Off To Charlotte

After finishing a fun and successful circuit in Ocala, we all returned to New Jersey for a little rest and to freshen up before the $500,000 Grand Prix in Charlotte. Bob Johnson sponsors the show at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena, and it is truly one of the best shows in the country. I feel so lucky to be able to show there each year. The footing is wonderful, as is the prize money, and it is really run as an event for the competitors and the spectators. Allison and Mimi feel great, so hopefully we are ready to go down there and do a good job. The big class is Sunday,the 13th of April, at 3pm, so keep your fingers crossed for me and Allison!
On Monday, the 14th, we'll go to Culpeper where I hope to show the grey stallion, Dennis, in the grand prix. There is a $15,000 on Friday night, so if that goes well, we might give Sunday a whirl. That would be so exciting because we've been working up to it for a year, and he feels ready! So, a couple of fun weeks coming up-and I'm excited to go south again, where it really feels like spring!!

HITS Ocala

Well, we've started showing in Ocala, and I'm so proud of all of the horses! Torlando jumped in his first mini-prix and was 5th place. He jumped it so easily, and I was so impressed with not only his physical ability but his lovely attitude as well. He has matured so much and really seems to enjoy showjumping. He is only 7, so although it is earlier than I planned to start his grand prix career, I feel an obligation to keep him interested and engaged in his work. He is truly a delight to ride and train.
Mianta has been great so far this circuit, too, as she was 3rd in the mini-prix on Friday and won the grand prix yesterday. I'm relieved that the lyme's disease that she struggled with last year seems to be gone... thanks to great vets and lots of doxycyclene! She feels fantastic, and I always look forward to showing her.
Allison is perfect as always. She is gearing up for the regular circuit and especially the $100,000 grand prix at the end.
I hope that all of you who are showing this winter enjoy your horses as much as I enjoy the ones that I am fortunate enough to ride. They really do give us a tremendous gift by letting us ride them, and we should never forget it!

Getting ready for Florida

As 2007 comes to a close, I'm really looking forward to going to Florida! All the horses are clipped and ready to go, and I've been packed for weeks! It's so nice to go to the warmer weather, and to get to show for multiple weeks at the same venue. I feel that the horses and the riders make so much progress in this environment. The horses are usually so excited to get back in the ring after a nice break, and I am too. We're all a little rusty in the beginning, but it usually wears off quickly. I hope that 2008 will be a good year for us, and that all the horses will remain healthy and happy. For those of you who are headed south this winter, travel safely, and best of luck!

Preparing for Indoors

I just got home on Sunday from a very hard week at Capital Challenge. Normally, it's one of my favorite shows, but this year it was really not fun at all! After Allison was 10th in the USGPL Finals at Culpeper, we shipped directly to Upper Marlboro to get ready to show pregreen hunters the very next morning. It was a lot for us, and it was also a lot for Allison. The new environment, the warm weather with her beginning to have a winter coat, the late hours... it was all too much for my best girl. By Wednesday, she had a very high fever. My hopes for showing in the World Cup there were over, but much more than that, I was so worried about her. Dr. Barber was the vet there, and he has known her for a long time. That made me feel better, and he really did take great care of both of us. We had a hard time getting her fever down, and I slept at the show the first night to make sure that she wasn't going to get worse during the night. I would not have been able to sleep anyway, so I might as well have been with her. Understandably, the show management was worried that she had something contagious, so she was kept in isolation...this did not make her happy at all. Anyway, after a week of very little sleep and very little showing, I'm happy to report that Al is back to being totally wild and somehow annoyed with my light training schedule for her. I think that she knows that Indoors ( Harrisburg and Syracuse) are upon us, and she doesn't want to show up unprepared. So, back to work! I'll try not to let her down... I just need to get a quick nap!

I just got home from 2 long weeks at the Hampton Classic and Saugerties. The horses were so good, and I imagine they are pretty tired. They can rest now for a couple of weeks before we go to Culpeper. The Hampton Classic had beautiful weather all week which really made the show a lot of fun. Conrad Homfeld designed the courses in the Grand Prix ring, so it was challenging and very educational for horses and riders. Allison was tied for 10th in the Grand Prix on Sunday, Warsaw was 2nd in the derby, and Mimi was 3rd! They all tried their hardest. We went to Saugerties this past week, and, although we were all pretty tired, the week was successful. I'm home now with lots of laundry, dry cleaning, and bills to pay. Back to the real world!