Dressage at Lexington 2011

Silva is flying to Germany today to spend time with her family, and sent an update from Dressage at Lexington:

Stately won Fourth level with 75% and Carrera, also owned by Faye Woolf, won Second level with 74%. Duvent placed 2nd in his first Developing Horse test with 67% and Sea Lord was 5th in his first Grand Prix.

Devon and Ballatale placed 3rd in Fourth level and Kyymy and Markie were 8th in the PSG. Kymmy and Devon are still showing today and will take the horses home tonight.

Silva's dad has been fighting cancer for a while and is not doing well, so everyone please keep him in your thoughts.

Boyd Featured in Pennsylvania Equestrian

Click here to continue reading this article about Boyd from Pennsylvania Equestrian magazine.

Good bye Rossco!

Boyd is home from Australia and wrote this tribute to his late father, Ross Martin:

As you have heard, my father Ross Martin passed away last Saturday afternoon in the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. A week earlier, he was in a bike road race where he had a collision with a truck, breaking the C3 and C4 vertebrae in his neck, leaving him paralyzed from his chin down.

I feel very lucky that I had the opportunity to fly home and be with him for his final two days. He was happy to see me, told me that this 'was no big deal', and 'such is life mate' before dying in his sleep.

My Dad had an amazing life. He was born in Bega hospital in 1943, son of a school teacher. At the age of 4 his mother disappeared, never to be seen again. Dad's grandmother looked after him and his two sisters. Dad never attended school until the the 4th grade; by the 6th grade he had won a scholarship at the exclusive Sydney Grammar School.

After finishing high school, he decided to ride his bicycle 400 miles to get a job as a farm hand with sheep and cattle in Cooma. His boss, Bruce Haslingden, was one of Australia's first ever winter Olympians. He saw talent and work ethic in my dad, and encouraged him to start seriously Cross Country Ski racing.

In 1968, Dad represented Australia in the Olympics in the 15 km and the 30 km cross country races in Grenoble, France. He met my mother there, where she was representing the US in the 3000 metre speed skating race.

He married Toy in 1971 in Sydney, had Brook in 1977, and me in 1979.

He was a great father to his kids. Our family holidays included hiking trips to the base camp of Mt. Everest and 1000 km bike rides across Outback Australia. To the end he stayed a true competitive athlete, competing in ocean swim races, cycle racing and multi-day mountain bike trips.

It was unlikely that he was ever going to retire to an old age nursing home. He was a workaholic, loved his dog Cathy, and hated buldgers (anyone that did not work hard). He was a classless man who had friends from all walks of life. He was generous to a fault, but hated to be thanked.

I must say he was very proud of my eventing career. He encouraged me to stay away from university and instead chase my true passion of training horses. He was very supportive of my move to the US, and my change of nationality. It was a great feeling riding in front of him at the WEG last year.

He had a wonderful sense of humor and made many friends in the American eventing community. I was lucky that he came to the Fork Horse Trials this year. He had a great time as he watched me ride and enjoyed a few beers with the riders in the tent on Saturday night.

He was buried in a paddock next to Bruce Haslingden, overlooking the Snowy Mountains where he worked as a jackaroo as a young man in Cooma. I will miss him greatly, and truly believe his life has been so much a part of my success.

-Boyd

Remembering Ross Martin

Ross Martin watching Boyd and Remington XXV win the CIC*** at The Fork in April, 2011

In yet another tragic turn of events, Ross Martin, Boyd's father, passed away this weekend after having been hit by a truck during a cycling race and sustaining severe injuries. Boyd was able to travel to Australia to see Ross before he died, and is there with his family now.

I had the great fortune to meet Ross several times when he came to watch Boyd ride in the USA, and always enjoyed his enthusiastic e-mails about Boyd's riding career here in the States. He was able to attend The Fork three-day event this spring and had the joy of seeing Boyd and Remington win the CIC***, where I caught this photo of him ringside.

The support for Boyd and Silva following the barn fire at True Prospect Farm has been truly overwhelming, and Ross was so impressed with how the horse community here stood behind them during this tough time.

Especially in the tough times it is the horses that give Boyd hope for the future, and he is excited that Neville did his first gallop since the fire at the Fair Hill training track today (see video below). Boyd is still considering taking his partner in crime to the Burghley CCI**** in England this fall if Neville's health and fitness continue to improve. Let's all keep cheering them on.

-Amber Heintzberger

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy & Helping the TPF Fire Victims, part 1 on EN

By Samantha L Clark on July 2, 2011 5:20 PM, Filed Under Classroom

The Hyperbaric Chamber at Fair Hill

I think everyone knows about the tragic fire at True Prospect Farm by now, that claimed the lives of six horses and left five severely injured. At Eventing Nation, we've been providing regular updates on the recovery of those five, and in the latest installment, Caitlin had mainly good news, as well as telling us that her horse, Hoku (Catch A Star), and Boyd's WEG horse, Neville Bardos had been making daily visits to the Fair Hill Training Center to use the Hyperbaric Chamber there.  Today in part 1 we speak with Dr Slovis from Hagyard about the therapy.  Tomorrow we will hear from Caitlin about how the True Prospect horses are doing and from Bruce Jackson about his Fair Hill facility.

This is on of the ongoing expenses that effects the full recovery of Hoku and Neville.  The PRO online auction will help directly pay for these expenses.  For the full article & video interview with  please visit Eventing Nation!

Thank you Samantha!!

Round 2 of The PRO/SCES Online Auction!

Please help us continue to raise funds for the whole crew at Boyd's and True Prospect Farm!
Through the hard work & volunteer efforts of many people and many donors, we are launching the 2nd leg of the PRO/SCES online ebay auction!!

This auction features a variety of items including some great lesson packages from Buck Davidson, Ange Bean, Stephie Baer.....as well as several amazing vacation homes, tack, a Point Two Air Jacket, photography, art, etc.

Please continue to spread the word & support the fundraising efforts.  Everyone at Windurra USA and True Prospect Farm is so appreciative of the outpouring of support from our riding community!

Click Here to Bid!!

Welcome William!

On June 22nd, 2011 Amber Heintzberger and Juergen Grosserhode welcomed William Henry Grosserhode into the world. He was born at St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, weighing 9 lbs. 2 oz. and measuring 22" and joins big sister Emily Katharina, who will be two years old at the end of July. We are so excited to welcome him to our family!

Read Amber's blog for You & Your Family magazine here.