Shares Still Available in Rosa Cha W Syndicate!

I would again like to extend the invitation to join the Rosa Cha W syndicate. We started the syndicate last year when Rosa was a real baby, and she is growing up fast and is turning into a top class competitor. I know that Rosa will go all the way, and it is so much fun to watch her improve and move up the levels.

Rosa is already qualified for the Championships for 6-Year-Olds after only two starts. We won the Markel Qualifier at the Spring challenge two weeks ago with 76%. Her plan for the rest of the season is to show in third level and the 6-year-old classes and I am hoping to be very competitive in the 6-year-old championships at DRESSAGE AT DEVON in September and at the USEF National Young Horse Finals in Kentucky at the end of the year.



The way she is developing, I think she will be ready for her first Prix St. Georges by the end of next year. I would love to have you join Rosa and me on our journey up to Grand Prix!

For more information please click here, and call directly to discuss your interest in this amazing horse.
610 806 2721

Silva

2011 Palm Beach Derby: Silva's Final Trip to Florida

Devon in Wellington

We had a successful final trip to Wellington this weekend. Devon, Kymmy, (Kymberly Pullen) and I drove to Wellington last Monday morning to compete at the Palm Beach Derby. I had Aesthete, Duvent, Rosa Cha W and Austin and Kymmy had her horse Wiedermark. Poor Devon had to leave Rembrandt at home because he got a little splint two days before we left.

Lesson with Michael Barisone

On Wednesday I took Rosa, Aesthete and Duvent for lessons with Michael Barisone. I also did that on our last trip to Florida and Michael has been very helpful; I enjoy working with him very much. Michael also came out to help me warm up at the show and that was great!

Duvent

We started showing on Friday. Duvent is getting better and better about dealing with the pressure at the show; he still gets worried, but I am so happy about him getting better every time out. He did very well in his first class, third level test 3: we scored 65% and finished third. On Saturday he came out even more relaxed and we scored almost 68% and finished an equal second to Aesthete. By the time Sunday came along he was tired, which is a good thing for him! He was very rideable and I thought that was our best test yet. We did do a few extra changes, which is fine for now, and we finished 6th .

Stately

Aesthete (Stately) was a star this weekend! He was already soooo much better than last time. He really could not have gone better or tried harder for me. We won third level on Friday and Saturday with 71% and 69%. On Sunday we finished second in the Markel Young Horse Qualifier with 77.6%.

Rosa Cha W

Rosa Cha W is growing up so fast! She still has to get physically stronger but she is mentally becoming a real competitor. She really is a wonderful horse and I know that she will go all the way. She did her first third level test this weekend and finished third on 66%; on Sunday she scored 72% in the six-year-old class and finished fourth!

I also rode Amy Heron's Austin for the first time. Amy and Austin have been with me for a few months now. I am training Austin, who is a 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood, for Amy. I rode him this weekend and Amy is going to start showing him once we get back to PA. Austin was great: he won first level 3 on Friday with 67%. On Sunday he was a little worried about the strong wind and scared of the flapping tent, but he still finished fifth in his first time competing at second level.

My student Kymmy and her horse Markie did very well in third level, scoring 67% and finishing third!

-Silva

CRACKERJACK FOR SALE!

NAME: Crackerjack

SEX: Gelding

COLOUR: Grey

HEIGHT: 16.1 H

DATE OF BIRTH:

PLACE OF BIRTH: Carrol County N.H.

SIRE: Aberjack

DAM: Satan's Slave (by Raise A Native)

BREED: Thoroughbred

BREEDER: Colin Davidson/Lucy Boynton

PLACE OF BIRTH: Holderness N.H.

OWNER: Colin Davidson



Crackerjack is a purpose bred event horse who was bred, trained and produced by the late Colin Davidson. Colin put years of hard work and passion creating this wonderful young horse who is for the rider looking to go all the way!! He has it all; jump, scope, movement, tempermant and quality.

He is currently cruising around prelim, with intermediate in his sights!! I urge any rider with dreams and aspirations of winning a four star to come try this horse.


Boyd 610 806 2381

Sporting Days in Aiken March Horse Trials

While Boyd was down in sunny Florida at the PRO DerbyCross, Lillian, Caitlin and Sara were back in South Carolina competing at the Sporting Days in Aiken horse trials. Their results are as follows:

Preliminary Horse

Lillian Heard riding Ariel, 16th place

Preliminary Rider

Sara Gumbiner riding Child's Play, 12th place

Open Training

Lillian Heard riding Only To You, 19th place

Training Horse B

Caitlin Silliman riding Steady Eddie, owned by George and Gretchen Wintersteen, 9th place

Lillian Heard riding PartyBoy, owned by Fernanda Kellogg, 12th place

Training Horse A

Caitlin Silliman riding Cagney Herself, owned by Bonnie Stedt, 5th place

Novice Horse

Lillian Heard riding Ambassador's Rose, owned by Jacqueline Gilbertson

Evening Entertainment

Eventing fans, be sure to tune in tonight on the USEF Network for live coverage from Wellington, Florida of the PRO DerbyCross!

The PRO DerbyCross will be one of the features of Nations Cup night at the FTI WEF. Olympic Gold Medalist David O'Connor will host a course walk at 5 p.m. followed by the PRO DerbyCross Team Competition at 5:30 p.m.

Along with Olympian Leslie Law (Team GBR, Boyd Martin (Team USA) will host the two and a half hour team competition featuring five teams. Teams are composed of, three event riders, one show jumper and one polo player. Each team member will jump a course featuring cross-country fences and show jumps accompanied by music spun by DJ Gabriel Nino. A combination of cross-country and show jumps, the course demands bravery and accuracy from horses and riders all while competing against the clock.

Team HAYGAIN: Captain Phillip Dutton (E); Sinead Halpin (E), Bobby Costello (E), Katie Prudent (SJ) and Nic Roldan (P)

Team FarmVet/Cavalor: Captain Buck Davidson (E), Bruce Davidson (E), Will Faudree (E), Aaron Vale (SJ) and Kris Kampsen (P)

Team Guardian Horse Bedding: Captain Karen O'Connor (E), Clark Montgomery (E), Hannah Sue Burnett (E), Laura Kraut (SJ) and John Gobin (P)

Team Triple Crown: Captain Allison Springer (E), Marcia Kulak (E), Will Coleman (E), Georgina Bloomberg (SJ) and Luis Escobar (P)

Team Canada: Captain Kyle Carter (E), Rebecca Howard (E), Jessica Phoenix (E), Ian Millar (SJ) and Brandon Phillips (P)

PRO DerbyCross will be webcast live on iEquine.com, http://www.iequine.com/events/pro-derbycross, with film production provided by CatchRide.

Operation Homefront, http://www.operationhomefront.net, is the charitable partner of PRO DerbyCross. Autographed, handpainted birdhouses will be sold in the PRO DerbyCross patron's tent with all proceeds benefitting Operation Homefront, which provides morale boosting programs and financial assistance to US Military family members and wounded soldiers.

Note: a few substitutions have been made for the above polo players but we do not have an updated list. Bobby Costello replaces Jennie Brannigan, who broke her collarbone in a fall from a young horse last week.

Surprised, Amazed and Very Disappointed

Obviously the big news as of yesterday is that the race for the next American coach has been narrowed down to David O’Connor and Leslie Law. Both of these guys are Olympic champions and terrific coaches and either of them would definitely make an excellent coach for the American team.

What I must get off my chest is that I’m absolutely flabbergasted that the proposal presented by Phillip and Bobby failed to even make the second round of the selection process without consideration.

I’ve had extensive coaching and training from Phillip over the last three years and this guy has turned me into the successful rider that I am today. He’s shared with me his philosophies, training methods and personal intuition and turned me into one of America’s leading riders. In my heart of hearts I truly believe that if Phillip could get this job as the US coach, he could do the same thing that he’s done for me for a huge number of riders dreaming of representing the United States in eventing competition.

Before the final interview with the search committee I was privileged to spend an evening with a few friends of Phillip and Bobby as they had a practice run, going through their proposal, before meeting with the selection committee. Their ideas for attracting owners and sponsors to the sport and improving America’s performance on the world stage are breathtaking. I was so impressed with their thoughts and ideas for the next generation of riders, I left the proposal preview assured that the search committee would at least extend their ideas to the final round.

To me, as one of American eventing’s representatives, I think it’s an absolute disgrace that the opportunity for the riders’ voices and the riders’ opinions, on hearing out the proposal, has been squashed before it even made it to the table. From the way I see it, the search committee did not take into account the proposals made by the applicants; from an outsider looking in, they had their minds made up before the phone call was even made. Phillip and Bobby’s proposal was exceptional and that their ideas were not made public to the Active Athletes Committee is a disgrace. These are the people who will ultimately be influenced by the chosen coach, and I feel that the selection of our coach has been taken away from the riders.

Make no mistake, I think either David or Leslie would make a great coach and would have my full support, whoever is chosen. The disappointing part to me is that the members of the Active Athletes’ Committee will not even have an opportunity to look at Phillip and Bobby’s plan and to me that is outrageous.

-Boyd

Ringwood Murphy Sold!

Ringwood Murphy

I want to send out a big congratulations to George and Gretchen Wintersteen on the quick and surprise sale of their imported Irish Sport Horse Ringwood Murphy who I've had in training for about 12 months. They brought this gelding over from the Ringwood Stud in Ireland 18 months ago and he made a quick and successful transition up to preliminary level before his sale was completed this week. I'd like to thank Courtney Cooper from C-Square Farm for being the agent and broker in the deal with a buyer from California. I wish Murphy all the best in his travels and his competition career on the West Coast and would also like to thank Gretchen and George for trusting me as this horse's trainer for the past year.

-Boyd