Otter Creek Fall 2011 - Sunday

Bright & Early morning at Otter Creek Farm! Fed horses and cleaned stalls. While they were eating we went up and walked the Intermediate & Preliminary show jumping courses one last time before we mounted. I went back to the farm to get ready while Maria cleaned and tacked Hannah. I mounted and headed up to warm up. She felt good in the warm up, warmed up nicely long and low and was jumping really well. Ralph helped us in warm up and then we headed down to the show jumping ring. The placings weren't close, so there was no pressure for placement, but I wanted to put in a double clear round as a end of the season ride.

I walked down to the ring and watched the ride go before me take down two tough rails. The course seemed to be riding nice, but the verticals were proving to come down. I entered the ring, saluted and cantered towards the first jump. Hannah was jumping out of her skin! She was clearing everything with plenty of room to spare and even saved my butt when I totally missed at our triple bar, she picked up her toes and carried me right over without touching a rail! The two stride to two stride rode very nicely. Overall the course was smooth and I was very pleased with our performance! We took home 4th place in the OI division! Go Lady Hannah B!

I was so proud of Hannah for finishing double clear in the show jumping!

Next up was Maria. Pete can be tough in show jumping as he tends to not care about knocking poles down. We needed 16 or less penalties in order to make sure Maria was able to qualify for the Kentucky CCI1*. Pete was knocking fences in warmup but we ended up on a good note hoping that he would pick up his toes in the ring. He jumped well but put in a few tics, which of course he didn't mind knocking a few rails. He knocked 4, cutting in close, but they were now qualified for Kentucky! Congrats!

Next up was Lucy. We didn't have a rail to spare with second place having a 28. They put the pressure on by jumping a double clear round. Lucy is still green in her jumping and although she tends to clear her jumps by a mile, she sometimes takes out rails with her hind end. Having an unfortunate rail at fence 6, a vertical we dropped down the 2nd place. I was still thrilled with her as she has been improving at every show! We also won the Area IV Low Point Adult Rider for the show! I found out it was the Champion's, Cassie Boehm's, birthday so that was a nice birthday present - Congratulations!

Lucy still maintains her lead in the North Country Eventing Challenge! One more show to go, lets keep our fingers crossed!

Next were the rest of the Novice kids, Morgan, Savannah & Kailey. Morgan was very pleased with her round having only one rail, in the sand she has regularly taken two rails - so she was thrilled & put in a very good ride. They finished just outside the ribbons in 9th place. Savannah took down two rails but had a very nice, rhythmical ride and finished in 7th place. Kailey also took down two rails but was thrilled with Nokomis' first Novice! They finished in 6th place. Congrats to all the Novice kids!

Another successful weekend for my horses and the Liz Lund Eventing Team! Congrats to everyone on the weekend! We had lots of fun, lots of new fun experiences, learned a lot & most of all had a great time supporting each other! Looking forward to Roebke's Run in two weeks! The final show of the North Country Eventing Challenge! Stay tuned for more updates! Thanks to all of my sponsors for all of your support!

Otter Creek Fall HT 2011 - Saturday (XC day - the best day ever invented!)

As stated in the Title of this blog...Saturday - CROSS COUNTRY DAY!!! The best day ever invented! Especially cross country day at Otter Creek!

We started off the day walking the Novice course and making a final plan for students and Lucy, who would be first to go out of our group. I was ready to get this little red headed pony in the water & make in around inside the time! With an optimum time of 5:08 and needing to present to the water prior to running through our flags, I knew I would have to be right on with our pace just in case she took too long at the water. She stopped, half reared once, and then went right in and we were able to loop around and go through our flags without losing too much time. She was great at everything else, giving her self plenty of room between her and the fences! She finished with a double clear on XC to hold her first place lead!

Next up was the rest of the Novice Crew!

Maura Tierney & Dylan had a GREAT round - he didn't even glance at the ditch and they only added a few time faults onto their score which actually moved them up to 8th place! Unfortunately after Maura dismounted near the finish flags she discovered Dylan to be bleeding all over. At some point he stepped on himself and cut his artery open. He quickly had to be stitched up so he wouldn't lose too much more blood. Horses have a lot of blood so they can lose a lot of blood as well - it looked like a blood bath around Dylan before they were able to stop the bleeding! He will be alright but Maura had to Withdraw from the rest of competition and Dylan will be on stall rest until the stitches can come out. Bummer!

Morgan & Ricky had a great round until he decided to runout at fence 11, a table near the crowd and the driveway. He tends to always carry his haunches slightly to the left and this is what happened at the bridge fence. He was distracted coming up to it due to the crowd and then when he saw the fence he began drifting left and Morgan wasn't able to correct him in time. Picking up 20 penalties they circled around and jumped the bridge and the rest of the course well only adding the additional 1.6 time penalties. The stop moved them out of the lead and into 9th place. Morgan was bummed but handled it well & accepts her mistakes and is prepared to learn from them! She was already focusing on how to have a good round tomorrow in the sand, which usually proves to be hard for Ricky.

Savannah & Grady had a good round too. Although they were stopped and warned about their speed early on in the course, a very generous gesture by the President and the TD, in which she then corrected herself and proceeded at Novice speed only adding 7.6 time faults to their score putting them into 7th place.

Kailey & Nokomis put in a great round as well! This was their first Novice together and they put in a double clear round moving them into 2nd place!

Next was Lady Hannah B's turn! As her last run of the season I wanted to take it easy and focus on the jumps. She has gotten more confident and stronger, I think I will need to find a new bit for next season! She jumped everything great! Especially her combinations, we had the sunken road, a hanging log bending line to a table bending line to a corner, two water complexes, triple brush skinnies, the ski ramp, bounce banks and more! It was a blast! We galloped around and played with everything! We added 19.6 time faults to our score but I didn't mind - we were out there having fun! We maintained our 5th place. Thanks to everyone for showing your support, coming to to watch even if you weren't showing, my mom & step dad (& Toby, their dog) for cheering me on, as well as all of my students and their families!

Hannah is such a blast to ride on XC - every show she gets more confident! Thanks to Ralph Hill for helping with course walks and warmups!

Next up was Maria & Pete! Pressure was on as she needed her last qualifying score to go to the CCI1* in KY in October. Of course if anyone knows Maria & Pete, you know that Pete is not a fan of the water. We had a specific plan set up for him at the water to ensure no stops. The first water entrance wasn't flagged and he cantered right in and out over the Otter Creek 'Otter'. The second water was a bank drop in to an angled skinny. Maria ran him quick through the water then down the bank and over the skinny. Pete didn't even blink an eye at the water! It was very exciting! She finished the rest of her course and came in just adding 13.6 time faults to their dressage score to move them to 4th place! Congrats on your final qualifying score!!!

The BN riders rode next. Emily & Kailey both had amazing rounds on Ty & Cherish! Kailey went double clear and Emily only 2.8 time penalties to their score. Kailey finished in 2nd and Emily in 4th! Congrats!

After a very fun & successful day - we were all ready for some good food and table dancing at the OC competitors party! Maria took care of all of the ponies, walked, iced, wrapped, fed, cleaned tack etc. That girl is amazing - and a WONDERFUL groom!

Ponies tucked in waiting for dinner!

Made it up onto Xpress Foto's wall, not only with ONE picture, but with TWO! Go LLE & Lady Hannah B!

Thanks to all my friends, family, groom, photographers, clients, sponsors & of course Bryan - my wonderful boyfriend for coming to the show and supporting me! I couldn't do it without all of you!

After a fun dinner and dance party we were all ready for sleep!

Otter Creek Fall HT 2011 - Friday

Thursday as usual is the arrival day, hack day, set up day. The weather was chilly but we warmed up as soon as we got to work shuffling stuff from the trailer to the barn aisle. The horses settled in and were very well behaved during their hacks. This weekend was to be extra exciting as an organizer of the Ralph Hill 2011 MN Clinic Series, with Jane Braddock & Jen Johnson we decided to fly him in for some coaching over the weekend!

Friday was again a bit chilly but we were up bright and early! Maria was busy getting Hannah ready for her dressage, braiding, cleaning, shining boots. Hannah was more than "fresh" this morning and did not agree that we had to be doing dressage. She was tense and all she wanted to do was gallop around with her head in the air. She seemed to settle down somewhat towards the end of our warmup and we headed into the arena only for all of her anxiety to come back. Alison Sader Larson helped us in warm up and we worked really hard to calm Hannah down and getting her to soften and come through.

As soon as we stepped into the arena to make our way around the ring while waiting for the whistle, her stride became small and she felt like at any minute she was going to leap from the starting gate as if she were a full thoroughbred with no draft in her...well the trot work was ok, and the canter work...well a little too exuberant. As I mentioned earlier that she felt as if she were going to leap from the starting gate?...well she decided to practice that move down the long wall during an attempt for a medium canter, yes, in true Hannah B form she threw her head in the air, nose above the ears, and galloped down the long wall...Brian Ross scored her very accurately and spot on to what I guessed when I finally exited the arena. She earned a very well deserved 44.8! Oh well! That sat us in 5th place in a field of 6 riders. Both Jamie Price & Megan Moore had two horses running in the division, Poker Run and Overdraft & Widespread Panic and The Grasshopper, and Cindy Anderson had her horse Windsor.

Next up was Maria & Pete. Their warm up was nice, he was obedient in his leg yields and later movements and we practiced a few transitions and getting him really supple. I don't know what it was, maybe the weather, but as the horses warmed up they seemed to build and build upon themselves. Maria entered the ring and put in a very good test, they had some mistakes, but also some very lovely areas, earning a 9 on their entrances "Now that's a salute" was the comment from Brian Ross! Although they earned a 37 they sat in 1st place after the Open Preliminary division was finished.

Lucy Goosey was up next. Alison helped me warm up on her as well. She started out really really nice and uphill and then began to pull and get strong as the warm up progressed. By the time I got her to the ring I was having a hard time keeping her up, but managed to pull it off as best we could. Lucy strutted her stuff around to earn a 24.5 from Kate Phillips, putting us into the lead of the Novice Championship division and also having the lowest dressage score at the show.

Next it was time to go and coach the rest of my students. I had Morgan Samuelson and Ricky, Savannah Ruhs & Grady, Kailey Giancola & Nokomis, and Maura Tierney & Dylan going in Novice, then Kailey Giancola & Cherish and Emily Shirley & Ty in the Beginner Novice.

Morgan, Savannah & Kailey all were in the same division against each other and each of them put in a lovely test. Morgan & Ricky earned a 30, to put them into the lead. Close behind was Savannah & Grady earning a 30.5. Not too far behind was Kailey & Nokomis with a 32 in 4th place.

Next in the Novice was Maura & Dylan. Dylan was great in warm up, but just like Hannah earlier in the day, once he entered the ring he became a little stiff and the judge nailed her for it. They scored a 46 to sit them in 13th place.

The beginner novice students were next out, Maria & I waited for them to arrive and played with Alison's dogs Cozmo & Tini.

The BN students arrived and went right to work. With Emily entering the ring first on Ty, they put in a solid test. I was very proud of her, her dressage has come a LONG way, and it helps to have a great horse to do it on! Thanks to the Johnson's for allowing Emily a lease on their beloved Ty! They earned a 34.8 to put them in 5th place! 2 point improvement over their last score!

Kailey & Cherish went in the ring next. Her mom, Linda & I stood on the sidelines with crossed fingers hoping that Cherish's canter would be good, as we have been working hard to improve upon it. She put in an excellent test! They earned a 34.3 to put them just in front of Emily in 4th place! A 6 point improvement on their last test!

The BN students also had to do show jumping. They both rode great & had flawless rounds which moved them each up! Kailey moved up to 2nd and Emily to 3rd! Cross country for them tomorrow would be the final phase!

Overall Friday was a very successful day of rides! The horses were all good (for the most part) as well as the riders! Everyone was looking forward to XC! We headed off to walk our courses. The courses were all very similar to Otter Creek Summer HT so we all knew what we needed to improve upon from the last show (like going IN the water for Lucy!).

We all headed out for some good food and some much needed sleep in order to prepare for XC Day at Otter Creek!