First Sleep Away Show Ever - Day 2

Day two of the show was Thursday.  At least I think it was. The temperature hit 106 degrees at the show grounds and my brain is a little fried.  Luckily Libby, Tara and I showed in the early morning and Sophie was able to hack the pony before 9:30, when the temp was only a balmy 94.  Ugh.  I had sweat in places I didn't know COULD sweat.

Short recap:


Libby drove Stratego around her Level 0 round. Stratego had a moment or two where he thought he wanted tobe done with this whole jumping silliness, and Libby firmly reminded him who made the decisions in their relationship. Successful round, happy horse and happy horse owner!

Tara and Rio had a nice round in the Level 1s. They started out a little slower than they normally do (Tara is one rider who is not afraid of a little speed) and had a rail, but otherwise had a really nice course.

Sug was a bit of a noodge in the warm up; really heavy in the left rein and off the left leg. She wanted to just grab the bit in her teeth and barrel forward. I think part of that was my own nerves getting in the way and her reflecting my own stiffness. (Really? Nerves? How shocking!!!) Did a lot of shoulder in to supple her, some trot circle spirals, and counter canter. When we finally jumped a few warm up fences, there was no indication (to me, at least) that we'd have a good round.

Somehow we managed to pull it together and have a good round. I didn't choke up on her, managed to go with her and relax my elbows, and she didn't fight me or make any executive decisions that had us leaving the ground in Newark and landing in Chicago. We left the ring lying in third, and when I went back later in the day to check placings, we actually got a 5th!!! I choked up, I was so surprised and overwhelmed.

The afternoon was spent sweating, shopping, checking out the photographer's booth, and watching friends and barnmates compete. Congrats to Altea's own Annabel Benito on her first place finish with LeBron in the YJC 5 Year Old class. Dana and her Vulcano had a good trip and then Dana hopped on her new partner Jamieson had what was a super trip until that heartbreaking rail at the last fence in the jump off.

A post show dip in the pool and Jacuzzi was in order, then dinner at the Hurley's Mountain Inn. If you're ever in the Suagerties area, give it a try. You won't go away hungry, and the staff is extremely friendly, helpful, and goes out of their way to please. The food is super -- think Sunday dinner at Grandma's, and the Hurley's Mountain Ale is refreshing after a long day horse showing.

Day One at Our First Sleep Away Show = A Success!!

This is going to be short as it's been a loooooooonnnnnggggg day and I'm waiting for the Ambien to kick in.

Well, the kiddo and I made it to HITS Saugerties in one piece and with no speeding tickets!  First order of business was to go check on the girls.  They were happy to see us, seemed to approve of the new digs.  Not Stratego, though.. My friend Libby's horse looked like he definitely disapproved of the change in venue and wanted to speak to his union representative right away.  After we reassured him, was time to head to El Ranchero for grub and then hit the rack for an early night. 

Easier said than done when your bunk mate is a frenetic 9 year old that is an unapologetic slob, hogs the bed, snores like an asthmatic yak and has a mule kick that keeps you pinned to the edge of the bed all night. Oh, and she talks in her sleep.  Last night I could swear she was reciting Henry V's St. Crispin's Day speech.

Course walk this morning at O'Dark Hundred.  Marched around course echoing Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks.  Huh? Of course I remember the strides in the lines. -- 7 to the six to the 2 to the LOOK!  There's Anne Kursinski!!  What?  Of course I'm paying attention.  Why would you say that?

Got our golf cat after the course walk.  Loved the folks at Dever, hooked up right and tight and did not mind at all that we were newbies.  Of course he didn't mind teaching us the right way to do things, he said, as he didn't want to have to fish us out of the pond like he had to do for other poor soul yesterday.

Todd Minikus, who was waiting nearby, got an earful of our interaction and started laughing.  I told him, "Hey Todd, it's my first time driving one of these suckers, you don't know what'all's gonna happen here.  He saw the truth of this and backed himself off to a safer venue where he could watch the fall out.  Not only is that man the nicest guy on the circuit, he's got one heck of a sense of humor, too.  Sorry about those toes, Todd!

Not to worry, we got the hang of that baby and we off doing our best Danica Patrick impersonations in no time.  Sophie only fell off the back twice.  The kiddo learns fast!

The less said about schooling, the better. The marines have a term for it, and the first seven letters of that 11 letter word are C-L-U-S-T-E-R.  We lined up outside out in gate, watched a few round, and then it was Tara's turn.  Tara was having a pretty good,although slow, go until the fourth fence, when she had a GPS issue.  She seemed determined to get their money's worth for the class and ring crew about had to drag her outta there.  Then it was Your's Truly's.  Annabel made me recite my lines, asked for my jump off, and sent me off. 

Wasn't a bad course. Bit behind the leg at first, but by fence 4 we got our rhythm and were making a pretty good go of things until Sug decided to goo off the reservation and make an executive decision over an oxer leading to the final combination.  She went all "Air Mare" on me, which had me hanging on for dear life in the safety seat.  We landed all cattywumpus, reins on the buckle, leaving a pile of matchsticks in our wake.  She took off like a scalded cat at the combination, and we took it like a runaway hunter, all loopy reins and me clinging like a burr to her neck.  Was pretty special.

We basically wandered around for a bit, watching Annabel ride her horse, then over to see our friend Janine ride in the Level 5s over in the GP ring.  Also caught BJ Ehrhart's and Peter Leone's rounds. Just an aside - anyone else think some of those flower arrangements were last used at a funeral??

Annabel and Tara rode in the Level 1s, and both had good rounds.  By that point everyone was pretty pasted from the heat, so of course we made the kiddo take a lesson on the pony (this was after the child fell asleep in the rocking chair in the pizza bar).   Turned out to to be the best thing for her.  Bored and heat = not good.  Working hard with one's pony and heat?  No worries.  Jumped gymnastics and what looked like a 2'3" oxer with no problems.

Came home, hit the pool, hit the hotel restaurant, got back to the room and am now feeling the effects of that Ambien, so nighty-night, y'all.  More tomorrow!

The Kiddo Rides in Her First Clinic...

Eric Horgan

Last weekend my daughter and I had the opportunity to clinic with Eric Horgan, a member of the Irish 3-day eventing team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics (15th place Individual finish), 2 time winner of the Punchestown International Three Day Event, and 1990 World Equestrian Games team member (just to name a few of his credentials).

I knew I was going to ride, as I've enjoyed his clinics before and do well with his style of teaching.  He has a way of breaking things down so you wonder why you ever complicated matters in the first place.  Plus, it seemed like a great idea to get some extra coaching in before my daughter and I head off to our first sleep away show.  What I wasn't sure about was if it was appropriate for my 9 and a 1/2 year old to ride in the clinic.

I'd seen Eric coach kids before and had liked the rapport he built with them, but could not remember how old they'd been, and wondered if my daughter was too young to really absorb all the learning that can be had in a clinic.  Let's face it, these experiences are expensive, they can be arduous, and if she wasn't ready mentally or physically, nobody was going to come away happy.

Obviously the child in question should be somewhat mature, and a willing and attentive learner.  While her father and I may lament that she's got the attention span of a fruit fly at home, there are two places she's fiercely intent and focused; on the soccer pitch and on horseback.  So, I contacted the clinic organizer, 3-day event rider Kristin Schmolze of Everbreeze Farm to get her take on the participants age levels, level of experience, and to get a sense if she thought someone jumping 2' on a medium pony would be a good fit.  Kristin asked good questions about Sophie's level of experience, work ethic, and based on my answers, felt Sophie would have a beneficial learning experience and not detract from other's learning.

I also checked in with my trainer, riding friends who knew Sophie, and of course, checked in with the COTH forum members to see what the general consensus might be.  The verdict?  Kiddo was going to the clinic!

Although the first day was hot as heck, then rainy, and our ride times were 4 hours apart,  we had a blast!  Sophie kept herself occupied by taking care of her pony, watching some of the sessions, helping me with my horse, and reading.  By the time it was time for her to ride, the heavens had opened up and it was pouring.  When she got to the ring she and the pony were soaked through. 

Eric took a few minutes to get to know the riders and asked questions about what they'd been working on with their ponies, what they hoped to accomplish in the clinic, and for a bit of information about the ponies and any health or training issues they had.  He and Sophie immediately started an easy banter, with Eric teasing her about some of her bad habits and challenging her to do better. 

One of the things I've always liked about riding with Eric is that he "got" you as a rider almost immediately, and understood your mentality and your horses instantly.  I wasn't surprised that he did the same with Sophie.  His humorous ribbing relaxed her and fired up her competitive juices, and she did her best to do what he asked without any of the nerves that can impede your progress when you're riding to impress someone.  They worked on transitions, understanding rhythm, and some equitation, and the end result was a pony showing very respectable gaits and transitions, and a very stoked kiddo.

Day Two was our jumping day.  Again, the emphasis was on rhythm, and the riders and ponies started out cantering poles on the ground.  When they graduated to small fences, it was clear both ponies were a little over-enthusiastic and rushing their fences, so Eric had the girls canter to a fence, come to the walk immediately afterward, pick up the canter and go to the next fence, come back to the walk, and so on.  This proved successful, so then it was time to apply the learning to a full course. 

Unfortunately, the other rider had a fall and although she bravely got back on, she was unable to finish the session as she was too sore.  Eric, realizing Sophie was a bit shaken by the other girl's experience, kept her focused and confident by asking her to repeat the exercises she'd been successful at, then slowly building on them, all the while keeping up a running banter with her.  Pretty soon she was happily negotiating a course, and she even jumped her very first skinny ever!  Considering Mom had had her issues with the skinny earlier in the day, Eric told Sophie she had "bragging rights."  Trust me, the kid used them!

I'm so glad Sophie was able to take advantage of this experience.  Not only did she ride well, learn a lot, and gain confidence, but more importantly, she took great care of her pony and showed a maturity she hasn't before. The Kristin and the crew at Everbreeze Farm (Vanessa, you rock!!) couldn't have been more helpful or supportive, and we're hoping they have Eric back in the fall so we can sign up for more good times.

Here are a few of the ESPN highlights from the kiddo's first clinic...



End of an Era...

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum retires
the great Shutterfly at CHIO Aachen.
Photo courtesy of Jenny Abrahamsson.

On Sunday, July 17th, 2011 arguably one of the greatest eras in international show jumping was brought to an end with the retirement of the incomparable Shutterfly.  Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum decided to retire her 18 year old super-gelding after he won the 1.55 meter Warsteiner Prize at the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival while he was on top, rather than chance a lesser ending by competing in the Grand Prix with her elder statesman.

Meredith and her husband Markus decided that there was no better way to retire "Petey" than in the grandeur of the Aachen venue, often called the equestrian Mecca, where so many of his greatest moments took place.  The official ceremony took place right before the jump off of the Grand Prix, and from all accounts, there was not a dry eye in the house.

Some of Shutterfly's many highlights:
3 FEI Rolex World Cup Championships
Individual and Team Bronze medals at the 2006 World Equestrian Games
Individual Gold/Team Silver at 2007 European Championships
Team Gold medal at the 2005 Europeans
Silver Medal at the 2004 World Cup Finals
And, of course, numerous grands prixs and nations cup wins.

One of their great moments - Winning the World Cup in 2009

A Less Memorable Moment. 

Even the Best Have Moments of Miscommunication.

http://youtu.be/NnViUQuYqzI

I'm sure many of us share the same sentiment.  It will be nice to see the rising stars of the sport, but we'll miss this great old campaigner tremendously.  Thank you, Shutterfly, it's been a privilege watching you.



Beating the Heat - Equine Style

Saw this video over on Barnmice this morning.  It sent me into fits of giggles.  Seriously.  Just cracks me up.  Every. Time. I. Watch. It.  

The horse enjoying himself in the sprinkler is 24 years old. The learning point this video makes (um, yeah, I DO find deeper meaning in a video of a horse playing in a sprinkler) is that age can be an empowering thing. 

When we age, many of us tend to start thinking, "Forget it.  I'm gonna do what makes me feel good, no matter what other folks think."  This is the one good thing about getting older.  There isn't anything else. 

Good ol' 24 here was hot, and he did something about it, where a younger horse may have been scared to try something new, or just too worried that his barn buddies would think he was being a dork.

No, I did not put any Baileys in my coffee this morning.  I really am this odd.  Whatever.  Watch the video.  I dare you not to chuckle.

Today's Horse Hero (Or...Holy Crap! Can You Believe This Story?)

Saw this come across my laptop and had to read the headline several times over before it sunk in:
"Blind 'Superman' Saves Colorado Teenager After Fall From Horse"

Uhhh, come again??  I needed to know more about this.  Seems a teen aged Colorado ranch hand was thrown from her horse and as a result fractured her skull and bruising her brain.  She was unable to walk, and lay where she fell, screaming for help.

Enter Superman.  In this tale, Superman is not Clark Kent, but rather the owner of the ranch the accident occurred on, Keith Day.  Mr. Day has been legally blind since birth.  He can distinguish between dark and light, and some vague large shapes (think of a very blurry, vaguely horse or truck shaped object).  Somehow, he was able to follow the sound of her screams to reach her.  He was able to check her for noticeable breaks, and then somehow managed to carry her hundreds of yards, at one point crossing over a barbed wire fence, to where emergency personnel could reach her.

Pretty jaw-dropping stuff, huh?  Talk about having a guardian angel.

(Not to put a damper on a heartwarming story, but it does kinda makes a good argument that one should always wear a helmet. Just saying.)

They Race Arabians??? Really?

TM Fred Texas and Dixies Valentine Battle It Out

That was my reaction October 10, 2010.  My friend and I were in Lexington for the World Equestrian Games, and were having dinner at the restaurant next to our hotel. We'd spent a lovely day at the opening day of Keeneland, with one of my clients and his charming wife showing us around the track.  We'd then spent the remainder of the day at the WEG.  For two horse enthusiasts, it was pretty much an ideal day.

We were sitting at the bar (I guess you could say our cups were literally running over!) and noticed a diminutive man just around the corner of the bar to our left.  We struck up a conversation, and as it often does in Kentucky, the talk turned to horses.  We told him how we'd spent our day, and he said if we were heading back to Keeneland the next day, we should look him up, as he'd be riding the "Zenyatta of Arabian Racing," a horse called Sand Witchh, in the Grade I, President of the United Arab Emirates Cup. 

We couldn't help ourselves -- we goggled.  Really, we thought he was yanking our chain. Sure enough, we Googled away, and Jockey Billy Hollick, the guy we were chatting with, was scheduled to ride Sand Witchh the next day.  Even wackier?? Calvin Borel, rider of Derby winners Street Sense, Mine That Bird, and Super Saver,  was also scheduled to ride in the race.

Sadly, a horse named Grilla beat Sand Witchh that day, but fast forward almost a year and Arabian racing is back in the Bluegrass state, now at the fabled Churchill Downs.

This was the action on June 18th, 2011, when Arabian racing came to Churchill Downs for the $50,000 President of United Arab Emirates Cup.

Check it out. Be prepared to FF to 26.46 minutes to actually see the race.

http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2011ArabianRace/#ooid=R2NThqMjpKmSx72BXUjXxl-yyr_XQ_9P,hlMmtqMjqUlLrAB7cYM4CiNbXXTKDbyh