Summer fun

Hi there,

Hope you are all well. Wistar and Warado are doing really well. We are heading to the last show before championships up at Whidbey Is. this weekend. Warado is doing a couple of second level test to finish up his year end award requirements. He is all qualified for first and second level this year. Championships will held at Donida Farm Equestrian Center the last weekend of September.

Also coming to the show with us is Paige who will be attempting her first third level 3 test with her pony Dan'O. Paula will be showing Solo at I-1 and Ashley is showing her boy at training and first level. We will get some pictures and post. Should be a fun show.

Wistar is doing great. He is getting so strong. we took this picture of he and I the other day after doing a new photo shoot of Warado. He is so adorable!!!

Jennifer

Getting back to it!

Hi guys,

Hope you are all well. It's been quite some time since my last update. I'm sorry about that. A lot has happened in the last couple of months. Back in April right before the big LA CDI Wistar and I had a couple of road blocks. Two weeks or so before our show he had the untimely misfortune of a hot nail in his left front foot. We fixed the problem as quickly as we could but it did not seem to get better and eventually abscessed. We were very careful to keep him quiet and low key until we could continue to get him checked out and grow his feet out a bit. For the past couple of weeks we have just been focusing on getting him as healthy as possible. It has been tough but I am happy to say that he and I are up and running and doing great. He is my bud and I love him. Every day with him is such a treat.

I will keep you posted on our show season when it is determined and we hope to get back down to LA to train with Krissy Harrison this winter and/or to Idaho with Debbie McDonald. Next Spring I hope to take a big group down with me to show and train. It should be a lot of fun.

A quick update about Little Man. He has been wonderful. Taking up quite a bit of breeding slack for Wistar(Poor Guy). He went to WEC last month and won his classes at first and second level. He is getting very strong. We will be showing this weekend at Champagne Classic. Also Ashley(my assistant)will be competing her horse Windtalker and Paula Helm will be debuting her I-1 test this weekend on Phirst Solo. I have to tell you that she did her first set of PSG's two weeks ago at Whidbey and she scored a 64% and a 65.25% and achieved her silver medal. I was so proud of her. We will have a big great group there this weekend at Champagne and would love it if you can make it out to say hi and help cheer everybody on.

Well that about covers it for now. Hope you and your ponies are all well.

Talk to you soon,

Jennifer

Warado wins his first time out at second level

Hello again,

All and all it was a good show and I am happy to report that "Little Man" won his second level test with a 72.1 % He was very forward and in front of my leg. I thought he did a wonderful job with the more difficult movements. I am working hard to develop more strength with him and more consistent cadence in the trot work .

The US League Final was taking place during the weekend. Paula, Keshia, Ashley, and I had a great time watching the Grand Prix on Saturday. On Sunday we helped Paula and Keshia pack up and they headed toward home. We were sad to see them go. We were fortunate to make it back to the show in time to see Krissy get a 66% in the Grand Prix Special with Rociero. She had a beautiful test. Then it was the freestyles. We got to see who would represent the US at World Cup in Vegas this coming April. It looks like it will be Steffen Peters, Courtney King, Leslie Morse, and Wild card Cathrine Haddad.

Monday morning we head off to Redding for our first lay over. We had a wonderful stay at "The Paddock" in LA. Krissy and Debbie were fantastic and I can't wait to work with them in the future. Right now the plan is to rest a little in April and focus on getting the Grand Prix really solid with Wistar and hopefully compete later this season at that level. Warado will continue to train and we will think about what competition is next. Thank you for all of your support and I can't wait to get home and see everybody.

Jen

Festival of the Horse

Hi there,

Well some unfortunate news to report. I had to cancel Wistar from the CDI this weekend. He unfortunately developed a hoof abscess in his left front hoof that we were not able to remedy before the show. He has been fantastic and I was very disappointed especially with all of the progress we have made. I am very thankful that it is a short term problem and that we will be back on track here shortly. We are heading home after the show back to Roy and everyone is very excited to get home and get back to work.

On the brighter side. "Little Man" is being so super at the show. Friday we did a 1st level test and he came in 1st with a 68.7%. Today Saturday he was very in front of my leg and expressive and won his first level test with a 71.7%. Tomorrow we are doing are very first second level test. He has been getting stronger and stronger since I have been down here and he is really understanding the concept of sitting in the canter. We will see how he does. He has been a real trooper.

Kiesha made it down safely yesterday and has been helping Ashley, Paula and I at the show and will be helping drive home with Paula tomorrow. They should be home on Tuesday night and have been so much fun having down here with us. I will let you know how Warado does tomorrow. Until then I hope all of you are well and I will see you soon.

Jennifer

Update!

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. The horses are doing great. Chris Butanko was here again last Monday to shoe the boys and that went well. Thanks Chris for spending two days down here away from your business to help us out.

Wistar had his first warm up show of the season. We decided to start th season in the small tour being that it is a Pan Am year. We are working diligently on the Grand Prix at home hoping he will be ready to bring out the 2nd half of the year. We will see how the first two shows go and update our plan accordingly. In our PSG we had a somewhat consistent test which brought in a 65% from the panel of three judges. He was a little high especially in our medium canter down the long side. Yee-Haw he was feeling good. He needed a bit more relaxation in the canter work.

The next day in the I-1 I was absolutely thrilled with his performance. He was fantastic. He scored an overall score of a 66% which put us in 7th of the 24 entered for the day. All and all it was a very good first show out. It let me know what I had to work on for the next month and I feel really good about the CDI coming up in the next two weeks which is what will really count. I have been implementing some changes in my training since working with Debbie McDonald and Chrissy Harrison and we are still working on developing a more subtle connection. So that first show really helped us all know where we lack strength.

Little Man was a very super boy at the show as well winning his first class of the weekend with a 70.7% at first level. On day two he was able to get a 69% and finished third. On Sunday I took a lesson with Chrissy and Wistar and schooled Warado before packing up and taking them back to the farm. We had a great time. Paula pulled into the show on Saturday evening with Solo. Just arriving from Summervale Farm. Solo was tired but looked great and was very perky.

Well that's all for know. Next show is March 30, 31, and 1st. It is a CDI at the LA Equestrian Center. Charlene was planning on flying down for it. Kiesha who helps out with some riding at the farm will be flying down to help out at the show and drive back home with Paul and all of us. Thanks Kiesha. And we can't wait to see you Char (and Kiesha).

Jen

Doing Well!

Hi everyone,

Hope everything is going well. We are all doing great here. Nancy Dotti of Contact Saddles came and visited us yesterday. She did a check up on my two Albion saddles. Wistar is in a SLK Ultima and Warado is in the new Platinum Ultima model which was sponsored by Nancy. I also am in an Albion KB double bridle and the Ultima girth sponsored by Nanci. She flocked them both and got them fitting the boys just right. You can schedule a saddle fitting yourself by going to www.contactsaddles.com Nanci does travel. She also left me with a beautiful 18" Platinum Ultima 18" narrow twist, narrow seat, med/wide tree that I will have available for sale when I get back if it of coarse has not alrady sold. I head over to the LA Equestrian center on Tuesday for our first competition with Wistar on Friday and Saturday. Wish us luck...

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

The horses are doing really well. Everyone has settled into their routines and we have been working diligently every day. I have been really thinking a lot about how much I appreciate all of you that have supported me through this journey. I feel so blessed to have you all in my life and really couldn't be living this dream without you. Every day I am so thankful to have such wonderful horses to ride and be in this position of learning and bettering myself in my riding skills.

Last weekend I was able to travel home and see many of my clients and husband and it was so wonderful how welcoming everyone was. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Alex for your never ending emotional support and pep talks, Charlene for you amazing horses, your life lessons and your friendship, Ashley for your hard work and dedication to me and the horses that you groom everyday and make look immaculate every time they step out of there stalls, Terry for you support through all of the years and your United Airlines passes when we need them, Chris for taking time out of your very busy schedule to come down and shoe my boys so I can keep them at their best, Marli for your beautiful Newsletter that you did for us that was so well written, Paula for your constant friendship, dedication and endless hours of hard work in trying to get me funding so that I may stay down here long enough to reach my goals, Belynda and Kiesha for keeping the horses and the farm going while I am away, Jenny and Sue for all of your help with the grant writing, to Debbie McDonald and Kristina Harrison for your acceptance and your teachings, and to all of my friends, family, sponsors, and clients that support me everyday I can't tell you enough what you mean to me. Thank you for everything that you do. I am so blessed to have you in my life.

Sincerely,

Jennifer