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

Eventing Nation: Interviews at the American Eventing Championships

Dressage at the American Eventing Championships

It was a successful day for Remington, Neville and Charla in dressage at the AEC. Ron and Densey Juvonen's Remington XXV went early and did a good test; unfortunately fumbled the last flying change and halt but we still had a record score for him of 43 which left him tied for seventh place.

Nev went in and did a real workmanlike test and I was really pleased with him. He also had a personal best in the four-star test of 48.5 which I was very pleased with.


Ron and Densey's mare Charla got a little bit nervous and broke in the counter canter but wasn’t far off the pace with 31.1, in eighth place.


Tomorrow is cross-country for Charla and the two advanced horses have a gallop first thing in the morning, after which the US team vets will check them out. Times and results are located at the USEA Website.

-Boyd

Photos Copyright Amber Heintzberger 2010

Bid on Lessons with Boyd and Silva!

The Area II Training Training Three-Day Auction begins today! Be sure to visit the site and bid on lessons with Boyd and Silva!

Georgia or Bust..and a Brush with The Law

Yesterday we had our fourteen-hour drive from PA down to Atlanta, GA with Remington, Neville, Charla and Summer for this weekend’s AEC. My heart stopped when halfway through Georgia I saw blue flashing lights in my rear view mirror but luckily it was not the highway patrol, it was animal health inspectors. I’m glad to say all my horses’ health certificates, Coggins tests and vaccinations were up to date so I managed to continue my trip unscathed.

Chattahoochee Hills is an amazing venue. It’s my first time here and it looks like a nice place to spend the next couple of weeks, hopefully, in preparation for the WEG. All the horses shipped well and look to be in good condition to compete in this weekend’s event.

Summer competes on Thursday in the novice and the other three go on Friday.

-Boyd

FAIR FIONA W SOLD

Our home bred mare Fair Fiona W was sold last week to Janet Rubino from Malvern, PA, who is an amateur who trains with Rebecca Cord. I’m very excited that Fiona has gone to such a good home and will have such good training. We knew that they got on straight away: Janet’s a very nice, soft rider, which Fiona likes, and they look beautiful together. Since they’re in the area I will see them around and I’m looking forward to seeing them out at their first show. We had Fiona all her life and had two colts out of her, so it was kind of hard to let her go, but we’re happy that she’s going to a nice home with good people.

NJ Dressage

Silva and Caitlin spent Labor day weekend at a dressage show at the New Jersey Horse Park with four horses:

Larry and Melinda Waltons’ young mare, Constantina RRS, is only four years old and this was her first show. She was so good, she just walked on the trailer with everyone else, and at the show I got on her straightaway and she went in the big arena and was great. She won her first class with 74% and then straight afterwards she did the Materiale class four four-year-old mares and was second with a 76% to Chris Hickey. That was pretty impressive for such a baby – she had the best time, she loved to go to the show!

“Cece” came to me about six weeks ago and hadn’t even been out of the round pen yet, so she was still very green. Melinda and Larry did a really good job; it’s unbelievable how they handle all their young horses. The horses are so worldly and never have had anything bad happen to them. Melinda spends a lot of time with them so they are very good, they’ve been handled so much and so well and that makes a big difference.

Video of Cece:

Duvent

I also rode Duvent, who is also owned by Melinda and Larry. At Saugerties he was very wild and I still had to get to know him – he was good but a little bit excited. This time he was so much better! I knew what to do with him and he warmed up well and went straight into the ring. He won 2nd level test 3 with 68% on the first day and was 2nd in 2nd level test 4 with 65%. On Saturday he won 2nd level test 3 with 69% and was 3rd in 2nd test 4 with 66% and finally he was second level champion!

He is now qualified for the BLM and GAIG finals, which is exciting – we still have a month to prepare and I think we have a good chance at the finals. I’m glad I took him in all these classes this weekend to get him qualified. I’ve got him entered in the second level championships there and then in 3rd level the next day – he’s ready for it.

Videos of Duvent:








Sarah Reece came to watch Rosa – here's a photo:


Rosa Cha W took a little time off the first day – it was my fault! She’s been doing so well every time out and it was a hot windy day and I didn’t really feel like competing, which is bad when you’re at a competition! I was also wearing some spiky spurs from another horse and I should have switched with Caitlin, who was also at the warm-up. Rosa warmed up a little wild and I thought she’d be fine, but then they said it’s time to go in. I thought, “Oh shit…” as she was snorting and still a bit wild. We went in and she was up like a champion but when I asked her to canter I just touched her with a spur and she squealed and bucked and had the best time! She’s a very electric horse, which is going to be awesome when she gets to Grand Prix, but this was a reminder that I still have to ride her! I’m glad that happened because it’s a reminder when I get to the BLM final that I have to ride her more the first day. She still got 65%, which is low for her but not bad. She was still a little up the next day but was much better: still a little tense, but she scored 69% in training level. She will go to the finals and I will definitely be ready for her there!




This weekend Caitlin rode Zanadoo, a sales horse owned by Sara Hughes, at his first dressage show. I had Caitlin ride him because I wanted to see how he’d do with a little bit less experienced rider than me and he was great: he trailered well and didn’t spook at anything. He did 1st level and was 2nd the first day with 66%, then placed 3rd on the second day with 65%, again at first level. I don’t think it will take long to sell him: he’s an Oldenburg gelding, only six years old, and he looks beautiful and was so easy to ride.

-Silva