Sunshine Award!

An Award!!!  Thank you to Karen at finalchapter-karen for nominating me!



I have been such a slacker at blogging since we moved - but I am still out there riding 6 days a week :)

So on to The Questions!

Mares or Geldings?
Will have to go with Mares, in part because the Diva would be very angry if I did not!

English or Western?
Only Western I have ever done is trail riding at rent by the hour stables when I was younger.  I did show a couple of times in Western Pleasure classes back when we were leasing a POA for my daughter - did not have a clue what I was doing.  So will go with English!

Do you prefer Younger or Older Horses?
We have had a variety - purchased Riva as a yearling, Cheers as a 7 yr old, and Hennessy as a 13 yr old.  They all have their advantages & disadvantages, but I like that we have been able to train Riva from a very young age.

Have you Trained a Horse from Ground Zero?  
Yes, if you make ground zero a yearling.  We purchased Riva just after she turned one - and she had not been taught anything prior to that...had not been trailer loaded, bathed, any ground manners, etc.  It has been a learning experience - being green on green!  

Riding or Ground Work?
I spent two years doing ground work with Riva - lounging, ground driving, in hand, before I sat on her the first time. I prefer to ride, but still lounge as needed and work some in hand.

Do You Board Your Horse Or Keep Him/Her At Home?
Board.  We have never lived where there is land but we would like to at some point.  I am under no illusion though!  I know it will be a tremendous amount of work and it may never happen.

Do You Use All Natural Products or Commercial?
Commercial

All Tacked Up or Bareback?
Sorry, but this question made me think of the Gretchen Wilson song - All Jacked Up!  Random pic of me with the queen of Southern Country Rock:

Anyway, tacked up.  I do occasionally ride the Diva around with no tack and she is very comfy - nice wide flat back and I can finally canter bareback!

Equestrian Role Model?
My daughter/trainer!  She has come so far and pushes me every time she gives me a lesson.

What is Your One Main Goal While Being in the Horse World?
It changes all the time!  To keep learning and progressing in Dressage.  To be the best horse owner to Riva I possibly can be. To someday ride a freestyle dressage routine in competition.  That was 3, but oh well!

Five Blogs I nominate for the Sunshine Award:

Jen at Cob Jockey   cobjockey.com
Emme at I Pick Crazy    ipickcrazy
Carly at Poor Woman showing       poorwomanshowing 
Jessica  at Hopeful Jumpers    jessandprinceofthieves
Mona at Panic and the Pony    panicandthepony

Go check out these great blogs and the wonderful women who write them!

Ky is growing on me!

What a great weekend it was - filled with all things horses!  Kentucky Horse Park was host to the Festival of Champions last week and over the weekend - in addition to the Fall KDA Horse Classic, which my daughter competed in.  We were able to watch the US Dressage Team compete Grand Prix on Friday evening - complete with a gorgeous sunset over the Rolex arena (no pics as my husband didn't think about bringing his camera).  We were able to stand ringside and watch the likes of Steffen Peters warm-up - simply amazing and inspiring.

Saturday morning, Alexis competed Second Level Test 1.  She needed one more Second Level score towards her Bronze Medal.  She competed a sale horse from the barn where she interns.  The mare is a Freisian / Tennessee Walking horse cross that Alexis has not spent much time on.

They scored high enough to earn the score she needed for Second Level toward her Bronze.  Just one Third Level score to go and she will have her first medal!  So proud of my daughter!

Saturday night was the Freestyle Grand Prix for the US Equestrian Team and this time, my husband had his camera ready.  We were privileged to get VIP seating and dinner, courtesy of a friend of my daughter who competed in the Brettina Cup Finals and had extra tickets.  Was so fun to enjoy dinner while looking out over the Rolex arena, with the sun setting, and then watch the Freestyles.

Steffen Peters was my favorite, along with the crowd favorite!  And he won :)

Sunday morning dawned with fog laying over KHP - so very pretty!  Sometimes I have to almost pinch myself to believe we live just a 15 minute drive from this awesome facility.  I am so looking forward to competing here with Riva.

On Sunday, we also got to watch Karen of finalchapter-karen compete Second Level with her lovely horse, Hampton.  They were amazing and very photogenic!

My daughter competed the same test on Sunday and a prospective buyer came and watched her ride.  Have not heard if the person is interested.  Anyone out there looking to buy a lovely young dressage horse?  She is for sale :)

Watching all that dressage over the weekend only made me anxious to get out to the barn and work more on First Level.  Plan to compete Training Level Test 3 and First Level Test 1 on November 2nd at the Snowbird Dressage Show at KHP.  Anyone else going?

So very far behind...

I have got to get my act together and start blogging again!

In the mean time, another picture of my lovely mare -

Other news, my daughter is showing this weekend at Kentucky Horse Park - she is riding two Second Level tests to try for her second, Second Level score towards her Bronze medal.  (She just needs 1 more Second and 1 more Third level)  She is riding a client's lovely Friesan Cross mare who is currently for sale.

And, my season is not over just yet!  I am going to show in November and December at Kentucky Horse Park!  So excited :)  KDA puts on Snowbird Dressage shows over the Winter using the covered arena.  We will see how I do with my always freezing fingers and toes.

Happy Friday!