News Around The Farm

2007

12/27/07

    Despite missing a pretty good portion of the show season this year due to my injury, Moving Illusion and I were thrilled to receive the following year end awards:

 

11/23/07

  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  To finish up our official show season this year we once again hauled down to Las Cruces New Mexico last weekend for the Las Cruces Horse Trials, which is such a pleasant and well-run horse trial to attend.  After shivering through some gloomy rainy skies on Friday, the sun warmed up to 82 degrees on our Saturday and Sunday competition days and things could not have been better for going out for a good ride.  Moving Illusion went out for his first time at the novice level and performed well.  We had an ok dressage test, a few problems with some bracing and resistance but well enough to score a 36, leaving us in 7th place in the large division.  Stadium that same afternoon was challenging and fun, with some combinations and tricky bending lines.  Gemini was a super star, never even noticed the increase in height for the course and breezed around, pulling just an unlucky rail at an oxer coming out of a line.  Despite the rail we moved up to 5th in the standings.  Cross country the next day was exciting, with some new challenges as part of our move up, including a ditch and a combination on cross country.  Once again, Gemini just went out there and ate up the jumps, cantered bravely through the water, which made me so excited that I completely neglected to set up correctly for the fence immediately after, a big max height table, and so we had an unfortunate run-out at that one, not Gem's fault at all!  Everything else went smoothly though and it was the perfect way to wrap up the season with the move up to Novice and now we are excited to continue on next year and improve upon this outing!


Moving Illusion, stadium phase at Las Cruces Horse Trials

11/04/07

   We just returned from a fun and perfect weekend in Augusta KS for the Briar Fox Horse Trials.  I can't even begin to say what a wonderful event this is - the organizers are wonderful, the facility is amazing, the courses perfect and we lucked out with beautiful mid-70 degree weather in November!  Could you ask for more??  Moving Illusion ran his final beginner novice event this weekend.  After having time off because of my injury we rode BN to refresh both of us and despite my worries about our break in training, Gemini went out there as if he'd just competed last week.  We had a very encouraging dressage test, a clean and controlled stadium and a brave and flawless cross country ride to move up to 1st place at the end of the weekend, winning on our score of 36.84.  Both my horse and I were thrilled to be back out competing again and we had a wonderful time!! 

10/20/07

     While the weather was still decent we decided to take Our Little Runaway out to a schooling show.  We entered him in an elementary division combined test, consisting of a beginner novice dressage test and then stadium and cross country jumps out in the field.  I wasn't sure what he would think about everything, considering we've only just recently gotten back into full training.  I have to say I couldn't be more pleased with this horse!  He acted like an old pro at the show, not the slightest bit upset or worried, completely laid back, happy to stand tied at the trailer and overall just easy as can be!  He was very good in dressage, with issues I knew would be there but overall very good.  He scored fairly well, earning a 40 and placing him in 8th place out of a large 15 rider division.  The jumping course looked a little challenging, and as Cole hasn't jumped any 'full' courses I was curious to see how he would do.  He ended up having a great time, we trotted some fences, cantered a few, and he was game and bold and ready to jump anything in front of him.  He jumped clean, coming in right around optimum time and moved up to finish 3rd in the class!  I was very proud of  him and he is definitely an awesome little event horse in the making!

Our Little Runaway

10/11/07
  
     A field trip on the farm!!  With the weather still strangely warm and sunny for mid-October we headed out to do some cross country schooling.  Our Little Runaway got his first taste of cross country and we couldn't be more pleased with him - he went out in the field and jumped anything and everything that was asked of him - in fact, he wanted to jump it all!  He was game, brave and galloped around on a loose rein calmly and pleasantly.  This horse is going to make a super event horse!


Our Little Runaway

10/04/07

   After three months of being out of commission I am back in the saddle!  I want to extend a huge thanks to Kevin Thomas for helping me keep Our Little Runaway exercised and in training during this time - I appreciate all the help from everyone!  I hope to be back at the horse shows in the next 4 weeks and am looking forward to some hard and consistent training sessions throughout the winter.

08/20/07

  A huge congratulations to WindyRidge Thoroughbreds in Kiowa on their purchase of Hesaves aka "Beckham".  This horse will be campaigned by junior rider Nicole Jones-Taylor and I expect they will be very successful together!!!   


Nicole Jones-Taylor and 'Hesaves'

08/17/07

     I'd like to send out a grateful good luck to Melissa Edwards who is going to be leasing a very special horse of mine, Illusion Of You.  I hope he can share his wealth of jumping experience!  I also hope to have one or two working students helping me with the sale horses during the time I cannot ride, so check back soon for updated pictures and videos as the horses progress.

08/01/07

    We are happy to say that Sir Secret found himself a wonderful home this last month.  We look forward to hearing lots of good updates from him and his new owner!  
    Unfortunately, at the same time, I suffered an injury and have had to undergo surgery to repair tendons in my left arm.  During my recovery I will not be able to show or train our current sale horses.  During this time I will still be happy to show the horses to any prospective buyers but I apologize that I cannot ride them at this time.  Prices will be fairly negotiable until I am able to begin their regular training again.

07/08/07

    With no time to rest we headed up to Gillette, Wy. for Area IX's Powder Basin Horse Trials.  This was the first time going to the event for us and it was exciting to see a new course!  Moving Illusion was a little unsettled in the dressage but still earned a competitive score.  He easily galloped around the cross country course and jumped gamely in stadium to finish 2nd overall with his score of 36.8.


Moving Illusion

07/01/07

    Abbe Ranch Horse Trials was hot, hot, hot this year!  Despite the heat, Moving Illusion put in a lovely dressage test, a clean cross country round (tackling the water successfully!) and a clean (although a bit green) stadium round and managed to once again finish ahead in the Beginner Novice division, winning on a score of 35.0.


Moving Illusion

06/16/07

    Things finally came together for me and Moving Illusion at this weekends Round Top Horse Trials event.  A cloudy overcast day made for perfect cool showing weather and Moving Illusion put in a remarkable dressage test, a confident cross country round and his first ever clean show jumping round.  Finishing on his dressage score of 30.5, Moving Illusion won the Beginner Novice division!!


Moving Illusion

06/10/07

    It was Sir Secret's turn to experience some eventing competition this weekend and he got to go to the first annual Eventing Derby held at the Colorado Horse Park.  This was a really neat venue, with a dressage test, and then a combination of stadium and cross country fences.  Secret was a little overwhelmed with the show atmosphere but rose to the challenge and jumped cleanly around his first course, finishing in 3rd place in the Beginner Novice division!


Sir Secret

06/03/07

   The Colorado Horse Park Horse Trials ran this weekend and Moving Illusion competed again in the Beginner Novice Division.  After a much improved dressage test, we had a minor discussion at the water element on cross country and a communication error about a jump in stadium, but still managed to ribbon in 10th place at a very challenging event!


Moving Illusion

05/20/07

    Moving Illusion completed our first Area IX Horse Trial this weekend at Spring Gulch.  He finished nicely in 4th place in the Beginner Novice Division after a clean cross country ride.


Moving Illusion

05/12/07

   Our new sale horses "Hesaves" & "Our Little Runaway" have both arrived at our facilities in Franktown and Elizabeth.  They are both lovely horses with a lot of potential!  Keep an eye on our sales page for new pictures and video of these talented geldings!

04/28/07

    The Pine Ridge Pony Club Combined Test was held at Spring Gulch State Park today and we spent the day showing Moving Illusion in the Beginner Novice Combined Test division.  It was his first outing of the year so he was a little excited to be out doing something!!  He hasn't done too many dressage shows, but he put in a nice test to score a 35.5, leaving him tied for 3rd in the division.  For only his 5th time going cross country ever, he performed well and went double clean, moving him up to finish 2nd.  It was definitely a good start to the year for our special event horse!


Moving Illusion

04/14/07

    We finally made it out to a cross country schooling session and Sir Secret was once again a star!  He jumped beginner novice and novice level elements including water, ditches, banks, coops, tables, narrow logs and drops in and out of the water.  

 
Sir Secret

03/31/07

   Sir Secret placed well at the Whispering Winds Schooling Dressage Show today.  It was his first official dressage show and he impressed us with the way he handled everything!  He brought home 1st place in his division!


Sir Secret