The Best Trip Ever!!! Updated with More Photos and Stories! April 30, 2008

The Aiken Spring Classic at Highfields!

 

This weekend was my Dad’s 40th Birthday and we went to the Aiken Spring Classic in Aiken South Carolina to celebrate!  It took me, my mom and dad and my brother Riley four and a half hours to get to Highfields Showgrounds for the big event.  I was so excited the whole trip.  Jenn and Harold had been at the show for a whole week and we were going to get to watch Harold ride in the Young Jumper 6-Year Old Championship.  My dad loves watching the jumper classes so he was in for a treat since there were jumper events scheduled for the entire weekend. 

When we first arrived early Saturday morning I was surprised at just how big the show was.  There were tents as far as I could see and horses and ponies everywhere.  The first thing we did was try and find the Solo Show Stables stalls.  On the way there we had a great time looking at all the fancy stall set ups.  There were bright colors and ribbons everywhere we looked!  It was like a little city!

 

 

 

When we found Jenn and Harold they were getting ready for the Championship that afternoon.  I asked my mom if I can wear all white like Harold in my classes but she told me I have a hard enough time staying clean with out wearing white! 

I got to see all of the horses they brought to the show.  They were all so clean and shiney.   The grooms stayed very busy cleaning tack and getting the horses ready.  They were very nice and  told me all about the pony jumpers and asked me if me and Skittles are ready for the show in two weeks.   It is really neat that they get to travel with Jenn and Harold to all the shows.  They really have cool jobs!  

Solo Show Stables sure had a lot of ribbons already and they had another whole week to be in Aiken.

 

 

My dad watched all of the classes on Saturday.  He had a great spot to park the car right outside of the ring.  He was able to watch riders warming up and all of the rounds.  He asked me if I was going to do the jumpers like Harold one day.  I sure hope so!

 

 

While my dad and Riley were watching the jumper ring my mom and I got to explore the other rings and the many tack shops on the showgrounds.  It was so large we had to rent a golf cart just to get around.  My mom even let me drive her.  It was so cool!  We watched the short stirrup ring first.  My mom and I talked about how the decision to move to short stirrup would be so good for me and Skittles.  We met families from Ohio, New York and Michigan.  We had such a good time talking to everyone.  I wish I had brought Skittles along so we could show with the other girls!

 

We also got to go shopping.  My mom told me I needed a new pair of riding pants for the A shows I will be doing.  We also had a list of small things we needed for the next show.  There were so many tack shops on site.  They had everything you could possibly need for showing.  We looked at saddles, clothes, bridles, bits and a whole lot more.  My mom got help matching the color of pants to the jacket I will be wearing.  The lady helping us picked a pair of Tailored Sportsman pants that would best match my grey jacket.  She even let us take them back to the hotel to try on since I do not like to try on clothes in changing rooms.  They fit so good and looked so nice.  I have a hard time finding jods that are long enough because my legs are very long.  The Tailored Sportsman fit perfect with some room to grow!

After we finished shopping we drove over to watch the green small ponies division.  That was my favorite thing because all of the small ponies were so cute!!  It was a great day!

 

 

Before we left for the night my brother Riley and I had a blast jumping our own course at the Dinner Bell Cafe.  While my parents were enjoying coffee at the cafe we pretended like we were ponies at the horse show.  I even counted my strides!  My dad said if riding horses does not work out I could always do hurdles.  I could jump pretty high!  Once we were done we said goodbye to Jenn and Harold and we went back to our hotel to get ready for my dad’s special birthday dinner. 

 

 

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!

After we left the horse show Saturday night we took my dad out to eat and celebrate some more.  My mom wanted to make my dad laugh so she asked the waitress to sing happy birthday to my dad in front of everyone!  He begged my mom not to so our waitress Meagan at the Outback gave my dad a special birthday treat instead… a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under!  We all laughed and ate so much we all had to go back to the hotel room and lay down.  My dad said it was the best birthday ever!  I sure do agree with him.  How could a birthday get any better than chocolate, icecream, horses and horseshows?

 

 

 

 

Now that our special weekend is over it is back to working with Skittles.  This weekend Skittles will be going to Chadale Farms to spend the night.  Lisa will be riding him on Saturday and I will be having a lesson on Sunday.  We will begin packing and getting ready for the show the next weekend.  I have a lot of practicing to do and will be trying to ride everyday next week.  Check back to hear all about us getting ready and stay tuned for lots of pictures and stories of the upcoming show!

More News and a Special Trip! April 21, 2008

My Daddy is 40 years old and we are going to the Aiken Spring Classic!!

My mom and I worked on our entry for today last night and I was so excited about all the things going on I just could not stop talking. 

This past weekend I had my first lesson with my new local trainer Lisa.  We visited the farm where she trains in Cary, NC.  Jenn recommended Lisa to my mom.  As I said before, Lisa was a working student for Harold and Jenn.  Because they are friends it will be easy for Jenn to know what I am learning in my lessons when she is out of town or we are not able to get to Southern Pines.  Lisa was very nice and her lessons were very fun.  We worked on many of the skills I have been working on with Jenn.  We worked on counting my strides out loud and lead changes.  During our flat work Lisa gave me cool exercises to work on that help me use my leg to cue Skittles.  She also worked with me on my balance and my two point position.  She talked to me about properly asking for a lead change and both Skittles and I did very well.  I really enjoyed my lessons with Lisa this week.  With Jenn and Harold away for two weeks I will have several more lessons with Lisa to prepare for our show at Greensboro in May.   

 

My Lesson With Lisa

 

This weekend we had planned to go to Triangle Farms for my last time in Young Entry.  However, after my lessons with Lisa, she told my mom she did not see any reason for me and Skittles to continue in young entry.  She told my mom we had out grown that division and needed to move to a division that was more appropriate to my current level.  She told me that I needed a new challenge and that going to some A shows with Jenn and Harold as well as some shows with her would be great for me and Skittles.  Lisa does not attend the shows we went to with Jennifer and Rex so I will not see my friends very much but we will get to go to new shows and I know I will make new friends.  The really cool thing is that most of the shows we will attend now will be over night shows and we will get to stay in hotels!  I love staying over night in hotels!  My brother loves when hotels have breakfast in the lobby because they usually have donuts!

 

Me and My Horse Show Dad

 

I know I usually post pictures with Skittles but this week is a special week and so I wanted my mom to put a photo of me and my daddy.  He is the best daddy in the world and he is having a birthday this weekend.  He will be 40 years old.   My daddy goes to all of my horse shows and even tries to help out some.  He really likes Skittles and gives him lots of treats when I am not looking.  He really does not know too much about horses or ponies but that does not matter because he is still the best horse show dad in the world to me.

 My mom asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he said he wanted to take a special trip for the weekend.  After talking to Jenn, my mom and dad decided to surprise me with a trip to the Aiken Spring Classic horse show in South Carolina!  My dad loves to see me ride at horse shows but other than me, most of all he loves to watch the Jumpers!  I am excited I will get to be a spectator at the show.  I usually am too busy at horse shows to watch the other classes so this will be a very nice change.  While we are in Aiken, my dad wants to vist the Horse Racing Hall of Fame and we will be having a special birthday dinner for him.   Jenn told my mom that on Saturday many of the young hopeful jumpers wanting to make it to the big leagues will be showing and that there will be lots of activities.  My dad loves the little ponies too so he told my mom we have to get up early Sunday to watch them.  I will even get to watch Harold ride which is so cool!

 

My mom and I will both bring our cameras and we will be taking lots of photos of all the fun and we will be posting them on the blog.  I am sure we will have lots of cool things to share with everyone.  I hope you all check back next week to hear all about our trip and my dads extra special birthday!

What’s New and Exciting… April 4, 2008

 

 

 

 

Thanks Everyone for Being so Patient!

I do have very exciting news!  Lots of really cool things have been happening that I have been wanting to tell everyone. 

This week Jenn contacted my mom and talked to her about moving me up to Short Stirrup and invited us to show with them at my first “A” show on May 10-11th in Greensboro.  I am so excited I could hardly sleep after my mom told me. 

Jenn and my mom have been doing a lot of planning lately.  My mom told me she was nervous but is doing what Jenn suggest because Jenn is the expert.  I am just happy because I have secretly been wanting to move to Short Stirrup and of course I am extra excited to be going to “A” shows with Jenn and Haorld.  My mom and dad had a talk with me and told me it would be hard work and that for a while my ribbon wall in my room will probably not grow much but my mom told me that sometimes that is better because it is really about learning and not winning all the time.  Skittles and I are just learning about lead changes.  I know until we really learn how to do them correctly that it will be tough but Jenn says the experience will be good for me in the long run.   My last time in Young Entry will be at the Triangle Farms show this month. 

 

Also, with the change in plans, Jenn has suggested to my mom that we also work with a friend of hers when she is out of town or when we are not able to get to Southern Pines.  Her name is Lisa and she was a working student with Jenn and Harold before she became a professional.  She has worked with students from Grand Prix Jumpers to Maclay riders to Amateur Owners.  Jenn and Lisa have worked together before and Jenn says that Lisa will be a great help to us.  Jenn can keep in close contact with Lisa so that I am getting the same type of training at both places.  I have my first appointment with Lisa on April 19th and 21st.  Everyone is really working together and I feel like me and Skittles are so lucky!

The sad part is that now that I will be moving forward I have to say good-bye to Jennifer Lafforthun and Rex.  They have been such a big help and I will miss them.  They are both very nice people.  Thank you so much Jennifer, Rex and everyone at Trademark!

This week I have a lesson with Jenn at Solo Show Stables on Monday.  My mom is bringing Skittles on the trailer to my school to pick me up and then we are on our way to Southern Pines.  We will not get back until late Monday night.  I will be excited to see what Jenn has planned for me and Skittles in our lesson.  I know I have a lot to do to get ready for the big show!  Check back next week to see how it all worked out. 

 

I hope all the news was worth the wait!! 

 

 

Skittles Has A Sleep Over! April 1, 2008

Welcome Back!

We have had so much going on we have not had time to catch up on our blog.  In the last two weeks I have had three lessons with my trainer in Southern Pines.  It is wonderful to be having regular lessons again now that the weather has cleared up (some) and Jenn and Harold are back from Florida.  It had been eight weeks that I did not have lessons.  With shows almost every weekend I did not even have time to see Jennifer Lafforthun either.  Jennifer and Rex would try and help me in the warm up ring before my rounds but that was not really a lesson.  All that is over now and we are back on track!

 

My lesson on the 22nd was wonderful.  The weather was great and Skittles was very well behaved.  Jenn had suggested we work on finding a different bit for Skittles that did not need two reins.  My hands are small and it is hard to hold both reins.  My mom and I visited the tack store the week before my lesson.  They were very helpful and showed us several bits they thought would work.  We took two out on trial and took them with us to Southern Pines.  We really loved the first one we tried but it was too big for Skittles so my mom worked on finding a smaller size when we got home.  In our lesson Jenn started working with me on strides and counting strides.  She started to teach me I could control the number of strides Skittles takes between jumps.   The hardest part was not starting to count before Skittles lands.  I kept wanting to start counting too early.  Jenn told me that is normal.  At the end of my lesson on Saturday Jenn told my mom and dad that Skittles was not the same pony we first brought to her and she is happy with his progress.  I love Skittles and was very proud of him! 

Then the big exciting news came… my mom and Jenn decided for us to have a lesson on the next Saturday AND Sunday!   And the best part was Skittles was going to have a sleep over at Jenn and Harold’s!  I thought that was so cool.  All last week I thought about all the things I needed to pack for Skittles to spend the night.  He needed his blankets because it was going to be cold and we needed to bring his food he normally eats.  I knew Jenn would take very good care of him. 

 

This past weekend we packed up and left early Saturday morning for Southern Pines.  My mom drove part of the way to practice driving the trailer.  It was very chilly on Saturday and my mom was complaining about how cold it was.  She always thinks it is cold!  My lesson was great and Skittles was a good boy again.  At the end of the lesson Jenn told my mom again that Skittles is really doing great.  Then Jenn told me on Sunday my lesson would be without stirrups!!  Ugh!  My mom and dad laughed and Jenn told me that if I want to ride in a pony equitation final I better be good at no stirrups.  She said sometimes riders are asked to do entire rounds without stirrups.  I knew I was in trouble because I had not been practicing while they were gone.   

When we were all done we got Skittles settled in a stall and got ready to leave but before we left the barn Jenn told my mom she had a gift for me.  I was so surprised.  It was not even my birthday or anything.  I opened the bag and saw the prettiest hanging for my wall.  It was so big and had two ponies playing.  I loved it and told Jenn thank you for such a nice gift. 

 

When I got home I started bothering my mom right away to hang it up on my wall.  She tried to tell me to wait and she would get a hanger from the store and hang it properly but I could not wait.  I found two nails and a hammer and asked her to hang it up.  It makes my room look so pretty.  Thank you Jenn and Harold!

 

On Sunday me and my mom made the drive back to Southern Pines.  It was even colder and lightly raining.  My dad stayed home to do laundry.  Me and my mom had a fun drive back.  She bought me my favorite treat for the drive… S’mores Cappuccino!  We talked about Skittles’ night out at Solo and my lesson without stirrups.  She picked fun at me but then I reminded her she is scared to canter without stirrups and she laughed and said that was true.   

When we arrived I ran to check on Skittles.  He was in the stall and looked like he was still sleepy!

Jenn told us he had been out for a little bit earlier in the morning and had been a good boy.  He is so tiny compared to all of the horses at Solo that I bet they thought he was a dog.  The helper at the barn said he was prancing around acting like he was a big boy too! 

We got Skittles ready for the lesson and right away I could tell he was going to be full of himself.  It was very cold and Solo does not have a covered ring so we had our lesson in the drizzling rain.  My mom got a blanket from the car and wrapped it around her ears and hands.  As soon as I was warmed up Jenn told me to walk over to her and she actually took my stirrups right off the saddle!  I started to trot around but Skittles was being difficult and my leg was slipping back.  Finally after wrestling with Skittles Jenn gave me my stirrups back and told me my assignment was to ride every day for 10 minutes without stirrups so I would be ready for the next lesson.  Boy was I happy to have them back on my saddle!

 

Skittles was a crazy little guy.  Jenn said the weather was making him very fresh.  He even tried to buck once.  My mom said he was ready for the pony jumpers on Sunday.  After freezing for an hour we all went to the barn to get out of the rain and get warm.  We all laughed about the lesson and told Skittles he was a bad boy today!  My mom and Jenn talked about upcoming plans while I got Skittles ready.  His stay at Solo was over and it was time to go home.  It will be two weeks before we go back to Solo.  I have lots to practice and will have a lesson with our local trainer before we go back. 

 

We have no shows coming up for several weeks.  It has been difficult to find lesson times with so many shows every weekend.  Jenn and Harold have a busy schedule and we all think we might have to miss some shows to be able to find time for regular lessons.  I will miss seeing my friends at every show but I know it is important to have regular lessons to reach my goal. 

 

Check back for an update on our next lesson and to see video and pictures of my practice with no stirrups.  See you then!