2010 USEF Selection Trials for ParaEquestrian World Equestrian Games


Copyright © 2010 Robin Brueckmann

July 17
I am at Elly Schobel's, working with her. Had good rides on all three horses this morning, starting at 6 am: Ralee first, then Sasha, then Timmy. We also worked with the two Andalusians Elly has in training, Oye and JD, a three-year-old. It is already a productive week! I am looking forward to more good rides in spite of the heat.

July 23
USEF Names Fifteen to Para-Equestrian Dressage Nominated Entry for 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
By USEF Communications
Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named 15 horse/rider combinations to the Nominated Entry for Para-Equestrian Dressage for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. From this group, 10 horse/rider combinations will be submitted to Definite Entry on September 30 to represent the United States in Para-Equestrian Dressage. The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games run from September 25-October 10, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky.

The following horse/rider combinations have been named to the Nominated Entry:

Rider/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Breed/Sex/Owner

Rebecca Hart/25/Erie, PA/Kazan/18/Dutch Warmblood/Gelding/Kerri Sowers

Robin Brueckmann/52/Summerfield, NC/Raison D'Etre/12/American Warmblood/Gelding/Elly Schobel

Laura Goldman/65/Highland Heights, OH/Calingford JD/11/Irish Sport Horse/Gelding/Trudy Phillips

Susan Treabess/33/Winters, CA/Moneypenny/16/Dutch Warmblood/Mare/Katy Peterson

Holly Bergay/17/Castle Rock, CO/Grand Ballerina/16/Oldenburg/Mare/Robin Garrett

Jonathan Wentz/19/Richardson, TX/NTEC Richter Scale/16/Shire Cross/Gelding/Kai Handt

Wendy Fryke/45/Parker, CO/Lateran/13/Westphalian/Stallion/Polly Limond

Jennifer J. Baker/46/Loveland, OH/Duel/16/Rhinelander/Gelding/University of Findlay

Mary Jordan/44/Wells, ME/Paxton Abbey/12/Hanoverian/Mare/Mary Jordan

Kim Decker/42/Centreville, VA/Dashers Destiny/16/Hanoverian/Gelding/Paul Decker

Erin Alberda/30/Woodinville, WA/Delectari/12/Swedish Warmblood/Gelding/Erin Alberda

Kathy Groves/49/Columbus, NC/Friespruch/ 16/Westphalian/Gelding/Kathryn Groves

Barbara Grassmyer/38/Placerville, CA/Mibis/16/Dutch Warmblood/Mare/Barbara Grassmyer

Kim Jones/43/Georgetown, SC/Fascination/Dutch Warmblood

Elizabeth Pigott/24/Downingtown, PA/Mr. Darcy/Dutch Warmblood

August 2
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 5:04pm
I am pleased to report that I have just returned from two quite successful shows (three actually, as this past weekend counted as two shows. Last weekend, I was in Williamston, near the NC coast, for a very hot hot hot weekend, with actual temperatures near 100 and heat indices around 110. My horses were wonderful, though, and scored and placed well. Sasha was Fourth Level High Score, with a 66 in Fourth Level Test 2. I did a Fourth Level freestyle with him for the first time, which came out very well. Timmy was very good, and his scores were all high too. Timmy and I debuted at Materiale classes, which is a group class for young dressage horses. He won the Materiale with 77%, a good score.

Yesterday we returned from Raleigh. This time, the weather cooperated, with a fine rain most of the day on Saturday and clouds on Sunday after a morning shower. Both my horses started out the weekend with dismal rides; Timmy got scared of something in the woods near the far arena, and he could not concentrate on his test. Sasha held his breath and consequently could not do his flying changes or pirouettes. Both horses redeemed themselves, though, winning their second classes with 70% and 66% respectively. I did Sasha's new freestyle both days, and he had similar scores from both judges, 66 and 67%. Timmy had two more Materiale classes, winning one and second in the other.

I achieved two of my four goals for this weekend. I got Timmy's required three Materiale scores, to make him eligible for USDF Horse of the Year at that level. Sasha got his second ABIG Qualifying score at Fourth Level Freestyle, making him qualified to participate in the Regional Finals in November . The two goals I have not yet met are to get Sasha Qualified at Fourth Level, and Timmy Qualified at Training Level. Both horses have one of the two required scores, and need a second score. Timmy needs another score of 68% or higher at Training Level Test 4, and Sasha needs a 62% or higher at Fourth Level Test 3. Hopefully I can get these scores at this weekend's show in Asheville!

Meanwhile, I am continuing to work with Roxie Girl, Rich's 4-year-old Hanoverian/Oldenburg filly. She is coming along nicely; she has decided the bucking is not a great option and she likes going out in the fields and jumping little jumps.

I am also working with Whoopee, Timmy's son. Whoopee is very interactive and fun to play with. He is enjoying the snake pit and jumping barrels. I have had a saddle on him twice, which he did not think was so fun. I am in no rush with him; he needs to mature and grow up more before it's time to actually start him.

All for now!

Summertime Blues
Williamston, NC
July 24-25, 2010
Radetzky, Class 143, Fourth Level Test 3, judge Janine Malone, score 55.610%, second in class

Radetzky, Class 171, Fourth Level Freestyle, judge Janine Malone, score 67.917%, second in class

Radetzky, Class 243, Fourth Level Test 3, judge Sara Schmidt, score 64.390%, first in class

Radetzky, Class 242, Fourth Level Test 2, judge Janine Malone, score 66.818%, first in class

Fourth Level High Score

Lord Baltimore, Class 104, Training Level Test 4, judge Sara Schmidt, score 69.286%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, Class 102, Training Level Test 2, judge Sara Schmidt, score 69.20%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, Class 184, Materiale for 4-5 Year Old Colts/Geldings, judge Janine Malone, score 77%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, Class 201, Training Level Test 1, judge Janine Malone, score 73.913%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, Class 202, Training Level Test 2, judge Janine Malone, score 71.071%, second in class

Raleigh Summer Dressage I and II
Raleigh, NC
July 31-August 1, 2010
Radetzky, Class 143, Fourth Level Test 3, judge Brigitte Simmons, score 57.317%, first in class

Radetzky, class 180, USDF Freestyle (Fourth Level), judge Kathy Rowse, score 66.250%, first in class

Radetzky, class 280, USDF Freestyle (Fourth Level), judge Brigitte Simmons, score 67.083%, third in class

Radetzky, class 243, Fourth Level Test 3, judge Kathy Rowse, score 60.0%, second in class

Lord Baltimore, class 102, Training Level Test 2, judge Kathy Rowse, score 70.714%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, class 104, Training Level Test 4, judge Brigitte Simmons, score 58.0%, fifth in class

Lord Baltimore, class 201, Training Level Test 1, judge Brigitte Simmons, score 70.435%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, class 204, Training Level Test 4, judge Kathy Rowse, score 66.00%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, class 174, Materiale 4/5 Year Old Colts/Geldings, score 74%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, class 274, Materiale 4/5 Year Old Colts/Geldings, score 72%, second in

Summer Mountain Getaway
by Robin Brueckmann on Monday, August 9, 2010 at 11:49am
I had a great show this weekend in Asheville. It was nearly-perfect weather, and my horses were wonderful!

Elly brought Oye and Ralee to the show. She had their saddles fitted in Tryon on Friday, and got them adjusted by Dr. Joy Baker, then headed to the show. She showed Oye, and Ralee was a guest horse.

Since Ralee was there, and I was there, Elly thought it would be a great idea if I did an exhibition with Ralee during the competitors' party on Saturday, and the show manager, Olga Wagner, thought that was a great idea too.

I rode my horses on Friday at the show, assisted ably by friend and student Masha Budden, and had them settled by the time Elly arrived. Elly had already ridden both horses before she came.

On Saturday, I had two rides each with my two horses, starting at the unseemly-late hour of 11:30. That meant that my afternoon was crammed with rides, including the last ride of the day with Timmy.

This was Timmy's chance to get his second qualifying score at Training Level. We missed it by THAT MUCH--finishing third in Training 4 wiht 66 and change. Sasha's freestyle went particularly well, as did his Fourth 2 class.

Elly did her Grand Prix freestyle with Oye, for 65.5%, but she was (as usual) not satisified with it.

The footing in the outdoor arena was deep sand, with rocks, and in the coliseum it was clay and sand and rocks. Both my horses like the coliseum better. Timmy was again astonished by people in the bleachers, and he also shied at the judge during his Training 1 class, but won it anyway.

In order to get the exhibition underway, Elly had Ralee already in the warmup as I finished with Timmy's second ride. I hopped on Ralee and Masha took Timmy away. I had not ridden Ralee in over two weeks, and it took me a little bit to get the feel for him again.

We were ready for our exhibition just 25 mintues after Timmy's last class. In we went. It was a great opportunity to get another go at his freestyle, and it went very well. The atmosphere was electric, of course not as electric as it was going to be in Kentucky but a good barometer. I was very pleased with the ride, and Elly was beside herself. It was a great day!

Sunday went well too. It was not as hot as it had been at home all week. Timmy won both his classes, and Sasha was second in his two, to Jennifer Baumert's lovely deWert. Sasha got his second qualifying score at Fourth Level; now he is qualified for Regionals at both Fourth Level and Fourth Level Freestyle.

It was a great weekend altogether. Masha and I packed up and got back to Flintrock by 8PM, and I was home by nine.

NCDCTA Summer Mountain Getaway
Asheville, NC
August 7-8, 2010
Radetzky, class 142, Fourth Level Test 2, judge Sue Kolstad, score 67.955%, second in class

Radetzky, class 171, USDF Freestyle (Fourth Level), judge Elizabeth Lewis, score 67.5%, second in class

Radetzky, class 242, Fourth Level Test 2, judge Elizabeth Lewis, score 66.818%, first in class

Radetzky, class 243, Fourth Level Test 3, judge Sue Kolstad, score 64.878%, second in class

Lord Baltimore, class 101, Training Level Test 1, judge Elizabeth Lewis, score 67.826%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, class 104, Training Level Test 4, judge Elizabeth Lewis, score 66.8%, third in class

Lord Baltimore, class 201, Training Level Test 1, judge Sue Kolstad, score 68.261%, first in class

Lord Baltimore, class 202, Training Level Test 2, judge Elizabeth Lewis, score 69.643%, first in class

by Robin Brueckmann on Monday, August 23, 2010 at 6:33am

I just got back from another great training session with Elly Schobel. I brought my two horses, Sasha and Timmy, to Elly's farm, and I rode these two and also Elly's Ralee, every day. We were at a different farm to ride this time, at Muffy Seaton's driving farm, and we rode in her oversized driven dressage arena.

Although it was hot and sticky, as usual for summer in South Carolina, I had good rides each day with all of the horses. Elly got a kick out of her trailer loaded with three international or potentially international horses: Sasha went to Hong Kong, Ralee is going to the WEG, and I hope to take either Sasha or Timmy to London in 2012!

I got back late Thurdsay evening, and I have been working at home since then. My horses are back on their regular hillwork schedule as well as their normal work schedule. And I'm back riding my other horses, and working wtih little Whoopee, who is now carrying a saddle but has not yet been ridden. He is getting stronger and smarter every day!

For those of you who have begged for it, here is a video of Ralee's freestyle for the WEG.

Also, Ralee at home 8/17/2010

And here is Sasha doing Fourth Level Test 3 at Asheville.

Enjoy!
Robin

USDF Horse of the Year standings
by Robin Brueckmann on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 6:05pm
I am happy to report that my horses are doing well in the preliminary USDF Horse of the Year standings. Timmy (Lord Baltimore) is currently in second place nationally overall in Materiale 4-5 year old colts/geldings. Sasha (Radetzky) is currently standing third nationally at Fourth Level Vintage Cup, and 14th nationally at Fourth Level Freestyle.

Sasha is also standing first for the American Trakehner Association for Fourth Level Freestyle and Fourth Level Vintage Cup, and second at Fourth Level.

Both horses are currently at the top of their divisions for NCDCTA Horse of the Year, at Training Level, Fourth Level and Freestyle (all levels combined).

For the Performance Horse Registry Silver Stirrup Awards, Timmy is leading the country at Training Level, and Sasha is tied for first at both Fourth Level and Fourth Level Freestyle. And Timmy is standing sixth nationally as a US-bred, competing against horses in all USEF divisions!

Way to go guys!

Sasha's newest taste sensation

by Robin Brueckmann on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 7:39pm
Sasha has been wearing bell boots 24/7 since last October, when he got his first set of shoes. His shoes are fancy-dancy New Balance things, and the heels extend significantly past his own heels. The bell boots have (mostly) kept his shoes on his hooves, where they belong.

The problem has been that he wears the stitching out long before the boots themselves wear out. I used the PVC bell boots.

After trying to repair the PVC boots for the umpteenth time, I decided to try pull-on rubber boots. I got an extra-large pair three weeks ago.

These worked fine for two weeks. No stitching to come undone, no Velcro to unfasten and get clogged with stuff from the pasture. All was well.

No, Sasha did not think all was well. He began to chew on his bell boots. If it was a rubber allergy, he should have begun that right away; no, he waited two weeks to begin eating his boots.

Sasha came in from the field one day last week with great hunks torn out of the tops of his bell boots. How did this transpire? He gladly showed me how he was doing it. He took the top of the bell boot in his teeth, and pulled as hard as he could. The boot stretched and snapped back.

The next day, he came in with only one bell boot on. The other one was lost in the field. This time, he chewed them up from the bottom instead of the top. I bought him a new pair.

This pair lasted only two days. It was hard to get them off; they were shredded.

Now Sasha has redneck bell boots on: duct tape wrapped around his hooves, extending over the heels of his shoes. It's quite the image.

The Gaping Maw trick
by Robin Brueckmann on Monday, August 30, 2010 at 6:43pm

So I talked about the Gaping Maw trick. If you haven't met my horses in person, you have missed out on a great trick! I don't have everyone's version memorialized, though. Sparkyy was almost worth keeping for this trick, but now I have three other horses who all do it, each in their own way. Haven't yet caught Sasha or Whoopee digitally, so you will have to wait until I do! Timmy and Whoopee walk up to people in the pasture and do it...slightly scary if you don't know it's a trick! Sasha's version is more demure. Rocky thought it was much too undignified and he wouldn't do it at all.

Or if you prefer a video.

The Scooter Saga

I’m headed to Selection Trials for the World Equestrian Games. I have qualified to compete two horses, my own Radetzky (I call him Sasha, for Sasha Radetsky the famous ballet dancer), and Elly Schobel’s Raison d’Etre (Ralee). Since last fall, I have been going to the Williston, South Carolina, several times a month to work with Elly and Ralee; I generally bring Sasha and my five-year-old Oldenburg Lord Baltimore (Timmy) for Elly’s assistance as well. While I’m at Elly’s, I help her with her other horses, including the Bakers’ Andalusian stallion Oyente (Oye). It’s a 275-mile journey, one-way, and I generally spend the better part of a week with Elly each time I go down there.

I’ve shown Ralee three times this spring, each time getting good scores with him, as well as introducing Sasha to the wonders and challenges of Fourth Level. I feel confident about our performance at Selection Trials. These will be the weekend of June 25-27, at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, near Chicago.

The past two weeks have been a flurry of activity for me, getting prepared for this important show. The trip itself is a marathon. First, I have to take Sasha to Williston, work with Elly for several days, and then get ready for the two-day drive to Wayne. To complicate matters, I committed to judge a dressage show in Vermont the weekend before Trials, which shortened my training time with Elly.

I have a wonderful electric scooter, and I wanted to bring it out of storage to use at Lamplight, which is a venue with a lot of walking. Since my mobility is impaired, I thought the scooter would be just perfect for that show, which is in fact why I bought it in the first place. I hadn’t used it in several years, though.

So. Getting the scooter functional after its vacation was on my (long) list of the things to accomplish before I left for Lamplight. Two weeks before my departure date, I packed the scooter into my car, intending to take it to a scooter repair facility and get it going again. I knew that both tires were flat, and I thought it needed new batteries.

I called a scooter place in Greensboro, and then drove there. No, in fact, they don’t work on electric scooters. I went to a second scooter place in Kernersville. No, they don’t work on electric scooters. I should take it to Northern Tool. I drove to Colfax to Northern Tool. No, they don’t work on electric scooters. By now, I have driven nearly sixty miles, with no improvement in the condition of the scooter.

Next stop was a specialized battery store in Greensboro (20 more miles). Yes, they had the batteries, they thought, but the batteries were under the footplate. We began to unscrew the eight Phillips screws before discovering that one was stripped. The manager said that she would try to drill it out, so I left the scooter there.

Next day, I got a phone call. Please take this $%^&&* scooter away. She had been unable to drill out the screw, and she was bruised all over from the scooter falling over on its flat tires every time she tried to drill the screw out of the footplate. Would I please take it away?

I drove back to the scooter place (20 miles), and sat down on the floor. Sure enough, that screw was stripped out. I unscrewed the other seven screws and was able to manhandle the last recalcitrant screw off. Now the batteries could be replaced. Credit card in hand, I packed the scooter back in the car.

I went to Lowe’s, to buy flathead screws to replace the Phillips, so that this did not happen in the future. I took the scooter to a gas station to inflate the tires, but the front tire made insistent hissing sounds. The valve stem was leaking.

I went to Goodyear, my normal tire repair place. The attendant said that she could replace the inner tube if I got it myself. I drove to Walmart and bought two new inner tubes, then returned to Goodyear. No, said the mechanic, it was a BICYCLE TIRE and they don’t work on bicycles.

Now I drove to a bicycle shop (20 miles). Yes, they could replace the inner tube, but the mechanic had gone to assist his mother, who had broken her hip. Could I come back tomorrow? Yes, I could.

Back to the bicycle place. I took the scooter home and drove it up and down the driveway, happy that it was now functional. I put it back in my car, so that I could take it to my trailer the next day and at last have this ONE ITEM checked off my long list of things to do and pack to get ready for this upcoming trip.

I went to judge a horse trial that weekend. The scooter was still in my car, and I thought it would be perfect for touring around cross-country. Alas, the front tire was flat as a pancake. On Monday after the horse trial, I drove back to the bicycle place. Yes, the mechanic was home from his trip, but he was at lunch. Would I like to come back later? Sure.

After lunch, the mechanic examined the new inner tube and determined that it had a hole in it. He replaced it with another new inner tube, and I drove home. I was not ready to check the scooter off my list just yet, in case something else arose with it. I again drove it up and down the driveway; it was peppy now with its new batteries, and the tires seemed to be holding air.

Finally, I took the scooter to the barn and loaded it into my trailer. I checked it off my list. My list was two pages long; this was ONE ITEM. I was amazed at how many miles I had amassed on my car getting this blessed scooter ready to go: over 200 miles.

So far, so good. I was able to complete my packing and get ready for my trip to Wayne via South Carolina and Vermont with no further incidents. Yet.

I have been involved in ParaEquestrian dressage for a long time. I taught therapeutic riding for many years, including eleven years at Thorncroft Equestrian Center, beneficiary of Dressage at Devon. I became disabled myself in 1994, with reflex sympathetic dystrophy in my right leg.

I started competing as a disabled rider in 1999, when I garnered two gold medals at the World Dressage Championships in Denmark. Since then, I have done two more World Championships (2003 in Belgium and 2007 in England), and Paralympic Games in 2000 in Sydney and in 2008 in Hong Kong. I have also represented the US at the 2002 Dutch Open Championships and in 2006 in Belgium.

This year, I have two horses to compete in international competitions. I am riding my own Radetzky (Sasha), with whom I competed in China, and Elly Schobel’s Raison dÉtre (Ralee). Both horses have their own stories.

Anne Gribbons found Sasha in a farmer’s field in Sweden in 2005, when she was at the last World Equestrian Games. Anne thought that Sasha was perfect for me, and the plan was for him to be my mount for this year’s WEG. I bought Sasha sight unseen from Sweden. He was barely broke at five years old, and had just been gelded. He’s been a project! Sasha is timid and insecure. He’s a flashy thing, with lots of high white and flamboyant movement. He’s chestnut with a blaze, a dark red.

Ralee belongs to my good friend Elly Schobel, and she has generously allowed me to ride him for this year’s WEG. Elly lives in Williston, SC, about six hours from me. I go down there several times a month and stay for several days, to ride him and Sasha with Elly. Ralee is also chestnut with a blaze, but he’s completely different from Sasha. Ralee thinks the world revolves around him. He is egotistical and vain and pompous, and he deserves to be honored, according to him. He is ¾ Thoroughbred, and has a more Thoroughbred type movement. He is expressive in a completely different way than Sasha is. Both horses excel in the trot work. Elly shows Ralee at Grand Prix, and I am very grateful for her generosity in allowing me to ride him.

I am also riding my young horse, Lord Baltimore (Timmy) at Training Level. When I started showing this spring, at March Magic, I showed all three horses, making secretaries earn their keep! I showed Sasha and Ralee in the PE classes, which are equivalent to Third Level, and also at Fourth Level in open classes. I was thrilled with all three horses, who all won several classes. Ralee won the most, scoring up to 74% at Fourth Level and winning all the PE classes with big scores. I showed again at FENCE and at Latta with all three horses, and Ralee’s scores continued to rise, up to 78% in PE classes! Sasha is doing well at Fourth Level as well as the PE classes, and Timmy is quite successful at Training.

Now I’m just doing two horses at a show. That’s much easier! I needed to show Ralee at three shows to get him on the USEF PE Ranking List. Sasha already had scores from Hong Kong that made him eligible. Ralee jumped to the top of the standings, with an average score of 75%; Sasha stood fourth overall in Grade IV going into Selection Trials.

In order to be eligible to compete in Selection Trials, I had to earn my FEI Certificate of Eligibility. I did that last year, at Lamplight, with Sasha, in the CPEDI*** last May. The FEI Certificate made me eligible to do Trials on any horse or horses that I wanted. I could compete two horses at Trials. I entered both Sasha and Ralee.

Selection Trials were held last weekend, June 24-27, in Wayne IL, near Chicago. My journey took over two weeks. First, I took Sasha to Williston, SC, to ride with Elly, and to help her with her other Grand Prix horse, the Andalusian stallion Oyente. I had two days to ride Sasha and Ralee under her watchful eye, before flying to Vermont to judge a dressage show. I was not able to get a flight back to Columbia on Sunday night, so I had to fly out early Monday morning. Elly met me at the airport with the three horses.

We drove to Lexington, Kentucky. The horses stayed overnight at Champagne Run, and we stayed next door at Dreamtime Farm, where Ralee was bred and raised. What fun would it be to bring a Kentucky-bred horse to the WEG in Lexington! Well, that was our goal! The next day, Tuesday, we drove the rest of the way to Wayne. We arrived at Lamplight in the midst of a hunter/jumper show. Our stalls were not assigned until we arrived, because the hunters and jumpers were still there. Usually, all the PE riders stable together, but at this show we were not able to do that. Elly and I were put in the permanent tent stalls. We got the horses settled and headed to our hostess’s house.

Sandra Eisen offered to keep us in her house in Wayne. She was most generous with this, and we were very grateful! She lives quite close to the show grounds, and it made our trip much easier.

Wednesday was our lightest day. We were at the barn at five, and I was riding Ralee well before six. We wanted to keep him a secret until competition time. It was going to rain, so we were quick about our morning ride; I did manage to get on Sasha before the deluge. It rained hard. Elly and I did some shopping to kill the time until we could ride again. In the afternoon, we got Oye done, and I rode both Sasha and Ralee again. Both horses were fresh after their long trip, but they settled for this second ride.

This was going to be the biggest group of PE riders we had ever had at a Selection Trial. There were twenty-five horses and seventeen riders, eight in Grade IV with me. It was going to be very competitive! Returning champion Rebecca Hart had two horses, her own Norteassa (Pippin) and Kerry Sower’s Kazan. In Grade IV, I knew that my main competition would come from Susan Ellen Treabass from California. She had three horses on the Ranking List, but she had only brought her mare Moneypenny. Holly Bergay had ridden Grand Ballerina last year, and she had the same mare again this year, a lovely horse.

Thursday was the jog. I rode early in the morning again, riding Ralee first. It was best for me if I rode Ralee before Sasha, so that I could take the good feel from Ralee and ride Sasha to feel like Ralee. I had a second ride before the jog, and then Elly and I got the horses braided.

All the horses passed the jog. That was a relief to all of us! We all headed to get fitted for our uniforms in the evening; the Ariat representative took our sizes and preferences for fit and clothing.

Friday was our first day of competition. The Grade IV riders went first, starting at 12:30. I rode early in the morning, still keeping Ralee under wraps. Both he and Sasha were going well, and I was beginning to get very excited about this show. Elly had her Grand Prix class with Oye in the late morning. I helped her warm up, and watched her ride. Oye is ten, and this is his first year at Grand Prix, and he is learning how to be comfortable with the test under pressure. He did fine.

Today was the Team test. This was a fairly short test, with lots of trot work. That worked to both my horses’ advantage, as they both have great trot work. The weather cooperated; it was sunny and pleasant.

The hill at Lamplight gets longer and steeper every time you have to go up it. I was very glad for my electric scooter, however much trouble it had been to get it ready for the trip!

I rode Sasha first in our Team Test. He went well for me, and I was very pleased with his performance. I was disappointed in our score, 62%, but there you go.

I had to wait an hour before Ralee’s ride. Elly and I warmed him up exactly as we normally do, with lots of slow, easy trot work and transitions before getting him revved up for the show ring. When our turn came, I stepped on the gas, and Ralee responded perfectly. He marched into that ring and took charge! He knows he’s wonderful, and he loves to show off, and show off he did! It was a good ride, and I took no prisoners.

As I finished, there was stunned silence from the spectators, not a clap to be heard. I had kept him as a secret, and he had shown off his true colors! There was a Corvette show in town, and I knew that I was riding a Jaguar!

The Grade IV riders were separated from the Grade I, II, and III, who rode in a small arena. Grade IV was in a large arena. I won the Grade IV class on Ralee, with 65%, the lowest score I had gotten on him but good enough to win here. Sasha ended up sixth with his 62%, making it a very close class.

Rebecca Hart won the combined Grade I, II, and III class with Pippin, and she was second to herself on Kazan.

We had a mandatory Media Training that evening, at a hotel near the airport, which lasted several hours, to teach us how to conduct interviews. It was not really what I wanted to do; I had been up since four and would get up at the same time tomorrow. Mandatory.

Saturday was another nice day, sunny and just a bit warm. I did not ride the horses in the morning; they were both going well. We had the Individual Championship test today, with more canter work. I knew that both horses were completely comfortable with this test, as this was what I had been showing them in this spring.

Sasha was first in the class again. I asked for more energy today, with better steadiness, and he gave me everything I asked for. He felt wonderful, and I knew it was a better ride than yesterday. The score did not reflect the difference I felt, at 63%. Ralee was the last horse of the class. I pulled out all the stops with him, and he gave me a very good ride, for 66%. Again, Ralee won the Grade IV and Sasha was sixth.

Becca won her division, this time on Kazan, and she was second on Pippin. Laura Goldman, a new rider, placed third. Laura had only ridden her horse, Carlingford JD, about twenty times, and had only shown once before, just enough to get her FEI Certificate.

Elly rode her freestyle at seven PM on Saturday night. I had done her music for her, a compilation from Mask of Zorro. The music was perfect for her Andalusian. There were a few technical glitches, but I thought it was a good effort for Oye’s second freestyle. Sunday we slept in, until six. Today was my freestyle, my favorite class. I was riding Sasha to Radetsky March, very classical music. I had Simon and Garfunkel music for Ralee, and it was perfect for him.

Sasha was second to go in the class. He warmed up well for me. I went in to do my ride. It went very well, up until the last two movements when my music got stuck in one track. I finished the ride with just static coming from the loudspeakers.

As I left the arena, I saw the judges getting out of their booths to confer. That was not a good sign. I knew I had done all the required movements. Elly said that Sasha had done some one-tempis, which were forbidden; he had just flipped his lead and I flipped him back. I hoped that the judges would not count that against my score. It was a very painful penalty if they did: eight points off every time I did a forbidden movement, and no more than 5 on choreography.

There was trouble with some other riders’ music too. Kathy’s music just stopped halfway through; she was given a re-ride after my ride with Ralee. Several other riders had music skip or stutter. This was the wrong show for that to happen!

Ralee and I went in to do our freestyle. We were both pepped up. He loved the attention, and I love doing freestyles. The trot and walk went very well, but I did not set him up well enough for the flying changes and I had some trouble there because I confused Ralee. I was disappointed in myself and in my riding. Elly was generous in consoling me.

When the scores were announced, I was less upset. I had won again, by the skin of my chinny-chin-chin, with 69%, just barely ahead of Susan Ellen Treabass who also had 69%. Now I had to wait for the other sixteen riders in Grade I, II and III. It made for a very long afternoon! In the end Becca won with Kazan and was second with Pippin.

The scores from all three tests over all three days and all grades were combined for the final calculation of rankings. Becca was first with Kazan and second with Pippin, and I was right behind her with Ralee. Sasha finished eleventh.

Pam Lane, our USEF Liaison, explained that the first seven riders (Becca counted only once, since each rider would only take one horse to WEG) were most likely going to be named to go to the WEG. The next three slots were more ambiguous. The final announcement of the lucky ten would be made in four to six weeks, an amazingly long period of time. We weren’t done yet. After the awards ceremony (we paraded around in golf carts), Stacey Kent, the FEI vet, did a much more thorough inspection of each horse, including flexion tests and more jogging. Drug testers took blood from each of the horses, to be tested under FEI rules. Three riders were randomly selected for athlete drug testing (I was not selected for this honor). It was after six before we were really, truly done.

Elly and I had already decided that we were not going to leave on Sunday night, and that was a good decision. We went back to Sandy’s for the night, and had a sleep before starting on our long journey home.

We left Lamplight at five on Monday morning, and had an uneventful drive to Lexington KY. Again, the horses stayed at Champagne Run and we stayed at Dreamtime. Ralee’s breeders, Carolin Walz and Phaedra, were understandably overjoyed with Ralee’s success.

Elly and I completed our trip to South Carolina on Tuesday, arriving at Elly’s farm around two in the afternoon. We got our stuff disentangled and loaded my things into my truck and trailer. It was hot hot hot. In the evening, we turned the horses out into paddocks, where they rolled and rolled.

A storm came in, and Elly and I ran out in the rain to bring the horses into the barn. It was a good thing, too. Lightning struck two trees in the small paddock where Sasha had been just a few minutes before; it also struck the hot water heater in the barn and the little house where I was staying. I slept in my wet clothes in lieu of air-conditioning since the power was out.

I had another day’s drive ahead of me. I drove back to Reidsville, NC on Wednesday, June 30, over two weeks later than the start of my journey. What a trip! Now Sasha gets time off, and Timmy goes back to work…