Festival of the Horse

It was a fun and exciting weekend at the Festival of the Horse Show in LA the weekend of March 25 - 29th. Our group had a wonderful time. The horses are all doing very well. I Thought I would throw up a couple of new photos for you. This was a warm up Grand Prix for Wistar before the CDI at Rancho Murieta next weekend April 2-5th. He had a very strong test with minimal mistakes. The goal for this year is to develop more consistency and strength. He is getting more solid everyday but as many of you know this is a life long process. I hope to get it all figured out before retirement. Take Care!

Dressage Affaire 2009

Hello all,

Just returned back to base from the Dressage Affaire horse show at Del Mar's show park. All eight of our horses attended. Here are some of the details. Wistar and Warado were entered. Wistar did two open grand prix test in front of the panel of 5 CDI judges. He was very solid but still needs to develop strength and cadence in the piaffe/passage tour for higher scores. He competed Friday and Sunday scoring just under 63% both times which was good enough for 2nd place. Warado competed his first time at both 3rd and 4th level. His third level test went well winning 2 of the 3tests with a 67.436% and a 65.581%. He also did his 1st fourth level test which went off without a hitch and won the class with a 70.698%.

We brought three young horses with us down to school and develop. Wrevolution, Arturo, and Wista. All three were super at their first horse show. Arturo, who is owned by Lenora and Bob Shaw, competed at Training level and was steady enough to take home the win in all four of his test of the weekend with his rider Jessica Warner who has been working for Jennifer for the past 8 months. Jessica also rode Wista who is owned by Charlene and Jennifer and competed her at Training and First level with scores ranging from 64%-66% and multiple wins. Wrevolution has been started under saddle recently. He attended the show to school but did not compete just yet. We hope to have him compete in LA in two weeks.


We also had Rod and Tekla Jungaro and Bonsai come down for this show with Natalie Perry and Welsey. Tekla and Bonsai achieved a 60% in their very first show together and at first level. We were very proud of the pair. Natalie had a successful show with Welsey, their first show together as well. Natalie is giving Welsey confidence and showing her the ropes of the Dressage shows down here.

We also have Krisin O'Hearn down here with us. Kristin is a student of Siggi Wolff's that Jen clinics with from time to time. Kristin is hoping to compete at 3rd and 4th level at the LA show. She has brought a very sweet gelding Lars as her partner. We will surely have pics up of her next time.

The pictures you see above are shown in the following order: Arturo and Jessica, The gang watching Warado in his 4th level test(Erica, Charlene, Paula, Natalie, Tekla), Natalie and Welsey, Wista and Jessica, Wrevolution and Jennifer, Bonsai and Tekla, Warado and Jennifer.

Take care and hopefully I will get some photos back from the photogragher soon to add of Wistar.

New photos of the young ones

We have two coming four year olds along for the trip. Wrevolution and Arturo. Wrev, the bay, is listed on our sales page under geldings on the Summervale Farm site and is coming to gain experience and exposure down in CA. Arturo, the chestnut, is along for the same thing but has already been purchased by Bob and Lenora Shaw of Calgary, Canada. We are getting the boys all ready for their new owners to be.

Wistar and Warado are doing great. Warado is currently making the transition into the double bridle and is doing wonderful. Bonsai, Rod and Tekla arrive tuesday along with Natalie and her mare, Whoohan. We are looking forward to having the group all together as we prepare for the first show, Dressage Affaire that runs this coming weekend the 13th -15th.

Training season has begun!

Well we have been down in San Diego since Tuesday and the horses are all doing wonderful. We have six horses with us this year with two more on the way meeting us at our first horse show, Dressage Affaire in Del Mar.

Wistar and Warado are doing very well. We are working with Steffen Peters again this year. I took my first lesson with Steffen yesterday, thursday, on Warado and that went really well. His changes are already getting more expressive.

I have Warado's full brother Wrevolution down with us as well. Wow is he developing beautifully. This is his first trip to a show and he is so brave and uncomplicated, especially for a coming 4 year old. Watch for pictures of this talented guy coming soon.

Thanks Kristen for taking the snap shots of Warado during our lesson with Steffen. It's been a while since we have had anything new of him.

Wistar and Jennifer

It has been a long rode to this point. I am proud of the horse that has developed beneath me and I am honored to ride him each and every day. I am thankful for the blessings in my life and I am so fortunate to have the loving support of so many. Thank you for the chance to do what I love each and every day. As I prepare for another season at Grand Prix with Wistar I hope to gain the knowledge and the skills to grow as a rider and so much more as a person. Here's to a competitive and healthy 2009!

Del Mar

Hope you are all well. I wanted to give you the latest update. I have just returned home from San Diego with the horses. Everyone is well. Del Mar National was the last show I did in April and it was successful. Wistar however did not compete. He had a slight injury two weeks prior that side lined him for this particular show. He is doing fine now but that's timing for you.... This show was the last qualifier needed for the selection trials. So I decided to come home and re-organize for next year. He was outstanding this year and we learned so much. Training with Steffen was everything I had hoped it would be. Thanks again for all of your support and I look forward to the new goal of trying for the World Equestrian Games as it comes to Kentucky in 2010.



On a side note. Quarteto Do Top the beautiful Lusitano stallion we have in, competed in the "$1000 FEI Evening of the Freestyle" at Del Mar. It was our first show together and our first class for that matter in front of 2-3 thousand people. He was a little star taking reserve with music from "Spirit Stallion of the Cimmeron" He absolutely loved the crowd. I will have some great pictures up shortly for the blog.

Festival of The Horse

Hello,

Well this weekend went much better for Wistar and I. I decided to ride him briefly before the jog to relax him and make him think his work day was over. I then immediately changed and ran him in the jog and he was a perfect gentleman. Paula helped me with my out fit which was black pin striped slacks and a cute white jacket with a silk scarf. Thanks Paula!

Friday's Grand Prix was a big improvement from the show prior. I warmed up Wistar in 20 minutes testing his reactions and his throughness. When I went around the outside of the arena I continued to test his reaction to my leg and check that the piaffe would be there.

The test was very clean with good transitions into piaffe and good moments of passage. Overall the test scored a 63.083% My pirouettes were a bit weak along with my trot half passes. The tempis were nice and straight and up hill and the zig zag was my best yet in a test. The scores from the panel of 5 judges ranged from 66% from Linda Zang to 61% form Germany's Volker Moritz. So quite a wide spectrum. My over all feeling was that he was very ride able in the test and that made me very happy. I finished 6th in a field of 14. Steffen and Ravel won it with a 70.8% and Debbie and Brentina 2nd with a 70.5%, 3rd was Leslie Reid, then Leslie Morse, 5th Jennifer Hoffman with a 63.9% then Wistar and I.

The Special was very solid. Wistar was even more uphill in his work and I put in a solid 15 steps of piaffe in each tour. I scored my 1st eights on my passage and extended canter which was exciting. I had one unfortunate break in my final extended trot down the long side before my final piaffe/ passage tour but my over all test was improved from the day before. Although is it scored slightly lower with a 62.52% we ended 5th in the class and I was thrilled with his performance. Check out all of the CDI results at http://www.cornerstonedressage.com/results/2008%20Festival%20results.pdf Our next competition is the Del Mar show the end of the month and I am very excited for the evening of the Freestyles Sat the 26th. Summervale has purchased two booths ring side for the evening. We hope to have the gang come down to watch. Let us know if you're interested.

On another note Cendro, Rubesco and now WIndtalker all had once again a very successful competition. Cendro finished 2nd with a 71.190 on Friday in his 2-4. He was very good although more tired then normal so I scratched his 1-4 later that afternoon. Temperature was about 74 degrees and it seemed to have taken its toll on Cendro this week. He was tired this weekend. We have been going strong for the past 6 weeks. Saturday he was a bit more vibrant finishing 3rd in his 2-4 with a 67.85%. Sunday was a really great ride with a 72.895% and good enough for 2nd behind Leslie Webb who scored an 81% with her young boy.

Windtalker had his first show this weekend. Ashley is going back to school this fall and has decided that she really needs to sell her talented boy. We have just listed him on the www.sumervalefarm.com site and he came out at third level. He won his first test in the green horse third level test with a 62%. Then on Saturday he was second with a 63.8%. He shows so much promise and talent and was a blast to compete. We may bring him to Del Mar and Flintridge if we have him that long. He's likely to get snatched up by some lucky rider very quickly.

Paula had a super weekend. She won all four of her classes entered with a 72.01 on Friday in 1-4, a 70% at 2-4. On Saturday a 72.143% in her 2-4 class and then the finale.... a 74.474 on Sunday in her 1-4 test also winning the Markel Insurance High point cooler and neck ribbon for the high scoring amatuer of the show. Congratulations Paula. We are so proud of you. On a side note Paula also had her Phirst Solo baby this week. Solo had her foal via suragate on Thursday the 27th. Beautiful black colt with a blaze and four white socks.

Paula then continued home form the LA show and made home safely Tuesday the 1st. We already miss you Paula....