When will it stop raining!

This week has beenvery busy with shows. I had a successful show at Plantation riding Mario, Tuck adn Boo into placings in all of their classes. The going was very wet for the showjumping and I was embarrased to be towed into yet another competition! Although practically everyone had to be. I was very happy with how my horses jumped, especially cross country.

Seneca Valley PC event was also very wet, particularly on the cross country. Harmony finished on her dressage score and Boo also jumped well adding only a green rail to his score. He is a super horse and has a great future.

On Wednesday I took Mario and Boo to Swan Lake A rated show jumping show. Boo was good but Mario was super jumping clean in the 1.15 round. Pilot error (missing a jump) cost him first place, we still ended up a respectable third tho. Yet another show that was in the rain, we were faced with the probability of being towed out. Thru some expert driving (mine) and a bit of luck, plus about 10 attempts, I managed to make it out without the help of a tractor! Now the truck and trailer just look as they've been off roading and will mean I'll be spending my day off at the car wash! Next week is Surefire event with Tuck, Boo and Mario.

Alex MacLeod and Arrow have had a fantastic season topped off with a second at the Virginia CCI. She finished on her dressage score in a class where the top five places didn't change.
Walking the course at VHT.

These juniors really can ride! The cross country was tough but fair and the show jumping was big and requird bold riding. It was a great experience for Alex to jump in the coleseum with a crowd and atmosphere.

Another success for us has been Abby Gibbon and her fantastic mare, Prima. They won the Area II Adult Amateur Scholarship. They've been making leaps and bounds and are a hugely exciting combination. Prima's not a big horse, (just don't tell her that!) but certainly has unlimited potential.

Abby and Prima winning at Shawan Downs.

I look forward to bringing you more stories of both my personal success and that of our team over the coming weeks.

Tri State competing.

Raleigh CDI, North Carolina.

I have had a very busy couple of weekends with two eventing competitions and two dressage shows. First of all Tony and I competed at the Raleigh CDI in North Carolina winning 4 ribbons (seconds and thirds) in 4 different classes. This is exciting as the competition was tough with very good horses and riders. Then it was a dash back to make it in time for Waredaca One Day Event. I need to put a speed camera out on the cross country course with Lisa and Rachel going way too fast and incurring time faults. This weekend I successfully rode Mario, Tuck and Boo at Plantation Fields One Day Event in PA. Each of them placed in spite of the deep going. I was particularly impressed with how Boo felt cross country, he's really getting the hang of things. This is exciting as he's a real quality horse. Sunday was the VADA/NOVA dressage competition at Morven Park, VA, once again with Tony. We ended up third in a big class and qualified for the championships in October.

Next week we're at Seneca One Day Event with Harmony, Tuck and Boo. Amy Gaynor did an awesome job organising a very successful clinic with Boyd Martin which was hosted by Robert and Kathy's Taylormade stables.