Clover Ledge Farm

This past Sunday was the last MHA horse show of the season.  The Maine Event is held at the Hollis Equestrian Park and is a Class A show.  I brought Reva to do four in hand classes and four riding classes.  She was a very good girl and I am super proud of her!!  I decided to ride her both saddleseat and hunt seat.  Professional photos by Unbridled Photography are HERE.  

Results for the day...
Championship 2-Gait Standardbred
1st place Standardbred 2-Gait Pleasure 
1st place Standardbred 2-Gait Equitation
1st place Open 2-Gait Pleasure
1st place Standardbred In Hand
1st place Hunter Horse In Hand
3rd place English Horse In Hand
3rd place Open Horse Halter Championship

In Hand...






Saddleseat...








Hunt seat...

After showing so much progress and growth this year, not to mention winning many ribbons, I felt Reva had certainly "earned" her first custom browband.  Thanks to Half Halt Designs!

Dreamy and I competed in our last SMDA show of the season on Sunday, September 18, 2011.  My friend Tania (from the Stepping Stone 2-phase post) came along with Otis.  It was their first dressage show and I really hoped they would do well, especially after the debacle of the weekend before.  Tania rode Intro A and B, so her times were much earlier than mine.  I hauled Dreamy to the show grounds a few hours early so that I could be there to support Tania.  She and Otis ROCKED their two tests, winning both A and B with excellent scores!  Sweet redemption!  (And the show actually used the RIGHT TESTS!!!!! :-/)  You can read about her day here!  I am hopeful that she will become a member of SMDA and try for year end points next year! 


I was very pleased with our last dressage show of the year.  We entered Training 3, Prix Caprilli, and First 1.  Dreamy was a bit stiff when I first got on her and had a hard time maintaining the connection to the bit in our first test especially.  She wante…

Dreamy and I went up to Carmel, ME (almost three hours away) on Sunday, September 11 for a 2-phase event.  My friend Tania came along with me and I trailered her horse Otis.  It was Tania's first 2-phase, as she did her first three phase earlier this summer.  I have never been to this farm and normally I do not attend any of the Maine Eventing and Combined Training Association (MECTA) events because I have never found them particularly well run.

Well, sadly, this one was no different.  I will never show here again.  :-(

While everything else was awful, I will say that Dreamy was fabulous.  We won dressage with a 27.62, which is amazing.  We had a few 6s, mostly 7s and 8s, and TWO NINES!!!!  Holy crap!  They were on our free walk and left lead canter depart.  We went clear in stadium and she was very easy and happy.  The stadium course was very tight but I was pleased with her.  It made me realize that we could easily move up to Beginner Novice if we wanted (we show at Elementary rig…

For the sixth year in a row, Dreamy and I went to the local trotting track here in town to marshal the amateur races at the Cornish Horseman's Day on September 10, 2011.  We had a great time with Shelly and McKeever, our partners in crime.  Sadly no one took any photos except the track photographer, so I have none to share right now!  :-(  Oh well!  

It is neat that after a few years of attending as a part of a local club, Shelly and I (and McKeever and Dreamy, of course!) are now specifically requested as marshals.  Diann P. has requested us for the last three years and it makes me feel very proud that she does so.  Also, she has requested that we marshal at the Sire Stakes Finals at Scarborough Downs.  Unfortunately, this year we could not be there for the 2 year olds (Sept. 11) but we will be there for the 3 year olds in October!  

I enjoy being at the track and marshaling is one of my favorite activities.  I also think it is a great way to show the public how STBs can have succe…

A blog friend went to an event camp this summer....and one of the clinicians was Peter Atkins!  LOL!  You have to watch the video (click on his name). I hope I get to ride with him again someday!

The Maine Horse Association (MHA) added a new show to the roster this year by affiliating with the the Maine Quarter Horse (MeQHA).  The show was typically just a QH show, but became an open Class B show this year.  It was fun to return to Skowhegan Fairgrounds for a second time in a year; normally we just go up in June for the Downeast Congress.

Reva and I had a good show with many ribbons.  She was a very good girl.  My goals were to have fun and have no bucking in the under saddle classes.  We achieved both goals!  Yay!!


Results:
Reserve Champion Open 2-Gait Pleasure (out of 4)
Reserve Champion Standardbred 2-Gait Pleasure (out of 2)
1st place Standardbred 2-Gait Pleasure (out of 2)
2nd place Standardbred In Hand (out of 2)
2nd place Standardbred Equitation (out of 2)
2nd place Open 2-Gait Pleasure (out of 4)
4th place Hunter Horse In Hand (out of 5)
4th place Trail Challenge (out of 7)




And the really funny part.......are you ready for this???  I showed SADDLESEAT!  LOL!  Yes, the "dres…

For the fourth year in a row, I made the trek to the Horse Park of New Jersey for the National Standardbred Show.  It is a long eight hour drive but it is always fun to see everyone.  The SPHO-NJ and SBOA of NJ present it each year; I am a member of SPHO-NJ and try to support the group as best as I can from Maine.
This year my friend Shelly brought along her gelding McKeever.  They came down with me the first year 2008.  And my friend Tania (who came with Dreamy and me to WEG last year) came along as our support person (and she got to show my horse too!  More on that in a minute…)
After bringing Dreamy down to the show for three years (2008, 2009, 2010) I decided to bring Reva this year!  I knew that we would not really be competitive in the huge classes and she would have her share of baby moments, but I knew it would be a good learning experience.  And having Tania along to help, I knew it was a good year to try it.  Dreamy is so super easy that I actually brought her do…