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...

Can't WAIT for this weekend!!!!

Rancho Murietta is coming up this weekend and I can't WAIT! Everyone is coming: Ellen, Nancy, Katy P, Julie, Eva, Katey A, Katie D, Odie, Wendy, Amanda, Rebbecca, Pam, Jan, and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone. The horses are feeling fab and all tuned up, can't wait for some last minute tweaks from Ellen! Will post after the show...

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.

The long awaited RAAC post

ST, Final & Pat Adams of Yarra Yarra

Sorry, sorry! I know I've been delinquent in my post but we've been sooooo busy.

The RAAC was a total blast! It was held down in Menlo Park so we thought, "ahhh Bay Area, the weather will be wonderful and cool." NOT! It was sweltering! Although it was only 90 (we're used to 100) it was humid and muggy. Ewe! I'll take 100 and dry over 90 and muggy any day. RAAC stands for "Regional Adult Amateur Championships." It's like a primer for the CDS & USDF Regionals, a championship show on a smaller scale. Last year was the first year it was held so we figured, "why not check it out?"

Happy hour in the Quidditch Cup field
We arrived on Friday afternoon and set up camp in the big open field that was the horse stabling and trailer parking. Scott thought it looked like the Quidditch Cup scene from Harry Potter. I have to agree, it did! Just picture 4 rows of horse stalls in a big open field surrounded by horse trailers back in a little valley. Very cool! So we unloaded Final, got his stall all set up and decided it was still too hot to ride. We found a market down the road that had a wide cheese selection, lots of beer and English shortbread biscuits to boot! So we picked up some snacks and headed back to the "field" where we sat in the shade of our trailer and had happy hour. It was delightful. And yes this is the reason I can't loose that last 15 lbs - I love cheese and beer. I would be very unhappy without those two things.

Once it cooled off and I was "happy" after mmmmm beer, Mr. Final and I went for our warm up to check out the arenas. In true Final fashion, he didn't care much about being in a foreign arena, although the woods surrounding the Quidditch Cup field were super scary. Lions and tigers and bears oh my. We don't have a lot of trees where we live, so forests are FREAKY! But he got over it and went on his merry way. He felt super so I was very excited about the prospects of the weekend. Just hoping it would be cool for our rides on Sat morning and then Sunday afternoon.

A "happy" warm up.
Saturday morning was a little hectic. I didn't ride until 11 and I took a little too much time getting ready. Final doesn't need much warm up (20 min tops) but I forgot his show number, then I forgot we had to walk all the way around everything to get to the warm up, then the water trucks came in to water, etc, etc. So I got a little uppity and so did he. He's a very sensitive horse so you have to keep your feelings hidden from him. So I had to lie to myself that everything was okay so he too would believe the lie.

Luckily the warm up went well but I didn't even have enough time to trot, so I warmed him up at the trot as I was circling the outside of the court before they rang the bell. When I got into the ring he felt great through all the trot work. Then came the canter. He totally took over like a possessed beast. At least that is what he felt like. I felt like he was careening out of control and I was just hanging on for the ride. His pirouettes felt like rodeo spins, I was sure he didn't get one single clean change because it didn't even feel like he had feet. Luckily Scott said it didn't look bad. After a quick video review, I determined Scott was right once again. He's very astute at this horse show stuff. And he was right about the score as well - 64% and 1st place. That is awesome for Final who just until last year didn't have a clean change in him let alone 3 tempi's and 4 tempi's. Eva and I joke that if we ever want to go pro, we'll open up a facility that specializes in flying changes. We now know every trick in the book!

Sunday presented a whole different concern - we rode at 4 pm in the heat and humidity. I wanted to work on a few things before the class but I had to be careful not to wear out my partner. Because of my angst, Final was once again a bit uppity. And I was having a very difficult time lying to him. The warm up went ok, but he was definitely tired. And there were two horses in my class that I knew would be hard to beat so I was going to have to go for it. All was well until the extended trot when I went for it and he cantered. Eva said he was really going too. Bummer, I got greedy and it didn't pay off. And then came the canter tour. Again, the beast from within came running out of him. Only this beast was tired and hot so this time the pir's really were rodeo spins and the changes really weren't clean. The winning ride was a 70+%, reserve was a 66%, but we earned a respectable 62.9% which placed us third overall. Not bad for our first RAAC, rodeo spins and all! More lessons learned, more dirst under the boots and another notch on the belt - maybe someday I'll get this down to an exact science... not likly!

70.9%, the Pewter Loving Cup and Amigo's first outing

4th level Pewter Loving Cup perpetual trophy

It finally happened! After a year and a half of riding the para tests, I was able to secure a 70.9% on Eva's horse Final! At Pebble Beach no less! This is a huge milestone for Team MP, even though MP didn't get to participate. Although I'm sure she's happy her wingman Final pulled through.

I have to say that the test felt amazing. It was flawless and Final was spot on with everything I asked. You may remember that I'm riding Final right now because his mom (Eva) became a "human" mom two weeks ago when she gave birth to Isabella Beverly King. Even though she is new to the whole human mom thing, she still made it down to Pebble to watch her boy Final go and boy did he go.

The "Tri-Wizards Cup" according to Scott

In addition to the 70.9%, Final also won three 4th level classes, secured almost qualifying scores for championships AND won the Pewter Loving Cup class. The Cup is amazing (Horse-show-husband calls it the Tri Wizards Cup because of its size) and Final and I will have our names engraved on it. Very Cool! You can watch the winning ride here.

The weekend proved to be yet a third milestone, where Amigo (aka Adonis) had his first big boy outing and was shown by Katey Augsburger at training level. Turns out that he was bred to show and wasn't even phased by a big show like Pebble. He even won one of his classes and scored 8's on his gaits. Not bad for just coming 4! Amigo has been at Ellen's being ridden by Katey for the past two months. As you can see, she has done a fantastic job with him! You can watch his video here.

Amigo's first test in his first show

Team Eckstein was large and in charge with 8 horses and seven riders showing from training level to fourth level. Ellen had full days, but we all did really well and hopefully lived up to the Team Eckstein expectations! Thank you Ellen!!

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.

Charles Owen helmets ROCK!!!

I have had a Charles Owen GR8 helmet for the past 18 months and LOVE it. It is the most comfortable and attractive helmet I've ever had. AND it protects my noggin!

Lets face it, helmets are ugly and hard to fit and uncomfortable at times. I was not a helmet wearer until the GR8. Now I'm like a walking billboard. I have received compliments on this helmet since the day I started wearing it and the latest compliment came from little miss Holly Bergay back in Chicago while we were there for champs. For the Para Dressage we are required to wear a helmet for show so I'm pleased to announce that the good folks over at Charles Owen have sent both me and Holly two pretty new GR8's for show! AWESOME!! Now I can beat the crap out of my everyday GR8 and not have to worry about making it pretty when we go to shows like say National Championships. And now Holly too can become a walking billboard. I'll make her take a pic of herself and then I post a side-by-side of the two of us in our new matching helmets. And did I say that we are also working on a "lend-a-hand" pas de duex? More to come on that in the next few months...

In the mean time, THANK YOU CHARLES OWEN! You guys rock in the helmet department!

What next?

Where to start. Well, the tests could have been better and my scores couldn't have been worse. Andy felt better each day, but the scores barely improved. The judges said they liked him and liked me but they didn't like a petite rider on a big horse. Compatibility was a major factor at this show.

What do I have to say?

First the obvious truth: I'm very disappointed and my confidence has taken a major blow. I can take low scores and own up to mistakes, but I experienced things this past week that I won't write about but definitely have me questioning my future involvement in this program.

Second: I'm moving on and am going to set a personal goal of 68% for the next CPEDI. Or at least that is what I will be training for now knowing what I know. I'll be back out in the show ring within the next three weeks.


Third: My team has been AWESOME. Starting with Andy. Sunday was our 14th ride, his 5th dressage show and his third time riding these tests. He has been very tolerant and professional considering. Next comes Steve and Nancy for everything they have done for me, even though they couldn't be here they wanted me to take their horse half-way across the country. There are very few words that I can use to express my gratitude towards Steve and Nancy, they are very special people. Then there is Ellen, who is out here on her own as my coach. She has been so positive and supportive and is now as enlightened as I am. My parents and Scott have also been here being their usual selves, funny, informative and just great people all around. My dad and Scott have been great grooms! Finally I want to be sure to thank Steffen Peters for the advice, feedback, video review and general support he has given to date. I'm looking forward to our upcoming training sessions. And I can't forget all of my friends and family who have backed us from the beginning. Thank you.

Here's to moving onward and upward! Videos and pics coming soon...

And so it begins...

The tornadoes passed and the sun was out in full force here in Wayne, IL for the kick off of the Lamplight CPEDI & USEF Para Dressage National Championships.

Andy's trip here was uneventful and he even arrived 12 hours early on Sunday night. We've been schooling since then and Ellen arrived on Tuesday so "training" started on Wed. Andy's been doing great and getting better each day.

The facility is unbelievable. It puts our shows in CA to shame (sorry but its true!).

There are about para riders here competing for national championships as well as some Canadians, Mexicans and Irish. The Bergay's are here too from AZ so we're sharing tack space and Andy's has had a girlfriend (Bella) since Sunday. Its very cool! There are 9 people in my class so for once we have competition! Yay! The events began yesterday (Thurs) with the inspection and jog, then today we ride the team test, tomorrow the individual test and Sunday is the freestyle.

The jog was a fascinating experience. The atmosphere here is intense with all of the horses and chaos in the barns. Everyone scurrying around to get their horses gleaming for the jog.

We went in order of our numbers so Andy and I were went 11th. It is intense because if the ground jury doesn't accept your horse you are done. Bye, bye. Thats it, finito. Plus we had never done this before so I was outrageously nervous. My trusty father meanwhile was hawking the process and has formulated all kinds of insights by the time our number came up.

And then we jogged...

And passed! Yippee! Andy was so cute. On the trot down we kind of lulled along, but on the way back he took over as if he were jogging me. It was like he decided I had no idea what I was doing so he would fill in and show me the ropes. He was so cute!

So far so good! Scott's here in full force with mega media so we will have many pictures and video to document the experience. And he's already capturing moments when people aren't looking. Here's a really cute one of Holly and Bella:

What to do at 4 am? BLOG of course!

OK so its 6 am here, but still it is early! Yesterday went smooth as glass. Our flight were all on time or early and Andy arrived safe and sound. We tucked him into his temporary home for the night and will move him into his show stabling this afternoon. The Bergays are also here so he has another horse to keep him company. The place is beautiful and I'll be sure to take some photos and post later!

Final's debut as an FEI Para Dressage Horse!

I was extremely fortunate this weekend to ride my good friend Eva's horse Final at the Golden State Dressage CDI. This was a large show with many good judges so I was honored to be loaned such a wonderful horse to fill MP"s shoes.

This was an important show not only because of the caliber of judges and horses and riders, but because members of the Canadian Para Dressage team also came to compete. In fact, I ended up showing against one of the Canadian Paralympians.

The first test we rode Saturday was the grade IV team test. Not my favorite. I hate the med canter on the 20 meter circle and this test has two of them. Ick. The test went smoothly, but I got really nervous but Final was a good sport, he tried his hardest at we pulled off a 65% even with a few mistakes. It was good enough for first place, so we'll take it!

The second test was much smoother. No mistakes and I felt like we really clicked in the test. Plus I had two judges and that always creeps me out. Can't get away with much when they can see you from two sides. We were able to secure a 68% on that test and another first place. Luckily Final got to go home, sleep in his own bed and get ready for Sunday and the dreaded freestyle.....

The week prior, I rode Final to MP's freestyle - twice. Now, granted, I had only shown this freestyle once, so riding it with another horse who is good at different things, no easy feat. For either of us. In the warm up, Final was exceptional. Doing everything I willed him to. But he was tired. We had asked a lot of him the past week and he needed a day off. So when we got into the ring, it kind of hit him like a ton of bricks. He got backed off and went into shut down mode. So the freestyle was a little bit of a mess, BUT we managed to pull off all of the required movements without mistakes, but our collective marks suffered because the freestyle was difficult and we didn't quite have it together. So our score ended up being not bad - a 67%. Could have been much worse and I think Both Final and me deserve huge kudos for being ballsy enough to even go in there a wing it. A little practice and he'd be a freestyle fiend. If we could only get a tu tu on him.....

For the second test, I knew he was done so I made a game plan to just monitor his strides and steps, but not push him at all. I would be an active passenger, but I would let him decide how much or how little. The result - a near flawless test. Sure it could have had some pizazz - but if I were at the world cup I would have been beside myself to have a test that nice. And the judges thought so too - they gave him a 69%!!! You can view the test here.

So turns out Final has just been dying to become an FEI Para dressage horse - who knew!! Eva was so generous to let me ride him, and I feel so lucky to be ABLE to show a horse like him. He's a blast to ride, and he is such a go getter. I hope I'll get to show him more often until Eva's back in the saddle!!


Day two - looking good

Bad news, good news, more bad news and maybe light at the end of the tunnel.....

It's been an interesting couple of weeks in the world of Team MP. I've been dreading this post, but now I have some really good news to report so it will be easier than I thought. I'll start with the bad news and work up to the good news.

Two weeks ago MP had a minor colic scare. It turns out it was ulcers so we are treating her for the next month and are very confident she'll be back to normal soon. At the same time she went lame. This horse has not taken a lame step since we got her last Jan, so this was very out of character. Because of the ulcers, we gave her the benefit of the doubt and figured she wasn't feeling well and needed a few days off. We were wrong.

After a lameness exam that suggested she had either pulled a check or suspendory ligament, I took her into UC Davis for an ultra sound. Low and behold she had a check ligament injury. So this means 3 months of walking only as well as icing, poulticing and careful management. She will fully recover and be ready for competition this summer, but Chicago is not possible for her.

This realization has been pretty devastating, and I've been trying to stay upbeat, but its hard when your partner that you know so well and love so much is not going to be your partner for one of the most important competitions in your career. To ease my guilt and depression I have been spending a lot of quiet time with her. I have taken to reading her books while I ice her, letting her "groom" me and play with my hair and we we have moved her up to the barn so she literally lives underneath us. I think she likes seeing us all the time too. Seeing her big brown eyes every morning gives me the most wonderful warm feeling to start my day.

With all of this going on with MP, we have had to concentrate on the rider side of this equation. Three months off would not be good for my riding skills and condition. Plus, if I do not show in Chicago, the WEG dream may be through. But as soon as I started to think my hopes and dreams were crushed (not to mention thinking I might just sell the horses, but an Aston Martin and travel for the next few months) a glimmer of hope sparked onto the scene.

My friend Eva - you know THE Eva from all the posts last year - is very pregnant and has gotten to the stage where riding is a bit difficult. We all know that she'll probably still ride anyway, but she really shouldn't be on a horse and I think her husband would agree. So she had asked me if I would help her keep her horse in shape while she takes it easy until after her little girl is born. But with no horse to ride with Ellen or show, she offered her horse Final first for my lessons last weekend with Ellen, then for the Rancho Murietta show this past weekend.

My first ride with Ellen on Final was shaky. OK, it wasn't just shaky it was a disaster. He wanted his mom, I wanted my Moneypenny and neither of us were on the same page. We worked through some of it, but we needed more time to see if we could communicate. Luckily his mom was standing nearby so as soon as he was done he could go running back to her arms! The second ride with Ellen was better. It was like we both had the night to digest reality and both came back ready to work with each other. He was very willing and I tried to be as respectful of his feelings as possible. Plus his mom was still there in case he needed saving.

After this second ride, we decided that he could fill in for MP at the upcoming Rancho Murietta show. This was on a Sunday, so we only had three more rides to get to know each other AND pull together a freestyle. Yeah, sure piece of cake.

Our rides through the week went great. Each ride getting a little better and easier. Each day both of us becoming more attune and more willing for the other. And his mom was very happy and proud of him. It was really fun to see his confidence change within the week, and nice to know that he was starting to trust me. Showing was going to be fun....

I'll do a separate post on the show that is only about the show because he was so fantastic he deserves his own post. We also have video and pictures. He was such a trooper and even though he was exhausted from the week of riding (he's been on paternity leave for a few months now) he tried and tried and tried and exceeded all of our expectations. We got the feeling he was pleased to fill in for MP and show everyone what he was made of. And he qualified himself for Chicago.

So now there may be a glimmer of hope for Chicago, but its not a light decision that Eva has to make. It is no small thing to send your horse half-way across the country even with a friend you trust. I would be honored to ride a horse like Final in Chicago, but not unless his mom was fully comfortable with him going that far. He's a special horse and Eva is a dear friend of mine and one of my strongest supporters. She will do what is best for her horse, as she should. If it doesn't work out for Final to go, I am now confident that I will get another opportunity to get my WEG qualifying scores even if that means going to Europe. I have learned from this experience: "Don't give up, just roll with what comes at you and stay focused. The rest will fall into place" No matter how pretty those Aston Martin are.

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!

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.

A long, long time ago.....

It has been so long! I am such a bad blogger. And I have photos and video to upload but I just can't seem to get it together. I swear I will try!
I had my first "day off" the other day. It has been a year since I have had a day off from work AND horses. Crazy! I'm trying to steer clear of burn out syndrome so I'm going to try and take some time for myself this fall which isn't proving to be easy. BUT if I don't do it now, it won't happen for a long time. There is so much going on and so much to come and prepare for next show season that I am excited and overwhelmed all at the same time. So I promise to get back on track with the blogging!

Here's the latest and greatest in Para-Equest land:

Ellen was just here....
Ellen came two weeks ago and really started to iron out the big trot! My abs are getting the workout of a lifetime! Ellen's lessons always center on feel which you can't get from anyone else. The horses always feel so good which makes the rider feel good. MP was finally able to sit & go for the extensions which has been a sticky point in our training. This move has seemed to unlock her and her ability to spring off the ground at the trot. Yippee!! I hope to have video soon.

Off to Seattle!
I leave on Sunday for the US Para Dressage Team training session in Woodinville WA. I'm not able to take MP this time because of weather concerns, but I will be able to ride a borrowed horse for the session. I'll post either from the session or on the way home.

New Freestyle....
I have a new freestyle in the works that I will debut in January. It is super fun and very international. It has a cabaret theme and brings MP to life! Diane Kernodle with Center Stage Musical Freestyle is working on it as I type and I hope to start working out the choreography soon.

More horses!
I feel like I'm riding lots of horses right now, but I guess I'm just riding more than one so it feels like a lot. My good friend Eva is now with child (wahoo!) so I'm riding Final until she gets out of the exhausting/sick phase. Final is an incredible horse but is tricky to ride so I have really been gaining some good riding experience from him. In fact I think I'm riding MP better now because of some things I've learned from Final. And he's also shrinking my waist! Its wonderful to have two top quality horses to ride and I really enjoy how different they are and what they both have to offer. Maybe I'll get to show the two as well!
Amigo is also under saddle now. He's still young and won't be out on the show scene for a year or two, but I think we can expect great things from him. He has top notch gaits and has been a blast to work with. I'm also riding three other horses here and there. My friend Jen's Lustitano, Paloma, Tessa's movie star horse Davingon and Barbara's new mare Catella. All three are unique, but tons of fun and they are teaching me new things. It is so good to ride multiple horses! I'll try and get photos of them to post in the future.

Whats next?
Show, show, show. I'm working out my show schedule for 2009 and it will be a doozy. It starts in the end of January and rolls right on through to Championships in Oct. I'm planning on going to the Para Champs in May and I'd like to try and make it to at least one, maybe two international shows in July and August. We'll see!

More soon I swear!

First scores are in.....

Yesterday was a great day! Eva and I had our 3-2 warm up class first thing in the morning so the horses were nice and fresh. The class was big, 15 horses and riders. Eva's test was super except for a few bobbles which cost her a few points so she got a 62% and 5th place. My test felt really good, just a few things need improving for the Championship class which begins today. I got a 64% which landed me in the reserve slot. Not a bad start!




Our USDF Region 7 3rd level freestyle class was yesterday afternoon and there were 9 rider and horse combinations. The freestyle classes are not divided into ametures or pros, we are compete against each other so the competition is stiff. MP's warm up was great. She felt the best she's ever felt, but when she got in the ring she got a little spooky and tight so I had some bobbles. Even so I earned a 69% which placed me third for the regionals. Not bad for our first year out! The awards ceremony is today so I'll have pictures from that later.


Our other barnmates are doing well also. Katey A with Andy had a good ride, but there was a demon squirrel at the end of the arena that gave him the spooks so he was obedient but tight in his ride. He'll do better today. Katie D an Willoughby had a fantastic ride and got first place in the warm up class!! The class was huge so that is quite an accomplishment. Both Katies will start their championship classes today along with Eva and I.




Above: Katey A & Andy; Below: Katie D & Will

Today we start the first half of the state championships. We ride 3-2 today and 3-3 on Sunday. I also have my state championship freestyle class so think good thoughts.

3-2 warm up click here
USDF Region 7 3rd level Freestyle click here

Irk, eek, WOW....Mr. toad's wild ride

Susan, MP, Christiane Noelting and "the saddle."

I had a fascinating show weekend a week ago. I've been contemplating my post and digesting the happenings of the weekend, which is why I'm so late in writing.

About two weeks ago I found out that, according to my scores, I was ranked number 1 in the US for third level adult amateur. This was huge and I couldn't believe it. But when I went to check my ranking, officially, I wasn't ranked. It turns out that 6 of my best scores didn't count because of my memberships, so I needed three scores (all over 66%) to be officially ranked by USDF. In order to do this, I had to show in two shows in one weekend. Exhausting!!

The weekend started out with a thump on Friday where I earned a 64% at 3-3. Enough to give us first place in the glass as well as 10 points towards CNDC Dressage Derby. If you qualify for the derby, names are drawn out of hats and you win prizes. So it was a bitter sweet victory. I got the point for the derby, and first place in the class, but I didn't get a 66%.

The next day was the actual derby and you have to be present in show attire to claim your prize. So I decided to also ride my freestyle for practice. This turned out to be the worst idea I've has so far, because the sound system went our and made this terrible screeching noise, which scared MP half-to-death and resulted in the worst ride we've had this year. She was tight, scared, and I should have just scratched. I was also livid about the sound system because I had asked for a sound check at 9:00, 2 hours before my ride, and they decided to do it just before I rode. Bad show protocol. I won't be riding my freestyle there ever again.

Victory lap - MP was hot trot!

Even though I was upset, the derby followed my freestyle so I had to stay on MP and I had to just get over it. Which was good because my name was the first drawn out of the hat and I won a $3600 saddle!!! Thank you Schleese! I also won a Skagen watch which is my favorite watch company. So, although riding my freestyle was a mistake and ruined my freestyle ranking, I still came out on top!

On Sunday, we headed to our final show of the weekend. The judge was a toughy, and I was really worried about my scores. My first test was pretty good, but MP was scared of the judges stand - a little PTSD from the day before. My first score was a 66% and landed me in 2nd place. A very good score considering the PTSD and tough judging. But I needed a 68% to claim USDF #1 AA at third level. No pressure.

I gave MP a good break before my next warm up and I really just tried to focus on relaxing. She was great in the warm up, but felt a little tired. When I got in the show ring she felt great. My ride was going superb until we got to the right half-pass to the flying change - both co-efficients (20 points rather than 10). The half-pass was OK, but just before I asked for the change, she spooked at the judges stand and the change was late. 8 points out of 20. BUMMER! That also gave us lower mark for submission. So I got a 64%. I thought it should have been a little higher, but the spooking is what it is.

I'm not sure where that landed me in the rankings, but it doesn't matter anymore. The fact is, when I didn't know about the rankings I was much more relaxed and my scores reflected that. When I got uptight about getting a specific score, I lost focus on why I'm doing this. Because I love it!

Holy 73.7% batman!

Still trying to figure out how to upload videos directly to the blog, but in the mean time here are the YouTube links to my video's from last weekend's show:
Freestyle
3-3 test

WARNING - they are super grainy because of YouTube. The video itself is really high quality.

The show was fantastic! I received my last qualifying score for my third level freestyle so I am completely qualified for Championships in October. On my freestyle I received a 73.7%! Still a few small mistakes like my entrance and not quite "through" extended trot, but it was so much fun to ride! I actually cried afterward because if felt so good! This score was the highest at the show and earned us a high point ribbon and $50 gift certificate to a local tack store. I love winning "stuff!"

On my 3-3 test I received a 68.8% which also was awesome. It was the first place score and was even higher than the professional scores. Same thing - a few mistakes but all in all a really nice test. MP was quite proud of herself!

On the techy side of things, we (me & horse-show-husband) ordered two new Dell laptops for our anniversary. We have the big fifth ann coming up in two weeks so we thought, "why not have two computers so we can each sit on the couch in front of the TV and really have something better to do than talk to each other?" Just kidding! But what it will allow us to do is blog on the road, upload video on the road and upload photos for our friends and family to enjoy. So while we're at the Championships in LA, you can be there with us!

Here are a few photos from the weekend: