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After a long cold winter, we looked forward to the new show season!  Our training was hindered by many days without riding in January and February due to single digit temperatures. I also couldn't ride with the trainer I wanted. Izhe spent the winter outside in a small pen without much exercise. Poor guy! I felt so bad! But we resumed work in March and made progress. May 2014 Our first show took place in May and with it our debut at First Level! I felt so unprepared, but with judge Tom Poulin, we scored a lovely 65 in Training 3 (a confidence booster!) and squeaked by in First Level Test 1 with 61! What progress we made since our 53% in 1-1 Opportunity in October! June 2014 June brought a much needed change!  Izhe moved to luxurious farm where he could live on an enormous pasture with 6 other boys.  I was so happy for him to be in horse heaven with friends, trees, bushes, birds, grass, and a pond with geese and ducks and get exercise going up and down the hills. We then competed in two shows in June with little time in between to prepare for the second show. At First Level Tests 1 and 2, we continued to score 61%.  My goal was 65, but we have a hard time with trot leg yields.  We also finally get to work with a superb, very experienced, highly knowledgeable trainer, and by training with her all this coming winter, we will improve to get better scores next year. August 2014 We entered a show in early August, but while I was leading Izhe out of the barn he stepped on my foot and made a large gash. I had to get 13 stitches and missed my rides!  So disappointing and a feeling of missed accomplishments.  But it was my fault for not wearing boots, and Izhe needs to learn to respect my space.

Our Grand Finale Our last show of the season will be an adventure to Sliverwood Farm over Labor Day weekend! www.silverwoodfarm.net  I hope Izhe is not too out of control in a new environment. We plan to settle in on Friday and explore the whole farm to become acquainted and then focus on our rides.  Stay tuned for the results! We look forward to showing with judges Sandi Chohany and Fatima Kranz. Sliverwood Farm Dressage - Labor Day weekend When we got to Silverwood Friday, I lunged Iz and he was all fired up!  What extravagant movement! I wish I were a good enough rider to get that under saddle!  Izhe was a bit unsure of himself in a new place, but we worked that out on the lunge and went on to a good schooling ride.  The showgrounds were sopping wet from the rain we got.  Small lakes and lots of mud everywhere. UGH!  I really didn't want to put on my clean show boots or white breeches, because in that environment, they would not stay nice long! We rode 1-1 and 1-3 on Saturday and Sunday, scoring only 57 to 62.  It was a good showing for our first big adventure. We didn't have any spooks or naughtiness, I stayed on, we didn't go off course, and we stayed in the ring! All very good! We have a lot of promise to do spectacularly well next year! One More Time August at Sliverwood was to be our last show, but the USDF All Breeds Awards are calling us.  Izhe and I only need two scores of 60 or better at 1-3 to qualify.  And if we score 62 or better, we are in a good place to take Second!!  So we are going for it with one more trip to Sliverwood at the end of September.  We are schooling hard, and our trainer is kicking our butts! Looking forward to meeting our challenge!   Results Sliverwood September was a beautiful weekend, and Izhe was an old pro! With the loving care of Auntie Annette (groom, show mom, stablegirl, coat check girl, and all around support!) and coaching by the indomitable Joann Williams, we scored 60-61 on four rides at 1-1 and 1-3! We just barely squeaked by within our goal! Our final median is 61.290%, and we qualified for USDF Year End Awards rankings! We are near the bottom of the rankings, but we are ranked nonetheless! Preliminary results show we are 4th in All Breed Awards and 5th in Silver Stirrup Awards for USEF Region 6.  I am so proud of Izhe, and we are eager for a whole winter of training and then competition next year!   USDF Year End Awards Placings All Breeds Awards (PHR) - Adult Amateur - 1st Level - 4th USDF Adult Amateur - 1st Level - 236th out of 268 USDF Horse of the Year - 1st Level - 526th out of 573 Next year we want to WIN something!