I got him. I’m so happy for them that we’ve stuck it through. It’s so impressive for the horse to go win an Advanced. He just keeps answering the questions the right way. There have been bobbles along the way, but it’s all coming together.”

Lancaster will next represent Canada at the $50,000 Liftmaster Grand-Prix Eventing showcase in Aiken next week, followed by the CCI4*-S at Carolina International with an ultimate spring goal of competing at a little event in Kentucky come April.

Looking to how all of the Advanced divisions played out, no pairs finished on their dressage scores. Only 13 of the 43 total combinations (30.2%) delivered clear show jumping rounds over Chris Barnard’s challenging course. The large grass arena features undulating terrain and requires gutsy inside turns and relentless forward riding to catch the time allowed; more than half of the Advanced starters accrued time penalties in show jumping.

Time also proved to be an influential factor on the Advanced cross country course. Matt Flynn and Wizzerd were the only pair across all three Advanced divisions to make the optimum time of 6 minutes, 6 seconds on Derek di Grazia’s track, which demands a bold, forward ride.

It was an absolutely packed day of action at Pine Top today, with six Intermediate divisions also running in a one-day format. Please join me in congratulating the winners of the Intermediate divisions:

  • Open Intermediate-A: Will Faudree and Jennifer Mosing & Sterling Silver Stables’ Pfun
  • Open Intermediate-B: Boyd Martin and Christine Turner’s On Cue
  • Open Intermediate-C: Ryan Wood and Curran Simpson’s Woodstock Bennett
  • Intermediate Horse: Colleen Loach and Amanda Bernhard’s FE Golden Eye
  • Intermediate Junior Young Rider: Alex Baugh and Altorac Farm’s Mr Candyman
  • Intermediate Rider: Andi Lawrence and her own Cooley Northern Mist

Please accept my sincerest apologies for the brevity in this weekend’s reports from Pine Top, as I am also competing myself. The action continues tomorrow with dressage and show jumping for the Preliminary, Training and Novice divisions, followed by cross country on Sunday. Stay tuned for much more from Pine Top! Go Eventing.

Pine Top Links: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores

Friday Video from SmartPak: Binging on British Eventing

By on Feb 22, 2019 5:00 pm -

At least five times in the past few days I’ve uttered the words “…when we’re out eventing next week”, promptly stopped in the middle of my train of thought, and gazed off into the middle distance like one of those memes of sad dogs waiting for their husbands to return from the war.

Yes, that.

You see, it’s not that I’m sad that eventing season is starting — no, definitely not that at all. Slightly unprepared? Perhaps. Maybe a little bit too fat after a winter of eating away the cold? Um, guilty. But mostly, I’m just shocked — SHOCKED — that the new season has finally deigned to appear, without so much as a weather warning to mar the way.

Obviously, this means cramming in as much last-minute prep as possible: setting up some tricky bending lines, jumping every ditch we come across, and, of course, binging as many useful training videos as possible. That’s why I was delighted to stumble upon and rewatch The Arena Show, which was produced by The Gaitpost last winter. In their early-2018 eventing special, they covered all the important stuff: training tips with Caroline Moore, turnout advice from supergroom Alex Van Tuyll, and a visit to Badgerstown, the base of Kiwi extraordinaire Mark Todd. Consider my eventing season excitement levels boosted to the max.

 

 

The Athletic Rider: Eat (and Drink) Like a Horse

By on Feb 22, 2019 1:00 pm -

Craving soda? Try sparkling water! Photo by Laura Crump.

When it comes to nutrition, what is the most important nutrient?

Water! As caretakers, we are usually hyper-aware of how much water our horse drinks in the stall overnight, but when was the last time you fully drained your own water bottle? Physical activity can lead to dehydration and affect cognitive function, a result of exposure, heat and duration of time without hydrating.

In any riding discipline, reaction time is crucial. This substance is quite literally liquid life. For the best results in your sport, plan regular water breaks!

Taking this opportunity focus on your nutrition, think about how you feed your horse as an example — a lot of the same principles apply. Humans and horses actually have quite similar structures of teeth, with small incisors and flat, grinding molars. Choosing plant based proteins is great for getting stronger, especially to build topline and galloping position muscles. Think salads, soups, and sandwiches with all your favorite vegetable combinations!

Our teeth are flat for grinding, with small incisors, like an herbivore or frugivore, unlike the omnivore or carnivore! Photos by Lee Rouse.

You probably spend a great deal of time creating the optimal diet for your horse. Planning your own meals for health will be equally beneficial. Carrots and apples are great snacks (that you can even split with your equine partner)! These are great alternatives to mints or sugar cubes which can cause tooth decay, just as fruits and vegetables are far more beneficial than candy. Oftentimes riders who are working students or competing all day remain active for long hours without eating enough. Low blood sugar can impact the heart and brain’s ability to perform.

Just as you give your horse plenty of hay or roughage like alfalfa, try to get as many leafy greens into your diet. Spinach, kale, and sprouts are packed with vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. For carbohydrates, whole grains are always a great choice. Oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat spaghetti can be great sources of energy, but also fiber. Spices, nuts, lentils and other legumes are the perfect supplement.

GreenFare restaurant in Herndon, VA, has some wonderful plant based options! Photo by Gwyn Whittaker.

You would never feed your horse a fat juicy cheesesteak or an ice cream cone because it would not be a wise or healthy decision. This is a unique idea, but eating similar food groups as your horse will help you stay fit while at the same time getting the best nutrients our planet can grow!

Cameron Rouse’s passion for eventing grew steadily, having moved and started training in Northern Virginia. Earning certifications up to the H/A level in USPC allowed her to mentor some of the most successful riders in the country, including a skilled Feldenkrais Practitioner. This experience sparked within Cameron an immediate love of movement awareness, for not only a personal gain in riding, but as an educational and professional track. Completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology, with a concentration in Exercise Science at JMU University, the desire to continue in the athletic field led her gain qualifications in ACSM Certification in Personal Training and Exercise Physiology, HITUni, and now as an in-house Equestrian Fitness Specialist and a Power-of-10 Certified Strength Training Instructor. She is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition, while following her equestrian strength conditioning passion at InForm Fitness Leesburg and Reston. Cameron is currently competing her horse Rummy in Area II.

‘Listen to Your Horse’: Meet 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover Trainer Lindsey Burns

By on Feb 22, 2019 11:00 am -

For 673 accepted trainers, the journey to the Retired Racehorse Project‘s 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover has begun! Over the next nine months, four of those trainers will blog their journeys, including their triumphs and their heartbreaks, successes and failures, for Eventing Nation readers. Today, meet blogger Lindsey Burns. 

Here’s the Thing, my 2019 Makeover hopeful, and I posing in our first photo together at the track.

First I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Lindsey and I live in the never never land of horses. 

I’ve had the urge to ride since before I could walk, screaming when the cowboys, on the Texas panhandle ranch I was introduced to life at, would ride by without lifting me into the saddle. Fast forward 10 years and the model horses, horse books, horse pictures, and pretending my bicycle was a horse just weren’t cutting it.

Thankfully when I told my mom I wanted to learn to ride she had the foresight to make me clean paddocks first, saying if I couldn’t handle all aspects of life with horses I didn’t get to ride them. So I cleaned pens, treated wounds, fixed fence, cared for orphaned wildlife, and started riding endurance. About a year later we moved, I was given my first copy of a well-known equestrian magazine, and eventing entered my consciousness.

I started riding at the barn that would become my second family, started jumping and never looked back. I was there everyday, working to pay for lessons and my pony’s board. I rode every horse I could and eventually made a name for myself for getting on just about anything. I finished high school at 16 and soon headed east for a seven-month stint as a working student with prominent eventers.

Shortly after returning home to Idaho I made my first trip to the backside of a racetrack and purchased my first OTTB. He was totally nutty, but I knew I could aim him over literally anything and we would make it to the other side. He started what is now a 13-year love affair with Thoroughbreds. Soon I was working at the local tack and feed store and galloping at the track.

Getting race horses fit in early spring at Les Bois Park in Idaho.

I also thought I should get a college degree so that I could pay for horses, thinking medical school would be the best option. I did complete a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a human emphasis, but it was never my passion. I finally gave in and committed to horses full-time. In between all those adventures I competed through Preliminary, married a racehorse trainer, coached Pony Club, and sat on the board for the Idaho Dressage and Eventing Association.

More recently I started spending my winters in Arizona and summers in Georgia. I’ve been expanding my OTTB sales business (Double Shot Horses) and this will be my third year competing at the RRP Thoroughbred Makeover. I first competed there in 2016 — I had planned on eventing, but in classic horse fashion my mount decided he was a bit immature for jumping. Instead, we competed in dressage and freestyle. 

My 2016 Makeover entry, Slide Away, getting love after our final salute in the dressage ring.

While nerves got the best of both of us at the actual Makeover, the journey to get there was such an opportunity for growth. I learned about the importance of being your horse’s voice and advocate even when when riding with a famous clinician. I learned to rope in my jump tack. I made new friends and I tackled cross continent travel with horses. That journey to the Makeover truly helped reignite my passion with horses and trying to understand them beyond just riding perfect 20-meter circles in the show ring.

In 2017 I didn’t compete at the Makeover, but I went to cheer on my friend who was riding one of my first official Double Shot sales horses. While sitting on the grass Saturday evening, eating our bbq dinner after the finale, we got to talking about bucket list items and what our ideal lives looked like. I could honestly answer that I was already living my ideal life. There is something about the Makeover journey that really gets you living in the here and now.

Then 2018 came. I was happy, but I was also thinking that eventing was a highlight of the past. A slew of questionable horses and several heartbreaks that horses seem to specialize in had pushed me to think that maybe dressage would be enough. That maybe I’d already felt my final exhilarating head rush that comes as you cross between those final red and white flags and I hadn’t even known.

Enter Shefightslikeagirl. The little 14.3-hand mare that brought me grinning from ear to ear back into the start box and through those finish flags. Suddenly I was dreaming of eventing again. She seemed to create her own fan club everywhere we went. Instead of embracing those “character building experiences” that we call less than stellar shows, I was instead able to set my sights on clear jump rounds and improved scores and even blue ribbons. What was supposed to be a sales horse has instead become a long term member of the family.

Shefightslikeagirl and I galloping across the Kentucky Horse Park like a dream come true.

Almost every photo of my trip to the 2018 Makeover is filled with a smile. Icing on the cake was seeing the smiling faces of riders on five different Double Shot sales horses.

Now we are in 2019 and I think I may be addicted to the growth and journey that happen with Makeover participation. I have a beautiful bay filly that was a resounding failure in our race barn, and she is already showing potential to be a resounding success in the show world. She’s pretty, combined with a great brain and a name that makes people laugh — seems like a winning combo to me. Here’s the Thing, barn name “Hope.” I’d love to event her, but we will see what she excels at as the year progresses. If there is anything this journey has taught me it’s to listen to your horse.

A face anyone could fall in love with.