Boyd and Silva Martin: 5/8/11

Saturday, May 14, 2011

All Clear Cross-Country for Our Team at Jersey Fresh 3-Day Event

Cross-country day at Jersey Fresh three-day event this year exceeded my expectations. In all the divisions the courses were tough, technical and relentless. The first part of the day was spent watching my working pupil, Caitlin Silliman, race Catch A Star around the two-star course which she did brilliantly, moving up to third place. She rode with style and class and her mare looks like she has pulled up well for show jumping tomorrow.

Next to go I rode Dana Diemer's Cold Harbor, who jumped around the 2-star course with ease, again cruising in under the time. He elevated his position to tenth place going into the show jumping.

Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries were next up in the CCI3* and without doubt Erin proved to the onlookers that she is absolutely a rider for the future in this country, smoking around the course and blasting her way up to 3rd place in a quality field.

I had a sigh of relief that my two pupils had done the business as I hopped on Otis Barbotiere for the CCI3* course. He felt a little green at some of the technical fences but again impressed onlookers with a smart round. I chose to chill out in the speed department as we're still in the getting to know each other phase so we picked up eight time penalties which still kept us in fourth place.

In the afternoon session I had two CIC2* horses, Faye Woolf's Call Me Ollie and Maddi Fleit's Guypowder Valley. Ollie gave me a clear demonstration that he's a galloping machine and a seriously bold horse, jumping all the fences with a massive amount of enthusiasm. It probably wasn't my prettiest round but we learnt a lot about each other throughout John Williams' 6 and a half minute course.

Guypowder Valley redeemed himself after a disappointing dressage, rocketing around the CIC2* with one of only clear rounds inside the time. I feel this cross-country round proved his value as a great cross-country horse that should be snapped up by a lucky new owner.

All in all our team had a great day of cross-country and we're looking forward to the show jumping tomorrow. All the horses look like they pulled up well and are ready for the jog tomorrow morning.

Live scores are posted here.

-Boyd

Here is a fun video compilation from EventingNation.com that shows a selection of the cross-country action:

Friday, May 13, 2011

Jersey Fresh Cross-Country Times

For Saturday, May 14th 2011 at the Horse Park of NJ

Caitlin Silliman: 9:36am
Boyd and Bo: 10:32am
Erin Sylvester: 12:46pm
Boyd and Otis: 1:52pm
Boyd and Ollie: 3:24pm
Boyd and Guy: 4:27pm

Dressage at the 2011 Jersey Fresh 3-Day Event

Call Me Ollie, owned by Faye Woolf, ridden by Boyd Martin

The dressage phase of the Jersey Fresh 3-day event is over after two enjoyable days. I was relatively pleased; obviously in the dressage phase you can find moments that could have been better, but then again in my experience they sure could have gone a lot worse.

Faye Woolf’s Call Me Ollie produced a smart test yesterday; I was pretty pleased with him, especially in the trot work which showed moments of brilliance. He’s a new ride for me and we have still got to build a partnership and get to know each other better.

Guypowder Valley, owned by Maddi Fleit, went in and did an accurate test and I’ll be looking to move up the leader board with him tomorrow with a good cross-country round.

Dana Diemer’s Cold Harbor also finished in the top half of the field in the CCI**. I was very pleased with the way he went; unfortunately we had an expensive mistake when we boggled up the rein back.

My other partner in crime, Otis Barbotiere, went in and did some extravagant work but came a little bit behind the leg in the canter which saw us lose a mark or two in the connection department. All in all it was nothing disastrous but there was also nothing brilliant.

Caitlin and Erin both looked fantastic in the dressage; both horses and riders showed plenty of brilliance and potential for the future.

The cross-country course looks challenging to say the least. The footing looks pretty good, as NJ has had plenty of rainfall this spring. Hopefully we won’t get too much more rainfall tomorrow during the cross-country phase of the event. Cross-country times will be posted soon and I’ll keep everybody updated.

For complete dressage results click here.

-Boyd

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

All Horses Pass First Veterinary Inspection at Jersey Fresh

Boyd and Otis Barbotiere

Boyd was decked out in his spiffy clothes from Bill’s Khakis again at the Jersey Fresh three-day event veterinary inspection today, and all the horses passed the jog with flying colors.

Thursday dressage times are as follows:

9:00 Ollie (owned by Faye Woolf) pictured above with groom Lindsey

12:14 Guypowder Valley (owned by Maddie Fleet) pictured above at the jog with Boyd

The other horses will compete on Friday, times to be announced

Erin Sylvester, Caitlin Silliman and No Boundaries

Cold Harbor, owned by Dana Diemer

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

2011 Jersey Fresh 3-Day Event Preview

Call Me Ollie, owned by Faye Woolf

We arrived this afternoon at the Horse Park of New Jersey where I'm competing four quality horses in the Jersey Fresh three-day event. In the CCI*** Otis Barbotiere is out for his third advanced-level test of the year. He's in good form and we're starting to develop a partnership; I'm looking forward to producing another good result for the syndicate in his lead-up to Bromont.

In the CCI** I've got Dana Diemer's Cold Harbor. "Bo" has been in dazzling form at his last few horse trials and I'm confident of kicking out a good result for Dana this weekend. The majority of training and riding of Cold Harbor, before I was lucky enough to sit on him, has been thanks to the very pregnant Holly Hepp Hudspeth, who's expecting a baby any day now.

I have two in the two-star: Faye Woolf's Call Me Ollie (photo) and Maddie Fleet's Guypowder Valley. Both of these horses are new to me in the last month. Ollie has done all his training with Olympic rider Becky Holder; he's a stunning Holsteiner/Thoroughbred gelding that has amazing presence and an awesome disposition. Guypowder Valley has come to me to sell - He's a wonderful intermediate horse that will definitely make an up-and-coming rider a fantastic partner. He's priced reasonably and we're looking for a good home.

I also have a couple of star students here, Caitlin Silliman, (CCI2*) and Erin Sylvester (CCI3*), who will be out to impress everyone. Both of them have shown considerable improvement this spring and I'm looking forward to seeing how things go for them this weekend.

The Jersey Fresh event looks bigger and better than ever: the ground looks fantastic after plenty of spring rain and the trot-up starts the competition off tomorrow at lunch time.

Stay tuned for results.

-Boyd

Monday, May 9, 2011

Otis Is Up On The Site!

NAME: Otis Barbotiere
SEX: Gelding
COLOUR: Bay
HEIGHT: 16.1hh
DATE OF BIRTH: April 6th, 2002
COUNTY OF BIRTH: France
SIRE: Quidam De Revel
DAM: Java Barbotiere (by Vener De Baugy)
BREED: Selle Francais
BREEDER: M. Thierry Lascar, Sable Sur Sathe
PLACE OF BIRTH: Pays De La Lorire
YEAR IMPORTED: January 2011
OWNERS: The Otis Barbotiere Syndicate, LLC

(Photo Credit Amber Heintzberger)

Otis was purchased by the Otis Barbotiere syndicate in December 2010 from French rider Aurelien Kahn of Samur, France. The majority of the Otis syndicate owners are eventing and fox hunting enthusiasts from the Millbrook, NY area whom I've gotten to know over the past couple of years. It was a real honor when this group came together asking to be part of a big time horse that could possibly be seen wearing the stars and stripes in the future.

Otis was originally bred to be a show jumping horse. His sire is the famous Quidam Du Revel, one of the most prolific Selle Francais sires in history. Otis was successfully competed up to the two star level in France when he was purchased by the syndicate and imported to America as an 8 year old.

Otis has a wonderful nature to join his stunning looks. He is a real character in the barn, wind sucking at very opportunity he can get, and he is also very keen to get extra food with a pony-like mentality.

He is an athlete through and through with a quality, powerful jump. He is no slouch in the dressage either, with three fantastic gaits which the dressage judges seem to love. Otis is a fantastic horse to have in training. I believe he has all the tools and characteristics to do it all and we look forward to charting his successes here in the states!