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May 8, 2008 It took a couple of days and much reorganization at High Meadow (the farm we stay at in Virginia), but we (B, Surfer, Suerte, Elan, and myself) are now settled. Surfer was once again avoiding work. Luckily this time is was only a tossed shoe. The shoe has been replaced and Surfer and Suerte are working towards the Upperville horse show and a some horse trials in June. B has been taking it easy going on hacks and lounging in his paddock. He will be starting back to work next week and will also go to the Upperville horse show. After Rolex we (B and I) get to tone down the intensity a little and work on our dressage and fine April 30, 2008 I am sure most of you are already aware of how everything went at Rolex. I do know many of you took advantage of the live webcast.... cool technology!! Thanks to all who called, emailed, and texted your support - it is always great to have all your support. Rolex was definitely the toughest event B and I have ever tackled.... and things were definitely less than perfect leading up to the event. The excitement started with the first horse inspection... Marlene was getting B ready and taking him for a walk while I got We did our dressage on Friday morning. B was uncooperative in the warm-up.... thankfully David was there to help me get him going better before we had to go into the ring. Our test was about as good as could be expected for where we are at the moment. A little mistake in one counter-canter and we missed one flying lead change, but the rest was really good. We were in 20th place after 2 days of dressage.... for our first time at the 4 star level, I was very happy. Saturday is cross-country day.... the biggest and longest course B and I have ever done. There were some excellent rides in the morning, several of which were inside the time. We were 2nd to go after lunch.... B just got better and better. We jumped clear but were a little slow. We did still move up to 17th place after the cross-country was completed. Cross-country definitely has a large influence.... sport at speed still leads to a few mishaps.... Rolex is no different even though it is the best riders in the world! My heart goes out to Laine in wishing her a speedy recovery... as of this writing she is in critical condition with collapsed lungs and multiple fractures. This year’s Rolex show jumping proved to be quite influential as there were not a lot of points separating the top placings. Although B and I usually shine in this phase, we had a near disaster before finishing with an uncharacteristic 3 rails down.... I The rest of the Canadians also did really well. 5 finished in the top 20 of the 6 who started. This looks promising for an exciting summer. I have spent the last couple of days getting moved to Virginia. My brake box burned out on my truck, so I had to get it replaced before leaving Kentucky.... luckily Nori Sheffel put B and I up at her family’s Sheffelridge Farm which was about 25 minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park. This allowed B to lounge around in a paddock with grass while I got the truck and trailer working properly. Many thanks to Nori!! We got to Virginia last night and will be spending the next couple of days getting set up... April 9, 2008 I am writing this as I travel back to Calgary for a few days. What better to do on a flight other than watch a hockey game and catch up on my diary. I definitely miss the winter sports by being in Florida. Up to date on all NCAA, however!! The past week was a long one... the rain and mud added an additional challenge to training and competing. We were in Norwood, North Carolina at The Fork Stables. The Canadian and American teams both had training sessions in the week leading up to the horse trial. We moved in on Monday, did a training session in the rain on Tuesday, dried out a little in the sun on Wednesday, then were completely soaked on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The rain and the storms (yes there was a lot of lightning and Tornado warnings) led to a reversal of cross-country and show jumping days... so we Show Jumped in the rain on Saturday (B jumped clear) and did cross-country on Sunday when the sun finally came out again. B was stellar on XC until Moving out and heading back to Ocala was uneventful after navigating the sea of red mud which comprised the stable area. There was a guy with a large tractor dragging all the trucks and trailers from the parking area to the road... no point in wrecking a Even though the Fork didn’t end the way I would have liked, B and I are still on track for the Rolex 4 star in Kentucky. Good thing B and I still Bounce! March 28, 2008 The weather here in Florida is starting to get warm... 84F today. Went home after Red Hills to teach another clinic, then back to Florida to get ready for The Fork. B has been somewhat difficult this week - he is feeling a little too full of himself. He has had some very good days but he doesn't think the pea on top should have any say in what he is doing. We have March 17, 2008 St. Patrick's day is a day of reflection after a very challenging competition at Red Hills. B was very good in dressage (tied for 4th) and incredible on XC. I made a mistake which cost us a stupid 20 penalties we didn't need. He was unusually distracted and difficult for Show Jumping and added an uncharacteristic 8 penalties there for a 10th place finish. All things considered, our weekend was much better than several others. Jonathan Holling and Missy Miller both lost their partners and Darren Chiacchia was airlifted off the course in critical condition... puts things into perspective. B and I both came home safe and sound so will be ready for our next competition... the World Cup Qualifier at The Fork April 4-6. March 3, 2008 I am writing this a little cross-eyed. We returned home from Pine Top at about 1 in the morning and managed to get to bed around 2am. I was up at 6:30 this morning to head off to physio.... now I’m catching up on my email... Pine Top was the first real test for my ‘new’ knee. It was good for all the riding portions. It did not like the course walk... so did not walk the entire course more than once. Also will remember to put the brace on when doing that much walking. Dressage was OK. B was a little ‘happy’ to be there and the extended canter almost went out the end of the ring! (Love doing 1/2 halts with no response!) He jumped really well in Show Jumping - he had to save my little ‘rusty’ mistakes and was stellar. XC started February 24, 2008 I am giving in to the relentless requests of those who wish to know what I am up to.... Since when is 6 months too long for any correspondence?! Since returning from Rio, I’ve been to the Spruce Meadows Masters (who would miss this show?) where I rode with Anky, played with the Battle Horses, and helped with the Warmblood breeders booth; I have participated in an indoor driving derby after a 1 hour driving lesson! Incredibly, I placed 4th after running over only one flower box - thanks to Bill Mowatt for the use of his carriage, horse, and most of all - his expertise; I have had my ACL replaced and been relentlessly trying to get back in the tack and back to competition; and most fun of all.... spending time at home with all the young horses and helping with the running of the ranch - must admit, though, I’m not much use with only one knee! The end of January was the annual packing of the horses, trailer, and whatever else we gypsies require for heading south in time for the first Team Training session. We had the coldest trip ever south.... -33C before wind chill as we headed down the driveway.... wind chills up to -65F in Bismark, ND froze the gas pumps at one station.... no sign of anything above -20C until we were south of St. Louis! This being said, the roads were perfect and we had no problems along the way. This year, our caravan includes Carol and her trusty mount Bear, Tina with Zen and Cleo, Marlene, and of course yours truly along with B, Fanny, Surfer, Suerte, and Blessings. The first training session went well with B. Fanny also managed a jumping lesson in which David ended up riding her more than me. I took Fanny to the PSJ show in which we won both of our classes - she is sooo much fun! I did pay the price for this... my knee did not appreciate Fanny’s athletic style, so I will not be riding her too much until my knee is much stronger. I took B to the Rocking Horse one day... just rode dressage with an OK result for the first outing of the year. I have spent the past few days back home. Always good to be back... the first calves are on the ground and the horses are looking good. Spent most of the time at the stable seeing everyone and helping with plans for the upcoming show season. Tomorrow is the start of the next training session and then we will be heading to Georgia for the Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials.... our first complete outing of the year. August 6
July 21 We get to go to Brazil!! The announcement for the Pan-Am team was made today and we are on the 5 member team. June 5, 2007 The final selection trial for the Pan-American games is now complete, including all vet evaluations. All there is to do now is sit and wait! B was very good at Jersey. We had a disappointing dressage score even though he felt a lot better. We were a little slow on XC but he jumped fantastic and recovered well. He show jumped in his usual form, putting in one of very few clear rounds and we finished 5th. May 24, 2007 Still am relatively homeless... using Suzanne's spare room when no one else is and Sonya's couch the rest of the time... kind of sucky. Anyway I'm getting lots of time to work with David and even managed to get a lesson on Danny last Monday! (Actually got 3 jumping lessons in one day!) B feels ready for Jersey where he will be running the Advanced horse trials as the mandatory outing for selecting the PanAm team. May 8, 2007 The past month has involved locating a new home in Virginia... the horses will be able to stay at Sonya Crampton's place and I'm still looking for a place to stay for myself... no one seems keen to let me live in my trailer on their property.... guess being a gypsy has it's downside. As soon as we got to Virgina May 1, we turned around and headed to MCTA horse trials for their first time running a CIC3*. As B had a little downtime after The Fork, we took it easy at MCTA. He had an OK dressage, we were slow on XC and he tried to jump clean, but a pilot error led to one rail. He did finish a respectable 4th place in a small field. April 10, 2007 B was very good this past weekend at The Fork CIC3*W. We were the best placed Canadians finishing in 13th place. The winners were Kim Severson and Windsom Adante. The week before The Fork was a great week of training with both the Canadian and American teams holding training sessions. What better way to improve one's level of riding than to spend a week riding with the best this continent has to offer. The owners of The Fork were great hosts and put on several social events for the teams including a Canada vs USA clays shooting competion. The competition was tough, but Canada came out on top, winning this inaugural event. I have decided at this point not to run him in the 4star at Kentucky. March 12, 2007 As would be expected, Red Hills was a spectacular weekend. We had perfect weather and great competition. Dressage day was a personal best score for me in a 3 star competition which was a great start. XC day ended with a splash as B and I had a spectacular fall at the Dolphin Dance water obstacle. There was not a dry part of either B or me once we stood up - both of us are fine and will be ready to go next time round. Under FEI rules a fall of horse is mandatory retirement, so our weekend ended there. Not everyone can say they went swimming with the Dolphins in Florida!! This week it is back to work and preparing for our next show at Poplar Place in a week and a half. February 12, 2007 This past weekend was a cold one at Poplar Place in Georgia. The event went well with B winning the Open Intermediate division, Fanny and Donovan placing 2nd and 3rd respectively in their Training divisions. We pulled in on Thursday in 70F weather only to have 40F rain on Friday for dressage day. Sat and Sun were clear, however, there was ice on the water jumps both mornings. (Who needs to feel their fingers or toes anyway!) If you could find a place in the sun (which was abundant) you could pretend to be warm! All in all a great weekend. Our first event of the year the previous weekend got turning into a combined test (no cross-country) due to the Tornado which touched down less than 10 miles from the show grounds. Although the grounds were spared, the EMS and ambulances were required elsewhere - so we were not allowed to compete as per USEF rules. The first training camp went well last week - still have much to work on. B felt great and the team vet was happy with how he looked.... still working towards Pan-Ams!
January 28, 2007 All is well here in Florida as we get settled into a routine preparing for the upcoming shows and training sessions. The drive down was uneventful - Marlene and I took turns driving. All told we were about 50 hours on the road. It is definitely a marathon trip. B banged his knee the 2nd day here and of course it swelled... it is now down and he is back to full work. Denise Rath held a derby for Training/Prelim level horses at her farm yesterday. Fanny was excellent, however, she did manage to pull a shoe. Luckily the footing is excellent and her foot is in great shape. We will get it nailed back on Tuesday - Just in time to have her ready for the first event at Rocking Horse next weekend. B and I will start working with David O'Connor next week... November 6, 2006 I have qualified for the Canadian Team Short List!!! This sets B and I up for another winter in Florida getting ready for Rolex in Kentucky (April) and keeping our eye set on the Pan-Am games in Brazil next July. Fair Hill went well enough, however, I know we are capable of improving significantly on this performance. Our dressage got a little fried at the beginning of the test and so I under-rode most of the rest of the test for 68 penalties... not really competitive, however, qualifying. B jumped the cross-country brilliantly, however, we had one little green moment which led to 20 penalties. Again a qualifying score, but not competitive. B felt great Sunday morning for show jumping... and had a very good round with just one rail down... We finished 27th of 60 starters which is very good for B's first CCI3*. Of course the trip home would not have been complete without stopping in Iowa to get the bearings and brakes fixed on the horse trailer... nothing like looking in the mirror to see smoke!
October 7, 2006 August 7, 2006 As usual, I'm a little delinquent with regards to updating the diary. July has been a very busy month with all the Alberta Horse Trials going full swing and of course, my favorite event at Rebecca Farms in Montana. B is back in fine form and proved it in Montana with a spectacular XC run. He finished 4th in the World Cup Qualifier. I spent this past weekend at a dressage show practicing tests with both B and Wesley. We still have a lot of room for improvement. Noel Clark, Sarah Swart and myself also spent a couple of hours August 3 doing a demonstration of eventing to a 4H group. It was a good time for all, especially since none of us has ever done anything like this before. June 10, 2006 Finally home after a long winter/spring season on the east coast. The final competition was Jersey Fresh CCI3* which is a qualifier for next year's Pan-Ams. It went well for the one horse I had left at the end of the day. Wesley had a personal best dressage score, followed by no XC jumping penalties, and finished Show jumping feeling good (and sound!). We finished in 17th place out of 41 starters. He was definitely a little green for the level, so I was very careful around the cross country, incurring a large number of time penalties. Due to the rain and the mud, there were no horses inside the time - the fastest horse incurred 12 time faults. As for Willow, I was a little suspicious for about a week before she actually came up lame on the Friday before the start of Jersey. Once again we have a suspensory problem - no real damage, just inflamed. She had been running so well in the horse trials earlier in the season, it is very disappointing not to be able to run the CCI. I will not try to get her to another CCI3* - she will get some time off - perhaps try motherhood, then become a schoolmaster for those wanting to experience the upper levels of eventing. So the quest for Beijing is down to the boys... B and Wes. B is going well and is ready to start back into competition. He will be going to Rebecca Farm in the World Cup Qualifier July 20-23. Both B and Wes will be aiming at the 3 star at Wit's End (Ontario) and Fair Hill (Maryland) for October. April 30, 2006 All the horses are going well and B is now back in full work and will start jumping mid-May. At this time he is aiming at Johvale on July 1 and Rebecca Farm late July. This all going well, he will be heading to a fall CCI3*. Willow and Wesley are going well. We are starting to pack up for the move north to Maryland for the MCTA horse trials. We will then head over to O'Connors in Virginia for the final touch ups before Jersey Fresh May 30 - June 3. It has finally cooled off here and Willow is much happier - I actually had to kick a little in the really hot weather when doing gallop sets. Cooled off means highs in the low 80's (25 C) and lows in the mid 50's (15 C). April 12, 2006 This past weekend was The Fork CIC3* and World Cup Qualifier. Willow and Wesley both finished with qualifying scores. Willow was quite naughty in the dressage (very disappointing), but managed to just get the 50% good marks required. She then jumped around clear both show jumping and cross country. This moved her into a final placing of 20th after a lowly 43rd place in dressage. Wesley was very good - he had a good dressage test for his first time at this level and jumped cross-country clean with a few time faults and one rail down in show jumping. He finished in 13th place. Overall a very successful weekend. This means that both Willow and Wesley are fully qualified to run the CCI3* in New Jersey at the end of May... B is doing dressage and trot sets and is looking sound. At this time he will be aiming at competing over the summer and fall with Fair Hill CCI3* as his goal. Fingers crossed all continues to go well. March 14, 2006 Red Hills Horse Trials and World Cup Qualifier was another wonderful experience. With B on the recovery list, Wesley was the only horse I rode over the weekend. B was supposed to compete in the 3 star World Cup Qualifier, however, it will be a few more weeks before he is competition ready. Wesley was competing in the 2 star division. One dressage judge gave a much better score than the other.... so he was in 28th place after dressage. XC proved to be a bit of an adventure... missed a galloping lane (stupid pilot error that cost about 10 - 15 seconds) then had a stirrup pop off my saddle at the first water, so had to complete the course with only one stirrup. This made for a few sloppy jumps and had to slow down to keep Wes jumping well. Even with 20 time penalties on XC, we moved up to 24th. 3 rails down in the show jumping resulted in a final placing of 25th of 49 who started. Will be going back to Calgary for a couple days this week to teach, then back to Ocala to get ready for Poplar place March 24-26. March 6, 2006 Just completed Pine Top horse trials in Thomson, GA. Willow is finally back in action after nearly a year off. She finished 3rd in the Advanced division. Wesley completed his first outing at the Advanced level in 10th place. Willow's dressage is much improved, however, she still got tense in the walk and canter work. Wesley put in a good effort in all three phases. He will still need some time to become strong enough to be competitive at this level. B is on the mend and should be back in training soon. Luckily, there is no damage to the tendon and it appears to have been a mild strain. We have been very lucky with the weather and training is going very well. It was great to have the Team training camp last week with David O'Connor... much needed coaching. Looking forward to Red Hills this coming weekend.... unfortunately, B will not be ready to run the World Cup cross-country. Wesley will be running the 2star division. February 19 After a few little bumps to the start of the training and competition season, things are smoothing out and the first Advanced horse trial is rapidly approaching (Feb 21 at Rocking Horse Farm). Both B and Willow are entered to run, however, a mysterious swelling on Willow's left hind has kept her out of work for the last week. It looks like it was a reaction to an insect bite. B and Wesley both ran at the Derby last Tuesday at Grey Fox Farm. It was a great first outing for both of them. B finished in 3rd place... very respectable since there were well over 50 entries. January 13, 2006 Started myself and the horses back into a program. It is definitely easier to get the training and riding goals accomplished when there are fewer distractions - one of the advantages of being so far from home. The last 2 Wednesdays and next Wednesday I'm working with Jimmy Wofford at Willow Run. Yesterday, I took Donovan to Kyle's place and we had a great XC school. The ankle is getting better, but still has a long way to go to be in top form - not to mention the rest of the body January 1, 2006 Happy New Year.... Just finished the long drive from Calgary to Ocala, Florida. The horses traveled well and were happy to be off of the trailer. This trip was not without adventure. After finishing all the paperwork at the boarder, we were merrily heading south on the I-15 when the truck started making some weird noises.... managed to limp into the town of Conrad, Montana and stopped at the only place that looked like it could help - Van Motors. Turns out the transmission was having problems, so we would have to wait to get it fixed before going on. Mom called home - got Dad to drive his truck down so that we could continue without waiting over the weekend for parts. We did decide to spend the night as Bob Hermance found an available cow barn for the horses (good thing it's not calving season!) It was also quite late by the time we had everything switched from one truck to the other. The staff at Van Motors was fabulous... lent us a car, rushed the parts to Conrad, and one of the mechanics worked New Years' Eve, just so that Dad could head home Saturday instead of waiting until Tuesday. Thanks to everyone who helped us.... it was greatly appreciated. December 12, 2005 With X-mas almost upon us, we were able to get Jean Moyer to teach a clinic at Alborak this past weekend. Everyone had a great time and learned a lot. I had the opportunity to work with both B and Willow... Jean is very good at getting horses and riders going together. She also gave everyone lots of things to work on in the coming months. My body felt it a bit - still not back in top form.... but getting closer. X-mas also means time to start packing for the trip south. I'm planning on leaving December 29th. I pretty much have to be gone by the 1st of January as there are other horses booked to move in.... November 4, 2005 I could not turn down an opportunity to ride with Leslie Law and George Morris. So even though I was not totally back to form, I figured this clinic would be a great learning experience. It turned out to be exactly what I needed. Leslie's XC session just got better and better for us. Show jumping with George is always a treat and he gives out great information to take home... including getting the heels lower! Watching the other sessions including Geoff Teal's hunter sessions was also fantastic. Jump Canada and Eventing Canada did a great job putting this coaching clinic together. September 28 A very long 2 months have passed and I'm finally back in the saddle - I don't think it can be called riding.... I'm very lopsided! The ankle doesn't bend... hmmm, I guess this means it will be awhile before the heels go down! I have already started the rehab - lots of biking and swimming (yuk - growing up in Alberta - I would much rather keep my feet on the ground - not in the pool!) July 25 Returned last night from Rebecca Farm and another stellar event run there. My horses were fantastic! Whiz Kid was in first place after cross-country. Buenos Aires jumped and galloped brilliantly - he did make one little mistake and jumped to the right of the line I was sure I had him on, going over the honey barrel (Pooh will never be the same!) which tripped him. I managed to stay on for a stride, but was wrapped around his neck and let go. Unfortunately, B stepped on my ankle and broke it. So that would be the end of riding for a couple of months. It is very disappointing not to be going to Blair Castle as I was looking forward to our first European experience. I guess I will be taking a little time off and look forward to being back in the saddle. June 24, 2005 Just found out that I do get to go to Scotland in August. Looking forward to it of course. June 21, 2005 It's been an adventuresome
weekend to say the least... just got back from Chase and instruction with Nick Holmes-Smith. I rode B, Wes, and a young horse. Willow tagged along so that I could continue her return to light work. Saturday night we got a message (can't get a call due to lack of phone or cell service!) to say that the highway is closed due to flooding. The road into our place had also been washed out - no point in trying to go home, so we stayed an extra day in Chase. Even when the highway was reopened, we still could not drive all the way back to the stable, so we parked the trailers and rode the horses back to the stable. Amazing what mother nature can do. May 31, 2005 This past weekend was a great trip to Colorado... 20 hours of driving was worth it. B finished 2nd in the Advanced division with the all important qualifying score. This makes us eligible for the team trip to Blair Castle in Scotland. So now we wait and see who is selected. April 26, 2005 We had a safe drive home from Georgia. All went well except for the nasty snow storm in Wyoming. The last show before heading home was the Foxhall Cup. B and Wesley both went really well. B finished 9th of 50 starters and Wesley was 21st. B's dressage is becoming more consistent and is getting a little more competitive. Wesley still has a long way to go in the dressage department, however, he did try and put in as good a test as could be expected for the short amount of time he has been competing at this level (less than 2 months!). The X-C was big (just ask Wesley about those angle houses!) and had a lot of water (5 trips through the water and a few over the water). Both horses answered all the questions and jumped clear with a few time faults. Both horses show jumped well with one rail down each. Foxhall was a little extra fun because Pam and Heather traveled from Calgary to watch. I was able to get them grooms/owners passes, so they were able to get into the stable area. It was great fun to have their support and help (they did have to earn their passes). Anyway, we are back in Calgary and started on training for the summer and fall events. Willow looks sound and the vet is going to be out this week to ultrasound to see if she is able to go back to work. April 5, 2005 I guess I should explain some of the results from Poplar Place.... both horses were very good. The x-c was challenging, and I just had a stop with Wesley. Still a qualifying go. B was great on x-c - galloped well and jumped everything. Show jumping day proved to be it's own adventure... nothing like a little lightning to spice up life a little. Wes jumped before all the weather turned and was very good with a clear round. B got tacked up - only to have to wait for a lightning delay. We finally got out to the warm up and when we were about 4 away... you guessed it... another lightning delay. We finally got into the ring - and managed to crash through the 5th fence.... after I got back on, the rest of the round was perfect! So even B who usally show jumps perfectly can make mistakes (it's a given that he is expected to cover the numerous mistakes of his rider!) We have been continuing our training here in Georgia and will be ready to move into Foxhall April 11. March 30, 2005 Missed writing last week as we were busy moving to Georgia for Poplar Place event and we will layover at Rock House Equestrian in Senoia, Georgia until Foxhall. Willow will not be competing at Foxhall due to an inflamed suspensory - extremely disappointing. I must admit, I'm one of the lucky ones - I'll still be able to participate with B and Wesley. They will both be entered in the 2 star division. (One division below Willow's 3 star entry). Willow's injury will take a little time to heal, however, she should not have permanent limitations. March 14, 2005 The horses look great after a good weekend at Red Hills. Red Hills is the first World Cup Qualifier on the North American circuit. It is also the first big International event of the year. Willow competed in the World Cup and was the only Canadian entry to finish. She was spectacular on cross-country. B competed in the 2 star division and was excellent, however, as I was trying to make the time with him, I made a little miscalculation and incurred 20 penalties on cross country - a quick way to be out of the running.... Both horses felt great and feel like they are on track for the climax of the spring events at Foxhall. Red Hills was an amazing event. The whole city gets involved and there were over 20,000 spectators on x-c day alone. The line up for rider autographs was over 1 hour long... The BBQ on Saturday night was fun for owners, sponsors, riders, and grooms. The organizers did an excellent job and I look forward to returning.
March 7, 2005 The last 2 weeks have been kind of crazy... my new horse, Whiz Kid, was delivered to our Ocala location February 15. I rode B and Willow in a derby show on Feb 16 - both were really good and B took home 1st place. B and Willow competed in the 1 day event at Rocking Horse February 19. B was 2nd in his Intermediate division and Willow was 8th in Advanced. The following weekend Whiz Kid (aka Wesley) and I competed in the Preliminary division at Rocking Horse finishing a respectable 7th place. Monday morning, February 28, we packed everything and headed up to Pine Top Farm in Hamilton, GA. This was the location of the Canadian Team training session for which long and short listed riders and their horses were invited. I had a fabulous sessions with Jane Savoie for dressage and the jumping with Jim Wofford. This training camp ended with the start of the Pine Top Advanced horse trials. All 3 horses were very good. B ran his first Advanced and although slow on cross-country, finished in 5th place. Willow was a little tense in the dressage, however, jumped fabulously to finish in 6th place. Wesley ran his first Intermediate and finished with a qualifying score... no ribbon however, we have only been together for 2 weeks. Things will only get better. We do get a couple of days to catch our breath before heading to Red Hills with B and Willow for our first big FEI event. Willow will be running in her first World Cup Qualifier (3 star) and B will run in the 2 star. February 7, 2005 Just when one thinks that it couldn't get any crazier... I've managed to totally over commit myself. I forgot how much effort goes into moving to a place you have never been. The biggest challenge has been finding reliable internet service. I finally found a library, however, you can only sign on for 30 min at a time, so it is hard to catch up on everything. We found a little farm just north of Ocala which has everything we need and is somewhat centrally located to all the horsey happenings. This town is set up for horsey types - there are horse farms everywhere! Anyway, we are now settling into our training program and I am aiming at the World Cup qualifier in Red Hills, March 11-13 followed by the CCI*** at Foxhall near Atlanta in April. I was kind of planning on getting back to Alberta in March, however, I have acquired a new horse which will require lots of attention if he is going to be ready to join Willow and Buenos Aires at Foxhall. This last weekend we were at the first Rocking Horse Winter Horse Trials. Willow and B both competed in the Open Intermediate divisions. Willow was 3rd and B was 6th. Both horses we very good. B is still a little green. Willow was enthusiastic to be back in competition and was a little strong (my arms are at least a couple of inches longer!). The Intermediate fences really didn't back her off much and it was hard to find a rhythm. January 31, 2005 Thanks to Keith Skipper and his family for sponsoring the Beijing or Bust Campaign! Your support is invaluable! October 25, 2004 For the year end awards from the AHTA, Willow was the high point Advanced horse, the high point Intermediate horse, and the top Canadian Warmblood. Buenos Aires was high-point Preliminary horse, Intermediate Reserve Champion, and Reserve Canadian Warmblood. The American Gold Cup series is now complete and I was 2nd to Karen O'Connor in the Intermediate division. Year to date, Willow is listed among the top mares competing in the United States, and I'm listed in the top riders... these results are not yet final. October 18, 2004 It turns out that my concerns were unnecessary as Willow had a good showing at this level. Our dressage was disappointing – the electric atmosphere combined with a few missed training days left us in 64th after dressage. Her very good X-C run moved us up to 28th and we ended the competition in 25th place. These were good results for the first time at this level of competition. The top placings belonged to Olympic medallists Phillip Dutton and Kim Severson. Competing against these top level riders definitely lets me know what I need to do to move up in the placings next time out. Jim Wofford (Canadian Team Coach) helped us out a lot at both Morven Park and Fair Hill. He had some great advice and has encouraged me to show up in Florida next February to train and compete with the best North American based riders. The goal would be to join the Canadian Team European developing rider tour planned for next August. This tour is intended to give Canadian riders more international experience as another step towards Beijing. October 12, 2004 Managed to get moved in at Fair Hill – Willow seems to be much more herself even though we have missed some training over the last week. I have arranged for her to have some physio throughout the competition, so it looks like it is all systems go…. It still does not stop me from worrying about Willow and how she will handle the most difficult competition of both of our careers – it gives me some comfort that the vets are comfortable with her going and the horses are checked during the competition by the vets – they probably think I’m crazy for being so nervous about my horses health! October 8, 2004 I have learned a lot this week – not to mention spent a lot of money… Tying-up is usually a combination of factors (travel, hydration levels, weather – it was very humid when we ran X-C, other stiffnesses/sornesses, etc.) The follow up vet exam revealed some soreness in Willows right front which seemed to be a combination of sore heels and a small splint. We treated the splint with shock wave therapy which increases the blood flow and promotes healing. The sore heels were dealt with by resetting her shoes and adding a frog support pad. I also had the Chiropracter/Physio out to look at her and these treatments helped a lot because she felt so much more relaxed and loose when ridding afterwards. I’m sure that she was a little stiff after all the travel – she has spent about 60 hours in the trailer during the trek to the Eastern States. With all this information, I should be better able to plan ahead so that Willow does not have this problem again. October 4, 2004 Morven Park Horse Trials started out really well. We had one of our best dressage scores, then ran foot perfect around X-C inside the time to be in 3rd place after X-C. We managed to break up Phillip Dutton’s sweep of the division…. His three horses were in 1st, 2nd, and 4th. While I was cooling Willow out after X-C, she Tied-up. Fortunately, there were vets on the grounds and she was attended to immediately. Apparently it was not a severe case and they said she could show jump the following day but it would be better to rest her a couple of days. So we withdrew from the competition, and I was left with a lot of doubts about running at Fair Hill. I have scheduled a follow up exam with the vet for Tuesday. September 27, 2004 Drove down to Denny Emerson's on Friday. There is no cell coverage and the public internet is limited to 15 min at a time, so I'll need to be quick! It is beautiful here and there is lots of great trails to ride on. Denny and his people have been great. We'll be driving to Morven tomorrow - looks like another long drive.... the horses are doing well - Willow is thinner than I would like but she galloped great on Saturday, so hopefully all will be well over the next couple of weeks. September 20, 2004 We have settled into Dreamcrest Farms in Port Perry, Ontario after 40 hours of driving to get from Calgary... the horses traveled well and today we took them out for a light ride to stretch their legs. I have chosen to take only Willow on this trip for a number of reasons... mostly because there was only one show B could have done without making the trip significantly longer. The other horses traveling with us are Heidi (show name New Heights) who is shown by Talia Wells (also traveling with me). The third horse is Jack (Incognito) who is heading to Vermont for his new rider Noel Clark (also from Alberta). Ian Roberts of Dreamcrest even stayed up to welcome us late Saturday evening when we arrived at the farm. After showing us around, he dashed off to bed so that he could be ready to take some horses to a show Sunday morning! Talia and I are both looking forward to riding with Jimmy Woffard later this week before we head south of the boarder for the International competitions at Morven Park and Fair Hill. Talia will competing in her first one star at Morven Park while Willow will show in the Advanced horse trials. Willow will then compete at Fair Hill in both hers and my first 3 star. The tough part of the trip might be finding hay in the Port Perry area as they have had a similar summer to Alberta and there is very little to be found. At this time we have set up a back plan to get us to Vermont where we will be dropping of Jack for Noel. September 2, 2004 I decided not to go to Grande Prairie this weekend for the Provincial Championships because I still feel terrible! Anyway, just received the latest Eventing magazine put out by the USEA. With the results published for events up to June 28, Willow is the top placed Intermediate horse, the 3rd placed mare, and I'm the 3rd placed Adult Intermediate rider (just behind Phillip Dutton) - I'm also 30th on the overall rider list. I was not really paying attention to the point totals, so this is very exciting! August 30, 2004 Just got back from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is the first time I've been to this event and it was very well run in the beautiful setting of this resort area. It is always fun when Lexus sponsors an event as there was plenty of opportunity to test drive their SUVs around an off road course. We arrived in the pouring rain on Wednesday... it looked like we could be in for a wet show, however, things cleared a little each day and we had ideal conditions (sunny and cool) by show time (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). That nasty cold just did not want to let go... breathing was a little challenging and made riding X-C exhausting. The horses did not notice and had one of their best outings of the year! B won the Open Intermediate division as well as the Gold Cup (this event is one of the American Gold Cup series). I'm not sure what the Gold Cup series entails, however, I guess I should look into it! Willow was also excellent and finished 2nd in the Advanced division. So it looks like we will be off to Fair Hill this fall... the biggest road trip I've undertaken with a horse in my life! August 23, 2004 The event in Red Deer at Alhambra stables was a great opportunity to get everyone out for a good time. There were 12 horses from our stable participating as well as several that board here in the winter and go home for the summer. The weather did not cooperate and it was a very wet weekend, especially x-c day. The courses were shorted to take the slippery hill out of them and the Preliminary division was converted to a 2 phase (dressage and show jumping only) because the course was so wet it was becoming dangerous. We managed some good placings despite of the weather and did have a good time. I think I managed to catch a nasty cold. August 3, 2004 The Millarville Event went very well. Alborak Stable had a large turnout - 15 horses in all including Buenos Aires and Willow who finished 1st and 2nd respectively in the Open Intermediate division. Young Riders Denyse Skipper and Talia Wells finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Preliminary Division on their mounts Whiz Kid and New Heights. Shannon Lockhart and Emerald won the Training division and there were many other good placings from all the Alborak riders. July 28, 2004 Cindy Burges, the rider who was airlifted from Rebecca Farm on Saturday, passed away due to her injuries. Deepest sympathies to her friends and family... it is a loss to all the eventing community. July 26, 2004 Had a safe drive home from Kalispell and the Event at Rebecca Farm. Willow ran her 2nd Advanced and finished 3rd after a couple of minor oops' on the cross-country (pilot error as always). B was obnoxious in dressage (14th place out of 17!), but jumped great to finish in 6th place in the CIC** division. This was a very large event with 360 entries and plenty of spectators - especially on X-C day. The spectators were not disappointed - very exciting water lines and a few spills and loose horses, just to keep you on your toes. Unfortunately, one rider was airlifted off the course in critical condition. The fall occurred between jumps when the horse went off the groomed track into a barley field, loosing his footing and somersaulting on his rider. July 5, 2004 Just returned from a great trip to BC. The clinic with Jimmy Woffard (Canada's national coach) was informative... always more to work on and improve. It was my first time to the site at Campbell Valley in Langley - it is a great course and we had an opportunity to school the less experienced horses on the Sunday (my sister had her horse, Atena, and I rode Bardot). We moved on from there to the event at Johvale. Willow and I made our first run in the Advanced division. We had a dressage test with way too many flying lead changes in the canter work, but the rest of the test was good. Our warm-up for X-C featured a nasty fall as Willow lost her footing cantering around a corner and fell - not exactly the way I pictured getting ready for our first Advanced run. She jumped great on both cross-country and show jumping to win. B had an OK dressage, then added no penalties to his score to finish 2nd in the Intermediate division. May 31, 2004 Just got back from Colorado. It was about a 20 hour drive to Parker, Colorado for the High Prairie 3-Day event. Even though the format of the Olympics has changed, the full-phase event offered here is still the means by which one qualifies for the team. The long format (CCI) includes Steeplechase and Roads and Tracks before heading out on a longer Cross Country phase. Willow competed in the 2 star division and finished a very respectable 3rd. Dressage still being what separates her from 1st and 2nd placings. B competed in his first Intermediate competition and placed 2nd.
April 18, 2004 Competitively
Ram Tap was a huge success. B not only won his Preliminary division,
but was also the lowest score of all the Preliminary divisions. Willow
was 3rd in the Intermediate division, just 3 penalties behind 1st and 0.3
penalties behind second. Unfortunately, I broke my finger on X-C
with Willow, and had to show jump with a sore hand (needless to say I
didn't get it X-Rayed until after the competition was finished.)
April 6, 2004 Our week off has been fabulous... the weather has been cooler and the horses are going well. We joined the Master of the Santa Fe Hunt and his Whippers-in this morning for exercising the hounds. Willow thought it was quite fun and B loves going out in company - much better than hacking alone! (My mom rode B and also had a great time.) We will be moving to Fresno tomorrow and looking forward to the final event of this road trip - Ram Tap. March 31, 2004 Galway went wonderfully. Both horses were in fine form and finally everything seemed to go right. Willow was brilliant on X-C even if she was somewhat fast in a few places. She held her own in Dressage and Show Jumping to finish 4th in a tough two-star division. B finished on his dressage score to be 2nd in the one-star division. I am very happy with both of them and we spent yesterday moving into Kingway Farm to layover before Ram Tap... then home! They both love the large turnouts Kingsway has to offer - especially considering we are in southern California. March 22, 2004 Well Willow's leg turned out to be a reaction to some kind of bug bite, so I'm back to riding her and will be competing this weekend in the 2 star at Temecula (Galway Downs). B is still doing well and both of them had a couple of days of in a pasture with some cows - they thought that was fabulous. Things seem to be picking up and I'm looking forward to the weekend. March 15, 2004 Just finished the Copper Meadows event in Ramona. B was 4th in the Open Preliminary, Tia was 7th in her 1st prelim event. I had to withdraw Willow due to an unidentified stall injury.... she seems to have pulled a muscle just above the back of her knee. Of course it waited until Friday morning to happen just so that there is nothing that can be done before the event. We will have it ultra sounded on Friday (apparently you get the most info from an ultrasound 7 to 10 days after the injury). Hope to be able to run the 2 star at Galway at the end of March. Everything else is going pretty well - B should be ready to move up to Intermediate sometime this year - he is improving with each event. The trailer has had its bugs to be worked out - the Fridge being the most annoying - it has another appointment tomorrow. It has otherwise been wonderful. It has cut our eating costs as we can cook our own meals rather than eating out all the time. As for my injury - it still looks a little ugly, but I was able to start running again today, so hopefully I don't get too out of shape. |
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March 9, 2004 My first competition I couldn't get my riding boots on, so mom when running around to tack stores to find boots to try on while I got the horses ready for the show. After all that, the show went very well. Willow finished 2nd in the Intermediate division and B finished 7th in the Preliminary division. Tia was 3rd in the Training division. All the horses jumped well and B was the only goof in the dressage (he spent the entire test running away from one side of the ring). |
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February 29, 2004 The trip south was great on the first day - perfect roads sunny etc. The second day was a little tougher - a lovely snow storm caught up to us. The horses did arrive safely. I did, however, manage to get kicked and made a mess of my leg - it should have been stitched, but being on the road, we didn't stop because we had nowhere to put the horses. Riding was really tough and the horses didn't get worked as much as I would have liked before their first competition. |
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February 3, 2004 The training schedule is going well. The cold weather through the end of January has limited some of the hill work, however, now that it has warmed up, the hills are back – the horses really do enjoy getting outside to be ridden. Looking forward to the Spruce show in a couple of weeks. |
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January 15, 2004 Jumped both horses today… Willow was very good, however, B decided to be a little challenging! He always jumps well, but thinks that he should do it all his way and becomes a little difficult in between the fences. We had 2 foals come down with strangles last week, so we will have to miss the first dressage schooling show to make sure we do not spread the disease. This will make our only outing before heading south at Spruce Meadows in late February. |
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January 1, 2004Just 2 months until we head south to train and compete. Marilyn was out yesterday to see how Willow and B are doing. She left me with a bunch of gymnastic exercises to work through over the next week or so. Dressage is coming alone nicely and it is time to fit a little more jumping and conditioning work into the horses’ schedules. |
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Calgary, Alberta
native Sandra Donnelly was top placed Canadian this past weekend in
Tallahassee, Florida at the Red Hills CIC-W*** World Cup Qualifier.
Sandra and the mare Willow finished up in 13th place with
accumulated penalties of 99.6. 
