November activities

The Carolina Horse Park had their first Schooling Horse Trial Nov. 22. Lina and I went and did BN, hopefully for the last time. The jumping was great, dressage had some wonderful moments. Eileen and Milky Way did their first event, getting 4 in a division full of adults! Maggie is a fancy mover, so did well in dressage. Jumping was a little exciting, as they were last of the day on course. Maggie wasn't sure she liked that! She was a good girl though and Eileen rode her great!
Mikayla and Quaker were 6th. Quaker acted like he had evented his whole life, although this was his first time out! Great pair, these two.
Molly took her new guy Maiden and was 3rd. Very easy for them, ready to move up! All in all a great time. We will look forward to going back in March.
Several kids went to TTC saturday to support a Special Olympics show. All did well with everyone getting ribbons. Shelby did her first jumping class on Levi, so now they have that under their belt. Levi was good to realize Shelby just wanted to take it easy and this was NOT cross country! Mikayla and Quaker got some more experience and Hayden and Hope too. It was a fun day and nice to support a good cause.

Forgot the Walker update!

So, the day Derry died, I got home from the show to find Walker had gone downhill again. We started him right away on steroids . I decided to ask an old PC friend to help me. Mary Gochneuer is a Graduate of Yadkin Valley PC, like me. She is also a vet and has recently studied neck injections. She came up and worked on Walker, injecting his neck and doing some acupuncture. He has pretty extensive arthritis all throughout his neck. So, I feel I have now done all I can and have an accurate diagnosis, in keeping with what Dr. Meeker thought. Meeker, Dr. Vickie Newell and Dr. Mary are all in agreement. So, now we wait.
He is happy now, so I will be content with that. Of course, another 10 years of that would be nice.
And one more thing, Paige Meier is now a B!!! She took the test a couple of weeks ago in Virginia. Awesome news!

And....what else has been going on?

I am trying to remember what else has happened. I have had computer problems forever and I hope brother Shaun has got me straightened out for now. I really do NOT want to go computer shopping now.
I went up to Tryon to do a clinic for River Valley PC. in Sept. About 10 or so, I thought, I am getting a cold. An hour later I was like, er... maybe something more? By noon I had to abandon ship and head for home. I am hoping that was my case of Swine Flu.
Sept. 27th was TTC Horse Trials. Cameron and Levi were 3rd in Maiden. Jesslyn won, after a spectacular fall warming up for Dressage!! Sue and Finesse were 2nd in Beginner Novice. Molly and Candy were 1st in Jr. BN!! Go Candy! McCall took the no pressure approach by jumping out of the dressage arena first thing! Good strategy, they then went clean XC and Show Jumping!
October 3rd we took some little ones to TTC again for a Hunter Show. Not a very good beginning to the day, after arrival a got the sad call that my boy Derry had died after we left. Poor Alex was at the barn by herself, but my wonderful neighbor Beth came up immediately to help. Derry was 27, in my life for 22 years. I will have to write about him later.
Back at the show things were going well.Thankfully, Molly Owens had come to school Cody for us and ended up prepping all the kids while I returned home to say goodbye to Derry. Hope got ribbons in every class at her first show with Cody! Hayden and Peter won a class! Mikayla got two 2nds in big classes jumping Quaker Oats. They are a super pair! Lina had another 10 minute warmup for a dressage test. I didn't much feel like riding but she needed to be ridden so we went ahead and did the test. Lina won, with the best score of the day. She is my best, best girl.
The next outing was The Ark HT Oct 10th. Lina had a great test and clean in everything to win BN. Jesslyn's Raddison had one stop xc but really got into it for the first time! They went to Hillcrest then and had a great round at BN, so they are coming along well. Jesslyn always gets "project" horses and makes them into nice mounts.
I went to Julie Bradford's wedding Oct 17th. I taught Julie from age 11 to off to college. That was a fun day, beautiful happy bride!
The 18th I was able to go back to River Valley and have a nice clinic with no flu sypmtoms involved :)
We were back to school xc at Hillcrest last saturday, then I had to go back to a baby shower for another old student Brenna Leary Dickerson! It is an added benefit to have these young ladies, and some gentlemen, and follow through the milestones of their lives.
Besides Derry I lost two old friends, Eddie California and Jungle Jim. Both old guys with good long lives. Still tough though.
So, many ups and downs this fall. I am off to the Carolina Regions Fall Fling next weekend, which should be FUN! I have a clinic for Triad PC and I am going with several students to the first schooling HT at the Carolina Horse Park, YAY!
Onward we go!

And... what else has been going on?

Belated end of summer update.

the last few weeks have been spent prepping for the Carolina B testing in Aiken at the beautiful Jumping Branch Farm. Four Carolina girls went for the rating.
In the last THREE DAYS, the lameness problems hit. It was sad, that's all I can say. These young women have worked so hard all summer for this and it all fell apart on them at the bitter end. Boo.
However, they have a lot to be proud of.
Arielle Ostrov was so totally ready. Her flat sections went great, with complements for both her tactfulness on her horse as well as an extremely effective switch ride.
She trotted out for the Grid section and Pheobe was lame! In the preceeding weeks, Arielle had offered horses to fellow Pony Clubbers in need of a horse and here her girl was off. Her mare Darla was there and did flat with Sammi Jo Majors, so off they ran to get her. After the Grid, Darla was worn out. Sammi had passed nicely with Darla on the flat but was not able to ride the switch horse to the examiners satisfaction. So, Sammi stepped up and let Arielle ride HER horse for the course work.
These are the moments that make PC so worthwhile. Did this end happily ever after? No. Arielle tried her heart out but could not figure out Bailey over a maximun course in a 1 minute warm up. Another " Does Not Meet Standard". Boo, again.
Megan Cullen had problem after problem with her horses this summer. Arielle offered two horses, but they were too big for Megan. At the LAST MINUTE plan "D" went into affect, take my horse Lina for the flat and jump Finess. Lina is a very pleasant, but not naturally talented horse. There is a reason she is not doing third level, folks.
Megan could not produce what the examiners wanted, because Lina couldn't do it. Boo yet again.
Jessie Kirpatrick's jumping horse was kicked monday night. No, really. Five days before the rating. After much panic stricken activity, Jessie was offered the Hoffman's wonderful mare Sassy. Jessie brought her up thursday to jump, then went home and jumped every horse in her barn. Jessie passed the flat, the switch, the longeing..... but not quite there over fences. After the course work, Sassy was done. Jessie stayed to set fences, a classy act.
I was very proud of all of them.
Hopefully, next time will be the outcome they all deserve.