Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo Are Fighting Fit

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Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo finished 4th in the Rebecca Farm CIC3*. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

While some of us may be slowing down now that summer temperatures are rising, that is not the case for Hawley Bennett-Awad and her mount, Jollybo, as they have this little event called the World Equestrian Games penciled in on their calendars for September. Fresh off a fourth place finish in the Rebecca Farm CIC3*, where they posted the fastest cross country time in the their division on a course where time is notoriously difficult to make, they’ve made a solid case for themselves to be included on the Canadian team as Tryon WEG is expected to be a serious fitness test. 

Preparing for such an event is a yearlong process, explains Hawley, and “you can’t just do two gallops and expect a horse to be fit.” So while teams haven’t been named and the end goal is still two and a half months away, there is no rest for the wicked at Cooper Meadows Horse Park, where Hawley bases herself.

Photos courtesy of Hawley Bennett-Awad.

For Jolly, she has been spending lots of time taking swim lessons at the Trifecta Equine Athletic Center in Bonsall, California. Jolly loves visiting Dr. Korin Potenza and spending time on the water treadmill to help her get fit and strong. Jolly’s facial expression lights up when she steps off the trailer at Trifecta for her two-to-three day stay when Hawley is off teaching clinics. While the boss is away the ponies will play!

Another element of Hawley’s fitness plan is doing all her gallops on some sort of hill. Photo by Hawley Bennett-Awad.

Hawley fondly remembers her working student days at Bruce Davidson’s where he would bark “the fastest way to break a horse is to gallop on flat ground,” and they are words Hawley still lives by all these years later. In keeping with the planning ahead theme, Hawley explained she worked back from the end goal, cross country day at WEG, to determine the days she needs to gallop and the rate she needs to increase the time of her gallops. Between galloping every five days and using the water treadmill, Jollybo is likely to be the fittest horse out there!

However, Jollybo isn’t the only one who needs to be fit. Hawley wants to be just as fit as her super mare! Hawley’s brother introduced her to the program, Nine Round, which is a kickboxing class that only lasts for 27 minutes but kicks your butt. Don’t have time to spend two hours at the gym? Don’t WANT to spend two hours at the gym? This is the perfect alternative. Between her kickboxing classes and online live workouts with fitness guru Clint Hart, Hawley is getting toned and whipped into shape. Not only does she do Clint Hart’s online workouts but she also bought the DVD, so instead of sitting on the couch watching TV, she can watch a DVD and work out instead. One of Hawley’s favorite lines? “No excuses!”

Photos courtesy of Hawley Bennett-Awad.

What does Hawley use to keep her hydrated during her workouts and hot days at the barn? Detoxwater! Plain water can be boring so Hawley switches it out for this amazing Bio-Active Aloe Water full of Electrolytes and added health benefits including glowing skin. Detoxwater comes in six different flavors and Hawley drinks two to three per day to keep her body revitalized.

If you’re interested in giving Detoxwater a try you can order a FREE six-pack via their website starting July 20th through Labor Day! All you have to do is pay the $4.99 shipping. You can also find Detoxwater on Amazon or in your local stores, making it super easy to buy and restock on. Plus, it is available on Amazon Prime, so you can take advantage of the free two-day shipping!

Photos courtesy of Hawley Awad-Bennett.

While Hawley and Jollybo have been working on their fitness, JojoSox has been operating behind the scenes to create a special limited edition Jollybo sock in support of Hawley and Jollybo and their quest to get to WEG. Hawley wears these socks all the time whether it be in the saddle or at the gym and when JojoSox offered her the opportunity to design her own sock, it was an offer that she could not refuse! Hawley was so excited to pick out both the pattern and the colors, with the cheetah print being sassy like Jolly and the colors matching the colors Hawley rides in.

They are the best socks ever, and even better? JojoSox has been kind enough to give 100% of the proceeds to Hawley! She is extremely excited and as a thank you, she wants to give all those who purchase socks a special opportunity at WEG this fall, if she is lucky enough to compete with Jollybo. She wants to give something back to all those who have supported her so be sure to go check out and buy some #jollybo socks!

Photos courtesy of Jojo Sox (L) and Hawley Bennett-Awad (R).

With her preparations in full swing, planning is key. As Hawley makes her competition schedule, she always has her end goal in the back of her mind. Every day and every event is one step closer to the end goal and with every gallop and every workout, both Hawley and Jolly are gearing up to be in fighting form with the help of a very special routine, one that is helpful for horses and riders of all ages and levels.

Go Eventing.