American Eventing Championships and Final Outing for WEG Team Selection

Anne Hennessey's Summer Breeze relaxing in the stables

Summer Breeze had an exceptional result at the Novice Championship at the American Eventing Championships at Carl Bouckaert's farm in Chattahoochee Hills, GA – it was the toughest novice course she’s seen by far and she galloped around perfectly. She came out on Saturday and show jumped a brilliant round, much to the delight of her loving owner Anne Hennessey. After this I feel like she’s ready to move up, so I’ll be looking for a training level event to take her to at the end of the year.

The other main mare in my life, Ron and Densey Juvonen's Charla also had a brilliant weekend at the preliminary horse championship. She rocketed around the cross-country inside the time and show jumped her usual clear round, finishing fourth out of an astounding sixty-four entries. Again I think Charla has proved herself this year and wants to look at doing an intermediate some time in the near future.

Getting expert advice from Katie Prudent and Mark Phillips
while Andrea Beech puts the finishing touches on Neville Bardos

The two advanced boys, Remington XXV and Neville Bardos, were excused by the US Selectors from doing the cross-country. They did a mandatory gallop on Saturday morning under the watchful eyes of the selectors and vets. In Sunday’s show jumping our super coaching from Katie Prudent paid off, and we got a hand from Katie with a little warm-up before our rounds. She had them jump through a couple of little grids and some complicated exercises to wake them up and make them think.

Remington XXV

Remington jumped the best round of his life, pulling out a clear round inside the time.

Neville Bardos

The Bardos wasn’t too far off the pace and pulled a rail in the triple but I was pleased with the way they both jumped.

Relaxing with Mark Phillips and Henri Prudent after Neville's round

Today, Monday, my partner in crime Andrea Beech, (top class English working student/groom), and I have a big day of getting through the vet inspection before the team is announced on Tuesday. This consists of flexion tests, longeing on a tight circle and then enduring x-rays and ultrasounds to make sure the horses are in tip top shape.

-Boyd

Photos copyright Amber Heintzberger 2010 - not to be reproduced without permission. Email amberwriter@aol.com

Summer Breeze's Eventing Debut

It was a glorious weekend for both myself and Anne Hennessey to see her new eventing sensation, Summer Breeze, experience her first eventing competition at Sporting Days Farm in the open novice division. Anne, who is also the owner of Benwald, imported this mare from Australia late last year and I worked with her for about six weeks in November and then Anne gave her a holiday in Southern Pines over Christmas and the New Year. I've been gently working away with her in Aiken teaching her dressage and jumping and Sporting Days was her first official competition: she did not disappoint.


Her character was similar to an angel from the heavens! She was quite enjoying all the other horses hanging around and she looked like she was heading to the dressage at Rolex wearing her fancy Devoucoux competition bridle and Ecogold dressage pad. She was foot perfect in her dressage test and was clear show jumping and cross-country to finish with a top result of sixth place. I must admit she was pretty green in the jumping phases, coming back to trot in front of a few fences and traveled something like an eel, going left and right, but never felt like she didn't want to go. I also think Summer Breeze broke the all time record for eating the most carrots in a 24-hour period thanks to Anne!

I rode seven other horses at Sporting Days with great successes on all of them, many of them moving up to training level for the first time. There are photos of these horses at www.Hoofclix.com. For complete results click here.

-Boyd