Spring Wrap Up

Wow so a lot has happened so far this spring. We did quite a few small jumper show in Feb. and March. Then O'malley went to a big jumper show in Tulsa and he was quite the little rockstar! He did the 3'9" and 3'6" add back jumper classes and then did the Mod. Low Jr. Jumpers which was 4'! I was so proud of my pony, he was reserve champion for the week. 

After the Tulsa show it was on to Greenwood! Which was our first event of the year. O'malley competed in the CIC* and the amazing Vince would make his come back to the eventing world with a start in the Open Training. 

O'malley was less than his best in Dressage and earned a horrid score of a 76.... Oh well, it just wasn't our day. Vince warmed up great, and then he went into the arena to start around the arena and he lost it! He was quite the rodeo show. He eventually settled in and somehow managed to get a 43 in dressage! I was super happy with my little fireball!

With O'malley my goal on XC was to go out and have a good learning trip, we were already out of contention for the top spot because of our dressage. So we set out XC and he put in a fabulous run, and came in the fittest of any horse in the CIC*. I was so happy with my baby! Vince was next, he was a little sticky to the first couple of fences but would eventually settle down and really put up a good run. I was very proud that my Vinny Poo came home sound and happy from his first XC run in almost 2 years! 

Show Jumping was the next morning. O'malley put in a great run, I had 1 rail but it was mine. I turned too quickly in the air over a vertical and he pulled the rail. Vince was great, as usual in the SJ and turned in a clean round. Both boys finished as the top placed Irish Sport Horses in their divisions and both received a leather halter and lead shank for their efforts. 

We came home, and Vince began preparing for his first Prelim run, which was this past weekend at the Mill Creek Pony Club H.T. I wanted to go to Mill Creek and get a better dressage test, preferable with all 4 feet staying on the ground. Vince put in a great Dressage test at Mill Creek. Meighan said it was the best one she had ever seen us put in! I was thrilled! Vince earned a 41.3 which was good enough for 5th place. The XC was a bit wet as we got a ton of rain friday night. So we were concerned to run him XC because we didn't want to re-injure his leg that we had spent so much time getting to heal. Meg was early on in the division so she watched the footing for me and came back and said it was fine and to run him. He was excellent! I was so happy with Vince. He ran around clean, with only time faults, which everyone racked up because of the footing. But most of all he came home sound yet again! Show Jumping was sunday morning. He was great! Minus that the bit I have used on him since I bought him 5 years ago was too much, and I couldn't half halt or he would sling his head violently. We had 1 rail, because I can't count and still don't know how many strides we put in that line. Oh well, he finished 8th in the division and came home with a ribbon! I was so proud of my baby. 

Well that is all for now. Who knows what we are doing next, I am hoping for Maui Jim this summer, only time will tell. 

Tulsa Mid Winter Classic

I rode at the Tulsa Mid Winter Classic at the Tulsa Fair Grounds with Vince and O'Malley. The boys were both FABOULOUS!!!! I was so happy with the two of them. Here are the results from the show...

Friday:
Vince- 1.0 Meter Jumper- clean
O'malley- 1.10 Meter Jumper- 1 rail
O'malley- 1.15 Meter Jumper- 1 rail- 2nd place

Saturday:
Vince- 1.0 Meter Jumper- clean
Vince- Low Child/Adult Am's- 2nd place
O'malley- 1.10 Meter Jumper- clean
O'malley- High Child/Adult Am's- 1st place
O'malley- High Child/ Adult Am's- 3rd place

Sunday:
Vince- Low Child/Adult Am's- 3rd place
Vince- Low Child/Adult Am's- 6th place
O'malley- High Child/Adult Am's- 1st place
O'malley- High Child/Adult Amature Champion

End of Fall.... Things are looking Bright!

So life is definately better since the last time I blogged.

Shorty is healthy again!! Slowly starting back into work, like painfully slow is more like it. But I guess whatever it takes to get my favorite OTTB back in action.

O'malley competed at Greenwood in the Prelim-Championship division, however I pulled him after XC so he didn't SJ. He wacked himself pretty good on XC and was quite sore Sunday morning. Oh well, better safe than sorry. We then went on to compete at Holly Hill in the Jr. Yr. Open Prelim, where we had a strong 6th place finish!!! We had our best dressage score yet! 38.8!!! we even pulled a "9" on our free walk!! He was so good at Holly Hill.

However I think the most remarkable thing that has happened this fall is Vince..... Vince is sound again. Not only is he sound again, he is jumping!! He will be going to a clinic with Will Faudree the first weekend in December, and then going to a Jumper show the following weekend. So its looking like my baby is gonna start competing again!!!

Well that pretty much it. Now its time for Winter........ Which means body clipping, blankets and stalls to clean. (by the by, i've already clipped Vince and O'malley twice a piece...)

*Sit Tight*Kick On*Ride Him Like You Stole Him*

The highs and the lows of 3 day Eventing

First of all, horses are so frustating.

As of about three weeks ago everything was going great. The boys were looking good and ready for Heritage Park. Until that friday night when i tried to ride Shorty.... Poor guy, he just wasn't himself, i knew something was wrong but i just didn't know what. I ended up getting on him, just for him to collaspe under me. I called the vet, he came out and said EPM..... well that was two weeks ago tonight, and poor Shorty was diganosed with EPM after a spinal tap was performed, and is currently undergoing treatment to get well again. So he is out for the rest of the fall season.

However O'malley is still going strong, he had a 4th place finish at Heritage park in the open Prelim. We would have been higher but we had a stupid stop on XC, oh well we learn from all our mistakes. But he is doing great and is getting ready for the AEC's in the Preliminary Horse division, so watch for us!

So its on to the AEC's, with Shorty left at home recovering from his attack of the EPM bug.... protazoa or however you spell it. Then its on to Greenwood, maybe the ICP thing in Missiouri we haven't decided yet, then Holly Hill and on to OCALA for the CCI*! my baby is growing up!

Until next time,
KICK ON AND STAY STRONG
<3>

Gettin' ready for Heritage Park, start of fall!

We are fast coming on the fall season of eventing. With the Olympic's less than two weeks away everything is starting to fire back up in the states.

First off I want to wish luck to Phillip and Simon! I know you guys will win big at Hong Kong! And to everyone else on the team.

Second, the first stop for the fall season is Heritage Park. Shorty and O'malley will both be running, both going Prelim. Next will be the AEC's for O'malley and he will be in the Prelim Horse division! Then its on to Greenwood, QueenyPark, Holly Hill and finally finishing the season with the CCI* at Ocala with O'malley for sure and possibly Shorty.

The boys are doing great after Chicago. Shorty had a light week right after since the "old man" hasn't run in a while. He sure didn't act his age on XC or in warm up lol. O'malley has been great! He just keeps getting better and better.

Hopefully if all goes well, Shorty and I will be going Intermidate by Holly Hill and be ready for YR's next summer! And well who knows with O'malley, I'm just taking my time with my baby, but maybe by Pine Top he can go Intermidate too! lol

Starting College in three weeks and that is a scary thought! Which means moving to True Prospect Farm is gettin closer and closer!

Until next time!
KICK ON!!!!!!!!

Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials

This past weekend was the Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials in Wayne,Il. I rode Reno Tune aka Shorty in the Open Training Division B, and Castlebar Friday aka O'malley in the Junior Young Rider's Open Preliminary. We left Tuesday morning at 4:30 am for the 12 hour drive to Wayne. We stopped in Springfield, MO to pick up my groom TJ. We finally arrived in Wayne at 6:30 pm, with two happy and healthy horses. We met my Trainer Meighan with her two horses' Cappataggle Clover aka Duffy and War Wolf aka Wolfie, she rode Duffy in the Open Training Division A, and Wolfie in the CIC**, and Meg's other student Elizabeth who rode Consiado aka Barkley in the Junior Training Rider Division B. Here is how the week went down.

Wednesday morning started at 7:30 am, we fed the horses and then went and checked in at the office. Then we went and got our golf carts. After getting our carts, we tacked up the first set of horses. Meg rode Duffy first, I rode Shorty and Elizabeth rode Barkley. After a good 45 mintues of work, most of it being walk we took the boys back to the barn to get on the next set of horses. Meg was this time on Wolfie, and I rode Malley. Malley was good, but not completly perfect being he was still so tight from the trailer ride. After working the horses, we fed the horses lunch and Meg drove to the airport to pick up her groom for the week Beth. Elizabeth and I walked the Training level XC course which looked amazing!! Then we fed them dinner and went to bed.

Thursday morning started at 7 am. Today is the first day of competition. Duffy was the only horse to compete, he rode his dressage test at 3 that afternoon, put in a faboulous test for a score of a 29 good enough for the lead!!!! Way to go Duffy! Shorty, O'malley, Wolfie and Barkley all just worked, and Wolfie had his inbarn check for the CIC**. After walking the Prelim course, I was glad I had entered O'malley in the Prelim and not the CIC*. It was going to be a big tough course but we felt up to the challenge.

Friday morning started at 6 am. Shorty was the first to ride his dressage test, he put in a great test, very soild and steady for a score of a 34!!!! He sat tied for 6th place, only 3 points behind the leader. O'malley was next up for his dressage test, warmup was great! Proabably the best he has been all spring! He put in a good test but a little distracted, but still score a desent score of a 40.7 good enough for 12th out of about 22! I was very pleased with him. Shorty was supposed to go XC next but due to the amout of rain XC was postponed until Sunday and Shorty was to SJ at 5 that afternoon. Next up was Elizabeth who did a good test for a score of 39 good enough for 2nd place tied. Last in the dressage ring was Wolfie. Wolfie is a brilliant mover, but a bit of a jerk sometimes. And for what ever reason he did not want to settle in a due the job of dressage. A score of 78.8 for next to last, left Meg wondering if she really wanted to run him XC saturday afternoon. Last was Shorty's Show Jumping, and being the perfect pony that he is he jumped a double clean round, and sat still tied for 6th place.

Saturday, brought more rain, and the XC again postponed for the Prelim. So O'malley Show Jumped Saturday morning instead of running XC. He had an amazing warm up and then went in a bloomed over the entire course not touching a single rail in the ring! O'malley had just earned his first double clean round at Prelim! By the time lunch rolled around they had decided to run the upper levels XC. So the only horse we had to run XC saturday afternoon was Wolfie. After watching all the Advanced horses run we went back the barn to get Meg and Wolfie ready for their chance at the course. He warmed up great! Meg had said she wasn't going to keep going if he stopped at the water. By the 7th jump Meg could tell something wasn't right. Then the water came, and he wasn't right, he stopped on top of the bank and then jumped down into the water, and kept on going. By the time they got 7 from home Wolfie stopped again. So Meg retired him on course. She got back to us and Wolfie was not right at all. He had begun the tie up, more than likely at the 7th jump on course. By the time he got to us, he could barely walk being taken back to the barn by the horse abulance. After returning to the barn, he didn't not get better, so he was taken the the Vet Hospital for overnight watch. Now we all had to put this behind us and focus on the rest of the horses.

Sunday morning started of slow, walking in the barn with Wolfie's stall empty was hard. Then Meg coming in and telling us that he wasn't any better and that not only would he not be coming home with us but he will never compete again. This started the day off horribly. We all cried. But it was put behind us none the less, it had to be, and Meg started to get Duffy ready for XC. Duffy put in a great run going double clean, retaining his lead! Winning his class on his dressage score of a 29! Next was Shorty, we went out and gave me the most amazing XC round I think I have ever had, a double clean round. Next was Elizabeth and Barkley, they also went double clean. Last of the Day was O'malley, He had the most amazing round. He was great! He blew me away, as he jumped all the jumps, never looked at a single jump, he was bold, brave and fast! He jumped clean, just having 15 time faults, not bad and his fastest round to date. Overall the show was great! Shorty finished 5th in his Division, and will be moving up at the next show. O'malley finished 8th, and will be going to the CCI* in Ocala this fall! Elizabeth got 3rd on Barkley winning a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses, and Meg and Duffy won their class, also getting a pair of Maui Jim's.

The weekend was great! I have always had a blast at Maui Jim. Sadly Maui Jim was the one year mark for the death of Paradigm, of Kiwi, Forrest's amazing New Zealand TB. Kiwi will always live on in our hearts. And a tree was dedicated to Kiwi, next to the Dressage ring. We miss you Kiwi Bear!

Last Gallop Before Maui Jim

On Sunday I took Shorty and O'malley to one of my friends house's to gallop. She has a great hill and both boys were fantastic.

Shorty was first, he did a 15 minute trot and then galloped up the smaller of the hills 4 times. Twice at just a nice easy canter and then twice with speed. He has an amazing gallop. This was the first "real" gallop he has had since coming to my barn 31 days ago. He was great. He recovered well, but however didn't want to stand in the ice bucket afterwards lol. Oh well I guess poor TJ will have his work cut out for him at Maui.

O'malley was next, he did a 15 minute trot as well and then galloped up the smaller hill 2 times, the same hill as Shorty. Then I took him to the big hill and we did that one 4 times, going fast. For the last 2 times up the hill i really wanted to open him up, so i raised my stirrups 6 holes from my jumping lenght. WOW! It is a real difference when you really get up off their backs. He was amazing, galloping at 3 in the afternoon, and it didn't matter to Malley he recovered well and then stood very well in the ice bucket!!

So now its on to Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials, in Chicago. O'malley will run in the JYOP and Shorty will be in the Open Training. So look for us in the results....