How it All Began: Finding Zara

Well as I approach my first advanced horse trials this February, I thought I would share with all of you the details of my journey with Zara to where we are now. So first of course, is how I came by such an incredible partner for eventing.

Many people have asked me how I chose Zara, or what I would look for as a horse for the upper levels. To be honest, the first time I ever went looking for an eventing prospect was this Winter when I bought Geno, my new baby thoroughbred off the track. So far, for the most part, my eventing partners have "found me" in a way.
As for Zara, well everyone knows that Steuart Pittman bred, broke, and worked with her as a young horse. I had been a student of Steuarts since I was about 10 or 11 in pony club. I continued lessons throughout college when I could, and in the Summer of 2009, I decided to take on a job as a working student to continue working on moving up with Zoomer. Over this Summer, I met Zara. There were many wonderful horses at Dodon that I enjoyed watching, but none that got my attention more than this stunning mare. I didn't often ride her in the beginning, because as she still is, she was BIG, strong, tense and opinionated. I watched as Steuart worked her, or while I rode on hacks with Steuart or Emily on her, and was repeatedly impressed by the mare's boldness, scope, and movement. Despite her alpha mare attitude and belligerence in the barn, there was just something about her that caught my eye. I was finally given the opportunity to ride her, starting on trail rides and working up to more. As my interest grew, I despised every time (and it was very frequent!!) someone came out to look at her and try her. Most people couldn't really ride her well enough to consider buying her, as while very talented, she was far from simple or trainable.
I knew I couldn't keep another horse at my house, and I didn't need another horse to compete, and I knew it was a bit crazy to invest in a tough, big, red, hot headed mare. Despite these things, Steuart came to me one day and pretty much said, Look, if you think you would really want to buy her, I need to know, and I suggest you work on it. I caved and said yes, I would like to try and buy her. So, first thing to do was sell a horse, since I can only keep 3 at my house. My older pony, Joker, was sold quickly to a lovely family where he would be loved and pampered by 2 lovely little girls. Ok. Now I needed to find the money. While Joker was wonderful, he was not a high dollar horse, so I resorted to taking money out of other sources to gather what I needed. With the help of MANY, I managed to buy her by the beginning of my school year at Washington College that Fall, and took her to her 2nd and 3rd novice level events in October. So this was the strange and simple start of my now incredible upper level horse -- It might be cheesy, but this horse truly did find me and stir up a spark the inspired me to be where I am with her today.

Maybe some day I'll have the resources to actually buy an upper level horse, or shop for another young one like Zara and then I can answer when people ask me how to shop for one!! Because for now, my answer would be to look for one like her =] (but less hot, just maybe?)

Happy New Years, From Aiken SC!!

Hello everyone and happy 2012!! I obviously meant to post something like this actually around new years time.. But I have been in Aiken since coming down to meet Sally upon her arrival on the 29th of December and been very busy! I am a lucky happy rider to be a working student with Sally Cousins for the Winter!!

As far as the big plans, I will be working closely with Sally aiming for a few combined tests at the intermediate and advanced level, the intermediate at Pine Top Farm in mid February, and our first advanced at the Pine Top end of February event! We are very excited and a little nervous =] Look for the next few posts before we embark on the "big A" adventure all about Zara and how we became an awesome pair.

Wrapping up the Season

Well, I never managed to get a post up directly after Fairhill International, so I'll go through a recap of stadium and awards. Stadium day began with jog outs....which to eventers means 3am wake ups to go walk and walk and walk and walk, and walk some more, along with removing all poultice, bandages, mud(of which there was still an abundance) and everything else on the horse. After excessive walking and grooming and touching up of the braids put in the night before, I scrambled to get dressed and practically ran up with my white pants tucked into my wellies to stay clean. With friends trailing behind with various grooming supplies, we heard them calling numbers close to mine, and realized my nice boots were still back at the barns! Mark ran back to get them, but upon arrival I was immediately sent down to jog, wellies and all. With pants pulled out over them, I was lucky they didn't get coated in the gray soup. We weren't winning the turnout award today, but Zara jogged well behaved and was accepted immediately.
After walking around the course alone, then with Sally Cousins, we were ready to go prepare. Zara warmed up great with the help again of the wonderful Sally and we headed in the ring, surrounded by people! As we made our way around, I held a little too much to the first fence, pulling a rail. Not the right way to start!! But a good reminder that I needed to ride Zara the way Sally had me warm up. For the remainder, I put my hands forward and kept Zara in front of my leg and she went around just perfect. We added only 4 faults to our dressage score for the weekend to land us in 25th place of 61. We also earned the young adult champion award for the competition as well as for the CII** level overall for the year. Very proud of Zara! Now on to plan our Winter in Aiken!!

Cross Country Day!!

Despite the tons and tons of rain, todays course rode great for many including me and Zara! She warmed great and confident in the footing with some nice big studs borrowed from friend & neighbor for the weekend Jessica Bortner-Harris. The first few fences rode great, building confidence as we made our way around. The early water was a good first challenge, followed by the table to corner challenge at #7. We handled them in perfect stride! The next few questions were also well handled, with a confident jump through the road by the vendor area and a great step through the giant drop down, 5 to the table and 5 straight to the corner. Jump #12 was the first "breather" fence on the course, so I relaxed a bit since we'd been going through tough combinations -- big and nearly disastrous mistake. Zara and I took a bad spot to #12, the fish jump, where she hit pretty hard in front, and her back end caught up very quickly. She was nearly knees to the ground before she managed to pick herself up, and I was luckily right where I had to be, in balance and out of her way. She picked herself up quickly and went back to gallop. I was very worried, so pulled her up to trot a few meters to check her soundness. After making sure she felt good, we continued on course to the tough skinny bending tables. We didn't ride quite according to plan, as my eye was a bit off between our earlier incident, along with the stadium jumps that were now set up that were not there when I walked at 5pm the night before. We ended up riding an alternative route that I had walk that was a 5 stride line taking a decent angle to the second table. Following this question were a few gallop fences before the next big set of challenges. First up at #16AB was the double brush, which she did foot-perfect. next, the sunken road. We rode exactly where planned on my walk with Sally, and had a great go there as well. Following that was the big ducks water. Zara decided she was taking a longer spot than I was interested in, and we got over the duck and I sat up and pushed her with wide hands to stay on the line and make it through the tough 3 strides with the hill, over the brush, and 2 strides down to the other sharply angled brush - She was a super star! On the next gallop, I felt her lagging a bit, so after the big ditch and brush we eased up our pace a bit and focused more on safety and not missing any more distances. The issues on # 12 were too close for comfort! She jumped through the table to chevron question at #20 brilliantly, bumped the next table a bit before preparing for the water. I can definitely feel her lag now, and gave her a good strong push to and through the water to make the four strides and get to the skinny. She caught a bit of a second wind after the water, and got a great step to the big red table, pretty good step to the second to last, and a nearly cantering spot to the last. She took a bit extra to cool out, but I learned later that we came in under time, which was a great feeling. She recovered well once we got her temperature down, and will hopefully be feeling OK for the jog and stadium tomorrow. We will see and hope!! I'm so very proud of her for keeping it going even though I know she was very tired, and giving me her very best.

Days 1 & 2 at Fairhill International!!!

Well we have successfully gotten through our first jog out and dressage in our first CCI**! For the jog on Wednesday, of course it was raining. We got spic and span with the help of my wonderful grooms for the weekend, Mark Shuck and Jeannette Lazzaro. Zara and I passed with no questions and she was very cooperative. I even kept up well in my heels!
Day two was dressage day for Zara and I, which is always our most stressful phase. We spent lots of time getting her primped and beautiful, tacked up in her dressage saddle and jump bridle and headed out to warm up -- AKA, hacking around the horse trials cross country course. Zara and I worked to get a longer and lower frame while still going forward out in the fields and on the driveway. With about a half hour to my ride, we returned to the barns since I was dressed in my schooling clothes still to keep everything tidy. Zara was re-polished as I changed (in our sopping wet tack room!) into my tails and dress boots. We headed out to the ring a little late, but luckily they were running a bit delayed. Zara and I continued our warm up in the practice ring, working on some light trot work, as well as canter transitions. We entered the ring a tiny bit more tense than our warm up, but went through with a smile! Zara gave me great trot work with a steady connection, good trot-walk-canter transitions and despite anticipating her right lead transition a bit through her turn on the haunches gave me fabulous right lead canter! Unfortunately, she still shows some tension through her movements, so we were scored a 72.2 gaining us a low spot on the list. But that's OK for our first one, and we're definitely improving!!
Now we get a nice day of less stress to include a course walk with the wonderful Sally Cousins, as well as a light jump lesson. Looking forward to cross country day!

Ending the Summer with Success!

MARLBOROUGH: Baby was my only ride for the day as she makes the move up to preliminary level, and had a great day! Our dressage was consistent, accurate and relaxed, earning us 3rd so far with a 32.2. The stadium at Rosaryville Park is always a tricky question, as it is situated on a hill and had a pretty twisty course to ride. Baby tackled the first half of the course like there was no difference in height. She escalated a little after the first long-strided line, which got us in a hair too tight to the triple combination, pulling one on the vertical, and later I missed my spot on the last jump. Sorry girl! Cross country had some wet spots on it and I wanted it to be a good confident ride for her, so we planned to take it easy. She was bold and strong through the cross country, showing a great step to almost every fence. Coming across the finish with 10 time penalties, she held onto 3rd for the day. Someone should buy this fabulous horse before I decide to keep her and keep moving up!
(photo by Katie Cawood)



SENECA VALLEY: Two horses again, Zara at intermediate and Baby at her fourth training. First for the day was Zara's dressage, which we have put blood, sweat and tears into over the past few weeks to improve. Today, it paid off! Zara was much better, much more relaxed and instead of taking the back of the pack after dressage was tied for 4th with a 38.0. After the long delay for the thunderstorm, we went into the stadium and had a great round, with one rail down that wasn't due to any real issues. Despite the bit of rain, the footing was great and we had a fast and great cross country round to finish 4th for the day and got the last qualifying score we needed to sign up for the Fairhill CCI**. Baby had a decent day as well, despite the delays and waits for the rides and a loose horse through the dressage warm up. She was a bit tired after waiting to go for dressage, so had a little more tension than usual. Another long wait for stadium plus a few mistakes on my part lead to two rails down in the stadium. I considered withdrawing since she wasn't on her toes today, but decided to go ahead and see how the first few fences felt and then decide. Baby sure showed me! She had a great cross country round, pulling me to the fences with ears up and great scope. She definitely confirmed that we were ready to move up as planned at Marlborough.


WAREDACA: In the mid August heat I took on the challenge of competing all 3 of my horses in the day, with Zara in the intermediate and Baby and Zoomer in the training. I was lucky enough to borrow Steuart Pittmans fancy 4 horse living quarters trailer, since I only have a 2 horse, which made things much easier! The day started with back to back dressage rides on Zoomer and Zara, followed by Zara's jumping. Zara showed our work may be paying off giving me a great consistent test. There was still some tension through her work, but definitely an improvement even if the judge didn't agree, I was happy with her. In the jumping, Zara was fabulous, with one rail in the stadium due to a late eye on me and good fast cross country. Next was Zoomer's jumping, which was a blast of course! He went clean all round, and besides trying to climb out the trailer window, was a star all day. Baby's jumping went well even with the long wait due to the rain delay. A rail down in the in & out and a few seconds of time which was just due to caution in the slick footing. we ended with a 9th for Zara, and 7th for each of the others.

Busy Busy Summer Season!

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated this thing!! So well do a recap of the remainder of the Spring season and so far this Summer!

Zara:
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*8th in Preliminary at the April FairHill Horse Trials
*9th in her first Intermediate at Loudoun Hunt PC Horse Trials
*11th in her and my first CCI* in Virginia
*7th in Intermediate at the Waredaca Horse Trials on dressage score
*9th in Intermediate at the Seneca Valley PC Horse Trials
*6th in Intermediate at the Maryland Horse Trials II

Baby:
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*1st in Novice at the Waredaca Starter Trials with the best score of all thoroughbreds at the event, earning the mid atlantic horse rescue trophy
*9th in Training at the Maryland Horse Trials II
*3rd in Training at the Olney Farm Horse Trials

Zoomer:
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Is back in full work and is signed up to go training level at the end of Summer Waredaca Horse Trials!

So overall, we've had a pretty successful Summer! I will try and keep this updated, although I have been crazy busy with riding at Dodon Farm, riding my three and my other obligations.