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!

Secretariat!

Last weekend, we stumbled upon an event taking place while out sight seeing.  We are still tourist in our new home state and try and get out to see new places every chance we get.  Last Saturday, we planned to visit the small town of Paris, Ky - mainly to check out the antique stores and re-visit a nice tack store where we purchased Riva and Cheers leather halters before we moved.

While at the tack store, which is Quillin's (check it out if you are ever in the area!), I saw a poster advertising for the Secretariat Festival which happened to be taking place that day.  After inquiring with the tack store saleswomen, we decided to check it out after lunch.

So glad we did!



Alexis got a signed poster with this guy -

The jockey from the movie - Otto Thorwarth!  

And this famous lady was signing autographs - the line was super long so we just snapped a pic of her -

Penny Chenery - The First Lady of Racing, Secretariat's Owner

Charlie Davis - Secretariat's exercise rider

There was a silent auction with lots of memorabilia, gorgeous photos...Thoroughbred lover's paradise!

Will post soon a Riva update!

My first week at my new job at USEF was great!  My official title is 'Competition Evaluation Analyst' and there are 4 of us in the Competition department.  Most of my job duties involve processing licenses for shows in all disciplines throughout the US.  Lots of rules and regulations to learn but it is interesting and the woman training me is very patient :)

 

I wonder how long before driving in thru the horse park-  

and walking into the USEF building, will become normal to me!

My sweet husband took some pics of the Diva and I on Friday evening - wanted to get a nice shot with me in the cowboy boots my former co-workers got me as a good-bye present when we moved from Indiana, so I could send them a thank you.  Miss Riva was patient for most of the photo shoot - until she saw her pasture mate getting turned out for the night.  Then she was all done with playing along!

Have not set on her bareback since we moved!

 

I think the only time I have ever sat on her without a helmet.

 

Being patient.

 

 

Even got my truck in the shot!  Headed in to the barn.



Saturday morning we went to the Keeneland yearling sale in Versailles.  We had visited Keeneland a few years ago and it was just as beautiful there as I remembered. 



Paul didn't take him camera in since we did not know if it was allowed.  So you get a cell phone pic :)

 

Keeneland Yearling Sate

 



Horse after horse went for $100,000 on up for the hour we sat and watched the auction - amazing amount of money changing hands - and this sale goes on for two weeks!  We walked all around the grounds and had lunch outside there.  Can not wait to go back the beginning of October to watch racing there.  They only run races at Keeneland in April and October.

Another weekend activity we have been enjoying since moving to KY is visiting winerys and distillerys - I like my wine and husband likes his bourbon!  We went to a lovely place yesterday called Lovers Leap Winery and then to Wild Turkey Distillery.

 Bought home a bottle of this to enjoy.  

 



Exciting News!

I finally found a job!!!  I have been searching since the third week we arrived in KY - middle of June, I believe.  Applied to countless jobs, numerous interviews (in person and phone), and job searched every day...but it paid off.

Monday September 9th is my first day at...

So excited!

Due in part to the new job, I decided to move Riva to the barn where we are boarding our OTTB, Cheers.  He is on full pasture board, but Riva has a stall and is on night turn out for now with one other mare.  While I loved the facilities where we previously had Riva (at Alexis's working student barn), it is a training barn. Because of that, I was limited on when I could ride - no problem while I was job searching, but the new job is 8:30 am - 5 pm.  At the new barn, I can ride anytime and she has more turn out time.

Riva settled right in at her new barn - her stall is the second stall as you enter the barn so she can see outside and all the activity going on (which she loves).  Plus everyone thinks she is lovely and stops to talk with her :) The new barn has a large outdoor arena and a small indoor that is next to the barn with the stalls.  There is area to hack around, the BO's live on the property, and there is a bathroom!  One of my requirements!  Plus it is closer to where we live - about a 10 minute drive.

Working in the outdoor last night

Cheers and Lex - coming in to work

The Diva

Details - First KY Show

Original plans for the first KY show were delayed due to Riva's lameness issues just after we moved. Instead of showing in early July, last Saturday was our KY debut.  We stuck with Training Level Test 2 & Test 3 - the same as we showed in April and May.  My goals were to better the scores we received in May.

The show we attended was close - just a 15 minute drive from where we board (a first for us!)  I arranged for a stall, even though we would haul in the morning of the show and head back home after, Riva is not a stand around tied to a trailer type of girl.

I received our ride times in the mail last Tuesday (another first!) and due to the large amount of entries, we were to be stalled at a neighboring farm.  That farm owner called me on Friday to ask what time we would be arriving and if I needed directions (loving all this!)  She also explained that the show grounds would be a 5 minute walk from the barn where our stall was located - would not have to ride/walk on the road - that there was a path between the farms.

Walking to the show grounds for our first test

When we arrived on Saturday morning, the farm owner showed us Riva's stall, had a filled water bucket hanging already, bedded nicely with straw, and a pile of fresh hay in the corner for her.  Wow - have never experienced that before!  She showed us where we could plug in a stall fan and asked if we needed anything - super nice!

This show was a combined training and dressage only show with a a large crowd of participants and spectators.  I was happy to be stalled at the neighboring farm - it was quiet and we had lots of room to spread out our crap stuff.  Riva settled right in, was happy with the horses stalled on both sides of her, and promptly started munching the hay.  Husband and I walked over to the show grounds to see my rings - Training Test 3 was in a large sand arena with a typical dressage booth for the judge and Training Test 2 was in a small grass arena with the judge in a horse trailer.  Both warm ups were in open grass fields with ring stewards.  The jumping warm-up and course were well separated from the dressage areas - very pretty farm.

What has worked well for us this year is a 20 minute warm-up for the first test and a 10 minute warm-up for the second test - if we have down time in between.  My TL test 3 was at 3:08 and my TL test 2 was at 5:20 - two different judges, which I love then I get two different opinions.

Daughter arrived late morning so we got to watch a few rides of people we have met and see how things were run.  Decided just to leave Riva in her stall until we were ready to warm up and hope for the best.  We got ready and began the walk over to the ring about 25 minutes before my first test.  Riva was very brave on her 'trail ride' over to the show grounds - she only hesitated on the narrowed opening where we had to turn right or left to continue.

Warm Up for TL Test 3

Daughter coached us during warm up which was in a slightly hilly grass open area.  I was so proud of Riva and how she took this all in stride - like this is normal for her!  We headed in for TL test 3.

Entering at A for TL Test 3

Test 3 has double coefficients for the upward canter transitions and the free and medium walk.  We really worked on the canter transitions the previous week so I was fairly confident we could nail those.  Everything was going nicely until we got to the 'C' Working Trot, 'MXF' One Loop - Riva suddenly jerked her head to look over at the jump warm up and decided to momentarily not listen to my aids - it took me until X to get her attention back and then the remainder of the loop was nice.

Where Riva temporarily loses her mind :)

Our canter circle to the right earned us an 8!

Stretchy trot circle was our best ever and earned a 7

Rest of the test went smoothly and the halt was one of our best to date - we got an '8' for it!

Halt at X for TL test 3

Final score for TL Test 3 was a 68.40%, Second Place - our highest score for that test.

We had enough time to take Riva back to her stall between tests, hose her off, and let her rest.  She was napping when we pulled her out to tack up again for the next test.  

Test 2 warm up was at the opposite end of the farm - across a drive from the jump arena, so just a little more distracting.  Riva quickly got back to work and gave me the best left lead canter I think I have ever ridden on her - she had way more energy than normal for a second warm up also.

Entering at 'A' for TL Test 2

When we circled the perimeter to walk by the judge (in the scary horse trailer) I talked to Riva as we approached and when she saw the judge, she took it all in stride.  When did my mare grow up?!

Test 2 has given me trouble the last two times I have competed it - the canter transition between C & M, right lead - both times we have competed it this year, Riva has majorly resisted and bucked.  Daughter said we broke the Test 2 right lead canter curse at this show - we earned an 8 for that move Sat!

The Curse is broken!  Right lead canter transition

Riva loves the trot on the diagonal - both change rein working trot earned '8.5's'

Training Level - Test 3 earned us a 75.357%, first place and our highest score ever!

And first place got a bottle of fly spray - can always use that!

I was so proud of my mare and can not believe how she is maturing into a 'show horse'.  While she still looks at everything, she is giving me her all and knows when she steps in that ring that it is time to shine.  

Awesome photos courtesy of my husband!

A huge thank you to my husband and youngest daughter for their support, coaching, and willingness to help me realize my childhood dreams!