Team MP Carmel Valley Fundraiser

I don't even know where to start in order to explain how FANTASTIC the Carmel Valley fundraiser was on May 16. I guess I should start by thanking the "Team MP Committee" for all their hard work and time spent pulling off such a great day. All we had to do was drive in, meet our supporters, ride for them and then go head home. The CV fundraiser committee included: Nancy Bareilles, Katy Peterson, Julie Culver, Susan Baxter, Erin Branson, Susan Rowland, Elizabeth Pasquinelli, Margaret Robinson and Andrea. These ladies are go getter's to say the least. And they know how to throw a party!


The setting

When we arrived everything was set up and the setting was unbelievable. The Carmel Valley Trail and Saddle Club is like a park, tucked into the mountains. Its lush and green and very low key so the atmosphere was very relaxed. The Committee had decorated all of the tables, serving areas and silent auction coral in red white and blue. Everything was so darling and perfect!



The event started at 2 pm with cocktail hour, silent auction opening and was followed up with tri-tip and the works! Every detail was attended to...even down to tin plates and red, white and blue wrapped silverware!




After the mid-afternoon lunch, the demonstrations began. First, Tiana Coudray, a top US Three-Day Event rider, rode a young horse over fences and on the flat to demonstrate the skills of three-day horses. She and the horse were beautiful together, there were many oh's and ah's from the crowd. Next up was me and MP with our freestyle. For whatever reason, riding in front of this crowd was the most nervous I've ever been on a horse. We started with a little warm up from Ellen, in which Katy P was able to talk the crowd through some of the movements required in dressage. Then our freestyle to the Can Can, Cabaret and the Stripper. We showed off some of the new freestyle moves which debuted without a hitch.

The fundraiser was more successful that we ever imagined. It was just perfect. There is no other way to explain it. We had a wonderful time and the event put us over half way to our fundraising goal. As I said before, the group of people that pulled this off for us are amazing. We couldn't ask for a better support team. Thank you Team MP!!!

Team MP Fundraiser - THIS WEEKEND!!

The Carmel Valley fundraiser is upon us. We will head down to Carmel Sunday morning for a fun-filled afternoon of horses, BBQ and silent auctions. Please come if you can, it will be a blast!

Thank you to the Team MP Carlen Fundraiser steering committee: Nancy Bareilles, Julie Culver, Katy Peterson, Ellen Eckstein, Susan Rowland, Susan Baxter, Margaret Robinson, Erin Branson, Elizabeth Pasquinelli, Patsy Schulte. These ladies are AMAZING and really know how to move and shake to make things happen! The US Team Trials are possible because of you!

For more information on the fundraiser, please click here.

May 16th - Carmel Valley Fundraiser for Team MP

Mark your calendars! Team MP is hosting a fundraiser at the Carmel Valley Trail and Saddle Club. The even starts at 2:00 and will include demonstrations, including Moneypenny and I riding our freestyle, a BBQ meal and more! I hope you will join us, it should be a terrific event!! Go here for the event flyer and more info. Thank you Team MP!!!!

LubriSyn Sponsored!!!

Its official! I'm a LubriSyn sponsored rider. We have been using LubriSyn as part of Moneypenny's program for three years now. We've been so happy with it that we've put all of our competitive horses on it. Thank you LubriSyn! I'm proud to be part of your team!

YAHOOOOO!!!!!

You can't have a weekend like we just had and have some silly, she-she title to your blog post. YAHOOOOO!!! seems appropriate.

We have returned from the Del mar CPEDI3* and I'm pleased to announce that we did quite well - we swept all three of our classes AND won the overall highpoint. Which means we won a Borne saddle! And earned our certificate of capability AND qualified for National Championships. Not a bad weekend.



We had the entire Team MP support system there: Ellen, Steve, Nancy, Julie, Katy, Mom & Dad as well as Scott and Devon. The two weeks prior to the show I was a mess. A complete and total wreck. Devon wouldn't let me spend too much time around MP as she didn't want me to "rub off" on her. Devon is a good assistant! Luckily we were able to spend a few days of training at Ellen's prior to Del Mar so I was polished leading up to the competition. And Steffen was able to squeeze us into his busy show schedule so we got a little tune up on Thursday after the jog.



There were 8 riders there for the Para division. There were three grade IV's (one with two horses), three grade III's, and a grade II. Two of the grade IV's were non US, one was Canadian, the other Australian. Holly Bergay was there too, but unfortunately had to scratch prior to the jog.


Our panel of judges included two of the judges for the WEG, one of them being the head judge, so the pressure to impress was really on. And I really didn't think I was going to do well. I had gotten a cold on the way to Del Mar and it was in full effect by the jog. I couldn't breath and I was afraid to take anything because of the athlete drug rules. And I couldn't sleep because I couldn't breath, so I was exhausted.



I was quite surprised by our win on Friday. I had received the wrong information about our ride time and we didn't double check the info ourselves so we almost had a tragic chain of events. As we were taking our time getting prepared for the Team Test on Friday, the TD popped by to check in on us. She was chatting away with us and then was bidding us farewell when she said, "see you in a half hour." I said,"What?! I'm supposed to ride at 8:45!" She said, "no, we have you at 8:15." Team MP went into overdrive. Devon braided at lightning speed, Scott groomed, I got dressed and Ellen through herself together (she was still at the hotel). I trotted to the warm up and had about 15 mins before my ride. Not much of a warm up. Ellen had to yell at me from across the ring because we didn't have time to put the head sets on.





As I trotted around the ring for my test, I got really worried. MP was feeling backed off and not warmed up. I put in a solid test, but I didn't think it was good enough. I barely had canter extensions and I didn't have trot extensions. I though I would get a low 60's. And the first report that came in was that I had received a 64.5%. We knew we had our qualifying score, but also knew that that score wouldn't cut it for international competition. Then it turned out we had again received bad info. I had received 645 points, not a 64.5%. So I actually received at 67%!!! That put us in first and was the highest para score for the day. It was a huge relief! And the two WEG judges gave us the highest scores. So we got a neck ribbon, a cooler and got to do a victory dance.

Then the pressure was off. Just like that. My confidence went back up, I was still sick, but I knew we were on the right track. And I knew I could ride the next test better.

The next day brought more exhaustion. I hadn't slept well and I was really sick. But at least we had the right ride time! I had a proper warm up and I felt like the test went well. Two of the judges agreed, the judge at C scored me 5 percentage points lower than the other two and placed me in third. Luckily the other two scores were high enough that I still got a 67% and still won the class. Neck ribbon/victory lap #2 & a basket of Mushroom Matrix! I could get used to this.






Day three brought a wiped out Susan, a wiped out MP and a tired groom. Devon had spent the whole weekend working her tail off, making MP look perfect and networking with all the other world class groom's: Ruben (Debbie McDonald), Fernando (Guenter Siedel), and Rafael (Steffen Peters). They were all showing her the ropes!

But day three was also the fun day - the freestyle! And boy was is a freestyle. I wasn't sure how it went but the crowd seemed pleased, and the judges had big smiles. And the scores reflected that! I received a 72%, and a 76% from the head WEG judge!!!! The weekend was over, it was successful and we could go home! But not yet, we had also won the overall highpoint which earned us the Borne saddle!

Team MP went to celebrate with a slew of photos followed up with Susan, Devon and Scott packing up the trailer and heading off into the sunset! I'll blog next week on whats to come, we ain't done yet!



Team MP

New Interview!

I was recently interviewd by the WEG Online Radio Show. You can catch the interview here.

Boo-YA! A very long post....I have a lot to say! Pictures to come...

Show season started off with a bang! MP & Verite were both AMAZING!!! Here's the recap:

We got to Rancho Murietta last Thursday, arriving in the big new 6 horse trailer loaded with 4 horses and all of their needs. We have dubbed this trailer "MP's RV." Anyhow, we roll into Rancho Murietta to find big white tents EVERYWHERE. Turns out the US Open is being held at Pebble Beach this year so they moved all the horsey stuff to Rancho Murietta for the year. Lucky us (she says in a Debbie Downer way). It did mean that we would be out of the rain for the weekend, but it also meant we were riding in banging, flapping, humongous tents. The ponies were none-to-excited. I even opted to lunge miss MP for good measure. Miss Verite chose to walk around on her hind legs for the first day prompting people to ask me "would you like some help?" I forget that the visual of "girl-with-one-arm" plus "rearing-mare-posing-as-a-stallion" always equals "someone-go-save-that-girl-before-she-gets-herself-killed." If only they knew the stuff I've seen and experienced from the good-ole-days of Tom & Ellen's three ring circus clinics! Back to the recap...

Most of our barn showed up by 3 pm on Thursday. Our trusty coach Ellen came with Wendy Morgan and Alder from Wyoming, followed by Katey A with Roman and Odie with Fairbare. Amanda & Doni came with us, and Pam Lovelle with Dylan and Rebecca with Tensleep showed up a little after Ellen. Katie D and Will and Eva and Final pulled up the rear. It was fun having 10 horses and two tackrooms in our fleet!

Most of the horses started off on edge, but surprisingly by showtime Friday they had all settled a bit. Luckily we all had Ellen there to help us get them settled and relaxed as well as looking good in show form. I opted to show MP Fri, Sat and Sun and Verite on Sat and Sun so she would have some time to settle.

The Para tests are new this year so I was a bit anxious to show them. MP had a year off and prior to her injury, I wasn't able to break 68% with her. I was able to set a personal best with Final last year at Pebble Beach with a 70, but MP was just getting there when she pulled her suspensory. Plus, we had checked the early scoring for the day and it was obvious the judges were not handing out scores. Most of the scores we saw early on were in the low 60's and there were quite a few in the high 50's. Of course, once Ellen's crew started riding, we saw the scores start to go up!

The last thing I needed after last year was a bad show. Luckily, I had a trusty crew with me to help me stay focused and positive. Devon, MP's now personal assistant was there taking care of all of MP's needs. Amanda didn't show on Fri, so she was acting as backup helping with whatever she could (btw - that girl can set up a tackroom, she's like Indian Jones with bailing twine!) and of course, Horse Show Husband was there doing his thing, with a few less duties thanks to Devon and Amanda. And of course Ellen was there to warm us up. MP was tight in the warm up ring and Ellen was working us over pretty good to get more of a "falling down neck" as well as bigger strides behind. I wasn't getting it so I kind of gave up a little right before I went in the ring. I figured it was the first show and I needed to take it easy on Miss MP. After all, Del Mar is the show that really counts. So I decided to give it my best effort but not push her for pizazz.

The ride started and as I came down centerline on my tight little girl she whinnied. Crap, was the first thought in my mind, followed by, oh well. As I turned left at C after my halt salute, the judge rang the bell. I knew I hadn't made an error, so I continued on. More bell ringing. So I stopped and the judge said, "You went the wrong way, you were supposed to go right." I said, "Which test do you have?" She said, "the Team Test, do you know it?" I said "Yes, I think you have the wrong Team Test, is it from 2010?" She said, "No, 2006." I said, "Oh, there are new tests, lets get the correct version." Then out trotted Devon, correct test in hand for the judge. The judge apologized profusely and I just said, "no worries, gives me another opportunity to come down centerline sans whinnying horse." So I started the test again. And guess what.? MP whinnied in the exact same place. "Oh brother," is what I thought. But the test went quite well. She was tight, and a little tense with all the wind and flapping tents outside the main ring, but she was obedient. We had one small mistake in a simple change, but no major errors and no spooks or bolts or anything naughty. After my final halt salute I had a little mini break down walking out of the arena. I was SO happy to have MP back. And to have her first test go off like that with all that was going on around us. Of course Ellen was there to say, "it was a nice test, but we need to get her let down over her back and taking bigger steps behind for the next test." Onward and upward!

We had a break in between rides so we took her back to the barn for a little downtime. Soon thereafter I got a text from our friend in the show office. It read "71." Holy crap! Our first test out, with a small mistake, tough judging, a restart, two whinnies, a tight back, banging tents, and a lack of "pizazz" MP and we just got a 71! I think all the training is paying off! I was beside myself. I actually wanted to quit and go home. But nope, trusty coach Ellen sent me back to the warm up to get that back loosened up and that neck more let down. And of course it paid off because the next test, the Para Individual received a 72% and that was with two judges! Day one down, and I had two all time highs AND I had the highest scores of the day. BUT I wasn't finished...Miss V needed schooling.

So off we went back to the barn, tacked up Verite and went up to the tents to try out the wanna be stallion at her first horse show. She was quite good. A little strong, and definitely not interested in taking her canter departs without a buck. Good thing Ellen was once again there to guide us through. After a good hour, V had her departs and I felt like she would be showable the next day, which was good because I was to ride her first thing, then MP in the afternoon. Four rides in one show....this would be fun!

My morning started off with me begging Ellen to let me scratch one of my rides on MP. I think I was scared to blow a test after having two solid scores. She gently reminded me that today, all of Team MP (except Mr. Peters because he was showing AND WINNING in FL) would be there to see us go. I grumpily went back to my tack room but agreed that I needed to ride both tests. So the day would go as follows: back-to-back first level tests on V, followed by an hour break and back to back tests on MP, including my freestyle.

Verite turns out to be a little competitor. Her warm up went ok, but as soon as she hit the show ring, she turned on like a light bulb. Focused, determined and willing. Oh and compliant too! Which is a first...

Her tests went better than I expected. She was a little tight and broke in the canter (because of me), but she received two 66%'s and two 2nd places. Not bad for her first dressage show ever!! Federica was there to see, which made me feel very good because I really didn't want to disappoint Federica.

After a quick break and a quick switch, it was once again MP's turn. She put in a rock solid test, but once again I didn't want to push her, so I took it easy on the pizazz. And out popped another 72%! I do like consistency. I was really happy with this score because she felt so soft through the test and it was so easy. Plus, Team MP got to see her go for the first time in a year and they too were very pleased. And then came the freestyle....

We went back to the barn and while Devon took care of MP, I rode my freestyle over and over again in my head. And in the barn aisle. I was really nervous. I hadn't really practiced the freestyle, so I was just hoping to get through it with little to no bobbles. And no bobbles were had! It was a great freestyle. And the best part was all of Team MP, my parents, my friends and even some of my Somerset barnmates were there cheering me on. It was definitely something I'll never forget! We all went back to the barn for happy hour and awaited the score, which my dad felt the need to speechify and keep from me as long as possible until I went nuts. 74.6% again from two judges!!!!! Team MP went nuts and then went to dinner!

Sunday came early. We decided to scratch MP because she was so good and there was no sense using her up before Del Mar. We still have a few weeks of training and we are definitely going to bring out the pizazz there. I'm not expecting 70%'s in Del Mar, I'm just hoping to pull of a 60+ so we aren't through for the year.

It was nice being able to concentrate on V. Her first test was a little rocky and I had to throw in an extra circle because she broke in the canter, but she was still pretty solid like the day before. She received at 61% (2nd place), not qualifying, but expected because of the errors. Her second test was much better, but she was definitely showing her FEI horse frame (she doesn't know thats not acceptable at first level) so we received another 66% (1st place). Her scores would definitely go up if she was longer and lower, but she's built like an FEI horse and we don't want to discourage her. Plus mid to high 60's are EXTREMELY respectable scores for a first show! Can't wait to see where Miss V goes, I think she has big things to come in her future....

All in all it was the prefect 1st show...now onto to Del Mar...

Summit Equine Nutrition

I've been meaning to post about one of my sponsors, Summit Equine Nutrition. Summit is owned and operated by Dr. Clair Thunes, equine nutritionist. Clair approached me a few years back and offered us her services. She has developed nutritional programs for all of our horses. And she was instrumental in helping pull together a feeding program for Moneypenny after her episode with ulcers. MP is looking better than ever and has been away from home a few times now with no digestive upsets! Thank you Clair!!!

Wonderful Weekend with Ellen

You know its time to work on something when nearly every horse you are working with needs that something...thats what I experience this weekend. For whatever reason, the horsemanship gods have brough me three horses that all require me to be "quick" so that I can truely get to their feet. No lollygagging here!

There was a time when these gods brought me a slough of horses that required me to be "quiet." Then there was the string that needed me to be patient - more patient than I knew how to be. There was also the lot where I needed to be "slow" or "steady" or the group that taught me how to concentrate without giving myself a headache. Its all part of the onion, one layer at a time, one more tool in the tool box.

So as frustrating as it may be to hit the wall, it is the perfect situation to "perfect" a certain skill.

All the horses wound up great this weekend with Ellen here. MP is the star as usual, always so steady always so exceptional. At this point with her its about keeping her in condition and bumping everything up a notch for competition.

Verite may have turned the corner this weekend. She has had this little thing where when she meets bit pressure, she shuts down. Ok so not a little thing, pretty important. After a few tough lessons with me trying to be quick while not getting frustrated or giving up she unlocked. We thought she could move before, now we know she can move even more! Just in time for her first show!

Now to prepare the tests...only three weeks to go before show season begins!

Some pics of my week with Ellen

We had a fantastic week with Ellen and the girls (MP & Verite)! Getting ready for 2010 and ringing in the new year!

Collected trot:

Extended trot - with SUSPENSION!

Verite learning how to be a showgirl:

The Long Awaited Steffen Peters Training Session post

The Barn at Arroyo Del Mar

Thanksgiving is the day we celebrate what we are most thankful for. Friends, family, life, love, happiness, and horses are the things I am most thankful for. This Thanksgiving I had a life changing experience that I will be thankful for years to come. This Thanksgiving I was invited to Arroyo Del Mar, the home and training facility of the number one ranked rider in the world, Steffen Peters, for a week of training.

It is hard to find words to express my experience at Arroyo Del Mar. Life changing. Inspirational. Honored. Big-time world class. Blessed. Eye opening. Those are a few that come to mind.

Let me start first with Steffen. Everyone always says he's a nice guy. Well there are lots of people out there that people say are a nice guys. Steffen is not just a nice guy. He is one of the most gracious, inspirational people I've met to date. The way he handles himself, they way he runs his operation, the way he rides and the overall feeling you get being around him. And he seems to invest himself in the people that work with him. At least that is how I felt. You quickly realize why he is so good at what he does. He is a real horseman and very professional about it.

When we (Scott, MP and I) arrived to Arroyo Del Mar on Monday the 23rd we were intimidated to say the least. The facility is exquisite. Everything is top notch from the grounds, to the footing, to the barn and management, to the equipment, and then the horses. I made sure everything we brought was spotless including myself and Miss MP, but that didn't help. Walking through a barn of 75 horses, which are some of the best in country and world, makes you feel like a peanut and a little bit like a hillbilly. Seriously, I thought I heard banjos playing behind us as we drove in. I quickly started to notice small dust particles in the stitching of my halter, or the small manure dot on MP's shipping wraps, and where she blew her nose on the back of my shirt. Panic set in. Because going into a facility like Arroyo Del Mar you immediately think that everything is going to be high stress and there is going to be a tremendous amount of pressure to be perfect. And you immediately conclude that everyone you encounter from then on must be uptight for this place to be so nice. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Our first encounter with Team Peters was Lauren. Lauren is like a pogo stick, bouncy and bubbly and all smiles. And she was extremely welcoming and friendly. She helped us find Dawn, Team Peters member number 2, who graciously got us set up with a stall, a place for tack, and anything else we needed. Over the course of the next five days we met the rest of Team Peters who are all very unique and exceptional at what they do. They were all welcoming and kind and they were people you'd love to have a beer with. Like good old friends. It was eyeopening to see a facility run so well, top notch horses, riders, equipment and care and have the people holding up that standard be so warm and friendly. I wish more in the horse business, especially dressage barns, would operate in this way. You can be the best of the best and be cool calm and collected all at the same time.

TRAINING - DAY 1

The 20 m circle

I'm not going to lie. We barely got off the 20 m circle on day 1. Steffen wanted to see us cold from the start so he could evaluate us from the ground up. I was 4 strides into my warm up trot when he asked me to come over to him so he could explain a few things.

Explaining the basics - "keep it simple, don't over complicate"

Uh oh. Even though you know you are riding with the best rider in the world to improve your own riding, you still want to impress them. But all ego immediately went out the window. We were here to learn and become a better team. Steffen immediately saw right through us. I'm doing too much and essentially dulling MP out. I'm overusing my leg, my right rein and shes not responding to anything I'm doing. He wanted her a little more deep and round in the frame during the warm up and wanted her to be really forward. He said it would make collecting her and bringing her into competition frame easier. So we spent day 1 learning the basics. Or as Steffen said, "you are on the crash course." If I use my leg, something should happen. She should stay in front of the leg, if she doesn't, make it happen. He wanted me to make mistakes, not cover them up. Make them, use them as a training opportunity and move on. Don't be afraid to not be perfect.

TRAINING - DAY 2

Trot work day 2

Day 2 started off much improved from day 1. I was able to warm up with Steffen's suggestions so that we were ready to go when our lesson started. We worked on the same basics but included more suppleing and movements. We worked on halts, corners, centerline, straightness and preparation for movements. Less "riding around" more planning and accuracy. He said this needs to become part of our daily workouts. He also wanted to try MP in a solid short shanked curb. Her curb had a mobile mouthpiece and he thought it was not appropriate for a soft horse like MP. Being Steffen, he also refused to let us go buy a new bit and gave us the curb that was right for MP. Like I said, he's not just a nice guy...

Making adjustments

TRAINING - DAY 3 (Thanksgiving)

They have a pretty serious schedule at Arroyo Del Mar. All the horses get ridden in the morning by Steffen, Shannon and the assistant trainers. The barn is buzzing by 6:30 am with the horses already fed and grained. So it did not go unnoticed when only a few horses were ridden on Thanksgiving and I seemed to have the only lesson. I was very grateful and honored that Steffen put me into his schedule.

He wanted to see me ride through the new 2010 FEI Para Individual Test. The previous day he asked me to recite it to him so we could ride it the next day. I had to do the "ah, I haven't quite memorized it yet." He didn't make a big deal of it or even say a word but I upon return to the barn I promptly printed out the tests (thanks Dawn!) and began memorizing like crazy. That's the thing about the atmosphere there, it inspires YOU do to better. No one has to tell you to do better. Your expectations of yourself change. More on that later...

Steffen and Betty supervising

With a little warm up and a little help from Steffen (and Betty too) we were ready to ride the test for the first time. Here I was on Thanksgiving day, with Steffen Peters - did I mention he's the best rider in the world - about to ride the new tests for the first time and I haven't even practiced a single movement. I memorized the tests the night before, including a 3 am wake up to go over my canter tour, I wasn't sure I really knew them. "This is going to be a disaster," is what I was thinking as I was trotting down centerline.

Guess what? It wasn't! It actually wasn't half bad! In fact it was quite good. Could it be better? Of course! Perfected? Definitely! Were some elements sloppy? Yup, but all in all much improved over my test riding from the year before. You can view the test here on YouTube in HQ.

TRAINING - DAY 4

Again, it did not go unnoticed when Steffen told me to be ready to ride at 7:15 am. He had a busy day in front of him. He needed to get his horses ridden and needed to get on a plane to fly to Florida to give a clinic. Again, he had put me into the schedule. So there I was at 7:15 ready to roll. He used the last day to solidify the things we had been working on all week. Less is more, get in, get out, get the response, forward yet supple, keep it simple.

Our last warm up

He directed me to go home, work on these things, work on my corners, halts, centerlines, walk pirouettes and of course straightness. I'm to try and eliminate the busy right hand (which was better already) and get a better response from my leg to keep MP fresh and in front of my leg (go figure it also makes me sit more straight in the saddle). And I'm to do this 5 days a week for no more than 30 mins a day with a two day straight break inbetween. And ride the tests!

FINAL THOUGHTS & NEXT STEPS

As I said before, visiting Arroyo Del Mar and working with Steffen has been a lif changing experience. I feel so honored that he has been willing to help coach us to the next level. Just being in the Arroyo Del Mar environment for 5 days and watching the horses and the riders and trying to absorb it all like a sponge has changed my expectations. I think my baseline has changed for the quality of work I should expect of myself. And to see the teamwork that goes into operating a world class training facility. Team Peters is truly unique and they have to know that. There were horses and riders from all over the country there to train with Steffen and Shannon. I feel blessed that I can now be counted among them.

Next on the agenda is to work at all of this at home with Ellen and come back in March before the Del Mar CDI. The plan is to come for some training and Steffen has offered to coach us at the show. The Del Mar CDI will be a big deal for the US Para Team because we will have another opportunity to get our certificate of capability and riders from Canada and Mexico will likely be showing against us. I'm really looking forward to the events leading up to the WEG. I think having Steffen and Team Peters in our corner is just what we need to help us to the top.

I'd like to thank Steffen and Shannon and the rest of Team Peters (Kate, Dawn, Lauren, Rafael, Ashlee, and anyone else that we didn't get to meet but who is part of their success), Rebbecca and Tessa for letting us "crash" in their tackroom, and of course my wonderful husband Scott (aka horse show husband) who sat there and watched endless circles all while taking 600 + photos and hours upon hours of video. I love you honey!

Scott proves he was there

Overdue Ellen Clinic post

We had Ellen here a few weeks ago and had a great clinic as usual. I rode Amigo, Verite and miss MP had her first lesson back!

With Amigo, it was clear than I am the problem in this relationship. Too nagging with my seat, not clear enough with my reprimands, and way too slow. So he's kind of bullying me around. Not fun since he's so big and strong and athletic. But with Ellen's help we got going and had two great lessons and have since decided he needs to back back to bootcamp with his trusty bootcamp general, Katey!

With Verite, we worked on her responding better from behind and learning to sit when she meets bit pressure. Its coming quicker for her in the trot than it is in the canter. You can watch her here and here.

And then there was miss Mp's first ride back. I've been very careful with her since her injury, so I haven't wanted to do anything with her that might be too much. But our timing for a lesson was just right because it turns out she needed to do a little more to get going right and get up in front of my leg and use herself behind. The end result? Well, here she is schooling the PSG trot work two weeks later: http://www.youtube.com/user/streabess#p/u/3/BmgGtF0KuRs

We're off to Steffen Peters for training next week which I'm sure we'll have lots of Video & photos from to post.

I have become a terrible blogger!

Okay, okay, I know I suck at blogging. But if you saw my schedule you'd understand why. I work on natural resources issues in the California State Senate and I happed to work for a wonderful Senator who is deeply passionate about CA water policy and the Delta. Soooo, long story short (I'm sure you've see the national press on CA water issues) we've been a little busy.

So my carrer life has taken over my horsey life for a little while, but I'm here to tell you that I'm still riding, still training and motivated more than ever to launch myself into the world of international para dressage.

First a few updates - Championships went well. I placed 5th overall at 4th level for both USDF Region 7 and CDS. Which means we won a little cash. Wohoo! Final was a champ and tried his heart out. Sometimes we weren't trying for the same things (I like clean flying changes, he likes to be early with his front feet to show off his pretty toes), but all in all I'm very happy with our show year. And I'm so grateful to my friend Eva for letting me ride him while she was busy baking Izzy. By the way - don't show 4th level, Eva, it stinks. PSG is way better.

Moneypenny is back in full training. We're working on building her stamina and top line so she won't be pulling out the tricks quite yet, but she is looking FAB! Better than ever. We are both prepping for our training session with Steffen Peters at the end of Nov, so while she is trotting for 30 mins in the Eurociser, I am running around the State Capitol. SEVEN MORE LBS, SEVEN MORE LBS!

Amigo is hanging out halfway on the back burner because of work and MP's schedule, but I'm still hoping to get 4 days a week on him through the winter so we can prep him for the FEI 5 year old classes next year. He's a total ham and now lives full time in the barn, so his life is pretty good.

Verite has also been half way on the back burner, but she too will go back to full time training as the plan is to show her 1st and 2nd level. I'd like to get both Amigo & MP qualified for State champs just incase we don't make the WEG. I always love a good back up plan

Horse show husband is also back in the saddle - or back in the wheelbarrow to be more accurate. He's been picking up a few of my chores to relieve some pressure.

Whats next? I'm going to start blogging again as if this is my horsey journal, so expect to see blogs every few days with photos of the farm, and our life happenings and of course updates on the horses.

MP's back to work!

Well sort of. I took Miss Moneypenny into UC Davis on Wednesday for her recheck with Dr. Jack Snyder. I was thinking the news would be bad because she still hasn't been looking sound when we trot her out at home. But there's no swelling in the ligament and she hasn't been sore to the touch so it was unclear why she still wasn't quite sound.

After a trot out and lunging, it was apparent that the lameness had in fact improved but was still there. Dr. Snyder decided to reevaluate where the lameness might be coming from so he blocked her front feet and was planning to move up the legs from there.

For my non horsey friends, "blocking" means blocking the nerve receptors so the horse is essentially numb in a localized area. When you block an area and the horse then goes "sound" (is no longer expressing pain) you can centralize the area causing pain and identify the root of the problem. Very effective since horses can't tell us where it hurts.

With the feet blocked, MP went sound both on the straight and the lunge. Yippee! So the prescribed course of action was steroid injections into the coffin bones followed by two weeks of daily walking for 15 mins and trotting for 5. After two weeks if she is improving, we will bump up her trot work to ten minutes. If we stay on this course and she remains sound she should be back up to full training by November!!! Stay tuned!!

Selected as "spotlight rider" for Horse Radio Network WEG program!

BIG EXCITING NEWS ALERT!

The Horse Radio Network has selected yours truly as a "spotlight rider" for their World Equestrian Games program. They will be follow one rider from each discipline in their quest to compete in the 2010 WEG. I had my first interview last week and although I was nervous, I can say it was really fun talking to "Glenn the Geek" and Samantha Clark. They were very easy to talk to and I look forward to my next interview. They will be following us for the next 16 months and will interview me every 8 weeks. I will post every time there is a new interview so stay tuned. In the mean time I suggest you check out their website and listen in to their other programs! You can find my interview here.

Sit Mp, sit. Good girl.

Remember the ending to the 80's sit coms where the guy would say, "sit Ubu, sit. Good Dog?" Well, we said that to MP over and over this weekend and she got it! I just returned from an exciting weekend in Carmel for lessons with Ellen at Los Suenos. The "Carmel Ladies" were out in full force: Nancy Bareilles, Susan Baxter & her sister Kathy, Julie Culver, Erin Bransan, Erin O'Connor, Katy Peterson, and Elizabeth whom I just met this weekend.

The lessons with Ellen went great, and included Ellen riding MP for about 40 mins on Sunday. Our new project is to develop FEI gaits, and being this as a completely new project to me, it works best to have the expert show MP the way. It was pretty amazing to watch and there were several jaw dropping moments and "holy crap, I had no idea she could move like that," comments coming from the peanut gallery. I was able to then get back on and feel the difference, and realize how much stamina and strength it takes to actually ride and keep the FEI gaits. I was wiped out when we were through! It just solidified the need for strength training (which I will talk about in a later post). My lesson on Saturday was spent perfecting the shoulder in, which I was riding completely wrong. I was riding it more like a leg yield rather than the preparation for half pass. Whoops! I think I got it now.

Saturday night we went to one of the cutest homes I have ever been to. It was straight out of a movie. I'll take pictures the next time I go. It is owned by Julie Culver and includes big old trees that take up the entire front yard, a sliding barn door between the kitchen and living space, and a guest room that looks like an old west cabin from the 1800's (but more stylish). Julie cooked us a fantastic dinner and we had great conversations about horses and politics. What else would you expect!

I had a great conversation with Erin O'Connor about her background in dance and how you present yourself through your body. It was a very helpful conversation when considering how to present yourself on the horse through your head and shoulders. I kept this thought in the front of my mind when I rode on Sunday and I felt taller and more confident on the horse. It was a great feeling and one that I will probably carry on as I continue to train.

Dinner was followed by a peaceful rest at Nancy's house in one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in. And was definitely in order for the big day on Sunday.

Thank you Camel Ladies! You guys are a great group and it is always so fun to come visit!

New Team Member: Steffen Peters

ST & MP: are we worthy?
This weekend may have been THE most important weekend to date since the inception of Team MP. It started with a leisurely trailer drive to Livermore Saturday morning and ended with a stellar freestyle performance at Yarra Yarra dressage show. Oh yeah, and somewhere in between we had a lesson with Steffen Peters! I'm not much of a name dropper, but here's what that means for all you non horsey friends: if you were in the cycling world you would be working with Lance Armstrong; if you were in the soccer world you'd be playing with David Beckham. So the prospect of Steffen Peters working with Team MP now and in the future is MUY IMPORTANTE for our ability to be competitive in the WEG.

My lesson went very well. And I had my support system: Ellen, Nancy, Katy and Scott were all there. I was so nervous about not being good enough that I kind of forgot how to ride, but I started to relax about half way through. Hopefully stella will have her groove back the next time I work with him so he can see the confident side of our abilities. He worked with me on the basics like when you use leg, your horse should go forward. It was kind of a duh moment but sometimes you forget about the basics when things get more complicated.

He also stressed the importance of keeping the horse supple and loose, especially while asking for collection. It all made so much sense and I was amazed what I was able to take away with just one lesson, especially the first lesson: it takes time to understand a persons lingo and intentions behind the words they use. The more you work with someone the better it gets. These were all things that Ellen has stressed with me before so I am fortunate that the lesson was compatible with my regular training at home.

The most important take away was the fact that he was willing to come on board and work with us. I will have the opportunity to go into training with him in San Diego and have the opportunity to ride with him when he comes to northern California. He was very kind and seemed very willing to be involved, even with his complicated schedule and own personal quest.

And I have to take this moment to recognize that NONE of this would be happening without the one and only Ellen Eckstein. Many of you already know that Ellen has been my long time trainer and mentor. At times she has been my idol, at other times she has been like a mother. I'm so blessed to have her by my side and she really went the extra mile and drove all the way from Paso Robles for my lesson and to coach me at the show the next day. Thank you for everything Ellen!!

Now onto the show.....

The show at Yarra Yarra was a big success. I must plug Yarra Yarra and provide you with the link to their website. Carolyn and Patrick Adams run the best shows, and it is such a pleasure to ride at their facility. Patrick is always Mr. Congeniality and until this weekend I never knew Carolyn had such a talent for the Can Can!

I had three firsts at this show: I rode the Team Test for the first time: I rode my freestyle for the first time: and I rode my socks off in the show ring for the first time. All good things! The Team test came first and I rode way too conservatively, but I pulled off a 68.8%, so I know the 70's are right around the corner. It was a clean ride, with no mistakes, but it definitely lacked pizazz.

Coach Ellen watching the warm up with Nancy and Katy strategizing - always trouble

For my freestyle, I got a very good piece of advice from Diane, the freestyle coordinator, "you are now an FEI rider so I expect you to ride like one. No pussy footing around the arena." So I warmed up like I was serious, being driven and advised by none other than Coach Ellen and MP responded perfectly. She got hot, she went up and I had the best ride in a show so far. There is room for improvement (I still need to work on my technical execution), but I think that ride will become the new baseline for which I improve. The score was a 71.8% and had my technical been on the mark it would have been in the high 70's. Now we are talking. You can view the video by clicking here.

Team MP: Nancy, Ellen, ST & MP, Mom, Diane, Dad, Katy

And I was so honored to have the whole team there, Nancy flew home from Sun Valley, Ellen drove from Paso Robles to coach, Katy P came and gave up her weekend just to be there and my parents drove down from Tahoe. Diane came too, and our thoughts are with her as she is going through some difficult times with her mothers health. Thank you Team MP for EVERYTHING! You guys are the best and made this past weekend our most successful yet!

Horse show husband at his finest!

Major rain, major meltdow,major breakthrough

Its raining, its pouring.....and its miserable outside! Our road is almost flooded but we were able to squeak in a clinic with Ellen and it was fabulous as usual! I think I actually got the real feeling of riding the horse to your hands. It took me to remove my hands from the equation, but I actually saw the light! It also took a little meltdown on Sat to bring forward some of the major problems with my riding.

The freestyle coordinator (Diane) came for my lesson with Ellen to work out my canter music. But the session was a bit of a disaster as I kept dropping my reins and MP wasn't really through and was behind me, and on and on. I even stopped and yelled at my reins with very bad words at one point - better than yelling at people or the horse - but I was MAD. Needless to say we weren't able to get very far so at the end of the ride I sort of freaked out.

BUT it paid off because I think I finally saw the other side of my position problems. I pull my right shoulder forward, I pull my hands back, stick my elbows out and pull on the reins. On Sunday, I was able to pull my shoulders back put my hands and elbows forward and ride MP up to that contact. And boy did she go up!

Without the freakout I may not have been as receptive with my body to Ellen's lesson on Sunday. I had to give in 100% to finally let go. Hopefully it was the push I needed!

Almost to ulcer stage!

The pressure is finally setting in. So much to do and so little time. I have spent the past two months pining over how to get MP to IL for champs. I think I have finally reached a resolution which requires me to send a binding contract and fat check off to Fast Freddie of Freds Pony Express horse transport. I got Fred's info from our good friend Anke who has assured me he's the best. Knowing Anke, I'm sure he is. While I'm at it I may as well plug Anke's operation too - if you need a nice horse, contact Anke at Royal Oaks Farm. Thanks Anke, and thanks Fred for wheeling and dealing! Just no wheelies with our ponies!

And we have half of a freestyle! Diane of Center State Musical Freestyles came last weekend and worked the kinks out of our trot choreography. Now we just have to iron out the canter and we'll be ready to boogy! The plan is to show the freestyle for the first time on March 8th. I think after I show it once my blood pressure will subside. At least I hope.

And then we have all of the rest of the stuff to get done by May 11th - like qualifying scores and plane tickets and coggins tests and health certificates and Illinois permit entry and hotel rooms and car rentals and so on and so on and so on. And the biggie - I need $3500 pronto. I've raised $6500, but I still need more. STRESSFUL!

At least Ellen's coming this weekend. That always brightens my day!

2009 Off to a Good Start!

We had our first show of the season last weekend. First things first - horse show husband (Scott) put in a stellar performance. You can tell all of the training from 2008 paid off. Plus he's really starting to get into the horse show scene. He knows when the horses look good, are going good and are going to get good scores. He also has become a very competitive husband. He sighs on the video when people walk on the bleachers in the middle of my test and make lots of noise. He makes sure MP is gleaming, has plenty of treats and that my boots aren't dirty (or my white gloves). IN FACT he even suggested that I need new boots and white gloves this weekend! Enter white stallion with flowing mane and Scott atop riding shirtless. Good god where did this guy come from? The best husband a horse girl could ask for. In fact, one of the other horse husbands told Scott he's making him look bad!


4th level test 2 video

Now onto the show update. My first fourth level test is officially under my belt! I got a 67.5% and won the class. Not bad for being completely paranoid and only just riding the test for the first time last weekend. MP was HOT to TROT. Like a fire breathing dragon! I was a little worried after my test because I thought maybe she came off to hot and too out of control (thats what she felt like). So I really wasn't sure if I should be happy or not. Actually I was just relieved to have ridden the test without any major bobbles - she got a little carried away in one of the pirouettes so I brought her back too much and she almost broke in the medium trot. Of course, Scott comes trotting out of the stands telling me that it was the best test he's seen us ride, so that gave me some sense of reality. Then he handed me the video to watch while he shoved carrots into MP and tried to get her to stand still. The video eased my worries and gave me a confidence boost for my second class on the day....the dreaded FEI Para Dressage Grade IV Individual Championship test.


FEI Para Dressage Grade IV Ind Ch test

Many people talk about the Para tests as being "easy" or "below their level" or "not compatible with the level of carriage required of the horse." I will blog about that at a later time, but really I find the para tests quite complicated. For my grade, the require a horse of PSG caliber, but they have things like simple changes. One would think, "oh that should be a piece of cake for a PSG horse." Not so my friend. It takes a lot of time and work to train the tempi changes, and there is a lot of preparation that goes into riding them. So going back to simple changes can be a little confusing. For the rider, you have to be very clear about your aides. For the horse, they have to wait and not anticipate. My goal for the year is to learn to ride these tests accurately and without flaw. MP won't be as fancy as the other international horses from Europe, so I'll really need to put in solid tests. This is why I call them the dreaded para tests - because they are a lot more work than you would think.

BUT, although my first para showing of the year had a few flaws, I put in a good test. I got a 65.4% with a bolt, a buck and a break in the canter (anticipation of the simple change). I was happy with it, and I know what I need to work on to get ready for Para National in Wayne IL. AND I got my needed qualifying score for nationals. I just need one more with my freestyle.

Thats all for now - enjoy the videos. Upcoming blogs will include the "ST & MP training plan," the "Goals & Objectives for 2009," the "Needs and desires," column and more. I may even pull off a tour of Somerset farm so you can see where Winters is.