Thanks to Our Hard Working Staff!

We're starting to gather bios and pictures of our hard working staff here at Windurra USA!  A big thanks goes out to all the staff here at our barn & we're excited to start posting their bios on our website.

Here are the first two entries:

Dressage Staff

NAME: Kymberly Pullen

HOMETOWN: Sugar Land, TX

WINDURRA SINCE: 2/2011

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Grooming, Riding and Hauling

Kymmy graduated Texas A&M University with a degree in Animal Science and Business. She began by riding and competing in the hunters, but has been competing in dressage since college.

Kymmy has brought her own horse along to WIndurra to work under the tutalage of Silva. Wiedermark "Markie" , is a 18.1h hanoverian gelding, who she has had since he was 4. Kymmy has brought him up through the levels to Prix St. George with their debut at Intermediare coming in the Spring of 2012 and their first CDI during the summer.

Eventing Staff

NAME: Lindsey Taylor

DOB: 3/14/1986

HOMETOWN:. 

Saint Charles, IL

WINDURRA SINCE: 1/2011

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

Head Groom and Operations Manager

Lindsey got hooked on horses while she was a freshman at Wheaton College at the age of 18. Looking for something to distract her from her schoolwork, she attended a mini event that her younger sister was competing in. She got the idea that riding might be a fun extra-curricular activity and began taking once a week lessons with Pat Bunge at a small eventing barn, Red Roses Farm in Saint Charles, IL. 

One thing led to another and she was soon leasing a horse and competing in local events. She rode a borrowed horse in a clinic with Becky Holder during this time and was impressed by the enthusiasm, expertise and attention to detail that Becky brought to her teaching. Lindsey decided to pursue a working student position with Becky in 2008 and 2009, during which time she learned an immeasurable amount about eventing at it's highest levels, and became quite interested in grooming and horse care.

READ MORE......

It's All About Giving at This Time of Year

NJ Star Ledger has run a fabulous article in the sports section about giving back to the local horse community throughout the holiday season.  They also give a nice nod to Neville's nomination for Horse of the Year noting that, "Neville Bardos, who survived a devastating barn fire in May, has to be the odds-on favorite for the U.S. Equestrian Federation's international horse of the year honors."


There is also mention about fellow competitor Lisa Marie Fergusson loss of Smart Move this past week down in Wellington Florida.  Through the SCES (who raised over $50K for us in the aftermath of the TPF fire), a fundraising account has been set up to help Lisa, and is posted on Eventing Nation.  Please consider helping another rider in need this holiday season.


Check out the full article here & have a wonderful Christmas!

On the Way Home from Germany

I am on the plane home to the USA ! I have Internet on this Lufthansa flight.
It's great!! Here is a pic of my neighbor on the plane!

I am sorry that we have not blogged more about Ash and Mintie's Germany trip.
Overall it was a great experience for Ash, but it was also very disappointing.

Ashlea and Mintie did a nice test on Friday but Mintie was not quite right in the trot. The canter work was great. They had no mistakes and Ash rode very well. After we got the score sheet back and the judges also commented on Mintie being not quite right behind, we decided to scratch him from the freestyle. It was heartbreaking for Ashlea but at the end of the day we have to do what's right for the horse.

Ash and all of us have been working so hard to get to Frankfurt, but horses are
horses and not machines. And that is why we love them so much!!!
Ashlea has learned so much from this whole experience and she has handled the situation amazingly well! There will be many more international competitions for Ashlea and the next time all she learned from this trip will help her.

I am looking forward to getting home and riding again! Only 3 more hours to go....

Silva

Travels in England and an Exciting New Import

I've had a fantastic couple of months away from the intense eventing competition schedule, which has allowed me to enjoy one of my passions: finding new, exciting young prospects.

Enjoying a pint with Dave

Recently Katie Walker, Dave Leinhauser and I had a wonderful couple of days in England scouring the country for horses.

Brian Hyslop

We were lucky enough to be guided by our new team Chef de Equipe, Brian Hyslop, who was in charge of the heavy social schedule that consisted of dinner parties, fox hunting and many team meetings at the pubs we passed by. We were also very fortunate that Rachael Wakefield from Uptown Eventing lined up around 35 top class young event horses for us to try.

Katie Walker sizing up one of the enormous hedge jumps in the Quorn Hunt field

One of the highlights of our four-day trip was the opportunity to hunt with the very prestigious Quorn Hunt. Dave and I borrowed horses from Irish eventing Olympian Mark Kyle.

Hunting with Mark Kyle

We hunted huge hedge fences, trappy iron gates and ditches that sent shivers down my spine over some of the most beautiful country in Leicestershire County for over four hours. I was very impressed not only by the superb country we rode, but the quality of the horses seen in the hunt.



Finally our horse shopping ventures were a success! Upgrade is a stunning five year old gelding that really stood out from the rest of the bunch. He is seven-eighths English Thoroughbred and one-eighth Irish Sport Horse. He is a very elegant mover which I think the dressage judges will be impressed with. His jump has good technique and scope to spare. All in all, Dave, Katie and I felt this horse showed the potential of a future four-star champion.

I am very fortunate for Katie and Cuyler Walker to purchase this exciting horse. He will fly to America just before the new year and join the other Walker event horse, Brewster. I hope to start eventing him sometime in February. It would also be a real thrill if I could move him up to Preliminary at the Plantation Field Horse Trials in the fall, as the Walkers are the landowners and event organizers of this great event.

-Boyd

A Gift of Art from Bramble Hollow Fine Arts

The entire crew at Windurra USA would like to thank Angela Deppe for her beautiful gift to Lillian Heard, a sculpture created out of polymer clay from a picture of Lillian on Ariel during one of their dressage tests.  I've attached a picture of the piece from Angela, which was mailed to Lillian's parents this past week.

The following is a description of Angela's business and choice in artistic medium for this sculpture.  Thanks again to Angela for all of her efforts in creating this beautiful piece!

"My business is called  Bramble Hollow Fine Arts, at www.bramblehollow.com or on facebook as Bramble Hollow Fine Arts.  I live in Sykesville, Maryland.  

Right now my sculptural art is strictly realistic portraiture, with a nod to Eastern and classical influences as far as composition and decorative elements.  My art background consists of two semesters of figurative sculpture at Towson State, a summer course at painting at The Mitchell School in Lutherville, MD with Richard House in 2000 - where I learned how to see -and most recently a course of plein air painting with Tim Bell in Easton, MD.

When I was a child, music was the family passion so there was nothing left for other pursuits. I became self taught in anything that caught my fancy - from wood burning and psanky, to watercolor and oils.  I listened very, very well at Pony Club, and wore out the how-to books in the public library.  In fact, the Pony Club moms used to call me 'Princess Daisy', because I earned my pony's hay with the premiums from my 4-H art contest winnings every year.  As an adult I took up carriage driving and was an adept student if I won the occasional spot for a clinic...wore out my volume of Centered Riding and Podhasky's books such that I won the Laurels as my first CDE with a pony I trained myself, as a green driver.

I can't help but bring that same determination to my dream business here, which shows in my ability to capture a resemblance...portrait artists aren't simply recreating beauty or expressing their own interpretation - they have to convince, as well.  I work from photos, but a solid understanding of anatomy and biomechanics gives me an edge in creating a image that celebrates the cycle of energy inherent in every pose or stride.  The artistry in my work is buried in the bas relief...I can manipulate the viewer to focus on this, lead their eye to that through detail and profile.  I want them to marvel at how different it looks from every angle and with every change in the light, so that it appears to be many works of art in one.

So much of our lives is spent in front of a flat screen - a sculpture is two dimensions closer to reality."

If interested in commissioning Angela for your own piece, her contact info is attached!

Boyd 9th in the World in HSBC Rankings

Congratulations to Boyd on finishing 2011 in the top ten elite event riders in the world! He finishes ranked ninth with 345 points, joining top riders from around the world in the upper echelon of the sport. For complete ranking information click here (be sure to scroll down for the list).

Vote for Neville for USEF Horse of the Year!!!

Lexington, KY - To reach the highest level of excellence in equestrian sport takes talent, perseverance, a tremendous spirit and often, unwavering courage. In 2011, six horses have shown the world those qualities and more. And on January 13, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will bestow two of them with the prestigious title of Horse of the Year, the highest honor the USEF awards a horse. This year - a change from years past - both a national and international horse will win. The six champions have earned their place on the elite list as USEF Horses of Honor, and each will be recognized at the USEF Horse of the Year Awards gala and dinner in January - part of the USEF Annual Meeting - at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, OH. It will be up to you to choose the two special horses, selecting from a range of talents and from across the Federation's breeds and disciplines. Your vote will help determine the champions that join the pantheon of past winners including reining horse Gunners Special Nite (2010); dressage horse Ravel (2009); driving horse Jamaica (2008); eventer Theodore O'Connor (2007); show jumper Authentic (2006); and dressage horse Brentina (2005).    Neville Bardos. StockImageServices.com. Neville Bardos (Mahayaa x Zambia) 1999 Australian Thoroughbred Gelding Owner: Neville Bardos Syndicate 2011 marked a year of tragedy for eventing rider Boyd Martin. He lost six horses in a horrific barn fire on Memorial Day but was able to save five. One of those saved was Neville Bardos. The failed Australian racehorse was trapped in the fire for nearly 45 minutes before Martin was able to pull him out. Neville suffered burns and severe smoke inhalation that required extensive rehabilitation. The prognosis was grim, but he fought through it and defied every odd. He made a miraculous recovery to return to competition two months later. Martin lost his father and father-in-law over the summer and he set a big goal for Neville to try to get him through the tragedy. Neville and Martin went on to not only compete in the CCI4* at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials - but they placed seventh out of 81 entries in September. He jumped only one of nine double-clear cross-country rounds over arguably the world's toughest cross-country track. Voting Is Now Open! Two of these six exceptional horses will be honored as the overall 2011 USEF Horse of the Year, a mark of distinction that will last a lifetime. Now, it is up to you to decide who will receive the top tribute in 2011. Simply visit http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/hoty/Default.aspx and type in your email address to access the voting portal. Voting will end at Midnight [ET] on Monday, January 2, 2012. For more information regarding the Equestrian of the Year program or any of the six Horses of Honor, contact Trisha Watkins, USEF Awards Manager, at 859.225.6944 or tlwatkins@usef.org.