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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

I was selected for a NEDA Flextime Lesson! YAY!

I was contacted the other night via email because I was selected for a NEDA Flextime Lesson! YAY! Click HERE for more info on what I am talking about....

Basically, Flextime is a program through the New England Dressage Association for junior and adult amateur members. It gives you an opportunity to take a lesson from an instructor you may not otherwise get to have......at a very discounted price. The instructors who agree to do this are basically donating their time. You have to fill out an application and mail it with a $45 check. You must choose your top three choices of instructors (there were 34 different listed to choose from this year) and then you are selected based on application and postmark.

My first choice was Lendon Gray. I would have crapped my pants if I had gotten that lesson! I emailed Ms. Gray before I applied to ask her about stabling and such. Basically, had I received her as an instructor, I would have trucked to her NY farm for a long weekend, taken my Flextime lesson on Sat, and then paid for a full price lesson on Sunday. She was very gracious and told me that my plan would work out fine for her.

I ended up getting my second choice, Gwyneth McPherson, the trainer and manager at Pineland Farm in New Gloucester, ME. Obviously, a 45 minute trailer ride is MUCH different than a 5 hour ride......so I am pretty sure that was the factor as to why I was not selected for riding with Lendon. The application made it pretty clear that they would consider distance and feasibility of the lesson. I am now kicking myself that I did not make a note on my application that I had already spoken to Ms. Gray and she was supportive of me coming for a long weekend from Maine.

Oh well. I am still super pleased with being able to take a lesson with Gwyneth M. And it will be cheaper to truck to Pineland! LOL! But I would love to figure out a way to now get my butt to Gleneden for the weekend. I want to ride with Lendon! :)

Maybe I can convince a parental unit that sponsoring some of the cost of the trip to/lessons at Lendon's NY farm this summer would be a FANTASTIC 30th birthday present.........hey Mom, you reading this??? :D

Comments

  1. GOOD for you. I know you were hopeful.

    NOW, onto the NY thing. Maybe we can all donate a bit to see if we can't get you to this lesson of your dreams.

    I would need you to let me know how much money we are talking here and let me see what we can do. As you know I am doing much much less this year for reasons you know about, but I still have my horse fund and would be willing to share with you for your birthday.

    Let me know.

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  2. Well as you know Region 8 championships are in NY so a lot of Jerseyans are members of NEDA as well. And I remember reading a story in one of my GMO Newsletters (I think it was ESDCTA) about someone who was selected for that program and got Lendon. They did do a long weekend and were supposed to get 3 lessons, only 1 discounted, but for some reason that didn't work out and they only had 1, but it was a really good one. I have actually cliniced with Lendon before and she was really good. She was tough, but funny about it so I didn't want to cry and run away. I think if you can talk your parents into it that would totally be the best birthday present! And if not have you gotten on her e-mail list? I know a private lesson is not the same thing as a clinic but I thought I got something that she and courtney king were going to do a weekend together in northern Mass. It wont be $45, nor will it be as good as a weekend, but it still could be fun!

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