A big thanks must go to the owners of the six horses that were lost in the Memorial Day fire at True Prospect Farm.
Each owner has purchased a pear tree in memory of their horse, and the trees have been planted along the driveway at our farm in Cochranville, PA. The trees were organized by Charla's owner, Densey Juvonen.
Smartpak Equine were also nice enough to make plaques with each horse's name on it, which are mounted on stones. I think that this is a great way to memorialize the wonderful horses that were lost in the fire. As time goes on the tragedy becomes more distant, however the horses will never be forgotten.
There are many 'perks' to be married to Silva, one of them being that she is an amazing dressage trainer. She spends most of her days training and teaching pure dressage horses, but I often manage to get a helping hand .
"Party Boy", otherwise know as Curtis, is owned by Fernanda Kellogg and Nick Meyers of Millbrook, New York. He is a stunning looking American Thoroughbred that oozes with talent and class. He is athletic, bold and gorgeous and looks to be one of my up and coming horses for the future.
This year I managed to take him from Training to Preliminary in eventing. He is a super jumper, but the one phase in the events that he has struggled with has been the dressage: I found him a little stiff, and a little stuck in his body, and I have not had much luck improving his scores over the past six months. This has been heartbreaking as I always have the feeling that this horse could be the real deal. So I have had to call in the dressage trainer to take over the ride....
Silva has been working with him the last month and has improved him hugely. He is moving better, looks more relaxed and "through" and looks like he is now enjoying the work. I plan to leave him with Silva for the next month or two, and really get him up to par in his dressage before I start eventing him again. Check out the above youtube.com video of him working with Silva at home last week.
Let this be a lesson to any up and coming eventing lad looking for a future relationship.....
It's the beginning of the holiday shopping season and we're all stressed out about sending out Christmas cards and deciding what presents to get for our family and friends. Why not be a little self indulgent and treat yourself to some instructional videos?! Now is the time to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate and improve your riding skills!
Come backstage at the Red Hills International Horse Trials to gain understanding into upper level methods for preparing for your competition. Regardless of your level, these tools & strategies can be applied to your pre-game warmup so you can improve your dressage score and conquer the cross country!! So go ahead and treat yourself this season........and the price is right!!
Both Series 2 Videos are on sale for $9.95 throughout the month of December.
NAME: New Cadet
SEX: Gelding
COLOUR: Brown
HEIGHT: 16.2hh
DATE OF BIRTH: 4-23-05
COUNTY OF BIRTH: USA
SIRE: Private Terms
DAM: Couloir (by Nepal)
BREED: American Thoroughbred
BREEDER: Jimmy Hawkins
PLACE OF BIRTH: Lexington, KY
OWNER: Mrs Anne Hennesey, VT
Caddy is nothing short of what I would call a 'Raw Athelete'. I believe if we lived in medieval times, I would like to ride this horse to battle. He is bold, powerful and very tough.
I found Caddy in Atlanta Georgia, shortly after the memorial day fire. My coach, Phillip Dutton had spotted him while teaching a jumping clinic at another American Olympian's farm at Julie Richards. He came home and said to me that he had found 'your kind of horse'. I flew down there and liked him from the get go.
Anne Hennesy has been a long time supporter and friend. She has owned some fantastic horses in the past with Benwald and the late Summer Breeze. Both Anne and I were devastated in loosing Summer, and it was a tough job finding a horse to take her place. I knew when I got Caddy she would love this horse.
Even though Caddy is a failed race horse, and originally was discovered at a horse rescue facility, I believe he is the real deal. He has the movement and look for dressage, a serious jump and gallops with ease. I really enjoy training this gelding and have high hopes for him.
NAME: Bacardi
DOB: April 5, 2006
SEX: Gelding
COLOUR: Bay
HEIGHT: 17.0 hh
BREED: Dutch WB
(KPWN-NA 840025 200600417)
SIRE: Sir Sinclair
DAM: Rideau Hall
PLACE OF BIRTH: Pennsylvania
OWNER: Sandy Issler
Bacardi is a handsome 5 year old, 17.0hh registered Dutch Warmblood (KWPN) bay gelding who is blessed with wonderful gaits and the ability to jump. This exciting young horse is loaded with talent, has received excellent training from some of the best trainers in the country and has had a great start to his career.
Bacardi's training began with natural horsemanship where he was desensitized, learned manners, respect, and some cool tricks. As a 4 yo, Bacardi was given a wonderful start in dressage with trainer Dorie Addy-Crow. Bacardi went with Dorie to Florida for further training and for the 2010-2011 dressage show season where he competed in many top prestigious USDF/USEF shows at Training Level with scores into the 70s. Bacardi also competed in dressage shows with his amateur owner and is currently schooling first and second level movements. He also finished 12th in the country at Training Level in the USDF-KWPN-NA 2011 Final Award Standings.
As talented as this elegant fellow is for dressage, Bacardi really wants to jump. Bacardi is currently in training with Boyd Martin to develop him into an eventing horse. With his wonderful dressage background, intelligence, and athletic jumping ability, Bacardi shows great potential as an eventing horse. He has no vices. Bacardi clips, loads, has excellent feet, is good for farrier and vet and enjoys hacking in his spare time.
Please call 610-806-2381 to set up an appointment to see Bacardi!
Lindsey Taylor Selected as First Honoree of the PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's Award
Lindsey to be Honored at the PRO Awards Reception on December 9th
Vero Beach, FL - November 28, 2011:The Professional Riders Organization is very pleased to announce that Lindsey Taylor, head groom for Boyd Martin, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's Award. Lindsey will be honored December 9, 2011 at 6:00 PM at the PRO Awards Reception at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee site of the 2011 USEA Convention. Lindsey will receive an engraved silver bowl, a $5,000 cash award, and PRO will donate $500 to a cancer charity of Lindsey's choice in memory of Liz Cochran.
The PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's award will be offered annually to an outstanding groom of a professional member of PRO who has had a large influence on their rider's career and the health and well-being of the horses under their care. Nominees should epitomize the example set forth by Liz Cochran, who groomed professionally for Abigail Lufkin and sadly lost her life to cancer. The following criteria is used to evaluate the nominees: the groom always puts the horses first; immaculate turnout of horses at home and competitions regardless of level; communicates effectively with owners, riders, students and staff; rallies a positive stable atmosphere both at home and away; has an infectious, positive attitude; shares their knowledge of the job in a effort to educate others; demonstrates that no job is beneath them; is well presented in their attire and courteous in both manners and speech; and enhances their rider's career.
Karen O'Connor spearheaded the award envisioning formal recognition by fellow professionals that would not only honor the outstanding qualities of professional grooms, but also reward them with a significant cash prize. The nominees put forward by riders for the 2011 PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's Award included Emma Ford (Phillip Dutton) and Nate Varcoe-Cocks (Will Faudree). Mark Hart, Chair of the PRO Awards Committee summed up what was a very challenging decision: "All of the nominees are extremely worthy of winning this award and it was very difficult to choose one winner. Given the incredibly trying circumstances that Lindsey faced this year with the fire in Boyd's barn, and the incredible way she has dealt with every situation she has been challenged with, the committee felt that this was her year to be honored in what we know will be a long career." Other members of the PRO Award Committee include: Mary Coldren, Rick Dunkerton, Faye Woolf, Joanie Morris, Evie Dutton, Laura VanderVliet and Sara Kozumplik.
In nominating Lindsey, Boyd expressively described her outstanding qualities: "I believe the events that led up to, during and after the Memorial Day barn fire separates Lindsey from the rest of the list of candidates. This lady was able to deal with the tragedy of the loss of the horses that died, also rehabilitating the injured ones that survived, whilst working out of a number of barns, and was still able to fulfill her energy of the competition horses that were unaffected, all at the same time without complaint, negativity, or fuss, which impressed me more than anything." In 2011 Boyd calculated that he had 175 eventing starts, which Lindsey groomed for, braiding 2,050 braids from the big international-three day events like Rolex, Burghley and Boekelo to horse trials like Sporting Days, Waredaca and Loch Moy. Boyd pointed out that during this time Lindsey worked nine weeks straight without a day off because "her commitment is bordering on the line of obsession."
Each owner has purchased a pear tree in memory of their horse, and the trees have been planted along the driveway at our farm in Cochranville, PA. The trees were organized by Charla's owner, Densey Juvonen.
