A New Year is Here!

When I was little, all of the "grown-ups" would say, "Cherish your youth, because as you get older, time will fly!"  Wow, they weren't kidding!  I can't believe that we are in 2011!

The year has started off well so far.  Duncan C's Waterford, aka Newton, went off to his new home with Alex Harvey in Maryland.  They are getting along great, and he promises to send me pictures soon!  I'm so happy to have found such a great match for Newton.  

This past weekend, I had the great opportunity to ride with my coach, Kim Severson, at a local clinic.  The weather was horrendous, from pelting us with ice balls (think Dip N' Dots ice cream falling from the sky!), to 50+ mph winds, to 11 degrees in the mornings.  However, being the tough, dedicated eventers that we are, we all rode in the clinic and learned a ton.  

Bug is BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!  I show jumped him with Kim both days, and let me just say, that horse is sooo amazing.  With the help of the vets at VA Tech and some of my close horsey friends, I came up with a new feed and supplement regime that seems to have been the perfect choice for my superstar boy.  He looks and feels better than ever!  Kim was very happy with how he looks and how well he is going.  I am still working on getting my eye back, but by the second day, we were totally in sync and getting every spot.  

Renn was also an amazing boy!  Once again, Kim was very happy with how he looks and how he's going.  He has become a completely different horse in the past year.  We also show jumped both days, and Kim had him jumping some BIG BOY jumps.  He rose to the challenge, though, and answered every question.  I am so thrilled with how well he's doing.  He definitely seems ready to go!

The next excitement for Rocky Start Stables will be the addition of another resale project and a new mare to breed Renn to!  Stay tuned for pics and information!

The 2011 show season is just about upon us, and I must say, the boys and I are very excited!  Bug will head out to his first event on Feb 2nd at Full Gallop Farm in Aiken.  

I hope to keep everyone updated regularly from now on!

Thanks for reading!  Kick on!

Time flies!

I can't believe that it's December and almost Christmas already!!  Wow!  I haven't blogged in forever.  I am finding that life is getting in the way of my updates.  :)

Let's see...

1.  Bug is back in action and BETTER THAN EVER!  I can't believe how good he looks and feels.  He looks better than he's ever looked, I believe.  The change in supplements and feed has really made him bloom.  I can't wait to get back to competition with him!  

2.  Renn has continued in his superstar ways!  He did his first schooling horse trial at the Training level this fall.  It was a bit chilly for the dressage, and he was freshly body clipped, so that didn't go quite as well as expected.  However, he jumped a bold XC round and a great SJ round to end up 2nd.  I am thrilled with his progress, and he will come out in the spring doing Training.  He is also making leaps and bounds of progress in our dressage lessons.  He's turning out to be quite the baby stallion. 

 

3.  Duncan C's Waterford, aka Newton, my Conn/TB cross did his 2nd schooling horse trial this fall as well.  He was in a large 2' division and ended up 4th!  He was a super boy.  He put in a very workmanlike test for a baby, and he went on to jump 2 double clear rounds.  I was thrilled with my little man.  Newton had some visitors this past weekend to try him, and he passed his vetting yesterday, so he should be moving to his new home in MD within the next week!  What a good boy!

 

4.  Rocky Start now has Rocky Start Stables gear!  We have polos, sweatshirts, and jackets.  I'll post pics when I get the first shipment!  I'm really excited about it.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I hope to be better about keeping the updates coming next year. :) 

It's been a long time......

Wow, I can't believe it's about 3 months since I've posted!  The time has flown by.  There is a lot to cover, so I'll try to remember it all and keep things as concise as I can!

1.  Most of you probably already know that my Bugger had to have emergency colic surgery the end of August.  This was heartbreaking to me, as this is the second time we have completely lost our fall season and plans.  HOWEVER, I am THRILLED that Bug made it through the surgery and is doing great.  He is counting down until November 1st when he gets to return to work.  I'm going to take things SUPER slow, however, and have decided not to shoot to do any shows until May of next year.  I want to make sure he's well rested and brought back slowly and correctly.

2.  My student, Catherine, and her pony, Dreamin' Up a Thunderstorm, made their way to the American Eventing Championships in September.  They competed in the Junior Beginner Novice Division and brought home 8th out of over 60 starters!  I'm so proud of them!  Catherine has worked very hard with her pony.  Thunder is a super fancy pony that now has another little girl to teach.  Catherine will now begin competing her newest horse, Mr. Secret Agentman, at the Novice level, with the hopes of competing at the Training Level 3-Day next fall.  

3.  Renn has finally made his appearance back to the competition world!  He is going great, and I am very impressed with how he is maturing and changing.  I took him to a schooling dressage show the first weekend in October with great results.  We did Novice Test B and Training Test A.  He received seven "8's" throughout both tests.  I was thrilled with him.  We then set off to Why Not An American Ark on October 10th for his first recognized event since March and only his second recognized Novice ever.  He was a superstar!  He had a great dressage test filled with "7's" and only one "5" giving us a 34.8.  He jumped a great show jumping round and a brave XC round for two double clears!  He ended up coming home with a pretty red 2nd place ribbon!  I could not be prouder of him.

4.  Newton, a 5 year old Connemara/TB cross, did his first ever event with me at Hillcrest Farm in September.  He did the 2' division, and he was such a star.  For a boy that had never been to a show, he handled it all with greatness.  I am very excited about his future!

5.  My husband, Father, and Uncle put in 2 days of hard work to get my barn looking fabulous.  It's not done yet, but it's starting to look more and more like the real thing!  I'm super excited.

Well, I guess that the condensed version as best I could do it.  I hope all is well with everyone, and I'll try to be better about keeping up!

Thanks for reading.

More pics!

I finally got the pics I ordered from the MDHTII!  

 Bug wanted to jump Advanced instead...

 Bug didn't think the 5'(ish) drop wasn't big enough...he wanted

The Head of the Lake! haha

Where have we come from?

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." ~Thomas Edison

I know, I know, it's been way too long since I've posted.  I was hoping to have Bug's new pictures from the MDHTII, but they haven't come yet.  I'll have to post them next time!  

Hmmm...where to begin?  Well, let's go way back.  The way life works, sometimes, we've come such a long way in a short time, but we never really realize it until we turn around and look back.  
Yes, I've been riding since the ripe young age of 6 months.  (Yes, I count being held on horseback!)  However, if I'm honest with myself, I didn't start down the path to eventing until January of 2003.  I set off to Wilson College with my crazy OTTB and big hopes of someday doing big things.  I started in the Novice II class at Wilson.  I'd never jumped, and I barely knew a thing about dressage.  I could stick a lot of things, but I didn't have much finesse.  
Cut to May 2006...  Three and a half years have gone by. I am graduating with honors and the recipient of the Equestrienne Award for Dressage & Jumping.  I went from the Novice II riding class to having my very own Eventing riding class in such a short time.  I am thrilled, but I know I still have a long way to go.
Cut to July 2010....  Who would believe it??  I just started jumping a mere 7 years ago, and I'm competing my self started OTTB, Win the War, at the Intermediate level!  Yes, I still have a very long way to go, but I just have to look at where I've been to remind myself that it can be done!  
I think that a lot of us focus so much on where we have to go, that we forget where we've been.  Yes, there is always much to learn, but you have to remember to pat yourself on the back now and then for all of the things you've accomplished!!
Okay, enough of the reminiscing.  Now for the updates!
Let's see....
I left July 8th with Bug and Renn and headed to Charlottesville, VA for 2 days of butt kicking by my coach, Kim Severson.  She worked us hard, and I learned a lot.  I always come away with plenty of homework to keep me busy!  From there, I headed to Taneytown, MD to settle the boys into their home for a week at my friend, Elaine's.  It was to be a week full of shows, friends, family, and horses.  It was nice to be back home in "The North" for awhile.  I got to see a lot of people that I haven't seen for awhile.
On July 10th, I got up early, bathed and braided Bug, and we headed for Adamstown, MD and the Maryland Horse Trials I.  Bug was competing in a rather large division of professionals in an Open Preliminary division.  After his awesome Intermediate run in Erie, we wanted to be sure he had his confidence up by dropping him back to Prelim before his next Intermediate.  Of course, I'm not sure that Bug ever needs a confidence booster!  His head barely fits into his halter some days as it is! haha
Bug and I put in the best test we've ever had!  He was quiet, obedient, and quite round.  We ended up with a 35.9, which definitely can be improved upon, but I was thrilled.  Unfortunately, I was so happy with my newfound show jumping skills, I forgot to hold my shoulders in the triple, and we had an uncharacteristic rail.  If one thing's for sure, if we have a rail, it's ALL MY FAULT.  Bug does not like to touch the jumps!  He went on to run a pretty difficult XC run with no jump penalties and 8 time penalties.  I was thrilled with him, as there were quite a few problems on course with other riders.  We ended up 6th, which I was very happy with.
I spent the next week working the boys and enjoying my "vacation."  The following weekend, Bug was to run the Intermediate on Saturday, and Renn was running Novice on Sunday.  
I have to say, I truly believe that Bug is my once in a lifetime horse.  He has so much athleticism and intelligence, it's insane.  He LOVES his job, and he is pretty sure that he's running Rolex every time he goes out.  haha
It was sooooooooooooooooooo hot on Saturday.  I must say, I suffered a mild run-in with dehydration.  It was super hot and humid before the day even began!  Bug and I put in a good dressage test.  He was super obedient with lovely medium trots (which both scored 8's!).  Unfortunately, we're still not quite up to snuff with everyone else, so we scored a 40.  However, this is 4 points better than we did at Erie, so I was happy.  Yet again, I messed up in show jumping, costing us a rail.  I came out of a very squared turn and never put my leg on to a very upright vertical.  He got way to close and took the rail.  GRR!  I'm still beating myself up over those rails!  Anyway, besides that, it was a good round.  I have a lot of work to do, but we're getting there.  On to XC!  Bug was stellar!  I knew that I was going to have to ride very accurately and keep myself in very good balance.  Kim walked the course with me, so I knew how to ride every single thing, and I was determined to get it all right.  The course rode sooo well.  Bug was a superstar.   He is glad that I finally got the hint that he wanted to jump bigger and more difficult things! :)  I didn't push for time, as the heat was ridiculous, so we ended up with 20 time penalties, but he jumped clear!  We ended up 7th out of another big division!!  I was thrilled.
Unfortunately, after hauling Renn to the event that Sunday, he ended up being extremely lame in the dressage warm-up.  He seems to be lame on his LF again, which is quite depressing, as we couldn't figure it out last time.  It just got better.  It seems to be a mystery going on.  
Anyway, Bug's next stop is the Fairhill Horse Trials the first weekend in August.  We'll be running Intermediate again.  I have been doing my homework from Kim, and I'm working very hard on our dressage as well.  
I hope all is well with everyone else.
Kick on!

Green is a lucky color!

There are times in your eventing career, where you stop and take a look back at all that you've done.  You remember all of the horses that you've had, all of the heartbreaks you've endured, and all of the highlights.  It has been a long up and down road for me, just as it's been for most riders!  There are a lot of heartbreaks, but I must say that the highlights stand out the brightest.  I have been BLESSED with truly amazing horses, and Bug definately tops that list.  He's truly a once in a lifetime horse!  
This past Friday, my husband, Jeremiah, and I woke up around 3 am, loaded up Bug, and we headed up North to Erie, Pennsylvania.  It was a long, boring drive, but I was very excited.  We were heading to the Lost Hounds Horse Trials, and Bug and I were going to compete in our very first Intermediate.  Lost Hounds is held at the Erie Hunt and Saddle Club, which is a lovely little place with a very laid back atmosphere.  
I walked the course on Friday for the first time.  The optimum time on course was 4:45 which included 31 jumping efforts!  It was a very windy course, as they had to make a lot of loops to make the distance.  I was pretty sure that making time was not going to be an option. There were a lot of good questions, though it wasn't a HUGE course by any means.  I definately thought it was doeable, but I was going to have to be good about keeping my eye and my shoulders.  I was also giving myself "the talk" constantly that I was going to have to set him up and then leave him alone.  I couldn't be picking at him to the fences.  There were two different corner combinations, a bounce into the water with a one stride on the way out, an interesting pimple jump with a huge downside into the water and bending line over two skinnies on a one stride, another log with a huge drop hill straight to a bank up one stride down then skinny, coffin on an angle, etc.  I knew there would be plenty to keep Mr. Smarty Pants interested.  
We have been working very hard on our dressage.  Bug is not the most uphill of horses, and he has always struggled with his roundness and rideability in dressage.  However, I can confidently say that we have been making leaps and bounds in his work.  Granted, we still have a lot to do, but he has been soooo much rounder and more rideable.  He struggles to hold the roundness during his lateral work, etc, but he's getting there.  He was very rideable in our test.  It was definately the best test we've had at a recognized event.  We had two bobbles, but he came right back to being good.  There wasn't any spooking or acting silly.  He was great. We ended up with a 44.8, which was a bit disappointing, but this put us 13th out of 22, so I don't think the judge was giving away many scores that day.  I was still very happy with how my boy went, and I was looking forward to jumping on Sunday.
Bug has really started to know his job.  He's always been a pretty cool cucumber in warm-up for XC, but he has started getting a bit excited.  He was jigging in the walk, trying to veer toward the start box, and getting worked up when other horses would gallop past.  All I could do was laugh.  He wasn't bad about it, he was just showing me that he was ready.  When we left that start box, he shot out of it like he was shooting out of the starting gate!  He was ready!  My horse was AMAZING!  He jumped everything out of stride and was perfectly rideable!  There was no time on course where I felt like he wasn't listening to me.  It felt like the best ride.  I had one moment at a super skinny between trees where I got ahead, but he saved my butt.  The rest of the course rode great!  I didn't push for time, but I let him go at a pace that he felt comfortable and safe.  He was such a star.  A lot of the horses had trouble at both waters, but Bug handled everything like a champ.  I couldn't wipe the grin off of my face!!  He jumped around clear with only 8 time penalties!!  There was only one horse that made time, and that was a horse that had just run Rolex this spring.  haha  I was more than happy with him.  This moved us up to 9th.
I walked the show jumping course with the realization that it was very big, and it was going to be tough to make time, as it was outside in the grass in a big area.  I knew that I needed to ride forward and in balance to everything.  The SJ courses are known to be tough there.  I had my plan, and Bug and I went into the arena.  He was such a star again!  There were two places where I needed to push him a bit more to the base, but in true Bug style, he jumped way up over everything.  I was more than thrilled.  He was one of only 4 double clear rounds!!  
All of this hard work placed us 6th out of 22 in our very first Intermediate!!  I am sooooo happy with my superstar boy.  He is such a blessing and an amazing horse.  I am so happy and thankful!!

Here are the You Tube links to the video that I have now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmzW1SPm3I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3opUDDtl3fI


Thanks for reading our story!  Kick on!!

*Insert Creative Title Here*

I'm just dropping in for a quick update.  

 (pic is Bug showjumping at The Fork)

Bug and I have been working very hard and gearing up for the Lost Hounds HT and our first Intermediate!  Our dressage has gotten pretty amazing for us...at home.  Can we repeat it at a show?!?!  That is the question!  I'm sure going to try to keep it all together.  It's amazing what this little horse has in him.  I ride around with a big grin on my face, as he's definately the coolest horse in the world!  Not that I'm biased...  We have also been working on our straightness and accuracy while jumping.  I don't have a very big arena yet, but I figure that if we can make turns to jumps in my little space, we can make any turn!  I'm so proud of my boy.  
In the fitness area of things, I have been trying to do some different things with Bug to keep things fresh.  It gets a big boring trotting around in circles, so I've started taking him to Stone Mountain State Park to do his trots.  They have lovely manicured trails and the shade of the forests eases the heat a bit.  They also have a huge creek that runs through the park as well, and Bug LOVES to trot and play in the water.  He thinks of it as a play date rather than fitness work!  We have also started going to the Yadkin Valley Hounds (www.yadkinvalleyhounds.com) Timed Trail Rides (they're basically Hunter Paces) for our gallops.  Bug LOVES these.  I think he will be plenty fit and ready for Lost Hounds.  
We will be hitting up Hillcrest Farms Schooling Combined Test (www.hillcrestfarm.blogspot.com) next Wednesday to do an Intermediate Combined Test and run through our dressage test an extra time.  We will be leaving Friday for Erie, PA!

                                         (Bug up the bounce bank in the rain at the Virginia HT)
As for my other boy, Renn, I took him to the vet today for an ultrasound of his leg.  He has no tears or lesions on the suspensory or the suspensory branches!  He can go back to light work starting Friday.  The vet said that he must have just had a strain, but we're going to be very careful and start him back slowly.  I'm sooooo happy!  I've been praying that he would be okay.  Thank God!  I was prepared to hear bad news, but I got the  news that I wanted.  I'm very excited to get back on my boy.
That's all of the news for now.  I hope all is well with everyone.  Heels down and kick on!