Our Latest News & Updates
Our Latest News & Updates
Galway Downs: 1st Adrenaline Rush of 2012
February, 2012
We’ve just returned from Galway Downs February show, after what has felt like an extremely short winter. I think part of the shortness of the winter was the excellent weather - we never had to take a day off! We worked straight through November, December and January! Can you read the enthusiastic sarcasm! But really, it is a good thing to have a mild winter…unless you’re a polar bear or arctic seal.
Galway was a blast. James competed Annie Oakley III in the Open Intermediate, and they put forth their best dressage and cross-country to date. He also rode Gillian Webster’s horse Urriell (Ellie) in the Open Training; both horses were well videoed and I’ll be posting to youtube later.
Annie’s dressage was incredible, she was relaxed and consistent and scored a 33, which landed her in 3rd place in a HUGE division. Not only was the division gi-normous, it had some of the leading Advanced, 3*, and 4* horses in it. Jolie Wentworth and Killian O’Connor took the early dressage lead, and Hawley Bennett on 5 O’Clock Somewhere took second, with Annie hot on their heels in 3rd. James was all smiles coming out of the dressage arena. We talked extensively that night about the mild winter and how the time at home has been awesome for James and Annie. He has been able to put in the time with her, and it is certainly paying off.
Cross-country was another phase where we saw the winter work paying off for James and Annie: they were double clear around the Intermediate track. I think Annie was feeling very confident cantering up to fence 4, the palisade to the oxer, thinking “Hey, this combination is about 4 inches smaller than that one over there I jumped two weeks ago!” She jumped the hell out of everything, with a big smile on her face. Unfortunately, she took a slight misstep on takeoff to the trakhener, and rubbed her stifle fairly hard on it, so she had to sit out on Sunday and rest. We gave her some Bute and the day off, to make sure that she is fit and sound and happy for Twin Rivers, where James plans to take her…ADVANCED! Wow Annie! Woo Hoo!
The double clean xc moved the pair up to 2nd, and even though it would have been fun to watch them clock around the stadium course, it is more important for Annie to feel amazing, so she got her much deserved rest on Sunday.
Erin Rousey-Turner and Margaret Crow both put in fantastic performances at the show, finishing 1st and 7th respectively in the Beginner Novice. Erin and her lovely horse Lucky showed big improvements this show with a consistent dressage earning them 2nd place, beautiful stadium, and a very obedient cross-country round to make them the winners of the Beginner Novice division. Margaret and her horse Carlita made their Limerick Equestrian debut at Galway, blowing away the judges in dressage and earning 1st place! The stadium proved to be twisty and turney, and Margaret used two circles to get her bearings, so dropped out of the lead, but climbed back to 7th with a lovely cross-country round on Sunday. We look forward to seeing much more from both these riders throughout the year.
Many Thanks to Robert Kellerhouse and the entire Galway crew for a well run show! We will see you again in March!
Galway Downs Fundraising Clinic
January 21-22, 2012
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James arrived early Thursday and Friday to work with Ian on designing the 3* track for the upcoming year; part of the process of earning a 'R' course designing license is apprenticing, and James took advantage of Ian being in town to ride around with him and learn about creating a championship Advanced level course. Ian designs almost every major event overseas, and has recently been given the job of designing the courses at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Mt, so it was excellent for James to get a chance to pick his brain. Additionally, James was given the opportunity to ride The Alchemyst, Debbie Rosen's 4* horse, with Ian on Friday afternoon in a private lesson. Ian had James jump Al through the 3* questions around Galway - James' smile was too big to miss! A huge thank you to Debbie for letting James sit on your magnificent horse.
Saturday dawned early and a bit rainy, but thankfully cleared up as the day progressed. Lindsey and Cooper were the first pair to hit the cross-country, and schooled through all the Novice questions with ease - they are truly looking like a solid Novice/Training pair. James took out a Preliminary group first, including Carolyn Hoffos on Catweazle, Gillian Webster on Ebony, Dianne Dawes on Gambit, and Tina Hoover on Sunsprite Destino Mio. The girls were rockstars, and jumped around the Preliminary and 1* questions without a hitch.
After the first rainy groups, Christine Mason and Langston and Erin Rousey-Turner and Lucky tackled the Beginner Novice and Novice questions around Galway. Both pairs are looking very confident about riding out in the open in a new place, and dealing with the sometimes chaotic feeling of schooling cross-country! James' second group was a Novice/Training group which saw Carolyn bringing back her horse Zayed, Gillian on her other mare Ellie, and Shirly McCune from Arizona riding her own Wilson. From what I hear, the girls made Novice look easy!
The last group of the day was a Training/Prelim group consisting of Susan Friend and Patrick, Laura Borgesani and Blue, and myself riding Nautica. We were able to school many Preliminary questions, and I'm excited to move Teaky up this year! She is feeling like a seasoned Eventer these days. After the last group it was time to watch James school Annie Oakley III, owned by Carolyn. James and Annie have a new partnership, and have competed at the Intermediate level all year. They were jumping around all the 3* questions, however, and making it look easy!
Click here to check out the video from the day
Saturday night was a catered dinner at Terry and Linda Paine's home, across the street from Galway at Kingsway Farm. Their home is lovely, and most importantly warm! It was a good time catching up with all the trainers and riders who came to the clinic - a great first competitors party of the year.
Sunday was all about pushing the envelope. Each group was the same, and everyone was challenged with tougher questions. Lindsey and Cooper tackled quite a few Training fences, and learned a lot. Cooper is a fantastic jumper, and Lindsey's riding is so solid - I can't wait to watch this pair compete this year! Christine and Erin were able to put a few fences together in a course on Sunday, and again they made it look easy.
James' groups focussed on stadium jumping for the first half of the lesson, and then moved to the xc course; unfortunately I didn't get to watch too closely, but from what I heard the lessons went very well. James took the opportunity to school Tina's horse, and Shirley's horse, as well as Laura's horse.
The Limerick team finished up the weekend smiling and looking forward to the Event at Galway in two weeks, I think everyone is ready to be back in the swing of the show season. Margaret Crow and Carlita, although unable to make it to the clinic, are entered to ride at Galway, so we look forward to the team making their first Southern California debut. Limerick II will be competing in the Intermediate, as well as Annie and James, and Erin will be riding in the Beginner Novice. Carolyn will take Catweazle and Zayed in the Training, and Nautica will run Training as well. We can't wait!
Getting Involved: Limerick Equestrian looks ahead to 2012
Happy Holidays! Hopefully the winter is treating everyone well, and riders and horses are getting some downtime and rest. If you’re like us, though, you can’t wait for the show season to begin.
Two months of winter rest seems like an eternity. That’s why
Limerick is gearing up to participate in the 14th annual Galway Downs fundraising
clinic, January 21 - 22. Galway Downs and Robert Kellerhouse have evolved so much
since the days of running the show at Showpark in Del Mar, and the entire Galway crew
has contributed to expanding and supporting Eventing not only on the West coast but
throughout the nation.
James and Taren will both be available to teach at the clinic,
donating the lesson fees to Galway for their upcoming season. It will be two days of
cross-country (does it get any better?), and the Limerick team will camp out together.
Here is the link to the registration form.
James is also doing his part to get involved with the USEA’s teaching programs, and has
been asked to instruct the course design seminars scheduled for 2012.
The first clinic
will take place in Florida, at Rocking Horse farm, in February. This is very exciting for
James, who is passionate about designing and building cross-country courses, and loves
to share his knowledge and passion with eager students.
It is a huge honor for him to
be chosen as the instructor for these two clinics, he is looking forward to getting
involved with the teaching side of the program and pursuing his ‘R’ designing license.
Check out this link to read more: http://useventing.com/education.php?section=courses&id=3025.
Limerick Equestrian Ends 2011 Season at Galway Downs
November 2011
Limerick students ended their 2011 season at Galway Downs this past weekend, and in true Clover style it was a weekend all about fun.
The traditional Saturday night Bug and Carne Party (Lobster and steak) was a big hit - we all consumed the delicious lobster that Randy Lewis provided, and drank around a campfire. Good times!
Margie and Bruce ended their season with another win in the Novice division, we are looking forward to working hard over the winter and debuting at Training level next year. Lindsey and Cooper put in one of their best dressage tests to date, even in the mud! Unfortunately, they were eliminated in stadium jumping, so we have some homework to do! 2012 is all about the jumper classes - we are going to be attending every single one we can. Eleni and Remi will be joining us at those jumper classes as well! Katie McGraw's (Super Groom) Bright Impression was a good boy in the Open Novice, and he accomplished what we set out to do - jump between the flags every time he is asked! He and Katie will work hard over the winter and look forward to a whole season of kicking butt at Novice next year.
All in all it was a great show, so much fun to be around the students and people that make Limerick Equestrian what it is. A special thanks to Maureen Lewis, who is hands down the best horse show mom around. I am so happy to be a part of this team, and can't wait to coach everyone next year!!
Pan American Games 2011 - Congrats to James & Gustav!
October 2011
It's Silver for Team Canada, and 7th Individually for James and Gustav! Team Canada represented well at the 16th Pan American Games this October, earning the Silver medal in Eventing, as well as the individual Gold medal for Canadian rider Jessica Phoenix. James and Gustav provided one of three scores to count toward the Silver, finishing 7th individually for Canada. The pair added just time penalties on cross-country to end their weekend in the top 10 at this international event, the first international event Gustav has ever competed at.
Please visit the Gooseberry blog, to see videos and pictures from the great adventure, and if you have any questions or comments visit us on Facebook, or email us. Thank you for your support!
September 2011 Horse Trials
The Area VI Championships at Copper Meadows brought great weather and great competition to the Southern California venue this past weekend. Copper Meadows hosted Beginner Novice through Intermediate level Championship divisions, giving away over $10,000 in prize money and fabulous prizes. Competitors were treated to new Championship cross-country course tracks, with new questions to challenge the best Area VI riders and horses. Each division ended the event with show jumping courses designed by Jose Nava - all set at maximum height and challenging enough to make a clear round very influential to the standings.
Bea di Grazia and her lovely gelding Ladʼs Night Out led the Intermediate
Championship from start to finish, earning a 22 on their dressage test to put them ahead
of the competition by 8 points. They had a flawless cross-country round, and even
though they added two rails to their score, the pair ended up at the top. Erin
Kellerhouse finished her weekend $2,000 richer with a win in the Open Preliminary
Championship division and the Open Novice Championship division. She moved up
from third in the Open Prelim Champ to best overnight leader Gina Economou, who
dropped to fourth with one rail on Dan Murphyʼs Myster E. Erin took home a specialty
prize of 10 bags of shavings sponsored by Mallard Creek.
In the Preliminary Rider Championship division, Addison Johnson took her lead into the stadium arena, and
even though she dropped three rails to end on a score of 43.7, it was good enough to
beat out all four of her competitors, as there was not one clean show jumping round on
Sunday in that division.
The Training Rider Championship group was the largest division, with 13 riders battling for the $1,000 check and a free helmet sponsored by Equestrian Habits. Paulina Montgomery, riding her own Kingʼs Cross, finished on her dressage score of 28.6 to take home the Area VI title and the new helmet, with Brigit Rossbach and Amstel moving up from fourth with a double clean show jumping round to end their weekend in 2nd - earning them $200.
Open Training Championship was won
by Gina Economou and Barbara Waschmanʼs Groovy. Novice Rider Championship saw
the lowest dressage scores of the divisions, and it was Tylia Schoenwald who ended up
taking the top spot with her gelding Arame. She entered the show jumping arena with a
rail in hand, and needed it, adding four points to her dressage score of 21 to take home
the check and a VIP package of tickets from Live Nation Concert Venue.
In the
Beginner Novice Championship divisions, Lori Fee held on to her lead all three days on
the beautiful grey gelding Good To Go.
Midge Rothwell moved from third to first in the
Open Beginner Novice Championship to take home the Area VI title and an air vest
donated by PointTwo.
All Championship winners were rewarded with a monogramed
winter blanket provided by Copper Meadows, a halter and nameplate from Greenway
Saddlery, a gift certificate for $100 off a PointTwo airvest, prize money donated by
California Sheet Metal, a personalized trophy from CSM, a free 8 x 10 photo from
Captured Moment Photography, an embroidered Fleeceworks jumping pad, and a
special Copper Meadows hat. Second place received $200 from California Sheet
Metal, a Professionalʼs Choice fly mask, a halter sponsored by Elston Hay and Grain,
and a Brown Beauty gift certificate. Prize money went to third place as well, with $50
checks handed out with the yellow ribbon, as well as Professionalʼs Choice sponsored
hay bags.
In addition to the Championship divisions, Copper hosted Open and Rider divisions of
all the levels as well.
With 12 Open Intermediate riders, the blue ribbon ultimately went
to Jennifer Wooten-Dafoe and Naboucco de Lessay, as overnight leader Alexa Perkiel
dropped a rail and added 1 time fault to move into 2nd. Open Preliminary was won on
dressage day by Derek di Grazia and Isle of Japan, the pair maintained their lead
throughout the weekend to finish ahead of six other riders.
There wasnʼt a clean show
jumping round in sight in the Preliminary Rider division, but Amber Shevin and her mare
Weltina were the only pair to post a double clean cross-country round and maintain their
lead from dressage. They bested the field by 15 points to win the division. Tamara
Smith, riding Dr. Joseph Buckleyʼs Boomerang, won the Open training division on their
dressage score of 28.2, adding nothing to those marks all weekend.
In the Training
Rider division, Joy Simon climbed from 5th to 1st on Willoughby Bay, riding to the only
double clean show jumping round of the division to finish on her dressage score of 38.6.
Rebecca Ratte took home the blue in the Open Novice division aboard Simply Simi,
while Madelyn Holtzman and Ringwood Murphy maintained their 30.0 dressage score to
finish 1st in the Novice Rider class.
Jill VandenBurg Curtis and Yederman finished on
their impressive dressage score of 22.5 to win the Open Beginner Novice, and Erin
Rousey and Flying First Class added just 1.6 time penalties on cross-country to win the
Beginner Novice Rider.
The weather all weekend made Copper Meadows a great place to be, and for all the
competitors who made it to the victory gallop, winning was sweet. Copper looks forward
to hosting the Area VI Championships again in 2012, improving the cross-country
courses even more and gearing up to challenge the best horse and rider pairs in
California! Visit the website to see the final scores and more photos from the weekend:
www.copper-meadows.com
September 2011 Horse Trials
September Championships Entry Status/Ride Time/Results
Find all the info about the Entry Status, Ride Times and Results at URL: http://eventingscores.com/eventsr/copper/ht0911/One-Day Show @ Copper Meadows
August 7, 2011
There were many familiar faces and new faces as well at the Copper Meadows One-Day this Sunday August 7. The weather cooperated nicely, with a cool breeze all day. Robyn Fisher, from Mill Creek Equestrian Center, judged dressage tests all morning - from Beginner Novice through Preliminary. Stadium jumping and cross-country ran smoothly and everyone that I saw had a smile on. Here are the results from the day:
Elementary
1st - Jennifer Hawthorne and R Fire Dancer
2nd - Lauren Rath and Syntax
3rd - Heather Evens and Flash (pictured)
4th - Alecia Miller and Comanche Moon
5th - Sera Parvin and Woodstock
6th - Julia Weidner and Oliver
Beginner Novice
1st - Kate Gillespie and Furst Fia
2nd - Delaney Killalea and Afterburner
3rd - Nehemiah and Lorie Haynes
4th - Counts Grayson and Amanda Thompson
Novice
1st - Madelyn Holtzman and Ringwood Murphy
2nd - Jennifer O'Brien and Higher Education
3rd - Jennifer Hawthorne and Comic Strip Hero
4th - David Reed and Yours Only
Thanks so much for participating and supporting Copper Meadows, we hope to see you all at the next One-Day in October!
Summer Eventing Extravaganza!
Summer 2011 Well we're finally home from our big adventure - 3 weeks of driving, riding, competing, laughing, walking, running, and of course lots of drinking! :) And it was wonderful. Here is a recap:Coconino Horse Trials July 10 - 18, 2011 (Flagstaff, AZ)
Coconino is always a great time - it is such a different venue than anything we see out in California, and gives a very relaxed and fun vibe to competitors. James rode Goose and Annie in the Open Intermediate for the first weekend in Flagstaff, and Goose kept his winning streak alive, beating the competition (including me :)) by more than 20 points to finish on his dressage score. The second weekend James and I competed against each other again, finishing 1st and 2nd in the Open Intermediate, James on Annie and me on Brown.Click here to see the photos from the shows
Limerick students were fantastic at Coconino - Margie Davis and DMI Bruce Almighty won the Senior Novice division two weekends in a row, showing big improvements in their stadium jumping and impressing all of us with their dressage skills. Lindsey Lewis and her horse, Mini Cooper, were excellent the second weekend at Coconino, capping off the weekend with a double clean show jumping round. Katie McGraw, super groom, did a super job with her horse Brighton in their first Novice. Goose participated the second weekend running a combined test. He performed the CIC 2* dressage test and jumped around an Advanced level stadium course. He scored a 42 on his test - awesome for FEI score! - and jumped double clear in the stadium.
Judy's horse, Chance, was great both weekends - finishing 6th the first weekend. He pulled out his appy attitude the second weekend for the dressage, not scoring as well as he should. :) I was very pleased with Brown, we finished our second Intermediate competition and jumped a clean stadium! Woo hoo!
Rebecca Farm July 21 - 24, 2011 (Kalispell, MT)
After the 23 hour drive from Flagstaff, we were sooo happy to arrive in Kalispell! Goose and Annie both competed in the CIC 2*, and I rode Chance and Joey in the Open Preliminary. Brown decided to break free from the trailer one day and take a jaunt around the barns - resulting in a swollen stifle and a day or two of three legged lameness. I was so disappointed that I wan't able to compete him, but he is sound now and feeling very silly for his antics. Horses continually mess up our well thought out plans! James took the early lead on Goose in the dressage, and was second on Annie. He kept the lead throughout on Goose, adding only 2.8 time penalties to his score. Annie had an unfortunate stop on x country - she was terrified of a large horse sculpture on course and couldn't keep her eyes off it long enough to focus on her fence. But other than that, she was incredible.Click here to see the photos of both of them, and click here to watch a video montage I put together.
The Canadian team vet flexed and watched Goose trot up after the competition to evaluate him for the Pan American Games in October. She was very impressed, and we are all thinking that we'll see James' name added to the short list for the team! :) Keep fingers crossed.
Click here to see Annie show jumping
Shepherd Ranch Horse Trials: a show filled with new partnerships
June 2011 Limerick Equestrian had a great weekend at Shepherd Ranch - Eventing in 80 degree weather in beautiful Santa Ynez, does it get any better?James and I both rode in the Open Preliminary on our new horses, Annie Oakley and Prince William (Joey). James and Annie had a very nice test on Friday morning, taking an early lead in the division with a 27.3! There is so much room for improvement in their flat work, and he was so excited about the test. Joey put in a nice test as well, we earned a 35 to place 9th after dressage - I was very happy with him and feel like as we get to know each other better we will be quite good on the flat. I also rode a little mare in the Open Training, and she put in her best ever dressage effort to earn a 35! I was very proud of her, she is young and a bit green, but was so rideable and soft throughout the test.
Cross-country day was foggy and perfect for xc riding. My student Eleni was out first in the Open Preliminary, and showed James and I how to ride - her second attempt at Preliminary on her horse and she was clean! Yay! I was next out of the box on Joey and didn't know what to expect, as this was the 5th time I'd ever ridden him over fences. He was extremely bold and forward, and there was never a doubt in my mind that he would jump the combos on course - he is a special horse and I'm so looking forward to getting to know him better. Also looking forward to having a bit more bit on course so we can make time easier! James and Annie were truly amazing, they looked like they'd been at it for years together. Clean and almost inside the time, they dropped to 3rd place but were excited about the ride. My training horse was a brave girl and cantered around easily.
Show jumping was successful for everyone - double clears for James and me. James ended the weekend in 2nd with Annie, and has his sights set on Intermediate at Coconino in a few weeks. Joey and I will run Preliminary at Coconino, and hopefully the CIC 1* in Montana. Teaky, the training horse, was the most rideable she has ever been in the show jump ring, I was so impressed with her.
All in all we had a fabulous time. James received lots of compliments on the cross-country courses that he designed - this was his first solo job as a designer and builder, and the tracks rode really well. The piece of property is small, and he used the land well and riders were able to make time at all levels - something that hasn't always happened in the past. He was happy with the show and the praise, and we look forward to going back in August to compete and make changes to the course.
Galway Downs was a blast!
May 14th - 15th 2011
James and Goose continued their hard work and success with a first place finish in the Open Intermediate division, ending on a fabulous dressage score of 24.4! James led from start to finish and ended up besting the field by 15 points. Goose and James are looking ahead to a few more Intermediate horse trials and a CCI 2* at Colorado Horse Park. Brown and I moved up to Intermediate this weekend and had a great show: we placed 3rd after dressage with a 28.7 - Brown's personal best score at any level. He was so attentive and obedient in the test, and tried so hard - it was a pleasure to ride. We had a few rails over a tough stadium jumping course, and jumped a clear cross-country round Sunday to end up 4th at our first Intermediate! I look forward to the future with him and can't wait to get back out to another show!
Judy's Fleeceworks Fat Chance was a super star at his first Preliminary event. We met the goal of scoring below 40 in the dressage - he put in a very obedient, accurate test for a 37. The stadium was tough for him and his nerves showed a bit, but he was a cool cucumber on Sunday for the cross-country, and galloped around the Preliminary course with ease. He felt like a very experienced horse on Sunday, and I can't wait to get him to another event!
Limerick students were amazing this weekend - Eleni and her horse Remi moved up to Preliminary and showed off all their hard work. Dressage was much improved, double clean stadium jumping was amazing! Sunday brought one stop at a trakhener but an otherwise beautiful round. They are all set to run the Preliminary at Copper Meadows and I am excited to watch them progress!
Margie and Bruce were back this show - they topped the leader board from start to finish with an impressive 21 dressage score. Their biggest improvement came in the show jumping, where they added just time penalties to a confident ride. Congratulations to Margie!
Carolyn and her two horses, Catweazle and Zayed, were solid this weekend. Catweazle is a new ride for Carolyn, and she added just one time penalty to her dressage score to finish in 10th in the Open Training! Zayed had a strong weekend at Novice, and is ready to move up to Training at Copper Meadows.
Sue DeJong joined the Limerick team this weekend, and showed huge improvements! Her dressage was steady and consistent, her show jumping was confident and forward, and her cross-country was beautiful. Congrats to Sue and Lakota on a job well done!
Katie McGraw was, as always, a huge help and wins the award for calmest and most easy going groom ever!
Limerick Equestrian Kicks off 2011 at Galway Downs
February 7th, 2011The Limerick team had a successful first Event of the year at Galway Downs winter horse trials February 5th and 6th, with all horses and riders fit and ready for their first outing of the season. James and Gustav competed in their first Intermediate, adding no points to their dressage score to finish a very competitive division in 5th place, placing below 4 of the West Coast's most experienced Advanced horses. Taren and Limerick II had a strong first show at Preliminary, adding another qualifying score as they prepare to compete at the CIC I* in March. Judith McSwain's Appaloosa Fleeceworks Fat Chance, had a great show, showing great improvement in his dressage and cross-country. Eleni Lemberis and her own Remington III finished their first Training of the season in 7th place in the Open division, with excellent dressage improvements and super strong cross-country and stadium rounds. Katie McGraw and Bright Impression were faultless all weekend to finish on their dressage score in the Beginner Novice and take home the 4th place ribbon, and James and Carolyn Hoffos' Verve finished 6th overall in the Beginner Novice in 'Frank's' first show. A BIG congratulations to Margie Davis for finishing 2009 as the Novice Amateur Champion of Area VI. Margie and her mount, Bruce Almighty, came out on top of the competition for all of California to take home a beautiful ribbon at the Area VI Annual Meeting, and the title of Champion. Bruce finished 3rd overall in horses, earning much love and carrots! Keep up the good work Margie! Congratulations to all the competitors, Limerick Equestrian is extremely proud of you!
3-Day Ranch Schooling Show
Margie Molloy and the crew at 3-Day Ranch put on a fantastic one-day show with excellent footing and great atmosphere this last weekend in January, giving the riders at Limerick a chance to get their feet wet in preparation for their first Event at Galway downs. Judith McSwain's Fleeceworks Fat Chance put in a great dressage test, added one rail in stadium and jumped clear around the cross-country feeling fit and ready to Event! Lindsey Lewis showed the competition how it was done in the Novice dressage, riding to an impressive 1st place score of 32 penalties. In the Beginner Novice division, Limerick riders were amazing! Christine Mason competed at her very first Event with her Langston, and rode positively around all three phases to canter through the finish flags with a smile and confidence to compete at a recognized Event this year. Lisa Opdycke-Minor rode her mare Marni strongly in all three phases - we look forward to watching her at recognized events this year too. Katie McGraw and Bright Impression were spot on, coming out strong in Dressage and finishing strong in Cross-Country. Karen Klawitter's paint horse DaVinci felt like a grown - up horse at his first outing of the year, putting in strong performances in all three phases. James rode Carolyn Hoffos' 3 year old Thoroughbred Verve in his first show, preparing him for his first Event at Galway; the two boys cantered around the Beginner Novice making it look easy. Congratulations to all of the Limerick Team, we look forward to Galway and the rest of the year!
Area VI Championship results
September 10th-12th, 2010With over 200 competitors and spectators, the Area VI Beginner Novice - Intermediate Championship show at Copper Meadows went off beautifully. Spectators, riders and vendors began arriving Wednesday to set up and get a peek at the new cross-country courses designed by Tremaine Cooper and James Atkinson, as well as take in the improvements made to Copper in anticipation of the Championships. With uncharacteristically mild weather, the event began Friday with dressage, and established some tight races in the Championships divisions. With major prizes on the line, including $1,100.00 for each division sponsored by California Sheet Metal, the pressure was on to put in a great dressage test. However, in the true spirit of the 3-day, much changed between dressage day and show jumping morning.
The new cross-country courses rode very well, and were up to Championship standards. Again, Copper was lucky with the weather - mid 70's in true Southern California style. The cross-country footing was excellent and the attention to decorating and details made the facility look sharmp. Copper's Intermediate track proved tough for the competitors, and much changed in the way of standings Saturday. Likewise, Atkinson's courses challenged riders to be accurate and bold. Saturday was a long day of exciting cross-country, ending with fantastic competitor's party with a live band and dancing.
Sunday came with another beautiful day of weather and lots of nerves. Jose Nava designed excellent courses using Copper Meadows' multi-level arena, challenging riders to be quick and careful. In the upper divisions, time proved to be tight, and some riders sacrificed rails to be inside the time. All in all, it was a nail-biting finish to an outstanding event, with riders leaving with money and fabulous prizes. Thanks again to our sponsors for helping us to make this event a huge success! We hope to host the Championships next year, look for new developments to the facility and cross-country course.
Check back for photos of the Championship winners! Take a look below to see what they won:
-
1st Place (Int. Champ - BN Champ)
- $1,000 from California Sheet Metal Inc.
- California Sheet Metal sponsored trophy
- Embroidered winter blanket from Professional's Choice
- Fleeceworks Gift Certificate
- Halter from Elston Hay and Grain
- Embroidered Copper Meadows saddle pad and hat.
- IceHorse tendon wraps
- Stubben bridle
- One 8 x 10 photo from Captured Moment Photo
-
2nd Place (Int. Champ - BN Champ)
- $200.00 from California Sheet Metal Inc.
- Copper Meadows saddle pad
- Gift Certificate from Ride On Video
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3rd Place (Int. Champ - BN Champ)
- $50.00 from California Sheet Metal Inc.
- Sonoma Saddle Shop gift
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4th Place (Int. Champ - BN Champ)
- Gift certificate from Custom Equine Products
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5ht Place (Int. Champ - BN Champ)
- Horse Cookies from Elston Hay and Grain
